Love....with a Price [Red/Redblood]

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Red Revolver

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It was a morning thick with the aroma of certain death.

Many people, mainly workers, gathered outside the quarters of their master's chamber, sincerely anticipating the news of what was to come. It had been many weeks in this mansion situated in a farm where the owner, Hanz Wasserman, was lessening his iron grip around his workers with a mysterious sickness that sapped that very energy to harm away from him. In the middle of this vast expanse of farmlands, the Wasserman estate and farm was the only place around that gave the land a reputation: The Farmland of the Kings. Great crops, animals, and weather-- my, it was certainly the envy of many. Though now, the workers felt unsure if the Wasserman estate were to keep it's glory once it's owner passed away. Hanz had nobody in his world....until...

The day of his death.

Laying on the bed, Hanz' pale skin matched those of the sheets his maid had left him earlier. Breathing to him became an impossible chore. However, a young man with jet black hair and blue eyes sitting in front of him made Hanz make an effort in breathing. At least till he spoke.

"Jesse..." Hanz wheezed. "...Jesse...you've been...very loyal....responsible...worker..." Giving a cough, he dragged his red eyes at the young man named Jesse. Jesse looked at Hanz with an uncomfortable expression, but seems to try and contain himself as he whispers "..Don't spend so much energy talking....just relax..."

"N-No!" Hanz yelled, making Jesse flinch. "..I know...I should be silent...save my energy for the priest...but...I must...tell you....you need to know...you have to know so that...my company...the farm...everything....it has to live on..."

Jesse rose a brow. "Yes, master..?"

"Don't...c-call me master...anymore..." Hanz, finally looking much closer to his end, prepared his last words with a tearful stare. "..You...are my son......and rightful heir to everything....I've...worked so hard to earn..."

Jesse was at a loss of words. His boss, the man who had beat him all his life and been so cruel...his father? His rich...rich father. While this poor man was-- it couldn't be, right?


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"My little girl, where are you?!" A woman's voice called out as she trekked the long hallways of her mansion. Tripping over some adornments on the floor, the woman of about 50 years of age growled to herself as she looked for her daughter. A news paper hung in her hands with each step making her arms jerk forward. It seemed like she was bothered about something. "You are in for it now, child! I've read it all! Your fiance, the son of Roberta Essel and the mayor, left you? Why!" She said, hoping her daughter were to answer although not seeming to be an earshot around. "This was going to be the wedding of the century! The talk of the town! Get out here, child, and explain! No sane woman would reject such a fine young man of our high class!" She said, hoping her daughter would appear to confront her.
 
A young woman with golden brown hair was happily picking an apple from the bowl on the table in the dining room while a maid whom once had been her nanny scolded her for missing breakfast again. She had a habit of oversleeping, even when people tried to wake her up ten times, but who could blame her? She was almost always awake long after the rest of the household had fallen asleep. She had her reasons. Actually she had one reason.

"Don't tell me you left the house again." The head maid finally realized.

"Shh, not so loud, if mother knew she would get a heart attack." The girl hushed her. "Please Mary, don't tell anyone, I promise I'll get up when you wake me tomorrow. The first time, of course."

The maid sighed. "Charlotte, what are we going to do with you. I won't utter a word, but eventually she will realize that you are still seeing him. You two can't keep going li.." A voice interrupted the two. "Well then my lady, I should probably seek up the lord and make sure he has taken his medication." She curtsied before leaving the room through a door that wouldn't take her past the madam. No one enjoyed being around those two when they got into their family arguments.

Charlotte sighed quite loudly and walked out to her mother in the hallway. "I guess I'm not sane then, am I?" She said defiantly. "Mother, that man was a travesty. Sure, he has money and a reputation, but he is so boring. He never wants to do anything fun, he doesn't like horses, he isn't romantic and he doesn't even bother listening to me half the time. He also eats snails. Which sane person eats snails? I'd rather marry the snail than him." She crossed her arms over her chest, still holding the apple in her hand. The truth was that he actually had tried to listen to her at first and tried to get to know her better, but she had been so stubborn that he eventually gave up. She could nitpick on the smallest of issues for any man she was forced to engage and never recognize their good sides. She already knew who she loved, there were no need for anyone else.
 
"Charlotte...oh child what am I going to do with you? Do you realize what you even lost?" Her mother said, motioning her hand with annoyment. "You adapt. You would have eventually gotten used to him. Why are you so difficult..?! Even when we're in such a hard economic situation you just put your needs above the rest. Above the FAMILY!" She almost paced around as her mood dipped further. The talk of the town was already at full force, saying inappropriate things about Charlotte and her family due to the break of the engagement. The daughter of the famous painter was a jewel in this town's eyes. One not easily acquired, it seemed...

"I want you to think this over and go over to the Essel home to speak this over with him." She says with a commanding tone, snatching the apple away from Charlotte. "It's only been a few days since the break. Perhaps he's gotten over whatever you've done to him and you two could wed."

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At the Wasserman farm, everything was silent.


Droves of people coming from all over arrived at the farm for the funeral. The presenting of Hanz' corpse in his own chapel made Jesse uncomfortable as he stood at the door, greeting people as they entered. Avoiding personal questions, and ignoring the ones that annoyed him the most.

"We didn't know Hanz had any family."

"We didn't know he had a son."

"How long have you been poor?"

"Where's your mother?"
Jesse, with the most emptiest of expressions, dully answered. "I have no mother. And I just found out I was the master's son."

Later within the day, they buried Hanz. The crowd of people that had arrived for the meetup earlier to see Hanz in his coffin did not care much about staying for the burial. Figures, Jesse thought. With each shovel full of dirt being tossed into the abyss, Jesse remembered each time Hanz had been so terrible to him and the rest of his peons. A woman, seeming to be of an older age, came up to Jesse for a query. "What will you do now..?"

Jesse closed his eyes and sighed. "Run this place, I guess. The best I can." The woman gave off a slight, tired chuckle. "You've always been a strong boy. I know you'll do good...just...don't forget about Rosemary, okay..?" Jesse looked at the woman named Rosemary and smiled. Rosemary continued speaking. "You may be Jesse V. Wasserman now, but you're still a peon at heart, aren't you..?"

"Of course I am. I have great plans for this farm...and this time I'll do things right. I want everything and everyone to be happy here. We'll do this right...together." Jesse responds.
 
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Charlotte sighed. "If it's about the money, we could get it some other way. Mother, marriage mustn't be the only way out. Father taught me how to paint, just because he can't hold a pencil properly anymore doesn't mean I can't." The girl tried to plead with her mother.

A chuckled was suddenly heard from the corridor. "You might have great skills my girl, but even with that, most painters are never recognized during their lifetime. I was lucky." Her father, Christopher said as he walked towards them. A cane helped him keep himself steady, but even with that, his body seemed to be shaking and hard to for him to handle properly.

"Fine, but I can do other things. I can write." She tried.

"Yes, copying books will certainly give you money, but with long hours and little pay you will just barely be able to afford the clothes that keeps you warm and the food that keeps you full. As an author you will most likely not even be able to afford that." He was quite matter of factly, not saying she should or shouldn't, but instead stating what a hard life it truly was.

"I don't care, I still refuse to marry that man. Find someone better if you want me to actually pay attention to them." Now she was just being stubborn, not really having any comeback at this point. She couldn't say that she didn't want a fiance at all because she had already decided to marry someone else.

The older man smiled as kindly as he had when he stepped into the conversation, but concern was certainly present in his eyes. Since this whole marriage thing had been his wife's idea, he would let her decide what to do at this point. As the doting father he was, he had a hard time saying no to her requests, but he knew his wife was right in this case. She would need a good man whom could take care of her eventually. The last thing he wanted was for her to end up in the slums once he was gone from this world.
 
The mother quickly went to her daughter's side and prodded her fingers on her shoulder harshly. "You don't know what you're saying. Child. You have it easy. A man's job in life is to work for a living. A woman? To marry. There is only one thing you have to do and look, you will save your father and help us keep the house AND our status." She stood to listen to her husband's advice towards Charlotte and their situation, almost tapping her foot impatiently to have him stop. He wasn't entirely helping. In fact, to her, it seemed like he's being quite lukewarm with Charlotte. But how can he help it, anyhow? Christopher wasn't nearly as bold as she was. She takes a moment to take a deep breath, then speaks.

"Charlotte...look.." she says, seemingly less pushy now. "What I do is with your happiness in mind. I know that your marriage to him would not only improve your life, but keep such a big weight off your shoulders. I know you worry about your father and his health. I do too. Imagine if doctors from around the world could come to Noonvale to treat him? If he were well again? Would such inconveniences you have be so important after your father is better?" She says with concern in her tone. A hand is placed on Charlotte's shoulder and softly rubs it for comfort. "Think about that, Princess...sometimes...we have to do things we do not entirely like for the sake of those who can't fare well in this world." She glances at Christopher. "Life can't be molded how you want all the time..."

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"Master?" Rosemary asked while serving him some tea. After the burial, it seemed like Jesse retreated to his father's office and sat himself at the window, alone. Millions of thoughts, many of them being questions, constricted him like a boa upon prey. Jesse stared at the close mountains pensively with his marine blue eyes and held a cup of whisky in his fingers like a dangling well bucket. Jesse slowly takes his gaze to Rosemary and gives her a tired smile. "You know I don't like being called that. It's Jesse, please?" he says quietly. Rosemary nods. "Well, yes...yes. Okay, Jesse...you see, I brought something for you. Um-- various things, actually."


Jesse rose a brow. "Oh? Like food or animals? Out with it." Rosemary bowed. "Paperwork. It seems like old Master Hanz left quite a lot behind in terms of paperwork for the farm. Contracts, reports. Say, don't you think it's time you hired a new assistant for your finances and paperwork?" Rosemary tilted her head and sighed. "Between you and me, I can't trust that old codger Mr. Balcht. You know...the lazy drunkard."

"He has bad blood. I can smell it." Rosemary said with a whisper. Jesse gives a smirk and looks down. "I understand. Ever since I was little, old man Balcht has always given me a bad vibe, too. So sketchy, he was.." Upon looking up, he clasps his hands together. "Tell you what! I'll head over to Noonvale by dawn break. I have an idea on who to hire and I'm sure he will be happy to see me again." Rosemary smiled. "Really, master-- Jesse?!" Jesse gives off a chuckle. "Would I lie to you, Rosemary? Never. Now...." Jesse suddenly narrows his eyes and smirks, giving off an exaggerated sigh. "Hehh...where's the stack of papers you brought me, then? They won't finish themselves, unfortunately."
 
Just great. She was guilt tripping her by using father. The worst part about it, it was working. Charlotte wished for father to get better, of course she did. She loved him. It was just that she loved another man just as much. She didn't need status, she didn't need money, she just needed love and she had that already. Why was she forced to choose between two people who where equally important to her?

"Fine, I'll speak with him." She mumbled, obviously not happy about it. Oh how she wished her love could ride in on a white horse and whisk her away to a faraway land, but just the thought was ridiculous. Even she realized they wouldn't survive long without money. The little money he had couldn't support them both. If she could choose any life she wanted, she would have been married already to the man she loved, they would be traveling the world earning money through her paintings or her writing. Charlotte didn't wish to be locked up in one place for the rest of her life, but if she truly had to, could it not be with the one man in her heart?

"Don't look so gloomy, you'll see that with time and patience, two people who seem too different from one another, actually can create a strong bond. I was quite unhappy with my fiance as well at one point even though I courted her properly, but I gave her a fair chance and now we're happily married and have no regrets over our parents decision. You just have to give it time. Love grows slowly, don't expect it to be there immediately." Her father advised her and gave her a gentle pat on the head.

"After what happened last time I doubt he'll be willing to give it any time." She mumbled and was immediately met with that questioning raised eyebrow her father always made. "I.. Uhm.. Might have accidentally dropped a bucket of green paint all over him." From the window on the second floor where a bucket of paint shouldn't be. Of course she didn't drop the bucket itself on him, that could have killed him, but the paint just slipped out and he just happened to be standing down there. "It was an accident, he overreacted." She defended herself. It was a prepared accident, but they didn't need to know that.
 
"You...dropped paint on him?" Her mother asked with a shocked expression. Boiling within her core was an embarrassment and anger. How could this child be so...wild? She thought. It never ended with her, even if she had tried her best with raising Charlotte to be the good and obedient woman she should be. I must speak to Roberta at once. I don't think this is salvageable anymore if she dropped paint on him...tch. The mother thought to herself. Sighing, she places her arm around her husband and speaks. "Why don't you...just go to your room. Draw a picture-- Do WHATEVER you need to do if it allows you to reflect on how unlady-like you've been." She looks at her husband and shakes her head. "Why must Charlotte be so difficult, dear?"

"All we want is the best for her.."
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By nightfall, Jesse and Rosemary had gone through the stacks of papers that were left with Hanz. To his surprise, many of them were debt notices by unofficial wealth holders in Noonvale. Thugs, they must be. "Ah, typical..." Jesse whispered while folding a paper into an envelope and reaching for his rubber seal to roast over the flame of his candle. As he rolled the cylindrical rubber over the orange flame slowly with his finger, he placed his head on his hand and sighed to himself. "I'm going to be so lonely here, aren't I.." he whispers, narrowing his eyes. "Suddenly the peons think I'm some unreachable god and don't want to hold a conversation with my person. Well, I can't deny that this hurts a little..." He removes the rubber once it begins dripping and quickly smudges it on the envelope rather harshly. Staring at it sourly, he then grabs the seal of the Wasserman family, a Pegasus, and smashes it against the rubber to make the seal. He keeps speaking to himself, not knowing that Rosemary was at the door observing his monologue moment. "I'm 30...alone...rich.."


"And without a wife." Rosemary interrupts. Jesse turns red and looks back quickly, then coughing. "H-Hah! Rosemary...what might you be doing in my office? Did you finish packing my belongings?"

Rosemary smiled and nodded. "Aye, Jesse. All shirts and pantaloons organized. Uniforms, soaps.." Jesse tilted his head. "Soaps?"

"Why, that's how you will attract a girl. My boy won't go to Noonvale tomorrow smelling like the farm he so controls." Jesse figured she had a point and laughed a little. "Neither should I smell like the flowers you're suggesting I look for, right?" Rosemary smiled. "Yes, yes...well...anyway, I am serious about that. All your life you have been so alone...without parents or siblings. I know it's your dream to make a family of your own...it would make all of us happy to see you with such a good life."

Jesse stayed silent.
 
Charlotte lit up when she heard that she could go back to her room and draw, then she fast hid the smile to make sure her mother wouldn't change her mind and punish her by taking away her pencils and her canvases. "Of course mother, I will think long and hard about what I've done." She promised, trying to look as ashamed as humanly possible before she started to walk away. At first in a normal tempo, but once she was out of their eyesight her steps became much quicker.

"When you're young, you usually don't realize what the best for you are. With time she will learn, and until then, we just need to keep our eyes on her." Christopher spoke softly. The softness of his voice had only come to be during the last few years. Before that he had a quite loud sounding voice even when he didn't mean it to be. The sickness had made everything about him weaker, from his voice to his legs, from eyes to lungs. Even eating started to become difficult at this point. Of course he wasn't too fond of speaking about his medical condition in front of his daughter, he did not wish for her to worry more than she already did.


"See it from the bright side, at least now we know where my paint disappeared to. I knew I hadn't forgotten to tell Harold to buy a new green when he went into town." He chuckled. It wasn't like it matter much if they had paint or not. His days of painting masterpieces were gone. His hands weren't stable enough to make beautiful art any longer. But sometimes now and then, he just enjoyed letting the brush slide over the canvas and seeing the colors glide into each other. They never became good, but that wasn't the point any more.
 
Once the encounter was over with, the two fates of Noonvale went to bed. Completely unaware of a lifechanging series of events that were soon to happen. Like a spark setting off a fire, the promise of a new dawn was to be the start of something major. Jesse laid on his bed pensively as the hours went by with the moonlight slowly scanning over his body. And Charlotte's mother, Andrea, as always...went to sleep in the guest room with a fierce determination in her eyes. The determination of having her daughter wed, and wed quickly. All that precious money was running out...and Charlotte was her only hope now to keep up her status. Since Roberta's son would probably refuse to reconcile with Charlotte, Andrea went to sleep with the final words of the night:

I must find another.

[BCOLOR=#693030][Morning][/BCOLOR]

It had been a few hours since Jesse was on the road to Noonvale. A precious mountain city located partially in the mountains and partially in the valley between them. Jesse had personally never been to Noonvale, but he had heard a lot about it through Hanz when he worked for him. A lovely city. A bit chilly, small, gossipy. He almost sighed to himself as the carriage began arriving to the town square along with a crack of the whip. Jesse crossed his arms but then once he saw the well dressed townspeople, he began the inspection of his own garbs. Waist coat? Check. Breeches? Check, but uncomfortably itchy. Hat? Check...somewhat. Jesse looks at the hat laying next to him on his seat and shrugs. He would rather leave it there. Jet black hair neatly combed? Check. Maybe he didn't look so much like a peon...hopefully.

"Master Wasserman," the coachmaster said, sliding the backdoor open to see Jesse. "We've arrived at Noonvale square. Do you wish to have me remain here for the day while you...peruse?"

The way this guy spoke annoyed Jesse, but he chose not to express that annoyance. "That sounds like a nice idea. Do that." He said. The coachmaster nodded as Jesse got out of the carriage, then stretching his legs. A second servant went behind the carriage to open a compartment underneath it to take out Jesse's briefcase. Jesse smiles once getting it. "Thanks. Go buy a bottle of milk or whatever you'd like." Jesse said while he handed the servant some money. "Finding what I want will take a while."
 
"My lady, you promised me you would go up the first time today." The maid scolded Charlotte as she forced the sheet off the young woman.

"I am up." She mumbled while dozing off once again.

"Oh no you're not, and this is the forth time I've been forced to come up here. Now get down and eat your breakfast before madam figures out where you're running off to each and every night." That got life into the girl, finally. Charlotte sat straight up within a second and pouted at the maid.

"You wouldn't tell them." She said, giving her those adorable puppy eyes that had gotten her out of trouble throughout her whole childhood. The maid was clearly not impressed.

"You're not ten anymore my lady. Those tricks does not work on me. I'll send the girls up to help you get dressed. Do not fall asleep again." She warned Charlotte before leaving the room. Charlotte sighed. This time she wasn't tired because she had sneaked out. Actually she had put a plushie in the window to give him the signal if he came that she couldn't go out tonight. Her mother was already mad at her for what happened with her last fiance, if she was caught sneaking out now, she would be doomed. She needed to wait until she could get her mother in a better mood. She had prepared a letter for him that explained the situation which she would hide in a secret spot only they knew about, that way he wouldn't be confused when she wouldn't come out for a few days.

The two chamber maids came in and helped her get dressed. Of course the one with the death grip took the corset today, so now she could expect a day without food or breathing. Great. After having gotten her hair braided, which made her look as if she'd barely reached the age of sixteen, but it was more convenient rather than letting the hair fly all over the place, Charlotte walked downstairs to the dining room, where breakfast for once wasn't done yet.

"This is a rare sight. I imagined you would hibernate until the afternoon at the very least." Her father said, obviously pleased that she was able to get down earlier for once. He wasn't eating much, just one piece of bread.

"If I'm going to be nothing but a housewife anyways, what does it matter if I'm awake during the evening or morning?" Charlotte murmured as she sat down. If she never went anywhere, what was the point in having a fixed schedule like this? It wasn't as if she had anywhere important to be. All social gatherings they went to oftentimes took place after work hours and certainly never in the morning.
 
Jesse made his way around the small town square of Noonvale. As opposed to the mountains, the valley itself wasn't nearly as populated. There was a square with a nice fountain in the middle, a beautiful medieval church with windows made of myriads of colored panes, benches, and tall trees. He smiled to himself almost in relief, really. Maybe it was still too early in the morning, so not that many people were out and about yet. He pulls out a paper from his pocket while sitting on a bench, then scans it's letters carefully. "He must be here somewhere...hopefully not in the mountain homes..." murmuring to himself, he puts the paper away after memorizing the address. An old lady passed by and stopped in her tracks to look at Jesse. Ah, he must look new. Jesse pulls out the paper again and shows her the address. "Excuse me? Do you know where Villa Way is? And the man who lives there? He's a bit rich...a little popular with women, last I've heard." The old lady nodded. "Ah yes," she points east. "That way. Many of the decently wealthy reside in Villa Way."

Jesse smiled "Thank you, dear madam." The old lady squinted. "You...look a little familiar. Might I know your mother?" Jesse looked down. "You must be thinking of my father, Hanz Wasserman."

"Lord Wasserman? My, he rarely shows his face here...and he has a son? So secretive!" The old lady remarks with amazement. Jesse opts to excuse himself and leave.


Jesse made his way there. So all the rich people resided there, right? He would have sworn it was on the same street his father owned a great home in. Jesse paces himself towards Villa way while fixing his hair up a little. "Hopefully I get what I need to leave here as soon as possible."
 
Richard Fairfax yawned as he reached his house early in the morning. It was no secret to anyone in town that this politicians son had been out wooing a lady, or maybe two. He was known as a playboy, a man who wouldn't settle down for anyone. His parents had not been too fond of his behavior when they had been alive, but both of them were gone now and had no power to stop him. Of course he was flawlessly doing the work his father left behind for him. Just because he enjoyed a night with a beautiful woman didn't mean he wouldn't take responsibility.

Leaving the carriage that had taken him home, Richard's eyes immediately landed on a man walking down the street. Quite early for someone to be out, he thought. Most people started their breakfast at this time of the day. He looked somewhat familiar, but it wasn't anyone he had met recently, if at all. One thing was certain though, he did not live in the area. If so, Richard would have known of him.

"Hello there, going for a morning stroll are we?" The blond man asked curious while the carriage left behind him. He always made a habit of renting them as he did not wish to have any horses on his property. He weren't too fond of such creatures and only wanted to use them if he needed to go somewhere. They took up space which he could have other uses for, they had a horrible smell he couldn't stand and they could be noisy. There were few animals he could actually stand being around, but no animal had ever been allowed on his property.
 
Jesse snapped into attention once a voice pulled him out from the monotony of Noonvale's everyday morning buzz. He looks at Richard with a friendly yet firm expression and gives a nod. This man clearly looked like he was from a good place in life. Though, what would he think of him anyway? Would such a person immediately tell that Jesse was newly rich? That he was "acting"? A fake? Jesse semi-uncomfortably hefts the briefcase in his hand and speaks. "Ah, well, I wish I were." Jesse says with a hoarse voice. "But in reality, I'm trying to find someone-- well, where they live, that is. Might you know where Villa Way is? Where the Fairfax family resides?"

It was a longshot at best, but Jesse could only gain a direction by asking. Usually rich people have others to do it for him, but he felt comfortable doing that on his own. Though with a second passing glance at Richard, Jesse began to notice some features that stirred memories...or blurs of them. Somehow he seemed familiar...
 
Richard laughed, quite amused by the coincidental meeting. "It seems you've already found your destination. Richard Fairfax at your service." He took off his hat and gave a polite bow. "I do hope you haven't traveled all this way specifically for my father as so many do. He has been deceased for a year now, but no matter how many letters we write, he knew far too many for us to get to all of them." The death of his father didn't seem to face him at all. He could as well have spoken of a stranger's death from the newspaper. It probably wasn't too much of a shock though, considering Richard's father had never truly spoken to him and was nearly never there.

"You seem... Familiar. Have we perhaps met before? What's your name?" His curiosity finally got to him. He knew he had seen this man before somewhere, maybe even spoken to him, but where? It must have been a long time ago for his memory to fail him like this.
 
Jesse placed his hands in his pockets while he tried to decipher Richard's face. Ah, yes, the familiarity began to return to him. When Richard asked for his name, he answered the best he can, taking into account that he has a new surname, of course. "My name is Jesse Wasserman-- formerly Jesse Whitehill." He pauses for a moment in hesitation. What was that pit in his stomach? He barely speaks the next few lines with a normal expression. "My father is Hanz Wasserman."

One more look at Richard, then he nodded to himself and felt a bit smile come around. "Wait...wait ah yes, it's coming back to me now." Jesse facepalms. "How could I be so daft? We were friends as children. Remember me? I was that little worker boy you befriended so many years ago!"
 
Wasserman? Since when did he have a son? Not that he often left his home, but every time Richard had been there with his father, there had been no family members, only servants. Though considering the man before him seemed to have only adopted the surname of Wasserman recently, maybe he was a bastard. Though it was quite unusual for a bastard child to inherit a fortune, even if other family members were non-existing.

As Jesse mentioned his working days, Richard first looked at him confused before his eyes widened in surprise and recognition. "Wait, you were that servant boy? And you're Wasserman's son? Wow. That's pretty crazy. Father is probably looking down at us, cursing himself for having dragged me away every time he saw us together." Richard laughed. His father had of course been highly against his son being around servants, even though Jesse had been one of the few boys his age around. If he had known that Jesse had actually been Wasserman's son, he would have pushed Richard into a friendship with the boy for future political relations. Especially since Mr. Wasserman had been quite difficult to deal with.

"Please Jesse, come on in. No reason to stand out here in the morning cold." Richard obviously didn't feel like a first name basis was too much to ask for. He wasn't really sure if he had ever asked the servant boy for his name when they were children, but the history that was between them was still enough for him to not put on his professional act.
 
Jesse gave Richard an uncomfortable smile. It would take some time to get used to the thought of having people question his background. Though, he seems pretty glad he remembered Richard's face. After all, this is why he came to Noonvale. To find his old friend. Who would have thought Richard looked this different now? Taking Richard's invitation to enter, Jesse nodded and hefted his briefcase along with him as he came in. The mornings in Noonvale were pretty chilly due to the area they were in, but Jesse found it almost charming. His farmland was usually a little hot. Jesse stands next to a chair, mostly out of habit of being a peon (and not being able to sit down in order to serve the master) and speaks to get to the point. "Since I inherited...father's--" Jesse hated calling him that. He continues. "Farm, I need help managing the finances of it's workings and the factory. I need someone good with numbers and good with keeping track with our orders and inventory, and I thought you would fit the job best. After all, you're well educated aren't you?"
 
Once they got inside, a servant offered to take the two men's coats and hats. When handing over the hat, Richard told him to fetch them some warm tea and take it to the study, thereafter he led his old friend through the mansion to a warm room with a fire already burning in the fireplace. The blond man sat down on a chair, awaiting Jesse to do the same, but instead of sitting down, he started to talk standing up. Quite a curious choice. It took a while for Richard to understand that it might have to do with his background. It wasn't like his own servants would sit down in front of a noble without permission.

"Indeed I am." Richard chuckled. It would be quite odd if he wasn't considering his background. "Though personally I am very busy with my own work. I am a greedy man, and I wish to keep as much as my social life as possible. I even sold off a few parts of our company to make sure I could have as much time as I desired without destroying my economy in the long run. If my father had still been here to take care of everything, I would have considered it, but now when I'm running everything on my own, my hands are bound." Richard looked apologetically at Jesse.

"I would suggest getting someone who specializes in helping others with their finances. I wouldn't mind helping you with finding someone fitting of course. I wouldn't dare leave you alone to search one up. There are a lot of people out there who takes jobs from people who don't know much about economics and then they end up loosing a lot of money because it's being stolen right under their noses. That's why it's always good to know a tad bit yourself if you're going to hire someone for it so you can double check that everything is correct, but since you might not have that opportunity right now, what about I just introduce you to a few people I know are trustworthy with this sort of things. Otherwise a business partner could be another alternative, though I would definitely suggest to not start thinking about that before you have learned a thing or two about businesses. It's very easy to get tricked out of everything you own. Once you're at the bottom, you'll never get up again. Though considering you did it once, maybe you'll be able to do it twice." He hoped he wasn't going too fast for the man whom had only been a noble for a short while and probably knew little about this world. Richard couldn't even imagine how confusing this world could be because he had never not lived in it.
 
Jesse nodded and placed his palm on his forehead. To everyone else, he had to act like a gentleman. Though with Richard? It felt like Jesse could be as awkward as he wanted to. Jesse gives off a sigh. "Right, business is something I'm partially familiar with. I used to help with the orders, but..." His face grows serious. "Our current financial head is sketchy at best. I don't wish to keep him around for long. Perhaps he's already plotting how to take my money away."

Once he sat down after putting aside his uncomfortableness on sitting, Jesse began thinking a bit. He smiles at Richard's suggestion, more than happy to get the advice and offer. "If you know anyone like you said, please introduce me to them. Aside from the business aspect, I must surround myself with wealthy friends, right?" Sometimes Jesse seemed a little...naive. His misunderstanding of the higher social classes were skewed at best, only because he based them off of the word of mouth from other peons who had definitely misinterpreted their wealthy counterparts. Jesse goes quiet for a moment upon bringing up the topic of gaining wealthy friends and allies. He thinks it over....if he's rich now, that means..

"Sometimes this new wealth worries me, Richard. Soon I'll be knee deep in fake friends and women who just want my money....and that scares me a little. I want someone who is genuine-- hmph, I guess with money that's impossible now is it?"
 
Richard had no doubts in his mind that the person working with Jesse's finances was a step above sketchy. If he had gotten the job before Jesse took over, he probably knew of the man's background. Few people would pass on the opportunity to trick such a naive and confused person. It was best to bring in someone whom didn't know of Jesse's past and then make sure he didn't find out. That way, even if they thought about tricking someone, they wouldn't dare out of fear of being discovered even though in reality the chances were slim if Jesse didn't learn these things fast.

The blond man chuckled and shook his head. "Indeed, fake friends will be a part of it. At least if you wish for a good reputation and to grow your business properly, but genuine things can come from those fake relationships eventually, and sometimes you even start out as friends. You just have to be careful and make sure to pick up on the cues of someone trying to fool you. Take some life advice from an old friend. Never write a contract without reading it thrice, or just give it to me to read. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, and most importantly, don't overwork yourself. Make sure you have some freetime in-between work. Maybe pick up some ladies. Trust me, with your looks, no money will be required as long as you're not intending to marry them." The playboy in him shone through a bit too much sometimes.
 
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