Rasmus didn't want to sit down on any sofa in the brothel house because he didn't know what kind of stains lingered there. He watched Erlina try her way to persuade and calm all the guests with her charm. She handled it like walking in the park, giving them some understanding and offering something that those guests couldn't resist.
After she handled all the guests and escorted them out of the building, she sighed as she rolled her eyes. She fixed her dress before she turned around to approach Rasmus, swaying her hips, a bit on the lip, and a tug of a smile on the side of her lips that anyone couldn't resist. Unfortunately, it didn't affect Rasmus at all.
"Now, my dear patron, I'm all yours for an hour. What do you want to do?" Erlina chuckled as she stood in front of Rasmus, staring up into his eyes with her brown eyes.
"You're really good at this," Rasmus looked down at Erlina, impressed by her skill. "You seem too experienced for someone who looks so young, especially in this kind of world," he added.
"Is that how are you going to play the game? Giving me flattery like it's nothing?" Erlina raised her brows, swirling the smoking pipe in between her fingers. "I have to admit, that affects me a little," she smiled as she placed her free hand on Rasmus's chest.
"Now..." Erlina said as she slipped her hand into his suit, her eyes never leaving Rasmus's. "What do you want to do, Count?" She asked in a soft voice.
"Information, about this beautiful city and its people," Rasmus answered as he grabbed Erlina's hand and gently pushed it away from his chest.
Erlina sulked as she crossed her arms, looking away, giving Rasmus a cold treatment. She glanced at him, but she still couldn't believe nothing worked on him even after she tried her best and a different approach.
"I'll pay you," Rasmus raised his brows and pulled one Eclers from thin air.
Erlina looked at the money in Rasmus's hand, and she snatched it from his hand. She folded the money, but to Rasmus's surprise, she put the money in his suit's pocket.
"Keep your money, my dear patron. If you keep spending your money like that, you will be poor in no time," Erlina said with a serious expression. "You have given me enough, so there's no need to spend more."
At that moment, Rasmus knew that he had found someone interesting, someone who wasn't blinded by greed. Erlina wasn't the only one who was testing Rasmus, he was also testing her without her realizing it.
"Now, shall we go to my office? We can talk privately there while we enjoy a cup of tea," Erlina asked as she walked past Rasmus. She looked over her shoulder, signaling him to follow her.
Rasmus followed Erlina into her office, which was on the fifth floor of the building. She told the servants to keep an eye on Carrion and told them to inform her when they saw Carrion leaving the room.
"Please have a seat, Count," Erlina pointed at the sofa as she grabbed nuts to feel her parrot the moment she walked into her office.
Rasmus looked at how cozy the office was, everything was dark red, from the carpet, the wall, and the curtains. The leather couch, the table, the chair, and the shelves were all dark brown, which suited well with the color of the room. The chandelier was framed with gold including the chain, and there were a few palm plants on each corner that gave a nice touch to the room.
"Now, what do you want to know first?" Erlina asked as she fed her parrot.
"The trading companies and shipping companies. How many are there in this city?" Rasmus asked as he made himself comfortable on the couch.
Erlina hummed as she looked up, tilting her head slightly to think of the exact number.
"There are eight trading companies, the Vivelda and the Urion trading companies are the big ones," Erlina answered as she brushed her hands and walked toward the couch. "For the shipping companies, there are five, the Vivelda and the Urion are the big ones as well," she added as she sat down, crossed her legs, and rested her hands on her thighs.
"That's a lot less than I thought," Rasmus hummed and nodded with understanding.
"Of course, there used to be a lot of them before. But the Vivelda and the Urion, both of them used some dirty tricks and made those trading and shipping companies bankrupt. Soon there will be less of them and they will monopolize this whole city," Erlina answered as she crossed her arms and stared at her parrot cracking nuts.
"Who owns those two companies?" Rasmus looked at Erlina.
"Vivelda is owned by two people from two different families. Vivien Larne and Hilda d'Are, they're well-known families from the Western region," Erlina answered as she stared at her nails. "For the Urion company, it belongs to the Urion family from the Eastern region. Usman and Imane Urion, the filthy rich siblings," she added and blew her nails.
Rasmus hummed as he crossed his arms, thinking that he should go to the bookstore to learn about those families. There were a lot of things that he needed to prepare for before he wanted to make a move. He needed to know with whom he was going to fight.
"So? Why are you interested in the trading and shipping companies?" Erlina raised her brows, glancing at Rasmus.
"Well, you'll know the answer once you give me an answer for my next question," Rasmus said as he sat straight and took a sip of his tea. "Do you know any shipwrights? The ones that are the best in this city?" He glanced at Erlina with his brows raised.
Erlina raised her brows, pushing herself up to sit straight after she realized what Rasmus was planning to do. She narrowed her eyes, staring at his face, trying to observe how much he knew about business since she knew well that Rasmus Blackheart wasn't a family who dwelled in business. Not to mention, he was abandoned and exiled since he was young, so it would be impossible for him to understand this kind of world.
"I know someone, he's good, really good," Erlina nodded, her eyes observing Rasmus's face. "Are you going to make your own company and compete with those two giants?" Erlina tilted her head.
"Yes, and I'm planning to take this city, monopolizing it," Rasmus answered with a serious expression.
Erlina knew when someone was confident and knew what they were doing by looking into their eyes. She could see it in Rasmus's eyes, but she was unsure if she had misjudged it or if that was the case.
"So that's why you're looking for Carrion. You want his support, don't you?" Erlina narrowed her eyes, her body had completely shifted toward Rasmus. "I don't know how much money you have, but I suggest you spend it on something else. There are too many risks and you might regret it later," she warned.
Rasmus slowly formed a smirk as he shifted his body toward Erlina.
"What's wrong? Are you worried about me, Madam?" Rasmus asked in a deep and soft voice, his face right in front of Erlina's. "That's so nice of you."
Erlina arched her brows and then scoffed, a wide smirk painted her face. She was caught off guard by Rasmus's words. When she was about to open her mouth, her servant knocked on the door, informing her that Carrion had finished and was waiting for her in the lobby.
"Thank you for the information, Madam," Rasmus said as he stood up and fixed his suit. "That means a lot to me."
Erlina's eyes never left Rasmus's face, staring up at him and watching him fix his suit. She slowly rose from the couch and fixed her dress as well.
"I would love to see how will it go. I wish you a stroke of good luck, Count Blackheart," Erlina showed a faint smile at Rasmus.
"How generous of you," Rasmus smiled gently at her and then excused himself.
Erlina watched Rasmus leave her office as she crossed her arms. She didn't blink her eyes and watched him walk in the long hallway with her servant guiding him.
"Rasmus Blackheart, what a charming man," Erlina smirked as she chuckled softly.