Two Scumbags

"Oh? Is that so?" Renard held his hands up and glanced at his clothes. They were quite stylish and suited him well. "They really are excellent, though a little on the expensive side."

"As expected of the most handsome man in Saint Brieuc Fortress. This outfit makes you look even more perfect." Ben seized the moment to flatter him. Even with iron skewers in both hands, he still did his best to give two thumbs up.

Renard's cheek twitched slightly. Ben's flattery was so blatant it gave him goosebumps. But when he thought about it, being praised really wasn't so bad.

Still, he was a practical man and didn't get carried away by the flattery. Instead, he began considering a crucial question. "What's Madam Tamara like? I mean, in terms of her temper."

Ben thought for a moment, then answered somewhat uncertainly, "I heard she's kind, though she does lose her temper sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Renard instinctively stopped walking, raised an eyebrow, and stared at his lackey. "When is 'sometimes'?"

Ben felt a little guilty under his gaze. After a long pause, he finally replied, "For example... right now."

As he spoke, he raised the iron skewer in his hand, displaying the half-cooked chunks of meat to Renard without holding anything back.

"Ah!" Renard couldn't help sighing. He slapped his forehead hard and continued toward the villa at 16 Vanilla Street, muttering as he walked, "I hope our arrival doesn't ruin Madam Tamara's good mood."

The lackey swallowed with difficulty and said nothing, though he hesitated slightly as he started walking.

Vanilla Street was very quiet. After all, it was a wealthy neighborhood. There were no stinking ditches or muddy pits, no vendors hawking their wares. The moment they entered, the clamor abruptly faded away, as if they had stepped into a different world.

Ben led Renard along the clean, tidy street. They often spotted notices asking for help finding lost pets, their sheer number clearly showing how anxious the owners were.

The animal in the picture looked like a large poodle from Earth, though its appearance was quite ferocious.

"'Lost pet. Anyone with information, please notify Madam Tamara. A reward of ten to twenty copper coins will be given depending on the importance of the information. Anyone who helps find the pet will receive a one-time reward of five silver coins.'"

Ben read the notice aloud, then glanced at the roast meat in his hand. He couldn't tell what he was feeling. "Why didn't I see this notice earlier?"

Renard ignored his complaint and hurried a few steps to the small villa marked number 16 on Vanilla Street. He knocked on the gate. "Knock, knock, knock!"

A reply soon came from inside the villa. "Please wait a moment."

A silver-haired woman in her sixties, wearing silver-rimmed glasses, then came out of the villa. Judging by her bearing, she must have been an exceptionally beautiful woman in her youth.

When the old woman saw the two of them, her expression suddenly tensed. Then she forced a smile and asked, "Young Master Renard, Mr. Ben, what can I do for you?"

Presumably, this was Madam Tamara. Renard straightened his clothes, trying to look as dignified as possible, then replied gravely, "We do have something to discuss with you."

Madam Tamara looked hesitant at his words, but eventually mustered her courage and came to the gate, meeting their eyes through the not-very-tall fence.

Renard felt a little uneasy under her gaze. He took a deep breath and tried to organize his thoughts. Then, in as calm and gentle a tone as possible, he asked, "May I ask if you put up the notices looking for a pet?"

Madam Tamara nodded in confusion. "That's right. Is there a problem?"

"Could it be..." Her face suddenly lit up with joy. She asked with some urgency, "Have you found Katyusha?"

Katyusha? Renard was stunned for a moment, then realized it must be the pet dog's name. He hurriedly nodded. "That's right. I have news about Katyusha. Would you like to hear it?"

"Of course!" Madam Tamara immediately dropped her reserve and nodded vigorously.

She then opened the gate and invited them in to talk. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Ben—or, more precisely, at the roast meat in his hand. For some reason, an ominous feeling suddenly arose in her heart.

Renard didn't move. Instead, he held out his right hand and rubbed his thumb against his index and middle fingers.

Then he remembered that this gesture wasn't customary in this world, so he simply held out his hand and bobbed it up and down.

Madam Tamara finally understood what he meant and immediately took a few copper coins from the little purse sewn into her waistband and handed them over.

Renard looked at the pitiful number of copper coins in his hand, and the corner of his eye twitched involuntarily.

But even a tiny mosquito was still meat. He stuffed the coins into his pocket and said sorrowfully, "Poor Katyusha fell into the hands of some vagrants. When we found her, they were about to eat her."

"Oh! Gods above!" Madam Tamara's vision went dark at his words, and she nearly collapsed onto the cold ground.

Renard promptly stepped forward to catch her and helped her inside to sit on the sofa. He continued, reassuringly, "Don't worry. Fortunately, my subordinate arrived in time. Things haven't turned out as badly as you think."

"Really?" Madam Tamara's expression instantly brightened. She took Renard's hand and thanked him. "Thank you for helping her. If I lost Katyusha, I wouldn't know how to go on living."

As she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, she rambled about the past. "Neither of my sons is here with me. Katyusha is my only emotional support. It has kept me company for the past six years..."

Listening to her recount the past, Renard tugged helplessly at the corner of his mouth, then forced a smile. "We brought Katyusha back in one piece. As for my reward..."

Madam Tamara sobbed as she took out five silver coins. "Thanks to your help, Katyusha was able to come home safely. Please accept these silver coins as your reward."

Renard snatched the silver coins at lightning speed, then shouted toward the door, "Ben, bring Katyusha in. Madam Tamara is waiting to be reunited with her."

A long while later, the lackey walked in reluctantly, holding up the barbecue skewer. He came to stand in front of the old woman and slowly placed the iron skewer, still threaded with roast meat, on the table.

The old woman looked at Renard in confusion, then at Ben. Her gaze finally settled on the roast meat.

At first, she looked puzzled. Then, as if she'd guessed what had happened, she stared wide-eyed. "Ka... Katyusha?"

"That's right!" Renard nodded mournfully. At the same time, he urged Ben to hurry out of the villa with him. Just before leaving, he remembered to offer a few words of comfort. "Please don't be too sad. Though Katyusha's body has perished, her soul will always be with you."

The two of them sprinted over a hundred meters before a heartbroken cry finally rang out behind them. "You two damn scumbags!"