Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Rumors and Relaxation
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"Honey, don't you need any information?"
"I'm not running any businesses for a while anyway."
I'd roughly sent a letter to Alexandra under a new name and was now sitting back, just relaxing.
It was cold outside, and since it had been a while since I'd visited the Information Guild, I had a few things to take care of.
"Hmm... So you really wrapped up all those businesses this time?"
"Faking it would be weird, right?"
"Hmm..."
She reacted with clear interest.
It wasn't particularly surprising, though—most people acted this way in situations like this.
We sat facing each other in a dimly lit room, quietly gazing at her as she gazed back at me.
I really had no idea what was going through her head.
"Why'd you shut down the businesses? They were all making decent profits, and most of them seemed too valuable to sell off right now."
"Did you do a background check or something?"
"That's what the Information Guild does."
"..."
Fair enough.
But hearing it stated so boldly was pretty ridiculous.
The guild's work was exactly that kind of thing, so I had nothing to say.
"But seriously, why shut them all down? From what I saw... you only kept that massive mana stone mine, right?"
"Uh..."
She seemed to know what I'd been up to from her investigation.
But not knowing the reason felt a bit absurd.
Did this woman not know my age...?
With only three or four months left until academy enrollment, it made more sense to wrap things up than to keep them going.
My age was common knowledge at the Information Guild anyway...
"...I'm twelve. Of course I'll be entering the academy next year."
"Ah."
"...?"
"Oh, right! That's it!"
"...You forgot?"
"Yeah!"
"..."
I'd never gotten the sense she was entirely normal whenever we met.
This confirmed it.
"Yeah... come to think of it, you're still so young..."
"Yes."
"Wow... so at just twelve, how much wealth have you accumulated?"
"Probably more than most marquess families."
"Whoa..."
I didn't know the exact assets of other families, so I couldn't say for sure.
But it felt like I had more than your average house.
I'd sorted out most of my businesses this time, leaving a ton of gold deposited at the bank and the guild.
It was probably more than what some major families had stacked up.
"You won't be investing in stocks anymore?"
"No. I don't plan to touch them for a while. I won't have the time anyway, and it'll be hard to check on them at the academy."
"That makes sense! So no investing or anything until you graduate? Do you have any idea how much gold you've got stashed in the guild under your name!?"
She was right—the gold in my guild vault was enormous.
Enough to easily buy over a hundred buildings with just that.
"Anyway, enough about that. Let's talk about something else."
"What is it? I'm dying to know what you'll ask about this time. Last time it was some bankrupt count's family, before that the Moon God Church... hee hee hee..."
"Well, it's not on that scale. Just some things I'm curious about."
She shook her head and body side to side, looking delighted. It came off as kind of dumb.
Of course, her work was always reliable despite the antics.
She was someone I met often at the Information Guild—not close, but familiar enough.
She was one of my sources for information.
"Could you look into recent rumors or evaluations about my family, the Leonhardt family?"
"Huh?"
"I'm enrolling at the academy soon, and I don't want to go in knowing nothing. I already have plenty on other families anyway."
"But why ask about your own? Don't you know?"
"The big picture probably hasn't changed, but I figured there might be something new from one or two years ago. New stories could have come up."
I doubted much had changed.
Still, I asked for some self-objectivity before enrolling.
I'd already gotten info on the highborn heirs and ladies entering the academy next year.
I'd just never been that interested in my own family.
"Anyway, please. You can handle it, right?"
"It's not hard... Asking about the Leonhardts? Even the beggars around here would say they're weird rich folks."
"..."
"The nobles... they'd say the family head is so fat he'd just roll downhill if you tripped him?"
...
It was factual.
But it felt off somehow.
Hearing evaluations like that never sat well, even if it helped with self-objectivity.
Mostly because they were facts, leaving me speechless.
"Anyway, look into anything new. And make sure that letter gets sent properly."
"Leaving already?"
"No more business here. Time to head home."
"Aww..."
Same reaction as always.
"If anything comes up with my request, contact me separately."
"Sure, you'll come back, right?"
"Of course. I might need to visit the guild a few times before the academy."
For Alexandra's correspondence, at least.
And whenever I needed more info.
"Have a lot ready for me next time."
"I'll try, for you?"
"And drop that 'honey' nonsense."
"Aww..."
"Who calls a twelve-year-old 'honey'?"
She really was weird every time I saw her.
*
I'd wrapped up the important tasks before the academy.
No immediate word from Alexandra, and nothing else pressing.
"What to do."
Now I truly, really had nothing left.
Plenty of time before the academy... what now?
I'd pondered this while sorting businesses, but the conclusion was always the same.
*Knock knock.*
"Mother, may I come in?"
Spending time with Rozalin was always the answer.
Nothing else came to mind but enjoying her company.
Soon enough, I wouldn't get chances like this.
I planned to hang out with her as much as possible before then.
Anyway, I knocked on Rozalin's door, got her okay, and entered.
"What are you doing?"
"Hnng... ugh... stre-e-e-tching...?"
"...?"
Rozalin was in her room alone... arching her back dramatically.
Her dress accentuated her chest more than usual...
"Ungh, ungh..."
...It was a bit much to just watch.
Not in a normal, everyday way.
*Ahem...*
I sat in a neutral spot.
She was at her desk, with extra chairs there, but it felt wrong to join her.
I picked a chair by the long table instead.
"Whew... feels good now..."
"Why the sudden stretching?"
"I've been sitting still so long it made me exhausted, you know? Thought I'd try it. Plenty of time anyway."
"Ah..."
Rozalin finished and sat right next to me.
There were seats opposite and at the head, but she chose beside me.
"You're still too young to feel this stuff, huh, Camellia?"
"Not really sure."
"Hee hee, that's how kids are. When I was your age, I ran around outside all day."
"...I don't go out much."
"True... you're so proper, Camellia. Not like other kids running around."
The only times I went out were for business or the Information Guild.
Ella visited our territory often, but I rarely went to hers.
"Hmm... too chilly these days to go out with you."
"?"
"Hmm... if I suggested going out now, you'd refuse because it's cold and a hassle..."
"Mother...?"
Rozalin started muttering her wild guesses.
No clue why she was slandering me like this.
The cold did make outings less appealing... but why bring it up now?
"How can we have fun together, my Camellia?"
"Beats me...?"
She turned to me with a smile.
Hard to answer.
I didn't have any hobbies...?
"What should we do...?"
No real hobbies, so Rozalin's question stumped me.
Lately, teasing Lize was about it.
"Hmm... wanna bathe together for old times' sake?"
"...Pardon?"
"You hate going out, right? So let's bathe, chat all cozy, spend time together. Sound good?"
"Suddenly...? Didn't you bathe this morning?"
I couldn't keep up with her abrupt shift.
Not bath time, no reason for it...
"Don't want to?"
"
No, it's not that I don't want to..."
I'd come to spend time with her, sure.
But not expecting it to escalate like this...
I mumbled an awkward reply.