Chapter 16: 16

The probation order showed no signs of being released at all. She still had to spend boring days living in the annex of the imperial palace, but her father, who often visited her and made a fuss, came to the point where he bowed his head in front of her, begging for favors.

“Mel, dear daughter. How many times do I have to tell you that it’s not that you don’t know, that it’s thanks to you that Eilish hasn’t collapsed yet?”

After listening to that phrase several times, she didn’t find it very interesting. She turned away from him with a bored expression and looked through the pile of paperwork in front of her. The bundle of documents brought from Glaciers contained detailed information in surprisingly clean handwriting.

‘It’s more detailed than I thought.’

The documents were full of descriptions of private loans taken by the imperial faction, aristocratic faction, and neutral nobles.

Suddenly, she understood the reason Florencia was able to indulge people with luxury. She finished reading the document, replying with the same words she always did to her father, who still spat out the same words over and over again.

“You don’t seem to think so.”

Surprisingly, her sister seemed to have no talent for high-class business. So what her sister did was to loan shark with a crime guild. She sighed with laughter as she looked at the list of debtors.

The fact that there were more aristocrats than expected who accepted her exorbitant interest rate, omitting the explanation of how Florencia obtained the initial funds for the project, honestly came as quite a shock.

One of the reasons she was surprised was that the main customer was the Emperor. They would borrow large sums of money for all sorts of illegal things, such as government and illegitimate children, or drugs and gambling. Florencia shared the money she earned in this way with Glaciers and at the same time-sharing relevant information, holding a tight grip on the weaknesses of the imperial aristocrats

Of course, the above things happened frequently among nobles. However, it was also true that this was a fault that had to be hidden if the Emperor aristocrats considered the damage to their national image when they committed crimes. Especially for foreign aristocrats.

So he would have been helpless without any tricks. Even so, the fact that he meekly signed up for this inhuman level of interest rate…

‘… wait a minute.’

She shut her mouth after seeing the separately attached material at the back of the document.

‘You weren’t the villain of the day for no reason’

The paper was full of lists of all kinds of movables and real estate that had been put up as collateral when principal and interest were not paid on time. She didn’t know it would be this elaborate. She couldn’t hold back an exclamation that bordered on a sigh.

Her sister gave more than a certain amount of money with an interest rate of almost half. Florencia Eilish was obviously terrifyingly smart, considering that she did so only when she was sure the other party ‘wouldn’t be able to pay it back on time’. In exchange for selling that weakness to the aristocratic faction, the money continued to grow. This was the secret to Florencia’s ability to quickly reign as a flower in a social world that was busy biting each other.

While she was thinking about these things, the Marquis continued persuading her in a contrived tone, as if she were his loving daughter.

“Yes, let’s say it is. What will your father say if you say so? But, Margaret, you are becoming too much like her. Isn’t it about time you learned that arrogance is ruinous?”

“It’s nice to be like her. A daughter who has more money than a family head.”

“…”

As always, the Marquis could not properly refute this point. Well, it was natural since he had the mindset that he could wield his daughter however he wanted.

It’s not difficult to figure out that the aristocracy’s noble pride was quite hurt; they spat out complaints in a way that was only befitting of a noble. If my daughter — something that is my property — is wealthier than I am, my stomach would twist in disgust.

She twisted her lips in boredom and looked across at the ball of thread lying in the corner. She was not sure if she would knit her father’s sweater after he’s gone. The words went along with the thoughts.

In fact, Florencia’s business was not clean. One of her crimes, embezzlement of the estate tax, which was done to raise initial funds, was true. The reason she didn’t admit it as an evil deed was that she paid the money back in full.

Well, it seems that the opposition forces were still talking a lot about it.

After all, it was impossible to do a business that required that amount of money with only the pocket money of the marquess’s daughter. Glaciers did not make any ‘investment’ in a person without ability, so she had to prove her abilities to partner with the arrogant guild. This was almost the only ‘evil act’ Florencia had committed in front of her.

“It was a very carcinogenic factor outside the novel.”

It’s only now that she was thinking about it, but she thought the response would have been quite good even if Florencia was used as the main character instead of Beatrice. While affectionate, she also liked the money-consuming female lead keyword in her own way.

Anyway, her sister admitted that she had embezzled taxes at a fairly early time, and even calculated the interest rate she offered to nobles accurately to compensate by lowering taxes for some territories and investing in welfare. In that part of the novel that was described as hypocrisy to keep Beatrice in check, the real people of the Marquis of Eilish were very satisfied, so they did it all. The problem was that the ball returned to the Marquis.

‘A woman who is not ashamed of her mistakes’

‘That’s why she’s a villainess.’

‘It’s so arrogant.’

People underestimated her so much.

Florencia didn’t fight desperately to get her credit back, but she did say that she was right about what she did: lowering taxes and contributing to welfare anyway. Some maids, including Margaret, believed her. There was a reason why there were handmaidens who participated in the wicked woman’s depravity. Florencia’s extravagance was obviously excessive, but she was just as generous to others, and she had the money to do so.

In the end, her clever sister reached the highest point of material success that an individual could achieve within the empire.

Her father gritted his teeth as if convinced of his own downfall, and she lowered her gaze to face his face. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, but…

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“Go back, I’ll do it to the extent that I can handle it.”

She thought she could pass on some sweet candy.

***

Looking back, it seems that Florencia had a premonition of something before she was involved in the rebellion. It was a few months ago. She came to her sister’s room one day out of the blue, and she arrogantly looked down at her with her arms crossed.

Margaret stared at her far away, coughed, pulled the blanket up to her neck, and looked up at her. Her sister tried to calmly notify her while her eyes were shaking from worry.

“I have something to give you.”

“What?”

“Here.”

‘Oh, my. So rehabilitating.’ 7

She rose from a pile of insincere pillows. Florencia narrowed her brows, but she didn’t nag much. Rather, she had a subtle face. So Margaret smiled playfully. Like it’s really energizing.

“Take it.”

Her sister said it in a low tone. And at the same time, one of her maids, who was waiting next to her, approached and politely handed something to Margaret. It was a silver key, a seal with a dark purple moon engraved on it, and a bundle of papers and a ledger made of books. She looked down at them with a puzzled expression.

The seal was based on the family crest. Therefore, the aristocrats’ personal seals were usually made by adding their own initials to the family’s unique patterns, but it was quite rare to openly reveal a completely newly created pattern in this way.

‘Come to think of it, it seems that the original work also said that there was a seal that the villainess used personally.’

Where did she use it? As she continued to think about such miscellaneous thoughts, her sister brought out her words.

“You know I’m not a very nice person, right?”

“I know.”

“… If you hadn’t answered right away, I would have explained it more kindly, but it’s a pity. It’s yours from now on.”

“…huh”

Florencia turned her back on the words left behind and tried to leave the room. Embarrassed, before she had time to say anything, she made the sound of her heels and moved on. And then whisper before leaving the door completely.

“Don’t tell father, you don’t have to use this for anyone else.”

What? What was that voice like back then? She had to stare at her from behind, speechless.

In a sense, it was really pitiful, but at the same time lofty and arrogant. The story of the villainess that ran toward the end, but her posture was straight like a queen and confident like a rose in full bloom. Sh was really at a loss for words.

The sisterhood she shows was usually expressed in a worried face toward her health or in these gifts, so shecouldn’t help but be grateful again.

At the time, it was all the more so because the ending was approaching.

“…there.”

“Mel.”

Her only sister, whom people despise as a madwoman of money and extravagance, cut her off and whispered in a barely audible voice.

“Because I can only do this… But really, this is everything. To me.”

***

She forcibly raised her body, which was drooping from lethargy. The fact that the prince’s patience had reached its limit could easily be inferred from the Marquis’ desperation, so she had to prepare herself as well.

It’s almost time, she slowly urged. She scribbled simple words on the paper with the moon-shaped seal that her sister had given her. It was clear what the moderately ornate cursive was saying.

[Get the collateral, hurry up and collect the money. That’s the grand prize]

It was convenient for her to urge, but to borrow the hand of others for collection. Her sister said she initially decided to partner with Glaciers for that.

She put down the pen, and the unsigned letter disappeared into the darkness in an instant. It was one of the few things she could do with that ability.

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