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Chapter 06
Water shot up from the fountain, scattering into mist as the breeze carried it.
The man didn’t seem to care that his tangled, curly hair was getting wet. He just stared blankly at the sky.
The splashes left dark, round stains all over his shabby clothes.
With his unruly hair and equally unkempt beard, if you placed just a single battered bowl in front of him, he could easily pass for a beggar.
But I knew who he was.
Guillaume Hedebaux.
A god of commerce, who turned a small trading post into a vast trading company with almost instinctive business acumen.
And a longtime friend of my father.
Yet the reason I remembered Hedebaux was more personal.
He had been one of the benefactors to Antoine and me in our previous lives.
Hedebaux’s once-mighty trading house would eventually collapse around the time Antoine came of age.
Its sole heir caused a scandal by using my father’s name to pull off a major fraud.
The business barely survived, teetering on the edge of ruin.
Still, Hedebaux never abandoned us, not even at the end.
Why would someone go to such lengths for us?
The day I couldn’t hold back my curiosity, Hedebaux had chuckled and patted my head.
“Aren’t these Charles’ children? A friend’s children are almost my own. I’ll help them however I can.”
“Then why are you dressed like… that?”
Had his business failed somewhere along the way?
If so, it would be the perfect chance to repay his kindness. I could finally show my gratitude, serve him.
Just as I was about to make that resolution, someone beat me to Hedebaux.
“Uncle, what are you doing here?”
Ah! Antoine!
Hadn’t he learned not to approach strangers carelessly?
Of course, Hedebaux was neither a stranger nor a bad person, but—!
“Me? Just soaking up the sun.”
“Soaking up the sun? The sunflower? Are you a flower, sir?”
“I apologize. My brother was rude, Hedebaux-san.”
I screamed inwardly, dashed over, and scooped Antoine into my arms.
Then, I immediately bit my tongue in panic.
“How did he know you were Hedebaux?”
Damn. I wasn’t supposed to meet him for a few more years.
If Antoine hadn’t come along today, I might have missed him entirely.
As I hesitated, Hedebaux flashed a grin, revealing gums as red as a fresh scarlet.
Even in a place with poor dental care, those straight, white teeth were remarkable.
Yet that smile—no matter how brilliant—was more like that of a mountain bandit than a gentle flower.
“I saw your clothes.”
“Clothes? This rag?”
I searched desperately for a plausible excuse, only to notice a brooch holding together his tattered scarf.
“Yes. Actually, it was the brooch that gave it away.”
“Is there something wrong with this brooch?”
“That’s a brooch only given to outstanding merchants by the Merchants’ Guild. My father has one too.”
Hedebaux fiddled with the brooch, its large gem catching the light.
“And… forgive me if this sounds rude, but there’s a smell.”
“A smell?”
He lifted an arm and sniffed.
Antoine had been nuzzling my chest cautiously, wary of an unfamiliar scent. I too felt the sharp tang of exotic spices prickling my nose.
But one rarely notices the smell that naturally emanates from their own body.
“Yes. The smell of the sea and foreign spices. A distinguished merchant carrying exotic spices and making it here without hindrance… who else could it be but Guillaume Hedebaux, my father’s business partner?”
“Ha!”
Hedebaux chuckled at my words, twirling his beard with a thoughtful expression.
Wait, was I mistaken? Could I have confused him with someone else? But the future Hedebaux never grew a beard!
“Well, fine, but if I’m not Hedebaux?”
“Then it would mean you defeated all the guards of this estate. That’s something my father should be told as well.”
If he cooperated as a hostage, perhaps his life could be spared.
I shrugged.
“Hahaha!”
He bent over laughing so hard, I thought he might topple backward.
And—splash!
“Ugh! Phew!”
“Good heavens! Are you alright? Antoine! Quickly, get someone!”
“Why is this fountain so huge…!”
…Well, at least that would help wash away the scent of spices.
“Guillaume!”
Charles sprang to his feet, arms wide.
“I heard the news. The children were rude.”
“Rude? Not at all. It was refreshing to wash off the salt from my body after so long.”
“Let’s see… the salting’s done, rinsing too, so we just hang it in the breeze to dry, right?”
“Good? Next voyage, shall we add some ham too?”
Trading jokes back and forth, Charles settled Hedebaux into a seat.
“A fascinating man, that one.”
“Hm?”
“Your daughter. She recognized me instantly.”
Even speaking to nobles, Guillaume casually dropped formalities, and Charles accepted it without surprise.
“Adelaide? Had they met before?”
“Only when she was very little, I saw her sleeping once or twice. She probably doesn’t even remember.”
“Hmm… And what did she say?”
“She recognized my affiliation with the Merchants’ Guild from the brooch and said I smelled.”
“Smelled?”
Charles frowned.
Guillaume explained calmly what had happened at the fountain.
“My daughter’s clever. She takes after her mother. You can tell from her face.”
“That’s a relief to hear.”
“What’s the matter?”
I frowned, but Charles’ gaze trembled slightly.
Adelaide had changed—more than just growing up. Her sharp perception and insight were beyond her years.
While her cleverness was lightly attributed to her mother, Charles couldn’t help but worry about how much she had changed.
“Enough. Why did you call me today?”
“Avoiding the question, are we?”
Despite his frustration, Charles got to the point.
“I want to give my daughter a toy.”
“A toy? Are you joking? You called me just for that?”
“No, well… you’ve returned from your travels, so I want to give her something really nice. Understand?”
“Wow, really. Had I known, I would have refused that investment back then!”
“Then who would have taken the runaway youth’s entire fortune so recklessly?”
Charles chuckled while Guillaume thumped his chest in mock despair.
Before long, they were both transported back to the days of the runaway young master and the passionate young merchant with nothing but ambition.
