Was Anna Involved with Someone Else?

"Baron Merrick, if the three-headed dogs in the Kayas Region really have been wiped out, I am willing to pledge on behalf of the Poly Merchant Association that we will serve the Merick Family from now on."

President Porter had long wanted to attach himself to a prominent family in Will City.

Now that Lister had extended an olive branch, he was eager to come under the family's protection, and the two sides immediately hit it off.

With their relationship closer, President Porter felt considerably more at ease.

Guided by Lister's questions, he shared quite a bit of news from around the Duchy of Will.

None of it concerned the upper nobility, however. It was mostly about various merchant associations and customs he had encountered on his travels.

"My lord, word around the city is that you have feelings for Miss Anna, daughter of Viscount Anbeite?"

"You've heard about the duel, then?"

Lister did not answer directly.

No matter whom he told that he had no interest in Miss Anna, nobody would believe him now. Explaining would be a waste of breath.

"Yes... and, my lord... I've actually heard some other things as well..."

"I don't know whether I should tell you."

President Porter looked thoroughly hesitant, and Lister's curiosity was instantly piqued.

"Is it about me? Or Miss Anna?"

"It concerns Miss Anna, but..."

"It's all right! Go on. Whatever it is, I won't hold it against you."

Hearing that it concerned Anna, Lister could not help sitting up straight.

Although the duel hanging over him had nothing to do with Anna at present, the whole affair had started because of her.

Now that there was news about him, Lister naturally wanted to hear it.

"It's some unsubstantiated gossip, about Miss Anna and her... her pain... painter..."

"Painter?"

"What are people saying?"

President Porter looked increasingly uncomfortable. After struggling with himself for a moment, he finally spoke.

"Actually, it isn't just gossip. The painter's name is Ruisi, and he used to do some business with our Poly Merchant Association."

"His family wasn't wealthy, but he was a gifted painter. He often made a living by asking our association to sell his paintings and by painting portraits for the city's nobles."

"Later, after he painted a portrait for the Ambet Family, Miss Anna once happened to find him through our association. After that, she went to see Ruisi of her own accord several times..."

As he spoke, President Porter watched Lister closely, terrified of angering the baron he had finally managed to attach himself to.

Fortunately, Lister showed no sign of anger. Aside from a slight frown and the occasional thoughtful look, the baron was calmer than he had imagined.

He was nothing like the impulsive man who would challenge a duke's son to a duel over a woman.

"You mean Anna and this painter have feelings for each other?"

Hearing Lister speak so calmly about it, President Porter breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

"There was indeed something between them. When it happened, many people in our association envied Ruisi."

"They thought that, with the viscount's daughter taking a liking to him, things would change for him..."

President Porter left the rest unsaid. In fact, he himself had placed a bet on Ruisi at the time.

He had hoped to use Ruisi to establish a connection with Viscount Anbeite.

But later, things gradually became troublesome.

"When were the two of them seeing each other?"

"More than half a year ago."

"So the painter the Ambet Family hired some time ago..."

"That's right! It was Ruisi!"

Lister remembered now. Butler Anke had mentioned it to him not long ago.

He had said that Miss Anna had recently taken up painting, and Viscount Anbeite had hired a painter to give her lessons at home on a long-term basis.

Who would have thought it was this Ruisi?

Lister's mind raced through the possibilities.

Across from him, President Porter finally breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

In the past, he could have kept this to himself and pretended he knew nothing.

It concerned secrets involving so many nobles, and even the duke's son.

His little merchant association had no powerful backing, so he dared not gossip carelessly.

But now that he had established a connection with the Merick Family, it was better to tell them about such matters concerning the family in advance, especially anything involving Lister.

If there really was some misunderstanding, or if something really had happened between Anna and Ruisi,

and Lister later treated the Poly Merchant Association as an enemy because of its dealings with Ruisi, they would be in trouble!

Lister sat silently in the reception room for a long while before coming back to himself.

"Thank you for telling me something so important, President Porter."

"We'll settle the cooperation as we discussed earlier. Butler Anke will go over the details and profits with you."

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Baron. I'll take my leave now."

As soon as President Porter, that purple ball of flesh, had left, Butler Anke hurried over, looking worried.

"My lord, have the three-headed dogs in the Kayas Region really been wiped out?"

"Or do you have a grudge against the Poly Merchant Association...?"

Anke had held the question in for quite a while and only now dared to ask Lister.

He even suspected that Lister wanted to send the Poly Merchant Association to its death in the Kayas Region.

"Of course they've been wiped out. The Poly Merchant Association has already placed itself under the Merick Family's protection. What grudge could I possibly have against them?"

Seeing how certain Lister was, Butler Anke assumed that Lister had recently witnessed a high-level professional clear out the Kayas Region.

Even though he knew Lister had often been leaving the city lately and returning home reeking of blood, he was unwilling to believe that Lister had wiped out the three-headed dogs' settlement by himself. It was simply too fantastical.

Lister, of course, had no idea how his old butler's mind worked at that moment. He was still thinking about Anna.

Since President Porter had mentioned it to him, Anna really did have a history with the painter named Ruisi.

There had certainly been something between them, and it had begun before Lister's predecessor inherited the title of baron and started pursuing her.

Could it be that she had turned to Quint, son of Duke Will, to take the fall because she couldn't get rid of his predecessor?

And had them duel?

No! Whoever won the duel between him and Quint, Anna's father would certainly marry her off to the winner.

If she really liked the painter and had already been involved with him, she would never resort to such a poor plan.

Unless Anna was just trying to buy time... and then elope...

Lister felt he was gradually getting his thoughts in order.

Although he still hadn't fully sorted out the duke's and Quint's side of things, judging from the information President Porter had given him today,

it was possible Anna really did have that in mind.

After all, since the day of the duel, Quint had not gone to see Anna, but Anna had not sought Quint out either.

At the same time, Lister still remembered the impression the woman had made on him when they met more than half a month ago.

She had a shapely figure, but she was no big-breasted airhead. She was rather calculating.

At that thought, Lister gave Butler Anke another instruction.

"Butler Anke, send someone to look into Ruisi for me."

"If it's true, have someone make a trip to the duke's castle and deliver the news to Quint."

If the duel really could be called off because of this, Lister was naturally willing.

He wasn't afraid of Quint, but he was wary of the ducal family behind him and the duke, who was still alive.

Whether or not to win the duel was something he needed to consider, given that he was not yet strong enough.