Chapter 8: Determined Man

"So, Miss Dynila... your answer?" Jerome asked.

Dynila stared at the wine she was holding before looking up at him with a frown, she looked awfully scared, "Help me... The one who ordered me was Lord Hardwicke..."

'Of course...' The young man thought. He had a hunch since he was having a bad feeling about the old man the first time he saw him.

It was cliché in his perspective that the oldest and most experienced businessman who's also acquainted with Liao was the mastermind in defaming him, probably will even sabotage him in the future.

Jerome knew that there are many reasons to be jealous, not that he's bragging about it.

First was that he's the youngest businessman who became successful at such a short time compared to those who took longer because of numerous trials and errors.

Second, Liao Feng's attention was on him and was providing him his needs like a genie in a lamp. Everyone in the business industry were jealous and would flip a mountain to earn Liao's attention to make him invest in their businesses and yet Jerome—a commoner—gained his attention. Anyone would be seething with that information.

Lastly, they're probably not jealous but threatened by Jerome's talent and skills in handling a business, so having all the resources around him makes him even more threatening for other businesses.

Jerome merely smiled at Dynila and stood up before going out of his office to talk to the officers, "I apologize officers if I had my butler bother you, there was a commotion however, I managed to handle it myself. A woman was falsely accusing my shop of counterfeiting and false advertisement..." He immediately as soon as he approached theme, "...to compensate for your time, here..." He gave them a small bag of gold he took from the attendant who seemed to have it prepared, probably containing a hundred coins.

However, a deep voice interrupted them, "What is this?" The voice asked as they approached the knight and the young man.

When Jerome looked behind the knight that he was talking to, he was in shock that it was Wystan Lyndon. Rowan Lennox's knight and was also another partner for Rowan's ships in the fandom. Their ship name was Rostan.

'This is my second time seeing a main cast... this felt like seeing a celebrity.' Jerome thought to himself but he tried to calm down.

"I was just compensating this knight for his wasted time as I already handled the situation myself. It's an apology." The shorter man told the newly arrived knight.

After all, Wystan was a tall and bulky man and was older than Jerome by three years but their differences in physique was far obvious. He was a handsome man, tan skin, brown hair and piercing blue eyes. The women couldn't help but swoon at the sight of him.

It doesn't help that the knight was already in line to be the captain of the knights since his father is one and of course, because he was greatly skilled at his work.

"My men don't need compensation and you citizens don't just call the knights for no apparent reason unless it's an emergency." Wyston coldly stated which kind of annoyed Jerome.

"I apologize then, Sir... it won't happen again." The young man forced a smile as he bowed politely.

The knight stared at him before leaving with his companion, "Are you sure Sir?" The knight who followed Wyston asked as he left with him, making Jerome sigh.

That day was draining but at least, the rumors about the jewelries being fake would disappear. Other businessmen would take him more seriously too and the nobles would acknowledge his skills and knowledge.

If ever, he had Dynila and Hardwicke to thank for but first he needs to take care of that situation first.

Jerome went back to his office to talk to the woman who stayed, still staring at her wine. She was probably anxious of what might happen to her.

"How did you became Lord Hardwicke's... servant?" The young man asked as he sat down across from her.

Dynila looked at him, "I was indebted to him... At least my father was. He said that all our debts will go down to drain if I worked hard for him..."

Jerome nodded, "Will that truly be the case? A service has no price unless they state it. Don't you think you were played by his games?

The woman frowned, thinking about it, "Even if that's the case, I have nowhere to go. Lord Hardwicke feeds me, give me a shelter and clothes to wear. He became what my father wasn't..."

The young man stared at her, "Yet you know that once you failed, you'll be like any other servants."

Dynila nodded, "That's the difference between my father and Lord Hardwicke... My father never sugarcoats that we are poor and in need of money, the money he was in debt with Lord Hardwicke were all used for my sick mother... it was only miserable that everything he did was for naught after she died. He followed a few days after because of fatigue. Meanwhile, Lord Hardwicke may be kind on the outside but he does not hesitate to use anyone as tools... he used my father and now... me."

Jerome took a moment of silence before sighing, "I want to help you... you should get your freedom away from him, but to do that... I need you to cooperate."

The woman nodded again.

The young man took this as a sign to get back in track, "What can you say about Lord Hardwicke's business?"

The woman felt scared babbling about it but she had no other choice. This was the choice she decided to take, "He... He would often have shady transactions by the port... I do not know what it was about but he always keep it discreet. The port is hidden in a cave..."

Jerome remembered that there was a part mentioned in the novel that Rowan infiltrated a makeup manufacturing business because they test their products on children and women which caused a widespread poisoning in an area.

It was only mentioned as one of Rowan's triumphs in his past and wasn't stated in detail, hence Jerome don't know if this was the exact same case.

The young man nodded, "I will see to it. Give me the details and other information." He gave Dynila a paper and a pen.

He only needs something that could throw Hardwicke off the competition, 'If he thought I'll just stay idly by, he got that wrong.' Jerome thought himself. He also couldn't risk being sabotaged in the future.

He knew that once he take down a powerful businessman already, the others will hide like scurrying cockroaches to hide their involvement with the man.

However, Jerome had to be cautious. He was currently looking at the woman who was writing all the details she knows. 'I also can't trust everything she has to say... it could be a trap.'

Once finished, Dynila gave him the paper, which the young man assessed carefully, "Does he have anything that could prove us that there are people involved with him?" Jerome asked.

"He... I think he has a list in his office... it was more of a transactional list of where to get what..." The young man nodded, staring at the paper again.

Soon Liao arrived and barged in the office as if he owns the place, which he technically did.

"Liao, just in time. This is Dynila Reyal, she's... I'll share her details later. First, I want to keep her safe." Jerome told the Eastern man who looked at the mentioned woman, then looked at the young man.

A smirk then slowly crept on his face as he looked at the black haired man, "My lord... I didn't know you had some company..." He even hides his mouth.

Jerome looked at him in disbelief while Dynila blushed in embarrassment, she also wanted to deny but she feels as if her place doesn't give her the right to speak unless asked.

"Liao."

"I heard you... I have a place in mind." The older man looked at one of the attendants and nodded, they nod back and guided Dynila out.

"I'll update you once the situation is done." Jerome assured her, the woman nodded and followed the attendant.

Liao then settled down the couch and drank Dynila's untouched wine.

"So? What's the situation, my lord? I only left for a while and you're making things interesting again." He chuckled.

"Lord Hardwicke."

The Eastern man's smile disappeared at the mention as if understanding it immediately, "I see... so he made his action."

"You knew he would."

"Of course, he was once my client. Even though I was younger than the old fart, I was way smarter than he was." Liao scoffed.

"You should've warned me then." Jerome remained standing, his arms crossed as he looked down at the older.

The Eastern man smiled, the wine glass was sitting idly on his lips, "I know that you can handle everything by yourself. I mean, you already have some information in your hand, no?" Liao looked at the paper with Dynila's information in the young man's hand.

"What about about you? What do you know of Lord Hardwicke's makeup business?" The black haired man asked.

"Well... I'm not his investor anymore after he told me his plan of mass production using lead with kaolin since the latter was more expensive. It is imported from my Kingdom after all. I only invested in his makeup products since he told me that he was inspired by the Kingdom of Kithage's cultural use of makeup which has kaolin. So, in order to spread word of my culture, I helped him." Liao explained.

"Lead... it's banned in the kingdom since it's poisonous, right?" He asked the older who nodded.

Jerome frowned at this, "He have to be stopped, if his products are used for longer, he might poison the entire Kingdom."

"But we have no evidences, my lord and that piece of paper that the woman gave could be denied as false accusation. He is more than careful since he's experienced." The Eastern man warned him, he sounded worried.

"Then I'll gather more evidence." Jerome looked determined.

"I'm not doing this for the sake of others, Liao. That old man will sabotage me again like he did before. I want to put an end to his reigns for getting in my way." The older smiled at that.

"There's no stopping a determined man. What can I do to help?"