Half-step Purgatory

Durin stroked the black cat on the armrest of his chair, sitting on the black leather sofa. Through the glasses perched on his nose, his gaze passed over the long table in front of him and settled on the man kneeling on the carpet:
"I understand, you've made money in Naples, your business has been very successful, and you've led a happy life. You've had those secret police, friends in both the law and the underground, and even the Royal Family speaking on your behalf."
"You don't need a friend like me, I know that. You're afraid of owing me a favor, and you don't want to get involved in troubles."
"But now you come to me and say, 'I beg you, Mr. Durin of the Corleon family, please help me seek justice, so that my life and my family will not suffer and sink into despair.'
Yet, in your eyes, I was nothing more than a second-rate artist involved in movies and music. Even at the brink of death, you still show me such disrespect, not even willing to call me by my title... Keeper of Secrets."

Durin's Diary

The old man of the Carmen family spent a week tremblingly making his way to the Eternal Blaze Nest.


He came bearing the apologies of the Carmen family, hoping Durin would stop his utter extermination—or rather, it would be better for Durin to simply kill those two unlucky brothers than to humiliate them like this.


Faced with such a man who lowered his stance while still retaining pride, Durin was amused.


Having Alice serve him tea, Durin verbalized his perspective, "For the next few years, I won't be producing any works."


The old man and the younger member of the Carmen family who accompanied him were taken aback. After some thought, the elder spoke, "What does his lordship mean?"


Chapter 97: The Fawn