CH 18

“Grandfather saved a lot of time by reading my letter and coming by sea, avoiding a landslide.”

I smiled slightly and continued. This was really an answer I had prepared.

“As Grandfather said, your time is very expensive. Wouldn’t that be a satisfactory enough payment?”

Grandfather didn’t answer and just stared at me.

I endured that stare and spoke with sincerity.

“Anyway, welcome back safely… I’m so glad, Grandfather.”

And I waited patiently with my mouth shut.

There was nothing more to say.

In the first place, the ‘marriage talk with the Duke of Diefenril’ was just to capture attention. This was because marriage talks were just wedding talks, and there was a high possibility that they would not happen.

‘Of course I’ll make it happen somehow, but the others don’t know that…’

No one could predict natural disasters. So, when my grandfather heard this answer, it was obvious that he would think it was improvisation.

‘Not liking the payment prepared and taking advantage of the situation right away…’

But what my grandfather valued most was the ability to deal with crises. As the County of Noart was always in danger due to enmity with the temple.

“Ha… Hahaha…”

Sure enough, my grandfather started to laugh slowly as if he liked my answer. And he murmured as he clapped slowly, tak tak tak. 

“Hahahahahahahaha! Julian! This guy… You’ve been hiding something big from me all this time.”

Julian tilted his head, expressing, ‘Me?’

I quietly whispered, “Not my brother.”

The relatives who sensed a turn in the atmosphere glanced at each other.

Murloc, noticing the softness in my grandfather’s eyes as he looked at me, immediately stepped out.

“But Father! This kid invested all 137 billion gold in magic stones! Does this make sense? She blew all that money!”

At that, my grandfather raised an eyebrow in interest.

“137 billion gold? It can’t be Rosie’s, is it Julian’s property?”

“Yes! Anyway, it’s Noart’s property, but she got rid of it!”

Murloc cried, practically spitting. And with his elbow, he jabbed his son, Roystan, who was sitting next to him.

Roystan jumped up to help.

“Yes, Grandfather! Honestly, Rosie… Isn’t she from a temple? She even has divine powers! How can you trust a kid like this?”

The reason why Murloc put Roystan first was simple.

Anyway, Murloc was still my uncle. It didn’t look good to openly discredit his young niece’s origins.

Roystan, who noticed that, harshly criticized my origin.

“She could be working for the temple!”

Well dressed in the latest fashion as usual, Roystan looked more excited than ever.

“The fact that the County of Noart lost 137 billion gold is indirectly helping the temple! Isn’t it?”

At those words, Julian stepped out in a fit of rage.

“137 billion gold? Why is that the county’s money? Originally, it’s all my money! I gave it to my little sister!”

Then, Roystan got even more excited and began to criticize Julian. His face was very eager.

“And Julian is helping the temple too!”

Roystan picked up a piece of wood that had fallen beside his father and held it high.

“And in a very violent way!”

That was something Julian had shot earlier with the slingshot.

“Do you know? This isn’t an ordinary slingshot, but a weapon provided by the temple!”

“Wow, f*ck…”

Julian widened his eyes menacingly and jumped to his feet.

“There aren’t any weapons provided by the temple. What kind of shit is this?”

‘Hmm. You’re starting to criticize me based on where I’m from?’

And to think that even Julian was bitten… 

Smiles began to spread across the faces of Murloc, Monica, and Felide.

They even sent Roystan gazes of approval, like he had done well.

Since they were such people, no wonder the old Julian had put me in the annex and went around by himself.

At the same time, I was saddened by the thought of the 19-year-old Julian, who must have been trampled on by these people.

How much did he, who was without a foundation, suffer? To the point he didn’t let me greet these people. 

‘But… I will survive here.’

I thought to myself as I gnashed my teeth.

‘Just as Julian survived and trampled on everyone, I will do the same.’

Perhaps surviving in the Noart family was just the beginning. Now that I had been exposed in front of my relatives and my grandfather had returned.

‘I have to wake up. From now on, I have to devise a strategy in everything I do.’

It was certainly very tiring for a 12-year-old.

The old Julian didn’t like me living this kind of life, which was why he left me in the annex and wrapped me up so tightly.

But I was locked up in the temple for 10 years.

I was grateful that I could even use my head to solve a situation like this. At least, it meant I could be proactive.

“Grandfather.”

I opened my mouth slowly.

“We have nothing to do with the temple. Trust me. You will know it when you see it for yourself.”

Then I looked at Roystan, who was holding a piece of wood, and said,

“Roystan, show that piece of wood to Grandfather.”

“What?”

Roystan’s eyes widened in amazement.

I tilted my head and asked casually.

“Ah… You can’t bring it to your grandfather and show it to him? You raised an issue just now when your liver is so small?”

(TL/N: did I mention this before? Liver is one of the organs used often in Korean idioms, mostly referring to guts or bravery.)

“What are you talking about! Whose liver is small?”

Roystan got angry with me. And he proudly walked across the meeting room to his grandfather.

All eyes were on Roystan.

Dressed very well as usual, the hem of his shirt shimmered in the light as he walked.

“Grandfather, here it is.”

Roystan proudly walked over and politely held out a piece of wood to his grandfather. And he said it in a very soft and kind voice.

“Grandfather knows, right? Do not believe in things related to the temple.”

Grandfather’s gaze met Roystan’s hand, and it turned fierce.

“Even if something doesn’t come out right now, give it to me and I’ll investigate…”

It was then.

“Ugly bastard!”

Grandfather, who was carefully looking at Roystan’s hand, picked up the piece of wood and threw it on the floor.

“Gr, Grandfather?”

Roystan trembled in surprise.

Grandfather boomed.

“You dare to curse the temple in front of me while wearing clothes made of Eton?”

Roystan’s face turned frantic at once.

Grandfather ripped off the hem of Roystan’s sleeve and got angry.

“Who is indirectly helping the temple right now! Huh?”

I grinned inwardly.

‘Roystan you idiot. I already warned you.’

When we met before, I definitely told you about Eton fiber.

“I didn’t notice it from afar, but now that I’m looking closely, I see that you are wearing clothes made of Eton fiber. It is a fashionable and expensive fiber, so it is a good source of income for the temple.”

“Eh, eh… … what?”

“Eton fiber. You don’t read the newspaper these days because our grandfather isn’t there? It appeared in today’s article. Um, I guess you don’t fit well with the County of Noart.”

It couldn’t be seen from a distance, but close up, the quality of the Eton fiber would make itself known.

Roystan had the tendency to be extravagant, so these days he always wore clothes made of Eton fiber. This was because clothes made from Eton fiber were the latest fashion.

‘I knew Grandfather would get angry if he saw that.’

If Grandfather had returned to the county as originally planned, Royston would, of course, have restrained himself.

But he must have never predicted that he would come today!

‘And because I provoked him, he even forgot what he was wearing.’

Roystan thus received our grandfather’s wrath squarely.

He fell to the floor and trembled.

‘Remember, Roystan.’

I looked down at Roystan coldly and thought.

‘I won’t let anyone touch us anymore.’

Ame: SEEEE! You pipsqueak! You should’ve bowed down to Rosie and accepted her kind advice! Now, meet your doom! Well, we’ll still see him around, but a girl can dream

Tassie: Ahhhh so satisfying!!! I low-key wanted to make her shove it down his throat but oh well