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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Blonde Tanned Thug
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"Blonde hair, tanned skin, muscles... This is insane."
I couldn't help but sigh as I stared at my reflection in the mirror.
Because the face looking back at me felt all too familiar.
Ricardo del Mar.
I knew that name inside and out.
He was a character from the romance fantasy Blossoming Steel Flower.
A man who wielded decent power befitting his title of Southern Admiral.
The problem? He was positioned as a mid-tier boss.
Running a slave trade and turning any pretty girl he fancied into his plaything.
The perfect villain for the knightly female protagonist to bring to justice.
This is driving me crazy.
That's why my head throbbed even more.
I'd never even left a single hate comment, let alone dropped a 5,700-character review.
The series was popular enough that it wasn't just my guilty pleasure.
And yet... to possess a villain who doesn't even survive to the end?
I couldn't have felt more wronged.
...No, wait. It's not all bad yet.
Surprisingly, digging through my memories, I hadn't laid a hand on any women so far.
Ricardo's father had passed away not long ago, and I'd only recently taken over the family business and affairs.
In the midst of all that chaos, there wasn't room for leisurely pursuits like assaulting women...
The schedule had been brutally tight.
In other words, this 'Lian de Delua' was still untouched.
Strictly speaking, dragging her to my bed already crossed a line, but...
I'd stopped right before anything happened. No harm done, technically.
Was the guy a total lunatic? With mountains of work piling up, he still chased skirts?
The more I sifted through the memories, the more absurd it seemed.
The Del Mar Family had a ton on our plate right now.
We practically monopolized maritime trade, so business demanded constant attention.
With our own territory to manage, public sentiment couldn't be ignored.
And as 'admiral,' maintaining sea security was non-negotiable. What kind of admiral chased women amid all that?
I'd picked up Blossoming Steel Flower because I loved the idea of a knightly heroine.
I hadn't delved deep into Ricardo's character.
But now, living as him and reviewing his actions? It was grim on every level.
That's when it happened.
"Mmm... Huh? Ah, ah...! Ri-Ricardo, sir...!"
Lian de Delua, chained to the bed with irons and shackles, opened her eyes.
Her terrified, pitiful gaze locking onto me...
It wasn't familiar at all. Heart-wrenching, even.
"P-Please... Please forgive me. J-Just let me go from here—"
"—But I can't just wipe your family's debt off the books, can I?"
Even so, I couldn't release her that easily.
The Delua Family was a fallen noble house.
They'd already borrowed an astronomical sum from me.
She'd been handed over as collateral, more or less.
"Even if I sent you back... could your family repay it?"
"They've probably blown through most of it already, right?"
"Eek...!"
Demanding sudden freedom and repayment wouldn't fly.
The Deluas wouldn't welcome her back with open arms, that much was clear.
...They'd probably beg me to take her off their hands in exchange for the cash.
In the original story, Lian's 'salvation' came when the heroine heard my 'vile rumors,' stormed in, and killed me.
The family was thrilled their creditor was gone.
Lian was free from her slave master. Win-win for everyone but me.
Conclusion: For her perfect happy ending, I had to die.
But I had a brilliant idea.
Let's think this through.
To avoid death, the knightly heroine can't show up here.
She comes because of bad rumors.
Why do bad rumors spread?
Because I kept doing awful things!
Live normally, virtuously, and no such tragedy occurs.
That realization sparked a solid plan.
"Lady Delua, you're misunderstanding something."
"I didn't bring you here because I wanted you."
"Y-Yes...?"
"Going back would just burden your family."
"The money I lent them didn't come from a bank... it was my personal funds."
"..."
"If we settled your family's debt legally, what then?"
"They'd lose their noble status and end up homeless. Wouldn't be surprising."
Her face crumpled into despair.
Like a small animal bracing to be devoured right then and there.
Perfect timing to drive the point home.
"So, I'm giving you an opportunity."
"Op-Opportunity...?"
"Your family's debt is hopeless anyway."
"So... repay it with your labor."
"M-My body...?!"
I approached her slowly as I said it.
"Eek...!?"
Clink.
I unlocked the shackles on her wrists and continued.
"Work with those hands and feet. I'll pay you the regional average wage."
"Refuse, and I'll send you home."
A perfectly reasonable offer.
Of course, her working alone wouldn't clear the family debt.
But handing cash back to them made no sense either.
I'd sworn to live righteously, but this was serious money.
Besides, I hadn't forced the loan on the Deluas.
They'd demanded those terms themselves.
It was a standard debt arrangement—no leverage against me.
"Plus, your family's debt and your wages are separate."
"No forced repayments."
"...!"
Most importantly, I was being incredibly generous.
Normally, debt collectors seize assets from marked debtors.
But I was offering her a salary without that hassle.
Essentially, an interest-free loan just for her.
"I-I'll do it...! A-Anything you ask, really...!!"
I watched her nod frantically, then bellowed down the hall.
"Excellent. Good attitude. Hey, anyone out there?"
"Yes, Master."
In walked the middle-aged head maid, Mernel.
"Find her suitable work."
"Pay her the standard servant wage."
"Yes, sir. What about lodging and meals?"
"Handle it, Mernel. You're both women—you'll take good care of her."
"Understood. She'll stay in the staff quarters. This way, please."
"Uh, uh...! Y-Yes!!"
And with that, Lian de Delua was led from my bedroom by the head maid.
Only then could I finally breathe easy.
...That should settle things with Lian personally.
But massive problems loomed.
To save my neck, I'll do whatever it takes.
My reputation wasn't great.
For good reason—I was the Southern Admiral.
Merchants already had a poor image.
And 'Southern' implied an outsider lord integrated into the empire.
Running a slave trade on top of that?
Like a tattooed, pierced smoker always having to prove themselves...
I needed to prove mine.
What to do?
Abolishing the slave trade sounded good, but impossible right now.
Nobles backed it.
Trading non-humans was legal empire-wide.
Scrapping it suddenly? My head would roll courtesy of sponsors.
So, my path was set.
"...Right. I've got money to burn. Time for charity."
Donate to the church.
Support the needy.
Protect the southern environment.
What a beautiful life!
Hunting pirates regularly would easily net me 'Righteous Merchant Admiral.'
"...And no more grinding slaves into the dirt."
The slave business needed reform, even if abolition was off the table.
The current market was filthy.
Slaves snatched haphazardly—unclear backgrounds, mismatched skills.
But...
"Overhaul hygiene, teach them skills and trades..."
Skilled laborers, basically.
I could hire trainers with our overflowing funds.
Win-win.
I sat at the desk and started drafting plans.
"Kuhahaha...! Money fixes everything...!!"
Indeed.
Capitalism was glorious. No matter how I sliced it.
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