"…"
"If not, I'm sorry. Let's just move on to something out of topic."
Elena couldn't help but admire, though she was silent.
'You have a great eye.'
It is often said that one's success or failure as a merchant depends on the way one looks at people. This is because business transactions are ultimately based on trust, which depends on the personality and character of the person. In this context, Emilio seemed to have an amazing eye for detail. It was because he instinctively sensed Elena's mood and grace that she tried to hide.
"You're half right and half wrong."
In the past life, she was the Queen. But not now. Princesses are a class of great nobility, but are not strictly royal. So, half is right and half is wrong.
Emilio looked surprised for a moment, but quickly returned to his true self.
"I don't think I asked you anything. I'll erase what you just said from my head."
"Thank you."
Elena had a different feeling about the tycoon. In her past life, he had been blinded by Lucia's treatment of northern fever, and the Chamber of Commerce had fallen into bankruptcy, but now that history had changed, it was expected to see how far Emilio and the Castol Chamber of Commerce would really grow.
Slowly.
Emilio took an envelope out of his arms and put it on the table.
"What is this?"
"This is the transfer of the Chamber of Commerce of Castol in the Empire."
"…!"
Elena's eyes got bigger. The branch was the stronghold of the local Castol Corporation. The transfer of the branch was tantamount to giving Elena all the income generated from the local transactions.
"I must have told you. I'll accept your heart."
"… My daughter told me. She's so happy to see her dad again, and she's glad she can't see him sad because of you."
Emilio had a faint smile on his face. He almost lost his daughter, who is almost everything in the world to him, so he had no choice but to be grateful to Elena for saving his daughter.
"So go and help them."
"…"
"I saw you today and felt it. You're obviously an extraordinary person… You really need my help. That's why I want to give it to you."
Elena could not immediately decide how to deal with the situation. In the meantime, she was seeking clarity and certainty. People with whom she had not had contact in the past, no matter how capable they were, she approached with restraint or caution. This was because if she made a slight mistake, Elena could not rule out the possibility that they might slip from her influence and become a source of concern. It was also for this reason that she kept someone by her side who could be with her to the end, even if it was hard work.
In that context, Emilio was a character outside the field that does not exist in her plan. He had a reputation to the extent that no one did not know about his love, but his personality and humanity were completely unknown. Therefore, she ended her relationship with Emilio by teaching him how to cure Lucia's northern fever. It was enough for her to secure Lucia's identity from within the academy.
However, things have changed. Ren intervened and made a connection with Emilio. He brought him to her, and he claimed her to be a benefactor and offered to transfer part of the branch of the Castol Chamber of Commerce. This was not part of the plan. The income that Emilio mentioned from the Castol branch was too attractive to turn down outright. Although it was a minor position, the business area, sales network and asset management of the branch of the Castol Chamber of Commerce, one of the ten largest merchant associations on the continent, would be enormous.
"You're putting me in trouble."
"I apologize for that, too."
Emilio replied politely. Then he added words to Elena, who was hesitant to make a decision.
"I must have been mistaken."
"What?"
"The benefactor seems to be hesitant to take over the branch of the Castol Corporation. It will take some time, but I will organize the branches and prepare them in gold coins, which are imperial currency. I think this is better for you."
"W-wait a minute."
Elena stopped talking, perplexed. She was surprised when he handed her the transfer of the branch of the Castol Chamber of Commerce, but when he said that he would sell the branch and turn it into gold, she was speechless. What's even more astonishing is that he wasn't just saying that, but that he really meant it, gushing from his heart.
"I don't know why you're making it so difficult for me."
Elena sighed quietly. She knew it was a favor, but it was too much for her.
"I beg you, too. Please let me be a decent father to my daughter."
Emilio bowed politely. He wanted to give everything as if he had no regrets while giving his own. Elena had to make a choice, too.
"I'm sorry, but I don't want to receive any gold or branch of the Castol Corporation."
"But the benefactor…."
"They aren't mine. But I don't think it's exactly the right thing to ignore Emilio's sincerity."
When Elena left him room, Emilio held his breath and waited for the next word. After thinking dozens more to be cautious, Elena opened her mouth.
"Let's work together."
"Did you say partnership just now?"
Surprised Emilio asked again. It was an unexpected remark from her.
"I'm not sure I could do as well as Emilio if I took over the branch. I'm tied down, and I don't have the business acumen. One day, I'll give away my influence to another business association and go bankrupt."
Elena calmly assessed her competence. She was laying various foundations based on her memories of her past life, but that was all. Merchant was not the path she wanted to walk, and even if she took over the branch of the Castol Chamber of Commerce, she did not have the confidence to defend it against the other merchant groups
"Gold is not worth talking about. I feel like I just bargained for your daughter's life. It sounds insulting, depending on how you look at it."
"I didn't think about that. I'm sorry."
Emilio realized that he had been too harsh and apologized quickly. He said that he would think about it and act accordingly, but he realized that his words were misleading enough. Elena smiled happily.
"No, maybe that's why I felt it was more genuine. Money is everything to a merchant."
"Thank you for taking care of me. If I may ask, why did you suggest a partnership?"
"Whether it's a branch or a gold coin, it doesn't matter to me. What I need is people."
"People…"
Emilio muttered the words, blurring the words. He had emphasized the importance of people as well, but when Elena said that, he thought deeply.
"That's what you said earlier. You told me I needed Emilio's help badly. It's actually like that."
"Benefactor."
"Please stay with me. And then help me. Then I can promise you this one thing."
At the word promise, Emilio raised his head and stared at Elena. He saw that she was a woman of noble birth and solitude, as evidenced by the grace and dignity that she secretly displayed even when she tried to hide behind a disguise. Such Elena referred to her promise. The weight of the promise was different. It would not be a promise that only the words of a handful of merchants would go ahead, but a promise that would be kept even if the world collapsed.
"A new era will come soon. A time when the world is turned upside down and many things are starting anew.
"New era…"
Emilio brooded on the low-pitched word. It was too big a word for a merchant to put in his mouth and understand. Only Elena could fully understand and handle the weight of the word.
"I dare to promise you your place in the new era."
"…!"
Elena smiled around her mouth. Her smile was full of confidence, though it was a promise that would sound more provocative and reckless.
***
"You know, I got goosebumps and I can't get rid of them."
Khalif, whom she met only a few days later, was making a lot of noise, unable to hide his excitement. To which Elena calmly replied.
"Really?"
"Yes! I understand why your father is respected by people. I've only told him about my business plan, but he caught the thread I missed all of a sudden."
Lhapif praised Emilio to the point of mouth watering. Elena, who had teamed up with Emilio, decided that he could be useful to Khalif, who was still lacking in years and experience, and arranged a meeting between the two. The result was more positive than expected. Khalif's enthusiasm and brilliance combined with Emilio's savvy and experience had broadened his thinking.
"Yes, but why the sudden change of heart? You said your father would be upset if he found out you were going into business without telling him."
"That? I got caught."
Although it was an absurd excuse, Khalif accepted it without any doubt.
"Oh, that's why he knew. Didn't you get in trouble?"
"He was rather complimentary. He told me many times that he would apply for me and that I should be patient until I graduated. Of course, this was on the premise that I would not neglect my schoolwork."
"A compliment is a compliment, and schoolwork is schoolwork."
Khalif, who was deceived by Elena's lie, was convinced and accepted.
"Have you met Randol?"
"Huh? Uh, I met him. I saw him and I felt like I was going to kill myself."
"What are you talking about?"
Elena asked back with a slight frown at the harsh expression.
"Why are there so many geniuses in the world? You're a genius, but he's more of a genius. There's a real sense of shame."
"That's fair."
Elena nodded her head. Randall was a great architect, a page in history. There is a saying in the art world that the masters of a generation cannot be achieved through hard work alone. You have to be blessed with genius.
Elena did not see the completion of the Santa Maria Cathedral, a collaboration between Khalif and Randol. It was because she was kidnapped and almost killed just before completion. However, she remembered seeing the library, known to have been designed by Randol. Although not as huge as the Cathedral of Santa Maria, his unique construction, the dome shape using the palace, was a glimpse into his genius.
"The world is really big. The academy is as well. I didn't know anything about architecture. By the way, just looking at the construction method and the design drawings that he showed me gave me the shivers."
"I understand."
"She was really grateful to L. He said that because of L, he was able to concentrate on building. He's looking forward to working with them."
Randol became the first customer of Khalif to take his first step as an art broker, just like the original history.
It was hoped that Elena's intervention would show better results than the original history, as the timing was advanced.
"Please tell him that I really appreciate it. For choosing me. I will never disappoint."
"I did it anyway. He trusts you. He didn't say anything else. Do real geniuses have good personalities? Oh, except you."
Elena asked Khalif, who was outspoken about Randol.
"Looking at you talking, you've gotten pretty close?"
"My drinking buddy."
"You have a best friend."
Elena smiled as if she knew everything. Their friendship had always been laced with alcohol, so much so that it could be said that they had been linked by it in past lives. Khalif had just graduated from the Academy in his fourth year, so he was old enough to be considered an adult. So he and Randol were able to deepen their friendship over a drink.