Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: I've Turned Ten
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And so, five years passed.
Sien had turned ten, but her daily life hadn't changed much.
A few things had changed, though...
The merchant company she had raised had grown into one of the top companies in the land?
And the most important one.
‘Almost all the reincarnator penalties applied to my body are gone!’
The five-year-old with a lispy speech impediment and a relatively small stature was no more.
Now, Sien looked like a perfectly healthy ten-year-old.
***
Inside the modest two-story building used as the Sien Mirmod Merchant Company branch.
‘I’ve turned the Mirmod Merchant Company into a top-tier company in just five years!’
Having become a child, I sat in the center of the interviewer's table with my legs crossed.
Of course, being only ten and still having chubby baby fat, I couldn't quite cross my plump legs properly.
I diligently reviewed the resumes.
‘There are so many resumes it's hard to even review them all!’
Ever since the issues with the old Sien-Mirmod Merchant Company were resolved, up to now!
I had been squealing with joy at the nonstop flood of love calls from mages, pouring down like summer monsoon rains.
Even now, five years later, it was the same!
With no one's interference, the splendidly grown ‘Sien Merchant Company’ was steadily developing into a cash cow for our dad, who would conquer the villain families.
‘Heh, I kinda feel like a CEO!’
Fortunately, the noble ladies who had become my guardians were lined up on either side of me.
Just like that, each mage's resume was laid out on the table.
And not only that? Newspaper articles full of stories about me had been clipped and collected too.
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[Breaking News] Who is the founder of the final child-led merchant company, ‘Sien Mirmod Merchant Company’?
[Front Page] ‘Sien Mirmod Merchant Company’ already has 10 guardians... Conquering the continent?
[Breaking News] Who is Sien Mirmod? Daughter of Mathias Mirmod
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It seemed the noble ladies had sent me the article clippings.
‘These idiots from the temple.’
Now, people would remember the ‘victorious’ me of today far better than the me of the past.
It was the same principle as how an upset victory is remembered better than a game you knew you'd win.
I brought a hand to my mouth, trying hard to suppress my laughter.
Of course, there was a rival merchant company.
It was the Yoter Merchant Company, established by Count Yoter, the crown prince's closest aide.
Lately, they had been selling items suspiciously similar to mine, which was really getting on my nerves.
“Baby Master, there's about an hour until the interviews. Aren't you going to review the resumes?”
“I'm done! And I told you, I'm not Baby Master anymore.”
“Yep, Baby CEO.”
The ‘Baby CEO’ title grated a bit, but her eyes were full of fondness, so I'd let it slide!
“Phew...”
“Oh, and I heard Count Yoter made something amazing this time. Have you heard?”
“Really? Now I'm curious.”
Count Yoter was vastly older than me, but practically my rival.
I was curious about what schemes he might have, and I needed to find out.
But I let out a big yawn, haaam.
Lately, my brain had been overworked, and I'd been dozing off every day.
I stood up for a bit of rest.
“I'll go for a short walk!”
***
On my way for a walk.
Even calling it a walk, a little child's body couldn't go far. So I was just circling the small garden in front of the building a few times.
The warm sunlight made me even sleepier...
But then, I saw someone entering through the main gate of the building, and I had to stop.
“Dad!”
It was my dad.
The thought that Dad was finally back made me jump up with a huge grin.
But...!
“Our daughter.”
Dad's expression looked a little scary...?!
“I told you to quit the merchant company. How are you working yourself so hard?”
I shook my head firmly at Dad.
I tried to puff out my chest to show off my cool CEO vibe, but Dad grabbed my collar, and I flailed for a moment.
‘Dad's ruining my CEO aura!’
I glared at Dad with guppy eyes and emphasized.
“What do you mean hard! I've been doing it for five years!”
Dad let out a low sigh.
“You really are a genius, my daughter.”
“You bet!”
He seemed a bit skeptical at first, but it looked like Dad was going to believe me and let it go.
That's how Dad was.
He always emphasized the trust between father and daughter.
“Got it. Let's have lobster today. Dad will cook it himself. It's a special day. Our daughter became a CEO, and so much time has passed already... Dad's so happy he's tearing up.”
Happy enough to tear up. Dad really had a soft heart.
I looked at Dad's reddened eyes and nodded maturely.
“Heh! Okay! I love lobster!”
I nodded vigorously.
‘Dad's cooking is definitely reliable!’
But right then.
A man in imperial palace knight uniform quickly entered the building.
“Lord Mathias.”
“...What is it?”
“Her Highness the Princess has come to visit.”
The Princess... was the woman who would become Axel Mirmod's wife in the future.
The crown prince's younger sister, and in 『Melodia's Life』, she was also Saintess Melodia's friend.
‘She'd been quiet for a while, so why is someone from the palace suddenly showing up at the Mirmods?’
Even ‘that’ Axel Mirmod was rumored to be stuck in a drawn-out civil war near the demon realm for a full five years.
The villains threatening the Mirmods had long been forgotten in the annals of memory.
For the Princess to suddenly appear here meant some unexpected event was occurring again.
The palace and the temple were in cahoots, hostile to the Mirmods.
Yet, over the past five years, they hadn't so much as shown their faces at the Mirmod estate.
Except for small fries like Count Yoter, the crown prince's aide—they hadn't really interfered with me, which was how I'd grown the merchant company so splendidly.
I tilted my head in confusion, and Dad smirked with one corner of his mouth as he retorted.
“So?”
“...Her Highness the Princess is here... y-yes. She says it's something she absolutely must discuss with you, Lord Mathias.”
“Tell her to wait. Unless she made an appointment.”
I tilted my head watching Dad and the man I assumed was his adjutant.
Something felt off.
“...Dad?”
I quickly realized why.
Come to think of it, Dad had been using a strange tone.
It didn't sound like my dad. It was like a sinister, cold, villainous tone!
‘Dad's using a villain voice...!’
Over the past five years, I'd been watching Dad's suspicious behavior with wide eyes.
Dad was gradually assimilating into this villain family, seemingly getting a taste for villainous speech.
‘See? The past five years weren't without results! Very promising!’
During that time, how much I'd suffered receiving etiquette training from Dad! The moment I realized it with a satisfied face, Dad's expression froze like ice an Alaska penguin rides on.
“No, no. Wait...”
I tilted my head.
Dad opened his mouth. His lips seemed to tremble slightly.
“So, please tell her I'll come see her soon. I haven't eaten yet and I'm hungry, so I'll have a quick meal and then meet her. Let's go, Sien.”
I could see the adjutant's face go blank.
But with my brain overloaded from reading countless resumes, I couldn't spare attention for the adjutant.
I blinked, trying to sort out the situation.
“...Is that okay?”
“Of course. She's a good person, so she'll wait.”
‘Doesn't sound like a good person...’
I tilted my head, but Dad was holding my hand tightly and leading me away, so I stayed quiet. Now, his tone was back to the polite, innocent pushover dad I knew.
But my worries about Dad's odd tone didn't last long.
The Princess had come to see Dad.
That was a bit strange. Because the Princess was the woman betrothed to Axel Mirmod.
“Why did she come to see Dad?”
“Who knows. Maybe she's here to do something nice.”
Dad was nonchalant as ever.
‘But unlike Dad, I can't afford to be nonchalant.’
I looked up at Dad and gripped his collar tightly.
“Dad.”
“Yeah?”
“I wanna see the Princess!”
Dad looked at me and asked softly.
“...Huh?”
I grinned innocently, like a harmless child. My pale cheeks puffed out roundly.
Of course, I had a very dark intention of ‘uncovering the Princess's schemes,’ but on the surface, I looked utterly adorable?
“No.”
...Dad was very firm.
I drooped my shoulders, staring at Dad. I was dying to know why the Princess had suddenly come to our dad and what tricks she planned to pull! That way, I could fend off any potential storms!
“Really, really no...?”
As I drooped my shoulders sadly, Dad feigned sternness.
“Sien, are you curious?”
“Yeah!”
After saying that, I racked my brain for more words.
I really wanted to convince Dad. To go meet the Princess together.
But...
The Princess was best friends with Melodia.
Melodia hated the Mirmod family.
Still, it would look suspicious for a mere ten-year-old kid to know about imperial power struggles. So I couldn't outright tell Dad I was worried the Princess might do something bad to him.
Dad pinched my fidgeting cheek like grabbing a pinch of sugar and whispered sweetly.
“Don't worry. Dad will explain everything that happens later.”
Of course, Dad was an adult too, so he had his own business to handle.
I knew he couldn't just drag me along to a meeting with the Princess.
Even with my second life experience, adults are adults, and kids are kids—I got that.
If it were another dad, wouldn't he yell at me for trying to tag along on adult business?
But our soft-hearted Dad seemed bothered by my silence and cooed gently again.
“Our daughter, Dad will be right back, and I'll tell you everything while buying you cotton candy.”
“...Yeah, okay!”
I could find out some other way.
I grabbed Dad's hand, which was still pinching my soft cheek, with my tiny hand and said.
“Come back safe!”
This time, I decided to respect Dad's wishes and trust him.
“Yeah, Sien.”
Dad was an adult, after all.
I gripped Dad's calloused hand tightly and nodded vigorously.
It was time for me to go hire some mages too.