‘Smiling?’
The moment Levy’s sneer met his eyes, Aaron felt an unbearable sense of humiliation.
How dare this weak, defective member of the Heron family toy with me, a being who could collapse and die at any moment?
However, that was as far as Aaron’s anger went.
Ziiing—
Levy reached out toward Aaron, who was about to swing a fist at her.
In that instant, the density of the killing intent she exuded thickened.
“Ugh…!”
“You won’t be able to hit me, Uncle. Those who haven’t inherited the blessing are bound to submit to it.”
Blessing. The mere mention of the word caused Aaron’s face to turn pale in an instant.
The moment he heard Levy’s words, it felt as though someone was choking him, causing him to struggle for breath while his limbs trembled uncontrollably.
“Hah, ugh—”
With his head pressed to the floor, he gasped for air while looking up at Levy.
What on earth had just happened?
At this moment, she was no longer the clueless girl who had been clinging to him.
Her face clearly showed that she knew she was the next head of this family.
“Take him away.”
Levy commanded coldly.
In just a few minutes, Aaron, who could barely maintain his composure, was dragged out by the servants.
As she glanced at him, she noticed he had wet himself in fear. It seemed he was overwhelmed.
Ugh…
Frowning at the stench of urine, Levy quietly lowered her outstretched hand.
‘The ancestor’s blessing is quite a powerful force. It drains my stamina significantly, so I can’t use it often.’
She had been waiting for an opportunity to use her powers on others. Knowing her abilities precisely would help her respond calmly in emergencies.
So, when Aaron lost his composure and charged at her, she couldn’t help but smile slightly.
‘I hope people don’t misunderstand me and think I’m a psychopath.’
Contrary to her concerns, the Heron employees were not horrified; instead, they were struggling to suppress their exclamations of admiration.
‘How could the usually timid lady show such decisiveness?’
‘To personally expel Aaron… she must truly realize she is the next head of the family.’
Until now, the servants couldn’t bring themselves to ask the young lady, who had been resting in the mansion and seemed oblivious to the world, to shoulder such a heavy burden.
She was born weak, so fragile that she couldn’t even go outside.
The sorrow of having lost her mother at a young age.
And her father, who was constantly being sent to distant locations.
For many reasons, she had been lonely all her life, and Aaron, her uncle by blood, had held a special meaning for her.
Thus, the servants waited until they could gather solid evidence of his greed for the Heron family’s wealth and authority.
But the young lady had personally expelled Aaron.
The servants felt a strange thrill, as if witnessing a pivotal moment in history.
“Miss… I will explain today’s events in detail when I send the next report to the master. He will surely be pleased.”
Then Baron, the butler of the mansion, chimed in with a similarly impressed expression.
“We’re planning to send the next letter in a month, so if we describe the young lady’s achievements one page per day from today…”
“Butler, I don’t think we need to summarize the letter too succinctly. Since this is an important event for the Heron family, wouldn’t it be better to write two pages a day?”
The servants began a short discussion, agreeing that they needed to inform the master of this historical event as vividly as possible.
Levy subtly avoided the bright eyes of the record-obsessed servants.
‘I wonder if these people want to leave behind records like the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty?’
The gazes that regarded her with pride were ones she had never received in her past life.
It felt somewhat ticklish, and at the same time, she felt a bit guilty for having doubted them.
Isn’t it a cliché in romance fantasy for the protagonist to discover the misdeeds of the servants while going through the accounting books?
She had read enough to consider the possibility, so she checked the ledgers, and the results were astonishing.
‘How could they keep such meticulous records in an era without Excel?’
The Heron servants’ work was impeccable and clean.
There were no signs of embezzlement or fraudulent accounting, and most importantly, they never forgot to send reports to the head of the family every quarter.
Realizing that there were several solid allies in the Heron mansion who would help her filled her heart with warmth.
She felt infinitely grateful for the unwavering support they had given her, especially as she had been so passive in handling family matters.
Feeling the warm gazes directed at her, Levy’s heart swelled. And naturally, she realized one thing.
This life would be different from her previous life, which was a series of lonely efforts without recognition.
“Thank you all. For watching over and protecting me all this time, and for helping me expel Aaron today.”
“Miss….”
“From now on, I’ll work hard as the acting head of the family so that I won’t worry any of you.”
With a bright smile, Levy headed toward her office, where the items Aaron had embezzled were gathered.
Receiving such warm looks, which she wasn’t quite used to yet, made her feel a little shy.
The butler couldn’t help but recall the moment when the head of the family, Elbert Heron, first headed to his office after inheriting his title, unable to take his eyes off her back.
The moment she resolved to change, her gaze became endlessly firm and strong. The heads of the Heron family he had served always had that look.
“It looks like I can describe today’s achievements of the lady in a book’s worth for the master. He will surely be pleased.”
A gentle smile graced Baron’s lips as he spoke.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
In my office, bags of gold coins and wooden boxes that Aaron had hidden in secret spaces had arrived.
A wooden box contained several sheets of paper densely written in Aaron’s handwriting.
I sat down in my chair and began to read them carefully.
All of them were traces of Aaron’s thoughts on how to make this mansion his own.
One particular sentence caught my eye:
[Levy Heron can no longer delay entering the academy. I will secretly submit the application form and use the long commuting time as an excuse to have her stay at a villa near the academy.]
Nobles of the Empire were required to enroll in the academy and study for two years as soon as they came of age.
This was due to the first emperor’s intention that, whether one became an official in the palace or managed a territory, a minimum level of knowledge and refinement was necessary.
Although it was called studying, it was more akin to social activities targeting the nobility.
Anyway, since I had come of age last year, I should have been enrolled in the academy by now.
However, I had been postponing my enrollment due to health issues, and now it was impossible to delay any further.
‘It doesn’t seem like Aaron considered my situation when submitting the application.’
His likely aim was to separate me from the Count of Heron estate.
After that, he would comfortably ruin the family’s financial state.
But Aaron wouldn’t know this: that his actions to remove an annoying niece and fill his pockets had actually become a tremendous help for me.
“Since I have to go to the academy anyway, it’s best to proceed with the enrollment process right away.”
The academy was also a place to interact with peers, which was essential for me, who had avoided all social gatherings due to my weak health.
Thanks to the servant’s excessive protection, my physical condition had improved enough that attending classes wouldn’t be too much of a burden.
‘Above all, I need to enter the academy as soon as possible to meet the main characters from the original story.’
Thanks to Aaron’s meddling during the application period, I wouldn’t waste any time.
“Are you sure, Miss? Perhaps you should consult with your personal physician first…”
The butler looked at me with concern.
His words were true; my physical condition was not good.
However, knowing the fundamental ways to strengthen my frail body, I nodded without hesitation.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine. But as the acting head of the family, I need to handle some duties, so I’ll have to commute by carriage from the mansion. I’ll receive reports every morning.”
The butler replied, once again with a touched expression.
“The master always received his reports in the morning as well. I will prepare everything so that there are no inconveniences.”
“Thank you. Leave Aaron’s trial to the family lawyers, and explain the situation to the slums and orphanages that received the low-quality donation items. Replace them with new ones.”
“Understood.”
“And make sure they bring up the fact that my uncle, while embezzling money, has been spending it lavishly and targeting only married women.”
When I said this, the butler appeared somewhat surprised.
“…You knew about that too?”
From his reaction, it seemed that the servants had also picked up on Aaron’s questionable actions to some extent.
Despite having suspicions, they likely thought the young lady was concerned about her uncle’s convenience, so they were searching for solid evidence.
But now, I had no intention of turning a blind eye to my uncle’s misdeeds.
“He was chased away for the same reason by grandfather before. I thought Aaron wouldn’t have corrected his habits, so I looked into it.”
In truth, I had read this in a book, but I glossed over it.
Given how clear the evidence of embezzlement was, he would likely rot in prison for a long time.
If word got out that a non-noble, who had been kicked out by the head of the family, was using embezzled funds to simultaneously target three or four married women, his fate would be sealed—a trip to the monastery.
“Please use your influence to make sure that the judges and lawyers who receive our family’s support handle the trial?”
“Of course, miss. Given the circumstances, he won’t be able to escape, even if he were to die.”
May he spend his life in the monastery, purifying his promiscuous body while living a self-sufficient life, targeting only married women.
It was a little surprise gift for the uncle who had saved me from wasting my time.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
“Then, please be careful, miss.”
About two weeks after expelling Aaron, I boarded the carriage, fully prepared to attend the academy’s entrance ceremony.
Seeing the butlers and servants lined up to see me off brought a warm flutter to my heart.
However, such leisurely feelings lasted only until I passed through the front gate of the mansion.
‘So, this is the real deal.’
Thinking about heading to the academy where the protagonists and antagonists gathered, my mind suddenly became sharp.
As the destination drew closer, I was able to clearly organize the tasks I needed to accomplish during my time at the academy.
‘Most importantly, number one: keep an eye on the story’s final villain, First Prince Demian.’
As I was contemplating this rule while getting out of the carriage, a carriage adorned with the imperial family’s emblem suddenly stopped in front of me.
