The Villainess is a Millionaire Solver - Chapter 59

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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 59

The people who had gathered to watch the theft incident stepped aside and bowed their heads.

“Duke.”

Through the path that formed in the middle, Duke Carnel walked forward.

That figure who exuded nobility from head to toe just by wearing a black suit. That face that always radiated coldness in all directions, as usual.

Behind him, a group of advisors was following.

The moment I saw Eunice with her brown hair loosely tied, lightning flashed in my eyes.

‘Ha, really! Not content with orchestrating this scheme and coming to watch it personally, now you’ve even dragged Duke Carnel here to watch me suffer? Amazing, truly amazing. You really fear nothing, do you?’

But then.

Duke Carnel spoke bluntly.

“Why are you staring at me like you’ve seen something you shouldn’t? Can’t a father visit his daughter’s department store? Everyone says they’ve been to this department store at least once, so I just came to see it for myself.”

Looking at his sulky face, I realized I had misunderstood.

Right. No matter how much she monopolizes the Duke’s trust as his flying and soaring chief advisor, still. How could she move around a sickly employer who dislikes going out as she pleases?

This outing was the Duke’s own voluntary choice.

‘I see. What an unfortunate coincidence.’

The fact that it was the Duke’s voluntary choice somehow made it even more amusing.

Eunice must have been thrilled. Just like before, on the very day she commissioned the Dark Guild for the 【Fun Aristina Humiliation Show】. As if perfectly timed, the Duke suddenly suggested going to the department store. She must have thought the goddess of fortune was on her side.

What to do. She got properly backstabbed.

“…”

The way Eunice’s calm and composed face seemed to waver—that wasn’t just my imagination, right?

She was definitely unable to hide her confusion.

-What? What?

Such agitation was visible in her eyes.

The young lady who should have been spectacularly self-destructing after being framed as a thief was standing there perfectly fine. The fraudsters had been exposed and were being dragged away to the Security Bureau. She must be going crazy.

“Let go of this! It hurts! I said it hurts!”

The Duke looked at the criminals being dragged away while making a commotion.

“Was that what all the noise was about? What happened? Why are people being dragged away?”

“Oh, some flies got in.”

I glanced at Eunice and waved my hand dismissively.

“Our employees and security guards are so competent. As soon as those criminals entered, they said they were suspicious and kept them under close surveillance. Sure enough, one was stealing and the other was disguised as an employee, immediately causing a commotion. Really! This is a department store that generates this much revenue. Where do they get off trying such pathetic tricks…”

Eunice’s face crumpled slightly.

It was a proven method that had already been quite profitable once. A matter that no one except the Dark Guild knew about. She probably couldn’t even dream of why it failed.

“Ah, so that’s what kind of disturbance it was? I saw you twisting some woman’s arm behind her back. I thought she might not have sobered up yet.”

Duke Carnel looked me up and down.

“I thought you were only focused on drinking and playing at party venues every night lately. But you still show your face at your business regularly? At least your head is screwed on straight about that.”

To receive praise just for not skipping work. Truly, being a villainess is the best.

“Well, playing is playing and working is working. I found that when you play properly, work goes well too.”

“Did you really go out to play without any thought? There’s no other reason?”

Gasp, how perceptive. He didn’t notice that I was meeting Ruellian, did he?

“No. I just let my hair down and played. It’s been a while since I went to party venues, so it was really fun.”

I earnestly played innocent.

“Hmm…”

The Duke raised an eyebrow once, then lowered it. Did I say something wrong? I was nervous, but…

“Fine. That’s good enough.”

The Duke’s face seemed to brighten a little somehow.

“It would be nice if business was always smooth, but that’s impossible. If you asked me to give a score, I’d do it like this. Having an incident is -100 points. Having no incident is 100 points. Having an incident but resolving it quickly… about 20,000 points?”

“You speak wisely.”

The advisors chimed in agreement.

“Maintaining a business without incidents is just ordinary competence. But having an incident and resolving it quickly and cleanly? That’s remarkable.”

This is about me, right? I got 20,000 points? Thanks to Eunice creating an event, I actually gained points? At this point, are you a lucky fairy?

“…”

As if she could no longer manage her expression, Eunice quietly slipped toward the back. Duke Carnel didn’t particularly notice his chief advisor’s behavior.

“Just reading the newspaper articles, you’d think this 【Imperial Department Store】 was some new landmark of the Empire…”

He swept his surroundings with his coldly glinting red eyes.

The customers, thinking it improper to keep staring at the Duke’s party, had scattered and resumed shopping. The employees attended to them with kind and professional attitudes.

Everything sparkled brilliantly in the light pouring through the ornate glass ceiling. The rich display of every color and design stimulated the desire to purchase.

“It’s decorated well enough.”

The Duke muttered.

“It’s always like that when something just opens. Thanks to stimulating people’s curiosity, it might look somewhat successful. But by now the bubble should have burst completely, right? How much revenue could possibly come from this hole-in-the-wall place.”

“It doesn’t seem quite like a hole-in-the-wall? Sales appear to be happening quite well…”

One advisor spoke as if trying to please the Duke.

“Young Lady, why don’t you show your father the sales data.”

“Forget it. That’s not what I came to see.”

The Duke shook his head, then tapped on a display case full of jeweled cufflinks.

“I’ll buy this.”

“Ah, yes.”

An employee quickly responded.

“Which one would you like from these?”

“Hm?”

The Duke tilted his head.

“I said give me this.”

We all finally understood and our mouths fell open.

He wanted the entire display case…?

This person’s unit of counting items is ‘display case’?

So shocked that I couldn’t even think to play along like a proper daughter, I asked.

“What are you going to do with all of this?”

“Gifts for my advisors. Today marks the day when all advisors achieved an average of 4,281 total working days.”

“Ah, the number 4281 must have great significance?”

“No.”

The Duke said coldly.

“Why are you interrogating me so thoroughly? Don’t you want me to buy cufflinks, fountain pens, pocket watches, coats, and so on for my advisors here? Should I go somewhere else?”

“Ah! No! I’m so happy! We’ll serve you with the best service!”

What an unexpected jackpot this was.

I absolutely couldn’t let this go to another guild. I treated Duke Carnel like a chairman and gave him a complete tour of the entire department store.

“This. This. This.”

Every time the Duke pointed with his finger, the sales graph shot up.

“Excellent choice!”

“It suits you so well!”

“You picked out the most stylish design perfectly!”

Thanks to my enthusiastic groveling, the tour ended with record-breaking sales.

Perhaps because he came without high expectations, the Duke seemed reasonably satisfied.

“No one will be able to break this purchase record.”

Receiving the ‘Black Diamond’ membership card issued by the employee, he turned around.

“How was it after looking around once, Eunice?”

While I was busy boosting sales thanks to her, Eunice hadn’t said a word.

I hoped she learned from this how painful it is to underestimate someone and attack them, only to get badly hurt… But that’s unlikely.

“It’s tremendously excellent.”

Eunice’s lips twitched and spasmed as she answered calmly.

The calm before the storm.

I instinctively felt that way.

When the plan to use an impostor to distract me failed, it seems she’s giving up and just throwing the bomb directly.

“Really, Eunice? I’m happy that Father’s capable chief aide would evaluate me so highly! You’re not just saying nice things on purpose, are you?”

“No, Young Lady.”

Eunice looked straight at me and said.

“You truly did excellently well. I worried a lot watching you all this time, but now it’s clearly proven that there’s no need for such concern. You’ve really changed so much.”

“Really?”

“Yes, Duke.”

She turned toward Duke Carnel and said.

“So, how about taking this opportunity to rechallenge the successor qualification test?”

I was shocked.

The successor qualification test?

‘She means that thing I failed before?’

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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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