IPBPBD 37

Chapter 37

Since it was a topic they were confident about, the young ladies began to chatter one after another as if they had never been cautious.

Listening to their noisy conversation, Serica absentmindedly fiddled with the handle of her teacup.

“The maid who was there said Lady Klein’s knowledge of the Eastern Continent surpassed that of Lady Heather.”

“They say Baron Klein tried to intervene. The young lady might have joined the investigation with him.”

“But here’s the strange part—apparently, Lady Heather couldn’t even refute it.”

“That is odd. Wasn’t Lady Heather the one who led the negotiations over the trade rights? It should’ve been her area of expertise. Did I hear wrong?”

“I heard the same thing.”

“Hm. Just in case, look into it separately. Was there anything else?”

“Before Lady Klein left, she mentioned the right to sell chocolate. Said there wouldn’t be any need to trade with Heather’s merchant group.”

“That doesn’t sound like a careless remark… could there be something between the two of them?”

“Seems Lady Heather is indebted to Baron Klein. They say Lady Heather tried to use that as leverage to threaten her.”

That was when Serica began to suspect Lady Klein.

If chocolate truly originated from Baron Klein’s household, then it wasn’t just some idle rumor.
The maid’s report gave it added weight, too much to simply dismiss.

Serica lifted the teacup she had been fiddling with. A slightly crooked smile played across her lips.

* * *

After a heated debate with Katie following their meeting with Mactron, Emilina managed to resolve the debt of the Heather Trading Company.

The process was anything but smooth. Katie had been fiercely opposed. But in the end, Emilina persuaded her.

By truthfully recounting what had happened at the gathering, she managed to change Katie’s mind.
Together with Mactron, they headed to Heather Trading Company.

“If you repay today, the total will be 2,022 gold.”

The interest had ballooned by more than a hundred gold in less than a month. Emilina felt a surge of anger and wanted to lash out, but Mactron stopped her.

Forcing herself to endure it, she handed over the gold she had brought.

The employee, wearing an insolent expression, said they would check for counterfeit coins before processing the repayment.

Since it was a huge sum being paid in cash all at once, the procedure took a long time.
At one point, the manager appeared with a shocked look, scolding the employee, but fortunately the repayment went through without further issue.

By the time they received the repayment certificate, the sun was already setting.

That was when Viscount Heather finally appeared, face full of rage after hearing the news too late.

He spotted the Klein family at once and strode toward them, but Mactron ignored him and guided Emilina away.

Now that the debt was settled, he clearly wanted no further dealings.

As they stepped out of the building, Viscount Heather’s furious voice roared from behind the doors.

“Are you insane? Who told you to settle that on your own?!”

“W-well, by the time I got there, the bank notarization was already finished…”

“You should’ve stopped it no matter what! That was supposed to be—”

The rest of the shouting faded from earshot as the Kleins moved farther away on their way home.

They assumed Viscount Heather was simply enraged because he had lost a means of holding leverage.

* * *

“Ugh… my head is killing me.”

Back in her room, Emilina collapsed onto her bed.

Today had felt unbearably long, leaving her utterly exhausted.

Ever since returning from the trading company, her head throbbed as if it would split under the weight of all her recent misfortunes.

The family meeting they had just held only added to the strain.

Though they had put their heads together to solve the household’s problems, no real progress had been made.

Instead, the more they talked, the more it felt like they were hitting a solid wall.

The obstacles weren’t easy to overcome.

Emilina had resolved to expand their business, but turning that determination into action was another matter.

There were three main reasons.

First, reputation.

Why had Emilina relied on consignment sales in the first place? Because their family’s narrow foothold and rotten reputation made it impossible to open a shop under their own name without being dragged into endless gossip.

But now, desperate for money, she had considered taking the risk. At least it seemed they would earn more than they currently did.

Yet Katie opposed the idea, forcing her to postpone. Katie feared malicious slander and schemes.

Indeed, rival shops jealous of chocolate’s popularity had already spread false rumors. If such slander combined with old scandals about Emilina, who knew what kind of stories would be fabricated?

Gossip was easy to spread, and hard to fight. Emilina could only acknowledge that.

Soon enough, word would spread that Baron Klein’s family was buried in debt. The vultures would swarm.

Which led to the second reason.

Creditors would never sit idly by while a debtor had a profitable business.

Especially when it was something lucrative enough to make them rich—they would seize it by any means.

It was the misery of powerless nobility.

This was what worried the Klein couple the most. Among their creditors were some unscrupulous nobles who thrived on usury.

Thus, someone suggested they seek help—perhaps a business partner.

They couldn’t hide behind a false identity; that would be exposed quickly.

And that tied into the third reason.

Emilina found it hard to trust anyone.

The fear of betrayal always held her back.

Choosing a reliable partner required extreme caution, especially since her distrust of financial dealings ran deep.

Not only because of her father’s dealings with Viscount Heather, but also because of her past life.

She had once painstakingly saved up funds for a joint venture, only to be swindled. A story as cliché as it was cruel.

Her so-called partners had even stolen the new menu she had developed and monopolized it.

Their “reward” for her trust had been betrayal, born of greed for money.

What was money, that it could make people so vile?

Emilina was sick of it.

If only she had an overwhelming background no one would dare to challenge. But she didn’t, and so the endless cycle of worry continued.

Of course, there was one person she had in mind.

Merlin.

For now, he seemed like the ideal business partner.

With the royal family as a client, his reputation was strong, and his shop was large in proportion.

Unless caught in a serious crime, he could weather backroom schemes.

The question was whether she could truly trust him.

Though they had known each other for some time, one could never be sure.

Would he stay honest when money was at stake? No one could say.

Even her previous betrayers had seemed trustworthy—until the moment they weren’t.

So Emilina could not make her decision easily.

“Hah… no answers, no answers at all.”

The suffocating situation drove her to frustration, and her current helplessness was unbearable.

She longed to confide these troubles somewhere, even if it didn’t bring solutions.

Just letting them out might bring some comfort.

Naturally, Rosie came to mind.

She missed her dear friend, who was enduring hardship on the battlefield.

Without Rosie to hear her troubles, the void felt even heavier.

Suddenly, Emilina sat up.

If she couldn’t meet her, she could at least write a letter. She prepared her stationery and sat at her desk.

Even if it would just be a one-sided outpouring of emotions—what did it matter?

After all, Rosie had once sent her a letter filled with her own laments. That made them even.

* * *

“…Something like that happened.
What do you think? Am I just being overly sensitive?

Honestly, I know it’s not just that person who’s the problem.
In this world, no secret lasts forever, and even if I enforced strict confidentiality, the recipe would leak out eventually.

But still, I’m afraid to take the risk of trust. Afraid of betrayal.

The more I dwell on it, the more I feel like a coward.
No—that’s exactly what I am.
To move forward, I have to be willing to take risks.

But do you know what irritates me most?
The circumstances that force me into these choices.
If not for those strange rumors that ruined my reputation, I wouldn’t be in this mess.

I’m sick of it. Even now, so many still whisper about me.
I didn’t do anything wrong, yet they talk and exaggerate as if I were the problem.

They’re the ones who were fickle, so why must I endure such humiliation?

Whenever that happens, something inside me boils.
I almost want to make the rumors come true.

You’ve heard of that rumor, haven’t you? The one about “cutting men down there.”
I sometimes think… why not make it real, so I won’t be wronged?

Anyone who dares spout nonsense in front of me—I’d slice them all there.

If I kept it up, wouldn’t they eventually avoid me out of sheer disgust?

If only they’d just leave me alone before I do something that crazy.
I’m so tired, Rosie… so tired.”