“Si-Si-Sister…”
“Yes, Allice.”
Crunch. I twisted my heel. Smiling brightly, I asked, “This is a precious flower, isn’t it? But Allice, is it precious to me too?”
“Sister Dana!”
“Don’t think at your level. This is nothing more than a piece of trash to me.”
I grinned. Crushing the Moonlight Flower under my shoe, I pushed it aside. “Take this and get out.”
* * *
Returning to her room, Allice burst into tears. “Sob. Sob.”
“Don’t cry, Allice. Okay?”
“But Miona, sob, sister, sister!”
Miona looked sympathetically at Allice. “What did Dana say to you?”
“I went to apologize to sister with a Moonlight Flower as a gift, but she…” Allice gasped for breath. “Sister said it was a lowly gift.”
“What?”
“And, sob, she smashed the pot and said my Moonlight Flower business will fail…”
“Oh my god! How could she!” Miona was shocked. “Dana is still so wicked.”
“Do-don’t say that.”
“Show her. Prove you can do well!”
“But how? I don’t know anything.”
Allice was genuinely scared. She went to the academy just because all the children of noble families went there. At the academy, her favorite subject was piano, and she barely passed classes in economics and management.
“Don’t worry. I’m here!” Miona confidently exclaimed.
Come to think of it, Miona always scored high in those subjects. Moreover, Miona’s father, Viscount Kruz, was the head of a trading company. Though he lost everything in a shipwreck…
“T-then, do you have a good idea?” Allice hesitantly asked.
Miona pondered. “Yes. I do have a good idea.”
“What is it…?”
* * *
“What?” Huan scowled. “Sell Moonlight Flower bulbs?”
“Yes.”
“That’s absurd, Allice! Selling roots that haven’t even bloomed!”
“It’s not about selling the roots. It’s about selling the right to receive them once they bloom.” Allice repeated Miona’s explanation. “We can promise the flowers and sell the roots in advance.”
“Nonsense! Where did you get such a foolish—”
“Wait.”
Eric, a vassal of the Windsor family and the man in charge of the moonlight flower business, intervened. “It’s a great idea.”
“Huh?” Huan was baffled at Eric’s words. Good idea?
“It’s pre-selling. A fantastic concept.” Those words came out of Eric’s mouth. He genuinely admired the idea.
“Like Lady Allice said, we can secure several years of future earnings in advance.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it. Did you come up with this, Lady Allice?”
Allice hesitated. Technically, it was Miona’s idea, but… If I hadn’t asked Miona, this idea wouldn’t have emerged. So, in a way, it was her idea.
Blushing slightly, Allice smiled. “Yes.”
“You are truly brilliant, Milady. I didn’t know you were such an intelligent person.”
Huan muttered discontentedly, “Hmph. Suspicious. I doubt it.” He was displeased.
Selling bulbs? That’ll make it harder for me to sneak away moonlight flowers!
In fact, Huan had been planning to slowly sneak away some moonlight flowers to create a moonlight flower garden. But now, if they’re pre-selling the bulbs as well— the management will become even more stringent than before. Then, sneaking them away will be nearly impossible!
Dana said she’d consider marrying me if I could create a moonlight flower garden!
“I’m opposed to it. The moonlight flower business is booming as it is. There’s no need to take such a risky challenge.”
Then Allice looked straight at Huan. “Even if Uncle opposes it, it’s no use.”
“What?”
“I’ve got my parents’ permission and have been put in charge of sales. So, even if Uncle opposes, I’m going to sell the bulbs.”
In an instant, a thick vein popped on Huan’s forehead. Could it be, this girl right now. Is she defying me?!
He was furious. He wanted to slap her right then and there, but if his sister and brother-in-law— if it reached their ears, he would surely face their wrath. So, he had to endure.
Damn it, you b*tch.
* * *
It was a week later.
“Lord, have you heard?” Sandra boasted with her nose in the air. “Thanks to our Allice’s idea, the moonlight flower business is thriving!”
The past week had been like a dream for Sandra. After Allice got involved, the bidding price for moonlight flowers at the auction had more than doubled. Moreover, in just a week!
“Our Allice, isn’t she amazing?”
Carl Windsor was also beaming with pride as he bragged about his daughter’s achievements. “Truly brilliant, haha!”
However,
“It’s too early to conclude.” Viego Windsor spoke coolly. “While it’s profitable in the short term, we need to respond nimbly to ensure that this upward trend continues.”
“Of course, of course! I believe in my daughter’s abilities!”
Meanwhile, the heroine of the praise, Allice Windsor, was blushing red.
It was the past week. Moonlight flowers had broken the record for the highest price at every auction they appeared at, and the bulb auction was also successful.
I heard the first bulb auction sold for an incredibly high price.
A week ago, a bunch of moonlight flowers were sold at 3 billion Fran. But at yesterday’s auction, a moonlight flower sold for 6 billion Fran. The bulbs were nearly the same price.
I didn’t expect it to go this well.
Allice glanced at Dana’s face. Was she feeling defeated? Dana was silently eating her stew with a smile-less face.
She must be embarrassed. After all, she was engrossed in bizarre delusions that Allice would ruin the moonlight flower business within a month. What will she do now?
In reality, I’m on a roll.
How embarrassed and awkward must she be feeling now? How envious must she be?
Having won the love of His Highness the Crown Prince and now being called a business genius…
She must be dying of envy. How pitiful is she now?
Poor Sister Dana. So pitiable.
At that moment, their eyes met.
“…”
Allice felt a pang of discomfort. Why?
She immediately realized. Dana still doesn’t envy her. She still doesn’t feel miserable. Still.
Could she be denying reality?
Yes, that must be it. She couldn’t possibly accept this reality.
The sister, who was always the object of admiration, now has to watch like an audience.
But sister, denying reality is a dangerous act.
What if she continues to live in delusions?
Allice looked at Dana with pity, her poor cousin sister denying her own pathetic state.
Look, isn’t she still not smiling subtly? Right?
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