No matter how much they are my parents, they’re still individual human beings!
Even if the talk of remarriage can make one feel faint, opposing it when you’re an adult is a bit old-fashioned, I think! It’s old-fashioned here, after all!
Respect freedom! Respect freedom!
Pastel reflected on her past self, who vehemently opposed remarriage.
It’s not like this is a sensitive time when she still needs parental care, and having matured both in mind and wallet, Pastel was more than willing to respect her dad’s freedom.
She still feels sorry for her deceased mother, but honestly, she never even had a conversation with her, and it’s not like, “Hormone Friend,” you know!
Anyway, looking at her dad’s state of mind, which clearly should be locked up, it was evident that the issue was because he didn’t have a partner.
What’s needed in times like this is undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime romance.
Ta-da!
It’s love!
Love, love!
If someone else does it, it’s an affair; if I do it, it’s romance!
Totally pink and cheerful!
Pastel felt like she found her destiny.
Isn’t being born all pink a revelation to find a new partner for her poor-minded dad?
It’s so fitting!
Instead of yielding to destiny, he went chasing after money, and it feels like the gods punished him for it, making him suffer till now!
In that sense, Duchess Nastasha was precisely the right fit for the role of stepmother.
It’s common for friends meeting after a long time at a reunion to end up getting hitched.
Let alone, Duchess Nastasha had confessing to Dad and getting turned down in the past, and hearing of Dad’s disappearance, she even ventured to the Demon Realm to find out what happened.
This is pure, unadulterated devotion!
This is true romantic feeling!
It was destiny itself.
She deserves to be my new stepmother!
Huh?
Pastel flinched for a moment.
Now that she thought about it, she was supposed to be the potential new stepmother, but she felt as if she was putting up a slight wall. They were practically a community of fate, yet she treated her like a stranger.
And indeed, they were strangers, but the biggest obstacle to remarriage is the opposition from the kids. Facing this unavoidable reality, Duchess Nastasha could give up and go find someone else.
Oh dear.
It would be quite a predicament if she went off looking for someone else.
If that someone else turned out to be a dull person twenty years older with a penchant for wearing suits all the time, wouldn’t Duchess Nastasha be terribly unhappy?
I think so.
Pastel felt anxious.
Her pink eyes darted toward Duchess Nastasha.
“We’re going to establish a one-stop smuggling route connecting the interior of the Demon Realm to the Empire. The Demon Realm’s check will be smoothed over by the Demon Realm Stock Company, and for the Sky Island, it’s Duke Pastel, and I’ll handle the Empire.”
“Interesting idea.”
Duchess Nastasha was busy pitching new smuggling routes to Count McKenna.
“If we can skip all the lengthy procedures, we could immediately reflect the price difference and rake in the gold coins.”
“Exactly! It’s like swimming on land.”
Duchess Nastasha winked.
Count McKenna, not reacting to the intense wink of a girl, exhaled cigar smoke.
“However, I don’t know how to swim, so as someone feasting on the Empire’s resources, it’s inappropriate to engage in illegal activities.”
The president of a company that sells safe smuggling services in real-time to traders stated that.
“Oh come on, we all know each other. Don’t be so stiff, Count.”
Count McKenna turned to look at her.
“What does the Duke think?”
“Duke Pastel said she doesn’t engage in smuggling. She’s never done it.”
“Neither have I. I’ve never done it and have no reason to invest in a business lacking the core concept.”
The atmosphere turned awkward.
Duchess Nastasha probably didn’t think she’d be full from the first meal either and merely licked her lips.
Oh!
Pastel’s pink eyes sparkled.
This was a perfect time to score points with her new stepmother!
She raised her hand high.
“I’m great at smuggling!”
There was a pause, and confused gazes turned toward her.
Pastel cheered joyfully.
“100% compounded profit through military supplies smuggling! It’s fantastic! I’m so happy!”
Please let me do this forever…!
An awkward silence fell.
Duchess Nastasha, dazed by the sudden attitude change, broke into a bright smile.
Her brown eyes shot a glare at Count McKenna.
“Is that so? You wouldn’t pull back due to being oblivious, right?”
Oh yay, oh yay!
Scoring points with a wholesome little lie!
I’m such a friendly daughter!
Remarry in peace!
Count McKenna frowned, looking uncomfortable.
“Indeed, that’s quite the predicament. For such long-distance operation, in addition to inspections, considerable costs for security will be involved. To handle that, high-profit items need to be gathered in bulk, which is what our company would have to take care of. However, right now, that’s a bit difficult.”
The market pointed at Pastel.
“We planned to lay down railroads across the entire Demon Realm, so our company can’t afford that at the moment.”
Gah!
A situation where the stepmother’s business plans clashed with the daughter’s business.
What should I do now?!
Could I possibly lose points over something like this?!
A failed remarriage…!?
“Oh my, is that so?”
Duchess Nastasha applauded once, a gentle smile gracing her face.
“I didn’t expect that, but I was prepared!”
From her pocket, a document emerged. Although it didn’t look like an official document, it resembled an official-looking copy.
“The Emperor, thinking ahead for the prophecy, seems to have concluded that rather than focus on the Demon Realm, he would concentrate more on the internal affairs, issuing orders to sell the mining rights of some gem mines to private individuals.”
Oh?
Mr. Penguin’s Republican Party is the traitor of the prophecy! Due to the missed report, the Duchess shouldn’t be affected by these documents, right?!
Separately from the accusations, it seems the Emperor had already intended to focus more on internal affairs.
Perhaps it was because of the stir caused by Pastel.
If the accusation made by Mr. Penguin reaches the royal court, it may very well catch the Emperor’s interest.
A cunning creature reads the Emperor’s mind and scratches his itch.
That bad Mr. Penguin used a completely unrelated accusation to scratch the Emperor’s itch, so it’s bound to take root.
Wow!
Mr. Spy Penguin is so bad!
“Oh? It seems our company isn’t included in this public sale, so we only need to furnish the funds.”
“Exactly! The Craft High Merchant is formally a private trader, so we have every right to participate in the mining rights competition. Once we procure this…”
“If we manipulate the paperwork on the mining yield, we’ll have an ultra-high-profit item.”
“Right, exactly!”
Eyes turned toward her.
What, what?
Oh!
I get to devour the gem mine!
Pastel clenched her fists tightly.
“I’ll work hard!”
I’m gonna score points with my new stepmother!
For the happiness of my remarried family…!
Gem is military supplies.
Commerce is booming, and transportation by airship is surging, increasing civilian gem consumption dramatically, but nonetheless, it’s still military supplies.
The Empire, lacking gem mines, longed for the sole gem-producing region, the Demon Realm, and ultimately sparked a great war.
Now, having achieved victory, they owned and operated all the gem mines.
As time passed, mining rights gradually got sold off to the Empire’s citizens, enlarging private ownership, yet the royal family’s sale of gem mines remained a grand event.
“Why on earth are we doing this in a place like this?”
Pastel arrived at the outskirts of the capital.
Unlike the capital, filled with factories and countless chimneys darkening the sky, one had to cross wide fields of winter wheat to reach here.
After passing through wheat fields and brick residences, they reached a two-story brick building where a grand event was about to unfold in the city center.
Her pink eyes stared oddly at that two-story building.
While it’s not her building, coming from observing skyscrapers in the capital made her feel…?
“How strange.”
The Demon Lord, who had come as escort along with Melissa, rubbed his chin.
“Wouldn’t it have been better to sell the gem mines in the capital instead of a place like this? The timing feels awfully rushed, too. For most traders, it will be difficult to gather funds to purchase a mine at this point.”
Pastel’s expression turned sour.
“Count McKenna investigated, and apparently, there’s a buyer already in place. The big traders, who are quick to notice, seem to have given up.”
“Oh dear. How did the once-mighty Empire fall to this state?”
The Demon Lord sighed.
“If there’s a buyer already, it’s better not to embarrass ourselves and turn back. It’s not your fault, so don’t feel too bad.”
Pastel shook her head vigorously.
“Not at all! I’ve come to snag the gem mine right from under that buyer!”
For the happiness of my remarried family!
You can do it!
Pastel decided to become a pink-headed warrior fighting against injustice.
Total protagonist mindset!
She confidently entered the building.
However, unlike her steps, she introduced herself not as Governor Pastel but as a nameless proxy of the Craft High Merchant and entered quietly.
While the buyer relaxed, she planned to outsmart them at once.
Inside was a banquet hall atmosphere bright with chandeliers.
Numerous merchants sauntered freely among the food.
From the fabric of their clothes and jewelry, it seemed the opportunists were either average folks who didn’t know about the buyer or those who were aware, seeking to cozy up for the opportunity.
Pastel casually accepted a wine glass from a waiter while surveying the banquet hall. She then snatched her wine glass away from the Demon Lord and replaced it with juice.
“Don’t subtly sip that.”
Grr!
There were many things to say now, but since she was indeed here for work, she resumed her observation of the banquet hall.
Who is the buyer?
Considering Duchess Nastasha didn’t precisely know, it’s likely they’re not well-connected in the central politics, but one can never be too sure.
It was easy to spot the buyer. There was a crowd drawn to the center of the banquet hall.
A figure draped in the cult’s signature black robe stood out. The buyer’s face was familiar.
What?
The girl momentarily blanked out.
Feeling an emotional gaze, her father, who was chatting with a merchant, turned his head. Their indifferent gazes met.
Their eyes crossed.
With no particular reaction, her father turned away and continued conversing with the merchant.
The girl’s eyes trembled.
The heat of the chandelier clung to her body.
She desperately wished to ruin her father’s plans.
Very desperately.
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