The Villainess Builds a Department Store - Chapter 24

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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 24

Should I give up everything even now? Should I pretend it never happened? No, this is my choice so I must take responsibility. This is the last time.

With each step I took, anguish and conflict continued. I couldn’t even tell if what was swaying was the wooden floor of the pier, the rolling sea, or my own heart.

When I came to my senses, I was already on the deck.

Mixed among the colleagues I had sailed with several times before, I waved toward those left behind.

Then the woman I loved waved back at me.

At the same time, her reed-thin body swayed along with her hand.

The moment I felt puzzled, her body collapsed like a sandcastle hit by waves.

That was Charles’s last memory.

“Ugh…”

Charles slowly opened his eyes. Everything around him was completely white.

Am I finally dead? If so, is this heaven? Or hell?

“Darling!”

It’s heaven. Charles was relieved and was about to close his eyes again when he tensed his whole body and bolted upright.

“Eleonore!”

You shouldn’t come to heaven yet!

“Eleonore! Are, are you alright? Ugh…!”

Charles grimaced terribly at the horrible pain as if thick glass shards were scraping the back of his head.

“I’m fine. So please rest. Really, what were you thinking jumping in when you can’t even swim…”

With a quiet but firm voice, white hands laid him back down.

“Well, my body moved on its own.”

“Do you know how scared I was? I knew you were going on a long journey, but I thought you were going somewhere you’d never return from, so I was so… so…!”

Eleonore’s voice gradually became wet with tears and eventually turned into sobbing.

She gripped Charles’s hand tightly as if she would never let go again.

Charles too had to forcibly swallow the hot emotions rising in his throat.

Indeed, where he should be was by Eleonore’s side.

It had been an impulsive action, jumping in without thought or calculation, but instead his heart felt relieved.

He laughed as if he had found the right answer after long contemplation.

“Thank goodness.”

“Sniff… Wh-what is…?”

Charles kissed the back of Eleonore’s hand as he answered.

“That I realized where I should be before it was too late.”

Somehow it felt like I was properly seeing my wife’s face for the first time in a very long while.

She was no longer the lively and spirited girl from my memories.

Even aside from her illness, when she smiled, rainbow-like wrinkles folded around her eyes and her gaze had deepened too.

So he too could not remain a boy whose heart raced at adventures forever.

“And I’m sorry.”

“Darling…”

“I won’t leave you alone anymore. It’s late, but I want to try being a proper husband and father from now on.”

Though I probably won’t make as much money as before. Charles added playfully with a wink.

“It’s fine. Do you think I can’t support you? Do you know how much money I brought as dowry when we married?”

The two people’s gazes met in mid-air and their laughter subsided. In the subtle silence, thin breathing sounded unusually loud.

Without anyone going first, they pulled each other into an embrace. They tilted their heads and pressed their lips together.

No, it was the moment they were about to.

—Knock knock knock.

“Ahem, cough. This is Hedebeau. May I come in? Mademoiselle Charmeuze.”

Damn. There’s no need to make it so obvious that I’m not in heaven.

Soothing her openly disappointed husband with a brief kiss, Eleonore made room.

When the two men actually faced each other, neither opened their mouth first.

What finally broke the silence was an apology from Charles.

“I’m sorry. I really can’t do it after all.”

So he’s finally made up his mind. Guillaume silently nodded.

He had secretly suspected it from the moment the person who used to react first to stories of pioneering new routes and foreign lands showed such a lukewarm attitude.

So it wasn’t very surprising. Just a little regrettable that he wouldn’t be able to work with him anymore.

Anyway, he was an excellent colleague before being a friend.

“I told you, didn’t I? One guy like me is enough. But thinking about the penalty fees must make your stomach burn a bit? Let’s see, there’s the immediate port usage fees, labor costs, and if the cargo owners demand compensation…”

As Guillaume began counting on his fingers, Charles held his head and groaned.

“Good Lord! Just when I thought I made some money with the denim pants!”

“So who told you to jump overboard? Speaking of which, you can’t even dog paddle, so what were you thinking…”

“So Guillaume. Go to Gawri in my place and make money.”

“Suddenly?”

“Guillaume Hedebeau of Guillaume’s Company. You are now the representative of Marquis de Charmeuze. Make sure to multiply my wealth nicely with this voyage.”

Even though we’ve known each other for decades, I still don’t know what that guy is thinking.

Guillaume just stared at Charles with his mouth hanging open.

Regardless, Charles extended his hand with a shameless smile.

“What?”

“A handshake to celebrate the contract.”

“Who said I agreed?”

“If you won’t do it, never mind. There are plenty of others who would.”

“But there’s no one else besides me who could handle this kind of work.”

Guillaume grinned and grasped Charles’s hand.

“But let me ask one thing.”

“What?”

“As your representative, can I eat your preserved meat too?”

Guillaume’s face as he asked this didn’t look like he was joking at all.

No, perhaps this was a more important matter than the profit distribution ratio.

“That… I think you’d have to ask Adele’s permission, not mine?”

Just then, the characteristic chirping voice of a young child could be heard from beyond the door.

They probably came running as soon as they heard that Father had woken up.

“Daddy!”

“Dada, Daddy! Waaah, waaah!”

As soon as the door opened, Adelaide and Antoine came running and threw themselves into Charles’s arms.

“Were you very scared? I’m sorry. Daddy won’t go anywhere now. I’ll keep living at the estate with Mother and you children.”

“Waaah… sniff, sob, hic! R-really? For real?”

Antoine looked at Charles with disbelieving eyes. Adelaide’s eyes were also surprised.

“But… then where will Daddy make money…?”

Antoine’s innocent yet sharp question left Charles speechless.

Misunderstanding his father’s silence as the worst situation he could imagine, Antoine burst into tears again.

“A-are we ruined now?”

“Guillaume. Could I have a moment?”

Then Adelaide tugged at Guillaume Hedebeau’s sleeve.

Despite the large age difference, her calm demeanor was so opposite to her younger sibling’s that Guillaume unconsciously flinched.

“What is it?”

“I have something I’d like to commission you to sell.”

And at the words that followed, Guillaume almost bit his tongue.

“There’s profit from the denim pants, so the household won’t be ruined as Antoine worries. But it’s true that we’ve suffered considerable losses. So what I’m saying is… I’m thinking of filing a patent for preserved meat.”

“Preserved meat… patent?”

“Yes. Of course, I’ll file the patent application under Father’s name instead, but anyway. I’d like you to sell the patent usage rights for us.”

“Hmm.”

“I’ll leave the detailed conditions and sales commission to you, Guillaume.”

“What if I end up cheating you?”

“Would you weally do that? To such a wittle child like me?”

“….”

When Guillaume made an indescribable expression, Adelaide returned to her usual calm demeanor as if she had never spoken with a lisp.

“Instead, I’ll give you all the preserved meat I made for Father. And you’ll be exempt from patent usage fees, Guillaume.”

“I’ll scrape those sailors’ wallets clean down to the ocean floor.”

Guillaume grasped Adelaide’s outstretched hand without hesitation.

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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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