* * *
Meeting Cynthia and Raziana happened as quickly as I expected. As soon as the next morning came, I ran out happily to greet the two people who had come to the mansion.
“Welcome!”
Cynthia had gotten a little chubbier since I had last seen her, and she was so round and cute. Raziana, on the other hand, looked a little taller, and more importantly… … .
“You cut your hair short?!”
“Technically, it was chopped off.”
“… … ?”
To make a long story short, Raziana rebelled. She speaks against her father, who is trying to force her into an arranged marriage.
“The prospective groom said he wouldn’t allow his wife to write. Any other woman in the world could write, but not his wife.”
“Oh my god, what a lunatic.”
At that moment, an expletive slipped out unfiltered. Raziana shrugged her shoulders and nodded her head.
“Right? My father must have chosen that kind of man on purpose. So I rebelled. This haircut is proof of victory.”
“Victory, hmm, I feel so much better now that I know the end of the story.”
“Yes, that damn arranged marriage ended up falling through. He said he didn’t want to marry a girl with short hair.”
“Wow, it is really absurd.”
How do such bastards exist out there? I shook my head and squeezed Raziana’s hand.
“You did well.”
She had been through a lot. Still, it was really impressive that she persevered and didn’t give up until the end. It must not have been easy.
“Actually, it was the archduchess who gave us this courage.”
Cynthia softly said that to me. I looked at the two in turn with a puzzled look on my face. What did I do?
“Your Highness the Archduchess is truly wonderful. Even though she holds the position of Archduchess, she does not treat others rashly or disregard them… … .”
Uh, maybe that’s simply because I’m not from this world.
“You even stole Her Majesty’s favor as soon as you burst onto the scene, watering down the unsightly House of Crisiona.”
Hehe, it’s true that I did that. Raziana and Cynthia looked straight at me and went through each detail.
“You launched all sorts of clothing brands and made them wildly successful.”
“That’s right. And you also rode a black tiger!”
“You even went to the desert.”
“And that’s truly amazing! The desert… I will never be able to step outside Terran from the time I was born until the day I die.”
Cynthia, who was covering her cheeks, looked at me with genuine envy in her eyes, and I feel embarrassed at the admiration mixed in with it.
No, what is so great about me?
“You two, you didn’t join a fan club or anything, right?”
As soon as the question left my mouth, Cynthia made a shocked expression.
“… Did you join ……?”
“Uh, yeah, well, Lady Narnia insisted we join….”
“… … .”
Oh my god. From social circles to low-class society, what corner is there that hasn’t been poked and prodded?
I felt a headache, so I rubbed my temple. I avoided anything as conspicuous as a fan club. I don’t want to stand out like a sore thumb. No way.
Because the more I do, the more I’m going to get in trouble!
Yesterday, Lacius came after I went to bed, and today he left before I woke up again. I guess that’s what happens when you have to deal with a backlog of work. I had to get things done quickly, too.
“Whoa, I’m worried I need to get an aide.”
After giving out gifts I bought from the desert and drinking a couple of cups of tea, I sighed deeply, revealing my inner thoughts as we discussed various matters.
“An aide?”
Raziana looked at me with wide, curious eyes.
“Yes, there’s just too much work now. I need to look at sales figures while I’m away in the desert, but I haven’t even started on that yet.”
“Oh my.”
“If I had an assistant, things would be much easier. There’s a lot of accounting to be done, so they need to be trustworthy…”
“That must be quite a concern.”
Raziana’s brows narrowed slightly in agreement with my words. I was planning to ask her to introduce me to someone she knew, but I noticed Cynthia, who was sitting next to her, raising her hand slightly, hesitantly opening her mouth.
“If you have anything to say, please do so comfortably.”
Unable to bear the sight, I spoke up, prompting Cynthia to look determined as she opened her mouth again and start speaking clearly.
“Um, that aide position… do you think I could try it?”
“Pardon?”
“Ah! Oh, of course I won’t be good at everything. But the calculation… I am confident in calculation.”
Calculations? Really? Suddenly, a fanfare rings in my ears. I can trust Cynthia, that is a given!
However, when I did not respond immediately, Cynthia added an explanation, perhaps thinking it was because I don’t believe her.
“My aunt runs several large restaurants. I used to go there when I was young and realized that what I witnessed didn’t add up to the day’s profits.”
“Wow, really?”
“Yes, I continued to watch after that, and this time I noticed that the ingredients going into the kitchen and the ingredients that should remain in the warehouse did not match.”
“Wow, my goodness, you really have a keen eye! So what happened?”
“It turned out that an employee who had worked at my aunt’s restaurant for a long time was secretly stealing ingredients and money. My aunt didn’t realize it because she has so many restaurants.”
Well, if you own many properties, it’s easy to lose track of them.
I could understand her aunt’s situation, and it turned out Cynthia had an unexpected talent. Her voice grew slightly louder as she became more excited about sharing the story.
“My aunt did not file a complaint against the employee. Instead, she told them to spit out everything they had embezzled so far….”
“And?”
“That became my pocket money!”
Cynthia smiled broadly, and Raziana and I applauded. Cynthia blushed slightly, looking shy.
“Of course, my father hated me for being interested in such things. So, as soon as I became an adult, he arranged an engagement.”
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