City ​​of Witches 1032

Chapter 1032 – #246_Count Cagliostro (6)

#1026

1.
Throughout the East and West, and all of history, a lavish banquet signifies two things.

One is the measure of how much the guest is being welcomed.
The other is the host’s wealth and power.

In that sense, the dinner Siwoo was treated to was an intense welcome itself, and also a scene from a show demonstrating the abilities of Count Cagliostro, the head of the Emerald Tablet.

Despite the sudden visit without even a day’s notice, the table was overflowing with delicacies.

Beluga caviar, Kobe beef, Brittany lobster, Italian truffles…

How should one put it? It was as if they had gathered high-end ingredients that didn’t adhere to the concept of ‘cost-effectiveness’ and cooked them with the best skills.

Even Siwoo, whose palate had become quite refined while staying at the Geminai Count’s estate, couldn’t help but be amazed by the quality.

It was enough to make one lose sight of the purpose of being here and let their guard down.

“Baron, did you enjoy the meal?”
“Of course. It has opened my eyes to a new horizon of taste.”
“Oh my! The Geminai Count’s chef is quite skilled, but this is excessive! Oh ho ho ho!”

However, from Count Cagliostro’s perspective, this banquet was cheap.

No matter how expensive a single meal might be, it was nothing compared to the goose that would lay golden eggs in the future.

Wouldn’t it be possible to treat the sucker who came to offer that goose to a sumptuous meal?
After all, con artists are always kind to their marks.

“Well then, let’s move to another room.”

Leaving behind the food, of which they hadn’t even eaten half, the two moved from the dining room to the drawing room.
Siwoo and the Count, each sitting on a plush sofa, opened a bottle of cognac for an after-dinner drink and began their conversation in earnest.

“Haa, it’s boring business talk. But we need to be clear about what we need to address. I’m sure the Baron would prefer to get this over with quickly, right?”
“Yes, of course.”

For something she claimed was boring, the Count’s tone was extremely cheerful.

But that was only for a moment, as a heavy gaze, as if piercing through a person, was directed at Siwoo.

“I didn’t want to say anything unnecessary during the pleasant meal earlier. But the contents of the letter you sent are still the same, right?”

The contents of the letter that Count Cagliostro had unfolded could be summarized in one word:

Unconditional surrender.

I will accept all the terms proposed so far without any complaints.
I will not demand any further negotiations or discounts.
The Hessed Society will fully cooperate with the Emerald Tablet and establish a ‘fair and equal’ friendly relationship.

That was it.

“That’s correct.”
“Good, isn’t it? I didn’t want to oppress the Baron like this either. We are partners in pioneering the path of magic for Gehenna together. Ho ho!”

Siwoo nodded in agreement, and the Count made a fuss as usual.

“Of course. You are absolutely right.”

However, Siwoo did not outwardly express any resentment of a victim who had been forced to submit due to threats, or of a sucker who had been backstabbed.

Outwardly, he was cheerful, but in the context of the situation, he merely agreed with the Count’s opinion with a smile that was nothing short of servile.

His attitude had been the same throughout the meal.

“……”

‘Why is he so submissive?’ In the midst of an instinctive sense of unease, the suspicion that ‘he might be hiding something’ arose.

At that point, the Count calmed her excitement.

Having been thoroughly trained in such transactions and political dealings before being appointed as the head, she had a fundamental cautiousness that did not trust others.

On the surface, it seemed that Shin Siwoo, who could no longer reverse the situation, was bowing down, but what was his true intention?

“The contents of the letter remain unchanged even now.”

At that moment, Siwoo rose from his seat and bowed deeply.

“I was too arrogant. I don’t have the capacity to lead a large society like the Hessed Society on my own.
I am deeply impressed by your skillful management, Count. I only hope to receive much guidance in the future, along with the mutual benefit of the Hessed Society and the Emerald Tablet.”

It was nothing short of a complete declaration of surrender, except that he didn’t kneel.

At that moment, the Count felt a chilling shiver.

The Count had deliberately driven Shin Siwoo into a corner to gain profit.

To use an analogy for the current situation, it was like taking the cognac from him and scattering it on the floor as if to show off.

But Shin Siwoo, without any agitation, was calmly kneeling and licking up the cognac.

A powerless loser does not act like that.
They would only spew out dark emotions, forgetting their dignity or composure.

Only those who are planning something bigger would willingly endure the humiliation and disgrace of the moment.

“Hmm…”

What is he aiming for?
What is he aiming for that makes such a display of patience possible?

The inner workings of a human are like an unidentified liquid in a black bag.
To understand it, one has no choice but to pierce the bag with an awl.

“But, I’ll say it’s a bit late. It would have been better if you had come a little sooner. Ho ho!”
“Pardon?”

“You said you were asking for my guidance, right? I will give you the guidance that Baron Siwoo desires. Even if you have a big weakness, you shouldn’t be too submissive in negotiations. Right now, you look too desperate in my eyes.”
“……”

The Count took out a thin awl called provocation.

“Hmm, shall we try to guess why Baron Siwoo is so desperate? Is it because he made the ridiculous mistake of having a public figure as a lover? I don’t think so.
I don’t think that’s enough reason to be so submissive. So, I’ll make another guess.”

“…Go ahead.”

“What if the very purpose of the Hessed Society was to bring them into Gehenna?”
“That’s a stretch. It’s not difficult to travel back and forth between Gehenna and the mortal realm.”

“Rumor has it that you are very kind to your lovers. It might have been hard to watch them burdened with the yoke of being public figures. I’m so jealous. To receive so much love from a wonderful man like the Baron.”
“……”

In fact, half of it was just random rambling.
Right now, the priority was to observe his reaction.

At least on the surface, Shin Siwoo maintained a perfect poker face.
The countless awls that the Count was poking were blocked by an immovable mind like steel, unable to make even the slightest scratch.

“So, what I’m saying is, I want to increase Castle’s voting rights to 45%, while maintaining the existing contract for Castle’s support of the Hessed Society. What do you think? Can you refuse?”
“……”

It was an absurd demand.
The Count didn’t think this request would be accepted as it was.

Now, show me quickly. What exactly are you aiming for that makes you so quiet?

“Hoo.”

Shin Siwoo sighed.

“It seems I’ve earned your dislike, Count.”

“Ho ho! What a disappointing thing to say! Dislike? That’s absurd. But, I’ll admit that your reckless behavior was a bit annoying. But now, we’re having drinks, and we’ll be partners who can talk openly in the future.”

Finally breaking his poker face and smiling bitterly, Siwoo looked out the window and quietly murmured.

“It’s raining heavily today.”
“Hehe, it’s summer, after all.”

“It seems troublesome to go back to the mansion. I don’t like rainy days.”
“I can offer you a room. The Baron is my most precious guest…?”

The Count’s head tilted.
Siwoo suddenly took off his suit jacket.

The Count, dumbfounded by what he was doing, involuntarily turned her eyes to Siwoo.

“If you found my reckless behavior difficult to watch…”

Beneath the wrinkle-free white shirt, his well-developed muscles and neat attire.
His handsome yet masculine appearance, combined with his sorrowful bitter smile.

“…Would you like to tame me yourself, Count?”

At the suggestive proposal, which was both cheesy and alluring, the Count swallowed a gasp.

Men and women are the same.
The sexual attraction and desire they feel for an attractive member of the opposite sex are the same.

His appearance, slightly drunk and making advances, seemed to forcibly draw out the desires hidden deep within.

But that was only for a moment.

Reason pushed away the temptation, and Count Cagliostro smiled triumphantly.

“Ho ho ho ho!”

I thought he would have prepared something at least…

Is this it?

The fact that the only scheme he could come up with was a honey trap made her laugh.
The vigilance she had been on guard against him was so absurd that it was almost laughable.

“It was a very interesting proposal, but I’ll assume it was a joke. Ah! Of course, I won’t tell your lovers, so don’t worry.”
“Ah, is that so?”

“I’ll give you the best guest room, so you can rest and avoid the rain you dislike. Oh ho ho! As a reward for your antics, I’ll withdraw the voting rights issue.”

Now that she had figured out his intentions, there was no need to pressure him further.

Siwoo, embarrassed by the sharp rejection and a little bit of mercy, put his jacket back on.

So embarrassed that he was acting flustered, drinking and clearing his throat, he suddenly took out a stack of documents from his pocket.

“By the way, that was, well, a joke. Of course. I wanted you to take a look at this, Count. The reason I didn’t want to go home today wasn’t actually the rain, but this.”
“What is this?”

“Ah, it’s a paper that I’m going to submit this time… I was hoping you could take a look at it. You’re the head of the academy, after all… Ah! I’m not asking for you to proofread it! Just take a quick look and tell me if there’s anything strange.”
“Okay, let’s take a look.”

It wasn’t a serious request for review anyway.

After his fatal honey trap failed, he was desperately grasping at straws.

Count Cagliostro, hiding her disillusionment, smiled and quickly skimmed through the paper.

-Flip, flip-

Perhaps it was only awkward for Siwoo, this silence.

“How is it?”

The Count, who had been leisurely flipping through the pages, suppressed a chuckle and made a formal comment.

“It’s good, the logical flow isn’t bad. The arguments are well-structured, and the point you’re trying to make is clear.”
“Did you really check it properly?”
“Of course.”

At that moment, the Count looked at Siwoo.
The embarrassment from a moment ago was gone, and Siwoo was looking at Count Cagliostro with cold eyes.

It was as if the person had changed, and his gaze no longer showed any embarrassment or awkwardness.

“Wh-what is it?”

He must be thinking that way.
From Siwoo’s perspective, he could express it like this.

“Hey.”

She had caught a big fish.

“Who are you?”

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