CH 76

The meeting between Frey and Karuna took place a few hours later.

Fushh!

A bluish-moving magic circle appeared in the lobby of the building of The Top Vliette. It was created by Vikram at Frey’s command.

When Frey appeared, Karuna politely bowed her head.

“Nice to meet you. I am Karuna, the leader of the Top of Vliette. Since I am a commoner, I don’t have any special surnames.”

Frey was able to find out a lot of information about Karuna in the short time she was greeted. Red hair tied up in a ponytail and callused hands. A body that looks solid with muscles and scratches.

‘It seems that Nolma is right about looking at the condition of things directly despite her high position as the second-in-command.’

Nolma and Bien had a very high opinion of Karuna.

[“I hear she has a great passion for business. So I heard that there are many people who follow her.”]

[“She is a person who loves being in the business itself, so even while Aiger was there, she was said to be the actual leader of the Top of Vliette.”]

‘Clearly, Karuna was a competent person whom I wanted to keep by my side.’

‘The problem is that the way she looks at me is not nice…’

Frey swallowed dryly. Karuna’s golden eyes were full of hostility toward her.

“Nice to meet you, Karuna. I heard a lot of stories. Thank you for taking the time even though I contacted you suddenly.”

“No. This is what Her Highness Grand Duchess Prause requested.”

“….”

“I will take you inside.”

Even when she greeted Frey lightly, Karuna only responded formally, not showing any favor.

Frey followed her to the top state’s office. As soon as they settled down at the table where refreshments were prepared, Karuna opened her mouth first.

“Your Highness, Grand Duchess. I’ll tell you straight forward. Please stop taking over the Vliette Merchant. I and my employees have no desire to work under Lady Frey.”

Uhuk!

At the direct remark, Frey almost sprayed the tea she was drinking like coughing.

Apparently, Karuna didn’t want to make any concessions.

“Karuna. I came here because of that. Do you have any regrets about Holt?”

“Not like that. It’s just that I don’t want to see the guild that I’ve dedicated all my life to disintegrate.”

“I’m taking over the Vliette Merchant to expand the business nationally, not to get rid of it.”

Frey answered calmly.

‘In my heart, I wanted to point out the good conditions that I had suggested to the Top of Vliette one by one.’

This is because many welfare promises have been made so that people working at the top can continue to live without losing their jobs.

But Karuna’s rejection of her wasn’t due to a lack of welfare policies for employees.

“Lady Frey. I worked in the capital for a long time, so I know you well.”

Karuna’s tone suddenly became aggressive.

“When you were the princess, Lady Frey seldom appeared at official events. Everyone at the Top, including me, knows why.”

The escorts who followed Frey frowned as if warning her to be polite, but Karuna continued.

“You must have been afraid of Her Majesty the Empress, Her Highness the Crown Prince, and the Duke of Gelon. Isn’t that why you went to the North after constantly hiding and hiding again?”

“….”

“ Of course, I know that you have achieved high achievements in the North and want to take over our Top with that money. However, I cannot entrust the treasured company to Lady.”

Karuna finished her words firmly. She dared to intimidate a person of high status, so she did it with the determination to be punished.

‘If you go under a woman who has no strength, you will die.’

Frey stared at Karuna, who neither added an apology nor withdrew her opinion. The knights who had followed her as her escort swallowed dry saliva in the tension.

‘Would Lady Frey want to get up from her seat?’

‘How dare you say such absurd things to Her Highness, the Grand Duchess…she deserves to be ordered to imprison you.’

But Frey took a sip of her tea with grace and continued.

“Karuna. I understand what you are talking about and what you are concerned about.”

When she answered in a calm voice without being angry at all, Karuna raised her voice instead.

“What do you mean you know?”

“You’re worried about the family that’s worked with you all your life at the top of Vliette.”

Frey glanced over to the office desk. Most of them were items that Ager used and threw away, but the old frame with family portraits was definitely Karuna’s.

Five identical siblings.

Everyone was smiling brightly in front of the Carriage with the seal of the Vliette Merchant.

The moment she saw the harmonious figure in the frame, Frey could be sure of what Karuna was worried about and rejected her.

“You must have faced a lot of people from the Gelon side while holding an important position in the Top of Vliette. It would have been natural for you to know what cruel things they could do with their authority.”

“….”

Karuna’s expression hardened as Frey discovered her true intentions that she had been hiding all along.

“I can understand why I, who was busy hiding and running away, concluded that I couldn’t face Gelon, who had been dominating for hundreds of years.”

“You know? Gelon is….”

“It is strong enough to dare touch the emperor. I know it very well. If it was their strength, I felt it deeply when my mother passed away.”

Frey could understand.

The heart of worry is that the family will be angry. The fear that employees like family might have problems with Gelon.

So Frey said to Karuna.

“Karuna. Just give me a month.”

“….”

“If after one month you think I won’t be able to keep the people I’ve chosen to stay at the Top of Vliette, I will give up the takeover cleanly.”

There was power in every single letter Frey pronounced. The red eyes were like burning flames.

Karuna was silent for a moment before giving an answer.

“It is only one month. If I don’t change my mind after one month, I’ll disband the guild.”

“Well, if you care about the Vliette Merchant more than anyone else, you probably won’t be able to do that, but—”

Frey got up from her seat and smiled softly.

“Thank you for giving me a chance. I will try to change your mind.”

* * *

As soon as he returned to Grand Duke Prause’s mansion using Vikram’s moving magic circle, the escorts gave their opinions.

“Your Highness, Grand Duchess, she was grossly rude. She can be kicked out at any time for insulting Grand Duchess Prause.”

“You’re right. If we cut Karuna and put someone else in her place, the takeover of the Top of Vliette will go much faster.”

It was definitely advice.

‘Because I wanted to avenge my mother by obtaining the Vliette Merchant as soon as possible.’

But it wasn’t something that would happen simply by cutting off the Leader.

“That’s true, but there’s a saying that the more daring a merchant is, the more precious it is.”

“Yes, lady…”

“Besides, Karuna seemed to have a lot of trust. Those who are already related to Gelon secretly removed their hands from Karuna, so if Karuna is defeated, no one will remain in the Top of Vliette.”

“….”

“Wouldn’t it be bad for Prause’s honor if rumors spread that the Grand Duchess bought an empty cart at a high price with the money she earned from selling jewels?”

As I jokingly added, the knights looked more worried. I left them and headed to the office.

It was natural that the expressions of those in the office were not good. It was because I ordered Vikram to listen to the conversation with Karuna here.

“As I heard, the negotiations are temporarily suspended.”

As I sat down in my seat, Wiz approached me with a very worried face.

“Master. What are you going to do in a month? According to my analysis, that woman, Karuna, has the opposite side of you, so she is not swayed by anything.”

“I knew by the look in her eyes that she was just that kind of person. Karuna is the kind of person who will reject me until the end unless we achieve acceptable results.”

“Then how to hire her…”

“But there’s that side of me that makes me more coveted.”

I opened the bottom desk drawer. It was a safe-like compartment that I couldn’t open without Daniel’s special magic.

And there’s only one thing I’d like to keep here.

‘The scroll that my father gave me is full of divine power.’

When I took them all out, Wiz and Lina, as well as Vikram, were clearly nervous.

“Your Highness, Grand Duchess. Are you saying you want to use them all at once?”

“That’s right, Vikram. You’ve been wanting to see how the sacred tower is made all along, right?”

I had a conversation with Knight Commander Isaac the other day.

[“It will be finished within half a year at the latest.”]

[“What?!”]

Even when I said that I would build all 50 sacred towers in half a year, Isaac was shocked and couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

However, now I have to prove that I can protect my people even when Gelon attacks.

If so, the answer was what to do.

“I think we will have to struggle for a while, is everyone okay?”

“What?”

I unfolded a scroll full of divine power in front of them.

“If we want to build 50 sacred towers in one month, we will have to work overtime.”