The Villainess Builds a Department Store - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Villainess Establishes a Department Store

Chapter 12

“How old are you right now? Similar to me, right? You’re not a little kid anymore, so maybe graduate from acting out just because things don’t go your way? How long are you going to act this childishly? Other people aren’t trash cans for your emotions.”

There were sometimes people like that. Those who would act as if they wanted to unleash all the anger they’d been suppressing elsewhere, not making legitimate complaints.

‘If you want to use people as emotional trash cans, at least pay them a lot of money.’

That way they could get counseling and be prescribed antidepressants.

A cynical sneer appeared on Adelaide’s face as the memory surfaced.

“Apologize. For acting out, for breaking the toy, everything.”

But Felix refused to bend his attitude until the end.

“I… I can just pay for this cheap toy! Hey! How much is this?”

“But… Grandfather made it for me… *sob*…”

“…”

The air around them instantly froze.

Felix was also flustered by the unexpected answer and just gaped his mouth.

“Then… ah… uh… I’ll pay you back ten times! Something better! I’ll buy you a new one with the latest toys! That’s fine, right?”

—Smack!

Finally unable to hold back, Adelaide swung her hand.

Felix jumped up from the stinging pain across his entire back.

“What are you doing!”

“How much are you worth?”

“What?”

—Smack!

“That hurts!”

“How much per hit for your back? 10 francs? 100 francs? It doesn’t matter. I’ll pay however much.”

“Are you really crazy? How can you buy a person with money?”

“Then you, can you buy someone’s precious belongings with money?”

They say when you get too angry, you actually become calm.

This was exactly that moment.

Adelaide continued speaking calmly.

“Monsieur Hedebo is an excellent merchant respected by everyone. You agree, right?”

When his father was mentioned, Felix glared at her with suspicious eyes as if wondering what she was scheming.

“Do you think that’s because he’s strong? Or because he has a lot of money? Or maybe because he’s old?”

“…”

Felix couldn’t say anything.

“Do you think people will respect you if you act like this even after inheriting the family business? Actually, if you wanted to suppress people with force, you should have become a knight. Oh wait, a shorty like you who makes a fuss after getting hit a few times could never be a knight. Just live off your allowance like you do now. That suits you perfectly.”

“Are you done talking now?”

“No. I stopped because I thought you might cry.”

“Hey!”

No matter how much you stomp your feet and shake your fists to threaten me, I’m not scared at all. Rather, it’s pathetic.

Adelaide’s cold gaze was saying exactly that.

“Hmph. Still young indeed.”

When she deliberately emphasized the word “young,” the reaction was quite worth watching.

“Who, who are you calling young? I’m the oldest one here, you know? I’m not young!”

“And yet you act this childishly? What did you eat birthday cake for? It seems like it didn’t digest properly.”

Tears welled up in Felix’s eyes from the continuous sarcasm and harsh words.

To be so shaken by being called young. He really is just a kid after all. Adelaide felt a pang of conscience.

But she had to firmly fix that terrible habit while she was at it.

“The people here are heirs of families who might do business with you in the future, and if I were them, I would never do business with a violent and childish kid who smashes things when they don’t like something.”

The boy who had been ready to scream and shout finally came to his senses when the future was mentioned and became a bit more docile.

“Apologize.”

“Grr…”

Come on. When Adelaide urged him with her eyes, Felix hesitantly turned toward the child who was sniffling while holding the broken toy.

“…sor…ry.”

“I can’t hear you. Maybe your voice is really small because you’re still young.”

“…I said.”

“Again.”

“I said I’m sorry!”

“Hmm. Is that how you apologize? Maybe because you’re still young.”

“I’m not young! I apologized and said I was sorry!”

Oh no.

Felix finally burst into tears.

“You’re crying? You’re crying right now? What did you do well that you’re crying? The one who really wants to cry is the kid whose toy got smashed, right? With such a weak mind that you cry from hearing a few harsh words, what can you accomplish? I suspected it before, but you really are young, aren’t you?”

“I’m not crying! This isn’t crying! Something got in my eyes, dust got in them!”

For that to be the case, he was clearly crying and being stubborn, drawing out his words and whining.

Instead of pointing out reality, Adelaide shrugged her shoulders.

“Um… Lady Adelaide…”

“Yes?”

“I’m okay… He apologized too… So…”

“You’re more mature than Felix.”

Adelaide chuckled and patted the child’s head.

“Since you apologized, I’ll take back what I said about you being young. You’re not young and childish, you just have an unusually fast physical growth rate.”

The children who understood the hidden meaning bit their lips to hold back laughter.

Fortunately, Felix didn’t seem to understand.

That’s when it happened.

“Huh? Adelaide, Felix? What’s this, Felix, were you crying?”

The adults who had finished their meeting returned.

“It’s nothing. Felix accidentally broke a toy and he seems shocked too.”

“…Really?”

When I struck first, Felix looked at me with bewildered eyes.

What, why, what.

You weren’t going to cowardly tattle, were you?

As soon as their eyes met, Felix averted his gaze. If he was going to back down this quickly…

“Is the meeting over?”

“For today, at least. Were you playing well?”

“Yes. Felix brought a Go board, so we were playing with that.”

Felix was bewildered again.

“Oh my! That’s still too difficult for you kids to play with. Hmm, what should we do about this…”

I thought he’d be happy that we were playing well, but maybe not?

Guillaume shrugged his shoulders in a somewhat exaggerated tone.

“I brought some riddles in case you were bored.”

“Riddles?”

“I was going to buy you whatever you wanted from this voyage as a prize.”

“From the East?”

“Since you were playing well, maybe next time…”

“I want to do it. Please let me do it!”

He’ll buy us whatever we want from the East? I can’t miss this opportunity.

Not only Felix but even Hippolyte and Antoine, who had been quiet the whole time, began to light up.

“Antoine, is there anything you want?”

Actually, there was no need to ask. Antoine’s most cherished toy recently was a shield-shaped kite brought from the East.

Although it had broken recently when it got caught in a tree.

“I want a kite. What about you, Older Sister?”

“I want… medicine for Mother.”

“Medicine?”

“Yes. Precious medicinal herbs that only grow there would be good.”

If I could just get that in advance, something like a kite would be nothing—I could buy enough for Antoine to hang onto and fly away with.

Guillaume rummaged through his pockets, pulled out his wallet, and held out a gold coin to each of us fairly.

It was a 10-franc gold coin.

What were we supposed to do with this?

While everyone looked puzzled, Guillaume shouted.

“Now, use this to buy something that can fill this bedroom!”

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