I Bought the Villains With Money - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 11.
‘A genius, but unlucky. He made his name developing Medicine Development and lived brilliantly for two years, then later…….’
Robert was exposed for having a corpse fetish and driven from the Royal Palace. The exact details of what came after never fully surfaced, but word was he met a bad end.
“Such a waste. He was a brilliant physician. If only he’d listened to me, he could’ve lived.”
Those were Dayson’s words when he heard Robert had died. Looking back, Robert’s death seemed murky too.
“Turns out he was involved in something more dangerous than I thought.”
Cho spoke as I was turning over memories of Robert.
“Involved in what?”
“Below some smugglers. He was moving dangerous goods through his body, trafficking them. Why are you even looking for a man like that?”
Cho didn’t approve of me searching for Robert. She said he was someone who couldn’t help in the slightest.
She could only say that because she didn’t know what Robert was capable of.
Robert was a genius physician. Though he’d only been active for a short time, the groundwork he laid over those two years allowed medicine to advance by leaps and bounds.
A smuggler, though……. Remembering the rare substances that went into the Painkiller he’d created, it wasn’t an unexpected place for him to be.
“Could you bring him here, Aunt?”
“For enough money, sure. Smugglers buy children from the Slum District all the time anyway.”
I offered her the Jewelry box I’d prepared. Cho’s eyes flickered sharply for a moment.
Since I couldn’t freely access cash in my current state, all I could offer were the necklaces and accessories I’d been given since childhood—but I had quite a lot of them.
‘I haven’t even taken out half of what I have yet.’
And I still had my mother’s Safe.
“Shh, only you know about this, Diana. Mother’s treasures are inside.”
“What kind of treasures?”
“Well, what do you think? What would you like it to be?”
“Dolls?”
A childhood memory surfaced. Before my regression, I never would have thought to open Mother’s Safe.
I’d assumed it held her memories, and I believed it was proper respect for the deceased to keep them safe.
But after the regression, I grew curious. What could be inside?
Not long ago, I opened that Safe. It was crammed full of an enormous quantity of ornaments and rare Magic Devices.
But what caught my eye was something else.
[The first clothes Diana wore when she was born.]
[The first picture Diana ever drew.]
Unlike the other items carelessly stuffed in higher compartments, these were arranged like real treasures.
All of Mother’s treasures were things related to me.
I cried so hard the day I found them. Even thinking about it now made my nose sting.
I didn’t want to carelessly dispose of Mother’s things, but shouldn’t I do what I can and use them when things get difficult?
For now, today’s situation could be solved with what I had.
Cho opened the Jewelry box I offered and took out only the necklaces and rings. After holding the gems up to the light and weighing them in her hand, she put exactly half in her pocket.
“This is enough.”
“You could take it all and fill your pockets, Aunt.”
“I work according to what I’m paid. I take only as much as I can work for. Eat too much and you get sick. Remember that.”
Cho often showed her aunt-like side. She was different from the woman I’d first met, who asked what I’d give her.
When I looked at her curiously, Cho grabbed the tip of my nose and shook it.
“Oh, Aunt!”
Cho watched me squirm with amused eyes, then giggled and swung her legs up onto the windowsill. I rubbed my nose and spoke.
“Why don’t you have some tea before you go?”
“You said it was urgent, didn’t you? I’ll bring him tonight.”
Cho simply vaulted through the window and vanished.
“This is the fourth floor, isn’t it……?”
She must have been fine, or she wouldn’t have jumped. I stared out the window where Cho had disappeared for a long while before closing it. The wind was chilly.
“Guess I should rest a bit now.”
Just as I was about to stretch and settle comfortably onto the sofa.
“Miss.”
The butler Matthew had come looking for me. Heavy documents were held in Matthew’s hands.
“Come in, Matthew.”
I straightened the crooked ribbon and nodded. Matthew hesitated before stepping into the room.
Worry flickered in his eyes as he looked at me.
“Matthew?”
Standing with the documents in hand, I prompted the silent butler to speak. I hoped he’d state his business quickly and leave.
Though I was well-nourished for a child, spending all day thinking and worrying about the future was bound to be exhausting.
Robert was coming tonight, and I wanted to rest until then.
“Documents have arrived regarding revisions to the Provincial Territory Tax Law.”
Rest would have to wait.
The moment I heard Matthew speak, I abandoned the thought entirely.
Of all things, a complicated tax matter.
Kingdom subjects pay two kinds of tax: one to the Crown, another to the local lord.
Provincial Territory Tax Law governs the levies that provincial residents owe their lord. This law can be amended once every four years when the Family Head and Retainers convene.
Since I revised it when I was eleven, this year shouldn’t have been an amendment cycle. Yet related documents have surfaced?
That’s unusual. It means something’s gone wrong.
‘Now that I think about it, there was a riot over taxes this year.’
What exactly happened? My memory’s fuzzy.
“I’ll handle it, so don’t concern yourself.”
Count Colcos despised my taking an interest in territorial affairs, and around that time he began holding banquets every other day, keeping me thoroughly occupied.
‘No wonder I can’t remember.’
“Let me see them.”
I extended my hand toward Matthew.
“Pardon?”
Matthew looked at me in confusion.
Lately, people had taken to making me repeat myself twice over.
Honestly, what was wrong with everyone? Maybe I should commission a Magic Device that amplifies voice when inserted into the ear.
‘Come to think of it, a madman physician made that device too, didn’t he?’
My fingers itched to meet him soon. But first, I had to review the documents Matthew brought.
“Isn’t that why you brought them? To show me?”
“Well, yes, but…….”
“Then hand them over.”
“Are you certain you can manage Tax Law Research documents? They’re quite difficult.”
Matthew was subtly condescending. But his words didn’t anger me.
At thirteen, I was a sheltered child who’d shunned studying, ignorant of the world’s ways. Though after growing up, I couldn’t claim to have understood the world much better either.
So I’d been duped by fools trying to exploit me and met my end on the executioner’s platform.
But I was—and I hate admitting this myself—a genius.
After meeting Dayson and devoting myself to studying with the singular resolve to become a good queen, I discovered my own exceptional nature.
I mastered five continental languages in a year, and by the second year I’d grasped the entirety of continental history. With my remarkable intellect, I contributed to development across numerous fields within the kingdom.
But everything became Dayson’s achievement instead of mine.
“Diana, I don’t like seeing you step forward in front of others. People will notice you. Isn’t my love alone enough?”
“When did you come up with something like this? You’ll publish it under your name, won’t you? I find it endearing how you work so hard for me. Diana, understand that my success is your success too, yes?”
“Diana, you researched Tax Law Research? Perfect. I’d been meaning to address that very subject with His Majesty anyway. I’ll present it well. I love you—you’re truly my greatest partner.”
I believed what Dayson said. That he disliked my gaining attention out of love for me.
Deceived by the cheap lie that my success was his success, I lived in his shadow.
I was a prodigy whom every continental academy sought out with desperate hunger, yet unfortunately,
‘I only studied and loved, and ruined my entire life.’
No, wait—my ruin wasn’t my fault! Those cursed bastards stabbed me in the back! Ungrateful wretches.
“Miss? If you don’t understand, you need not bother reading them.”
Matthew, mistaking my sour expression for confusion about the documents, spoke up.
“No, I can manage. Give them here.”
Matthew set the documents on my desk with a skeptical gaze. There were so many papers that the small three-legged table swayed beneath their weight.
If Matthew hadn’t caught them quickly, everything would have scattered.
“Replace my bedroom desk starting today.”
“But didn’t you say you loved that desk? That it was pretty and perfectly sized……?”
I had said that. Though I often forgot, I was a thirteen-year-old girl who adored cute and lovely things.
“Keep that one as is. I mean add another desk. It looks like I’ll need to work from my bedroom fairly often. There’s quite a bit to Family Head duties?”
“Are you thinking of taking on Family Head duties in earnest?”
Matthew’s eyes narrowed. At his appraising, judgmental gaze, I lifted my head and met his eyes directly.
“Why? Don’t you trust me, Matthew?”
I asked the question while carefully studying his expression.
Within our household lurked Count Colcos’s spies. Information leaked in and out so freely that it had been wearing on me.
I trusted no one save Jennis. Even Matthew, serving as butler to the Irenberg Family for three generations, was a subject of suspicion.
If Matthew doubted me and hindered my work, there was a chance he served as the Count’s agent.
Whose side was Matthew really on?
“Not at all. That could never be. It’s just…….”
Matthew’s voice trembled slightly.
“Just?”
“You always said your dream was to make a fine match and live comfortably…….”
Did I really say something so embarrassing?
Heat flooded my cheeks.
“I don’t remember.”
I feigned ignorance.
“Before that, you said you’d spend your whole life with the master and mistress.”
If I’m a genius, then Matthew is a prodigy. His memory was flawless.
“I do remember that. But everyone says things like that when they’re young, don’t they?”
Past me was mortifying, but I brushed it off casually—fortunately, Matthew didn’t press further.
I tried to steer the conversation naturally toward the tax question.
“Thank you, miss.”
Then, without warning, Matthew bowed deeply.
“For you to have resolved to carry on the Irenberg Family—this butler would die content. No, if you were to become the proper Family Head, I would welcome death gladly.”
I Bought the Villains with Money (Serialization)
Author │ Lee In-hye
Publisher │ Kim Ju-hyung
Published by │ J Plus Media Co., Ltd. – Tiramisu
Marketing │ Han Jae-hyuk
Address │ 11, Digital-ro 33-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul. 1101 (Guro-dong, Ace Techno Tower 8th Building, 11th Floor)
Email │ [email protected]
Website │ http://blog.naver.com/jayplemedia1
© Lee In-hye 2021
※This work is published by J Plus Media Co., Ltd. under contract with the copyright holder,
and its contents may not be used in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher and author.
Violation of this may result in criminal and civil legal liability.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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