TCSMETMEB 10

Episode 10

I didn’t want to become a tyrannical owner eavesdropping on her employees, but I found myself unintentionally listening in.

“Anyway, I’m not particularly worried, probably because it’s the owner we’re dealing with.”

“Me neither.”

“For now, I’m placing my bet on the owner winning at everything.”

…What are those guys talking about? What am I winning?

“By the way, what should we do from now on? It’s best not to mention the child, right?”

Starting with Diana’s worried voice, a variety of comments followed.

Things like it’s already awkward seeing her after a year, this is a big problem, and who the child’s father is…

Eventually, nonsense started about ‘becoming emperor through rebellion and finding and executing the bastard who left our owner alone like that’.

I stared at the translucent window in disbelief, then pulled the door handle.

“Oh, anyway…”

As soon as I opened the door, I came face to face with Chris, who had been chattering away excitedly all by himself.

“…”

Chris naturally closed his mouth.

One by one, the employees who spotted me began to shuffle back to their places. I was trying to pretend I hadn’t heard anything, but why is the atmosphere like this?

“Hey, you go.”

It was none other than Diana who ended up receiving the hot potato from Chris.

“…!”

Diana, suddenly pushed forward, approached me. She smelled of sweet strawberries, as if she’d been sneaking candy from the counter.

Diana fidgeted, rubbing her thigh, and attempted small talk.

“Oh, hello, Owner. Long time no see. What did you do during your vacation?”

“I just breathed. You?”

“hm, I just stayed at my family home. But, Owner. In the newspaper…”

“Go ahead.”

“…No, it’s nothing. Well then… have a good day. Fighting today too.”

“Yeah.”

It was a conversation like an example dialogue from a foreign language textbook.

Diana, having failed at meaningful small talk, moved away with an awkward expression.

Well, I could understand the employees watching my reaction.

‘Chris is a special case because he has a good personality, but it’s only natural they’d feel awkward after I showed up with an illegitimate child after a year away.’

savoring the feeling of being a carrier of some contagious disease, I sat in a corner seat.

And just as expected, today even more young ladies came to the boutique than yesterday.

They all pretended to consult with the employees while sneaking glances at me. Even a zoo lion walking on two legs probably wouldn’t get this much attention.

“They say the West port line returned yesterday, why isn’t she saying anything?”

“Well, there must be a big reason she closed so suddenly…”

This kind of attention and gaze isn’t unfamiliar. It’s just been too long.

I smiled at the young ladies who flinched when our eyes met after they’d been whispering.

Yes, look all you want. I am Mary Blinn.

Just at that moment.

Ding-dong— The door opened.

“It’s been a while, my lady.”

I turned my head instinctively and froze on the spot.

‘That person is…’

Walking confidently towards me was someone I knew well.

Seria Char tine

Up until the time I left the capital, she was the fiancee of the Second Prince.

But after the former Crown Prince committed suicide, the Second Prince ascended to become the Crown Prince, and she supposedly rose in status along with him.

Rumor had it she was now the Crown Prince’s fiancee and throwing her weight around in social circles…

“Yes, have you been well?”

“Um, I’ve been fine, but you seem to have had a hard time, my lady. With your sister too…”

I flinched inwardly at the mention of Mari sister, but I replied calmly.

“In a way, that’s right.”

“Oh, and I heard you broke up? Well, I thought it would fall apart soon anyway. I’m pretty perceptive, you see.”

There she goes again. I looked at Seria with a distinctly cool expression.

“Wasn’t that demon the hostage the Colonel captured last time? You don’t know even though he’s your lover?”

“Well, I’ve been busy lately, I must have just heard it in passing.”

“Hmm, is that possible?”

Since the Char tinez family was a naval family, Seria was particularly well-informed about the affairs of the West port line.

And it was hard for me to show that Seria words upset me. First of all, she was quasi-royalty and…

‘The Count’s family is too weak.’

Our family had never played a major role since its founding.

My father was like that too—unlike typical nobles interested in power, the heads of our family were peculiar people who pursued a harmonious household.

‘Well, just like someone engaged to the Crown Prince, I too was the lover of the Arbiente heir.’

I didn’t want to hear that I was born into a humble family but made my life by choosing the right man.

And to young ladies who were only satisfied when they themselves shone the brightest, someone like me must have been a thorn in their side.

“Oh my, my lady. You used to be so pitiful I couldn’t bear to look, but these days you’re quite pleasant to see.”

They mocked me for trying to act fine in front of Lancelot.

‘That’s why Lancelot…’

I thought up to that point and then shook my head.

What use is it to dwell on it now? We’ve already broken up.

Just then, Seria asked in a feigned voice.

“But why did you come back? No, I’m just so curious. Don’t take this the wrong way.”

“Oh, really?”

At her words, spoken with a snicker, I huffed, brushing dust off my fan and reacting indifferently.

Maybe it was because I’d broken up with Lancelot. Even transparent behavior like hers didn’t affect me much anymore.

But her following blunt remarks disturbed my composure.

“I thought you knew your place and left…”

“…”

The hand fidgeting with my fan paused.

As long as Pippi was still a hot topic in the capital, I wanted to avoid unnecessary friction, but…

This wasn’t a social gathering.

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, I immediately opened my mouth.

“Actually, I went to look for a site to open a branch of the boutique.”

“A branch? What do you mean?”

Seria frowned as if this was an unexpected answer.

“Yes, I heard a railroad is being laid in Langhilden.”

“If that’s really true…”

As if it would be true. That place is a countryside with more dried fish than people.

Unaware that I was thinking this, Seria asked cautiously.

“Where did you hear that?”

“Well, from my closest aide, perhaps?”

There was no one better than Chris Moore for making excuses for such improbable things.

Startled by the sudden mention of his name, Chris lifted his head sharply.

As he gaped his lips, about to say something, I used one of my specialties: speaking with my eyes. So what?

“Oh my, I didn’t know that…”

Seria expression brightened. Hmm, my acting skills are definitely better.

I was about to nod naturally when another strategy suddenly occurred to me.

I widened my eyes as if flustered.

“You’re not interested in Langhilden, are you, my lady? I’m in the process of preparing to open a branch in earnest.”

“What? Ah, of course not. I’m not interested in things like that at all.”

Seria, chuckling, didn’t seem at all inclined to spread this story.

Well, she’d want to buy up all the land there herself before my branch could open, wouldn’t she?

Satisfied with her harvest, Seria turned away.

“I’ll be going now. I just stopped by on my way…”

Her fingers were packed with rings. If there was someone who’d lament having only ten fingers, it would be her.

As soon as Seria disappeared, Chris grinned and approached. He finally seemed to have caught onto my intention.

“You truly are a magnificent opportunist. Sometimes I wonder how I would have survived this harsh world if I weren’t on the owner’s side.”

“Then you’d better stay on my good side.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Chris nodded smartly.

‘I’ll put the Marquis family’s gold bars to good use as my aunt’s retirement fund.’

It seemed like it could serve as a thank-you for staying at the villa for a year.

I watched Seria’s retreating figure through the translucent window.

***

As soon as she left Boutique Street, Seria summoned her butler.

The instruction was simple.

Buy up the land in Langhilden immediately. The cost didn’t matter. Don’t verify if the information is accurate, as we can’t have anyone else getting interested.

At the rapid-fire instructions, the butler cautiously asked.

“hm, are you sure? That town has such a small floating population…”

“I told you, the railroad is being laid. I heard it clearly myself.”

Seria shot the butler a sharp glare. Were you doubting my word?

“…Understood.”

Only after the butler reluctantly nodded did Seria smile contentedly.

‘I should go into business myself this time.’

Mary Blinn.

Coming from a ruined family, what’s so great about her being lucky enough to succeed?

Anyway, it was all luck. Both Piazza Lux’s success and dating the heir of a prestigious family.

I couldn’t stand seeing her so arrogant. If she was going to leave, she should have stayed away forever. Why come back?

‘It’ll be amusing to see her face when someone else opens a boutique in the place she had her eye on.’

Yes, let’s open a boutique there before Mary does.

As Seria, buoyed by her resolve, was strutting proudly, a lady-in-waiting came running up.

“My lady, His Highness the Crown Prince is looking for you.”

“…”

In an instant, Seria gaze sharpened.

She bit her lower lip hard in anxiety.

‘It’s not that something’s gone wrong, is it?’

Surely not. That couldn’t be.

It had already been half a year since the former Crown Prince Kael death was ruled a suicide.

There’s no way the outcome would change now.

“I’ll go to the palace immediately.”

Seria boarded the carriage.

Gone was the elation she’d felt at the thought of ruining Mary’s plans; a deep frown creased her brow.

“…Ha.”

Seria, who had been incessantly biting her lower lip, irritably tore off her opera gloves and threw them away.

On her wrist was revealed a star-shaped scar, calloused and rare to see on a delicately raised young lady.