Raising my Fiancè with Money - Chapter 69

Let’s Continue Our Negotiations

Karhan flinched at Mezra’s question. Mezra was convinced of this because that was the only reason to find and read love books. He said after coughing,

“It’s kind of weird to say this myself, but I once made my name known as the master of love counselling.”

Karhan rolled his eyes around. Mezra waited without rushing. He was curious about Karhan’s love life, but the desire to help was even greater.

Contrary to what he was worried about at the first meeting, Karhan was a sincere and good student. As a teacher, it was natural that he wanted to help his beloved student.

“It’s not dating counselling……, I don’t know what feeling this is.….”

Karhan slowly opened his mouth. Mezra immediately sat on a chair and faced Karhan.

“Do you have any partner in mind?”

When Karhan didn’t answer, Mezra said in more detail.

“So she’s someone you think of often or you’re conscious of for no reason.”

Karhan nodded. He thinks about Lilia everyday. He was conscious of Lilia, so he chose clothes and studied the dating book guides.

“Hmm, the Lord Evantheon, you don’t know how you feel towards that person”.

“…..Yes.”

Karhan was just happy and content to be with Lilia. He often wondered if this is what it feels like to have friends. But these days, whenever he sees Lilia, his heart tickles. There were times when all his nerves were focused on Lilia, but there were times when his chest tightened and he felt suffocated. He wondered what it was.

“Do you feel your heart pounding?”

“My heart doesn’t feel good, but…….”

Karhan, who only said that far, realized something strange. Sometimes his heart pounded like it was going to explode, but it happened only when he was with Lilia. That was the only time he had to take the heart medicine that he always carried.

Why didn’t I know this until now…?

As Karhan froze, Mezra kept asking questions,

“Then, what kind of relationship does Lord Evantheon want to have with her?”

“I…”

Tuk, he was speechless. Karhan was content with the present, but he did not think about changing the relationship in the future. In his mind, not a one-sided relationship….… He wanted to be in an equal relationship.

The more he thought the more he became a bit more greedy, he wanted to be with Lilia even after a long time. Even after Lilia broke off her engagement safely while Karhan became the real successor……. Karhan, who was imagining a distant future, gasped.

Obviously, it was the future Lilia and himself wanted. But at the end was a crossroads. After achieving each other’s goals, Lilia and Karhan will live their own lives. Then, if he married someone else, he would not be able to even see her properly because he would be busy.

Thinking that far, his stomach became hot as if someone had poured boiling water in it. Karhan, who was looking down at the floor with a dark face, licked his lips. He carefully opened his mouth as if he didn’t know if he could dare to say this,

“I want to always be by her side…… I want to be in that kind of relationship.”

Isn’t that a marriage relationship? Mezra tried to answer, but he resisted.

“But I don’t know if I can do that.”

As Karhan became unsure, Mezra stomped his feet.

“No, Lord Evantheon, you are forgetting something! Great looks! Perfect house! And don’t you have the resources?”

Karhan corrected him with a sullen face.

“She has more money than I do.”

She has more money……? Is it Miss Bloden…?

Mezra’s eyes shook briefly. Come to think of it, it was strange for him, the successor of Evantheon, to come to the Blodon mansion and take classes.

On top of it, he heard a rumor before. Lilia and Karhan are dating……. It wasn’t just a rumor, it seems to be true.

No, it looks like Karhan hasn’t realized that he likes her yet….…, Is it really right to date? Mezra, whose mind became complicated, let out a small sigh..

However, if he left him as it is, Karhan would not be fully aware of his feelings. Mezra eventually told him what he felt.

“I think……. Lord Evantheon seems to like that person.”

“Yes, I like her.”

Mezra was embarrassed by the gentle reply.

“Then why……. What are you worrying about?”

Karhan muttered, sweeping down his neck

“I think it’s because it’s a little different from what I like.”

“……?”

“I like vegetables, but I don’t feel this way about vegetables……”

“Ah!”

Mezra belatedly realized. That Karhan can’t tell the difference between liking and loving.

Sometimes, when he looked at Karhan, he felt like Karhan was a child who had not yet gone out into the world. His learning speed was fast, but there were times when it was embarrassing because he didn’t even know the basics. Perhaps, Karhan was the first to realize it’s love.

“That is love.”

“…..Love?”

Karhan had a puzzled face. In response to his reaction that showed he didn’t understand even though he heard the word, Mezra slowly solved it for him and explained it,

“It seems that Lord Evantheon is worried because she is a special person to you.”

Mezra glanced at the book he wrote. The embarrassing title caught his eye.

“Lord Evanteon doesn’t seem to be sure yet, but if the word ‘I like you’ is not enough someday…….”

And he laughed, thinking of his wife.

“You can call it love then.”

***

Lilia paused while writing a financial statement.

She lifted her head and looked towards the gymnasium, which she could not see from here. Perhaps by now, Karhan was practicing swordsmanship in the gym.

She didn’t know if it’s just her, but Karhan seemed to be avoiding her these days. Even this morning, he only said ‘Hello’ lightly and disappeared immediately. Lilia, who was pondering why he was behaving like that, recalled when they went to the play.

That day, Lilia fell asleep while watching the play. When she woke up after the play, Karhan’s condition seemed strange. And it has continued even untill today.

“Are you angry because I slept?”

I don’t think so.….

She was wondering if she should grab Karhan and ask him openly. Lilia, who was lost in thought, livened up after checking the time. When she left the office and went down to the central hall of the main building, she saw Violet.

“You’re just in time.”

Violet, dressed neatly, welcomed Lilia. The two immediately boarded the carriage in front of the door.

After Lilia expressed her desire to inherit the business, Violet tried to get Lilia into the business little by little. And today, she decided to take a tour of Violet’s negotiations with her trading partner.

Arriving at the meeting point, Lilia and Violet were guided and headed for the parlour. As they sat and waited, a man with a voluminous mustache came in fifteen minutes after the appointment time.

“Hello.”

The man smiled, saying he was a little late, and sat down in the seat across from them.

“Your daughter, she’s beautiful.”

The man who saw Lilia praised her with an admirable face. Lilia, who briefly greeted, recalled the information she had heard from Violet in advance.

As a baron, he had a large forest, where a rare tree called Mahni grew. The wood was used as a high-end furniture material and was very popular. And this time, as the Bloden family expanded their furniture business, they made a place to negotiate in order to receive a stable supply of solid wood.

Lilia glanced at Violet with a look of anticipation. Today, she would be able to learn a lot from seeing her mother’s negotiating skills. Violet and the Baron started with a light conversation.

Violet tried to get to the point with a moderate amount of private talk, but the Baron kept talking about things that were basically personal matters. How could she cut him off, it was Violet’s side who had to bend and tread carefully here. Knowing it clearly, the Baron continued to tell his story.

“So the opera I saw this time was really fun.”

As time kept going by with his useless words, Lilia closed her lips. She wanted to come forward, but she had no choice but to wait and see. Then Violet, who was just listening, replied,

“I heard that famous actors appeared, so the play must be interesting. Come to think of it, the material used for the theater stage was Mahni wood, right?”

Violet naturally led the topic of conversation to the desired direction. The man went straight to the point as if he couldn’t help it.

“Mahni wood is famous for being used only in luxury stores. Because the texture is so beautiful. But it’s a very difficult tree to manage.….”

The man yapped about the value of the tree and how it was grown. And finally, he revealed his purpose.

“I need to get 10,000 Kroels per tree.”

At the price the man demanded, Lilia hardened her expression. 10,000 kroels was a ridiculous price. His intention was to sell unprocessed wood at a higher price than most furniture. But Violet replied with a calm face.

“It’s a pity that the price is much higher than I expected.”

“That is true but I thought Countess Bloden would accept this.… I’m a little disappointed.”

He fiddled with his mustache and glanced at Violet. Thinking that the Bloden’s were at an unfortunate position, he leaned his back and sat arrogantly.

“Well, I have nothing to regret. There were already quite a few people who agreed to the price. Of course, I’m negotiating with Countess Bloden first, but.….”

Lilia looked at the Baron’s behavior and expression. More than half of what he was saying now was bragging. Violet quietly listened to him.

The Baron became more excited and acted arrogantly. It was clear that he thought he took the lead completely. The Baron, leaning his back on his seat, said arrogantly with his legs crossed,

“So I don’t intend to lower a penny from the offered price.”

His attitude seemed to say, if you don’t like it, leave now. Violet, who had been quiet for a long time, opened her mouth.

“Your posture is not good.”

“Because my back is not good.”

As the Baron smiled and responded, Violet quietly picked up the dessert knife. Then the baron’s gaze followed the knife. Soon after, the baron was surprised by the sound of plate breaking and shrank his shoulder.

A straight cut cake as well as the plate without an inch of error caught his eye. It was a finger-sized dessert knife that broke the thick plate in two. Hik, the Baron breathed in.

“The plate is weaker than I thought.”

Violet grabbed the knife and glanced at the baron’s thick beard.

“Is your back still not good?”

He reflexively covered his pampered mustache with his palm. And he belatedly recalled the rumors about Violet.

She was once famous as a genius swordsman. After she became Countess Bloden, she used to smash rude business partners as if a seal had been broken.

Violet and the Baron’s eyes met. The Baron unwittingly loosened his crossed legs and straightened his back. As he sat upright, Violet raised her chin. She smiled as she let her aura flow unfiltered towards her opponent.

“Then let’s continue the negotiations.”

***

T/N: I’ll be using “Lord Evantheon” to address Karhan instead of “Little Duke” or “Young Duke”