Chapter 4: Start up

Start Up

"So this is the district center that you were talking about."

Sen didn't know whether he's going to laugh or mock at me. Well, I was also surprised to see this large vacant building in the center most part of the plaza. Despite the colorful and active stalls that linger around the building, this is the only one that seemed to have lost its life.

"There has been a rumor going around that this building has been cursed. I don't think buying this one will give us any profit though."

"But the value of the land dropped significantly yes?"

Buying this land would be easier than I imagined because its lost its value, thus it's like a diamond mine being sold at one grand.

"Yes, but I don't see any reason as to why we're going to buy this land. Do we even have the money?"

"Marquis Leopold has been going around this plaza few days ago. After that, many knights will surround this place and will first convince the people to relocate their stalls. But you and I knew that it wouldn't end there. There will be a lot of resistance and blood will eventually shed before this place will be vacated."

He was silent for a minutes but then it seemed like he understood what I'm talking about.

"Marquis Leopold will eventually become the owner of this district if we didn't move. Is that what you're saying?"

"That's why you should learn to trust me more."

"I should be the one saying that to you right now."

I smirked at his remark not bothering to correct if because it's true and I might be over-thinking over this but it's better to be sure that never.

We talked and agreed on dividing the payment into half and it wasn't even a big of a problem.

"Where did you even got this money from?*

He suspiciously looked at me when I brought three bags full of money.

"Don't worry it didn't came from bad deeds." It's just a habit of a 4-year old kid. It's true though, I saved all the money given to me by my parents since I was 4. I only spend it once or twice so I got to be able to save this amount.

Essen Hower.

With this name, we bought the district center and put it under the name's ownership. We both have created and signed a contract which will declare our ownership over the center. And we both have copies of the land title to secure our hold over the land and decrease the chances of betrayal or such. Besides the two of us, no one will know who the real owners are.

Just like that, we used our money left investing on some people's business and renovating the building. It was hard convincing people, however as if a coincidence, the Marquis started to drive people out of his private property which was formerly used by the merchants to display and sell their goods.

He used force to drive people out. We used convincing offers and sales talk to invite people in. They realized the difference of our strategies, especially the Marquis who got shot on his feet when he saw that the merchants he cruelly drove out didn't accepted his offer no matter how good it was.

That gave Essen Hower the golden opportunity to reign over the district center. Like a landlord collecting rents from the tenants, he also collected rents from his tenants which multiplied as the days go by. He also introduced the investment system to his tenants so they can help each other's business. With this, Essen was not merely collecting rents for he also invests in the business of his tenants making his business profit skyrocket over the 3 years.

The rumoured cursed district building became the most popular and richest shopping district in the capital. While the Marquis threw a fit and swore to avenge his failed business-wannabe.

"This is something I should be wary of. Red, collect more information about this and continue the assignment that I have given you last time."

"Yes,milady."

With that, he used his "normal exit" from my study room, which was to jump over trees until he can finally land on the ground.

"Violet. You missed something in your report. What shall we do with this?"

She shivered in fear when the 'missing' word came out of my mouth because she knew that that word is equivalent to 'betrayal'.

"I apologize milady. There has been no suspicious movements detected in House Siegfrid so I didn't include it in the report. However, I will continue to keep an eye on them so I could spot important information on them."

She continued to bow down at me with her head almost touching the floor. Before starting to hire men as part of my Recon Team, I highly emphasized the importance of trust. With this, I gave them several assignments to test their loyalty to my money. Them being former mercenaries were already excellent, however I can't keep snakes lurking around my farm for it can be deadly poisonous.

At first, I gave all of them the same assignment and all they have to do is bring me the most accurate one and they will be generously rewarded. However, only 4 out of 10 kept their words so I had a hard time looking for another people to hire. I continued to give them same assignments to test their honesty. I can't keep people I can't trust and those who don't trust me so discarding them early will be the best decision to do.

When I confirmed the final list of my men, I started giving them their true assignments. However, to stop even the tiniest percentage of betrayal, I randomly assign same tasks to two or three people so I could still check their level of loyalty to me. Every mistake costs them with no pay at all. So I guess they're starting to understand how life works, yeah?

"Fuchsia, are there no suspicious movements with Sen?"

"Not at all milady, however I stopped observing him when he leaves your office as what you've instructed me to do."

I nodded as I looked at the reports they've given me. Green also gave the same details so I dismissed him. Me and Sen agreed that spying on each other would not give us any good so whatever it is, I somehow trust him since we have a strong leverage on each other if ever one of us betrays one another.

If ever he discloses my identity, then I would have no choice but to also do the same since his name is written in the contract we both have signed. I would not be entirely affected by it instead it's him who will suffer large loss since I'm only a woman and it's ridiculous to believe that a woman like me engaged in something I shouldn't have been.

I stared at the rental and investment reports of the capital district and it seems like it's been doing good ever since it was established.

I decided on starting to invest in different places and territories so it will somehow serve as an emergency fund if I have ever faced some problem in the future.

"Lady Musgrave, thank you for inviting us to your tea party."

We exchanged pleasantries with one another, and thanked the host of the party. Attending tea parties are boring however it's one of my responsibilities as a noble lady so I have to put up with it.

"Lady Wescott, are you okay?"

I snapped at Sylvia who's giving me a worried look. It seems like I sunk too deep in my mind while thinking.

"You're bored right?"

Anne asked me out of the blue.

"Well, the 'bored tag' has been all over your face ever since we arrived here." She added and I just innocently sipped on my tea.

"Lady Wescott, I heard that your coming of age is already schedule tomorrow."

"Right! What's your dress going to be?"

"Can we also join your upcoming tea party?"

"Oh, who is going to be your escort?"

"I'm so excited Lady Wescott! I know you're going to be very beautiful tomorrow!"

"Thank you very much."

Of course, appearing to be grateful is the appropriate etiquette when someone flatters you despite it being just an empty compliment.

"Milady, you have to wake up right now. We have a lot of preparation to do right now!"

Even before the sun has risen, the maids have already woke me up so I could prepare as early as possible. But the party will start at 6 in the evening so I don't really understand why I have to wake up this early.

"Aw!" I can't help but to groan in pain when she tightened the corset.

"Can't I just skip the corset? I just can't use it..."

I tried appealing to Evely but she shook her head and smile at me.

"My lady has to be beautiful today and this is your coming of age, so people would be expecting that you would follow the trend."

Is what she said.

Should I just bomb all of the corsets in the world?

"But can you just loosened it a bit? Just a teeny tiny bit."

"No can do miss."

I tried my best to convince her and I won with only a few centimeters of loosening this freaking corset.

"It really suit you miss. Every man's eye will literally stuck on you like a glue tonight."

The maids continued to rain compliments on how I look so I doubted them thinking that they're only saying that because I'm their Master's daughter.

So I watched myself in the mirror. My auburn hair has grown longer so it has been braided and wrapped into a messy bun. They even inserted deep dark blue ribbons in my braided hair which matched the color of my gown.

It was just a simple off-shoulder deep blue gown which has a gradient colors of dark blue from the top and light blue at the bottom. I just needed something simple but presentable enough to be able to present myself comfortably with other people.

"Lady Emily Wescott of the House Wescott will enter."

Again, just like my 10th birthday, I have been blinded with bright lights and felt nauseous with the number of people who attended. Maybe it's because tje family's business has been flourishing up until now so maybe most of them are business associates of father. Well, I didn't have any personal invited guests except for Anne and Sylvia.

"What a beautiful dress, Lady Wescott. You are really beautiful tonight."

"It really suits hair. How I wish I had the same hair as yours."

Well, exchanging of flattering comments have never been absent.

"Is it another mended dress from your mother?"

"Should I have really bought a new one?"

Well nothing has changed, Anne really never fails to contradict me but we know that it's nothing but a joke.

"Hey you're fighting again. Wait, it has been 6 years since we've been here. Am I the only one missing it?"

Then the goody-two-shoes Sylvia mediated between the two of us.

"It's okay Sylvia, you know we must understand that Anne will never have the opportunity to change her rusty personality."

"That's over the belt, Emily. Well, it's better off than a rusty preferences am I right?"

Sylvia sighed at the sight of us bickering over trivial things. However, the two of them helped me ease my nervousness. Really, I have never thought of them be actually becoming a part of my life.

"Brother."

"Yes Lily?"

"What happened? I thought father will be my first dance?" He shrugged as we looked at my father and my other brother sulking in the corner while our mother is lovingly watching us, she even got a handkerchief and wiped her eyes.

"Oh look mother is crying."

"Well, it seems like you just had your 10th birthday yesterday and now you've already become a grown up lady."

"Figures. Should I just have stayed as a little kid?"

"If you can, you should totally have." I jokingly slapped his arm but he just laughed it off.

"I'm just kidding, but I wished you could have just stayed as one. You know, after this you might not only receive dance requests but also marriage proposals."

That's when the atmosphere turned somewhat serious.

"If it were me, I wouldn't allow you to even read those proposals but if you have found the man whom you wanted to be with for the rest of your life. Then I cannot do anything or even Archer or our parents to stop you from marrying."

"Brother, I'm not getting married yet. You said that I should not accept marriage proposals or what nots right? Besides, it's not like someone will fall in love with me of even just like me enough."

"You can never trust a person's heart, Lily. It falls in love without a warning. One day you would just wake up and cannot get rid of that person's image in your mind."

It appears that my brother has become a love adviser. Why is he speaking like he had experienced it?

"However, love is not always felt in its purest form. Too much love can lead to toxicity which would eventually end in the most tragic way which I don't want to happen to you."

"So as much as I want you to find your own happiness. I also want you to first know well the person you're falling in love with. Fall out as early as possible if you felt that his love is killing you because that must mean that he has never loved you."

This brother of mine really knows a lot about love which made me confuse about such thing as love. Do I really need to fall in love to become happy?

Can't I be happy without ever falling in love?

I don't see the reason or even the connection of love and happiness. But did I fell in love in my previous life? How did the previous me felt about love?

I felt hollow because I cannot even grasp my previous self. Then I became afraid that maybe love has something to do with my death. Did I fell in love or got married with the wrong person?

I suddenly lost my balance when I felt like I was having a hard time to breathe.

"Milady, are you okay?"

That's when I noticed that my partner has been changed. My forehead creased when I noticed the familiar face in front of me. The familiar hair and eye color which are the sole representation of the royal family. It was the only heir of Duke Kingsley.

"Ah yes, maybe I'm getting tired of dancing." I unconsciously said so I hoped I didn't offend him.

"Oh no, I didn't mean that dancing with you..."

"It's okay milady, dancing is really a tiring act. I also prefer you resting after our dance."

"You think so too?"

"Yeah, you're the host of the party so you can do whatever you want." I nodded at his suggestion, although I somehow didn't like him telling me what I should do, still I should keep my distance since he's a relative of the imperial family and the expected successor of the Emperor. I somehow felt out-of-place because I didn't expect that a person of high status like him would even attend the birthday of the lowly Count's daughter.

"It was nice dancing with you Lady Emily." He said and kissed my hand.

"The pleasure is mine too Sir Kingsley." Apparently, he's has just became a knight this year so I could refer to him as a knight. However, he took it differently.

"Sir? Hmm, how did you know that I'm a knight?" I smiled awkwardly and just shrugged.

"Just heard it from a tea party I attended. But was it wrong? If so, I apologize for upsetting you..."

"No, it's just felt so distant, you could just instead call me Charles."

I got choked with my saliva so I coughed a little but he found it amusing instead.

"I-I'm sorry? Calling you with your name means disrespecting you so I don't think I would--"

"Let's say I have taken a liking of you-- no scratch that. I may have fallen love with you Emily."

I heard murmurs around me and I saw my family creasing up their forehead especially my two brothers who obviously heard what this Kingsley have said.

"My lord, that's a-- I don't know how should I respond--"

He put his fingers in my lips to stop me from talking and I find it insulting rather than romantic. I don't like men touching me without my permission. However, I can't say that aloud.

"You could start responding by calling me by my name, it's Charles and not my lord."

Then he removed his fingers from my lips and I stopped the urge of wiping it with a clean cloth.

"But my lord--"

I didn't expect his next move so I just felt his lips landed on mine. Just what the hell is this?

My eyes widened from the shock. I didn't expect that move and it wasn't romantic at all. I heard several gasps and ladies' small screams as if they were watching a romance novel unfold.

"Lily!" I heard my brothers rushing to come near me but then I pushed this man away. I looked at him with my eyes asking why the he did that.

It was not romantic at all. It was a sexual assault! He did it without my permission and it was all of a sudden!

"I'm sorry, I just can't help myself. I told you right? I think I have fallen in love with you, so don't worry I will take responsibility for what I did."

"Get away from her." My brothers instinctively put me back behind them and glared at this disgusting man.

It was a one-sided bullshit love! You were the one who fell in love and not me so why the hell would you expect that I would feel the same?

"Okay I'm sorry."

"E-excuse me. I think I'll retire first." I said and without looking back, I grabbed my gown and rapidly walked away from the party.

"Lily!" I didn't responded to the worried tone of my brothers and just gushed out of the party while doing my best to wipe this lips. Little did I know that the people who witness such disgusting event would interpret my reaction oppositely.

That bastard! I only even knew him by name and yet he had the nerve!