Chapter 9 (2/2)
I don’t have a brother.
“I don’t have a brother like you.”
Unconsciously sharp words came out. In my response, Ricarda hesitated and then stealthily got up from his seat.
“I should have brought my mother first, but I forgot. Can you wait for a minute?”
“…yes.”
Seeing that I have been treated safely here, it seems that Lennox brought me well.
‘I guess he delivered the flowers well for me.’
I didn’t give it to her directly, but since it was a condition to get the flowers, I won’t be blamed for it right?
‘I hope it’s alright…’
Ricarda left the room after telling me to wait a little longer. After he left, looking at the quiet room, I heaved a sigh that I had endured. I was scared that I would die there, but fortunately, I came back alive with help.
Chloe, the head of the merchant’s group, had a strong personality than I expected, but still, I had a good feeling about it.
A hunch that things will work out.
***
[Knock, Knock]
A moment later, the door opened with a knock and a rattling sound.
“You look like you’re in good condition. Three days ago, you were in a condition that I couldn’t even afford to see.”
Tsk. The tiny sound of tongue clicking seem to contain annoyance, but when Lennox’s gaze turned to Chloe, she approached me, without knowing it.
“I told you to bring the flowers, not to come in that condition. Thanks to someone, I felt embarrassed after a long time.”
“…embarrassed?”
“No matter how much I am, wouldn’t it be strange, not to be surprised when a child is going to die?”
“Mother, why do you make your words so mean?”
Lennox beside her spoke briefly, and Chloe kept her mouth shut.
‘Isn’t she a person who doesn’t care about that?’
I’m sure she was a very cold-blooded, scary, revenge-burning woman in the novel.
When I looked up at her as if I didn’t understand her, my eyes met hers. Chloe’s red-eye had me in it. She didn’t seem to have the slightest intention of avoiding eye contact.
Why do I feel that the gaze directed towards me is not unpleasant at all, should I be glad?
“I must apologize to you first.”
“Apology?”
I tilted my head at the sudden apology.
She sighed in relief and then sat next to me.
“To be honest, I thought you’d give up after you left the gate by saying you were scared. The forest was dark… and you weren’t even in good shape.”
“…..”
“But then you wandered around the forest and found these flowers.”
Lennox came close with a glass jar.
A glass jar, which looked like a water bottle, contained flowers and liquid hanging from it.
“It’s Stacia, the name of the flower you found. A fairly rare flower that is used as a medicinal herb for relieving pain.”
T/N: lmao, I searched this flower name because I wanted to know but didn’t find it. Pretty sure it doesn’t exist ;(
Chloe frowned and sighed again.
“It grows up in a crevice and is hard to cultivate because of weather effects. That’s what you found.”
“Is it expensive? Enough to be worth a present for you?”
“Yeah, that was enough, 100 gold would be ridiculous.”
A voice strangely mixed with laughter. Hearing that voice, hope, which had sunk so deep, began to rise gradually.
“You made impossible possible. You won.”
A smile that was gently formed around her mouth and a pleasant look.
I nodded my head with a smile on my lips. Chloe’s answer, informing me that I passed the difficult exam gave me unspeakable joy.
“Yes. I’ve received the papers and flowers, so apart from the apologies, I’ll have to hear exactly what the deal you want is, right?”
“I don’t want much; Just give me the position as a successor of this merchant’s group.”
Chloe paused at my words and blinked her eyes. Obviously, she did not think that I would ask that.
“Isn’t there a lot of seats for the successor position?”
“You can just give me a qualification. I don’t have to be a real successor.”
Even if it’s not as the merchant’s group head, as a successor, wouldn’t it be the right position to change this story?
First of all, no matter when the male protagonist appears, it’ll be fine if I don’t give that spot to him.
Everyone was quiet, knowing that there was no playfulness in my eyes.
Chloe put her hand on my head and stared down at me and asked, “Why are you doing this? If it’s just to make a living, it would be easier to live with the support of the merchant’s group.”
“Because I want to twist the story.”
“Story?”
In the unexpected word that came out of nowhere, Chloe glanced a doubtful look. I continued to speak clearly without avoiding her eyes.
“The wicked woman is dead, and now everyone hopes for her daughter to die. That’s the set story.”
I endured the sorrow that was coming up and continued with my words.
“I don’t want to go along with that story stupidly. I want to live.”
I’m going to change the ending of the story. To make me happy, not them.
“I want to make my own story, live longer and happier than them. Even by twisting the set story.”
It would be hard for them to understand, but I only brought the genuine truth as much as possible for her to back me up.
“It’s okay to be this mean.”