“Brother Calypso~, I’m going now~”
Calypso responded to my farewell with a face as if he had bitten into something bitter. I didn’t mind and left the classroom, heading straight to the butler’s office.
I had to submit my assignment to Mr. Cerberus.
“Did you submit your assignment again today? You must be in the middle of the monthly evaluation.”
“Yes. Madam Freya said I shouldn’t let my guard down.”
“Hm, but Miss Berry…”
After receiving my assignment, Mr. Cerberus checked whether the office door was properly closed, then lowered his voice to a whisper.
“During this field study, did Young Master Reytan mention anything about Blue Trading Company’s stock? Like whether it would collapse or thrive in the future…”
Oh? I looked up at the butler with keen interest.
“Are you planning to buy stocks?”
“Well, I need to investigate further and be sure of the information… Ah, no, I shouldn’t be saying such things to you.”
Though he waved his hands dismissively, there was an undeniable anticipation in his eyes. That was the look of someone who had already made up his mind to invest.
Where had he heard such enticing information?
It was clear that Mr. Cerberus wanted my dad’s opinion to be sure about purchasing stocks. He still believed that the information I had previously given about the ink company’s stocks had come from my dad.
‘What should I do? This time, he’s picked a good stock.’
Blue Trading Company was a mid-sized firm that had been steadily growing for years. It continued its upward trend, and by the time I became an adult, it had firmly established itself as a major trading company.
‘But last time, I only shared the ink company’s stock info because I didn’t want Jacob to become the next butler.’
Giving away high-level information repeatedly wasn’t a good idea, especially since Mr. Cerberus was my uncle Hevant’s closest aide.
‘Wait… Does that mean the source of information about Blue Trading Company is my uncle?’
Suddenly, a vivid memory flashed in my mind—an encounter between my adult self and the head of Blue Trading Company.
— I’ve heard a lot about you. The useless youngest granddaughter of the Travel Count family, is that right? Are you here to bring in more profits for us again? In our business, people like you are called ‘easy targets.’
— I’ve heard a lot about you too. My uncle’s obedient little cash cow, right? A company of this scale should be able to stand on its own without bowing down to the Travel family. Did my uncle blackmail you?
— You’re sharp. I suppose that’s to be expected from someone who willingly plays the fool.
‘That’s it!’
As soon as I recalled that scene, more connected pieces of information rushed into my mind.
Blue Trading Company was one of my uncle’s most significant allies. More precisely, it was his largest financial backer—but their relationship was based on blackmail.
‘Wow.’
My heart pounded.
Since my dad’s killer was someone from our family, my uncle was a suspect as well.
“Miss Berry?”
I looked at Mr. Cerberus in front of me, deep in thought.
It seemed highly likely that my uncle was the source of this stock information.
‘But why is he still hesitating about whether to buy? Mr. Cerberus is my uncle’s right-hand man. Does that mean my uncle and Blue Trading Company aren’t that deeply connected yet?’
If that were the case, it was actually an opportunity.
I could stop Blue Trading Company from becoming my uncle’s financial pipeline.
‘Then I need someone to keep an eye on my uncle’s dealings with Blue Trading Company and provide me with information!’
For example—
Someone like Mr. Cerberus, my uncle’s closest aide.
“Blueberry Trading Company?”
“It’s just… Blue Trading Company.”
“Ohh, that might be it. Their sign has a white hourglass on a blue background, right?”
“Yes…! Have you heard something about them?”
I nodded, and Mr. Cerberus’ eyes lit up with excitement. He was eager to know what I had seen or heard.
“My dad did say something about them, but…”
“You don’t remember?”
“Nope.”
Sigh. Mr. Cerberus’ shoulders dropped as if they were about to touch the ground. But when I spoke again, his shoulders tensed up.
“Should I ask my dad about the stock for you?”
“Y-Yes! I mean… Yes…”
It seemed like an offer he couldn’t refuse. I could practically see the hesitation dripping from him.
“Should I do it secretly? Or should I tell him you’re the one asking?”
“…Secretly would be best.”
I leaned in and whispered to him as if we were sharing a deep secret.
“Then tell me exactly what you want me to ask my dad.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, Berry don’t know anything about stocks. Mr. Cerberus, you have to tell me exactly what you want to know about Blue Trading Company.”
Mr. Cerberus hesitated for a moment, looking at my innocent, pure expression. Then, unable to resist, he crouched down and whispered in my ear.
“Well, you see—”
Hehe. This is why being seven years old is great.
***
“Berry.”
I had just left the butler’s office, feeling lighter after my secret conversation with Mr. Cerberus when someone called out to me.
A boy with jet-black hair that shimmered under the sunlight stood by the outdoor hallway connected to the training grounds. His face shone just as brightly as his hair, but that was because Theon was ridiculously handsome.
“Wow! Theon!”
I waved enthusiastically at him. Theon, who had just walked in through the entrance, tilted his head slightly.
“Did something happen?”
“No? Why?”
“You seem happy.”
“Well, you see, tomorrow is the exam—”
Oh, right.
Theon was here because of the exam tomorrow.
Last week, I had run straight to my dad, asking for help.
“Dad! This is bad! Social dance is on the exam list!”
“They’re testing you on something you’ve never learned?”
“Sister Harty and Brother Marty said I have to take it too! If I don’t score at least 60 points, Grandpa will be furious! What do I do?”
“I’ll teach you.”
“But what about a partner? You’re too tall, Dad.”
“…….….”
And that’s how Theon ended up being my dance partner. Jeffrey was eliminated from the candidate list because he was a whole one centimeter shorter than me.
Theon had never danced before, but since it was a physical activity, he quickly picked up the basic steps.
Now, we could practice on our own without my dad’s guidance.
There was no exam tomorrow, which meant Theon didn’t actually have to be my dance partner today.
‘If he doesn’t practice with me, he’ll just go back to training with his sword again, won’t he?’
Ever since our trip to the Grand Temple and Leaf Village, Theon had been obsessed with swordsmanship training.
Like someone who had finally found a clear goal.
Unless he was eating, sleeping, or running an errand for my dad, he was always at the training grounds.
“Umm—”
I dragged my words out as I glanced at Theon’s hands.
Calluses had formed, some had burst, and new wounds appeared every day. Even now, fresh bandages were wrapped around his fingers, slightly stained with blood.
‘He really shouldn’t train any more today.’
He needed time for his wounds to heal, but Theon kept secretly practicing with his sword even when my dad told him to rest.
If his wounds didn’t heal properly, they could get infected and cause a fever. And if that happened, he’d be stuck in bed, in even worse shape.
If I had known, I would have asked Grandma Marshall for some Brokia healing medicine. But she had taken it to Bonwell Village for research.
I crossed my arms and looked at Theon.
“I’m just excited for tomorrow’s test! So let’s go practice dancing!”
I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear anything from Madam Freya today!
***
The monthly evaluation was proceeding without any problems.
I barely managed to score over 60 points, and even Calypso experienced the highest score of his life.
It must have tasted sweet because he started coming to the classroom every day to study.
‘As expected, Berry the Tutor’s summary notes are unbeatable!’
Seeing immediate results, he must have realized how powerful my study guides were. Teaching was fun when someone actually followed along, but this was only until the end of this month’s evaluation. He might struggle again next month.
“Brother Calypso~, I’m going—”
“Just go already.”
Since we had been running into each other often in the classroom, he had started responding to my greetings, even if a little gruffly.
Meanwhile, my information-gathering on Blue Trading Company was going smoothly.
“The head of Blue Trading Company has been looking for medicinal herbs that are good for the eyes.”
“Medicinal herbs? Oh! When you eavesdropped last time, didn’t you hear that Blue Trading Company was asking my uncle to invest in them? Is it related—”
Mr. Cerberus would occasionally overhear investment talks when visiting the Diamond House. Lately, Blue Trading Company had been coming up in conversations more frequently.
He was debating whether it was worth investing in and had sought my dad’s advice.
“Shh! Miss Berry, let’s just forget about that. What did Young Master Reytan say…?”
“He said we need more information on Blue Trading Company before making a decision.”
“……….”
Sometimes, I could see Mr. Cerberus’ expression turn hesitant, as if wondering why he was even asking me for investment advice.
“Well, that milk company in yesterday’s newspaper! My dad said it looked promising while reading the article.”
Whenever that happened, I would casually drop hints about stocks that would see a little profit.
Seeing those stocks rise, Mr. Cerberus kept coming back for more information.
‘Uncle and Blue Trading Company still have no real connection.’
If that’s the case…
There was only one pressing concern left to deal with.
