Chapter 30: Heilon (1)
The reply from Abel arrived quickly, with one condition attached:
[After your work is done, take a look around the Heilon mansion and check it for me.]
The “Heilon mansion” referred to in the letter was the estate owned by the Heilon family in the capital. Abel visited it once every few years, so he asked me to ensure everything was in order. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
‘It’s not as difficult as I thought.’
Honestly, I expected that requesting something from Abel would involve granting him a favor in return. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
‘I’m glad he didn’t make me call him father.’
It wasn’t that I disliked Abel. However, the idea of calling him “father” every time I saw him seemed absurd.
‘I keep altering the original plot…’
In the story I created, Abel was strict and cold, serving as an important assistant to the male protagonist. The notion of him asking me to become his adopted daughter was more disruptive than any plot change. Given that Fiona and Abel had a perfect antagonistic relationship in the original story, this development was particularly jarring. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
I let out a small sigh. Once this was over, I really needed a break.
Now, we were really approaching the start of the original story, where Abel and Sigren returned to the capital. Shortly before that, Sigren had succeeded in killing the cursed dragon that ruled the northern monsters. Upon his return to the capital, he was hailed as a hero. The imperial family, unable to completely ignore public opinion, had to maintain their image and officially recognized Sigren as a prince. Next, Eunice would make her appearance.
To be honest, I was eager to see Eunice, but Sigren’s behavior was a bit troubling. Over the past five years, I had done everything I could for him out of guilt. However, it seemed that the child I had cared for had grown more stubborn and dependent than I had anticipated. It wasn’t that I disliked or loved it, but as the male protagonist, he had many problems to solve on his own, and his dependence was a concern for future developments.
I patted my shoulder and sighed. This was why parenting was so difficult. Children didn’t always grow up the way their parents hoped. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
The weakness of the Green family in my hands now became my way to shake off my worries about Sigren. This issue needed to be dealt with immediately.
Currently, the Green family was facing an internal crisis. Objectively, they had amassed significant wealth, but the means by which they built their fortune were highly problematic. They were involved in the drug trade.
In this country, anything related to drugs was illegal. If someone was caught up in this kind of business, all property accumulated from such illegal activities would be confiscated by the state. Furthermore, the punishment extended not only to those directly involved but also to their relatives. If I made a mistake, I could be punished as well.
Ideally, it would be simple if the consequences were limited to property confiscation. However, the reality was far harsher, and the likelihood of my own punishment seemed quite high. Therefore, this issue had to be handled with great care.
It appeared that only the head of the family, Count Green, and his first son, Caindel, were involved in the illegal business. The Countess and Jen were unaware of it. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Speaking of Jen, his sudden desire to become the head of the household was puzzling. I was curious about what prompted this change. Now, I understood.
Gambling debt.
Jen had fallen into gambling and lost a significant amount of money. He was in desperate need of funds to pay off his debts but had been struggling alone due to his excessive pride. With his father’s sudden collapse, Jen saw an opportunity to seize control of the family’s property and devise a plan to settle his debts.
Thinking about this problematic family, I yawned leisurely. They were like a game of Jenga—stacking towers of rectangular wooden blocks and taking turns removing them. Although Jenga probably didn’t exist in this world, the analogy still fit. Like the game, this family was in a precarious situation that could collapse at any moment if I wasn’t careful. Despite the smooth appearance they liked to project, the family was surprisingly unstable. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Should I take the block and destroy the tower?” I patted my cheek.
In the game, the person who knocked down the tower while removing a block lost. But in reality, it was different. I wanted to destroy it. So, what was the best way to tear down this family without harming myself?
On the surface, it seemed that Caindel, who was terrified of losing his position as heir, was more cornered. However, the more urgent situation was actually Jen, who was being pursued by gambling debts. Jen was desperate to take over the family inheritance quickly, as failing to pay off his debts would put him in serious danger. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
It would be better to target the more cornered side first.
As I held Abel’s letter, I created a small flame in my hand. Slowly, the letter turned black and began to burn.
Check out my Patreon to read advanced chapters!
