NOVEL WEB Chapter 155
Chapter: 155
“Are you sure it’s okay to wear it that thin, Ivana?”
“Yes. Actually, it feels great and cooler this way.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
Hmm… Have I underestimated Ivana more than I thought?
I simply assumed that wearing moderately thin clothes would suffice.
“Hmm…”
I had bought several outfits, and while Ivana was holding a bunch of paper bags, I definitely thought what she was wearing looked pretty.
Unlike the short-sleeve shirts she picked out earlier, the top she wore now was a sleeveless shirt that exposed her shoulders.
And on the bottom, she had on some really short denim shorts.
“…Hmm.”
How should I put it? It’s a bit revealing.
It wasn’t extremely inappropriate, but perhaps it was because her figure was just that good.
Moreover, the clothes she was wearing weren’t exactly modest either.
When she first changed, I noticed her uniquely beautiful legs, and the sleeveless shirt showcased her arms in a way that… yeah.
Maybe it was because I was used to seeing her in her school uniform that this stood out.
Or maybe it was because her skin was exceptionally pale compared to others that it caught my eye.
Just looking at her brought up a lot of thoughts.
“Is something wrong?”
“I just think the outfit you’re wearing suits you really well. I never expected you to pull off this style so effortlessly.”
“Oh.”
Was I staring at Ivana too much as we walked side by side?
I wasn’t staring excessively, just glancing here and there.
Is Ivana sensitive to this kind of attention?
Being a duchess, she probably gets a lot of stares and attention from people.
“Camelia, if you have time later, could we talk about business together?”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
Huh…?
Ivana was the one to suggest we go to a café together first.
Of course, I knew she wanted to help me with business, and I was aware of that… but she hadn’t really made such suggestions before.
For some reason, she almost never mentioned business to me first, but suddenly bringing it up like this…
“Shall we? Which café do you want to go to?”
“Avoiding spots that are too crowded would be good; I’d prefer a quiet place. After all, we’ll be discussing things related to our families.”
“Hmm… then let’s walk a bit first.”
Even if it was a sudden topic to bring up, it wasn’t something I couldn’t do.
Anyway, Ivana had previously secured my help in business through a favor that felt a lot like blackmail.
And considering she didn’t seem that knowledgeable about business…
“Hmm….”
*
The café we arrived at, as suggested by Ivana, was a room café.
It was the same café where I had spent time with the Roseaki Sisters before.
Since we needed to discuss business and family matters, it would be best if others couldn’t overhear us.
“It’s a private room.”
“Well, that’s the point, right? It’s designed so that others can neither see nor hear us.”
“I thought it would just be a quiet café. I didn’t expect a place like this.”
“Ah.”
That was indeed a fair reaction.
Room cafés weren’t very common yet, and when I tried to operate one, I couldn’t expand the business to the north.
Anyway, I placed the drinks I picked up from the counter on a small table and casually settled into a comfortable seat.
Since there was no one else around, I stretched my legs out comfortably.
“Ahhh….”
It felt like I had indeed started the room café business quite well.
There were hardly any other places where I could relax this comfortably, aside from room cafés.
“Is it really okay to lie down like that?”
“Yeah, this is a place meant for lounging comfortably, right? If I couldn’t do that, then there’d be no point in coming here.”
“Oh…”
“The soundproofing here is quite good as well, so talking won’t be an issue.”
“I see.”
Ivana seemed to be struggling to adjust to the room café, unlike me, as she was sitting quite proper and upright.
Of course, her posture didn’t really match her outfit right now, making it a bit awkward.
But since she was pretty, it didn’t look bad at all.
Yep, the way she was kneeling meant her thighs were visible, and indeed… she was gorgeous.
Even though I couldn’t tell what people usually do or think about,
“Huuh…”
“Is something wrong?”
“Just wondering, what are we going to talk about?”
Anyway, I decided it was time to get into business.
I didn’t know what Ivana Nordal wanted to discuss about business, but I had agreed to collaborate with her.
Regardless of everything else, I was pretty serious about business.
“To become the head of the family, you need to prove your capabilities by the age of 22. If you graduate from the Academy at 16, is that even possible in six years?”
“Six years?”
“Yeah. It would be hard to manage a business while studying at the Academy…”
“Ah… that’s definitely annoying and tiring.”
I knew Ivana had to engage in business to become the head of the Nordal Family, but I wasn’t aware of the exact timeline.
Still, managing to run a business until 22 wasn’t overly daunting, not at all.
Of course, balancing the Academy studies with business could be challenging…
But that didn’t mean Ivana’s worries were unfounded.
“Hmm… It’s fine. It’s not a big deal.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, by the time you’re 22, you still have almost ten years from now.”
“That’s… true.”
“Right now, you’re 13, you graduate at 16. Considering the time until 22… it seems really easy, right?”
“…?”
Was my comment that bizarre?
Ivana began to eye me suspiciously, but this was really how I felt.
“I don’t know the exact capabilities required, but I started my business between 8 and 9 years old, and you have way more initial funding than I did.”
After all, money is the ultimate power.
Sure, capabilities are important, but the starting capital drastically changes the starting line.
The difference between having 1 gold and 100 gold, or 100 gold and 1000 gold, is substantial.
“You shouldn’t worry too much about succeeding within the timeframe. Is there anything else you’re curious about?”
“I brought it up previously, but what specifically should the business focus on…”
“Focusing on areas with less competition is definitely easiest. Especially for you, selecting a path should be very straightforward.”
The north was rarely visited by anyone other than locals, and there was little exchange with other regions.
So it was practically unthinkable for Ivana not to take advantage of this.
Plus, most of my plans were related to that region.
Of course, I had several business ideas not related to the north in my mind, but I firmly believed the north would be the most profitable.
“I was thinking that the travel and business products related to the north I mentioned before would be the best.”
“Hmm….”
“Of course, if you don’t like that idea, I have plenty of other items as well. And it doesn’t necessarily need to be in an area with little competition.”
“I see.”
I continued our conversation while sitting comfortably.
Honestly, it was quite fun for me to talk about business, something I would usually never do.
Besides, none of the questions were too difficult either.
“But Ivana.”
“Yes, what’s the matter?”
While we were talking, I found myself curious about something.
It wasn’t a stiff conversation about business or family, but rather… well, somewhat trivial.
“I know there’s something underneath, but doesn’t kneeling like that feel really uncomfortable? I can’t sit like that.”
“Hmm… Is that so?”
“Yeah, even though the floor is soft, it’s honestly painful, right?”
“Hmm.”
“So whenever I come here, I usually sit comfortably like this or even lie down.”
Since Ivana had maintained the same pose since entering the room, I started to wonder if it was okay for her to stay in that kneeling position for so long.
Seeing her focusing on me, I thought how uncomfortable it must feel for her.
While I sat with my legs stretched out and almost dropped all formalities, Ivana was sitting so demurely, it was fascinating.
“Not really uncomfortable.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’ve been training hard since ages ago, and as you said, the floor is quite soft.”
“That’s true…”
Still, it seemed like it would be uncomfortable.
Not just now, but Ivana often came off as pretty rigid among us.
Even when we spent time in the club room, she’d be sitting up straight or staying quiet when everyone was bustling around…
But during that spar we had, she roared like a wolf!
Yet her usual demeanor was more fitting of being called a “duchess.”
“Hmm….”
“Why do you ask?”
“Nothing. Like I said earlier, I was just looking because your outfit today is really pretty.”
“…Is it really nothing?”
“Yep.”
Whenever I saw someone like her—the stiff, noble types—I always thought they seemed to live uncomfortably.
I wished they could just be a bit more laid-back and enjoy themselves, especially when they were with friends.
“Hmm.”
Well, it’s her choice after all.
I decided I wouldn’t say any more about it.
Maybe as we got closer, she’d show a more youthful side, like Ella or Grace?
“Fuh…”
Ivana laughed and chatted like a girl her age.
Honestly, I couldn’t picture that and it made me chuckle.