A Handsome K*nky Gangster Reporter - Chapter 91

#91

With her body bent at a 90-degree angle, Ferronel bowed deeply and respectfully. However, the noble girl immediately showed her irritation.

“Huh!? I came from Menold just for this book! You really can’t take my order?”

“I’m sorry, but if you step outside and turn right, there’s a dressmaker who makes similar products while their quality and design may not be as good as ours. Maybe you could try them?”

“Hey! Are you dismissing me just because I came from the countryside? I’m a noble who’s treated with great respect at home!”

“Haha. If that’s the case, if you place an order now, you’ll only get your dress in two years. Is that still acceptable?”

The noble girl’s expression changed dramatically upon hearing the madam’s words.

“That’s not possible! I need a gown for next month’s ball. Alright then. So where is this dressmaker you mentioned?”

Every day, dozens of customers came in. It could even be said that over a hundred customers were served in a single day. As Ferronel rubbed her aching head, regretting the publication of her photo book, the bell above the door rang, signaling yet another customer.

“Oh, Madame. Are you feeling unwell?”

Ferronel turned towards the familiar voice and saw Emily, a popular cortisane known as a foreign noble, standing there.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just planning to close the shop early today. Sorry, but it seems I won’t be able to take any orders.”

With a tired expression, Ferronel sank into the sofa. Emily shrugged and plopped down into the chair across from her, letting out a long sigh.

“I just came to chat. I don’t have many friends to talk to.”

“Chat?”

It was common for women in dress shops to chat about various things. Ferronel was curious to hear what Emily might have to say.

“Did my friend ever tell you that she’s the owner of a newspaper?”

“Oh, so you’re friends with Hailey. I didn’t know.”

“Actually, I wanted to ask her to place an ad looking for my birth mother. But she refused.”

“Why? Ah, never mind. I mean, your birth mother?”

Seeing Ferronel’s interest, Emily quickly revealed her purpose.

“Yes. I was adopted. My current parents are not my birth parents.”

Emily scrutinized Ferronel’s face, having crafted this lie convincingly.

“Long ago, my mother asked me to go to the capital and search for my birth mother. A woman with red hair who left me with my mother at that time. But my mother didn’t give me any details about her appearance. So, I’ve been having a hard time finding her.”

When the story about the red-haired woman came up, Ferronel’s eyes began to twitch.

“Um, could you tell me your date of birth?”

“I don’t know the exact date. My family never told me or celebrated it. But I know I was born in the winter and I’m around 20 now.”

Ferronel examined Emily’s appearance closely. Emily bore a striking resemblance to her wicked stepfather. Though her eye color was a bit darker than his, it was possible her initially lighter silver hair had darkened with age.

‘Could it be?’

Ferronel felt a warm sensation in her throat due to anxiety. What if this woman was her daughter? Rumor had it that Emily was a foreign noble. Perhaps that’s why she had been so hard to find, despite all the money spent.

Ferronel quickly grabbed Emily’s hand and made a request.

“Could you introduce me to your stepmother?”

“Eh? Why do you want to know…?”

“I want to know what the red-haired woman your stepmother remembers looked like. I’m sorry, but I also lost a daughter when I was young. At that time, I didn’t have enough food for my daughter, so I entrusted her to a stranger. Now, even though I’ve tried to find her, I haven’t been successful.”

Emily frowned, looking troubled.

“What should I do? My mother passed away some time ago.”

“Oh, I see.”

Even if Ferronel wanted to find her daughter, there was no guarantee Emily was her child. Ferronel knew well how incompetent and corrupt the temple priests were. Even if she took a paternity test, she was well aware of how inaccurate the results could be.

Ferronel scrutinized Emily’s face once more. Damn it. Emily looked just like that man. The nightmares from her past with that terrible man came flooding back, making Ferronel shiver. Even though the man had been careless with himself and others, was it possible this girl could be her daughter given their similar birth dates and ages?

“In that case, if I’m searching for my daughter and you’re searching for your mother, how about we pretend to be mother and daughter for a while?”

Once she found the red-haired woman, she would definitely know. How her daughter had grown up and lived. She had to find her and confirm it.

“Yes, that sounds good. I always wished I had a mother as kind as you.”

Emily was disappointed that Ferronel didn’t immediately accept her as her daughter. However, she masked her true feelings and smiled sweetly, as if genuinely pleased.

***

“Eonnie! I missed you!”  

Claude, just back from a business trip, ran up to me holding a large orange box.  

“Take it slow! You might hurt yourself!”  

When this grown man smiles so brightly, I can’t help but remember the pure, angelic Claude of our childhood, and a wave of nostalgia hits me.  

‘He never used to say sweet things like that he liked me or anything.’  

Lately, when he suddenly confesses his feelings, I don’t know how to respond, so I often pretend not to care. Of course, his looks and face are my type, but we grew up like siblings. How could I start a serious relationship with someone who feels like a brother? When I think about it, those two kisses were just mistakes made in the heat of the moment.  

But as soon as I think about it, just seeing Claude’s face makes me tense up. I find myself biting my lip and replaying that day’s events in my mind.  

Claude, approaching with alarming speed, suddenly stopped, set the box down beside him, and knelt on one knee.  

‘Don’t tell me he’s going to propose here?’  

In this bakery alley, especially on a street with a lot of foot traffic. Don’t tell me he’s about to do something embarrassing…  

This street is known for its gossip. To the point that if someone coughs in the morning, by evening it might be exaggerated that they have tuberculosis.  

“Wow, wow. Is that guy really proposing to the newspaper owner?”  

“Wow, so disappointing. When I asked before, he said he didn’t have a girlfriend!”  

“If he doesn’t have one, were you trying to hit on him? Wake up from your dreams!”  

The murmurs from the crowd grew louder. They pretended not to be interested, but their eyes were clearly fixed on us. I bit my lip and, with lip movements only Claude could hear, used a sort of ventriloquism.  

“Don’t, don’t. It’s nothing.”  

“Huh? Eonnie, what are you saying?”  

Don’t do it.  

He smiled widely, his eyes crescent-shaped, and said,  

“Eonnie, I have something for you. Here…”  

“Let’s go upstairs! I’ll accept it up there!”  

I hurriedly pulled Claude up and, at the same time, gasps of admiration erupted from the crowd.  

“Eh, why not accept it here?”  

“So sad. It was such a nice moment. What a pity.”  

“They make a great couple!”  

For some reason, receiving encouragement, I went upstairs to the newspaper office with Claude. As we climbed the stairs, my cheeks felt warm.  

Objectively, even without personal interest, Claude’s physical charm and the air of sophistication formed by his wealth made him quite the catch. Even Anna, who usually prefers bad boys, couldn’t concentrate on her work whenever Claude appeared in the office.  

Claude, who was quick to act, immediately spoke as soon as we reached the office.  

“Eonnie, I have something for you…”  

Is this finally the moment?  

I was conflicted about how to respond if he proposed. I wasn’t sure if I really liked him, and if I rejected him, I didn’t want to see his disappointed face.  

He brought over a wooden chair and placed it in front of me. Then, he knelt on one knee in front of me again. Oh no. Is he really going to propose? If I refuse his offer, will I never see his face again?  

“Eonnie, please lift your foot for a moment.”  

“I don’t want to be awkward with you. Give me some time to think.”  

“Huh?”  

“….”  

He showed a puzzled expression for a moment, then placed my foot on his raised knee. Then, he took something out of the orange box. A pair of flat shoes that looked like men’s shoes, but small enough for a woman…  

“I noticed your shoes looked uncomfortable. You have to walk a lot for your job as a journalist, so wear these comfortable shoes. I was worried you might struggle.”  

He said as he removed my shoes and put the new ones on me. My old shoes were left lying on the floor. Seeing them now, I realized the worn-out heels and the damaged leather. I felt a bit embarrassed.  

‘Oh, so it was just a misunderstanding?’  

It wasn’t that I couldn’t afford new shoes. My considerate brother just cared for me. I didn’t realize it and made my own assumptions.  

My body felt warm and my heart raced.  

“Thank you for the gift. They fit perfectly and are lovely. Haha.”  

I exaggeratedly moved my left foot around and went over to the window. I quickly opened it, and the cold breeze flowed into the office, cooling my body to a comfortable temperature.  

‘Thank goodness. I thought he was going to propose, and my heart almost stopped.’  

Although I was relieved it wasn’t a proposal, I felt a bit disappointed, and that feeling was strange to me. The breeze touching my cheeks calmed my heart. I pursed my lips and blew out a breath, watching the white mist disappear from my mouth.  

“Boss, it’s cold.”  

Oh. I thought no one was in the office. When I turned around, Anna, shivering, was giving me a resentful look, asking me to close the window. Even on the opposite side, Mary was watching me with a mischievous grin.  

“Shall we step out for a moment? So you two can have a nice time. Hahaha.”  

Mary’s annoying laughter. That laughter made me feel a little pricked, and I felt a bit irritable.  

“Stay here and stop slacking off! Is the article for tomorrow’s paper done? Show it to me right away.”  

If the article is bad, I’ll show off my skills as a boss and do some annoying things to teach the workers a lesson.  

I exaggerated my displeasure. I quickly turned to Claude and said,  

“Thank you for the gift. I’ll make good use of it. We’ll meet again later. I’m busy today.”  

“Huh? Oh… Eonnie, how about we have dinner at the hotel later when you have time?”  

“Sure. Let’s do that later.”  

I pushed Claude out of the office quickly and gave Mary a sharp look.