A Tolerable Bastard

Although Raziel knew this was a shameless act, he didn't have any other way to earn that amount of money so quickly.

But, based on his memories, the girl likely saw him as nothing more than a big brother.

Raziel suspected that the idea of the date probably came from Jasir, who wanted to strengthen their bond and solidify his place as a true core member of the family.

'It will probably be fine to have a pretend date with that girl. It's been a while since I last visited her, so I owe her this,' Raziel thought while waiting for his uncle's return.

A few seconds later, Jasir returned holding a box about the size of his hand.

The man then approached Raziel, and before handing him the box, he grasped his nephew's shoulder and said, "Please give Liliane a chance. She really likes you, unlike that Valternorth girl."

Seeing the pleading look on his uncle's face, Raziel gave a slow nod.

"Don't worry, First Uncle. Yesterday, Sylfi brought someone to humiliate me in front of the whole school, so I decided not to pursue that girl anymore," Raziel said, trying to reassure Jasir.

Upon hearing that, Jasir frowned and put on a very intimidating expression, seeming ready to kill someone.

"That filthy Valternorth! How dare she do that! These bastards are the ones in need and still have the courage to humiliate my dear nephew and future son? This is unacceptable!" Jasir's furious voice echoed through the room, making Clarice, watching from the side, tremble slightly at his killing intent.

"D-don't worry about it, Uncle. This only made me see her true nature, and besides, there's not much we can do. I only hope my father accepts breaking off this engagement," Raziel said, trying to calm Jasir's fury.

Jasir was very pissed, and a vein could even be seen throbbing on his forehead.

One of the perks of being from a "villain" family in this world was that they were usually very loyal to their family members, and betrayal was rare.

Which was very ironic, as most of the "good" families were full of deceit and internal conflicts among themselves.

When Jasir heard Raziel's words, he took a deep breath and calmed down slightly.

He then handed the box to Raziel and said, "Call off the engagement? Sadly, I'm not sure you'll succeed, but if you do, make sure to let Liliane know. She'll be thrilled with the news."

Raziel didn't understand why Jasir said it like that, but he nodded in agreement.

With everything in hand, Raziel decided it was time to leave and began looking for the exit. However, he couldn't see any door behind him.

Just a plain stone wall.

"Um... so, how exactly do we get out of here?" Raziel asked his uncle.

Jasir ordered them to close their eyes, and both obeyed. In an instant, they found themselves back in the same hallway as before, now standing in front of an empty wall.

The passage was gone, just like the painting. This left them both confused, wondering how it all worked.

Behind them stood the same woman who had guided them earlier, as if she had been waiting. The woman gave a respectful bow and politely asked them to follow her once again.

Some time later, Raziel, along with Clarice, finally left the merchant guild headquarters.

After stepping outside, he took the box from his pocket and opened it. Inside, there was a beautiful golden ring with a purple stone embedded in it.

Raziel quickly recognized it as a storage ring enchanted with space-time magic, a typically very expensive item.

In the game, the only way to obtain a golden one was by killing a boss from a High-Level monster zone.

Once again, the benefits of being rich were evident. Raziel didn't waste time and placed the ring on his index finger.

Thankfully, accessing the ring's space was simple. After applying a bit of mana, he could visualize what was inside. It was as if the image of the items was projected in his mind.

He could see a good amount of Liridios coins and another small box, probably containing the rainbow stone.

Raziel wore a slight smile as he instructed Clarice to guide him to the hospital, knowing it was time to begin executing his plan.

* * *

An hour passed, and the sun started to get hotter than before. Raziel was sweating heavily and feeling pain in his feet.

It seemed wearing a suit to walk outside had been a bad idea, yet Raziel insisted on walking through the city. He really wanted to take a good look around the place.

Clarice, who was guiding him through the streets, looked a little puzzled. She noticed he was acting strangely, very different from his usual self.

First, he hadn't said anything rude until now, nor had he called her anything mean.

Second, Raziel always requested a carriage wherever he went. Walking on foot was something he would never willingly do.

Third, there wasn't a single complaint from him. She knew he was feeling very tired, yet he endured the discomfort.

'What's happening with this idiot? He's acting very out of character since yesterday,' Clarice thought to herself, glancing briefly at Raziel.

He noticed her gaze and smiled, causing the girl to turn her head immediately.

A minute later, they finally arrived in front of a medium-sized building made of wood and stone.

In front of the building, there was a wooden sign that read "Community Hospital of Aliandre."

As Raziel tried to catch his breath, Clarice approached him with an anxious expression.

The girl seemed concerned, not for him, but rather because she wanted to know what he intended to do in this place.

Raziel knew Clarice was a clever girl, and she also knew there was no reason for him to go into that place unless it was for her mother.

"Clarice, let's go sit there for a moment," Raziel said in a serious tone, pointing to a wooden bench near the hospital wall.

She nodded, and after the two of them sat down, Raziel spoke frankly, "I know you're worried about something, but... you don't need to be. The reason for my visit is simply to fulfill my dad's deal."

"What?!" Clarice exclaimed, taken aback by what she heard.

He explained to her that his father was too busy to handle the matter, so he would take care of it in his place.

Clarice still didn't believe what she had heard. It took Raziel three minutes to convince her, and even then, she thought it was just a dream or something.

"A-are you r-really going to help my mother?" Her voice stammered as she prayed for this to be true.

"Yes, I will," Raziel answered softly.

When he confirmed, she started deceiving herself into believing his words.

After all, it had been three months since she made that deal with his father, and he had never brought it up again. Clarice had come to believe she'd been scammed, often crying alone at night.

She tried to hold back her emotions, but tears began to well up in her eyes.

As the girl cried, Raziel stood up from the bench and walked toward the building's entrance, leaving her alone to compose herself.

By the time he entered the building, she couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

'I don't believe this is happening... Why is he doing this? I always thought he was just a selfish, greedy bastard, but now he's going to fulfill the deal just like that?' Clarice thought, feeling very confused.

Memories of the days she spent with him replayed in her mind. Clarice began to realize that, even though he acted like a bossy idiot, he never did anything shameless with her or any other maid in the house.

He never hit her and only made empty threats, nothing more, although this happened more each time Sylfi rejected him.

Still, if it had been another guy, she probably wouldn't have the same luck and would have to warm the bed every day.

After thinking it over, Clarice came to the conclusion that, in the end, Raziel was still a bastard, but at least he was a bit more tolerable.

"Maybe... if I look at it from that perspective, he doesn't seem to be that bad, just more like a spoiled brat," she muttered to herself, letting out a few chuckles.

To her, as long as he was really telling the truth about saving her mother, Clarice would surely have no grudge against him and would even bear being called an idiot.

The poor girl, not aware of the true reason behind that 'kind' gesture, felt very relieved.

Meanwhile, as Raziel spoke with a healer, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, though he dismissed it as just his imagination.