Chapter 136

Chapter 136:  Mad Dog (3)

It was exactly ten days later when I contacted Tabor again.

In the meantime, he had been gathering various pieces of dirt on me, half in doubt.

But no matter how hard he dug, the only thing he found was a minor suspicion of tax evasion related to some purchased artworks.

He wouldn’t have been able to secure any clear evidence no matter how much he searched.

Thanks to that, when he came to the hotel ten days later—

The dark circles under his eyes were so deep they looked like they might spill down to his cheeks.

Maybe that’s why his already intimidating face now looked almost like Death himself.

“Haa.”

The inspector from Nord stood in front of the hotel, smoking a cigarette.

His mood was so foul that he stubbed out his cigarette before he had even smoked half of it.

Caught between Archduke Eric and Julius Roger—

He must have felt like he was being dragged around from one side to the other.

Of course, the answer was practically decided between the two.

No matter how hard Roger tried, he wouldn’t be able to meet the conditions Tabor was looking for.

“Unless he uses magic, there’s no way he could bring someone better than the Grand Duke’s personal physician.”

He crushed the cigarette underfoot and threw it into the trash bin.

Still, a comment Anna made a few days ago lingered in Tabor’s mind.

It felt like looking at the Grand Duke of the North in his younger days.

Anyone from Nord would know how remarkable Duke Luton was.

If even a picky junior claimed someone resembled a man like that...

“Seriously, what part of that sly look in his eyes is supposed to resemble the Duke?”

As if trying not to dwell on it, he shook his head indifferently.

Then he stepped into the hotel and entered the familiar lobby.

“Inspector Tabor, you’ve arrived.”

“This way, please.”

The hotel staff broke out into a cold sweat from his chilling aura, which they still weren’t used to.

Even so, they did their job professionally and guided him to the lounge bar.

“……”

Strangely, the usually lively bar was completely empty today.

On every table sat a neatly placed pamphlet marked “Reserved.”

Except for one.

In the center of the lounge bar, a single guest sat alone.

Sunlight at noontime poured over that seat.

“Is President Roger running late again today?”

“Yes, sir. A distinguished guest has arrived, so he’s personally valet-parking their carriage.”

The hotel owner himself parking a guest’s carriage?

Just how important was this guest to have emptied the entire lounge bar?

For now, Tabor obediently walked over to the only seat not marked “Reserved.”

A place where an older man in a hat was sitting.

“May I join you? This is the only seat left.”

“Go ahead.”

The man spoke in a calm and composed voice.

Though aged, he had cleanly shaven his face, and his fedora was pulled low over his head.

Moreover, his large, rough hands seemed ill-suited to his age.

They gave the impression of a retired construction worker.

“What kind of tea would you like, sir?”

“Just bring me anything.”

The inspector from Nord replied coldly to the staff.

He gazed quietly at the old man, who drank his tea in silence.

‘Could it be this man?’

Was he the reason he had been told to return precisely ten days later?

“I heard an important guest arrived at the hotel today. Would that happen to be you?”

“An important guest? You flatter me.”

As the old man sipped his tea lightly, a bit more of his face came into view.

That’s when Tabor realized that, despite the man’s rugged hands, he was somewhat younger than expected.

Around his mid to late fifties, perhaps.

“Roger told me he’d show me around if I ever came to the North, so I came for a short visit.”

“Roger…? He’s a noble?”

Tabor’s blunt question was met with the calm tone of a dignified gentleman.

With a leisurely smile, the man shook his head.

“Not at the moment, but perhaps soon. His achievements have already reached the Emperor’s ears.”

“I don’t know about that. He’s a man with far too many secrets.”

The inspector responded firmly.

“I’ve dealt with countless nobles and merchants, but I’ve never come across someone this suspicious.”

“And why do you think that, sir?”

At the gentleman’s question, Tabor stared down at his teacup.

His worn-out face was reflected in the emptiness of the tea’s surface.

“Humans never act for the sake of others.”

The inspector from Nord recalled the many hypocrites he had encountered.

And the excuses they gave when committing illegal acts were always the same — lofty lies like ‘for the good of the country.’

“Saving Old Luton, saving Haman, Bennett Tolkien’s retirement comeback, the Nordique director case—he was the key witness in all of them…”

Tabor listed off the many cases he had dug into, with unwavering conviction.

“All of it, without exception, served his own interests. In the end, it all benefited him.”

“That young man’s certainly been around. And you managed to uncover it all.”

The older man chuckled, as if even he hadn’t known some of it.

“Well, this is what I do. I’m a prosecutor with the Nord Court.”

“You’re doing admirable work.”

At the old man’s compliment, Tabor replied with a bitter smile and denial.

His current reality was that of a father who couldn’t even protect his own daughter — and, worse yet, someone who had chosen to play the errand boy for a questionable noble.

“As I said earlier, I’m only working for my own sake.”

“Even so, thanks to you, many cases must have been solved. I’m sure you’ve saved plenty of wronged victims.”

The gentleman said this while glancing at the court badge on Tabor’s chest.

In response, Tabor was momentarily at a loss for words.

In truth, ever since his chances at promotion had dried up, he had been relentlessly digging into the secrets of the nobles he couldn’t stand.

Indeed, it had all started as revenge against the world, born out of lament for his own misfortunes.

But every time that revenge reached its end, there were always people who came to thank him—calling him their savior.

“……”

The old man gently lifted his hat.

And unlike Tabor, he revealed brilliant brown eyes that sparkled with light.

“Everyone begins working just to make a living. I, too, picked up the scalpel only because I’d heard doctors made a lot of money.”

“……?”

Doctor.

With just that one word, a faint gleam returned to the emptiness in Tabor’s eyes.

“It was incredibly difficult at first. The fear that a failed surgery might kill someone. Dozens of hours spent in major operations that pushed me to the brink of madness. The screams and resentment of the patients' families…”

The man sitting before him was none other than the legendary physician he had only ever read about in the newspapers—

The Imperial physician, Mikhail.

“After working that hard, it’s only natural to crave a greater reward.”

The elderly doctor gazed out the distant window as if recalling his past.

Outside, countless people walked through the streets with bright, cheerful smiles.

“But the money I earned never brought me the greatest happiness.”

As he watched those smiling faces, Mikhail recalled one particular memory.

“Luxury meals and a comfortable home couldn’t fill the emptiness in my heart. Rather…”

What brought him far more joy than receiving payment—

“Was the healthy smile of a patient who came back to thank me after a successful surgery.”

Tabor listened in complete silence.

Seeing this, the elderly gentleman continued as if expressing gratitude for the attention.

“It felt warmer, deeper than anything I’d ever felt eating the finest delicacies in the world.”

And in that smile of his, there was genuine happiness—overflowing, unmistakable.

The inspector from Nord recognized at once that there was not an ounce of falsehood in that expression.

Because he, too, could understand the meaning behind the physician’s words.

“……”

Back in the days when his promotion prospects had dried up and he was arresting every scoundrel and lowlife he could find—

There were moments when the victims he had unintentionally saved came to him to say thank you.

And in those moments, for the first time, he had felt truly alive.

But lately, he hadn’t felt that way at all.

His daughter had fallen ill. Corrupt nobles kept approaching him from all sides.

Ever since the moment he’d felt their claws tightening around his neck, not a single smile had appeared on his face.

“As you said, Inspector, humans are creatures who live for themselves.”

The physician took off the hat he had been wearing.

And with a gentle expression, like that of a father, he spoke.

“But at the same time, we are not beings who can live alone.”

Mikhail quietly looked around the empty lounge bar.

At the bar, only the bartender could be seen silently polishing glasses.

“Perhaps that’s why we become doctors. And prosecutors.”

“……”

At the warmth in the physician’s voice, Tabor’s lips began to tremble ever so slightly.

He felt as if he had met a father who forgave him even after discovering his sins.

“I heard your daughter is ill.”

A father knows everything even without being told.

As though speaking the words his son couldn’t bring himself to say, he looked gently at Tabor.

“I’ll be staying here for a while, so if you let me know the hospital, I’ll go see her.”

“Mikhail…”

Perhaps overwhelmed, he hastily drank his tea.

Then, with a deep breath, he let go of all the pain that had built up inside.

“Thank you. Truly… thank you…”

The Imperial physician shook his head at Tabor’s emotional voice.

“There’s no need to thank me. I only came because Lord Roger asked me to see you.”

The Imperial physician quietly patted his shoulder.

At the same time, he spoke.

“He asked me to make sure that the sword of justice, who has been fighting corruption, would not fall.”

Because Tabor was someone who deserved that much.

“To me as well, it would be a great honor to support someone like that.”

“But I…”

Before Tabor could continue, the physician raised a finger and gently gestured that there was no need to confess.

“When I said earlier that I felt the happiest when receiving gratitude from patients… I saw you pause when you heard that.”

He had caught even that fleeting reaction—so keen was his perception.

With a calm voice, the physician offered comfort.

“If you resonated with those words… that must mean you’ve had those kinds of experiences too, Inspector Tabor.”

“……”

The prosecutor let out a short breath, as if he had nothing left to hide.

“You are a good man.”

Tabor Tade.

Born a commoner, but through relentless effort, he had risen to the position of prosecutor—a self-made symbol of success.

He was called the Mad Dog of the Court, but that was merely a nickname used among the nobles.

To the victims, he had been nothing short of a savior.

He was the only one who hadn’t realized it.

Because the cruel illness that had consumed his daughter had blinded him.

And that blindness, today…

Had been cured by the Imperial physician.

“Sir, it seems you’ve healed not only my daughter, but my affliction as well.”

At last, warm noontime sunlight began to shine into Tabor’s pitch-black eyes.

His eyes, now filled with life again, turned toward me as I quietly watched from the hotel lobby.

“Thanks to today, I think I finally understand how I want to live out the rest of my career in the court.”

“I’m glad to hear it’s helped in some way.”

Mikhail and Tabor stood up from their seats at the same time.

Realizing their conversation had come to an end, I also slowly walked over to them.

“I’ve prepared a carriage. The hospital happens to be close by.”

Tabor didn’t bother asking how I knew which hospital his daughter was in.

He had already realized there was no malice behind my intentions.

“As soon as you're ready, I’ll take you there right away.”

Tabor stopped firmly in front of me.

And this time, his eyes had a newfound clarity in them.

I recognized that look.

Back when I was first reviving the Erian Hotel—

That was the exact gaze Anna had, the stern, upright new law officer who once doubted me.

“President Roger.”

“Go ahead—do you need anything else?”

I greeted him warmly with my long-lidded smile, and he quietly extended his right hand.

“Would you care to shake hands?”

Now that I thought about it, I had never once shaken hands with him before.

“Of course.”

I took the hand he offered and gently clasped it with both of mine.

Then, giving it a warm shake, I said—

“I sincerely hope your daughter recovers swiftly.”

“……”

The Mad Dog of Nord quietly met my gaze.

Unlike him, my own eyes still hadn’t regained their vitality.

“Sorry for the misunderstanding. I see now why Anna came to trust you—I was too late in realizing it.”

“No need to apologize. As you said yourself, I’m only acting out of self-interest.”

Perhaps remembering his conversation with the Imperial physician, Tabor let out a small laugh.

“If that’s the case, then you must know very well how to make money.”

Humans live for themselves.

But they cannot live alone.

“I’ll come back—maybe tomorrow, or even later this evening.”

That’s why we earn money so everyone can live well.

“I’d like to try earning money your way, too.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

From a distance, the Imperial physician and I exchanged a light nod.

Then, together with Tabor, he left briefly for the hospital.

I watched them go with the sly expression of a scheming courtier.

Eager to savor the precious gift that the young Black Lion had sent me.

“……”

The hotel staff looked awkwardly at my face.

As if they were watching a sly fox eyeing its prey.

“Sometimes, don’t you think our boss really looks like one of those crafty courtiers stuck to the Emperor’s side?”

One staff member whispered, and another chuckled.

“Well, as long as he’s a competent courtier, isn’t that fine?”

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