“Keugh!”
Two of Huan’s teeth flew out in a perfect arc.
“Kyaa! Uncle!”
Dana screamed, but Carl’s ears heard nothing.
“You insolent b*stard, how dare you lay a hand on my niece?”
Pow! Carl’s fist struck Huan once more.
How dare he propose elopement to Dana? To covet Dana’s fortune behind his back, such an ungrateful b*stard!
“Stop, Uncle!”
Only after Dana clung to him did Carl lower his fist.
“Uncle, please stop—”
At that moment, Dana was inwardly shocked. His arm muscles were incredibly tense and bulging, and the pulse felt below was throbbing madly. Is he really losing his temper to this extent?
Carl was indeed furious to the core. Dana had expected him to be angry, but not to this extent.
“Sorry. Dana. I’m sorry, really sorry.” Carl hastily wiped his face with his free hand. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have let you see that, right?” Then, as if to reassure her, he forced a late smile. But it only felt off-putting, given that Huan’s blood was still spattered on his cheek.
“It seems Huan has been tormenting you.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“What do you have to be sorry for? It’s that bas… I mean, that man who’s wrong for exploiting your good nature.” Carl embraced Dana and patted her back. “I should have noticed sooner. I’m sorry.”
Dana buried her face in his embrace and swallowed her laughter. Sorry? Rather, I’m grateful. He got angrier than she had expected. Thanks to that, things were about to go even more smoothly.
* * *
“Carl, what on earth have you done?!” Sandra, holding her completely unconscious younger brother, wailed. “How could you do this to my younger brother? How!”
“You should be thankful it ended just that way, Sandra.”
“Honey!”
“Pathetic and incompetent brat. I pulled him out of the back alley gambling dens and gave him a chance to be a proper man, yet he had the audacity to…” Carl gritted his teeth. “He proposed to Danae. Even suggested elopement.”
Sandra blinked. Her gaze was as if asking, ‘And? So what?’
“You beat him up over something so trivial?”
“Trivial?”
“Yes! What’s wrong with Huan! Are you saying my brother isn’t good enough for Danae?”
“You think he’s suitable? The incompetent, gambling-addicted fool and Dana, who has even received honors from the imperial family?”
“You! Are you insulting Huan now?!”
“That’s not all. Huan gave Danae a bouquet of moonlight flowers! He must have been secretly stealing them all this time!”
“Don’t you dare insult my brother! Only I can do that!”
Carl and Sandra’s marital argument grew increasingly intense.
Meanwhile, unaware of these events, Allice was immersed in deep happiness.
“Your Highness, have you seen the newspaper?” Allice snuggled into Raios’s embrace with a shy smile.
“Yes, I saw it.” Raios stroked her hair with one hand and smoked a cigar with the other. “You were in the newspaper. <Allice Windsor, a Pioneer of New Markets>.”
“Hehe.”
“That’s great, Allice. I didn’t know you had such talent.”
Yay, he praised me. Allice laughed softly and nuzzled his chest. Now, it was an embrace only she could enjoy. I’m so happy.
But Sister Dana wouldn’t receive such love from His Highness anymore. That thought made her feel a little guilty.
“I feel sorry for Sister Dana,” Allice muttered sadly. “I feel so guilty. I don’t even know if I deserve to be this happy.”
“Why not? This is your achievement. Enjoy it.”
Encouraged by his words, Allice felt happiness surge again.
“Your Highness.” Allice hugged Raios tightly. “I love you, Your Highness.”
“How cute.” Raios gently ruffled her hair.
As the sweet moment passed, a messenger arrived that evening. It was a letter from Windsor Duchy—sent by her mother, Sandra Windsor.
Uncle and dad are fighting because of Sister Dana?!
“Your Highness, may I borrow some pen and paper?”
“Huh? Why?”
“I need to write a letter.”
“What for?”
“Well, it’s just…” Allice hesitated. “Uncle Huan proposed to Sister Dana.”
“…”
“And dad is very angry. As you know, dad thinks of Sister Dana as his daughter.”
Raios listened expressionlessly. His face, devoid of any emotion, resembled a perfect fainting. Only his cigar, burning bright red at the tip, showed any sign of life.
“Here.” After a while, Raios gestured to the table. “Take whatever you need and write.”
* * *
[To my dear Sister Dana.]
A letter arrived from Allice.
[Sister, I’m still at the imperial palace. His Highness keeps holding me back, so I can’t return home. I’m sorry to send a letter instead.]
Dana sipped her coffee and slowly read the letter.
[Could you please talk to dad for me? Actually, Uncle Huan is a good person when you get to know him. He’s manly and has a strong sense of responsibility.]
She laughed. Manly, really?
[Sister, being caught up in rumors isn’t good for you either. I hope you make a wise choice for the sake of your reputation.]
[I don’t think Uncle’s love is a sin.]
“Unbelievable, this girl.” Dana crumpled Allice’s letter. “How did she manage to hide this personality all this time?”
She was truly extraordinary.
It was then.
“Danae!”
Bang, the door opened, and Sandra entered.
“What’s so lacking about Huan!”
Is she going to grab me by hair again? If so, I should hit her with a book this time. Dana casually reached for a book, just in case.
“Huan may be immature, but he’s not a bad person!”
Oh, it seems they really had a major fight. Sandra’s eyes were swollen from crying, and worse—Ugh, the stench of alcohol. The strong scent of whiskey hit her nose.
“So talk to Carl for me! Okay? Tell him Huan seems like a nice man. Okay? Okay?”
“I don’t want to.”
“What’s so lacking about my brother! He may be a little bloated now, but he used to be adorable!”
“…”
“Huan was a sweet child! He’d follow me around calling me ‘Sister, Sister’—sob, sob—he was so cute!” Then Sandra burst into a loud wail. “Waaah, my poor younger brother. How did he end up as a gambling-addicted, potbellied loser? So pitiful!”
She’s drunk. Completely drunk.
“Ah, I see now. You’re upset because of Allice!”
Why is she bringing up Allice now? Dana was beginning to find this drunken rant both amusing and tiresome.
“Allice is rising to success, and it must be making you jealous. So, you’re taking it out on Huan, right? That’s it, right”
As Sandra wildly pointed her finger at Dana, hurling accusations, the door opened, and Dana’s secretary entered. Sandra glanced at him and let out a rough, mocking laugh.
“Ah, now I understand. You’ve taken in a young and handsome lover, so a man like Huan doesn’t even catch your eyes anymore.”
“He’s my secretary, not my lover.”
“Of course, a secretary. A very handsome one at that. What a waste not to use him for other purposes!”
Really, mother and daughter shared a terrifyingly similar thought process.
“Come on, why don’t you lend me your lover! How much do you want! Huh?! Name your price!”
After that ridiculous drunken outburst, Sandra was finally dragged out of the room by the servants. It felt like watching a one-woman show. Completely drained, Dana let out a deep sigh.
“Lethe, I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“It’s not your fault, Milady.” Her secretary adjusted his silver-rimmed glasses. “So, what will Milady do now?”
“We’ll stick to the plan.”
It was the perfect timing. Dana had already been in a foul mood, and Sandra had just poured fuel on the fire.
“Is the price of a single Moonlight Flower worth 2 billion Fran right now?”
“Yes.”
2 billion Fran for a single flower. It was almost madness. But it was precisely the price Dana had been aiming for. So now…
“Lethe.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s start tonight.”
Allice, I hope you have sweet dreams tonight. Because starting tomorrow, your reality will turn into a nightmare.
* * *
<Shocking! Moonlight Flower Price Plummets!>
<Being Sold at Half the Auction Price in the Black Market!>
The next morning, Allice stared blankly at the newspaper.
Thanks for the translation!
Thank you dear translator Alyalia for such a funny chapter!❤️🔥