The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 53

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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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Chapter 53

4. If You Thought Your Pretty Boy Tactics Would Work

The corridor of the ducal mansion.

Servants carrying trays entered the room without making a sound, stepping lightly.

“Duke, I’ve brought the washing water.”

“Good.”

Duke Carnel got down from the bed.

Platinum hair lighter in color than other family members. A gaunt but flawlessly smooth sculptural face. Cool red eyes.

This was the appearance of the master that the servants saw every day.

“Here it is.”

Since Duke Carnel had a difficult personality, every daily routine had to be carried out precisely. The servants were attending to him while extremely tense…

“I’ll do it.”

Eunice, who had entered at some point, took the towel instead and handed it to Duke Carnel. Her manner was very skilled.

The Duke waved his hand.

“Eunice, attending to me is not part of your duties.”

“But among everyone in the ducal mansion, don’t I do it best? Ah, not this shirt. Bring one two shades darker. According to my color classification chart.”

“Yes, Chief Aide.”

Following her instructions, everything was running in perfect order like precise clockwork, when suddenly a small voice was heard from outside the door.

“Um, Duke…”

Eunice quickly turned her head to look.

“What is it? You should know well that the Duke dislikes being disturbed at this hour?”

“No, I ordered it.”

Duke Carnel interrupted her words and gestured with his chin to open the door.

The Butler entered carrying a tray. As if conducting some secret deal, he discreetly opened the lid, revealing a bundle of newspapers.

“Is this it?”

“Yes, Duke. I’ve gathered them all.”

“Let me see.”

Duke Carnel put everything else aside and picked up the bundle of newspapers. They were weekly magazines that covered topics from high society.

The Butler had specifically selected only articles about Aristina from among them.

“As expected, there are many stories about department store sales. ‘Sales achieved by riding on the coattails of imperial favor’? Which newspaper company is this? ‘Even more arrogant, still up to her old tricks’! Old tricks?”

“This seems to be the article in question.”

“She suddenly picked a fight with the Davis Count Siblings at the party? Aren’t they famous philanthropists and highly respected figures?”

The Duke frowned. Eunice, who had been watching while biting her lips, spoke.

“Excitement is not good for the Duke’s health. Take these away immediately.”

Then she quickly poured herbal juice into a cup and handed it to the Duke.

“No.”

The Duke refused and shook his head.

“I’m not excited. There might be some story behind this. Just like with the sales manipulation incident last time…”

Eunice’s shoulders flinched.

“Ah, of course I’m not blaming you. It’s just that…”

Duke Carnel briefly recalled his daughter’s face. Completely out of character, like a puppy caught in the rain.

“I think it would be better for my health to understand the circumstances before getting excited. Tobias, see if there are any other articles related to that incident.”

“Yes, Duke.”

The Butler rummaged through the newsletters and pulled out the most recent one.

“This is it. ‘Hot scoop! The fact that the Davis Count Siblings committed embezzlement and misappropriation through their orphanage business has been exposed by Young Lady Aristina!'”

“What?”

The Duke looked at the articles with an intrigued expression.

“What, they starved the children? While charging several times more expensive childcare fees than other places?”

“Yes. So Young Lady made the count siblings drink sewage water.”

“Tsk tsk, how undignified.”

“But it says she received thunderous applause from the people at the scene. My, what a commotion it must have been.”

“And then she immediately acquired that orphanage?”

“Yes. She said that whatever else, she would provide luxurious three meals a day.”

“Hmm. That child does stake her life on eating.”

Duke Carnel postponed all his daily tasks and lost track of time reading the newsletters.

“…”

Eunice watched him like that, then quietly turned around and left.

Her face was calm and expressionless as always, but her hands were trembling.

* * *

“What?”

I looked up and asked back.

My naturally surprised expression, as if hearing this for the first time, was masterful acting even by my own standards.

“You had a child placed in that orphanage where embezzlement was discovered this time? So, you had a child?”

“Yes.”

Maid Hanna hung her head low.

“Since Young Lady’s foundation acquired that orphanage, they said all parents would be contacted… Since it seemed like it would be revealed anyway, I came to confess first. I’m sorry for hiding the fact that I have a child. And also for lying about my past experience…”

Below her trembling shoulders, I could almost see the muscles in her arms rippling beneath her maid uniform.

Hanna, the laundry maid.

She was originally an amateur martial arts fighter.

She appeared like a comet and dominated the fighting arena, but retired with a sudden marriage. However, she was widowed less than a year after her child was born.

After that, she took any job that paid money while raising her child alone, eventually becoming a maid to the Duke of Rosen’s daughter, one of the most extreme jobs in the Empire.

That was roughly her background.

Her story was pitiful, and it was also a case of true waste of talent.

‘Tsk tsk. What a waste. What you should be throwing, beating with clubs, trampling and shaking out thoroughly should be humans, not laundry.’

The talent I desperately needed was rotting away right under my nose.

And she had fallen into the wrong hands of those evil hypocrite orphanage owners, being extorted for huge childcare fees.

The moment I learned that fact, I immediately ran over and turned the orphanage upside down. And I rescued the children who were eating only thin soup and wilted vegetable scraps.

Recalling that scene, I regretted not giving those fraudulent siblings a more devastating humiliation.

‘Well, their criminal acts will be exposed and they’ll be properly punished anyway… Still, I should have made them eat something worse than sewage water. I should have abandoned my dignity a little more.’

I returned to reality with regret.

“Well, having a child doesn’t change anything. Since we’re talking about it, our foundation will operate that orphanage very properly.”

Promotional materials were scattered on the desk. Of course, these were materials I had deliberately laid out to show Hanna.

“Quality three meals a day plus four snacks, clean environment, excellent teachers… Anyway, as shown here, we’re going to try everything that’s supposed to be good. Our goal is to win a social welfare medal from the Empress in 10 years. To do that, we need to provide free childcare to low-income parents, and Hanna, you happen to meet those criteria.”

Looking at Hanna trembling nervously in front of me, I continued.

“Got it? We’ll raise your child well at our foundation’s orphanage, so don’t worry and save your salary to establish a foundation quickly. We need to create a success story that we can proudly present to the Empress in 10 years.”

“…Thank you. Thank you so much, Young Lady.”

Hanna bowed several times and went outside.

‘In 10 years, I’ll have to tempt Hanna and her child with something like a full scholarship to a famous boarding school.’

While plotting such wicked future plans, I leaned back comfortably in my chair.

【Result of party brawl: shopping for orphanages to vent anger?】

【Social problems solved by accident: pseudo-religion, marriage coercion using power, orphanage embezzlement… what’s next?】

【Amazing antics of ducal heir: birth of a ‘millionaire problem solver’?】

Some articles appeared in the newspapers… It seems they eventually reached Duke Carnel’s ears too. A visitor came to my room.

“All charitable projects pursued by family members are supposed to receive a certain amount of support from the family fortune.”

I stared at Eunice who had come with a support fund certificate.

“Really? That’s great. The department store is doing well anyway, so there won’t be a shortage of money.”

When I said that with a bright smile, Eunice responded expressionlessly.

“Then I’ll transfer 1 billion perel according to this certificate.”

“Ah, my account number is…”

“You don’t need to tell me.”

“Oh, right. Family accounts are stored separately, aren’t they?”

The moment I spoke carelessly, Eunice’s face seemed to turn cold. It was a change that passed in a very brief instant, so I might not have noticed it before.

But now all my attention was focused on her, so I detected even the smallest movement.

‘Strange. Why does her expression change at the mention of “family accounts”?’

My chest felt tight. I summoned every possible scenario that could happen in a romance fantasy world. All sorts of hypotheses began running wild in my head.

‘Could Eunice be blood-related to this house?’

That couldn’t be it. Even though Duke Carnel had a younger brother, he only left behind one illegitimate child younger than me. Most importantly, she had none of the physical characteristics of the Rosen Family.

‘Above all, it would be a bit strange for someone much older than me to compete with me and covet the daughter’s position…’

As I thought this way and that, a certain idea suddenly occurred to me.

‘…Could it be that she has unrequited love for Duke Carnel?’

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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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