Episode 17: The Evolution of the Villainess, and a New Hunting Ground
It was the afternoon of the day the Imperial investigation team fled the Duke of Castillo with their tails between their legs.
In a dilapidated inn room in a back alley bordering the slums on the outskirts of the capital, reeking of cheap ale and mold, Vivian, who had been dragged out like a piece of luggage by the guards at Castillo and tossed aside, was grinding her teeth as she gazed at her wretched reflection in a cracked mirror.
"Aaaargh...!"
Vivian irritably overturned the dressing table. Her luxurious silk dress was stained with dirt and grime, and her blonde hair, which she had spent days carefully styling for the Imperial Ball, was tangled like a scouring pad.
Just a few days ago, she had been filled with dreams of becoming the queen of society, with the young Duke of the Empire's most prestigious family clinging to the hem of her dress. Now, however, she was being treated like a laughingstock, a prostitute who had been humiliated and chased away by the Duchess at the Imperial Ball.
"Eleanor... and Liliana von Werner. How dare a fallen noble, sold to creditors, throw me into this kind of gutter?"
A vicious hatred, like a coiled venomous snake, gleamed in Vivian's blue eyes. Claude, the only lifeline she had trusted, was imprisoned with a broken shoulder. If she held out like this, she would be driven out of the capital and dragged to the old Baron's estate, and it was obvious that her debt father would surely sell her off as a concubine to a wealthy old noble.
Creak, it was then. The door to the old inn room opened, and a middle-aged man with a greasy, sinister smile walked in stealthily. Behind him, the sound of burly knights controlling the inn corridor could be heard.
"It is truly a pity that the flower of the Empire is withering in a rat hole like this."
"...Marquis Harun?"
It was Marquis Harun, the Minister of the Interior, who had returned this morning after storming the Duke of Castillo's mansion and being thoroughly trampled by Eleanor. Covering his nose, he looked around the room and placed a massive velvet box, brought by a guard, at Vivian's feet as if tossing it down. When the box opened, a blindingly dazzling diamond necklace and a top-quality red dress poured out.
"Come to me, Lady Vivian. Although I cannot offer you the position of the principal wife, if you come as my foremost concubine, become my ears and my mouth, and serve as the social net to bring down Castillo... I will adorn you once again, making you shine like these jewels."
Marquis Harun needed Vivian, who could gauge the Castillo family's confidential information, particularly the flow of the illicit funds Claude had attempted to smuggle out.
Vivian realized exactly what the diamonds scattered at her feet and the Marquis's gleaming eyes meant. Without a second of hesitation, she fell into the arms of the Marquis de Harun and cried the most pitiful and terrible tears in the world.
"I will do anything. I would gladly give my soul and body to the Marquis to make that rat, Liliana, crawl at my feet shedding tears of blood."
It was the moment when the evil woman, united only by revenge and greed, shed her old shell and perfectly evolved into a poisonous spider with the strong sponsor of the imperial faction on her back.
***
At the same time, the office of Duke Castillo, who had restored peace.
Eleanor had a map of the entire empire's commercial districts spread out on her huge mahogany desk. Across from her, Liliana was looking down at the map with serious eyes.
"The Emperor must be seething with rage over today's events. Since he failed to find any grounds for treason against me, he will likely mobilize the Imperial Guard merchant guilds to tighten the noose around our Castillo trade network and apply pressure to the divorce trial."
"Yes, Mother. Although the Imperial investigation team has withdrawn, it is only a matter of time before they try to cut off our financial lifeline."
Eleanor opened a drawer and took out a heavy golden seal from a red velvet case. It was the seal of the 'Chief Executive,' who could freely manage all of Castillo's funds. Eleanor firmly placed the seal into Liliana's small, white hand.
"Before the Emperor strangles us, we will cut off the Imperial family's money supply first. Liliana, starting today, you become the acting head of Castillo and take complete control of the distribution network on Capital Avenue 1."
"Me... the head of the capital guild headquarters?"
"Very well. Use my massive share of funds to your heart's content. The first target is the 'capital grain distribution rights' held by the Morte merchant group, which belongs to that arrogant Minister of the Interior who just visited. Cut off the livelihoods of the Imperial faction nobles and let the national treasury dry up, then crush them so that the Emperor will not dare to even think about influencing my divorce trial."
A cool yet intellectual flame blazed in Liliana's light green eyes. It was the moment she took her first step as a true 'predator' who would finally seize control of the Empire's commercial power, moving beyond the defensive stance of merely searching for embezzlement ledgers.
"I will keep this in mind, Mother. With Castillo's overwhelming capital power, I can completely seize control of their distribution network within three weeks. I will make the Imperial faction's merchant groups crawl on their knees and beg for their lives."
It was just as Liliana clutched the golden seal to her chest with a determined expression.
Knock, knock.
"Madam, I have brought the knight you summoned."
With the voice of Butler Hans, the large door to the office opened.
"Ah, sorry!"
Bang!
A man of massive build stepped over the threshold and hit his forehead hard against the top of the doorframe, making a dull thud.
"Say hello, Liliana."
Eleanor chuckled and pointed at the man rubbing his forehead.
"He is 'Kian,' a genius swordsman of commoner origin whom I have newly recruited. As you now have to deal with rough back-alley merchants as a merchant guild leader, this fellow will serve as your personal bodyguard and a reliable shield."
When Liliana turned around, a man of enormous stature, nearly 190 centimeters tall, stood frozen in place. Beneath his disheveled brown hair, his clear blue eyes were trembling with tension. His shoulders as broad as the Pacific Ocean, forged by grueling training, and his large, rough hands bore fine scars from swordsmanship practice. He gave off the impression of an untamed, wild dog, the exact opposite of the sleek and flamboyant young nobles.
"K-Kian! Ah, Miss!"
As soon as Kian's eyes met Liliana's, he jumped up as if struck by lightning and bent at the waist 90 degrees. His voice was so loud that the teacups in the office rang out.
"Nice to meet you, Sir Kian. I am Liliana von Werner. Is your forehead alright?"
Liliana asked with a sweet smile. Facing those dazzling light green eyes and gentle voice head-on, Kian's cheeks and the tips of his ears instantly flushed bright red, as if they were about to burst from burns.
"I-I am fine! Ah, ah, if you command.. I-I will stake my life and cut down everything that stands in your way!"
A rough and trembling voice. It was a rustic yet 100% pure, upright sincerity, devoid of a single line of refined flowery language typical of a noble. Liliana had been tormented by slick, trashy nobles like Claude until now. However, upon seeing this knight, who was massive in stature yet couldn't even make eye contact and was sweating profusely like a big dog, she involuntarily let out a clear smirk.
"You are reliable. Merchant business must be quite rough, so I entrust my back to you, Sir Kian."
"I-It is an honor!! I will dedicate my life to becoming your shadow, young lady!"
Eleanor rested her chin on her hand, watching the two with interest and nodding inwardly.
'Hmm. He is so transparent it's almost stupid; he would never strike my daughter-in-law in the back. A magnificent and sturdy ferocious dog.'
Eleanor rose from her seat and lightly patted Liliana on the shoulder.
"Go, my merchant lord. The vast hunting ground of the Empire's commercial district awaits you. Go and smash the Minister of the Interior's head in with that golden seal."
"I will be back, Mother."
As Liliana turned around with a determined look in her eyes and began to walk, Kian, though flinching with a flushed face, followed closely behind her with the agile and disciplined strides of a true knight.
The daughter-in-law, who had been safely crouching in the immense shadow of her mother-in-law, had finally stepped out into the world. The curtain was rising on the full-scale commercial war of Liliana, the new mistress of Castillo, who would hold the Empire's economy in her hands.
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