"Rosavere Company…" the old man murmured thoughtfully, inspecting the visiting card in his weathered hands. He then glanced up at the man wearing a rabbit mask who now sat casually across from him in the modest living room.
"I've heard you folks are getting quite popular on the mainland... What brings soone like you to visit our humble little village, Mr. Lackey?" the old man asked with polite curiosity, setting the card carefully back on the table.
Lackey offered a small hum as he leaned back slightly in the creaky wooden chair, folding his gloved hands over his lap. "You see, sir, we received information that the governnt might soon begin constructing a major road—one that would connect the two Empires," he explained evenly. "They're planning to use this route as a strategic trade corridor, and... it so happens that the construction is projected to run near your village."
The old man's brows lifted slightly, his expression laced with surprise. "Roads? Out here?" he echoed, clearly not expecting such developnt news in this remote corner of the Empire.
Lackey nodded. "Yes. And because of that, our company is taking an interest in acquiring so of the local land to build hotels, restaurants, and perhaps even so recreational areas. It could beco a thriving hub."
The old man blinked, his lips parting as if to ask sothing, "B-But—"
"Please don't worry," Lackey interjected gently, raising one palm as he offered a businesslike smile. "We're willing to pay a fair amount for any land we purchase. In fact..." he leaned forward slightly and slid a thick, neatly wrapped bundle of cash across the table. "We're even prepared to provide so... unofficial compensation as well. A little sothing extra, just between us."
The old man stared at the bundle with an unreadable expression, eyes flicking from the money back to the masked man's face. His silence stretched for a mont.
Lackey frowned inwardly. 'Looks like I've got one of those upright, moral types... this might take more pushing.'
But just as he was bracing for resistance—
"Of course, sir! I'd be more than happy to provide whatever land you need," the old man said suddenly, beaming brightly as he scooped the bundle without hesitation and tucked it away with the smoothness of soone who'd done this before.
Lackey's lips twitched, but he maintained his smile. "Good," he replied simply.
"Would you like sothing to drink?" the old man offered politely.
"Ah, no thank you. Why don't we get started instead? I don't have much ti," Lackey said, tone mildly dejected yet professional.
The old man nodded understandingly. "Of course. I'll do my utmost," he said before clapping his hands once.
Monts later, a maid entered the room.
"Take Mr. Lackey around the village," the old man instructed. "Show him all the properties and make note of the lands he's interested in. And obey his every word. Do whatever he asks, understood?"
The maid nodded obediently and gestured for Lackey to follow.
They walked through the dusty streets, past stone walls and wooden hos. The maid pointed out landmarks and offered small tidbits of information here and there. That was until—
"Can you take to Mr. La's house?" Lackey asked, his voice low and casual.
"Mr. La?" the maid echoed softly, clearly unsure of the reason but unwilling to question him.
After all her master ordered her do what he asked.
She simply nodded and led him to a dium-sized ho that stood a little apart from the others. It was modest—not new, but not falling apart either.
"So they're here... huh," Lackey muttered under his breath as he stood at the door.
Knock, knock.
The maid knocked on the door.
Thud!
It swung open a mont later, revealing a middle-aged woman with a tight frown etched across her features. "What?"
The maid bowed politely and explained the mayor's instructions.
"Hm... alright," the woman grunted and called for her husband to co out.
.....
...
Inside, Lackey sat on a rough wooden chair, calmly observing the room and the man who now sat across from him.
"So let get this straight... this man here is from the Rosavere Company, and he wants land from us?" the middle-aged man asked, his brows drawn together in a thoughtful frown.
The maid nodded as she stood beside Lackey silently.
The man gave a small hum, then extended his hand. "Hello, sir. My na is La. I'm the head of this household."
Lackey stood and shook the man's hand firmly. "Nice to et you, Mr. La. I'm Lackey—a real estate broker working under Rosavere's private expansion division."
"Lackey, huh... That's a pretty uncommon na," La muttered as he sat back down. Then he gave a small shrug. "Anyway... this land has been in my family since my great-grandfather's ti. We've lived here for nearly a century. I'm not sure I'm comfortable selling it just like that—"
"Oh co on, father! Why are you still clinging to this dump?"
A sharp female voice cut in, and Lackey turned slightly to see a black-haired young woman walking in with a scowl. Her gait was confident and impatient.
'Xara...?' Lackey felt a strange pulse of recognition. The woman looked strikingly similar to Xara.
The girl walked over and stood beside her father, folding her arms.
La sighed tiredly. "Dear... you know this land is precious. It holds the blood and tears of our ancestors—"
"Tears and blood? What about us?" another voice scoffed from behind.
Lackey turned again, this ti to see a young black-haired man entering the room, his expression twisted in frustration.
"We're rotting in this shithole, Father," the son snapped as he threw himself into a chair, arms crossed and jaw clenched. "This place is a curse."
"Mind your words," La said sternly, frowning at his son's crude language.
Lackey watched the two siblings quietly, taking note of their body language, their tone, their irritation.
"Mr. Lackey, please forgive their behavior—" La began, but before he could finish—
"Lackey? That's your na?" the son suddenly burst out laughing. "What kind of na is that? Hahaha!"
"Yeah! People in the city have the weirdest nas. What's next—Mister Butler?" his daughter added, laughing as she leaned on the table.
La's face darkened with embarrassnt as he looked at Lackey, whose deanor hadn't changed at all despite their mockery.
He remained perfectly calm—expression unreadable behind the rabbit mask—as he continued to observe them in silence.
Still,
Still,
"Please forgive them, Mr. Lackey—"
"HAHAHAHA!"
"HAHAHA!!!"
They burst into even louder laughter, completely unable to contain themselves.
La's lips twitched in irritation, but then—
"Hissss~"
Snowflake, the white serpent coiled silently around his neck until now, suddenly let out a furious hiss, her body rising as her eyes glead coldly with murderous intent.
The two siblings abruptly stopped laughing. Their wide eyes locked onto the snake as their throats dried up and gulps slipped from their lips.
Lackey smiled calmly, "Anyway, Mr. La, I can offer you a much better settlent in the city… if you're willing to offer your land in exchange."
Both of La's children raised their eyebrows, utterly stunned by what they had just heard. Their shocked gazes shifted to their father.
"Father, you need to accept it."
"Yes, Father. This is a great opportunity!"
Even La seed stunned by the offer. He blinked several tis in confusion, and just then, his wife—who had been quietly standing beside him all along—leaned in and whispered sothing into his ear.
La frowned and blinked again. "Are you sure about this?" he asked softly.
His wife simply gave a firm nod in response.
La bit his lip, uncertain. He turned back to Lackey and opened his mouth, "Mr. Lackey, you see—"
"Was the price too low? I can increase the offer..." Lackey said smoothly with a faint smirk, casting a sidelong glance at La's wife. He had a hunch she might be attempting to drive the price higher through delay.
The entire family exchanged nervous glances. Even the children stared at their father with sharp, almost predatory intensity.
And within just a few minutes, they all agreed.
'I wonder where their precious forefathers disappeared to now…' Lackey mused, amusent flickering across his expression. He shook off the thought and smoothly changed the subject, "Anyway, this is all of your family mbers, right?" He handed over a set of clearly fake docunts.
La nodded confidently. "Yes. Everyone is here," he confird as he took the papers and began reading through them carefully.
Lackey narrowed his eyes. "Hmm… no illegitimate children, correct?"
La's expression shifted slightly. His wife's face tensed as she muttered coldly, "What exactly are you trying to imply?" Her tone hinted at barely restrained fury.
Lackey raised a hand placatingly. "Please don't misunderstand. This is just a company policy. I have to make sure..."
La scoffed. "What kind of absurd rule is that—"
Before he could finish, Lackey calmly cut in, "Due to intense competition, so rival companies might attempt to use unacknowledged children—or anyone related to your bloodline—to sabotage deals. If we fail to obtain their consent, it could be used against us. Private corporations are greedy and ruthless, as you know. So we have to be extrely thorough before getting your signature. If you lie to us… we will take necessary actions."
La's frown deepened. "Necessary actions? What does that an exactly?"
Lackey's smile remained polite, but sothing dark flickered behind his calm eyes. "Oh, nothing too serious. Just a light punishnt… maybe a hundred whips, branding them as company property, and making them work as laborers for the rest of their lives."
A chilling silence settled over the room. Every pair of eyes widened in sheer horror.
"So…" Lackey continued softly, "You don't have any illegitimate children, right?" He smiled again—but this ti, no one mistook it for a genuine one.
La swallowed thickly, his throat parched. He hesitantly glanced at his wife, who was now anxiously biting her nails.
La gave a nervous chuckle. "O-Of course not… there's no child besides these two," he said firmly.
The others all nodded along quickly and furiously, as if trying to reinforce the lie.
Lackey frowned slightly, as if disappointed, then shrugged. "Hmm... fine. First, sign these papers. Once everything is verified, we'll inform you of the next steps. Understood?" His gaze swept over the entire family, making sure none of them dared challenge his words.
Soon after, he stepped out of the house. As he watched the family close the door behind him, a quiet thought floated through his mind.
'Maybe I should've just used control magic to squeeze the truth out of them…' he mused silently.
But then again, he reminded himself, this was Xara's family.
She still had deep emotional ties to them... If he acted recklessly, she might get angry. Now was not the ti to provoke her.
He needed to play a smarter, safer ga.
Lackey walked slowly, lost in thought, trying to plan a way to extract the real information from this shady family—when suddenly, the maid who had been quietly guiding him around the village ca to a sudden halt.
"They're lying."
"H-Huh?" Lackey stopped walking and turned toward her, surprised by the serious tone in her voice.
The maid's eyes were hard as she spoke, "La's family has one more mber… a girl nad Xara."
"Oh?..." Lackey blinked slowly, then a dark smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
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