The general store of the ‘Babeloa-Hesman’ trading company was located not even a hundred meters away, right near my stationery store.
It was situated directly in front of the academy’s main gate, in a prime commercial area always visible whenever carriages passed by.
Right in front of this bustling commercial area, the flag of the Babeloa ducal family fluttered in the wind. Being much closer to the academy than my stationery store, it was obvious I would lose all my customers to them if they sold similar items.
Whether Hildegard was starting a new business near the academy because of me, I couldn’t say.
But it seemed she was planning to interfere with my business, in precisely the same manner as before, surprisingly.
I surveyed the construction site that was bustling with activity.
Materials were being piled up by magic, and workers and wizards measuring the land were busy coming and going.
A wizard approached me as I stood there, arms crossed, observing the situation.
“This is a construction site; could you please step aside a bit?”
In a voice neither low nor high, clear and distinct, I asked,
“Oh, what’s being built here?”
“A general store… You could say, a store for children, something like that. The ducal family’s wealth is really something, isn’t it?”
I crossed my arms, watching the wizard who answered earnestly. They were preoccupied with measuring the land and discussing how to build the structure.
“How long will it take to complete?”
“Oh, it’s quite a large project. But we plan to build it as quickly as possible. The client requested it that way.”
The wizard answered my question sincerely.
He seemed to think I was someone involved with the site. Or perhaps he thought this information was not that secretive.
The reason for employing many wizards to build the building quickly was one.
It meant they were going to completely bury my stationery store, which had just begun to get word-of-mouth at the academy. It was obvious that a big building that would catch everyone’s eyes was going to be built.
This might just follow the same path to ruin as Meldenik Babeloa did in the past.
“I thought of finding my way out comfortably without any thoughts of revenge…”
Why do they keep provoking me?
“I understand now.”
I had planned to lure the children in nicely, pat their cute, round heads, and enjoy a happy life.
“So, you decided to become an obstacle in my life?”
However I think about it, I see this as self-defense.
I turned around and walked towards my stationery store.
Did you think only you could play dirty, Hildegard?
“I guess I have to go back to the stationery store.”
Since Hildegard used such cowardly tactics, I had to create an opportunity to save my stationery store. And fortunately, I vaguely knew the tactics Hildegard was using.
“How should I deal with this? Maybe find a way to eliminate it, like removing a cancerous cell.”
I walked past the construction site and outside of the stationery store, deep in thought.
“The first thing I need to do is…”
But it was right then.
Someone roughly grabbed my wrist while I was gathering my thoughts.
What the. As if I wasn’t busy enough, now someone decides to rudely touch me without any manners?
I turned my gaze to look at the person who rudely grabbed my wrist.
“Eh? Duke Hesman?”
Appearing suddenly at an unexpected moment, he grabbed my wrist tightly like an old-fashioned male protagonist from an ancient movie.
“This guy, not only isn’t he a street performer who came last year, but he also keeps coming back without dying.”
He opened his mouth arrogantly.
“I don’t know if you’re aware, but the Baberoa and Hesman ducal families have decided to cooperate.”
I scratched my chin while looking at his prickly beard around his mouth.
“Ah, is that so?”
“We have started a business targeting children since the beginning of this year, aiming for the academy.”
‘This is quite surprising. Are we becoming direct rivals?’
However, I did not want to pay attention to an adulterer, so I responded as blandly as possible.
“Good luck. I support you. Hope it’s a smash hit.”
Was he angry because my response was entirely different from what he had intended?
Veins throbbed on his temples.
“I could easily crush the insignificant business you’ve set up.”
“Oh, yes.”
Ignoring him, I exerted strong force on my wrist to shake him off and took a step.
“Answer properly, Lady Meldenik.”
“Ah, I don’t have a hobby of responding to spam messages.”
The Duke of Hesman’s face twisted severely.
How does it feel to be ignored after being read and never replied to? Serves you right, you bastard.
“Whether it’s the academy, or the young ladies and gentlemen before their débuts, they will all end up using our services.”
“……”
“So just wrap up the small business before it fails. Cancel the dismissal, and let’s pretend the engagement breakup never happened.”
He seemed to be gracing me with a favor as he lifted the corners of his mouth.
Why do I keep forgetting? I’m not the Meldenik Babeloa of the past.
“Fail or not, my future is for me to decide. So, goodbye.”
I took a step away from him.
However, he stepped forward, blocking my path again.
“Well, you say you want to decide your future, but haven’t you always ended up failing?”
The word ‘fail’ flowing from his red lips scratched at my patience.
It’s true that the past Meldenik failed and broke down frequently.
But it irked me even more when the disparaging comments came from Lennox Hesman, who had contributed to my downfall.
I smirked at him.
“Ah, forget it. Did you forget I said I’d make you the ‘national adulterer’ if you pestered me again?”
“I swear I’ve never committed adultery. Being called the national adulterer is absurd.”
I glared at him, seriously considering.
‘Murder once saves you the patience of three times…’
Should I just commit murder?
Unaware of my thoughts, Lennox looked at me with his arrogant face.
Becoming a murderer would ruin my life, so I held back.
I took a deep breath, looking around to calm my mind and body.
Something strange flickered behind him. It seemed like a small egg, wrapped in something, making it hard to identify.
“But there was no time to pay attention to anything else.
At the moment, I had to pay attention to the man in front of me, so I couldn’t afford to care about anything else.
“It seems you don’t understand. Listen. You even went on a trip with Sheria, just the two of you.”
“There was no physical relationship.”
“Everyone in society thought you two were lovers.”
“That’s-”
“Have you ever denied that? Also, you went to cocktail parties together. You two were quite the perfect partners, weren’t you?”
He clicked his tongue at my firm voice.
“I told you several times that we were just business partners!”
“Can you assert there was absolutely no affection? Even if you didn’t intend to make a fool of me, your actions have sufficiently done so.”
Lennox, looking annoyed, then carelessly tossed a bracelet into my hand.
“Take it.”
I felt a sense of déjà vu looking at the bracelet he handed me.
“It’s the gift you always begged for.”
“Ha…”
I was Meldenik, who had clung to Lennox, envying the gifts he gave to Sheria.
While Sheria received all sorts of magical artifacts and love letters from him, Meldenik was consumed with envy.
He must still think I’m Meldenik, like a pet begging for his attention.
“Are you trying to make amends to me now?”
I clenched the bracelet in my hand as if it was about to break.
“Yes, amends. Oh, let’s make one thing clear. Are you threatening to spread rumors that I’m a national adulterer?”
He looked around carefully, then whispered in a low, malicious tone.
“Who would believe someone like you?”
Lennox looked down on me arrogantly, urging an answer.
Carat and stick, is it? Then it’s my turn to answer.
“I don’t care if you don’t believe me.”
He doesn’t know that I’ve already taken countless things from him, starting with Dominic.
‘If you continue to block my way, I’ll take everything you have.’
It was right then, when I felt it was pointless to continue talking.
Something fast and quick started to run towards us from a distance.
Then, it raised both hands high, blocking my path.
With a bit of exaggeration, a girl half my height opened her small mouth and glared towards Lennox, her neatly done hair shaking swiftly in the air.
“This, this trash, scum! I, I believe in the words of Lady Meldenik!”
I was taken aback. Thus, I could only stare blankly at the back of the head of the young girl who, I believe, had never spoken a harsh word in her life.
‘What, what is this.’
The girl stood in front of me, clenched her small fist tightly, and glared at Lennox, looking as though she could throw a few punches if I didn’t intervene.
However, I couldn’t bring myself to utter a word.
‘Wait. Her voice sounds familiar, like the little girl who came by a while ago, but that face, that means…!’
She was Lady Mirisa, the youngest lady of the Hesman Ducal family, and Lennox’s sister.
