"Father, Mother." Leila called out in the middle of their dinner, "I would like to start a business."
There were sounds of silverware dropping, followed by jaw-dropping reactions from both her parents, including Liese.
"Onee-chan, you---"
The stern duke cleared his throat, "Why so suddenly?"
"Well, considering our family's great influence and massive wealth," Leila said, her voice collected. "I would like to build something that would benefit us even more."
His brows furrowed, "You're saying..."
"Since most of our business are very well-known, it is normal that our enemies would be wary of it. Therefore, I would like to start a new one that would be both our shield and sword. New businesses often attract curious people, can be trendsetter, and if run wisely, could have the power to influence people."
Duke Amaryllis stared at the calm and confident girl in front of him, one he called his daughter. "It's fine if you think of it that way, however...as the owner, when you attend the incoming ball, the nobles will eventually find out about it. Wouldn't that destroy the purpose?"
"Oh, that wouldn't be a problem" In contrary to her devilish thoughts, Leila smiled innocently. "Though the business belongs to me, I won't be the one portraying as the owner in public."
"You're hiring someone to do it? That's dangerous!"
Leila blinked at her father's sudden outburst. He seemed to have realized he lost his cool as he tried to hide it by clearing his throat. Leila laughed at the unexpected reaction; her father is surprisingly cute despite his image of being a ruthless tyrant. "Don't worry, Papa. I've got it covered."
The duke stiffened at the word, his wife and daughters watched as faint blush tinged his cheeks as his stern face gradually melted into a satisfied grin. Leila and Liese could literally see moe flowers blooming in the background.
Indeed, three of unexpected things about the tyrant duke that only his family would have the luxury of witnessing, was the fact that he's utterly, madly in love with his wife, that he is very doting with his daughters, and that he is extremely weak with the word 'Papa'.
With the three superiors in the family: The stern and powerful duke, the smiling but mischievous duchess, and the gorgeous and scheming genius eldest daughter, very much dote on family. With Liese as their apple of the eye, forget about marrying her off as all of her future suitors are practically screwed.
And, like usual, the innocent yet savage Lieselotte is unaware of this fact.
Leila grinned at the thought, but there were more pressing matters that needed to be discussed. "As for my co-owner and partner,"
The doors of the dining hall opened, revealing Senpai in his glorious feminine aura. He wore a very sophisticated suit, one he designed himself, decorated with roses, to honor his master as she woke in a glass greenhouse garden filled with luxurious crystal roses.
He held himself in a high and confident manner befitting of the seemingly queen-like master's most trusted confidant and partner.
The duchess took one look at his unusual but beautiful clothes, his face painted with light but glittering makeup, and the way her daughter, Leila, was looking fondly and proudly at him and was immediately fascinated, "Oh my!"
"Father, Mother, and Liese." Leila announced, gesturing at Senpai. "This is Sen, he would be the one running the business on my behalf."
They had discussed the name earlier since both Leila and Senpai had modern knowledge thanks to Leila's memories. They both agreed it would be awkward if the duke and duchess called him 'Senpai', so Leila just shortened it to 'Sen'.
"My pleasure to meet the dignified duke, duchess, and Lady Liese of Amaryllis." Senpai bowed gracefully. "I am Sen, Lady Leila's trusted partner."
"I've seen you before." The duchess said, waving her hands at the servants to prepare a meal and seat for Senpai. "You were with Leila and Lady Priscilla when she returned yesterday."
"Oh dear, it's an honor to be remembered." He feigned an embarrassed reaction. "Yes, that is indeed true. I was with her ever since she lost her memories."
"Is that really?" There was clear suspicion in the duke's words.
However, Senpai cleverly shut down the subject. "Yes, she was quite a fierce thing back then. Your Grace must be really proud to have such a strong and beautiful daughter."
"Of course, I am!" Leila pressed her lips to suppress her laughter as she noticed her father's chest slightly puffed out. "Both my daughters are the best! My Leila is gifted and beautiful, my Liese is kind-hearted and an angel. Not to mention my wife is known as the number one beauty! It's only natural that all the nobles are envious of me."
The duchess poked at her husband's side, "Dear, your persona is slipping."
"Oh, damn!"
"Ha-ha, such a nice family." Leila rolled her eyes at Senpai's remark. She called down the bond 'Suck up.'
'Don't hate me cause you ain't me.'
'Who'd want to be you when you're already mine?' Leila smirked at Senpai who clicked his tongue in annoyance, 'Tch! You always know how to piss me off.'
'Well, I am your master, after all.'
'Please shut up.'
'What kind of servant orders his master?'
Senpai knew it was a battle he could never win. Instead of fighting back, he could only groan and stomp his feet. For the first time in his life, Senpai, who always boast of how powerful and superior he is, could only lower his head to this crafty witch he calls his master, and cry.
***
"This idea of yours is massive."
Leila tapped her quill on the large stack of papers she had been preparing those three months she spent, isolated from the outside world.
Both master and servant had isolated themselves from everyone else by locking themselves up in Leila's personal study.
The long, wide table in the room was now filled with stacks and stacks of plans she had Senpai bring from her study back at her palace in The Dwelling. Using whatever mysterious powers he had in his arsenal.
"It wasn't something I thought of out of the whim." She replied as Senpai shuffled the papers to read the business plans she made. "I've been working on it for quite a while now. Originally, it was a passing idea back from when I was still human and a cold-blooded murderer. But when I thought of it, it was quite a nice idea."
"Nice? Clearly, that's an understatement." Senpai waved the plans in his hands. "You do realize this 'nice' idea of yours could actually distort the balance, right? If this became successful enough to trade with other countries, you're basically going to be the most powerful person in this world. In terms of both money and influence."
"That's exactly what I needed," Leila replied as she sipped the cup of cappuccino, she had Misa prepare. "The causal factors have already been affected the moment I transmigrated here. Thanks to that, the scene where people would find out my younger sister is actually the Holy Saintess didn't happen. I need to take that opportunity and strike the iron while it's still hot."
They spent days persuading her father to agree to her plans. And while they worked on it, Leila already had Senpai hire employees he deemed trustworthy enough to work under him. Since he was a superior spirit powerful enough to attract immortals who wanted him to be theirs, Senpai had developed a great eye for evaluating people. And to those who didn't pass his evaluation, he had them killed immediately to avoid the pests from multiplying, like ugly fungus.
"So, which plans are we starting from." He asked his master, who remained indifferent as if she knew everything is going to turn her way. "There's no way we're doing all this the moment we open."
"Of course not, doing that is bound to raise suspicions. We need to build our own reputation without planting the idea we had a powerful noble family behind our back." She flicked a finger and two stacks of papers flew from somewhere in the room and dropped in front of Senpai. "Major things that easily attract money are food, clothing, accessories, and shelter. Construction business is one thing, but food, clothing, and accessories we can do at the moment."
Senpai flipped through the stack, his eyes scanning every word and strategy in it with superhuman speed. "Hmm...a chain business of fast-food restaurants, jewelry, cosmetics, shoes... setting up new fashion trends through various influential families, huh."
"Yup, though we're not starting with my family." She said, her smile turning serpentine. "If we're talking about effective trendsetters, it's always better to use arrogant young noble ladies and lords as they are more prone to boasting."
"And envy resulting in greed is the best sword to gather power." Senpai continued. Both master and servant shared evil grins. "Real villains don't pursue good people, they target the bad ones."
"And tracing the mastermind from the bad ones is the hardest." She pointed out. "As being known as the mastermind grants you power and influence, one that rivals even kings. This way, even if I proclaim myself as the master behind the scenes, no one will believe me. Because those people would fight amongst themselves to be known as one."
"You-" Senpai sighed. "Did you just killed five birds with one stone?"
"Well, I wouldn't call it five."
"Yes, it is!" He raised his hand and started counting down the benefits Leila would reap. "First, you would earn a lot of money and connections. Second, as the mastermind, your influence would spread and grow to a massive degree, therefore planting fear among all races. Third, by using power-hungry nobles, you have them fight and destroy each other, while you stand behind, reaping from their actions. And those actions would affect the fourth, which is when they kill each other, you'll do the kingdom a great favor of removing them of corrupted pests and rats. Fifth, less cruel aristocrats mean fewer enemies that once target the Amaryllis family and less power-hungry nobles who would knock on your door and ask for Liese's hand once she is proclaimed Holy Saintess!"
Leila blinked, then the corners of her lips tugged upward, "Ooh, you did well exposing my true intentions. Fortunately, you belong to me or I would have your head hanging on my gates when you become my enemy."
Senpai shivered at the sight of Leila's smile. "You're giving your tyrant father a run for his money. You're really more conniving than the devil."
"Thanks for the compliment."
Senpai rolled his eyes, "So, you had me build one massive building as the 'main headquarters', and sixteen small ones. Apart from the main one, what would you do with those sixteen stores you spread all around the kingdom."
"Candor is a massive kingdom, I want to plant my pawns to places where it would give me useful information." Leila pondered, she glanced at one of her shelves and watched as her power wriggled a map from it, landing and spreading it in front of her.
With Senpai watching and listening with every word, she pointed out strategic locations as she relied on her dreams which turned out to be future visions of what's to come.
When they finished the discussion about the location of the small stores and what kind of business it would present, Leila and Senpai relaxed against the comfortable seats, ignoring etiquette while they're at it.
"Since I trust your sophisticated fashion sense," Leila spoke. "I'll be relying on you to design all my clothes in the future, alright?"
"That's fine. I can't have my master walking around wearing rags, it would ruin my image. I'm such a diva, after all."
"Gee, thanks. You're such a considerate servant." Leila replied, ignoring Senpai's narcissistic remark. "By the way, I am in serious lack of trustworthy servants. Care to introduce me to some of your fellow spirits?"
"Don't fret about it. I'm a superior spirit, a term which means I have a lot of high-rank, mid-rank, and lesser spirits in my command." He waved his hand nonchalantly, "I'm yours after all, so it's only natural that everything I have is yours."
"Phew! That one of many things crossed out."
"Speaking of which," Senpai flicked a candy in his mouth. "You haven't decided on our company name yet."
"Hmm...any ideas?"
"Hey, the thing belongs to you, the one who should name it is obviously the owner herself. Don't tell me you're too lazy to think of one?"
"Ugh." Leila bumped her head on the table and began to rack her brains of name ideas. She thought of the purpose of the business, why she wanted to do it, for whom's sake, and the main purpose why she transmigrated in the first place.
She was someone who sworn to be so powerful in order to protect her sister. Someone who wore the darkness of her past around her. Someone who didn't care about the rules to get what she wants.
Someone who also sworn a blood oath to betray and kill God.
When the perfect name came to mind, she grinned. There was someone in the legends and stories who dared do it. That one female who turned the spark into a roaring flame.
There was a predator gaze in her eyes that glowed crimson when she spoke of the name.
"Eve."