ITETP Chapter 15

* * *

“Pardon?” Allice’s swollen eyes widened in disbelief. “Entrusting me with the Moonlight Flower business?”

 

“Yes!” Sandra, brimming with excitement, embraced her daughter. “Who’s your father? He’s the deputy head of the Windsor. He can do at least that much for you.”

 

“H-How can I possibly handle…”

 

“It’s okay. Huan will help you. Take charge of the business with your uncle!”

 

Huan, however, did not hide his displeasure.

 

“Think again, Older Sister. We’re talking about business. It’s a rough world even for men.”

 

“Shut up, Huan.”

 

“But think about it. A delicate young lady like Allice would be too busy with embroidery and piano lessons to survive in the world of men. Can Allice truly handle it?”

 

Smack! Sandra struck Huan in frustration, but his dissatisfaction remained.

 

What does an innocent airhead like her know to take charge of business?

 

Allice Windsor, his niece, was lovely, adorable, and beautiful—but that was it. She was just like a flower, a most precious one nurtured in a greenhouse. How could such a flower be expected to run a business?

 

It’s because of parachutes like her that talented people like me get criticized.

 

Just as Huan was about to object again,

 

“I-I’ll do it!” Allice clenched her small fist. “I can do it! I’ll work hard!”

 

Already feeling depressed, Allice saw this as an opportunity. She had let the fact that her engagement ceremony turned into a three-minute, lackluster event slide, but the real blow was Dana—her sister.

 

I still couldn’t believe it. How could older sister do that to me?

 

Sister Dana’s expression during the ceremony was still vivid in her mind. She had expected Sister Dana to look despondent, humiliated, or jealous. But instead… there wasn’t a hint of such emotion on her face. Sister Dana was just calm and poised.

 

I didn’t wish for her to suffer, but still.

 

Still.

 

Still!

 

It was an important day, wasn’t it? Was it too much to hope for a little admiration?

 

Feeling like she hadn’t received even the slightest congratulations left Allice utterly dejected. But that wasn’t all. The words Raios had said to Sister Dana dominated her thoughts.

 

He told Sister Dana that I would soon become the crown princess.

 

But then, what? Who would become the empress?

 

She couldn’t ask at the time, but Allice faintly sensed it. The empress would be Sister Dana. Of course, Raios’s love was entirely hers, but the position of the empress wasn’t something you could attain with love alone.

 

Sister has so much already. Honor and wealth—Sister Dana held them at their peak. But still…

 

What If I took the Moonlight Flower business?

 

The flower symbolizes the moon god. The mysterious flower that sparkles on its own and is considered more precious than jewels. If she could take charge of its exclusive trade, wouldn’t she be able to build her own reputation little by little?

 

More than anything, Sister Dana also wanted a Moonlight Flower! Her sister, who could have anything, asked the crown prince to give it to her as a gift!

 

Reaching that point in her thoughts, Allice was filled with determination. “I’ll do it. I can do it. I’ll work hard!”

 

* * *

“Allice?”

 

“Yes. She’s taken charge of the Moonlight Flower business.”

 

“Oh my.”

 

Dana couldn’t help but laugh. To become the lord of a sand castle that would soon collapse. Allice was truly unlucky.

 

Good. I was planning to teach her a lesson anyway. Let her suffer properly for once.

 

Dana handed some documents to her secretary. “Lethe, how many fake identities can you acquire?”

 

“With your resources, Milady, there’s nothing you can’t achieve.”

 

“Then purchase several and participate in the Moonlight Flower auction. Bid on as many flowers as possible at the highest prices.”

 

Lethe’s brows furrowed at that. “Are you trying to raise the price of Moonlight Flower right now?”

 

“Yes. That’s right.”

 

This was a trick often used in auctions. To raise the price of the auctioned items, agents are sometimes hired to call out high prices and intensify the competition. However, for me, who needs to decrease the value of Moonlight Flower, this method is not suitable.

 

One of the reasons for the popularity of the Moonlight Flower is that the supply can’t keep up with the demand. Too many people want Moonlight Flower, but very few can actually have them. That’s why its value skyrocketed day by day.

 

At that moment, Lethe raised his eyebrows as if he had nothing something. “Milady, are you planning to—”

 

“Sister Dana!”

 

At that moment, Allice burst in through the door. Then she halted, surprised.

 

“Si-Sister? What are you doing right now?”

 

What’s she talking about? On the subject of rudely entering without knocking.

 

“Lethe, leave us.”

 

“Yes, Milady.”

 

“Sister, you shouldn’t do that.”

 

“What?”

 

“No matter how heartbroken you are over parting with His Highness, meeting with your employee like this is a bit…”

 

“What?”

 

“Of course, your secretary is exceptionally handsome, but still…”

 

“…”

 

“I-If I offended you, I apologize.”

 

From start to finish, it was all nonsense, so Dana didn’t know where to start responding. They were talking closely because it was something confidential, but how could she misunderstand like that?

 

“Don’t make such an unpleasant assumption. Lethe is my secretary. And more importantly, whoever I meet with is none of your concern.” Dans spoke coldly. “And I have nothing to discuss with you. Leave.”

 

“Sister…”

 

“I said leave.”

 

However, instead of leaving, Allice hesitated and then approached closer. “Um, Sister.” Her face was flushed with anticipation. “Look, I’ve prepared a gift for you.”

 

Allice extended her hand, which had been hiding something behind her back until now. In her hand was a small potted plant—

 

“It’s a gift.”

 

A flower shining like moonlight. It was a Moonlight Flower.

 

“Last time, Sister was very upset because His Highness gave me this gift, right?” Allice looked at Dana with apologetic eyes, sighing pityingly. “It really hurt my heart at that time. I apologize once again. I’m sorry, Sister.”

 

“…”

 

“So, I prepared this instead. I’ve taken charge of the Moonlight Flower business.”

 

“…”

 

“But you can think of it as if it were given by His Highness, Sister.”

 

Dana felt a buzzing in her head. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

 

 “What do you mean, Allice?”

 

“I wanted to comfort Sister. You wanted this flower, right?”

 

So… She’s giving me this flower on behalf of Raios? Bubbling heat slowly rose from the bottom of her heart.

 

“Are you pitying me now?”

 

“No! I just wanted to comfort Sister!”

 

“Comfort? You’re giving me this flower as a consolation gift after stealing my fiancé?”

 

“That’s not it!” Allice shouted in a trembling voice. “Why do you always take it the wrong way, Sister? That wasn’t my intention!”

 

Unbelievable. Dana let out a hollow laugh. Anyone who saw this would think of her as a villainess.

 

“I thought Sister was still upset, so I wanted to make up and reconcile…”

 

Upset? Reconcile? How dare she utter such words?

 

All kinds of curses boiled up inside Dana like lava. What was even more unbearable was the look in Allice’s eyes, filled with nothing but goodwill. That was not a lie. It was sincere.

 

So. Allice truly believes that.

 

Ah, yes. Until the end, she’s the kind and benevolent one. It made Dana want to smash that face.

 

“Do you think this mere flower will cheer me up, Allice?”

 

No, Dana was going to smash it.

 

“Get rid of it right now. This means nothing to me.”

 

“Sister! T-This is a Moonlight Flower. It’s extremely hard to get. Even if it’s my father’s business… now that I’m handling it…”

 

“That’s what I mean. How insignificant must it be for someone like you to be in charge of that business?” Dana deliberately provoked Allice. It was to stimulate her competitive spirit.

 

“H-H-How can you say that?”

 

“I can guarantee that the Moonlight Flower business will fail within a month.”

 

This was sincere. It was also the truth. Dana clicked her tongue in pity.

 

“Poor Uncle Carl. It will be a big blow if the Moonlight Flower business fails…”

 

“Sister, please! Please stop saying such horrible things. I beg you!” Allice clasped her hands together and pleaded in a trembling voice. “No matter how upset you are, you shouldn’t say such things, Sister! No matter how miserable, you shouldn’t!”

 

“Miserable? Me?”

 

I rose from her chair and then pushed the pot away. Crash!

 

“Kyaa!”

 

The pot shattered, and the soil scattered everywhere.

 

Looking straight into Allice’s shocked eyes, Dana trampled on the Moonlight Flower. 

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