[AFYC] Chapter 16

Peter might have hidden a document there to ensure his survival—one that was believed to contain exchanges between him and the former King of Luxen. 

There were many ways to gain leverage over the King of Luxen, but perhaps the most ironclad means lay within that vault. That was why the King of Luxen secretly contacted the President of Felphe Bank. For that reason alone, the vault had remained valuable as an insurance policy. But now, with the key in a woman’s possession, Oscar needed to be the one to open it. 

“Is this the place?” 

The carriage stopped in front of a high-end entertainment district near the Arman Rose estate. The warm, inviting glow of the district’s lights cast a soft halo over Oscar’s forehead. 

“Yes, Your Excellency,” Simon replied. 

A trace of cynicism flickered in Oscar’s eyes as he gazed at the imposing red-light district. 

“Watching other people’s sex lives once is enough.” 

“I’ll send the men in to fetch her,” Simon suggested. 

“No.” 

There had been a time when the vault key had haunted his every waking moment, when he had desperately searched for it, tearing through the world to no avail. 

Oscar pushed his hair back and stepped out of the carriage. The red-light district workers bowed respectfully as he disembarked, recognizing him as an important guest. Not a single person dared to stop him. 

Entering a place filled with the stench of cheap perfume, vulgar laughter, and debauchery, Oscar habitually lit a cigarette. 

“This place looks expensive. She must have a lot of money,” he remarked. 

Simon lit the cigarette for him and answered, “I don’t think that’s the case.” 

Oscar turned to look at Simon. 

“So, she’s not a customer?” 

“...” 

Oscar chuckled darkly. “Ah, so she’s a prostitute?” 

Simon hesitated before replying more formally, “She’s on her way to becoming one, I suppose.” 

Oscar’s eyes narrowed slightly, but Simon offered no further explanation. 

*** 

About thirty minutes earlier... 

“We’ve arrived!” 

Seo Ah hurriedly stepped out of the carriage, luggage in hand, and looked up at the towering mansion before her. She was struck speechless by its imposing size. Uniformed staff moved about with purpose, and the number of people inside the mansion felt overwhelming. 

“A busy inn, you said.” 

“Ah...” 

It certainly seemed that way. The problem was that she had no idea how much a night at this inn would cost. 

How much money do I have left...? 

As she reached into her coat to feel for her money pouch, the mansion’s grand, double-height door swung open, revealing a middle-aged woman. The woman approached with a warm, welcoming smile. 

“Welcome.” 

Her expensive-looking attire only deepened Seo Ah’s worry. 

“Um... I’d like to stay for the night. Do you have any available rooms?” 

As she asked, she fiddled nervously with her coat. 

Will they even accept a guest dressed as poorly as I am? At least this place seemed secure enough that the man following me couldn’t enter without a fight... 

“Of course.” 

Her anxious thoughts were interrupted by the woman’s kind words. 

“Please, come inside.” 

The woman’s eyes crinkled with genuine kindness as they made brief eye contact. Seo Ah instinctively lowered her gaze and asked again. 

“Could you tell me how much it costs per night?” 

The woman’s painted-on smile remained unchanged. She hummed thoughtfully before replying. 

“It’s usually quite expensive, but we had a last-minute cancellation. The bed is made, and everything is ready, so I could offer it to you at a discounted rate. How does ten thousand Kertes sound?” 

Ten thousand Kertes. 

A train ticket cost twenty thousand Kertes, and the carriage fare had been ten thousand. Yet a night at this inn was only ten thousand Kertes? The prices were so inconsistent that she couldn’t make sense of them. Was the carriage fare a scam? 

“I’d rather have someone use the room than leave it empty, so I’m offering it at a lower price.” 

Seo Ah’s gaze drifted to the darkness outside. The unfamiliar city loomed, cold and unwelcoming. 

When she turned back, the warm glow of the inn’s lights seemed far more inviting. 

As a stranger in a foreign land, she had no other choice. 

“Yes, thank you.” 

She turned to pay the coachman, but the innkeeper stopped her, explaining that it was customary for the inn to handle the payment for guests brought in by the coachmen. She then signalled to a staff member, who quickly approached and offered to carry Seo Ah’s luggage, guiding her inside with utmost courtesy. 

As Seo Ah followed the staff, she glanced back and saw the innkeeper still smiling at her. 

Seo Ah smiled back for the first time since arriving in this strange city.