Chapter 89.1

Chapter 89.1

As she had imagined, it was more of a quiet bar where people sipped their drinks and spent time rather than a rowdy place. Jasmine looked around curiously and sat next to Richard. When the bartender approached, Richard skillfully ordered something, which intrigued Jasmine.

“Have you been to places like this before? You’re really good at it.”

“During my days as a squire, I participated in inspection activities.”

The knight training process included education on criminal investigation and undercover operations as knights with investigative authority. Richard hadn’t had a reason to visit such back alleys since then.

Of course, just because it was a back alley didn’t mean it was necessarily bad or a seedy establishment, but Richard knew this place was likely different from a typical bar. As Jasmine stirred her cocktail, she asked playfully with a mischievous tone.

“You didn’t come here for fun before, did you?”

“Cough!”

The unexpected question made Richard cough loudly. As heads turned towards them, he lowered his head and glared at Jasmine, who was smirking with narrowed eyes.

“Jasmine…”

“It was a joke. If it’s not true, why are you getting so serious?”

“Ha…”

Richard looked at Jasmine, who seemed nonchalant, with a complicated expression. He felt troubled, wondering what she thought of him, especially considering her reaction when talking about Soyer, who was suspected of infidelity.

Richard, who prided himself on living a fairly upright life, felt a bit indignant. At least in that regard, he was quite clean. He understood why Jasmine might think otherwise, though. She had once witnessed him during a particularly turbulent period of his youth.

Of course… back then, he did have some wild times. But he never broke the law or acted irresponsibly. Drinking, smoking, and sneaking out with friends to do foolish things at night could be considered mischief and indulgence, but… he never behaved like a womanizer.

Without even realizing it, her perception of his conduct seemed to have hit a negative 100, making Richard feel both gloomy and a bit unjustly treated.

Unaware of his thoughts, Jasmine was watching Sir Soyer, who was sitting a bit further away, talking quietly with the bartender. She whispered to Richard, who seemed deep in thought.

“What do you think he’s saying?”

“Ordering?”

“Who takes that long to place an order?”

Jasmine grumbled at Richard’s gloomy reply. He glanced over and rubbed his chin.

“Jasmine, in places like this, I’ve heard they sometimes sell things other than alcohol.”

“Like what?”

“For example…”

The bartender handed a small vial to Sir Soyer. He took it casually and put it in his inner pocket. Huh? Jasmine’s eyes widened at the sight she had never seen before.

Richard subtly blocked her view and cautioned her. “Jasmine, if you stare too openly, it looks suspicious.” Oh. She quickly pretended to be uninterested, taking a sip of her drink and whispering softly.

“Substances officially banned by the state.”

“……!”

Jasmine, not being a child, understood what he meant. Briefly, she recalled the rumors about substances circulating in the darker corners of society and the warnings from her friends. She whispered with a displeased and angry expression.

“Why would a public official like Sir Soyer buy something like that?”

“Well, he is both a soldier and a doctor, so he might be buying it for research purposes…”

Of course, even so, illegal is illegal. He frowned. Unintentionally, he had witnessed illegal activities within the military during his leave.

What should I do? Since it was within his jurisdiction, he had no intention of ignoring it. He glanced at Jasmine. If it weren’t for her being with him, handling the situation would be straightforward.

“If it’s illegal substances, like hallucinogens or something like that…”

“There are various kinds.”

“Could he be involved in this too…?”

“You mean Count Atlante?”

Richard’s eyebrows raised, having not considered that possibility. Jasmine leaned in closer and whispered.

“Marianne mentioned that lately, Sir Soyer has been taking and hiding some unfamiliar medication. And if you think about it, the person he has been constantly around these days isn’t his wife or his aide, but Lord Salinger. She said he’s been in and out of the infirmary every day.”

“Hmm.”

It did seem suspicious. Richard had seen many nobles succumb to addictive drugs to cope with boredom or pressure. They were more pervasive in society than one might think.

People who seemed fine but ruined their lives by falling into temptation. His expression grew serious. If drug issues were causing family discord and health problems, the timing was indeed suspicious.

After pondering for a moment, Richard gravely suggested to Jasmine.

“Jasmine, how about we head home now?

“What? Why?”

“Just being here is dangerous. From now on, it’s an illegal matter, so it’s best if you…”

Jasmine’s eyes narrowed suspiciously at his words.

“Wow, Duke Richard Aion, I didn’t expect you to be such a coward.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“We’re here because of my intuition. And now you’re going to take the credit for busting him?”