Chapter 34
“Is it here?”
The building was massive. It was a ten-story building.
The world was a fantasy world, and although developed, magic engineering wasn’t advanced enough to develop an architectural technology to build tall buildings.
Rather than saying magic engineering here was inherently inferior to science and technology, it was because there was no need to raise the buildings higher than necessary in this wide expanse of land.
‘Ten stories are really high—’
It was rather difficult to compare simply like that, though she thought it could be compared to a seventy-story building in modern times. This was the largest building around here.
Viola’s heart was pounding.
‘Building owner…!’
There was a saying, the building owner was higher than the creator.
‘But, she became the owner of a building at the age of twelve?’
She was a really fraudulent character in a sense. Even though she knew the original story after reading it, she felt even more desperate. Viola sternly made up her mind again, thinking they should definitely get along.
“I like you, sister, really, truthfully.”
And so, they went into the building of Terra Guild. There was a variety of people moving around inside.
“Who did you choose as the puppet boss?”
“Do you even know what you are saying?”
Because she came from the slums, Hera probably thought she didn’t know anything.
Still, the more Viola looked at it, the more amazing it was. She kept thinking that her father had brought her to Verratoux for nothing.
“There was a prestigious merchant nearby.”
She didn’t say ‘there is,’ but ‘there was.’
“So, what about now?”
“Dead.”
Viola was appalled. This was not explained in detail in the original book. Just in case, she pulled herself together and asked again.
“Did you kill him?”
“No way.”
Of course, that’s the nature of being a Verratoux, after all. They are cruel to the enemy, though they don’t blindly kill people.
“He was dead.”
Hera continued in silence. “So, I buried him.”
“Then, how…”
Viola, who went so far, seemed to realize.
‘…Sevan Marcos!’
That’s right.
The owner of the Guild of Terra—the current owner, was Sevan Marcos. He could have skinned the face off a corpse and recreated exactly the same person. So, he seemed to be skinning his face and taking over the role of the owner.
‘Wahh! I let my guard down for a second. Yeah… this is that world. I should never let my guard down.’ Thinking so, Viola got her act together.
“Well, where is Sevan Marcos?”
“Sevan Marcos?”
Hera turned her head and looked at Viola. After a moment, she laughed. She did not deny the fact.
“So, that’s how much you know of, huh?”
Hera reached out her hand. Because of that, Viola held her hand unknowingly, then, Hera pulled her hand and placed it on her left chest.
“Can you feel it?”
“Heartbeat?”
“Yes, you should know.”
‘What does she mean, ‘I should know?’ Viola was confused since Hera had said something completely mysterious once again.
“My heartbeat is much faster than usual.”
Oh, that’s what she meant?
“I’m a little happy that I met you, Viola.”
Although it was the situation she intended, Viola was also a little embarrassed. Still, Hera was into the category of relatively normal people for Verratoux members, and thus, she felt uncomfortable thinking she stole the child’s hearts by using the content of the original.
‘Is there a reason to be uncomfortable about it?’
She came back to her senses again.
‘It’ll be enough if we get along really well.’
A rich friend is a good friend. Among them, the owner of this guild, no, the owner’s friend, was even better.
So, Viola continued.
“If possible, would it be better if the owner of the building grew bigger, right?”
Hera exploded in laughter once again. She thought she could definitely be close friends with her and use the knowledge of the original to help her.
‘Either way, Hers will do it on her own in the future.’
In addition, wouldn’t it be better if she could move up that period a little bit?
‘Then, we can get to know each other better. And she will be on my side!’
Soon after, Viola and Hera wandered around the building and got on the wagon.
“Older sister.”
“Hmm?”
“Are you rich?”
At the question, Hera smiled brightly.
“Why? Do you want to take my money? Did you become greedy after seeing my goods?”
“What will I do with that small sum of money?”
‘Soon, Hera will become influential. She might be rich now, but she will be even richer in the future.’
“What do you mean, a small amount of money? I’m quite rich, though.”
“You are not rich.”
Viola flatly denied it. It was true, compared to Hera in the future, she was almost a beggar as of now.
Hearing her remarks, Hera met Viola’s eyes, full of conviction. She then realized that the little girl in front of her was full of confidence.
‘She’s not kidding me, is she?’
Hera felt a little astonished inside.
‘You must have seen the size of the building, but to say it’s like a penny. It is said she grew up in the slums…?’
Considering that, the determination on her mind seemed to be as big as a whale.
Han Arin, who was likely to have a future chaebol friend, continued excitedly.
“What I’m saying is cash. Real assets and cash assets are different. Aren’t you always short of cash?”
“…Why cash all of a sudden?”
“I want to join sister’s business.”
‘You like me, and I like you. It’s good for both of us, right?’
“How much do you have?”
“Nothing.”
“So, how do you join me then?”
“How much do you need, sister?”
If she can give her the money, Hera would fall herself. She never lied or scammed anyone for money.
“If I tell you how much, will you save it for me?”
“Yeah!”
“Why?”
“I want to invest in older sister.”
Hera laughed out loud. She couldn’t believe Viola said she wanted to invest in her and thought, ‘What the hell does this kid believe in?’
“What if I eat you up and betray you?”
“Then, my eyes were wrong.”
No, she won’t do that. Viola knew that she was a character that never plays with money.
Hera couldn’t stop laughing, questioning where that confidence came from.
“Hundred million Dalias.”
She didn’t mean she really needed a hundred million Dalias.
In fact, for Hera, a hundred million Dalia was not even large enough to control her business. The amount of money was a realistic amount and symbolic number that Viola could produce, in Hera’s opinion.
“A hundred million Dalias?”
“Yes, is it too much?”
“No, it’s less than I thought.”
“It’s not gonna be that easy.”
“I’ll have it for you.”
At that, Hera stocked her chin and asked, “What are you up to?”
“You’ll see.”
A few days later, Verratoux Family’s finance butler went haywire.
Xenon took out a white towel, wiped his forehead, and asked again.
“You’re going to visit the Duke in person?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Hearing Viola’s confident reply, he then wiped his forehead one more time. Even when Duchess Isabella grabbed his neck, he didn’t even sweat this much.
“As you know, the Duke is very busy, and he considers time more than gold.”
“So?”
Viola sat cross-legged. Her legs were short, and she could not reach the ground, though the atmosphere did not lag behind Duchess Isabella.
“That’s why he hates making unauthorized visits without making an appointment in advance.”
“And, that’s why I’m asking the butler to make an appointment.”
“So the reason you’re making an appointment is… you’re asking for money?”
Xenon coughed once. He checked her intention just in case, but Viola nodded.
“That’s right.”
“I think my neck is going to be blown away, so could you reconsider it?”
However, she was adamant.
Because of that, he sighed once with a look as if he had lost the world and closed the door. Xenon’s expression, which was full of exaggeration, changed instantaneously. The crying figure in front of Viola disappeared all of a sudden.
‘He must be in the study room at this time, right?’
He immediately found the Duke’s study room.
knock, knock.
After knocking on the door, he went in.
Sure enough, Duke Heron was working in his study room like a machine-like Duke who lived every day like a machine.
“Dear Duke, Princess Viola wants me to tell you that she wants to see you.”
“….”
Heron, who was writing something with a quill pen, stared up at Xenon.
“Why?”
“That is…”
He smiled awkwardly and replied, “She’s asking for some pocket money.”
“….”
The quill stopped moving the moment he looked at Xenon. He smiled embarrassingly and added.
“As expected, should I tell her the refusal?”
“If you were going to do that, you would have stopped her in the first place.”
Consequently, Xenon made a stand-up position.
“I apologize.”
“It’s fine.”
Heron had a lot of faith in Xenon.
“Call her.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
And so, he went outside right away. Meanwhile, Carlton, who was standing behind Heron, opened his mouth.
“You didn’t get angry.”
“It’s funny, isn’t it?”
“Isn’t the Duke, above all else, a man who values time?”
“Hence, I’d like you to shut up.”
“I apologize.”
Immediately, Carlton shut his mouth. Heron began to sign the papers on the desk once again.
The butler found the situation very difficult to understand.
The Duke’s attitude was a little unusual. He didn’t like nonsense, and he hated those who wasted his time talking nonsense. So, what about that little girl making an unscheduled appointment and asking for pocket money? Nonetheless, the Duke accepted it.
It was so strange.
‘Is he going to call her and scold her?’
A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.
It was Princess Viola.
Duke Heron sat in his chair and gazed at her.
“You asked for pocket money, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
Viola swallowed her saliva unconsciously.
‘I don’t know why father’s atmosphere is so fierce.’ It felt as if he was going to chew up the world with just his eyes.
“Why?”
“I need some money.”
Carlton, the butler, was thinking it was outrageous. He’d never seen a crazy Princess looking for pocket money in the Duke’s office. He had never imagined a situation like this ever to happen.
Viola glanced at Carlton confidently. She was so brazen that he wondered how she could be so confident.
‘If she talks like that, she’ll seriously be decapitated.’ Carlton thought so. However, his assumption was wrong.
This was a method used by Rael and was successful.
「 “I’d like some pocket money, too.”
“Why?”
“I need some money.” 」
The Duke liked her to be that shameless, surprisingly. Rather than plotting or doing something behind the scenes, he preferred it if they spoke directly right in front. Although because of the Duke’s ferocious momentum and deep eyes, no one tried.
Han Arin, a reader, dug deep into her favorite character, Heron, and knew how to treat him.
“Father made me his daughter, so I, as a daughter, should ask for some pocket money.”
“That’s why you came?”
“Aside from my allowance, I missed Father too.”
Heron paused for a moment at that.
There was an awkward silence, and Carlton, the butler, had cold sweats all over his body.