C232: The marks of fire (2)
Facing Albert, Violetta suddenly put her hand on her face. The burn marks have now disappeared but the spot throbbed like a fire.
Violetta took a deep breath and calmed down. Without taking her eyes off Albert, who was staring at her, Violetta slowly descended the stairs with dignified steps.
Albert frowned at the sight.
'Look at that.'
He was surprised that Violetta was the manager here, but that's all. He thought she would be more convenient to use but when she stared at him with a confident gaze without being scared properly stimulated his mood.
"What can I do for you sir?"
At the words of Violetta, who drew a line between them, Albert laughed.
"Why did you call me customer?"
"We weren't close enough to call each other by name."
"Kuk-kuk. While I couldn't see you, you became very bold."
Albert glanced around the interior of the store.
"You've made quite a splash to become the manager of such a store. How many men have you had in your skirt so far?"
"……."
"And your face is fine. Not anyone could cure that burn or is it covered in leather?"
"Mister, if you have nothing to say, please."
Albert, who was stroking his chin, frowned at Violetta's words.
"You've grown up a lot. You wouldn't have made eye contact in the past, but you proudly told me to go out. Or was the punishment I gave you not enough?"
Violetta bit her lips at his words.
As the conversation between the two flowed abnormally, words began to come out around them.
"Oh, those two must have known each other."
"More than that, Mr. Albert's attitude toward the manager here is strange."
"Listening to the conversation between the two, I think the manager is a person who did another job before."
Rudger, who was watching the situation, also felt something strange. Looking at Albert's attitude and Violetta's reaction, the two seemed to have known each other in the past.
'The burn marks on Violetta's face.'
Now Rudger fixed it, but until then, Violetta had been wearing a black veil covering her face, to hide the ugly burn marks covering half of the face. And the person who made the burn marks.
'You did it.'
A bad past relationship that left a scar on Violetta.
"Hans."
"Yes, brother."
Rudger spoke to Hans in a quiet voice.
"Tell me what kind of guy Albert is and call Pantos."
"All right."
Meanwhile, the conversation between Violetta and Albert continued.
"I don't want to see you anymore. It's all over after that day."
Violetta was trying to pretend to be okay, but her clenched hands were shaking.
"Oh, my. Violetta, you know one thing but you don't know the other. You think you're done, but I'm not."
"………The work from that day ended with a scar on my face."
"It did, but where is the wound now?"
Albert said with a sly smile.
"I don't know what the hell you did, but that's great. It's been treated very neatly. Did you get to know a high priest? Wow. How good is your night skill to be cured by that kind of priest?"
Albert's words mocking Violetta hardened the expressions of the employees who were listening anxiously. Most of the staff at the House of Verdi belonged to the Women of the Black Rose and all of the employees here receive the help of Violetta.
Without her help, they would have grown up in the slum. At the bottom of a society where even dreaming is not allowed. It was the Owner and Violetta who helped them live like human beings.
Now that Violetta was now being insulted the atmosphere quickly turned ugly. Even the quick-witted ladies noticed that the air in the store had changed and stopped talking.
"If you're going to keep talking, let's do it in a quiet place."
"Why?"
Violetta tried to move, but Albert refused.
"Just talk here. Oh, I can't do that? It shouldn't be revealed that the owner of the good dress shop was a body seller."
"……You."
Violetta was angry at Albert's words but looked at the surrounding reactions. Although Violetta now works as manager of a prestigious dress salon on Royal Street her job was a prostitute.
If the rich ladies discover that the store they visit is run by a former prostitute, she will definitely be affected so sales will decrease and rumors will spread and adversely affect others.
Albert thought that some ladies would be shocked by his words and make a fuss but something was wrong with their reaction.
'What is this? It's quiet.'
They were watching, but they couldn't hear their conversation. No, it was so quiet that he couldn't even hear their breathing.
'What's this? Magic?'
Albert realized that magic was spreading around him and Violetta.
'When has she used this magic?'
What surprised Albert most was that he did not notice even after this magic was completely unfolded.
'No way!'
Albert thought that Violetta had used magic but after seeing her reaction he noticed that she didn't. It was a different person who used magic.
'Then who the hell is it?'
Albert, who was looking around, found a man approaching them.
"Who are you?"
Albert frowned and glared at the masked man and instinctively realized that he had used this magic.
"Do you have any business at our store?"
Rudger said so, while snapping his fingers and the sound blocking magic installed around was lifted at once.
"Who is that?"
"Since when has he been here?"
When customers were wondering, all employees who recognized Rudger bowed their heads to Rudger at the same time.
"Owner."
Having said that, it was impossible not to know his identity.
"Is that the Owner?"
"The one who revived Royal Street!"
Violetta also recognized Rudger and opened her eyes wide.
"Oh, sir. What's going on here……?"
Albert, who heard Violetta's murmur, smirked at the Owner.
"Oh, you're the Owner of this Royal Street, aren't you?"
Albert heard about it too. Recently, there was a ridiculous rumor that Royal Street, a hot street in Leathervelk, was rebuilt by only one man.
The person who covered his face with a mask and did not reveal his identity was someone who even the city leading figures wanted to meet.
He had heard that he was thoroughly hiding his identity and could not be found even if someone tried to find him, but he never thought he would show up in a place like this.
"Everyone."
When Rudger opened his mouth, the staff responded in unison.
"I don't think it's possible to keep the store open any more today, so take the guests outside."
"Yes."
Customers complained as the staff moved at Rudger's orders.
"No, wait a minute!"
"That's right! We're definitely here as customers!"
"I'm sorry to the customers, but the situation is not good right now. Instead, as an apology, we will give the guests who are here will have top priority at Verdi's new products."
Their words melted the ladies' displeasure. It is true that this situation itself is very interesting as gossip, but if they could get new clothes earlier than other people just by leaving the store. After all, there were many other places to see Royal Street than this shop.
In addition, it also played a part in that they would not be bothered if they were caught up in the mess of Albert.
"Oh, my God. Then there's nothing I can do."
"It's a shame, but today isn't the only day."
The guests left and there were only a few people left in the shop.
"Oh, my."
Albert kicked his tongue as this series of situations was ridiculous and on his left and right, two guards from the family stood as if they were protecting him.
"You're crazy".
"What do you mean?"
"Did you think I'd be scared if you let the guests out? You know who I am?"
"Albert Pablo."
Albert's forehead was wrinkled.
"A cheeky fellow. If you know me, it's not enough to take off your mask and kneel……."
"The second child of the wizard Pablo family. His natural magical talent itself is not bad, but he's a fool who can't compare to his older brother."
Albert frowned at Rudger's words.
"More than 10 cases of drunken assault alone and the most serious thing is his relationship with women. Nearly 30 women were sent to the hospital with sadistic tendencies. However, thanks to the Pablo family's power it did not appear in the newspaper."
"……What are you? Did you dig into my background?"
"Once he got in trouble for touching the Baron's daughter and then went around the brothels since prostitutes couldn't do anything even if he bullied and destroyed them. They must have looked like the right prey for him."
"……."
"He uses his brother's halo but he is jealous of him more than anyone else. He doesn't want to work hard but only finds people who were weaker than him and bullied them to relieve his inferiority complex. He's a lowly human being."
Albert's eyes were on fire.
"Bring that bastard to me."
Albert gave orders to the escort who followed him.
"Hurry up!"
Albert shouted, and the two escorts slowly approached Rudger while Rudger warned the two escorts.
"Stay still if you don't want to get hurt."
"What?"
Upon hearing this, the escorts were dumbfounded.
No matter how foolish he is, he is definitely a member of the Pablo family. It was a position where a commoner who knew his identity could not dare to say this and that.
"I warned you."
The two escorts ignored the words and tried to move, but couldn't. It was because their bodies did not move forward even if they moved their legs.
The two realized belatedly that someone was pulling up the nape of their clothes.
"What?"
The vassals who escort Albert were former knights. Of course, they had superior physical ability and were taller than the average person but now these two people looked like children compared to the fat, gray-haired man behind them.
"What is this guy?"
'What kind of big…….'
He was so huge that even the knight had to look up at him. And what about strength? Each of them, who weighed 90 kilograms, were lifted with one hand.
Pantos, who had a ridiculous appearance, stared at the two escorts in his hands with a disinterested gaze.
"……I came here in a hurry because I heard I had something to do, but they're nothing special."
"What? Now insulting the vassal of the Pablo family……."
"Go to sleep."
Pantos clashed the heads of the two escorts.
Albert crumpled his face when he saw the escort who fainted and fell down.
"You're……you're really. How dare you touch someone from the Pablo family? Do you think you'll be safe like this?"
With Albert's cry, mana was released, causing strong wind pressure around him but the mana pressure flying toward Rudger and Violetta easily disappeared with Pantos' light stir.
Pantos turned his head and stared at Rudger and Rudger shook his head when he asked what he should do with his eyes.
"I will take care of him."
"……."
Pantos nodded and stepped back while Albert's face became livid at the sight of the two people who were treating him as a disobedient kid.
"Don't ignore me!"
Albert took out his cane and used magic. He formed a sphere of flame but when he was about to launch it at Rudger a bundle of light flew through the flame and hit Albert's stomach.
"Cough!"
The flame fizzled out and Albert knelt down after grasping his solar plexus.
"Was that Shining stone?"
Albert was confused by the fact that Shining stone, a very basic magic, destroyed his magic. Moreover, what confused him was the masked man who used the magic called "Owner."
'I knew he was a wizard, but how?'
No matter how simple the magic was, Owner didn't have a cane. In addition, it was him that used magic first, but he was the one defeated so he couldn't understand what happened.
Rudger slowly approached Albert and Albert raised his head and looked up at Rudger.
"Who the hell are you?"
"I told you, I'm the owner of this place."
"Don't come any closer."
"Why?"
"If you touch me, the Pablo family will never……!"
With a sound, Albert's head snapped to the side.
Albert did not understand for a moment what had happened then he felt a burning pain in his cheek.
"Did you hit me? Me…? The descendant of the Pablo family?"
Rudger held Albert's hair roughly and fixed his gaze then spoke with a cold voice.
"You still don't understand the situation?"