NOVEL WEB Chapter 197
Chapter: 197
Time flowed much faster than I expected.
During my semester at the Academy, I spent my time comfortably playing with my close female classmates, and after the semester ended, I enjoyed the break with Rosalyn.
Three years at the Academy passed by more quickly than I thought, and many things happened during that time.
It wasn’t just about having fun with the girls; there was also Ivana’s business preparations and acquiring information for the Rose Family through the Information Guild.
At the same time, I took over some businesses that William used to handle before.
“Young Lady, after breakfast with the Lady this morning, the head of the family said to come see him. There’s also a letter from the Information Guild asking you to visit soon.”
“Hmm… Is there anything else?”
“None.”
“If that’s the case, I should stop by the business place first.”
Even though it had already been a few months since graduating from the Academy, my daily routine hadn’t changed much from before.
After all, I was a Leonhardt, and what I had been doing was business.
Moving money around, squeezing out more cash—nothing changed before or during, or even after attending the Academy.
“Just have me ready in a shirt today.”
“Yes. Should I prepare a skirt for the bottoms?”
“Yeah. In black.”
“Got it.”
Today too, after waking up in the morning, I was being attended to by Rize as I got ready, then I would have breakfast with Rosalyn and go around for business again.
That was pretty much it.
I had so many things to do that I couldn’t just laze around like I did in my first year at the Academy.
“…Hmm.”
“Why do you say that, Young Lady?”
“I always think about this. My chest has grown, and it feels so different now when I wear a shirt compared to before. Back then, wearing a shirt made me feel quite pretty. But now it seems a little more… sexy.”
“…Is that so?”
“Don’t you think so?”
Every time I looked in the mirror after putting on a shirt, I thought that way.
It felt even more so because it was definitely a different vibe compared to Rize or Rosalyn’s shirt looks.
Of course, I liked my chest being bigger compared to when I was little.
“Maybe it’s because I’m a bit short for my bust?”
My height was somewhat similar to Ashley’s.
Just barely over 160 cm.
I was shorter than tall Karen or Ivana, so maybe that’s why I felt that way in a shirt.
In fact, it didn’t matter if it was a shirt, dress, or other clothes; I still looked quite alluring in any outfit.
*
“Camelia, you’re here?”
“Yes, good morning, Mother.”
After finishing my preparations, I went down to the first floor.
Rosalyn was waiting for me as always, dressed in her favorite black dress.
Even after quite some time, thoughts of Rosalyn remained the same.
I had first met Rosalyn when I was eight, and now I was sixteen.
I had grown somewhat used to other women during that time, but….
“When do you think you’ll come back? Are you planning to come back late like the day before?”
“I think I’ll come back early today. I’ve spent quite a bit of time previously, so today doesn’t look like it will be that hectic.”
“Well, that’s a relief. I wanted to spend tonight with Camelia.”
“Haha….”
Seeing Rosalyn still felt definitely different.
Not just her looks, but also her atmosphere, speech, and actions held a unique charm.
Well, it wasn’t like other friends lacked their charms, but with Rosalyn, it was something special.
“What does your schedule look like today, Mother?”
“Hmm… I guess I’ll just rest in the mansion? Recently, the servants have been leaving, so I won’t have much to find.”
Ahh.
Even though I already knew all of that, I asked Rosalyn questions and continued my breakfast.
Not just speaking with Rosalyn, but also savoring the sight of her face and her delicate hands or her fair neck.
Of course, I wasn’t staring; I was sneaking glances.
After finishing breakfast, I headed to William’s office, as Rize mentioned this morning.
I had no idea why he called me, but I thought it probably had something to do with assigning me the existing businesses again.
Especially since William’s health had been… not so great recently?
“Hmm… His health has really deteriorated over the past two years.”
He hadn’t been that healthy to begin with.
Moreover, he was always riding in carriages due to business, eating junk food, and running around like a madman, so it wasn’t surprising but… it was a bit worse than before.
“Father.”
“Yeah… Camelia. You’ve come.”
“Are you feeling any better? You’ve been under the weather lately.”
“My health is always like this. But what about the business I assigned to you the other day?”
…Although I didn’t have any particular fondness for William, it was indeed a bit sad to see him like this.
He had always had some bulk, but now he was moving quite uncomfortably.
Also, his skin looked poor, and he made quite a noise when he breathed.
He was having doctors and priests treat him, but…. I really didn’t know.
“The fabric quality is much better, and the people working at the business seem decent too. The only concern is the production volume seems low compared to the quality of the fabric and clothes?”
“Yeah… compared to the west, the production volume is still lacking.”
“I’ll probably finalize the routes within a few days. I’ll decide whether to create more luxurious garments or to lower the quality slightly to increase production.”
I had those conversations while quietly checking on William’s condition.
Even with just a glance, it was clear he wasn’t doing well.
I had heard a lot about William’s state from the other servants lately.
Things like suddenly grabbing his neck while walking, frequent headaches, and even struggles with simple movements…
“…Is it too late already?”
After finishing my conversation with William, I muttered as I walked down the hallway.
Ever since William’s health declined, I had been trying to spend money judiciously.
More accurately, I was spending William’s money to treat him, but it hadn’t improved in two years.
“The priests said it’s not something that can be resolved with divine powers or anything….”
The physicians in the city also said that his health had been deteriorating for quite a while.
“Ugh….”
I worried that he might actually die if things continued like this.
With all sorts of problems—diabetes, hypertension, and who knows what else—how could all of those things happen at once?
Of course, William’s living habits had always been worse than mine, but I never expected it to get this bad.
Meanwhile, Rosalyn seemed to be becoming more attractive each passing day.
Well, we did have quite an age gap, though?
*
“Honey, you still haven’t been to any social gatherings?”
“That’s right.”
Since the Information Guild sent me a letter directly asking me to visit, that’s why I came here.
The woman from the Information Guild who came down with me when I returned to the South after graduating from the Academy was still in charge of me.
I had no clue how long she would keep wearing that black veil.
“But why are you suddenly talking about social gatherings?”
I wondered why she brought up social events out of the blue.
I hadn’t attended any social gathering since graduating from the Academy.
Were there any rumors about me going around in those circles?
“Just thought? When you finally go to a social gathering, it’s probably when the rumors will start flying around.”
“…Ahh.”
It was nothing serious.
Well, she rarely said anything sensible anyway.
Except when she’s providing me information, she was a girl full of mischief.
I was expecting some serious talk for no reason.
“More importantly, why did you call me today? It’s rare for the Information Guild to ask me to come like this.”
“We gathered a lot of information about the Rose Family over the winter.”
“Hmm… What kind of information? Did someone hear about a Baron again, just like last time?”
“No, not like that. Those kinds of rumors have been way too common, right? You think so too.”
“That’s true.”
Things were going smoothly.
If not for the playful demeanor and her attire that never showed a hint of skin, she would be quite a decent contact person.
Hearing that there was good information about the Rose Family piqued my interest.
“The Rose Family is attempting to start their own business without relying on others anymore.”
“Hmm…?”
The Rose Family?
Those dense individuals?
Self-sustaining?
I suddenly felt absurd at the unexpected news.
I never guessed those idiots would even think of that.
Especially considering Count Rose was so foolish…
“Hmm….”
I hadn’t heard the exact details yet, but I was already gaining interest in this matter.
Given my current situation, where I could finally get involved in several businesses due to William’s health decline.
In many ways, it was time to make the Rose Family squirm.
“Hehe….”
“You just smiled really eerily there.”
“Enough of that and quickly tell me more about the Rose ladies.”