The sky is clear and the scent of flowers is fresh. The weather is very nice.
Do you know what happens when a person is really cornered?
"The tea tastes especially good today. Don't you think so, sister?"
One becomes very calm and thinks 'whatever happens, happens' and rather feels at peace…
'Damn it…'
Peace my ass!
It's a disaster, a disaster.
As soon as I heard Alkaido's words yesterday, I ran to Kane, shook him, and shouted let's make a contract right away! After making the contract, I tried to hide Kane, but…
"The young lady is coming tomorrow. Surely you're not planning to just play around without ordering any preparations?"
"What if I play? Am I not allowed to play?"
"Yes. The young lady's return is the first official schedule since you became the acting head of the family. If you can't even handle this one thing properly, I might personally go and plead with Former Head Caiman. I might tell him that you're too absorbed in your new toy."
Even if he goes to Caiman and says something, he probably won't change the acting head.
I thought that if I ran to Kane right now, it might be seen as my obsession or weakness, which could become an obstacle later when I tried to support Kane, so I ended up not going.
And Gadia, who barged in as soon as the sun rose…
"Sister…?"
A white face as if carved from ice. Despite her expressionless face, contempt shines through unfiltered, as if asking where a bug is speaking from.
In the original work, fans loved even the setting which she treated all other men like bugs due to her single-minded devotion to the protagonist and her benevolent mid-deck, but seeing it in front of my eyes…
'Wow, the mental impact is too big.'
Rolling my eyes would hurt my pride. I don't want to lower my eyes!
I slightly turned my gaze away from the blue eyes filled with disgust, focusing on the silver-blue hair swaying in the wind.
"Ah, then what should I call you? Do I have to call you 'Young Lady~' too?"
"Just don't call me. Don't speak. Don't breathe. Die."
"I don't want to? Why should I listen to my sister's words…"
Suddenly, an ice pick formed in the air, and as its sharp tip aimed at me, I trailed off and covered it with a smile, then took a sip of tea.
Oh, really, no wonder she's a character with a broken personality and impossible to communicate with.
"That…"
Gadia's eyes turn to my left hand holding the teacup.
I raised my hand and waved it gently, showing off the family ring, just like rich madams do in dramas.
"Ah, this? Ha, Father was so insistent. He said he only trusts me and put this right on my finger."
"…Give it to me."
Is her taste a bit off?
I smiled with my lips trembling slightly at the sudden chill on the back of my neck.
I am a tiger cub who doesn't know how scary tigers are. I am the reckless younger sibling who acts up trusting in Caiman.
"Sister, I didn't want to say this, but you know this ring can only be possessed by the head of the family or the acting head, right? Privately you're my sister, but officially you're my subordinate. You know that?"
Gadia's eyes, which were about to flip out slightly at my words, regained focus.
"What?"
"You're being short with your words, Gadia."
I must absolutely not give in.
Later we'll have to go around as the same party, but since Gadia can't raise her likability as long as I'm Adelian, I need to push through.
Gadia was the only human among the heroines in the story.
The reason Kane, who distrusted humans, accepted her into his party was not only because of her blind obedience but also because she had received a strong noble education about being loyal to one's lord in a class society.
Right now, before meeting Kane, she hasn't been blinded by love yet, so she won't go so far as to try to cut my throat out of displeasure or desire to have the family.
Before she hears the news and becomes curious about Kane, who is known as my toy in prison, it's best to provoke her, push her away, and drive her out.
I kept waving the sparkling Kruger ring at the edge of Gadia's gaze, holding my hand up to show the back of it.
"So… Are you properly handling your duties as the acting head of the family?"
Your eyes are already stabbing me more than enough… This won't do. I need to do something.
I forced strength into my eyes that kept wanting to lower, and activated the User's Eyes.
[Gadia Soryun Kruger – Contemptuous Glacier Archer]
Representative Traits: [Glacier(A)] [Archery(B)]
Hidden Traits: [Agility(A)] [Gourmet(D)]
I covered Gadia's face with the trait window, barely caught my breath, and then smiled brightly at the girl beyond it.
"Why would Gadia care about that? Father handed it over, not you."
"…I could do better. Better than you…"
"Ah, then father would have handed it over to sister."
"I… Can't accept it. I'll go see the head of the family and protest. I'll say someone like you shouldn't have it."
"That head of the family is right here. I'm the head now."
In my mocking words, killing intent overflows so much that it can be felt even through the trait window.
Ugh, I shouldn't provoke her anymore.
"I'll go see Head Caiman."
"Sure, do that. I wonder if he's at the summer villa?"
Gadia gets up roughly, almost tipping over the chair, and walks out with big strides.
"Haa… Really."
I caught my breath, looking at my hand drenched in cold sweat.
To think it's this bad even with the buoyancy trait.
With Gadia's personality, she might have some slight hesitation, but she'll go straight to Caiman to argue.
Expecting that, I threw out the false information about the summer villa, so even if she uses a portal, she'll be away for at least half a day to a full day.
I need to find Kane and hide him before Gadia returns. If those two meet, who knows how things might go wrong?
I felt like I had received a quest with a time limit.
'I need to use that method right away…'
"Young Master."
As I was moving my feet, biting my lips anxiously, Alkaido came out from the front.
I felt irritated from the anxiety, but I tried to look at him with a nonchalant face.
"What, is there another problem? I just sent sister off with a nice cup of tea."
"How long do you plan to postpone your duties?"
Forever, old man. If I get tied up with that, I won't be able to leave this castle.
I deliberately didn't hide my irritation and opened my mouth.
"I thought Alkaido was smarter than this? Think about it. Wouldn't it be better if people were smarter and more creative than I work, and I just managed them?"
Anyway, as we get more involved in the mainstream, the whole continent might fall apart, so there's no reason for me to waste energy on the Kruger family.
Ah, I just need to solve one part that might cause problems later.
I walked leisurely like a playboy and patted Alkaido's chest.
"Alright, since Alkaido is insisting so much, I'll listen. Otherwise, I wouldn't be the master of the Kruger family, right?"
I twirled the ring's pattern with my fingertip, bringing the subspace pattern containing family-related items to the top.
Then, following my instincts, I reached into the air and pulled out a blank document and a quill pen, quickly wrote something, and handed it to Alkaido, holding it between my fingers as if telling him to read it.
"Young master, this content is…"
Do you think I'm stupid? I have a plan. Alkaido, you don't know about the great work.
"This content could harm the family."
"Really? I don't think so. From now on, all merchant groups under the Kruger family will calculate goods with cash instead of Kruger credits."
Several kingdoms and empires. The gold coins they issue are all different, so Kruger merchant groups used credits that were only valid among themselves.
This was possible because the Kruger family had spread merchant groups all over the continent and their economic power was so strong, but…
It becomes a problem in the later part of the game.
As the continent falls into chaos due to war and epidemics, even the mighty Kruger family's merchant groups start to collapse from the smaller ones, and who would accept credits that are only valid among themselves…
They need to obtain goods but have no cash, so they go bankrupt, and it snowballs into a bigger problem until everything goes completely wrong.
Millions die holding only worthless credits.
"Young Master, this is nonsense…!"
"Well, this is officially the first business decision I've made. How about that, I've worked now, right? Of course, I won't accept any objections."
Before Alkaido could add anything more, I snatched the paper back and pressed the ring's pattern firmly at the bottom of the document to sign it.
Thanks to the bloodline magic that can be activated even without a drop of magical power, the same content as the document just now would have been delivered to all Kruger merchant groups of a certain size or larger across the continent.
After quickly issuing an all-encompassing order that even Caiman rarely did, I smiled mischievously and headed towards the prison, leaving behind Alkaido who was trembling with anger.