[AFYC] Chapter 84

Oscar found it both amusing and baffling to see Abel, who looked as though he might collapse at any moment. 

Abel was considered one of the top operatives; his skills were honed to perfection. This assignment was meant to be leisurely, given that the target had already been secured regardless of Abel’s success. He had been told not to push himself. 

But still... 

“Stop letting her lead you around. I didn’t assign you to follow her like a fool; I sent you to manipulate her into doing what we want.” 

Oscar’s quiet yet sharp voice made Abel straighten his posture and bow deeply. 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” 

The fatigue weighed heavily on Oscar. He ran a hand through his hair, then dismissed them. 

“Go.” 

As Simone nodded and turned to leave, Abel straightened up and followed him. The backup agent trailed behind them, but Barbara stayed behind as if she had something to say. 

Oscar’s mood darkened. Barbara rarely stayed behind unless it was for one specific reason. 

As expected, once the door closed, she broached the topic. 

“This morning, the Marchioness sent word for you.” 

“And?” 

“She invited you to attend the birthday party of the Count of Jerome’s daughter...” 

“She certainly goes all out.” 

Oscar’s words struck Barbara like a slap. 

“...I informed her that you were away and couldn’t attend.” 

“How much was that necklace she wanted as a gift for her engagement with the king?” 

“Seven billion, one hundred and eighty million Kerte.” 

“Seven billion, one hundred and eighty...” 

Oscar let out a low chuckle and lit another cigarette. He thought the cold air had cleared his mind, but the acrid smoke again filled his lungs. 

“It seems likely the Marchioness will visit the manor soon.” 

Oscar smoked in silence, then crushed the cigarette into the ashtray, muttering. 

“Greed and shamelessness seem to run in the family.” 

His voice dripped with disdain and coldness. 

He began unbuttoning his shirt as he walked toward the dressing room connected to the reception room. Before entering the room, he glanced over his shoulder at Barbara. 

“Charge the seven billion, one hundred and eighty million as business expenses.” 

Barbara felt a chill at the sharpness of his gaze. She had been the one who had taken in the lone wolf, feeding and sheltering him. Yet, despite having raised him, she found herself afraid of those cold eyes. 

“That way, we can calculate the cost-benefit later.” 

His voice tinged with a lazy, dangerous amusement, sent a shiver down her spine. 

Barbara bowed deeply as Oscar disappeared into the darkened room. 

The dressing room, devoid of any light, was shrouded in complete darkness, but Oscar moved with surety. With each step, clothes fell to the floor. 

The bathroom adjoining the dressing room was like the bottom of a mine shaft. Cold, damp air flowed through the equally dark room. 

Oscar walked to the bathtub, where cold water had already been prepared and submerged himself. 

Sometimes, he thought of cutting open his chest, removing his lungs and heart, and washing them in the coldest, clearest water. 

The cold water rose to his throat. He let himself sink beneath the surface as if being submerged was the only relief. 

Water seeped into his ears. 

Underwater, there was nothing to hear or see. 

Oscar relaxed completely, exhaling slowly. He couldn’t take another breath, but it was strangely comforting. 

The cold sensation that could stop his heart numbed everything else. The suffocating frustration, the fire burning from some unknown source—all of it could be forgotten now. 

He let himself drift in the water, dead to the world, until he reached the brink of death and finally rose. 

A death is as grand as his life, a statue and a name to outlast eternity. 

The peace he found only in the freezing water, where he couldn’t breathe. 

What a pathetic life. 

Oscar leaned back against the cold stone tub, roughly wiping the water from his face. He stayed in the tub until the icy water no longer felt cold before getting out to wash and heading to his bedroom. 

Even in his own bedroom, he scanned the room out of habit. 

Was there anything out of place? Any unexpected presence? 

His cold gaze swept the opulent, ancient bedroom of the Marquis, and then his eyes were drawn to something.