A Handsome K*nky Gangster Reporter - Chapter 71

#71

The moonlight highlighted Emily’s flushed face. She let go of all her sticky followers and gave him time to meet her like this. George even thanked her. 

‘Emily turns out to be someone who’s willing to communicate more than I thought after I met her personally. Moreover, she is a thoughtful woman who even laughs sincerely despite my corny jokes.’

“There is an oil painting by the painter Kirx who died last year in my villa. Would you like to drop by to view his work tonight?”

If she liked art, she would be easily influenced by Kirx’s work. The artist’s works were blatant and stimulated people’s imagination, forming the perfect atmosphere to attract the opposite sex. George quietly hugged Emily’s waist and whispered in her ear.

Upon revealing his temptation to spend the night together, Emily gently declined while looking a bit flustered.

“I apologize, but I was invited to a poetry reading and I decided to attend later. Ah, it’s time to go now. Your Grace, I hope we can meet again next time.”

He felt as if he was seeing through himself while being with Emily. Emily’s charming atmosphere and discreetly delivered touches were enough to steal his attention. She went to the meeting organized by the other man. After a while, he was alone on the terrace and vent out like someone who just lost his fiancée.

“How dare things that the subject doesn’t even know about cross my woman? I only do these things for her!”

It was not the time to act like this. But he had to catch her attention and build a deeper relationship. George thought he should find an expensive and noble item and lure Emily into his arms. ‘Perhaps we should bind her from going abroad on behalf of the sponsor and consider about holding regular meetings.’ 

George Abe Portman volunteered to be one of Emily’s followers.

* * *

Nowadays, as it was the season where the big and small parties of the imperial family were usually held, the Golden Wild Goose Daily newspaper was really a huge hit. First of all, the edition containing the interview between the usable bride and groom had to be printed two or three more times. Due to this, I had to hire additional worker to be appointed in the printing shop.

“Wow, Pres. The sales of the newspaper containing the interview with the Grand Duke in the North are also outstanding.”

“There shouldn’t be any readers questioning whether it’s a scam or not. I’m a bit concerned about it.”

“Uh, there’s no need to worry about that. The important thing is that we sell.”

I deliberately left the gossip near the interview with the Grand Duke of the North who was handling Emily’s recent movements. Perhaps, the nobles’ eyes were expected to be focusing on Emily for a while. Normally, people marveled at their luxurious lives while swearing at an influencer. Either in the previous life or in this life, people’s wishes must have still be the same.

“By the way, Pres. You didn’t forget today’s interview, right?”

“Interview? What interview?”

Mary opened her eyes wide and shook in her spot as if she was offended, and asked how I could forget what happened today.

“You have to choose my junior. Do you know how difficult it is for me to solve all the newspaper affairs lately?”

“Phillip and his friends will be a bigger problem. He says he can’t go home these days and stays at the print shop.”

Perhaps, my words were disappointing as Mary opened her mouth wide.

“Pres, how hard it is to be an office worker?! I feel miserable that you would say that!”

The printing and shipping work was deemed significant, but Mary’s ability to handle office affairs meticulously was also important to me. I hastily offered compensation because I thought she would resign out of anger.

“So this month’s special bonus for all employees is….”

“Eh-uh. You too, Pres. You could have said it first. I’m so embarrassed. “

Mary quickly changed her attitude at the bonus story, opened the office door and went outside. The woman called the people who were waiting on the outside aisle seats inside.

“The five people who came first, please come in.”

At the words, ‘special bonus’ Mary even changed her tone into a charming cheerful voice. As expected, the power of money was huge.

This morning, I received an anonymous letter from the princess. The letter contained an insistence that what she said yesterday had gone well. The Crown Princess was rash in nature and the process of checking George Abe’s background was quite slow.

‘Should we investigate the corruption he had done?’

His complicated relationship with that woman was arranged with the princess’s engagement ceremony. It was tidied up neatly without leaving any hint. It seemed like it was thanks to the collaboration between the Countess and Empress Fionia. I was the one who got into trouble for that.

Originally, I was trying to dig closer to her illegitimate children, but I was looking for other problems because I felt sorry for the children who were born. However, I still had one punch that was strong enough to cancel the engagement.

‘They didn’t leave evidence cleverly.’

What kind of agreement did he make with Empress Fionia, the villain of the novel? I thought we could dig closer to it. I currently lacked evidence on that.

People walked into the office at the time when they regretted having scolded the princess for no reason. They were the ones who would be interviewed today. Some people were shaking with nerves, some were swallowing dry saliva or sweating.

‘Ouch, I used to feel that way, too.’

In my previous life, I passed the exam with a very good score, so much so that it was called the journalism exam, but the results were not good. Because of that damn stalker, d*mn it.

When I recalled the bad memories, I quickly shook my head. Mary handed me a document.

“Pres, here are their CVs. You can take a seat on the chair that has been prepared in front of you.”

I skimmed through at the bios of five people. There were talented people who graduated from the academy with good grades among them. There was even a former reporter for another newspaper company.

“Turd Payne just graduated from the academy two years ago? Then, why did he quit Morris Daily and apply here?”

In terms of size, year of establishment, and recognition, Morris Daily was a bigger newspaper company than ‘The Golden Wild Goose Daily’. If he was a talented person who graduated from the academy with nearly perfect grades, he would be more suitable for the imperial palace or Morris Daily. Not a small newspaper like I owned.

When I looked briefly at the short mint-colored hair of Turd Payne, I tapped my finger on the table while getting lost in thought.

‘It’s usually people with such unusual hair color. Not just an extra like that.’

I shook my head at the thought that Turd Payne might just be an extra.

‘No, it’s not. I can’t have such useless stereotypes. In that case, the guy who really looks evil is standing next to that Turd, like he does have a plan.’

A brown-haired man with prominent cheekbones and molars, and small eyes. He looked like someone who would be escorting Empress Fionia. In the romance-fantasy world, people who look like that often fall into my tricks when planning vile things.

Not that I wasn’t, but I was completely shocked and unable uttered a word when I saw the man’s face up close.

“Huh? It seems like they’re not just a look-alike.”

It was him. It was really Queen Fionia’s servant. That was the appearance I described in the novel. For a moment, I was so startled that my eyes almost popped out.

The Empress couldn’t have sent her people here. What a ridiculous thought…!’

However, my gut feeling issued a danger warning to think this was not a ridiculous thought.

‘What if he really is the empress’s servant, just like what I have been thinking? However, why would he come to this d*mn newspaper?’

Did I do something that disturbed the empress?

Come to think of it, I must have gone too much.

I arbitrarily dispatched the crown prince’s bodyguards by pretending to be the crown prince and wrote an embarrassing article about him. Also, on the day of the princess’s engagement press conference, I’ve met the princess to discuss the story of her engagement cancellation. It’s only natural that the empress’s eyes and ears are scattered throughout the imperial palace. I thought I was living while being too careful.

However, we never know. I thought the man might not be the empress’s servant, but then I turned my gaze to the his right hand. There was an scar on the back of his hand. A scar like someone had stuck a knife in the back of his hand.

‘That scar is the one that Phillip’s father, Thomas Dunger, inflicted to his servant before he fell. Was he really the queen’s servant?’

The scar proved it. He was dangerous. I should never have pulled him. However, what if they don’t choose? Wouldn’t it be worse for me if he attacked me when no one was around?

Cold sweat ran down the back of my very nervous back.

“Pardon, Pres?”

Perhaps, Mary saw something strange because she spread her palm in front of my face to bring me back to my senses. I just realized from her behavior and I dropped my eyes as if nothing had happened. I shouldn’t have shown that I already knew her here.

“First, may I ask why you applied to this newspaper? Please answer according to the first person who come earliest among you.”

Turd Payne, presumably the earliest and smartest among all who attend to do the interview, answered first.

“I liked the innovative steps of the Golden Wild Goose Daily, so I wanted to apply for a job here. Most of the authoritative people in the Morris Empire are conservative and traditional. For example, among all the newspapers, only this newspaper uses photography.”

That was true. However, I didn’t bother to add that in exchange for Philip’s father’s recovery, so now I had the camera all to myself.

“Everyone believes in the ridiculous nonsense that the temple priests say and claims that they are telling the absolute truth. I like how only this newspaper company is pushing for change and leading society in a different way. I really want to work as a reporter here.”

How beautiful he was. Turd Payne is an experienced rookie.

I have to choose him.

Since I had to choose more than three people today, so I turned to another suitor. Then, the queen’s servant’s eyes shone as if he had been waiting for the moment.

“As you can see from my letter of recommendation, I am someone with a lot of acquaintances in the Imperial Court. I am the second son of the Count of Bayern. Among all the applicants here, I believe that I have the best connections with them.”

When asked why he was applying to newspaper companies, he flaunted his connection towards his interviewers. Of course, journalists from the nobility were more often treated in the field. They were used to work in a more friendly atmosphere in the field.

‘It’s not a bad thing to come from a settled background. Doesn’t he feel even more uncomfortable now that he’s the subordinate of the empress?’

Mary muttered in a low voice beside me while I was deep in thought with a frown on her face.

“D*mn. He should be eliminated because he’s ugly.”

Since the office was quiet, it was clear that her voice was heard by everyone. The empress’ servant also only raised his eyebrows slightly upon Mary’s words. He calmly ignored Mary’s mumble and pretended not to hear her. The atmosphere instantly froze among the suitors.

I glanced at Mary for a moment before speaking to the audience again.

“Then, can you tell me your motive for applying for this position?”

There was a rather haggard woman beside the empress’ servant. The thin woman with black hair grabbed the hem of her skirt and moved her eyes back and forth as if she was anxious. She seemed extremely tense. The skirt she was holding was laced with sweat from her hand.

“Uh, my turn. Thanks to the Golden Wild Goose Daily, I got a new life. Because of this, I dared to apply to be a newspaper reporter.”

“???”