Miss Witch, please don't leave your fragrance everywhere

Chapter 37 The Miser of Devin

　　After the man left, Chloe put all the gifts he brought on the door. She had no intention of giving them to Mr. Stewart. A few minutes later, another visitor came. It was a woman dressed up in fancy clothes. Most of what she said was the same as what the man who came before.
　　Chloe's attitude was still very cold. It was not until she declined the woman's visit for the same reason that she realized that Angelica had come to the living room at some point and was quietly watching everything that happened in the entrance.
　　Chloe forced a forced smile.

　　"Ms. Angelica, is there anything I can help you with?"
　　"Those people just now, and those who came to visit last night, are all Mr. Stewart's relatives? Why don't you let them in?"
　　“…”

　　Chloe bit her lip and didn't answer.
　　"I have always been puzzled. Although Mr. Stewart would be in a state of selflessness once he started talking, he did not hesitate when he was willing to accept us, and he did not say that Abigail and I would need to pay extra for accommodation and meals. I asked Mr. Stewart, and he said that the bathroom in his house could be used at will. He was also worried that there were not enough skin care products at home. After all, it costs a lot to maintain the skin of a beautiful girl like me."
　　As if to show off, Angelica pinched the back of her hand, causing the corners of Chloe's mouth to twitch. She felt that this person was too self-satisfied.

　　"I find it incredible that Mr. Stewart has done so much. Before I accepted this commission, someone advised me not to accept it, saying that I might not be paid, that the person who issued this commission had no credibility, and that he was... a well-known miser in Devin Town."
　　"No!"
　　As if she had captured some key information, Chloe screamed out of control.

　　"That's not the case at all! The master has never... has never been that kind of person...!"
　　——The story begins with Stewart’s childhood, which he did not choose to talk about.
　　Stewart's childhood was actually not happy. His mother was weak after giving birth to him and died of illness not long after. His father worked in a sawmill when Stewart was very young. He was seriously injured due to operational errors and eventually died of a wound infection.

　　Therefore, Stewart spent his childhood moving from one relative's home to another. Most people thought that adopting Stewart was a burden, but they also felt that the child was really pitiful, so they decided to let Stewart grow up eating at different families' homes, living in one family this month, living in another family next month, and so on. Perhaps it was his childhood experiences that cultivated Stewart's love of freedom and cheerful personality, prompting him to resolutely decide to go out and adventure after he was able to support himself.
　　Many years passed, and Stewart had not returned for a long time. When many people had forgotten him, Stewart returned home with his wealth from finding the magic crystal mine. Stewart actually did not hate Devin Town, even though no one was willing to take him in for a long time when he was a child. However, perhaps it was precisely for this reason that Stewart was like a guest in every home and was often treated well. So after Stewart became rich, he chose to return to Devin Town to build his hometown.
　　Stewart renovated the ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) roads in Devin Town and paid for everything from materials to workers' wages in his own name. The governor of Devin Town cautiously asked Stewart if he needed anything in return, such as whether a portion of future taxes should be allocated to Stewart.

　　Stewart replied that no, and it was not an exaggeration to say so. His wealth was so great that even if he spent his money renovating the highway, even if he lived a life of luxury, drank the most expensive wine, and rode the best griffins, he still would not be able to spend all the money.
　　Perhaps because of his childhood experiences, Stewart adopted a child, and that child was Chloe.
　　Stewart was a generous person and soon became a star in Devin. Every time he came to the tavern, the guests knew that they had a chance to get a free meal today. Relatives who were unwilling to take in Stewart before suddenly became close to him. Some people who had to look up their family tree to find their almost non-existent blood relationship also came after hearing about it.
　　Stewart was willing to sponsor anything they needed; if someone in Devin started trying to take advantage of the trade boom to do business, Stewart would provide them with their first pot of gold.

　　People spread the word that there was a very wealthy and kind man in Devin Town.
　　But Chloe, the child adopted by Stewart, found that Stewart smiled less and less, and she began to worry that the family did not have enough money. Stewart touched Chloe's head and told her that it was not the case.
　　Soon after, someone came to Stewart to ask for money. That person was a distant relative of Stewart. However, to be called a distant relative, they had to go back to their great-great-great-grandfather. Chloe knew that he was a gambler and was addicted to gambling. It was no surprise that he gambled away all his money again.

　　This time, Stewart rejected him.
　　The other party was surprised.
　　"Why? You're obviously very rich."

　　"Yes, I have dealt with at least ten debt collectors for you, but have you ever thought about what you would do if I were gone? You have to stop gambling, or you have to go to work and make money on your own."
　　"What are you talking about? As long as you pay, the problem will be solved. You have more money than you can spend, right? This is nothing to you."
　　"...I can't give you money unless you promise to work in the future."

　　"You obviously don't want to give it to me!"
　　The two ended up arguing, but luckily, Stewart had plenty of adventure experience and easily took him down.
　　Stewart was indeed a very generous person, but as time went by, asking Stewart for money became a daily routine for his relatives. Some were addicted to gambling, some were lazy, and some were greedy for luxury goods... Their solution was not to be self-reliant, but to ask Stewart for his wealth.

　　Because he is extremely wealthy and we are related.
　　Over time, Stewart felt that this was not a viable option. Although he had enough savings to cover all difficulties and still maintain the highest standard of living, he still made a decision that unless there were real difficulties, he would not help with gambling debts, buying meaningless expensive items, etc.
　　To Stewart's relatives, this was unreasonable behavior.

　　They thought that Stewart had become stingy and a miser, and was no longer the cheerful and generous Stewart he used to be. Stewart's relatives tried to play the emotional card by saying that they had taken care of him when he was a child, but Stewart remained unmoved.
　　So Stewart's relatives began to ruin Stewart's reputation in anger. Some people directly owed money and put it under Stewart's name. When the debt collectors came to his door, Stewart simply responded that it was their debt and he had no reason to help them settle it.
　　No one could understand it because Stewart was obviously a wealthy man, but most of them realized one thing: Stewart was indeed no longer as generous as before.

　　From then on, the great philanthropist of Devin Town no longer existed and was replaced by a new name.
　　The miser of Devin.