WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B
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◈ Whispers of a Scheming Demon ◈
Chapter 109: Horentz Marcano
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Johan headed to House Marcano around lunchtime.
A carriage bearing a crescent moon crest stopped before an old, grand estate.
Inside, Haman spoke.
“My lord, we have arrived. Please wait a moment.”
He stepped down from the carriage and headed for the estate's main gate.
After exchanging a few words with the guards on watch, the enormous iron gates slowly opened.
Haman returned to the carriage.
Johan looked at him through the window.
“Go back first. I'll see you at the estate.”
His private meeting with Horentz could take quite a while.
There was no need for Haman to wait for him here.
Haman bowed.
“Understood. I hope you have an enjoyable time, my lord.”
The carriage began moving again.
It passed through the main gate and entered the Marcano estate.
Johan quietly watched the scenery outside.
‘Just as the novel described.’
House Marcano abhorred “splendor.”
The original novel always described House Marcano in such terms.
Frugal. Dignified. Unextravagant. Modest. It constantly emphasized their thrifty nature.
The original's description had been accurate.
The scenery outside was plain to the extreme.
Not even a small ornament could be seen in the sprawling garden.
Its natural beauty came solely from the arrangement of its trees.
The buildings scattered throughout the grounds also focused on utility rather than appearance.
Their walls were made only of neatly cut stone, without a single extravagant decoration, while their roofs were covered in slate resistant to wind and rain.
The estate as a whole was remarkably simple.
Yet it did not look impoverished.
Everything fit together harmoniously, emphasizing its modesty.
‘Just like the Marcanos.’
They cared greatly about public opinion.
They never allowed themselves to appear extravagant.
It was practically an obsession.
The Marcanos had money, but no pedigree.
Their family's history was far too short.
It had not even been a hundred years since they had received a noble surname.
A family from a lowly merchant house. That was the label that followed the Marcanos.
No matter how hard they tried, that description never disappeared.
The moment they indulged in even the slightest luxury, insults calling them vulgar inevitably followed.
The Marcanos could never be splendid. The more they displayed their wealth, the more vulgar they would seem.
Even now, as members of the Council, they had not overcome the limits of their origins.
They had no choice but to embrace modesty.
That was House Marcano's deficiency.
Johan could fill what they lacked.
Myatro was one of the continent's most esteemed family names.
No other house could easily compare with Myatro in legitimacy or nobility.
Johan possessed what the Marcanos desired most.
The two houses would likely become good partners.
Partners who filled each other's deficiencies.
As he was lost in thought, the carriage came to a stop.
The coachman spoke to Johan.
“My lord, we have arrived.”
There was a knock.
The carriage door slowly opened.
A middle-aged man wearing a brown fur coat stood before the carriage.
He smiled warmly.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Johan.”
There was no mistaking his identity.
Horentz von Marcano. His appearance perfectly matched the original novel's description.
His narrow eyes, neatly kept long black hair, and plain attire. Anyone who had read the original would recognize the man before them as Horentz.
Johan stepped down from the carriage.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Viscount Marcano.”
Horentz held out his hand.
Johan took it, and they shook hands.
“You recognized me at once.”
“I heard you were handsome. It would have been difficult not to recognize you.”
Horentz truly was handsome. He gave an excellent impression.
He smiled brightly.
“The Watcher of Narak is exactly as the rumors say as well. Despite your young age, you carry yourself with remarkable composure. There is an indescribable spirit about you.”
His narrow eyes curved as he looked at Johan.
His smile had the power to put people at ease.
Horentz treated everyone with that expression.
He was always wearing a mask.
Johan knew his true nature well.
‘What a fox.’
Horentz always hid calculations behind his smile.
He was someone who worked tirelessly to charm people and devour them.
His way of handling people had always worked well.
His achievements proved it.
With an exceptional understanding of people, Horentz had risen from humble origins to his current position.
Serena's Mind-Piercing Eye had also contributed to Horentz's success, but Horentz was fundamentally highly capable.
At least, that was true according to the original novel's account.
Johan replied with a calm smile.
“Your praise is more than I deserve. I am simply grateful for your welcome.”
“Not at all. I am almost embarrassed that I could not prepare anything special. I did not expect the Watcher of Narak to visit so quickly. Ha ha! I do not mean to blame you.”
Johan had visited House Marcano as soon as he arrived in the Royal Capital.
Horentz had likely been quite surprised.
Johan said, “I wished to see you as soon as possible. There is something I very much wanted to discuss with you.”
“My, something the Watcher of Narak wishes to discuss with me. That makes me a little nervous. Shall we speak over a light meal?”
There was no tension in his expression.
Horentz still wore a gentle smile.
Johan nodded.
“Gladly. I was hungry already.”
“Then please, come with me. I will show you to the dining room.”
The two immediately headed inside the estate.
* * *
Several dishes had been neatly arranged on the table.
They were neither impoverished nor extravagant.
Simple but sufficient to serve a guest.
The meal was thoroughly Marcano.
Horentz spoke with an embarrassed expression.
“It is not much, but please enjoy it.”
Johan smiled softly.
“Not at all. To me, this is a feast I have not seen in a long time. I do not know whether you are aware of the situation in the south, but the famine is severe. It has been quite some time since I was served a meal like this.”
Johan's words were not mere politeness.
He meant them sincerely.
The Myatro territory was currently terribly poor.
Everyone was suffering under Gryan's tyranny and the sudden famine that had struck them.
Johan had not even collected taxes this year.
He was a lord in name only. In truth, he was practically a beggar.
Without the Count of Staviana's support, he likely could not even have come to the Royal Capital.
Horentz looked sympathetic.
“It truly is heartbreaking. A land that should receive the Great Saint's love more than any other is withering away. One day, the Great Saint will surely heed that suffering. Saint Marziel.”
Johan watched him quietly before speaking evenly.
“The Great Saint does not hear our prayers.”
He uttered blasphemy as though it were nothing.
Horentz's expression stiffened slightly.
He appeared somewhat taken aback.
Silence followed.
After a moment, Horentz smiled.
“His ears are always open. One day, the Great Saint will grant all our wishes.”
Johan swallowed a sigh.
‘He isn't taking the bait right away.’
There was only one reason Johan had committed blasphemy.
He wanted to get straight to the point with Horentz, without empty formalities.
Horentz did not believe in the Great Saint.
Of course, Horentz was not a heretic.
There was simply no faith in the Great Saint.
Horentz despised the ranks and social classes created by the Great Saint. Horentz regarded only skill and ability as the highest values.
Had there been no restraints of status, Horentz would likely have been respected by everyone.
Naturally, Horentz could not say such things anywhere.
Johan said, “My words were somewhat harsh. My apologies. I only meant that rather than endlessly waiting for the Great Saint's Blessing, we should strive to overcome the misfortune before us ourselves.”
Horentz considered Johan's words and slowly nodded.
“On that point, I agree. The Great Saint also taught that we should forge our own destinies rather than despair in the face of misfortune.”
Horentz was likely sincerely sympathizing with Johan.
Johan spoke.
“Exactly. That is also why I am here.”
He intended to get to the point.
Horentz sensed Johan's intentions as well.
His narrow eyes curved even more thinly.
He smiled as he spoke.
“It seems the Watcher of Narak wants something from me.”
Johan answered immediately.
“I need House Marcano's support and backing.”
He did not beat around the bush.
He was stating his demands with complete directness.
Nobles like Johan were rare.
Nobles liked to dress their desires in all manner of words, dealing with others while hiding their true feelings.
They considered that a noble virtue.
Johan was different. He disliked needlessly circling around the point. It did not suit his temperament.
Horentz found him quite interesting.
“You are very direct, so I will speak frankly as well.”
“Good. Please, go on.”
Horentz's narrow eyes opened slightly.
The gaze revealed through them was quite sharp.
“What will the Watcher of Narak give me?”
Johan found the question highly satisfying.
He spoke with a calm expression.
“I will give you myself.”
Horentz fell silent for a moment.
Then he spoke.
“In other words, you intend to become House Marcano's son-in-law?”
Horentz truly was someone who understood quickly.
Johan smiled calmly.
“That is correct. As House Myatro's partner, House Marcano will share in the sacred duty of watching Narak.”
House Marcano had neither honor nor authority.
Even with the vast fortune they possessed, they could not buy sincere respect and awe from others.
They had never borne a sacred duty in their long history.
House Marcano was no more than the royal family's treasury.
If someone amassed greater wealth, the royal family could replace its treasury at any time.
Horentz knew that well.
“...That is a rather sudden proposal.”
Horentz had not expected Johan to ask for an engagement.
No family in the Council wished to mingle blood with the Marcanos.
They considered a merchant family lowly.
Johan was different.
Or rather, he appeared different on the surface.
There was, of course, the possibility that some other intention or scheme lay behind this.
Johan was ultimately a noble from a prestigious house as well.
They were skilled at hiding their true feelings.
Johan studied Horentz's expression carefully before speaking.
“You need not decide right now. I will give you time.”
Horentz said nothing for quite a while.
Lost in thought, Horentz finally spoke slowly.
“I would like to ask my daughter's opinion. Would you meet her? Right now, if possible.”
Johan gave a quiet snort.
‘Well, would you look at that.’
He shrugged.
“Fine. But promise me one thing.”
“What is it?”
Johan's expression became calm and serious.
“Please make sure to tell your daughter not to use Mind-Piercing Eye on me.”
At once, Horentz's face stiffened.
Almost no one in this world knew about Serena's Mind-Piercing Eye.
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