“I’ve also kept the condolence money you sent along with the obituary letter.”
The High Merchant Grace took out the letter and jewelry.
After conquering the mansion, I sent condolence money to the relatives of the attendants who had lost their way. It wasn’t because I wasn’t able to eat even a single chicken skewer.
“Although I couldn’t come see you because I was worried about others’ gazes, I’ve always wished for you to overcome this situation. I’m sure your sister felt the same.”
Gasp.
I wasn’t alone.
Totally moved.
Casual chit-chat and gossip followed.
The High Merchant sent a look of sympathy. Her hand reached out and gently grasped the girl’s hand.
“You must have had a hard time.”
The warmth soothed my heart.
“Y-yeah.”
“You’ll only walk on flower paths from now on.”
A soft pat on the back of the hand.
“That’s right!”
Pastel’s eyes became watery.
This person seems really kind.
Guarded feelings melted away.
I felt like I’d gladly accept any request from this person.
I might even have to agree to a murder contract.
Nodding along.
Hormone Friend concurred.
The Demon murmured in a complicated voice.
“I said I wouldn’t let my guard down…”
I understood that my heart was softening, but it seemed worrying that my vigilance was melting away too.
Pastel flinched.
I realized the corners of my mouth were lifted.
Ah!
The business mode had faded away?!
I was totally defenseless!
Ahhh.
But, but, I can’t help it.
Emma the Maid Captain’s relative was being this friendly, how could I not let my heart soften? Anyone would start to tear up naturally.
Sniff, sniff.
Of course, I knew this was just an ice-breaking and rapport-building phase before the serious business began. It was clear that letting my guard down was an opponent’s business tactic.
But logically, that’s one thing, and my heart felt good about it regardless.
Yes, yes!
Since I had received favors from Maid Captain Emma, it should be okay to get scammed just once by her relatives, right?
Gasp.
That’s too reasonable.
Pastel’s totally smart!
Pastel just chatted away happily.
As my guard completely melted, it was the High Merchant who started to react.
The High Merchant was flustered by the child’s tumultuous family history and how well her malicious rhetoric worked. She felt a bit guilty.
It was as if she sat down ready to face the crafty Craft Lord, only to realize her opponent was just a kid.
“I-I really appreciate how hard you’ve had it. Alone…?”
The High Merchant looked like her conscience was pinching her. The folding fan was opened, flapping hurriedly.
Sure, I was only feeling a willingness to be scammed, but I hadn’t planned on pawning my life away to fully switch to business mode. Pastel could immediately sense the High Merchant’s change in demeanor.
Wow, wow.
What a nice person.
Pastel was touched, touched.
Goodness comes with goodness.
Indeed, the world is beautiful.
“Right, I worked hard.”
I recalled the hunger I experienced before committing my livelihood crimes.
Growl, growl.
A life where I couldn’t even buy chicken skewers.
Ugh.
My eyes became hot.
My chest felt heavy.
Pastel absentmindedly wiped her eyes.
“Honestly, it was rough. I couldn’t eat properly and went hungry. If I’d been just a tad unlucky, I might have starved to death.”
Tears welled up on my fingers.
Huh.
Wait, I was really crying.
Ah.
What an indiscretion in a business setting.
I hurriedly wiped my eyes with my sleeve. My nose was sniffling.
Ah, what’s going on?
If I let my nose run, it’d be a complete disaster.
As Pastel flailed, trying to calm her emotions, Grace was left breathless watching the scene.
This wasn’t the Craft Lord she’d expected.
She thought the pretty and cute exterior would hide a gloomy character, but this was indeed a child of that age.
“I’m sorry, I can’t control myself. I truly apologize.”
Pastel wiped her tears and sniffled.
Grace hastily took out a handkerchief.
“U-Use this.”
Her outstretched hand was trembling.
“Thank you. I’m really sorry. Please wait a moment. I’ll calm down soon.”
The child wiped her tears, and blew her nose. She folded the handkerchief and blew her nose again.
The scene showed the child trying hard not to be a nuisance in this public setting.
Grace felt her heart ache. All her now-obvious tricks raced back to her memory.
She already knew the difficult circumstances. Who in this empire wouldn’t be aware of Craft’s downfall?
Yet, she intentionally mentioned the child’s dark family history, twisting at the vulnerable heart, looking for chinks in her armor to peer inside.
A selfish process which moved forward under guise of sympathetic comfort, eliciting emotions to gain favorable ground.
And what had the result been?
The child forced herself to hold back tears. Then, while cleaning her tears, she repeatedly apologized.
She’d certainly been reported as a cheerful child. A lovely smile and vibrant laughter.
How many scars had been hidden beneath that bright facade? And how coldly had she dissected that with her own selfish purpose?
Her gaze shifted toward the obituary letter and the condolence money.
The child who’d sent compensation to her relatives, even when she was starving herself…
Grace felt all sense of reality blur.
Her calculated mind faded away, and her conscience filled her heart.
The High Merchant was no longer the High Merchant.
A true child was smiling brightly.
“Thank you! I’ll wash the handkerchief and return it to you! Completely clean!”
“N-No, you can keep it.”
I couldn’t look the child in the eye. I waved my trembling folding fan.
“B-By the way, what brings you here, your excellency?”
Grace felt an urge to provide living expenses or anything for this pitiful child. Not just from sentiment, but from a sense of obligation.
“Ah! Right.”
The child smiled brightly. Then suddenly shifted to a serious expression.
How many wounds lay buried under that smile?
How much effort did it take to bring about that change?
Surely, there was a pitiful purpose to break my heart.
The kind adult opened their heart wide in preparation for giving.
And just when Pastel was ready to seize the opportunity, she coldly threw a punch in the business arena.
“It’s about the establishment and management of a merchant guild under the student council. Since the small talk has taken too long, let’s get right to whether you accept and the profit-sharing ratio.”
Smuggling…?
The cold reality struck the High Merchant hard.
The kind adult was swept away before fully grasping the situation.
#
Pastel washed up.
Splash, splash.
Rubbing, rubbing.
Splash, splash.
“Ah!”
She picked up a fluffy towel and dried her face.
“Ugh, I didn’t even realize I still had tear streaks while focusing on the negotiation. No wonder the High Merchant kept giving me weird looks… Those tear marks must have looked hilarious.”
So embarrassing.
“But I think I negotiated good terms, right?”
The High Merchant Grace agreed to handle everything from the foundation to the operation of the student council guild in exchange for a portion of the profits. And the student council would cover the capital.
Of course, the guild ownership belonged to Pastel.
A whopping 100% ownership!
Wow!
But why was Pastel the owner when the management was done by Grace, and the capital was from the student council?
The reason was…
Just because.
The Vice Student Council President, who also held the positions of chief of finance, planning, PR, volunteer work, and disciplinary work, just wrote Pastel’s name instead of the student council for the ownership on the official contract.
Oh yeah.
“This is a very good condition. If that High Merchant made contracts like this every day, she should just quit being a merchant.”
Is it that good?
Pride swelled.
“I noticed right away! Was it because of my crying that the atmosphere shifted? I could see the High Merchant was flustered! She clearly hasn’t dealt with negotiations in a serious or relaxed environment before!”
A typical weakness of someone who went through elite training. She hadn’t intended it, but it was a perfect gap.
“And so I pressed forward with negotiations!”
Taking advantage of her disarray, all sorts of matters sprung up without care.
“Not handing the professor’s recommendation letter to the staff in advance and hiding the purpose added to the synergy! The overwhelming influx of new information must have confused her more!”
This was business mode.
Pastel felt a sense of pride in her own intellect.
“She couldn’t even keep her head on straight from how well it all worked! The High Merchant lost all composure!”
Hahaha.
“I wonder if I was too hard on Maid Captain Emma’s younger sister. I may have pressed a bit too much based on my mood?”
But still, business is business; I should prepare something extra for her.
Like a fruit (gold nugget) basket.
Pastel chuckled by herself while wiping her face with the towel that she hadn’t cleaned properly.
Wow, this towel is so fluffy and dry.
“Young Craft.”
“Yes?”
As Pastel was toying with the towel, she glanced down at her sword.
“Do not lose yourself to life.”
Huh.
“What do you mean?”
“……Never mind. Live without a care. Just be cheerful.”
Really, sometimes the Demon Lord was hard to understand.
Maybe it was because he was too old.
Gasp.
What a genuinely disrespectful thought!
An attack on an old man beyond insurrection!
Ahhh.
I felt not even a hint of guilt.
Pastel staggered, feeling the pangs of conscience as she dashed back to the reception room. I thought of nothing.
In the reception room, the High Merchant Grace was looking over the contract with a haggard face.
Huh.
Did I go too far with the contract terms for Maid Captain Emma’s relative?
Should I relinquish more than half of the share?
Pastel, whose resolve had quickly softened, cautiously approached.
“High Merchant…?”
Grace turned to look.
“Oh, you’ve arrived.”
“Was the contract, well, a bit much?”
100% ownership felt too harsh.
She laughed foolishly, holding her head.
Hahaha.
Grace shook her head while silently gazing at the contract.
“It’s enough. Using the student council’s authority for smuggling is a huge merit. The profit-sharing is lower, but the safety is exceptional. Plus, I can manage to take care of a few things on my own.”
“Oh!”
In the meantime, you considered what needed to be considered, huh?
Is this the majesty of the High Merchant?
A sigh of relief.
Grace cast a complicated look. She seemed to be both searching and pitying at the same time.
Huh.
“What’s wrong?”
Grace shook her head.
“More importantly, the airship, even if we utilized the academy airship, would require manpower, so it would be difficult to start the Craft guild immediately.”
Oh no.
“It seems we’ll need to pull key personnel and resources from our guild, but currently, we are too occupied dealing with pirates. We don’t have any spare manpower. Other guilds are in a similar situation.”
“Oh no.”
It can’t be.
Automated smuggling on standby?
Pastel felt deeply disappointed toward the pirates.
“I absolutely can’t just sit and watch Maid Captain Emma’s younger sister getting caught up due to those wicked pirates!”
She leaped out of her seat.
“I’ll help with the pirate elimination!”
Pastel looked at the High Merchant with a noble expression.
Elegantly, she placed her hand on her chest.
“I, Pastel Love Craft, shall gladly assist Maid Captain Emma’s younger sister as the Craft Lord!”
With all my loyalty!
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