Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better? - Chapter 15

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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 15
When Isidore worked at the Information Guild, he wore a bracelet enchanted with magic that distorted his appearance and voice. Because of it, no one except Miguel knew that the Master of the secret organization was the heir to House Bisconti, a founding family of the Empire.
“How should I approach this? Why would I worry about such things with this face?”
Isidore pointed to his own strikingly handsome face with his finger and asked in bewilderment. Miguel, whose lips trembled as if he wanted to curse, soon dropped his head in resignation.
“My apologies. I’ve just asked the most pointless question in the world.”
It was frustrating, but unavoidable. Using a pretty boy strategy with that face would be cheating.
Isidore possessed a handsomeness so difficult to describe in words that more than ten portrait painters had fled in tears, wailing that his dazzling visage could never be captured with brush and paint.
That wasn’t all. The hair torn out by the ladies who’d fought over claiming Isidore at parties could easily be fashioned into hundreds of wigs.
Moreover, he possessed overwhelmingly long legs and broad shoulders, simultaneously embodying both delicate beauty and intense masculine charm.
Because of Isidore’s presence, which rendered the men around him transparent, Miguel felt a melancholy sensation of having laid an ambush even when he hadn’t.
“Miguel, that’s quite an insolent expression. It seems you have something to refute?”
“Nothing, my lord.”
“Good. Then you should prepare to go to the Academy as well.”
At his coercion to become his supporting actor once more, Miguel nodded with a gloomy expression.
“Ah.”
Isidore, having returned as the heir to House Bisconti rather than the Guild Master, suddenly paused and put the bracelet back on.
‘I need to revise the color grades and quantities of diamonds.’
He planned to gradually introduce diamonds of three different colors to the market.
Pink, blue, and green.
Among these three, pink was the color he planned to release in the smallest quantity. However, the moment I received Deborah’s second commission, I quickly changed my plans.
Recalling the pale face like a crescent moon and the violet hair flowing down like the night sky, he lightly tapped the table.
“Miguel. I’m going to add another diamond color, so call the sub-guild master.”
“What color?”
He rested his chin in his hand and narrowed his eyes slightly.
“A color resembling lavender.”
* * *
‘Time passes quickly.’
Ten days had already passed since I returned from my transaction with Blanche Master.
In that time, everything had been peaceful without incident. Duke Simour had left the Capital temporarily due to business in his territory, and Beleck, who had been pushing forward my engagement, seemed to have hit a snag in his research and remained holed up in the Magic Tower, rarely coming home.
During this period, I spent my time in the Capital’s Shopping District conducting market research. Though it was called market research, it was essentially just playing and eating with Father’s card.
‘Desserts like cakes are already a red ocean.’
I ate a cake generously topped with custard while crossing out uncompetitive items one by one.
‘This alley is remote with little foot traffic. Rejected.’
I also checked pedestrian flow while spacing out like a sloth on a terrace. It was gourmet exploration and healing masquerading as market research.
‘The weather is lovely.’
As if announcing the arrival of spring, the weather grew warmer with each passing day. Warming weather meant the Imperial Academy’s opening was just around the corner.
So spring means the start of the semester here too.
“Sigh.”
The only saving grace was that I didn’t need to obsess over grades like in my previous life.
‘Academy’ might sound like a grand academic institution, but the Imperial Academy was a space where socializing took priority over education. Most noble children received their education from private tutors and attended the Academy for networking.
To understand why the Academy became a place for socializing rather than studying, one must delve into the distant past.
In the early days of the Asteia Empire, the provincial lords lacked a strong concept of nationhood, so they constantly stirred up trouble in regions beyond the Imperial reach.
The second Emperor gathered the children of these unruly provincial lords and influential nobles to the Imperial Academy in the Capital, holding them as hostages to control them and instill a sense of belonging to the Empire.
The problem was that even as the Empire’s rule stabilized, the edicts created during that era remained unchanged and intact. Even now, the daughters and sons of families designated by the Imperial household were obligated to attend the Academy.
Still, it was a lenient place for high nobility—one could graduate simply by meeting attendance requirements. Those from families of uncertain status or with little to inherit had to bleed themselves dry at the Academy to achieve results and catch the eye of the higher-ups for official positions, but that had nothing to do with me.
Rather… the thought that I might encounter the heroine soon made my heart flutter with unease.
I didn’t want to get entangled with her.
The nickname readers had given Miya Binoshu was “crazy magnet.” Of course, the most prominent of those crazy people was Deborah.
In that regard, Blanche Master was someone I could trust.
Though the novel was incomplete, Master had never flirted with Miya across over a hundred chapters, making him a character with a significantly low probability of causing a disaster.
Since I was thinking about it anyway, I should stop by Maison D.
Since my attendant always brought desserts from there, I hadn’t visited Maison D in the meantime. But ten days had passed, so I wanted to stop by and check on the progress of my commission.
I adjusted my hood and stood up. Wearing a corset was terribly uncomfortable for exploring restaurants, so I’d been going around in a hooded robe.
As soon as I arrived at Maison D, I took a seat on the terrace and scanned the menu. I let out a quiet laugh upon seeing the “Sold Out” sign next to the cake made by the Imperial Master Chef.
Master really did have exceptional business acumen.
After surveying dozens of dessert shops, Maison D was the only one employing modern marketing.
Limited quantities, flash sales marketing.
A technique of limiting numbers even when production could be increased, and pretending items were sold out even when they weren’t.
People naturally obsess over things that are difficult to obtain and rare. Nobles with a sense of privilege were even worse about it. By exploiting the psychology of the target demographic so well, Maison D was bound to be a massive success.
Wait.
As I was clicking my tongue, I glanced at the menu and brightened. The very business item I’d been searching for was right here.
Coffee!
But it seemed unpopular—it was tucked away in a corner of the menu with only a single variety.
“Bring me this beverage.”
The moment I pointed at the coffee, the staff member’s expression soured.
“My lady, I apologize, but this beverage has a strong bitter taste that may not suit your palate. It’s made from beans imported from a hot region, and the reception has been poor, so we were planning to remove it soon.”
“Never mind. Bring it with the fresh cream cake.”
Shortly after, a well-built, handsome server approached and set down the cup of coffee and the cake.
Master really did know his business.
Feeling a warm glow, I picked up my fork and reached for the fresh cream cake. Now it was time to neutralize this sweetness with the bitter coffee…
Ugh!
Why was it so tasteless?
Beyond being bitter, the flavor was so poor that I nearly spat it out immediately.
Had they roasted the beans carelessly? It was a total disaster.
Since it hadn’t gone through a proper manufacturing process, it was no different from bitter medicine. The color was so dark that to people here, accustomed to transparent tea, it must have seemed like poison.
No wonder it had no popularity.
I set down the coffee, which had virtually zero commercial appeal, and fell into contemplation. I’d discovered a startup item that dominated the twenty-first century, but making it marketable seemed far from easy.
Already troubled enough, my concentration was disrupted when a group of noble daughters came rushing over and settled near the terrace.
Those girls really were in their spring.
Four noble daughters dressed in bright pastel gowns were seated around a table, ordering cake and beverages.
“Have you heard the rumor?”
Someone whispered it discreetly, and I instinctively perked up my ears. It was rare for a maid to gossip about High Society matters right in front of me, so I found myself intrigued.
“What rumor?”
“Charles Orgo is enrolling in the Academy this year.”
“Oh my, what wonderful news.”
Whether it was wonderful or not, I’d certainly heard of Orgo House before.
Like the Simours, Orgo House was one of the founding noble families and was well-known as a renowned swordsmanship lineage. Moreover, Diera Orgo, the heir of Orgo House, was one of the female lead’s romantic interests.
At merely nineteen years old, Diera Orgo was such a naturally gifted swordswoman that she could already wield aura, and it was predicted that given a little more time, she would reach martial prowess equal to the Crown Prince, who was a Sword Master.
“If she enrolls in the Academy, we might be able to catch a glimpse of the Knight Order training from afar, right?”
The youngest noble lady asked shyly.
“It seems someone admires the Knight Order?”
“I wish I could see Diera. I happened to meet her at the Thanksgiving festival last time, and she was absolutely magnificent.”
As expected of one of Miya’s romantic interests, Diera was quite popular too.
“I’d like to have a conversation with Philaf Montes at least once. A Spirit Summoner—it’s so fascinating.”
“Right? That fiery crimson hair, it’s truly magnificent.”
They continued chattering excitedly.
Stories about high-ranking nobles were undoubtedly the biggest topic of conversation among the nobility. If I had to compare it to something, they were like idols among the aristocracy.
While commoners admired nobles, nobles admired high-ranking nobles and royalty. That’s why the ripple was even greater when Miya Binoshu, a young lady from a fallen noble house, appeared at the Academy wearing a pink diamond around her neck, walking alongside Philaf Montes.
‘It was quite the glamorous entrance befitting a female lead.’
I recalled the earlier parts of the novel and nodded to myself.
“I wish I could have seen Beleck Simour, but he’s already graduated, which is unfortunate.”
“Beleck is so refined and intellectual.”
Refined? Intellectual? I’d like to tell them to have just one conversation with that bastard.
‘They’re all fooled by appearances.’
My appetite vanished and I set down my fork when the noble ladies’ voices suddenly shot up three octaves.
“To be honest, the person I most want to see is Isidore Visconti.”
“Kyaaah!”
“Isidore! He’s so—hand—some!!”
The sudden shriek pierced my eardrums so violently I nearly spat out the cake in my mouth.

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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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