Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better? - Chapter 66

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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 66
Who in the Empire would ever imagine that the notorious villainess would propose something like this?
“I believe it’s an excellent suggestion. To be honest, I was too surprised to respond immediately.”
He spoke a beat too late.
“What’s so surprising about it?”
Deborah Simour raised her beautifully arched eyebrows slightly, as if she couldn’t understand.
“I was genuinely moved to witness your compassionate and gentle side, my lady.”
Suddenly, her long violet-tinged lashes trembled delicately. The sharp corners of her eyes began to flush crimson.
“I am not the sort of person who engages in frivolous charity with a warm heart!”
Deborah Simour abruptly raised her voice, causing Isidore Visconti to flinch, his fingertips quivering. Cookie, who had been licking the lady’s fingers, also widened his eyes and quietly hid behind Isidore Visconti.
“This is a campaign. A public interest campaign!”
“….”
“Donations are one of the most effective methods for enhancing a company’s image.”
Deborah Simour launched into an impassioned explanation, her neck flushed with intensity.
“The children and students who receive assistance from Armand will develop into a solid customer base in the future! They’re all potential revenue streams.”
“….”
“Furthermore, if I establish a charitable foundation, there will certainly be tax benefits from the Imperial Court, just as there were when I donated the Clock Tower! I never move without profit. Do you understand?”
“I understand your intentions perfectly, my lady.”
Isidore Visconti smiled faintly.
“I will process the Academy scholarship donation under the Trading Company’s name as you wish. Should you establish a foundation, I’ll inquire with the Imperial Administration Office to confirm the tax benefits available.”
“Very well. Proceed accordingly.”
She quickly unfurled her fan with a cold, haughty expression and waved it rapidly.
…Could she possibly be embarrassed?
Isidore Visconti gazed at her flushed, rounded earlobes and found himself thinking she was adorable before clenching his fists tightly.
‘What am I thinking….’
As he wallowed in confusion, she snapped her fan shut with a sharp sound, shifting the atmosphere.
“We’ve succeeded in launching the new menu and attracting new members to Armand, so now we need to move to the next phase.”
She spoke with absolute confidence, her red lips curving upward.
“With the jousting tournament season approaching, this is the perfect timing.”
This venture was an item Deborah Simour had invested considerable effort into. Just as her initial concept of selling the shop’s name was merely a fraction of her ideas, she had aggressively pursued ingenious business strategies and launched distinctive products throughout their partnership.
Her exceptional business acumen had transformed the once-quiet East Gate Dessert Shop into a thriving establishment in no time. The merchants of renown would be astounded by her commercial prowess demonstrated in such a short period, yet what she was attempting now was so unique and unconventional that it would make them forget everything that came before.
“If successful, we could reap substantial profits, but there are some unconventional aspects that may make customers hesitant to accept it initially.”
He offered his counsel as a business partner, tinged with concern.
“Actually, there is one person perfectly suited to open doors for this venture.”
Deborah Simour spoke mysteriously, toying with her fan.
“I will make contact with them. Who is it?”
“Isidore Visconti.”
‘…?’
Why me again?
Just then, a loud crash echoed from behind the office, and the thin mist coating the floor rippled up and down.
“What was that noise?”
Deborah Simour narrowed her eyes and glanced around.
“…It seems something fell from the bookshelf.”
Isidore Visconti made a mental note to properly deal with Miguel someday as he asked her a question.
“But what do you mean by saying he’s the right person for the job?”
“To be honest, Knight Isidore is incredibly handsome. According to your investigation, he’s the Empire’s most beautiful man—just brushing his hair back lightly would set High Society ablaze.”
‘Hmm.’
Isidore bit down on his lips that kept trying to curl upward and fidgeted with the nape of his neck.
‘So Deborah Simour is well aware that I’m handsome. I thought her taste in men was terrible all this time.’
She must have finally seen through her infatuation with Philaf.
It had to be that way, didn’t it?
“…You have excellent judgment.”
In truth, ‘her judgment has returned to normal’ would have been the more appropriate phrase, but pleased by her words, he offered subtle praise.
“…Hmm.”
At that moment, the princess’s eyes narrowed like a fox’s.
“Why do you ask?”
“Because your intentions are so blatant they’re practically suspicious. I have no prejudice against such things, but….”
She murmured something meaningful with an ambiguous gaze.
‘Surely she doesn’t think I’m interested in myself…?’
The mist coating the floor began to ripple once more, and Isidore clenched his fists so tightly his black gloves stretched taut.
“That’s not it.”
He spoke darkly.
“It’s just that you’re acting pleased as if the Master himself received the compliment. It’s suspicious.”
It was a sharp observation, so Isidore hastily made excuses.
“Until now, you’ve regarded him with suspicion, been cautious, and even asked me to investigate him. You even seemed doubtful of my investigation materials.”
“That’s true.”
“But it seems your feelings have changed in the meantime, which surprised me a little. If you found him suspicious, you wouldn’t have considered working with him.”
“….”
“Have your suspicions about him disappeared now?”
In his confusion, he mixed personal curiosity into his question.
“To be honest… he’s still very suspicious.”
She narrowed her brow slightly and tapped her fan rapidly against her palm.
‘Still?’
Damn it. Why does she guard against me so much?
Even Young-sik and the young lady of the Senate family, which stood in opposition to the Visconti house of the Emperor’s faction, were favorable toward Isidore as an individual. He had such a good reputation in High Society.
‘I’ve never done anything wrong as my true self.’
He always committed questionable deeds in the form of Blanche Master. A light example would be causing Louis Gazel’s riding accident using magic.
“You call him suspicious yet entrust him with important work. Isn’t that contradictory?”
The princess, who had been quietly observing the Master muttering bluntly with sharp eyes, touched her fan and opened her mouth.
“But once you hear my plan, you’ll understand right away.”
Her bright crimson eyes gleamed like a cat spotting fish, and for reasons I couldn’t quite explain, Isidore felt an inexplicable unease wash over him as he nervously licked his parched lips.
‘What is she plotting?’
* * *
After concluding my business with Master regarding the establishment of the Armand Foundation, I returned to the Annex Building and gazed out the window at the crimson sunset with an unsettled feeling in my chest.
“Has your suspicion of him finally dissipated?”
In that moment, I sensed Master was probing the depths of my thoughts, but was I simply being overly sensitive?
‘I don’t want to doubt Master.’
Ever since we began our formal partnership, my gratitude toward him had only deepened with each passing day.
‘Yes, there’s no other word to describe it but gratitude.’
He was the most exceptional team player I’d ever encountered.
‘The synergy is absolutely flawless.’
Having spent my entire life surrounded by freeloaders during group projects who waited for others to spoon-feed them solutions, I could viscerally appreciate Master’s drive and competence in ways few could.
‘Never in my life did I think I’d benefit so greatly from a teammate.’
My first impression of Master had undoubtedly been fear. Sitting in that fog-shrouded office, he appeared as dark and hollow as an abyss, emanating an unsettling dread.
Yet somewhere along the way, he had become my greatest confidant and most reliable ally. He actively championed my business ventures and promotional strategies, however audacious they might have seemed, and offered invaluable counsel without hesitation. Most notably, the construction of buildings in this revolutionary architectural style would have been utterly impossible without his efforts.
Moreover, Master had readily agreed today to the establishment of a scholarship foundation.
‘That man was no cold-blooded gold-chaser.’
Yet despite my deepening gratitude toward Master, the truth remained that I knew virtually nothing substantial about him.
‘What is his true identity?’
Given his frequent use of metaphor, I suspected he was nobility of some kind, and his exceptional business acumen suggested he wasn’t a firstborn heir.
‘The nobility here tends to disdain commerce, after all.’
If he had inherited territories to manage, he wouldn’t have bothered with business ventures. As I attempted to deduce his identity from these scattered clues, I found myself running my hands through my hair in frustration.
‘I really know nothing.’
Even the Crown Prince in the novel seemed to know little about Master beyond the fact that he led a secret organization. Yet this meticulous and formidable Master displayed peculiar cracks whenever Isidore became involved.
‘It’s as though his poker face crumbles.’
Especially today—something felt distinctly off.
‘He’s definitely not just a casual admirer.’
I spent time speculating on various possibilities until the blue-grey darkness of dusk settled over everything, and then I penned a letter to Isidore.
‘Regardless, he’s the only one suited for this task.’
The equestrian tournament was drawing ever closer, so I needed to act swiftly.

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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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