Chapter 162
Chapter 162
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Dodging the Leash (1)
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The towering buildings rising in Cornell.
The princesses seated at the round table smiled brightly as they gazed at them.
“With this, Veil has no place left to brazenly hide under a veil.”
“Exactly. The nerve of him, claiming he can just head out of the country.”
Leah and Lydia grinned.
They had already secretly built private villas complete with spacious beds.
“Now, even his hometown is just a five-hour carriage ride from the capital’s gates.”
“...”
Only Irina watched them with worry.
She had been the sole keeper of Veil’s hometown secret until now.
Wanting to change the subject, she rose and peered out the window.
―――.
The Cornell nobles swarming the orphanage, drawn by the scent of money.
Irina looked down at them impassively and asked the other two princesses.
“Are you all planning to accept outside investments?”
Lydia, who had been reviewing the backlog of state documents at the round table with Leah, adjusted her round glasses and replied.
“It’d be nice, but those rural lords will just toss in a pittance and take all the credit.”
“True. They’ll throw tantrums demanding shares.”
Leah, seated across from her with a monocle perched on her nose, responded indifferently.
“Better not to take their money. Unless it’s a loan from the national treasury via the Imperial Council.”
Once the Cornell new city was complete, the returns would be substantial.
Repaying it gradually afterward wouldn’t be an issue.
The princesses enjoyed the highest trust among all figures in the empire.
“It might be inconvenient, but that’s probably the better way—.”
I quietly eavesdropped on their conversation while standing guard at the door.
Spotting the nobles arriving inside the orphanage, I knocked on their room’s door.
“May I come in for a moment?”
“Yeah, come in.”
Irina opened the door, and I bowed politely to them.
“I couldn’t help overhearing that you plan to exclude investments from local lords.”
“Honest—I like that.”
Leah lifted the corner of her mouth with the gaze of a benevolent empress.
“I worry it might cause you ladies great inconvenience.”
I presented my opinion to them courteously.
“If I may be so bold, I believe accepting investments from Cornell’s lords isn’t a bad idea.”
The princesses all turned to look at me at once.
They were already scheming to saddle me with debt and slip a collar around my neck.
They rejected my proposal outright.
“No, Veil. We have plenty of money.”
“Indeed, I have no desire for their filthy coin either.”
With Irina and Lydia firmly shutting it down, Leah chimed in.
“You’re naive, Mikhail. Do you really think they’d make a deal where they lose out?”
The First Princess crossed her ample thighs while seated.
Pale skin swelled above the stockings clinging tightly to her calves.
“Safer to use our own wealth than take their money.”
“...”
I swallowed hard as I looked at the princesses.
“If that’s the reason, then don’t worry.”
I clasped my hands together.
With a sly, fawning smile like a conniving courtier, I replied confidently.
“I’ll make sure they not only cover the interest but donate part of their principal to the city as well.”
The princesses focused intently on my bold proposal.
They stared at me with the piercing gazes of sovereign rulers.
“You think you can pull that off?”
Irina in particular looked at me with concern.
Lydia stepped in with a wicked little smile, like a mischievous imp.
“Let’s hear him out—it’s an intriguing offer.”
“Confidence is good, Veil. But this isn’t your money or your project. Can you really take responsibility?”
The three princesses all wore gentle expressions.
But I could sense it.
The greedy, conquering gazes of rulers eager to claim a talented pawn.
“What happens if things go south?”
Their question, aimed at collaring my neck.
I gripped their leash tightly in my mind and declared firmly.
“Then I’ll ‘work’ to repay whatever losses you incur.”
Work to repay.
Satisfied with that, Leah flashed a haughty empress’s smile.
Lydia did the same, giggling with a seductive, devilish grin like sealing a pact with the demon.
Only Irina bit her lip, looking worried.
“Then I’ll start receiving the nobles this afternoon.”
*Good luck, Veil.*
The princesses approved in unison.
Emboldened, I stepped into the hallway and greeted Mago.
“Mago.”
“Yeah? Did things go well with the princesses?”
We descended the hallway stairs together.
Gazing at the children studying in the auditorium, we talked.
“Yeah, but there’s one issue.”
“What is it? Tell me freely.”
Mago smiled, pleased that I was confiding the problem to her on behalf of the princesses.
“It’s nothing major—I’m setting up a play, but I need a bit of manpower.”
“Manpower...?”
Mago glanced at the children.
Catching on, I nodded to her.
“Have the kids hand out this newspaper.”
What I handed her was a rural paper circulated only in Cornell.
It was abuzz with news of the grand city rising in Cornell.
“I’ll give them pocket money, so have them sell it around the Cornell station.”
“Got it.”
Mago, the children’s big sister, grabbed a stack of papers and headed to them.
“Kids—big sis has pocket money for you—.”
The children, bored with studying, jumped up at the words.
They each took a paper and rushed outside in a group.
“...”
I watched fondly, then approached the orphanage’s sole messenger pigeon.
And....
*Long time no see, Sir Colbert... Baron, how have you been with the Northern Archduchess...?*
I mobilized my entire network, spreading word about Cornell.
To every corner of the imperial capital.
Soon, the time shifted from afternoon to noon.
“Alright, preparations are set—. Father, shall we head out now?”
“Yes. I don’t know what scheme you’ve cooked up, but...”
Hans and I slowly opened the orphanage’s main gate.
“Don’t worry— it’s a lifeline for the orphanage, and for me too.”
We welcomed the Cornell nobles buzzing like bees.
“Come on in, Count Timan.”
Father Hans greeted them.
He was already familiar with several, including him, having had them adopt my siblings.
“Long time, Director Hans. And who might that be...?”
A middle-aged black-haired man with a thick mustache eyed me.
His slicked-back hair and fierce, tigerish features looked menacing.
To think such a man had married my young sisters.
It boiled my blood.
“Ah, I’m Mikhail, who invested here first. On friendly terms with the director, so I’m handling the business now.”
I placed a hand on my chest and introduced myself gracefully.
“Hoo....”
“First time seeing you—where are you from?”
The middle-aged women behind Timan asked me.
They were the usual greedy nobles who fancied young men.
“From Norton, but I currently hold a baronial estate in the capital’s western district.”
The capital’s west side.
Famed for its wealth, with land prices far exceeding Cornell’s.
At the mention of owning land there, the women hid smiles behind their fans.
“You look young, yet you hold such prime real estate—impressive.”
“Just got lucky.”
I bowed elegantly.
Having greeted nobles as the princesses’ guard in my past life, I knew all the etiquette.
Hans watched my performance in wonder.
“I’ll guide you in the director’s stead. I’ve spruced up the parlor for such esteemed guests.”
“To go to such lengths for us... an honor.”
Count Timan and the nobles, who had lorded over adoptive father Hans as total superiors before.
Yet facing me, a mere baron, they offered awkward smiles and followed to the parlor.
“Come in.”
“Ooh....”
The orphanage’s sole room with platinum wallpaper amid the shabbiness.
“Have a seat.”
“Thank you, Baron Veil.”
They had once recoiled from even touching orphanage furnishings.
Now they settled contentedly onto the luxurious sofas the princesses had bought.
Fitting for folk whose asses reject anything less than premium.
“To come all this way—it seems you’re quite interested in our venture.”
At my words, the nobles pointed to the grand building skeletons visible through the window.
“Heh heh... how could we not, with it right before our eyes?”
“Wonder who invested—progress like this in just two days is astonishing.”
The middle-aged nobles spoke with shrewd, glinting eyes.
They had chased money their whole lives to reach this point.
“Well, several capital nobles including myself joined in. Of course, some high figures I can’t name.”
I smiled slyly.
Inwardly picturing the noble ladies upstairs.
“That figures. No other way the permits came so fast.”
Count Timan spoke for them.
Dressed in a black suit with a flashy striped shirt, he was Cornell’s top magnate.
“And those you can’t name... probably imperial royals backing it.”
“...”
As I merely smiled, the magnate drew a monocle from his breast pocket.
“Even with such lofty support, inviting us here...”
He fitted it to his sharp eyes and continued keenly.
“I take it you’re interested in our investments?”
We princesses and I had kept them out all morning.
Now opening the doors, he instantly grasped the intent.
*Tricky opponent after so long.*
A cut above even the Looper family.
“As expected of Cornell’s great magnate. Good to deal with someone reasonable.”
I clasped my hands.
Glancing at Hans, I signaled him to relax.
“Precisely. You’re Cornell nobles, after all. If we’re taking investments, better from neighbors, no?”
I straightened my high-quality collar.
With the cold gaze that had slain knight captains in my princess-guard days, I said.
“I’m offering you the chance—first dibs on investing in Cornell.”
I showed the pre-prepared contract.
It included clauses for zero interest and donating 10% of principal to city development.
“The choice is yours.”
The nobles scowled as they read the contract.
Soon showing displeasure, they turned to magnate Count Timan.
Eyes asking what he thought of this insolent deal.
“Intriguing....”
But unlike them, the count showed no outward irritation.
Instead, he stared at me and smirked.
“You’re the ones needing funds—curious why you’d demand such poison pills, Baron.”
Hans clutched his forehead at the magnate’s sharp question.
Wondering what thoughts drove his adopted son to provoke them.