IBTPEOTMLC 19

Chapter 19

Venus said she had planned to tell me this when I officially started the jewelry business.

She thought there was no point in telling me in advance since it couldn’t be stopped anyway, and she didn’t want to make me worry unnecessarily.

“I don’t intend to surpass that person.”

“Even if Coco doesn’t have such intentions, the Ezeid family head will still see Demeter Merchant Guild as a threat. This isn’t ordinary jewelry.”

A merchant guild that possesses jewels that the Ezeid merchant guild does not have.

She said they would try to seize that mine by any means, or attempt to absorb it into their own side.

However, even if they absorbed it, they would suppress the value as much as possible, making it almost no different from a slave contract.

“You’re still young, Coco. It will be difficult to deal with that experienced man. So we will handle this matter. Please don’t refuse. If you refuse, your business might end here.”

This time, I didn’t stubbornly insist.

If a family that had monopolized the mines in this world for a long time set its mind on targeting me, I would sink without even being able to resist.

I had to rely on Venus and Bay this time. It was impossible to do it alone.

“Thank you in advance. Ah, instead…”

“There is no ‘instead.’ Just accept it, Coco. It’s not necessary to always pay a price for everything you do.”

“…Thank you very much.”

What kind of blessing did I have to meet such good people and Oried?

It would have been really nice if that child could be with me on this path too…

3. The male leads keep picking fights

[Stop reading that book now. If you’re curious, I’ll tell you everything!]

“But how can I be curious about something I don’t know?”

[Ah…!]

Realizing it, Oried stopped disturbing me from reading the spirit book Venus had given me.

However, even without Oried’s interruption, I couldn’t concentrate on the book today.

The hot summer season had arrived, and It, the only son of this household, had returned after graduating from the academy.

After ten years of academy life, It had fallen for me, who was six years younger than him, and followed me everywhere like a shadow.

Despite being someone who only graduated at the age of twenty-two because he was poor in studies and attendance—even though he was well past adulthood.

But in this world, age was just a number.

[Hey Coco, there’s steam coming out of your nose.]

“Maybe because it’s hot.”

[That’s understandable. Let’s go to the temple, Coco!]

“Ah, okay.”

When I stood up, Oried hid himself.

I hurried to the temple to avoid encountering It first, but…

“Coco, where are you going?”

…Damn it, blocked again.

The curse words I had cut off for his sake burst out like dialects in my mind.

It had already been a week since I had been unable to leave the house because of that man. It would be disastrous if he followed me all the way to see Venus.

But if I kept avoiding him like this, I would be the only one losing out.

It would become difficult to contact Bay, and it would also be hard to observe the land.

“I’m going to the temple for a bit.”

“You’ve been staying in your room for nearly a week. You must feel suffocated. Let’s go together. I’ll give you a carriage ride.”

“It’s alri—”

Before I could politely refuse, It stepped closer and grabbed my shoulder tightly.

Unable to withstand the force, I staggered slightly to the side. He looked at me with a mocking smile.

“Shall we go together?”

Trash.

I barely relaxed the crease between my brows.

There was the annoyance of him pestering me, but the more troublesome thing was that It began revealing his true nature when the viscount couple was not around.

I even suspected that he might have been allowed to graduate because the academy had given up on him.

He was a man without thought, coercive, and unpleasantly arrogant.

Unable to bear looking at that disgusting face, I lowered my head deeply after he poked my cheek with his finger.

“My parents don’t even give you a carriage anyway, right?”

It seemed the viscount couple had told him everything about even trivial matters.

I smoothly brushed off his sarcasm.

I had lived for nearly eight years flattering the stupid viscount couple and their only precious son.

I could handle this man.

“I’m good at walking, so a carriage isn’t necessary.”

“You’re going to refuse even when I’m showing consideration?”

Someone please tell this idiot that this is not consideration but coercion.

“I am the eldest son who will inherit this family in the future.”

Did he even understand that the eldest son means the first-born among multiple sons?

I was nearly shocked by his unbelievable stupidity.

“…….”

“Shouldn’t you try to make a good impression on someone like me?”

I decided to play along for now.

Trying to provoke the viscount couple’s only beloved son would only hasten the day I would be sold off.

“Then I gratefully accept the young master’s consideration.”

“Good. That was a wise choice.”

It had little patience and a violent temperament.

Although he had not stayed in the mansion for long after graduation, he was simple enough to be understood within that short period.

So there was only one way to get rid of this man.

“What are you going to do at the temple?”

“I used to go there every day to pray for the well-being of the viscount couple. Now that the young master has returned, I should pray even longer.”

The way to make him leave was simple—just go to the temple and do nothing but pray boringly.

His body would get restless; he wouldn’t be able to endure staying for long. I couldn’t keep dragging It around.

Based on what I had observed so far, he couldn’t stand staying still.

“…Pray?”

Looking at It’s already bored expression, I smiled lightly.

“What else would I go to the temple for besides praying?”

“…….”

After telling him there was nothing else interesting, we walked in silence toward the temple.

I would make him bored until he gave up.

“Are you going to the temple?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t come back too late.”

Glaring at me as if displeased with my temple visit, It walked past me sharply.

In just five days, It gave up following me.

Since I went early in the morning and returned late at night, he became bored to the point of despair and even tried to drag me back to the mansion by force.

He even got scolded by the viscount couple.

Oried secretly overheard and told me that allowing me to go to the temple was also meant to spread rumors of my beauty among the nobles who passed by.

And at the same time, they wanted blessings to come to themselves as the objects of my prayers.

So although they pampered everything else, they could not stop me from going to the temple.

At least that was fortunate.

Since It didn’t go with me, he didn’t prepare a carriage either. I returned to my walking life.

Oried would reveal himself whenever there were no people from the viscount household around.

[That rotten thing! He doesn’t even give you a carriage when he doesn’t go?]

Because of living with It, Oried’s speech had become rougher.

“You shouldn’t use that kind of language.”

[Coco says it every day!]

“I won’t do it anymore… I did it because I hated him.”

[I hate him too.]

“But you should still speak nicely.”

[I’ll do it if Coco does.]

I nodded, though I couldn’t guarantee it.

I couldn’t let a pure spirit speak harsh words.

My cute duck. I should feed him and let him see only good things.

I took out a notebook and pen filled with drawings from my shabby crossbody bag.

It was a gift from Venus.

I was grateful for Venus’ sense of choosing a notebook and pen suitable for my current situation in case I was discovered.

The notebook was filled with drawings as I tried to sketch the phrase to use as Demeter’s symbol.

[Coco, how is that supposed to be me?]

“…….”

I glanced sideways at Oried.

“I tried to combine things that symbolize the duck. Earth, ducks, yellow, soil, and so on. But why do only these kinds of things get completed?”

[Is it because your hand can’t transfer the picture in your head?]

“Correct answer…”

It was my hand that was the problem.

[You draw well. But it looks a bit complicated!]

So I wasn’t bad at drawing. That was a relief.

Then how should I combine them?

I wanted to make something that symbolized Oried but didn’t look too light and still felt luxurious.

“Duck, is there something that symbolizes earth spirits in the human world? Like an animal.”

“Yes, there is! All animals that step on the ground below are earth animals!”

Ah… I see.

[If I had to pick something closest, it would be cattle.]

“Cattle.”

There were animals that looked like cattle.

“Do bison, water buffalo, and yak also count?”

“Yes, all of them are animals that live stepping on the earth.”

“That helped.”

If that was the case, I should choose the most charismatic animal.

I felt like my slow thinking was starting to work faster.

[Did I help?!]

“Oried is always helpful to me.”

[Hehe!]

Such a cute laugh.

Feeling the soft sensation of Oried rubbing his face against my neck, I worked hard to draw the faces of charismatic cattle in my notebook.

Bison, water buffalo, yak… Ah, Simmental!

But what I wanted was a strong, imposing impression. Simmental was too cute, so I discarded it.

The number of cattle species I knew wasn’t that many…

Then should I choose between bison, water buffalo, and yak? Or mix them and draw a new animal?

While concentrating on these thoughts and failing to look ahead…

[COCO, FRONT! FRONT!]

“Eh?”

Thud!

I collided hard with something like a solid wall and staggered backward, falling down on my butt without realizing it.

The notebook and pen I had been holding also fell and rolled on the ground.

“Ow…”

Was there a wall in front of me?

Holding my aching nose, I raised my head.

Then I met the cold blue eyes filled with frost as they looked down at me.

…It wasn’t a wall, it was the male lead.

I had crashed with full force into the chest of the northern grand duke–looking male lead who had been harassed by thugs earlier.

He silently looked down at me with frost-covered eyes.

Meeting him this close made his oppressive presence even stronger.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t see the front properly.”

Even after I apologized, nothing came out from between his lips.

Instead, the knight beside him flinched as if trying to offer me his hand but withdrew it under the man’s glare.

Since ignoring him would have been better, I hurriedly picked up the notebook and pen.

I could feel his gaze fall on the notebook.

“Your aesthetic sense is the worst.”

“…….”

I worked hard on that…

I looked like I was about to cry as I put the notebook into my crossbody bag.

“You made her cry!”

I haven’t cried yet.

The knight looked at me pitifully, making me unable to say anything.

The man beside him twitched his eyebrows in dissatisfaction and kept looking down at me.

“…….”

This silence is going to kill me.

Whether it was the worst or not, I decided to understand that the male leads’ tone was always rude.

What I had to do here wasn’t to argue like the heroine, but to act like an ordinary person—apologize and leave.

After all, I was a commoner who had bumped into a noble.

Even though I had already apologized, since he didn’t accept it, I stood up and bowed again.

“I’m very sorry for not watching the front properly. Please forgive me with your generous heart.”

“…….”

Ah, it’s frustrating. Why is he not speaking?

Can I go now?

I glanced at the knight, who nodded as if telling me to leave.

…Thank you, kind person!

I slightly nodded and bowed.

“Then I will take my leave…”

Before he could grab me, I quickly fled the spot.

Somehow, I felt his gaze behind me.