I turned to look at Baron Totair, surprised by his remark. His once dull eyes now gleamed with interest. It seemed that LeBron wasn’t the only thing that had caught his attention.
“It’s an honor, but I’ll run the business to support the estate. I have no intention of living extravagantly. I just want to enjoy life.”
Baron Totair clasped his hands behind his back and stared at me as if he couldn’t understand my words.
I held his gaze for a moment before smiling.
“I listen to my father well, you know.”
Baron Totair scoffed and turned his head away, unimpressed by my joke.
“Surely, you don’t intend to leave everything to your uncle and do nothing. Tonight, a welcome party for the Count will be held at the estate’s central banquet hall. Since it’s an official event, please attend.”
Well, that’s fine.
I smiled and nodded calmly.
“The next day, there will be a meeting regarding the jewelry business and an inspection of the mining site.”
Hmm? I tilted my head slightly and nodded belatedly with an ambiguous smile.
“Alright, sure…”
But why does it feel like my workload is increasing?
“Until your uncle fully takes over, please fulfill your duties as the lord. There will also be inspections and encouragement visits to distribution sites, along with various approvals and paperwork to handle…”
I shut my eyes tightly at Baron Totair’s continuing words.
‘Ah, a carefree life really is the best.’
My excitement about staying busy before taking a break quickly faded.
After the meeting, I had a private conversation with my uncle.
He was deeply fascinated by LeBron, displaying vast knowledge and enthusiasm about it. At the same time, he expressed strong regret over the estate’s inefficient management in the past.
The executives felt the same. Though initially excited about LeBron’s potential in jewelry crafting, they soon faced a major dilemma. Once people realized it was possible to craft LeBron, there would be criticism for the estate’s previous mismanagement.
Some might even question my father’s passive approach to business.
As the executives trickled out of the conference room, leaving it quiet, I finally spoke.
“Don’t blame yourselves or doubt your choices. After that incident, it’s true that everyone in the empire was skeptical about LeBron’s craftsmanship. The older generation, who know the history, will understand.”
While crafting LeBron wouldn’t diminish its power, it was true that its abilities scaled with size. This meant that existing customers were unlikely to complain much.
My uncle let out a worried sigh, rubbing his furrowed forehead. He seemed deep in thought about the estate’s future direction.
‘It’s such a waste to let someone with so much passion rot in the corner of the estate.’
Tucking my hair behind my ear, I smiled smoothly.
“If you’re worried, why not have an article published about our nonprofit donations? Father wanted to keep them private, but we need to put out this fire first. At first, it may seem like a PR move, but since we’ve consistently supported the charity from the beginning, the sincerity will be recognized. And it would be best to have a rival magic stone company report on it. If even our competitors acknowledge our good deeds, the impact will be even greater.”
Once the attention is drawn to that, no one will oppose my decision to double the budget for nonprofit donations.
I was slightly nervous that the criticism might be redirected toward my father, but in the original story, Baron Totair’s efforts eventually silenced all opposition.
“Etricia…”
My uncle looked at me with wide eyes, as if wondering if I was the same sheltered girl he once knew.
“Going through a divorce really changed you, Etricia. Bring it up in tomorrow’s meeting.”
“What are you saying? You should be the one to talk about it, Uncle. Tomorrow, I’ll be dragged around by Baron Totair for government duties and inspections before returning to the Mipedian Duchy. After that, I’ll be too busy with the LeBron jewelry business to visit the estate often.”
“Then…”
“I’ve already informed them that LeBron can be crafted. By now, the executives should be seriously considering my proposal. Of course, the decision ultimately rests with you, Uncle.”
My uncle sighed and slumped his shoulders.
“Etricia, I’m not confident. Your father wanted you to inherit the estate. He didn’t choose me because I lacked the qualifications.”
“But I heard you were a passionate student when you studied business at the academy. Father told me you used to help him a lot before you got married.”
Lowering my gaze, I smiled bitterly.
“Father must have known that I lacked the skills to manage everything. If I hadn’t married Devon, maybe you would have taken over the business in my place.”
Beneath my gaze, tiny particles shimmered as they scattered from a piece of LeBron crushed by a hammer.
I swept my hand over the particles. Rubbing my palm with my thumb, I watched the fine dust fall away. They looked like nothing more than grains of sand, so I gathered them again.
If only I could gather time like this, but that was impossible. Instead, I could make up for it with real results.
“If you truly refuse, we’ll have to find a new professional manager.”
I placed my hands on the table and pushed back my chair to stand up. I noticed my uncle’s hesitation but pretended not to see it.
“Etricia.”
Just as I was about to pass him, he grabbed my wrist. Letting out a deep sigh, he glanced at me sideways with a knowing look.
“You’ve become quite the fox. You’re playing me like a puppet.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“Your father raised you well. You’ve managed to sway even Baron Totair, let alone me.”
I giggled, waving my hand dismissively in the air.
“That’s enough, Uncle. I don’t do false modesty.”
“Hah.”
He narrowed his eyes at me, leaning back in his chair with a sigh.
I chuckled.
“Judging by your expression, you’ve made up your mind.”
“Yeah, I have. You sly thing.”
Our conversation had become quite casual. When he playfully raised his hand to flick my forehead, I dodged with a sly grin.
My uncle shook his head with a laugh.
I felt a pang of sympathy for the original Etricia. If only she had leaned on her uncle after her father passed, she wouldn’t have felt so alone.
Afterward, we talked about old times, and the years of distance between us melted away like snow. Even as we walked toward the conference room doors, our conversation continued.
Before stepping out, I turned to my uncle.
“With Baron Totair’s influence, the executives won’t be able to resist. So don’t worry about anything else.”
“Alright. If Baron Totair is on our side, there’s no concern.”
My uncle reached for the door I had slightly opened but then hesitated with a strange expression.
“What’s wrong?”
Following his gaze, I saw a group of executives and a man I vaguely recognized.
“Lord, did you finish your conversation with your uncle?”
“Yes, why?”
One of the executives chuckled awkwardly.
“Since you’re attending the welcome banquet tonight, it wouldn’t look good for you to go without a partner.”
“Oh? So I look bad without a partner?”
As the executive broke into a nervous sweat, another quickly intervened.
“That’s not what we meant, my lord! This gentleman is the heir of the Eastern Merchant Guild—handsome and eloquent.”
The man, who had been observing quietly with his hands behind his back, smiled as our eyes met. He had a gentle and relaxed demeanor.
I greeted him with a nod before glancing at the executives with sharp eyes. They avoided my gaze, sweating nervously.
“Well, that’s unfortunate. I already have a partner.”
I smiled sweetly and walked past the startled executives and the young heir.
I heard the calm voice of the merchant group’s heir asking what was going on.
My uncle clicked his tongue and glared at the executives before quickly following me.
“But Etricia, what do you mean by ‘partner’?”
He was asking if I was seeing someone.
I glanced back at him, who was following with little interest, then looked forward again.
“I have someone. Someone in the same boat as me.”
Though he had to step away for now due to circumstances.
As we continued walking down the hallway, a staff member appeared in front of us.
After hearing that Baron Totair had requested a meeting, my uncle disappeared.
I reached the window at the end of the hallway and came to a stop.
I peeked down through the glass that clearly showed the view near the entrance of the building.
Edmund.
Only fallen leaves drifted in the spot where he had been standing.
And a single branch was left behind.
Not seeing him made me feel cold and empty, like a chill wind brushing my side.
Maybe because we’d been together for so long.
Or maybe because I had seen a glimpse of his pain in the carriage.
When will you come back…
I stood at the sunlit window, resting my head against the glass with my arms crossed.
And just like that, I stood there for a long time, not even realizing how much time had passed.
