The Villainess Builds a Department Store - Chapter 14

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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 14

Emily, born into a clockmaker family that had repaired timepieces for the Loire Royal Family and nobles for generations, inherited her ancestors’ skills intact.

No, she didn’t merely inherit them—she created entirely new machines that had never existed in the world before.

However, her great achievements would only be revealed to the world after her death.

Because her twin brother not only stole Emily’s achievements as if they were his own, but also used them as a foundation to be inducted into the Royal Academy of Sciences’ Hall of Fame.

If a descendant feeling pangs of conscience hadn’t exposed all the facts, and if it weren’t for the secret marks she had hidden away, Emily probably would have been unable to close her eyes in death due to her unjust treatment.

‘But this time will be different. Emily, I need you.’

I know all too well how deflating it feels to do all the hard work yourself, only to watch someone else receive the praise and even act like they deserve credit for it.

“My precious automaton broke—can you fix it? It was made here.”

Camille casually held out a business card with Charmeuze’s name on it.

Oh right, I was so hasty that I forgot to introduce myself.

What I had brought was a writing girl doll that Father had given me as a birthday present.

At first glance, the doll looked no different from any common porcelain doll. However, hidden beneath the silk dress was not a cotton-stuffed body, but thousands of intricate mechanical clockwork devices.

When wound up, the doll would move its arms to write the sentence “Happy Birthday.”

It was an excessively luxurious item to give as a birthday present to a young daughter.

“Oh my! This doll—I sold this item myself. I remember it clearly.”

“Really?”

Of course she remembered. Emily was the one who had made this doll in the first place.

“Father gave it to me as a birthday present, but it seems to be broken—no writing comes out. It’s incredibly precious to me…”

As I trailed off and lowered my gaze, a gentle voice comforted me.

“Oh dear… You must be very upset.”

“Yes…”

This wasn’t a lie. Even knowing I could easily fix it, my hands had trembled terribly when I actually tried to break it myself.

“Could you wait just a moment? I think Emil needs to take a look at this.”

While waiting for Emily who had disappeared into the back of the workshop, Antoine and I leisurely looked around at the clocks and various mechanical devices filling the shop.

The display cases sparkled with luxurious works made with generous use of gold, silver, and jewels.

A swan moving its long, elegant neck to drink water, a noblewoman who played music when you inserted perforated cards, knights dueling with swords, and a brown-roofed house-shaped clock where a cuckoo popped out on the hour.

These intricate machines, whose construction methods and operating principles I couldn’t even begin to guess, were beyond merely fascinating—they inspired a sense of awe.

Antoine, being at an age where he’d naturally be interested in such things, kept twitching his fingertips. Hey now, Antoine. No. Put your hands down.

To think Emily had made all of this. And that she had to watch with her own eyes as the praise that rightfully belonged to her was stolen!

Looking at the numerous certificates and medals hanging on the wall, and Emil’s name written on each one, I felt so frustrated I thought I might burst with indignation.

“What, it’s not even Mademoiselle Charmeuze herself but just kids from that house? Then why are you telling me to come and go? Don’t you know I’m busy?”

“Emil! What kind of way is that to talk about customers?”

“Tch. It’s probably just some shoddy toy they want repaired anyway… Oh my, have you been waiting long? I’m Emil, the most outstanding clockmaker on this Workshop Street.”

I heard everything, you fool.

Unfortunately, the cloth partition leading to the workshop was too thin to muffle his voice.

“Let me see… Your precious automaton broke, you say? Hmm hmm, ho ho…”

It would later be revealed that unlike Emily, Emil’s skills were merely adequate enough to make a living as a clockmaker, but certainly not at a level to operate on Workshop Street.

However, judging by his expression while appraising the automaton, Emil looked worthy of having a statue erected in front of the Hall of Fame tomorrow.

“Can you fix it?”

“Ha! Are you doubting me right now? This kind of thing is so simple that even our workshop’s receptionist could fix it, so don’t worry too much.”

“Then couldn’t we just have Emily handle it from the beginning?”

“Huh, what? Haha, what a joke. That’s just a figure of speech, you know.”

“Is it really…?”

What should I do? I wasn’t joking.

He said repairing the automaton would take about a week. He promised to contact us as soon as it was finished, so now all that remained was to wait patiently.

* * *

“What? Leave it to you from the beginning? Ha! Some ignorant little kid!”

Returning to the workshop, Emil immediately threw off his apron and flew into a rage.

There was no way to refuse a commission from the Charmeuze Viscountcy, which was said to be doing well with Eastern trade these days.

However, when he actually faced the machine, his mind went blank about where to even begin.

“Damn it… Damn. Hey! Emily!”

But there was always a solution. If even the receptionist could fix it, then he’d have the receptionist do it. Just like always.

“Two days should be enough, right?”

“Two days? No, I can’t. I still haven’t finished repairing some of the farming equipment… I have to do that first.”

“Are you talking back to your master right now? Are you kidding me? Can’t you see what’s more urgent?”

Of course it’s the farming equipment. Emily bit her lips tightly and silently objected.

Wasn’t it obvious which was more urgent—a child’s toy or farming tools that tenant farmers absolutely needed for their work?

Machines existed to benefit people’s lives, not to be consumed merely as entertainment or amusement.

At least, that’s what Emily believed.

But her twin brother Emil seemed to think differently.

He removed practical functions and replaced them with gold, silver, jewels, and decorations instead.

Naturally, the prices became so expensive that anyone who wasn’t nobility couldn’t even dream of affording them, while the functions became simpler in comparison.

Already, rumors were circulating quietly within the guild that Tonel Workshop might be better off as jewelers rather than clockmakers, but only Emil remained unaware of this.

“You should know how lucky you are. Where else would you find a brother who entrusts work to his sister who would otherwise spend her whole life as a receptionist before getting married? You understand how much I trust you, right? You should be grateful for opportunities like this!”

He was right. While Grandfather and Father might allow their beloved granddaughter and daughter to play around in the workshop, they would never permit her to work as a proper craftsperson until the very end.

Being able to handle machines and explore their principles like this was all thanks to Emil’s permission.

In the end, Emily had no choice but to adjust the repair schedule.

“…Alright. I’ll finish as quickly as possible.”

Returning to her corner of the workshop, Emily took off her receptionist apron and changed into an old, dirty work apron.

‘Couldn’t we just have Emily handle it from the beginning?’

Today, for some reason, the serious expression and clear voice of the Charmeuze young lady echoed particularly vividly in her ears.

“That’s right. How wonderful it would be if that were really possible…”

With a sigh, Emily continued her work.

When she disassembled the automaton, a familiar mark she had carved between the gears was revealed.

It was the only evidence that she had made it, a mark secretly carved without anyone knowing—not even Emil.

Tracing it with her fingertips, Emily swallowed a sigh.

Would there ever come a day when she could open a workshop under her own name—Emily—instead of Emil’s? Would the day ever come when this mark could serve as proof?

“Hmm?”

Stop thinking useless thoughts. Refocusing her attention and examining the automaton, Emily spotted the cause of the malfunction.

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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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