Obsessed with Regressors

“What are you doing?”

 

Oliver’s eyes widened while he was eating an omelet. She saw him look at his mother and he sighed. She thought her brother and mother would be against it, but she didn’t feel very good when they actually show such a straight face.

 

“The swimming pool. I’m thinking of charging an entrance fee.”

 

At her explanation, her mother put down the glass she was holding. She even told her mother that Elliot had given her permission to use the ship as she pleased. She also said that she would tell her close friends that they should go swimming on the boat. The problem came next.

 

“By admission fee, do you mean to charge money?”

 

She nodded to her mother’s question. She hadn’t had a bite of the omelette yet, but she was so nervous that she lost her appetite. She said, lifting the teacup to moisten her dry mouth.

 

“There are a lot of people who want to come.”

 

“You only have to invite close people. You can’t invite just anyone who wants to come.”

 

That’s right. But she wanted to do something different with that boat.

 

“I want to experience it.”

 

She said, sipping her tea. After hearing Lauren’s story, she also became curious. Could she make money? Until recently, it never occurred to her that she would never get married. For her, it was natural to get married, and she thought her life would be to become a member of another family, rule that family, and raise a successor. Of course, that thought still remains. If nothing else happens, she would probably get married. The reason she couldn’t be sure it’s Elliot was because of what happened with Awning. But, what if there was no one to suit her after her engagement with Awning broke off? Of course, Oliver and her mother would have somehow found someone to marry her. But what if she had to enter a monastery as a last resort? Entering a monastery wasn’t that bad. However, she heard that secular books were not allowed in the monastery. The novel she was reading now with monsters in it would never be allowed to be brought in.

 

“Lauren said that. She wants to live by earning money on her own without getting married or going to a monastery.”

 

“Ha!”

 

Oliver was the first to snort as if it was ridiculous. Was it funny? She glanced at him. Then Oliver said while eating the remaining omelette.

 

“What are you going to do to make money?”

 

Her? No, he meant Lauren. She wrinkled her nose. She was thinking about that.

 

“Lauren doesn’t know.”

 

“How can you make money if you don’t know anything? Tell her to get married.”

 

Huh. She was about to tell Oliver to be quiet. Her mother said, putting down the teacup.

 

“You go, Oliver. Please.”

 

“Yes, Oliver. Brother, just go.”

 

“Eugenie, you go too.”

 

She got scolded for interfering for no reason. She remained silent as her mother told her to quickly choose one of three suitors. She glanced at Oliver and saw that he was also keeping his mouth shut with a disapproving expression.

 

“What experience do you want to have?”

 

Her mother’s attack was directed at her again. Wasn’t that an attack? She spoke cautiously.

 

“I want to make money.”

 

Mother and Oliver’s gaze collided again. Oliver asked while her mother was lost in her thoughts.

 

“Is Count Burns a dog?”

 

“Oliver!”

 

Criticism poured in from her and her mother. She got angry and asked her mother how to use words properly, and she scolded her. This meant asking if he was poor, not if he was a dog.

 

“I don’t know if Count Burns is poor. I’m not interested in his property.”

 

She shrugged her shoulders and said. Oliver said after swallowing the rest of his omelette.

 

“Oh, the reason we like Count Burns is because of his wealth.”

 

It’s not. She shook her head and her mother said nothing. Then Oliver asked in confusion.

 

“Mother?”

 

“You’re noisy.”

 

If you think about it that way, she’d like to ask what makes Oliver better than Elliot, but she would have to hold back. Her mother turned her head and asked her as she didn’t say anything.

 

“It’s probably not because of Count Burns. Is it because of that girl named Liz?”

 

“It’s not necessarily because of her.”

 

When asked if she was influenced by Lauren, who said she wanted to make her own money and make a living, she tried to shake her head but stopped. It was true that she was stimulated, so could she say that she was influenced?

 

“When I broke off my engagement with Awning…”

 

When she opened her mouth again, the atmosphere in the restaurant calmed down. Oliver put down the fork and knife he was holding, and her mother raised the teacup again. She tried to speak as lightly as possible, but it wasn’t that easy.

 

“I was thinking about going to a monastery.”

 

“Why are you going to the monastery?”

 

Oliver’s retort came out immediately. Even though her brother was annoying, she was thankful at times like this. She grinned at Oliver, then turned to her mother and spoke again.

 

“Of course, I still have no intention of doing that. But I will admit that I am lucky.”

 

If she had not been lucky, if Elliot or Sir Ryan had not courted her, she would have gone to a monastery or lived with Oliver for the rest of her life.

 

‘Ugh, it’s so horrible that I have to live with Oliver for the rest of my life.’

 

“So you want to make money?”

 

Her mother asked her as she trembled with terrible thoughts. She didn’t want to make a lot of money. She was not trying to do anything grandiose like a business. She nodded and said.

 

“Even if I marry someone, you never know what will happen.”

 

Her husband may die early, or her husband’s business may suddenly decline and his finances may suffer. That kind of thing wasn’t rare. Her mother said, nodding her head.

 

“So did Miss Sipper.”

 

She remembered. After the death of Miss Sipper’s husband, who suddenly collapsed, the lady realized that her husband’s business was only at a loss, she was told. Her debtors were piling up and she did not know how to sort out her husband’s business. Fortunately, people around her helped her, but she had to sell her family home. She knew how to manage people and how to read and write accounts. But making money was a different matter. Miss Schipper also kept the books, but she didn’t know that her husband’s business was in trouble.

 

“Mother said the same thing. You don’t have to do the housework, but you have to know how to do it.”

 

In any case, servants did things like meal preparation, cleaning, and laundry. But her mother told her from a young age that she should know what to do. For example, when cleaning, you have to brush first.

 

“I see you don’t know something, Eugenie. Getting paid means people’s expectations are also rising.”

 

Oh. She tried to clap her hands reflexively, but stopped. She didn’t know Oliver could say such smart things. But if she showed that, her mother would scold her. She said as she naturally clasped her raised hands and placed them on the table.

 

“Huh. It would be an experience to guess that.”

 

Wasn’t that what makes money? She looked at her mother. She took a sip of tea and her mother looked like she was thinking about something.

 

“You said you wanted to do business with your own ship, did Count Burns allow it?”

 

That’s something he’s already given permission to do. She’s using his boat. Of course, she said, she would pay to rent the boat. People may cause vandalism and it costs money to maintain the boat.

 

“Yes. I was trying to pay a boat fee, but Count Burns suggested we join in business.”

 

Elliot said he would not charge a certain amount as a usage fee, but a percentage of the amount earned. That would make it easier to calculate. To be honest, it was a favor since she didn’t expect to make much money.

 

“Good. Then let’s do it this way.”

 

After taking a few more sips of her tea, her mother opened her mouth. She continued her words, putting down her teacup.

 

“That business is ultimately run by Count Burns. You are just helping him with his business. Do you understand?”

 

“Yes?”

 

If you ask her, wasn’t it the opposite? Why should they do that? Oliver wrinkled his nose and said to her who looked confused.

 

“Mom is right. What would people say if a woman who wasn’t even married started a business?”

 

“What?”

 

She knew what he meant. Oh, shit. Right. She just covered her head with both hands. She was so caught up in the idea of making money, helping Lauren and giving other women in the same situation as her a chance to learn how to swim, that she forgot something important. Business was for men. Although there were cases where women helped their husbands’ business after marriage or took over the business after their husbands’ death, it was not a good idea for an unmarried young woman like her to run a business. It meant she lost. Suddenly, she wondered if Elliot had thought about this before agreeing to work with her. However, he was a new noble and did not know the etiquette of nobles. Didn’t he know? He was a dreamer. He said he was next to her as the king of Balcian, which was nothing but ruins. So that meant he was a nobleman.

 

“Eugenie, please invite Count Burns.”

 

“Yes?”

 

She was lost in thought and looked up in confusion. Her mother told her, surprised, as if it was no big deal.

 

“I don’t mind if you chose Count Burns, but if not, shouldn’t we talk about it? He might be misunderstanding.”

 

For a split second, she didn’t understand what her mother was saying. But soon she understood what it meant that she had chosen Count Burns. So, what she meant was, if she decided to accept Elliot’s advances and she didn’t want to go into business with him, then they needed to talk about it properly.

 

* * *

 

“I know what the Countess is worried about.”

 

That afternoon, at the teahouse she stopped by while taking a walk, Elliot spoke firmly. She was delivering her mother’s invitation. What? She stopped lifting her teacup and looked at him. Elliot was also raising his teacup. He was the same as her, right? She looked at Elliot’s glass, which looked much smaller than the one she was holding, and then returned his gaze to hers.

 

“Isn’t the Countess worried that I will think that this incident has sealed my marriage to you?”

 

She couldn’t help but gape at Elliot’s next words. This guy was really quick-witted, wasn’t he?

 

“You don’t have to worry. Because I don’t think like that.”

 

Elliot said and sipped his tea.

 

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