“Until the wedding.”

The Duke growled, threatening Aiden.

“Get better by then, by any means necessary. That should be the least you can do for your sister who’s about to get married!”

The Duke roughly threw the napkin he was holding and left with a displeased expression. It felt like the surroundings had been devastated, even though only words had been exchanged.

The servants stood calmly in their places, seemingly unsurprised. Aristie quietly ordered them.

“Go and rest. I’ll call you when the meal is over.”

“Yes, Miss.”

As the maids and butler withdrew, only Aristie and Aiden were left in the spacious dining room. Aristie got up from her seat and approached her brother.

Seen up close, Aiden’s hands were still trembling faintly.

“I-I’m sorry…”

Aiden stammered with a pale face.

The person most troubled and frustrated by his speech must undoubtedly be himself.

“No… It’s not your fault, brother.”

Aristie gently placed her hand on her brother’s shoulder. They stayed like that for a while, without words.

* * *

A few days later, on her day off from the store where she worked, Estelle visited Marquis Vascus residence. It was a mansion with a distinctly different feel from the classic Yentrice ducal residence.

Befitting a long-renowned military family, the buildings were large and grand. At the end of the annex, a tall tower rose, flaunting its grandeur.

Just looking at the exterior, no one could have imagined.

That this impressive-looking family had been a declining house until just recently.

Like his predecessors, the current Marquis was particularly ambitious. But somehow, the more ambitious he was, the more he failed in every business he touched, causing the family to decline repeatedly.

Due to his aggressive business methods, the impact of failures was also large, and they had even been in debt for the past few years.

But recently, there has been a reversal.

Rumors spread that the Vascus business acumen had improved remarkably, and he succeeded in every business he invested in, sitting on a pile of money.

“It’s amazing! What’s your secret?”

“How did you develop such insight?”

People around him couldn’t hide their envy and subtly asked for his secret. However, the Marquis only maintained a greedy smile on his face and kept silent.

The reason for this included not wanting to tell, as well as feeling too embarrassed to say. It couldn’t be helped, for how could he possibly reveal it?

That the recent success was the result of treating a commoner girl like a master and following her instructions completely.

“Master, Miss Estelle has arrived.”

Even the butler addressed that girl with respect. Upon hearing the news of Estelle’s arrival, the Vascus became busy.

“Oh, she’s here! Guide her to the reception room. Have a maid bring tea right away.”

“Understood.”

The Marquis gathered his documents and hurried to the reception room. When he entered, Estelle was insolently dangling her ankles with her legs stretched out on the table.

“You must have had a hard time coming, Estelle.”

The Marquis greeted her warmly, not minding her behavior. Despite his burly build and having two bear-like sons, the Marquis’s attitude towards Estelle was as gentle as a spring breeze.

“Have you been having fun lately?”

At Estelle’s question, the Marquis’s mouth spread wide.

“Indeed I have. It’s all thanks to you. I don’t know what kind of luck I have to have met a lucky charm like you, haha!”

“Let me see those documents.”

When Estelle held out her palm, Marquis Vascus handed over the documents without hesitation. Then he waited quietly for the results, like a subordinate submitting a report to a superior.

Estelle flipped through the documents dryly, then began to name them one by one.

“Let’s see. Investment in Glimhole Theater. Winning bid at Morpheso auction… Oh my, you even bought Delpha’s paintings? These will only increase in value after his death.”

“Didn’t you say he would die within a year? I can wait that long, haha.”

“Hmm, and recently the mining rights for Sebes Mine… This was quite big, wasn’t it?”

When the mining rights were mentioned, the Marquis’s expression brightened immensely while also becoming somewhat servile. That was the decisive factor that made him grovel to a mere commoner girl.

If it weren’t for her, he would never have thought of buying the mining rights for a long-abandoned mine.

And to think that jewels would pour out of that mine!

The reason Estelle knew about Sebes Mine was because it was the mine owned by the female lead’s father in the novel.

That place, known as an abandoned mine, later brings considerable wealth to the female lead when diamonds are discovered. And it becomes the financial foundation that allows her to stand against the nobles who plot against her on the Empress’s side.

But that was just a story in the novel. In this reality, Sebes Mine was merely a tool to lay the groundwork for Estelle.

“See? Didn’t I tell you? Money just rolls in if you do as I say.”

Saying this, Estelle glanced at Marquis Vascus.

The Marquis, who had become docile like a trained dog, was however extremely fierce when he first met Estelle, as if he would tear her apart right then and there.

—How dare a lowly thing be so impudent! Hey! Drag this thing out immediately!

Estelle, referred to as ‘this thing’, didn’t lose her nerve and made a bet with the Marquis. She would give him one piece of information, so he should try it out. If it didn’t succeed, she would offer her head.

The hesitant Marquis eventually invested in the merchant guild Estelle pointed out, thinking he had nothing to lose. The reason he was tempted was because his financial situation was so bad. If it failed, he was determined to really cut off Estelle’s head and dry it.

But the investment was a great success! How curious?

After that, the information Estelle provided continued to yield big profits. As a result, the expressions used to refer to her within the Vascus family gradually became more respectful.

From ‘this thing’ to ‘you’. To her name.

And now, it has even come to include the honorific ‘Miss’.

‘I thought she was a crazy girl, but now I see she’s a goose that lays golden eggs!’

The Marquis trembled with excitement as he recalled Estelle who had come to him several months ago. If he had driven her away, if she had been snatched by another family.

The thought alone was dizzying. He wanted to praise himself for falling for Estelle’s persuasion back then. He had no way of knowing where she got such information, but the source didn’t matter. As long as she remained on his side like now.

To the Marquis who was trying his best to please her in any way, Estelle said.

“There are plenty of things to invest in for the long term. I just passed on information that could yield quick results first.”

Marquis Vascus nodded like a gentle lamb.

“Of course. I’ve decided to trust you, so you can tell me slowly.”

“What I want is status and power. And seed money to gain enormous wealth. You have all of that, Marquis.”

“Of course. That’s why we’re in the same boat, aren’t we? Hahaha.”

“Well said. To row the same boat, don’t we need that much unity?”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“Put me in your family register. As I said before.”

“……!”

The Marquis’s nodding head abruptly stopped.

Instead, a long, sly smile formed.

“Things are going well with His Majesty the Emperor, I presume?”

Estelle answered by putting the same smile on her face as the other person. It was a completely different appearance from when she faced the Emperor.

“I think it’s time for me to be adopted. I’ve built a suitable relationship with His Majesty, acting as an innocent commoner.”

She picked up a teacup with an incredibly arrogant posture. The sound of her gulping down the tea echoed in the reception room.

It wasn’t a particularly mannerly action, but she and the Marquis were not in a relationship to mind each other’s manners. The only thing that existed between them, binding them together, was their respective interests.

And adopting Estelle into the Vascus family was very much in line with the Marquis’s interests.

“Alright! I’ve been waiting for those words too. Let’s proceed right away.”

“I like how straightforward you are, Marquis. I made the right choice in selecting the Vascus family, hehe.”

Even at the moment she was promised to become a member of a noble family, Estelle didn’t show any excitement. Come to think of it, it made sense. After all, her ultimate goal was none other than the position of Empress.

Being a Marquis’s daughter was just a decent stepping stone, so to speak.

“Consider yourself lucky that I chose this family.”

Instead, Estelle said something arrogant. The Marquis felt offended but couldn’t bring himself to refute.

On the other hand, he was also curious. As she said, why did she choose Vascus among all the prominent families?