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Chapter 14
Rosalyn and Martini hid themselves in the narrow gap of a back alley, watching the road beyond.
“Master, are we really going to do it here…?”
“Don’t call me that. Use something else.”
Rosalyn shot him a sharp glare. If he kept calling her that so openly, her effort to stay disguised would be pointless.
“Then what am I supposed to call you!”
Martini lowered his voice as much as he could.
Just hearing him struggle with something so simple made Rosalyn sigh.
“Do I really have to tell you everything?”
“…Elder sister?”
After some thought, that was his answer.
Rosalyn looked at him like she had just seen something absurd.
“…Brother?”
“Forget it. Just forget it. I shouldn’t expect anything from you.”
Rosalyn clicked her tongue lightly. Martini muttered under his breath.
But even that didn’t last long. Rosalyn’s sharp gaze pricked at his profile, and he quickly lowered his head.
And at that moment—
“Is that him?”
“Huh? Y-yes! That’s him!”
Dobak finally appeared.
Martini sprang up—no, he tried to.
“Ugh, Master!”
His sleeve was yanked, dragging him back down. He nearly fell, but managed to steady himself and looked at Rosalyn in confusion.
Rosalyn raised a finger to her lips, signaling silence. Instantly, tension filled the air. Martini held his breath and nodded.
“Hah, damn it… I could’ve made a big score this time. What the hell went wrong at the end?”
Dobak muttered while violently ruffling his already messy hair.
Dark shadows under his eyes, dry skin, hollow cheeks—he didn’t look like someone living a normal life at all.
“He looks worse than I thought,” Rosalyn muttered.
Martini nodded.
“That explains why he borrowed such a huge amount of money.”
“We were just going to scare him… but I don’t think fear will work, right?”
“You’re planning to handle it yourself, Master?”
Martini looked surprised.
Rosalyn smirked beneath her mask and loosened her wrist.
“Of course. That’s why I came.”
“Uh… hypothetically speaking… what if Mr. Dobak ends up—”
“I won’t kill him.”
Rosalyn cut him off immediately.
Martini still looked uneasy.
“Even if you don’t kill him, I don’t think that solves the problem…”
Rosalyn stared at him, clearly tired of his pessimism.
Martini quickly raised his hands in surrender.
“Go on then.”
He bowed deeply for good measure.
Rosalyn grabbed the back of his neck.
“Hey. You’re the one going.”
“Me?!”
“There’s a big gambling table nearby. Convince him and bring him over.”
“Why me?!”
“Do you want me to suddenly show up in a place full of people like this?”
“…Isn’t that why you’re wearing a disguise?”
Martini struggled, trying to break free.
But under Rosalyn’s piercing glare, resistance was meaningless.
“This is too much!”
“Go. He’s getting away.”
Before he could protest further, Rosalyn shoved him forward.
Martini was practically thrown out of the alley.
He turned back with a resentful look, but Rosalyn only waved him off.
With no choice, he sighed and approached Dobak.
Dobak muttered to himself like a madman:
“Red ball, blue ball, red, red, blue, red, blue, blue… It should be blue next… damn it!”
His fingernails dug into his lips as he whispered obsessively.
Martini coughed awkwardly.
“E-excuse me…”
But Dobak didn’t react.
Martini’s mind raced. If he failed here, he’d be the one Rosalyn vented on.
“…If we just get one more person, it’s a hundred gold…”
He said it casually, as if talking to himself.
A normal person would’ve laughed it off.
But Dobak reacted instantly.
His head snapped up.
“…One more person?”
Martini kept walking slowly, baiting him.
“There are already three. We just need one more player. It’s a game from the Eastern Continent—hard to find participants. But it’s easy money. Sit down once, and it’s a hundred gold.”
Dobak’s eyes sharpened.
Martini slowed his steps deliberately, letting him catch up.
And then—
A heavy hand grabbed his shoulder.
“W-what did you just say?”
His voice was desperate. Pathetic.
Martini inwardly clicked his tongue.
“So he really is this far gone…”
He shrugged.
“Ah… you heard that? That’s… supposed to be confidential.”
“I’ll do it. I’ll do it! Let me sit! I need that hundred gold!”
Dobak pleaded without hesitation.
Martini noticed something strange.
This wasn’t normal greed. It was fixation—almost panic.
“…Something’s off. This isn’t just gambling addiction.”
He leaned closer and whispered:
“You want to go right now?”
“Yes! Now!”
Dobak looked ready to run.
Martini led him back toward Rosalyn’s hiding spot.
Dobak followed like a man possessed.
And finally—
Martini turned the corner.
“Are we there yet?”
At that exact moment—
Rosalyn emerged from the shadows.
She immediately shoved something into Dobak’s mouth.
“Agh—! Mmph!”
His arms were twisted behind his back and tightly bound.
One swift kick to the knee, and he collapsed.
“Hello, gambler.”
Rosalyn crouched, meeting his eyes.
“Let’s keep this quick. First question. You know Bertha, right?”
Dobak trembled violently.
“Don’t like wasting time. Answer.”
He nodded frantically.
“Good. You put Bertha down as a guarantor on a loan contract?”
His eyes widened.
Rosalyn frowned.
“What? The loan contract. Did you list Bertha as a guarantor or not?”
Dobak shook his head desperately.
He thrashed, trying to free himself.
“Wait… you didn’t know Bertha was listed?”
Martini asked sharply.
Dobak nodded violently.
Rosalyn’s expression darkened.
“So you’re saying you didn’t know? Then what, someone forged her signature?”
“Mmph! Mmph!”
Dobak shook his head furiously.
The situation wasn’t making sense.
Rosalyn groaned.
“This is insane… ever since he borrowed from Night Bluebird, something felt off…”
At the name, Dobak’s eyes widened.
His body began shaking violently.
And then—
He suddenly rolled his eyes back and fainted.
“…What?”
Rosalyn checked his breathing.
Still stable.
She looked at Martini.
“…Master, something’s wrong.”
Before anything else could be said—
Rosalyn’s gaze snapped toward the opposite alley.
“I think there’s a rat over there, Martini.”
Without hesitation, Martini threw a throwing blade into the darkness.
Clang!
Metal struck metal.
A clean, ringing sound.
They clicked their tongues.
“Don’t hide. Come out.”
Martini called out.
Silence.
Rosalyn and Martini exchanged a glance.
Slowly, Martini stepped toward the darkness.
