Chapter 203
Chapter 203
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Fatigue and Hidden Schemes
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"Hmm.... Lize."
"Yes, Young Lady. Do you need something?"
"It's nothing specific, but I have to visit the capital once. For that, would it be better to wear a dress?"
"Er.... I'm not sure. But since you're a lady, Young Lady, it would probably suit you. I think."
"I knew it?"
I started that conversation while getting ready to go out with Lize.
In a few months, I'd probably become the Family Head, and I had to go to the capital to give the imperial family a rough rundown... There was a lot to prepare for in various ways.
Honestly, I already had plenty of dresses.
But wearing my usual dresses to the capital, to the imperial palace, wouldn't be quite proper.
"Hmm...."
"What's wrong?"
"Dresses definitely look prettier on someone with a larger chest, I was thinking."
"...?"
That thought just came to me while looking in the mirror.
They'd definitely been small before, but my body had grown a lot while attending the Academy.
At the same time, I'd worn dresses a lot since childhood, and as a noble who still wore them often even after growing up.
"If they're as small as they were when I was little, wearing a fancy dress just gives off a cute vibe instead of pretty... Something like that."
"Ah...."
"Well, having large breasts inherently makes you look a bit sexy anyway."
........
I gazed into the mirror, twisting my body this way and that to check my posture.
As expected, a decently large chest looked much better than a small one.
At least Lize or Ella-sized or bigger to really feel pretty.
Of course, my own chest had surpassed that size long ago.
"Lize."
"Yes, Young Lady."
"I don't wanna go out."
........
"I'm so tired lately."
"Th-that... I'm sorry there's nothing I can do for you."
"That's not what I meant; I'm just saying I'm tired."
I was fucking exhausted.
Really, on top of everything piling up lately, it was way too much.
And when I thought about the Family Head succession duties Rozalin was handling in my place...
"Haa...."
My head hurt.
If only William's health hadn't deteriorated so badly, I wouldn't have been this busy before even reaching adulthood.
"Today I have to go out, talk with those ugly old men, ride in the carriage, watch them work while running around, come back... And tomorrow it'll be the same...."
........
This was seriously annoying as hell.
I used to enjoy business and making money, in my own way.
No, I still did like it.
But aside from that, things were so hectic lately that it was exhausting.
Honestly, most of it wasn't about growing the business or earning money—it was just taking over what William had been doing.
So, doing two years of tasks with zero fun, emotion, or growth—it was inevitable I'd get worn out.
"Haa...."
If I could've spent some good time with Rozalin in between, it might've been bearable.
But I was too tired even for that.
"I'm tired."
I sat on the chair in just my undergarments and vented like that.
There was still time before departure, and no need to rush preparations.
"Um... Young Lady?"
"Yeah, what? More prep to do?"
"That's not it...."
Lize suddenly approached me and spoke.
I'd already roughly done my hair, and all that was left was to put on my going-out clothes—why was she acting like this?
"...If you're that tired, how about resting on the bed until it's time to leave? That's what I was going to suggest."
"Ah."
That would definitely be better than sitting in the chair.
I got up from the chair following Lize's advice.
I still hadn't put on clothes... but Lize would surely remind me later that it was time to dress.
"And if...."
"Yeah?"
"If you're really tired, a lap pillow or... whatever you usually do... that would be fine too."
"...For real?"
Lize's sudden temptation.
No, more like sudden permission—my voice rose without thinking.
Lize never brought this up first!
I always had to be the one telling her to get on the bed first—this was the first time something like this happened.
I almost climbed onto the bed without realizing, then whipped around toward Lize.
"For real?"
"Th-that... yes...."
"For real?"
"Yes...."
Her voice was tiny.
But Lize's permission rang clear as day.
I always thought it, but Lize was... seriously such a slut?
"Come hewe...!"
"W-wait...! Young Lady...!"
"Fufufu...."
I yanked the still-standing Lize toward me and laid her on the bed.
She tried to stop me midway, but she said it first, right?
That it was okay?
I'd been in such a foul mood lately anyway.
No reason at all to pass up a chance like this.
"Ah, Young Lady...?"
"You're too slutty, Lize."
"Yes...?"
"Pretending you don't know anything. When you know full well."
"I've never done that...."
"Then why can't you meet my eyes?"
With Lize laid out on my bed and me straddling her, we traded words like that.
She was pretending not to know, but she was fully aware of her own actions and words.
Seriously... such a pervert.
........
"Fufu.... Pervert."
"Eut...."
Sitting around Lize's waist, I slowly traced her neck with my hand.
Her body trembled just a little, but she didn't seem to hate it.
"Haa...."
If I were really an adult, I'd just...
"Lize."
"Yes...?"
"Mmm.... Never mind."
"...?"
I considered saying more.
But right now was time to toy with Lize beneath me as I pleased.
It wasn't something to bring up in this atmosphere anyway.
Just for now...
"Eut...."
"Lize always has such a pretty figure...."
"Yes...?"
"Your abs are so firm, and your breasts are nicely shaped...."
"Hn...."
"Huu...."
I slowly caressed Lize's body, easing my crappy mood from lately.
Of course, I didn't touch her precious parts directly—just enough.
Even back in Academy days, and during, I'd playfully touched or been close with girls around me, but I deliberately held back from those spots.
It'd prick my conscience too much as a non-adult doing that?
Though Lize was already an adult.
*
After graduating the Academy, I hardly met up with the friends I'd been close with there.
But contrary to that, there was one person I still met lately.
"We started supplying goods to the capital a few months ago, and the profits are higher than expected. Demand is much stronger too."
"That's the Nordal family effect. It's not just anywhere—nobles in the capital will definitely take interest since the Nordal Ducal Family is involved in selling them."
"Yeah, it really seems that way. It's all thanks to you, Camellia."
That was Ivana.
Even after Academy graduation, I'd frequently met and talked business with Ivana.
With other girls, it was mostly letters, but business talk felt lacking in letters alone.
It was inevitable.
"More people have been coming up north than before, but the Nordal family is the only one selling northern-produced goods. So despite the high prices, demand is strong."
Ivana's business had already grown plenty.
It'd been about five years since starting, but with massive starting capital, growth was faster than expected.
"It's all thanks to you, Camellia."
"Yeah, it is."
I admitted it cleanly.
Honestly, it was true—it turned out like this because of me, right?
Anyway, amid all my busyness, the one reason I'd come to meet Ivana was this.
"Speaking of, the Rose family...."
"Not an unfamiliar name, huh?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
Rose.
Alongside preparing to become Family Head and business setups, I was preparing something special.
Things I'd thought about long ago.
They'd stayed at the planning, thinking stage, but now they were gradually becoming reality.
"I never expected you to have those thoughts about the Rose family, Camellia."
"I didn't say anything."
Only about two people knew of my hostility toward the Rose family so far.
Christina Rose, and the Information Guild woman.
I hadn't told Lize directly yet, and hadn't mentioned it at all to Rozalin.
It was all being prepared in secret, after all.
"Actually, one reason I helped with Lady Ivana's business was the Rose family too."
"Ah."
"Well, from your position, Lady Ivana, it doesn't matter much, right? A fallen count family like Rose falling a bit more."
"Right."
I'd learned one thing from lots of talks with Ivana.
Her personality.
More precisely, her principles of action, maybe.
Personality was a vague term.
"They're unrelated people anyway."
Ivana... was surprisingly cold toward anything unrelated to her or her close circle.
Probably because she was the lady of the Nordal family ruling the north.
I got it.
Honestly, I didn't care much about unrelated people either?
"Yeah, that's true."
Well, in the end, it was a chance for me to get help from Ivana, who'd been helping me all along.
All in all, a good thing, right?