The World Mistakes Me for Terminally Ill - Chapter 11

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

The World Thinks I’m Terminally Ill Episode 011

“You’ve been consistently trading with Hessen wheat.”

“Ahem, yes, that’s right. This Hessen wheat, you see, is a traditional wheat from the prestigious South…”

“It’s a budget variety.”

“Well… it is a variety meant for distribution to commoners, after all. Hahaha.”

Even when I simply pointed it out, I could clearly see him thinking ‘What could this young girl possibly know?’

“Is that so?”

I chuckled and closed the ledger. If he dares to underestimate the merchant guild leader of Seton, I’ll have to thoroughly exploit that image.

“But since our Elbanon Merchant Guild leader made a contract with the Duchy House based on trust and credibility… it must surely be good wheat.”

I smiled slyly, sarcastically referring to what the Elbanon merchant guild leader had been doing all this time.

The most necessary virtue for a merchant is intuition. After saying this much, he should normally kneel and beg for forgiveness…

“Hmm hmm. Of course, miss! This Elbanon has always worked with the Duchy House based on trust.”

Wrong. This bastard is irredeemably trash. Looking at the earlier ledgers, this pig’s predecessors seemed to have traded quite honestly.

I was going to give him a chance after seeing that, but what can I do when he chooses hell for himself?

I clicked my tongue inwardly and delivered an ultimatum.

“Since it’s such good wheat, I’d like to see it once.”

“Pardon…?”

“You have to see goods in person before buying them.”

Just wait quietly with your neck ready, pig.

“This is that ledger?”

“Yes, Mother.”

I came straight to meet Bella.

Of course, the merchant guild leader who had something to hide didn’t give me the transaction ledger, but…

[You already used it today!]

‘Think of it as a service. This is all to protect the Northern Region.’

While talking with the merchant guild leader, I asked Kaiseus to copy the ledger, and the tsundere baby dragon grumbled but did it anyway.

As a result, the stolen ledger ended up going straight to Bella.

“Calculating the price difference, it seems the current merchant guild leader didn’t mix Hekail wheat from the beginning either.”

He hadn’t gone crazy and mixed 70% from the start.

“First 10%, then 30%, 50%… up to 70%. Since he wasn’t caught, he kept increasing the proportion of Hekail wheat.”

I pointed to the suspicious parts of the ledger and explained it in terms a layperson could understand.

When my explanation ended, Bella, who had been listening silently, let out a sigh.

“I was foolish.”

“Humans can’t be good at everything, Mother. We’re not gods.”

I said that while smiling with my eyes crinkled.

“I won’t say something as naively optimistic as ‘the one who deceived is bad.’ When decision-makers make mistakes, the subordinates suffer the damage.”

“It seems like you already did.”

“Oh my, did I? Anyway, what’s important is damage control.”

In this golden world where money equals power, cheating is skill, and the deceived are stupid.

But that means—

“When fraud is exposed, the perpetrator must take responsibility.”

No matter how much Lunein’s influence has declined, if you commit fraud against the Empire’s only Duchy House, you should be prepared to lose your hands.

At my words, Bella spoke.

“Getting rid of Elbanon isn’t a problem, child. We just need to cut off trade and tell our vassal families about this merchant guild’s credibility.”

That alone would force Elbanon to close their business in the Northern Region.

For merchant guilds, credibility is life itself.

‘Considering Lunein’s reputation, they might have to close throughout the entire Empire.’

Lunein lacks money, not fame. Of course, we’d bear the disgrace of being defrauded by a mere merchant guild…

With rumors of being on the verge of bankruptcy, such disgrace is nothing.

‘It’s a bit sad, isn’t it?’

Being at rock bottom means there’s nowhere to go but up, I suppose.

“Wheat imports are important. If they stop even briefly, the estate residents will have difficulty surviving winter. But after experiencing something like this, it’s hard to immediately trust another merchant guild.”

“Hmm, that’s right.”

“Could we bring it in through Seton?”

At the expected question, I wiped the smile from my face and looked quietly at Bella.

“It’s possible, Mother.”

“What do you mean by ‘possible’?”

“Exclusive trade with a large family like the Duchy House brings enormous benefits. Not just simple monetary gains, but intangible assets as well.”

Thinking only of Seton, it would be right to do it. It would be long-term large-scale trade, so considering money and reputation, it would definitely be profitable.

‘If I only think of Seton, that is.’

I swallowed a sigh inwardly.

“But then Seton would become a merchant guild with a monopoly over the entire Northern Region market.”

The Northern Region is already importing various goods from Seton through me. If they take food sovereignty as well?

‘Monopoly is a dream method for merchant guilds. But thinking of the estate’s development, well.’

I thought of the man with violet eyes.

Seton nearly fell apart during the chaotic period after my parents passed away.

‘Elisia’ was certainly the rightful heir, but I didn’t have the power to protect that at the time.

What gave me that power was Lunein.

And Shubel.

‘Why did you save me? You should have just let me die.’

‘Because you were too brilliant.’

‘…What do you mean?’

‘Literally, you were too brilliant. I couldn’t just leave you alone.’

On that night of heavy rain.

The man who saved me in the snowy plains where I lost my parents whispered gently with curved eyes.

‘Just live. I want you to live.’

Last summer, when I returned alive from the carriage accident, the world’s gaze was like this:

A young commoner girl who inherited tremendous wealth.

The tag attached to the title of the Empire’s greatest heiress was so blatant.

No matter what abilities I possessed, no one recognized them. Everyone looked down on me.

Except for one person, Shubel.

‘What I needed most desperately then was an ‘opportunity.”

Through his introduction, I met high-ranking officials from the Finance Office who were so difficult to meet at social clubs.

I discussed the suddenly excessive inheritance tax imposed after my parents’ death.

The same went for meetings with other merchants who had stopped trading with me simply because I was a young merchant guild leader.

I was able to join the Merchant’s Guild using Lunein’s name, and after conversing with them for a full 8 hours, I proved that I too was a trustworthy partner like my parents.

The name that made all of this possible was Shubel Lunein.

He returned complete Seton to me. So I promised myself to return Lunein to Shubel as much as I had received.

This is our fair trade.

‘You’re really high-maintenance.’

I grumbled inwardly and opened my mouth.

“Many small merchant guilds will lose competitiveness because of one large merchant guild.”

“Then?”

“Give them opportunities too. It would be troublesome, but it would be better to distribute the exclusive trade format among multiple merchant guilds.”

“That would be a lot of work.”

“Until now, Lunein didn’t have the capacity for that, so I understand. But now we have Seton.”

My eyes lit up.

“Give us 50% of the wheat trade. In return, Seton will supervise the small merchant guilds’ transactions.”

To ensure Lunein’s roots don’t rot and grow properly, these small merchant guilds must be nurtured.

The positions of nobility and merchant guild leader are so different.

‘Of course, that doesn’t mean I won’t take any profit at all.’

The only merchants who claim they won’t make a profit are fraudsters.

Since I’m not a fraudster, I planned to skim off a reasonable amount.

“Yes, let’s do that.”

We completed a deal that satisfied both parties.

Riding the momentum, we swiftly drew up a contract and were savoring our tea when the topic of ‘dealing with Elbanon’ came up.

“What do you think would be best?”

“I have a good idea, Mother.”

Did I mention? One of my specialties is acting.

To lead the trends in high society, that battlefield without guns and swords, acting skills that rival stage actors are essential.

I smiled coolly while holding my teacup.

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