Leon’s/Christopher Faust’s POV
Everyone around me locked their eyes on me, staring from every direction. I could practically see the shock on their faces when they realized I was the owner of Leonamon.
Even Rose looked stunned. I had never told her I owned Leonamon, and now, she was staring at me like everyone else, her eyes practically demanding an explanation. And, of course, I’d give it to her later. It wasn’t like I was trying to keep it a secret from her in the first place.
“Duke Merca, it’s been a while,” I greeted the man approaching me. I’d known him for only about two months. He was a patron of the cake shop, and he ended up offering me a piece of land to expand the business. Not that he personally liked the cakes—it was his daughter. He doted on her so much that he called me in to discuss a partnership. In return for a monthly supply of cakes, he gave me the land to boost production.
“It has, Mr. Faust. It seems like your reception here… isn’t as warm as I expected. My apologies for the delay in introducing you. There was a bit of traffic on the way from my other estate back to the manor,” he said.
“It’s fine,” I replied. It wasn’t like I cared about these arrogant nobles acting like they were better than me. What bothered me more was how Rose’s family acted like she didn’t belong here. “Actually, I appreciate the invitation and this opportunity.”
“As my partner, of course you’re invited,” Duke Merca replied, smiling broadly. Out of all the dukes in the country, he was the only one who wasn’t completely slimy. It’d be a lie to say he was entirely good—he was a scheming Duke, always manipulating things to his advantage—but at least most of his manipulation came with good intentions, more or less.
“Well, I’ll officially start the party now. Please, enjoy yourselves,” Duke Merca announced with a broad smile.
“Of course,” I replied, my tone steady as he nodded and walked away, leaving me standing there.
I turned to Rose, who seemed to finally pull herself out of her thoughts. Her eyes locked on mine, and for a moment, they were filled with a mix of curiosity and frustration. “Do you mind if we talk? Just for a bit?” she asked, her voice low but clear.
“Well, I guess,” I said, shrugging, though I knew this conversation was coming.
I was about to follow her when a voice interrupted from behind, slicing through the air like an unwanted gust of wind.
“I never thought you’d be the owner of Leonamon! What a surprise!”
I turned around, and there he was—Rose’s father. Just earlier, the same man had been belittling me, treating me like some commoner trash, and even trying to have me arrested under the bullshit accusation that I was here to scam people. But now, after realizing I owned Leonamon, his attitude did a complete 180. The sheer absurdity of it almost made me laugh.
“Well, I get why it’s hard to believe,” I said, keeping my voice casual. “Considering I’m just a commoner.”
“W-Well, I suppose perseverance and determination have a lot to do with it, right, hon?” He stammered, his sudden friendliness so forced it was almost physically painful to watch.
“Y-Yes! People who persevere, no matter what their background is, they’re obviously going to succeed, right?” Rose’s mother chimed in, her smile so fake it looked like it might crack at any second.
It was almost too much. Watching them switch sides and agree with every word coming out of my mouth after all the shit they’d said earlier was pure comedy. I wanted to laugh out loud, to tell them just how ridiculous they looked, but I had to keep my cool. This wasn’t the place to lose it. Gotta stay composed, no matter how much I wanted to laugh my ass off.
“You two are such scumbags,” Rose muttered, her voice low but sharp enough to cut through the air like a knife, loud enough for those around her to catch it.
“D-Dear? What did you just say?” her mother asked, her voice trembling slightly, trying to maintain some composure.
“I said you’re scumbags,” Rose repeated, her tone biting, her words echoing in the silence that followed. “You both were just trashing him earlier, calling him a commoner and accusing him of trying to scam people. But now, the moment you find out he owns Leonamon, you’ve switched up like nothing happened. You’re all standing there trying to kiss his ass like he’s suddenly worth your time. Earlier, you called him a bootlicker. Now tell me, how the fuck is that not scumbag behavior? It couldn’t be clearer.”
“R-Rose, dearest, what are you saying?” her mother stammered, the cracks in her composure widening by the second, her voice shaky and desperate.
Oh, no. She pulled the “Rose dearest” card, trying to smooth this disaster over. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing out loud. This situation was pure gold. Watching them squirm like this? Absolutely priceless.
“Yeah, right,” Rose’s voice sliced through the air like a whip. “Weren’t you the one who told me I didn’t deserve to be called your daughter anymore because I left? No, actually, because you kicked me out?” Her eyes were blazing, filled with a mix of fury and disgust. “And now, just because you know I’m connected to Le—Mr. Faust—you’re pulling that ‘dearest’ crap? Don’t fuck with me.” She leaned forward, spitting the words like venom. “Sure, you carried me in your womb and raised me in your stomach, but that doesn’t make you my mother. And as for you,” she sneered at her father, “you sure as hell aren’t my father.”
The tension in the room thickened, like a wire stretched to the point of snapping. Rose’s parents looked like they were trying to swallow razor blades, their faces contorted in shock. Her sister, sensing the explosion, tried to step in.
“R-Rose! What are you saying to our parents?!”
But the second Rose’s eyes—those fierce, unforgiving eyes—locked onto her, the sister visibly recoiled. Her face drained of color, lips trembling as if she knew she’d just stepped into a minefield.
“And you,” Rose hissed. “You’re even worse. You’re fucking scum, lower than either of them could ever be.”
Her words hung in the air, sharp as a blade, before she spun on her heel and stormed off. Not once did she look back, not even for a second.
I followed her, fighting back the grin threatening to split my face. My lips twitched, the corners barely held in place.
