Don't Trust the Heroine

“Speaking of which, why is the young miss willing to go this far for a mere orphan?”

“I thought that indulging in the client’s private matters is forbidden? Did the business integrity of the Stained Ravens plummet?”

“Ah, I apologize. I was just surprised. Alright then, should I take care of it right away?”

“….Yes. But the orphanage will close soon, and the government will take control of it for the time being.”

The process and administrative procedures of finding new orphanages to accept the children would take a long time. Therefore, Lanthan’s orphanage had to be placed under the direct control of the government office.

It was difficult to approach Suzanne directly because a government official was protecting her. He took a liking to her and even gifted her a brooch once.

She was planning on taking measures to move the orphanage to areas under the Rodenherg’s jurisdiction.

“Hey. No matter how high the nobles’ rank is, our organization prefers not to collide with the imperial government. If you request for us to ‘kill’ her, we’ll do it later.”

“….”

Madenna bit her lower lip and slowly said, “Enough chit-chat. Will you accept the request or not?”

“I’ll serve you, milady. Just send us the amount that’s written there, and I’ll send you the bill later.”

“Alright.”

“Magnificent! I hope we can work again in the future, Countess.”

Jack disappeared out of the window, just like how he entered. He left extravagantly in an exaggerated manner.

Madenna closed the window and flopped onto her bed.

She wanted to live as far away from Suzanne as she could.

However, judging from Suzanne’s nature, even if she didn’t receive any support, she would always try to use others to satisfy her desires.

First of all, Madenna would keep her under surveillance to check if she was doing anything dangerous.

‘I don’t want to risk it unless she does something directly to me. But if she acts as she did before my return…’

Madenna was filled with determination.

She had a lot of work to do if she didn’t want to repeat those catastrophic incidents.

She had to change the future.

 

* * *

 

Farren had deep wounds, but they soon recovered after getting treatment from the doctor.

The doctor untied the bandages that had been wrapped around Farren’s face.

Madenna had seen his face before her return, but she was still surprised to see his handsome features.

The 12-year-old child possessed a beauty that could catch anyone’s eyes.

The doctor was also surprised; this was his first time seeing Farren’s uninjured face.

“Are there any more problems…?” Madenna asked anxiously, studying the doctor’s expression.

The doctor shook his head and continued the treatment.

“There won’t be any more problems, milady. As long as you don’t forget to apply the prescribed ointment once a day, the remaining marks will disappear before long.”

“Great, thank you.”

After the doctor stepped out, Farren slowly touched his face.

He might have felt a little stuffy because of the bandage.

Madenna was delighted to see Farren’s innocent reaction. As the scar on his face had healed, it was time for her to proceed with her plans.

“Farren. Now that we’ve treated your injuries, are you willing to go out with me today?”

Upon hearing her words, Farren nodded vigorously with a solemn expression.

“What will I do? If it’s to be your escort….”

“You’re not that skilled, so I can’t ask you for that. Today we’re just going to Artisan Street.”

Artisan Street was a prestigious shopping boulevard where people sold clothes, accessories, furniture, and household items.

The lower part of the street sold cheap goods for commoners, but the main avenue was filled with shops selling only expensive luxuries for nobles.

“There’s a lot of people who visit the mansion to deliver the products we’ve brought. Today, I am going to introduce you to them.”

“An introduction?”

“Yes, so if you go into the store next time and show them your face, they’ll give you anything even without pay.”

“I think that’s too much for me. I’m a little uncomfortable.”

“No, not at all. You’re a member of the family now. You have to show them your dignity.”

Farren widened his eyes when he heard the word family. The word was foreign to him.

He pondered for a moment but ended up nodding with a stiff face.

“……okay. I will try not to embarrass you.”

“Yes, that’s good.” Madenna smiled gracefully.

“Today, we are going to buy all the things that you’ll need in the future. We’ll be buying clothes, accessories, skin care products. Oh! And they’ve also finished repairing your room, so we’ll have to buy furniture and interior decorations. We have so many things to do today.”

“Well, but I think my room looks nice, and I’ve already got these nice clothes on.”

“Oh, my. That’s nothing but a temporary arrangement. There’s no way I’d give such things to my protegee.” She rose from her seat, tucking her loose hair behind her ears.

Now, all that’s awaiting them was the time to shop for goods, luxuries, and leisure.

“How you spend your money is directly proportional to your happiness in life. You should always spend your money as much as you deserve. I’ll teach you that, too.”

These were also the teachings of the Rodenherg family, the wealthiest family of the Empire.

 

* * *

 

A dark blue carriage adorned in jewels crossed the road.

As soon as the carriage arrived on the street, the staff immediately greeted the guest.

The carpet stretched from the carriage down to the shop entrance, and one could see how important the guest was.

As soon as the VIP customer, Madenna Rodenherg, got off the carriage, the manager in charge welcomed her in a very polite manner.

“Welcome back, Countess.”

“Yes, long time no see.”

The other employee fed the horses that pulled the carriages and guided them away.

Madenna made a gesture to the butler, and he immediately handed out money to the employees as a praise for their efforts.

The manager quickly talked business after expressing his gratitude.

“I heard that milady requires supplies for the sponsee.”

“Yes, here he is.”

Madenna grabbed Farren’s shoulder and pulled him to her side.

“In the future, please treat him just as you treat me.”

“I’ll make sure to tell that to the others.”

“Thank you. Then I’ll look for his clothes first.”

“Yes, Countess.”

Farren glanced towards Madenna, his face filled with nervousness and anxiety.

She smiled and said, “It’s all right. You are a member of the Rodenherg family, so everyone will welcome you. Show some confidence.”

“But… my experience is insufficient. What if I make a mistake?”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

“But I am afraid that I might tarnish the family name.”

Medenna smiled bitterly.

Most aristocratic children of his age were rude and far more unruly than Farren.

On the other hand, Farren was incredibly calm and mature even though he was an orphan who’d never had a proper education.

‘…….just like Suzanne.’

Madenna frowned when she recalled the terrible memories she had with Suzanne.

Suzanne was like an angel. She seemed like a cute, respectful kid who had proper manners.

‘It’s all right. I’ll make a contract so that Farren won’t betray me…. The incident before will not happen again.’

Farren stared at her with a nervous look. She was silent and the serious expression on her face worried him.

“…….Countess.”

“Ah! It’s nothing. You don’t have to worry about that either. It’s natural to be immature when you’re young, and it’s not a problem if you make minor mistakes.” She said with a smile, “Come, let’s go in.”

“Alright!”

Madenna took the boy’s hand.

Unlike Suzanne, his hand was cold and rough.

She didn’t know why, but she felt relieved for a moment there.

 

* * *

 

“This is made from Lievern fabric. The lining material is silk; it’s very soft, smooth, and luxurious.”

“Beautiful. The cufflinks aren’t decorated with jewels, yet the wood carvings are nice as well.”

“I knew that the Countess would understand! If a shiny jewel was used on a design like this, it would look rather tacky and vulgar!”

Amid their heated discussion, Farren became a puppet. He did nothing but strip and put on clothes over and over again.

In addition to the ready-made garments, Madenna also ordered custom-tailored suits, so there was no end to checking his measurements.

“I think he’ll also need several light coats. Please prepare them for me.”

“Yes, I’ll prepare them right away!”

Of course, when she said several, she actually meant at least a dozen units.

Farren came out of the dressing room.

With a slightly tired look, he asked, “…why isn’t the Countess buying anything?”

“Well, a new type of fabric will be released next week. so I’m thinking of buying those instead.”

“I-I see…”

“Just so you know, our family owns several gem mines.  Fashionable jewelry and ornaments change according to trends, so we have to keep up with them unless we want to get mocked by the other nobles.”

“Ah…… I understand. I’ll make sure to remember that.”

“It’s not a waste of money to buy clothes according to trends. Rather, it’s like an investment.”

“I’ll study the trends too!”

Farren’s tired face brightened up as his lips curved into a smile.

“That’s the attitude! So, what do you think? Do you feel that your experience in fashion has increased?”

“Well, I found out that Lievern is a thin, lightweight fabric with a soft color, and it seems like the shade ‘wine’ has become popular recently?”

Madenna blinked in surprise. He seemed to remember the conversation she had with the manager.

“You have an excellent memory, Farren.”

“I don’t easily forget what I see or hear. Fortunately, I remembered everything you said.”

The novel portrayed him as a brilliant person.

Madenna had known this before, but experiencing his intelligence herself felt a bit different.

“What else do you remember?”

“All of them. For example, the names of the fabrics over there….”

Farren raised his finger and began listing the names of the fabric.

Suddenly, the noise could be heard from the entrance of the shop.

“I’m sorry, sir. This place is currently booked….”

“How dare you! Get out of my way!”

The door was slammed open, and a condescending sound spread throughout the VIP room.

The person was a young man in his mid-20s. He had red hair and a large build.

The young man smiled as soon as he saw Madenna inside.

“Why didn’t you tell me that she was the reserved guest?”

“……”

Madenna frowned. She didn’t exactly remember how she had met him in her previous life, but she knew who he was.

Count Cavan Tassio. He used to struggle with debt, but after his new business became successful, he was able to gain back his wealth.

But Madenna remembered him for another reason.

“…Long time no see, Lord Tassio.”

“Yes, long time no see. How have you been?”

“I’ve been well. Thank you for asking.”

“Well, your family seems to be doing just fine. There’s a lot of buzz going on. Everyone thinks that your mother wants you to marry the Crown Prince.”

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“……”

Cavan had previously asked Madenna for her hand in marriage.

However, Madenna’s mother rejected his offer.

Ever since then, he’d held a grudge against Madenna and the Rodenherg family.