CH 21

“It’s been over a month since the prize money was announced, but if you look at the lack of news, it means that Ricardo is either dead or that no one has ever offered to come to rescue Ricardo. One of the two.”

It was an accurate guess. Blanche opened her mouth with a very determined face to give consolation.

“Don’t worry too much, Illia. Your son will not die so easily.”

“You speak as if you know my son better than me, his own father.”

“Maybe I do.”

What does a father who will be murdered at the hands of his own son know so well about him?

Illia, unaware of this fact even in his dreams, stared at Blanche with a face just as cold as hers.

Suddenly, Guillermo coughed.

“Good. Illia. As long as Blanche has decided to stay with the Giotto family, I can go and run to the rescue of anything, from dogs, cows, and even Ricardo. Well, one of us might be able to rescue Ricardo.”

That’s right. It wasn’t something that should come out of Guillermo’s mouth though.

Unsurprisingly, Sylvano let out a snort of anger.

“Hey a**hole look at me! Do we look like scarecrows, you punk? What? ‘Illia’? Is our boss the dog next door to your hut? How dare you call the Giotto family boss by name?”

“Old man! Bosses can call each other by name. What’s wrong with that? I am also the boss of an organization!”

“What kind of boss sells pine mushrooms!”

The fight between the two continued as they exchanged words like that, but neither of them raised their hands against their opponent.

Apparently tired, Illia pressed his eyes.

“Let’s stop. It’s late.”

Indeed, at those words, the momentum of Guillermo and Sylvano was cut off.

“Hey, your boss is telling you to stop too. This old man.”

“This kid, really… You, I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Blanche caught Illia as he was about to leave the drawing room.

“Wait, Illia.”

“What?”

“There’s something I want to talk to you about. It’s business. I need to tell you as soon as possible.”

“I have no intention of doing business with you.”

Sylvano, not Blanche, immediately protested.

“Illia!”

Illia raised his hand to stop Sylvano.

“Partnerships are between people who have a choice. But now it seems that I don’t have a choice. Is it not?”

Digitalis is a city of the weak and strong.

In the business world, the strong man’s words are the law so Illia will have no choice but to follow Blanche’s will. And Illia, the boss, did not like this.

Whatever Sylvano was thinking, he wanted to kick Blanche out of the organization, even now.

As a boss, Illia could not stand the way the organization was being swayed by the young girl. Besides, he already got what he wanted from Blanche.

Now, for him, Blanche is a hand that can be discarded. Because of this, Illia fixed his musket. So when Blanche approaches, he can respond straight away.

This action was a kind of signal to the Giotto family.

In addition to Sylvano, who was with him in the drawing room, a war of nerves raged among Giulio, Felice, and the rest of the gang, who were observing the situation in the hallway connected to the drawing room.

Guillermo, who had no intention of intervening in the fight, slowly retreated.

He wasn’t trying to run away, but he was afraid that they would catch him by the ankle if they had a fight with Blanche. Moreover, if he were to be taken hostage, it was clear that Blanche would let Guillermo die without blinking an eye.

Everyone’s eyes waited for Blanche’s next move. At the atmosphere in the room, Blanche slowly lifted both of her palms to the height of her shoulder.

“Well, okay. Everyone must be tired, so I’ll step back for tonight.”

Phew. A sigh of relief, not Illia’s, came out of someone’s mouth. However, Blanche’s words did not end like this.

Her voice that followed was twisted.

“Illia. Eventually, you will realize it too. I am always right.”

* * *

Next day. The Consilieri of the Miele family led a dozen members to visit the house of the Giotto family.

It’s 9 a.m., just past breakfast time.

The Miele family knelt in the front yard of the house and cried out at the top of their voices, looking like they committed a mortal sin. When the Miele Family’s Consilieri took the lead, the gang members followed.

“『Your Majesty』! Please stop your anger and become the boss of our organization!”

“Please come!”

“There are still many things that 『Your Majesty』 will like in our organization’s greenhouse!”

“There are a lot!”

Blanche, who was looking through the window of the drawing room with Sylvano, raised an eyebrow. Next to her, Sylvano, who was brushing his teeth with a toothbrush made of birch and pig hair, bit his lip.

“You punks. Are you that desperate to somehow protect your properties?”

“Properties? What properties?”

Sylvano explained, pulling down his glasses.

“Oh, that’s right. As an outsider, you might not know. That is, since yesterday, you have been promoted to the title of 『Your Majesty』, right? So now all of the properties that belonged to the dead Amerigo are now yours.”

Blanche quietly listened to the anxious Sylvano, who feared that she might leave the family.

“If they don’t want to relinquish their vast fortune to you, they will have no choice but to wage war with other organizations because of that. Because Amerigo’s property is that of the Miele family.”

“…….”

“Besides, you killed Amerigo yesterday, and half of their organization was killed. From my point of view, if they go to war now, they will unconditionally lose. So they have no choice but to get on this rope. Okay, Blanche? These guys absolutely don’t want to take you as the boss because they like you. Okay?”

In an instant, interest flashed across Blanche’s indifferent face.

“Is it now? You mean I have that much money? That’s good. I just had something to do, and that will make it easier.”

“Huh? What is it? May I help you?”

“You don’t have an appointment today? Is that okay?”

Sylvano answered politely, holding the toothbrush.

“Oh my, why are you worried! You are 『Your Majesty』, even if I did, I’d have to break it!”

She nodded her head lightly a couple of times.

“That’s good. Ah. Bring Illia down too. I have business at Miele Family House.”

“Huh? Are you going to take the money?”

“No. To spend money.”

* * *

That afternoon. A crowd gathered in front of the Miele Family House like pitch black clouds. This is because the new 『Her Majesty』 had summoned all the bosses and executives of each organization.

More than a thousand people looked up at Blanche, who was sitting on the throne on the podium, with excitement. The podium and throne were used by the deceased Amerigo, so it was huge compared to Blanche’s slender body.

Blanche looked at the throne which crude, gilded and studded with rubies, sapphires, and other precious stones.

The crown she couldn’t wear on her head rested on her lap. The  crown was also fitted to Amerigo’s head size and was too large for her to wear.

She still wore the black dress she wore when she killed Amerigo. She looked like a royal princess from a kingdom.

With Sylvano and Illia on the right and the Consilieri of the Miele family on the left, Blanche slightly raised her right hand, and the voices of the crowd roaring under the podium became silent at the same time.

Finally, in her loud voice, she spoke her words.

“We all know that the late night vandalism the day before has made you feel uncomfortable. So I, Blanche, who understands your feelings deeply, want to punish the Giottto family!”

Sylvano, who had been ecstatic until now, opened his mouth as his jaw dropped. Blanche completely ignored it. Also, Illia’s vicious glaring eyes were consistent with ignorance.

She smiled lazily like a lioness who had succeeded in her hunt.

“I order everyone to burn down the Giotto family house in two days! Of course, the throne of Digitalis has no power to command you, but there is no one in this city who will not participate in such a fun event!”

Cheers erupted in the hall.

Illia caught Sylvano as he ran away screaming, ‘Blanche, are you crazy?!’ Moreover, her speech did not end there.

Finally, Blanche rose from the throne.

“I will open the treasure house of the Miele family that is mine right now! Don’t limit yourself, take as much as you want! Whoever sees the treasure first, don’t be shy and loot it! I want chaos!”

The Miele family’s Consilieri, standing to her left, looked as if he wanted to faint.

Sylvano deeply sympathized with him.

Blanche threw the crown in her right hand onto the platform. The golden crown rolled over the podium with a dull sound. Her orders weren’t over yet.

“Also, the Giotto family cannot participate in the treasure loot! Otherwise, this Blanche will not stand still!”

[System/ Sylvano is stunned.]

* * *

The night when the veil of darkness has subsided heavily.

Sylvano, who had fainted, opened his eyes. The place he came to his senses was in his bedroom, inside the family house.

Sylvano was startled by the voice speaking without warning, and he got up from the bed like a spring bouncing up.

“Old man. You’re not dead?”

“What?! Why are you in our family house again?”

Guillermo, who was sitting on a chair beside his bed reading a book the size of the palm of his hand, grinned.

“Why? These are all the grace of 『Her Majesty』.”

Sylvano, who remembered the situation just before fainting, gritted his teeth.

“Blanche…!”

“You’ll wear it out, old man. You’re old, but you still need your teeth.”

“Now where’s the girl?!”

Sylvano picked up his glasses lying on the table, ran as if he was going to grab Blanche’s collar right now.

Guillermo shrugged his shoulders.