It had been a week since I became Serna.
During that time, Kellen never once appeared. If he didn’t send a letter about handing over the merchant ship, then he probably planned to take everything from the Troid family and disappear without a trace.
“What a complete jerk.”
Even though Serna had given away her fortune on her own, it was impossible not to feel any regret. But right now, instead of focusing on what was lost, I needed to start thinking about what I could gain.
Just remembering what happened at the market still made me shake with anger.
Based on the memories I had received from Serna, she had given everything to Kellen. The only thing left that could generate income was the merchant ship.
There was also a two-story building owned by the Troid family located on the far edge of the capital. It was poorly maintained and in a bad location, which is probably why Kellen didn’t even care about it.
“Miss, you should eat while you read.”
I was slowly sipping the warm soup Anna had brought in while going through the documents related to the Troid family’s remaining property. I had been reviewing them since a few days ago.
Kim Yumi in Korea and Serna in this world called the Aether Empire had both been foolish women who lost everything for love. But here was the truth.
Money.
Because they lost their money for the sake of love, their lives became miserable.
Even in Korea, wealthy families could give everything to their poor lovers and not feel a thing. Why? Because they had too much money.
That is why, after coming here, I promised myself one thing. I didn’t care who or what had sent me here or why. If it was meant to be a punishment, then I would turn this life into one filled with luxury. I would become so rich that I could toss gold into the sea without thinking twice.
“Anna!”
At my call, Anna peeked in from the window where she had been cleaning.
I barely had any cash on hand. In Korea, an average office worker had no way to become wealthy, unless they won the lottery.
If I wanted to be rich, I needed to start a business.
“I think we should go out for a bit.”
“Miss, you do know you’ve been acting strange, right?”
“What do you mean?”
“You called Count Pyro a jerk, and you were so bold in the market. That’s completely unlike you.”
“Is that so?”
While we rode in the carriage, Anna kept glancing at me, clearly trying to read my mood.
“You aren’t sick, are you? I mean, your head…”
Was she saying I had lost my mind? I gave a small smile. Anna shivered at the sight of it.
“Anna, I’ve just realized something important.”
“What is it?”
“Men are all the same. They’re worthless.”
“Miss!”
Her voice jumped in shock. She couldn’t believe I had said something like that. The same person who used to panic if Count Pyro didn’t send a letter for just one day had now spent a full week without showing any concern. And my speech had changed too. I had never used such language before.
Anna’s endless scolding came out like a rapid speech. Her pronunciation was so good that I honestly thought she could have been a rapper if she were born in Korea.
“You know what, Anna? Love is pointless.”
“Miss, hearing you say that just doesn’t feel right.”
I answered her with a quiet smile. If I said anything more, I might start crying over how foolish my past and present lives had been.
After a week of good sleep and proper meals, my hair was no longer like straw. My skin, once dull and dry, had started to regain its shine, even though I hadn’t gained much weight yet.
Wearing a modest orange dress, I arrived at the edge of the capital. I stepped down from the carriage and followed the path Anna pointed out. Soon, we found the building owned by the Troid family.
It was a worn-down structure made of gray bricks. An old, faded sign hung above the door, the letters completely unreadable.
The door creaked loudly as we opened it, and a musty smell filled the air.
What was this place? It felt like a rat might pop out at any moment. No wonder Kellen didn’t want it. Just thinking about the repairs would have given him a headache.
Every step stirred up dust into the air. Anna focused all her attention on holding up the hem of my dress so it wouldn’t get dirty.
The place was unmaintained and filthy, but it had enough space. It was a two-story building, and it didn’t seem like the worst place to start a business.
I couldn’t cook or sew, but there was one thing I had done ever since I was twenty in my previous life.
Jewelry design.
I used to work with gold and gemstones. The start-up costs were high, but in a noble society like the Aether Empire, jewelry could be a very successful business.
Back then, I had truly enjoyed the work. The moment when one of my designs was chosen and went into production always gave me a rush. Even now, I could remember the thrill in my fingertips.
“Anna, let’s start a business.”
“Yes, sure. I’m more worried about your dress getting dirty. Wait, what?”
Anna’s eyes went wide again. I could almost hear her thinking, What kind of business? You don’t know how to do anything, Miss.
“I’m going to start a fashionable and trendy jewelry brand.”
“Miss, you never cared about jewelry before.”
“That’s not true. I love jewelry.”
“But when Count Pyro gave you jewelry, you never even touched it. You just left it in your room.”
“I didn’t wear it because I loved it too much.”
Anna clearly didn’t believe me, but I ignored her and went upstairs. She followed close behind.
“Miss, isn’t the merchant ship enough to live on?”
“I don’t want to just live. I want to be the richest woman in the empire.”
“But do you really think a jewelry business in this old building will work?”
“You remember the money I gave you?”
The money I had wasn’t much, not even enough to call real wealth. But I had written down an amount for Anna, around two thousand trangs. It should be enough to clean and repair the shop. In terms of Aether Empire’s cost of living, it was about a year’s worth of money.
“After fixing the building, I’ll use the rest to buy display cases.”
“But we’ll need gemstones. And someone to craft them. Who will do that?”
“I already know someone who can handle the crafting. As for the gems, I’ll have to find a supplier.”
Anna slowly shook her head. The Troid family no longer had power, wealth, or honor.
Because of a sick father and Serna’s foolishness, the family collapsed in no time. There were no noble friends willing to help. All that was left were people ready to mock us for being loyal fools who clung to Count Pyro.
That was the part I worried about most. But over the last week, I had come up with an idea.
“This world has magic.”
Anna looked at me with a pale face.
“Miss, are you saying a magician will help you with the crafting? One of those proud and stubborn ones?”
“We already know one, don’t we?”
“Who could that be?”
“The magician whose life I saved. His name is…”
“You mean Orbi?”
Yes, Orbi. One of the names I managed to pull from the back of Serna’s memories.
Magic existed in the Aether Empire. People didn’t see magicians often, but deep within the empire’s darkest forest was a place called Quilln, where they lived. It was hidden and invisible to those who couldn’t use magic.
Serna hadn’t met Orbi in Quilln. She found him right here in the capital.
Before her social debut, young Serna had gone sightseeing with the butler and found a boy collapsed in an alley. She took him to the mansion and cared for him herself.
His name was Orbi.
He had been a promising magician in Quilln but couldn’t bear his father’s abuse. He escaped the forest and arrived in the capital, completely exhausted. If Serna hadn’t found him, he might have died.
Even though Serna said he didn’t need to repay her, he left her with a small glowing blue gem, asking her to call him if she ever needed help. At the time, she didn’t know it was a magic stone. She only realized it much later.
“Will we even be able to find Orbi after all this time?”
“Don’t worry. He left something behind for a reason.”
“Then what about the gemstones?”
“I’m still thinking about that.”
“That’s the biggest problem. Most of the mines belong to Count Pyro.”
“Exactly. So, I’m trying to find someone who can supply even more than he can.”
The problem was that no matter how deep I searched Serna’s memories, I couldn’t find anyone like that. And it wasn’t like I knew everything about this world yet either.
The light on the second-floor ceiling let out a loud noise before it finally went out, its life seemingly at an end.
“Miss!”
“What is it?”
“There’s one person!”
“What are you talking about?”
“The Duke of Valoran!”
“Valoran?”
The Duke of Valoran that Anna mentioned must be the one who owned the largest territory and held the most influence in the entire Aether Empire. Serna didn’t seem to care about him at all. This tiny bit of knowledge was all she had. Her mind was so full of that idiot Kellen, it was honestly annoying.
“But the Duke doesn’t attend social gatherings. People say he rarely leaves the manor.”
“Why not?”
“It’s only a rumor, but…”
Although the building held only Anna and me, she leaned in close and whispered carefully, as if someone might be listening.
“Some say he can’t walk. Others say he’s lost both eyes. I think it might be both. Gives me the creeps.”
“Anna.”
“Yes, Miss?”
“Would you like it if people went around calling me the Skeleton Lady?”
“Of course not!”
“Then let’s not judge someone based on rumors.”
It’s hurtful. If those things are true, it would only cause more pain. And if they’re not, it’s simply rude. It’s no different from how Serna is mocked and called names in high society.
Anna’s face fell. She looked genuinely sorry. I knew this wasn’t her fault, but even in the modern world, I had always hated people who spread hate online.
Still, the only option left to me was the mysterious duke everyone whispered about. I couldn’t exactly go begging Count Pyro for gemstone supplies, so this was it. The Duke of Valoran was my last shot.
A full week had passed since Anna and I visited the building.
After she told me about the duke, I sent letters every single day asking for a meeting. Not one of them had been answered.
What an unsociable man. No matter how powerful and wealthy he was, it would have been polite to at least send a reply after receiving that many requests.
I had already finished cleaning and repairing the building, and I would soon be going out to buy display cases and shop decor. But the most important thing for a jewelry store, gemstones was still out of reach. I hadn’t even met the person who might be able to supply them.
On the other hand, contacting Orbi had gone better than expected, though not without difficulty.
Neither Anna nor I had any idea how to use the magic stone he had left behind, so we spent days staring at it in frustration.
“How does this even work, Orbi?”
My irritated voice finally got a reaction. The stone glowed brightly. A soft flash of light filled the room, and then I heard Orbi’s voice. It seemed like saying his name had been the key.
“Lady Serna?”
“Orbi!”
“You startled me.”
For a moment, I found myself lost in his voice. Deep, calm, and gentle. But I quickly explained why I was calling. Thankfully, he agreed to help without hesitation.
“You saved my life. I owe you everything. Use me however you wish.”
He sounded completely serious. He said he couldn’t come right away due to other commitments, and asked for a little time. I told him that was fine. Since I still didn’t have any gemstones, there wasn’t much he could do just yet anyway.
Things had been going smoothly until this major problem appeared. Of course it couldn’t be that easy.
“I have to go.”
“Go where?”
Anna, who had been tidying the bed linens, didn’t even look up as she asked.
“To the Duke of Valoran’s estate.”
“Miss…”
“If I go and stand at his gate myself, surely someone will respond.”
“What noble lady from any house stands at someone’s gate like that, waiting? Please reconsider.”
“Anna, I told you. We’re going to become the wealthiest in the Aether Empire.”
Anna let out a deep sigh.
She looked at me like she had given up and simply said, “Yes, Miss. Do whatever you want.” Then she went back to her cleaning.
I was this close. I had everything in place. All I needed were the gemstones to begin my business. There was no turning back now.
Valoran or not, I would go there myself and settle this face to face.
