Chapter 76 : 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞
✦ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟕𝟔 ✦
❝𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞❞
⟪ 𝑶𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒇, 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒍. ⟫
𓆩⟡𓆪───────𖤐───────𓆩⟡𓆪
As if my words had struck directly at her pride, Old Mrs. Russell cleared her throat, her eyes glinting with shrewd calculation.
Indeed, the nobility spent money—yet to someone like her, who had already built an empire upon the backs of railway ventures that commoners used en masse, luxury business aimed at aristocrats seemed like chasing after crumbs.
A true businesswoman would seek markets with limitless depth. Commoners.
“…I won’t deny it,” she finally muttered, stiffly.
So that’s it. She despised commoners, but she wanted their money. She didn’t want to stoop to appeasing them—but she couldn’t ignore their spending power either.
I bit back the smirk that threatened my lips and decided to ask, with just the right touch of grace:
“So, what the old lady means is… that devising a business item will be my test?”
She didn’t answer directly—only gave a vague hum, as if measuring me again.
I could guess what was going on. Johannes must have requested her help with something… and perhaps, in return, she thought to test me, see whether the woman beside him was worth her attention.
But I couldn’t let that go unanswered.
“…Then why did you treat me with such open contempt?”
I had to ask. I would not submit myself to unjust hatred without reason. Not anymore.
Old Mrs. Russell blinked. She had expected deference—timid compliance. My direct challenge clearly threw her off balance. Even her ears turned red.
“If you want my ideas,” I continued coolly, “you’ll need to discard your hatred. And I certainly can’t teach you anything… for free.”
“Such arrogance…!” she hissed, slapping her palm against the table.
Perhaps… perhaps this was the first time in her entire life that a commoner dared speak so bluntly to her face.
But she didn’t retaliate with insults.
Which could only mean one thing: Johannes must have spun a masterful lie about my abilities.
What now? Would he clean up the aftermath of this mess, or had he planted some brilliant idea in my path already?
Either way, the old woman’s expression quickly shifted back to cold detachment—masking emotion beneath noble poise.
“Very well,” she said flatly. “You must have quite the idea, speaking so boldly.”
“I do.”
I didn’t flinch. I placed my hands neatly on the table and smiled, unwavering.
“If we’re speaking of status, then allow me to remind you—I am of higher rank than you, old lady.”
“…What did you just say?”
She blinked in disbelief.
“I don’t expect royal treatment,” I clarified, “but I do expect my words to be respected, should you ask for my ideas.”
For a moment, silence reigned between us.
The truth was, nobles had barely dipped their toes into the world of business—still clinging to outdated notions of honor and class. Most wouldn’t dream of earning profits alongside commoners.
But Mrs. Russell wasn’t like them. She was different. Sharp, hungry, unafraid to climb as high as money could carry her.
Now, I knew what she was weighing.
She wasn’t looking at me—she was calculating profit margins, time, investment. That’s what businesspeople did. Ruthless with pennies, vicious with gain.
At long last, her answer came.
“Fine. Let’s proceed.”
So she had judged me not as a mere commoner, but as one with potential—an equal worth negotiating with.
“Do you have any good ideas?”
“There is,” I said with feigned confidence.
…Though in truth, my mind was a blank slate.
She narrowed her eyes, expecting the brilliance to emerge.
“But I won’t tell you.”
She frowned.
“If I give away my idea and you seize it for yourself, what rights will I have? You could take it all and leave me with nothing.”
“There will be compensation,” she replied curtly. “I’m not that sort of person.”
“Perhaps,” I answered, “but as a human being, I can’t trust blindly. Not after the way you treated me.”
“…….”
“And surely you don’t think I’m foolish enough to lie to Old Mrs. Russell, of all people, while trying to gain her favor?”
She sighed.
“…You are shrewder than you look. But also greedy.”
“Greedy?” I echoed. “Not quite. If I were, I would have gone to Johannes first and let him launch the business. But I came to you—doesn’t that show trust?”
Her lips curled—almost admiring.
Yes, she had pushed me away cruelly at first.
But now? Now she saw me.
She sat back and muttered, “Even so, I must hear something. Otherwise, how can I judge whether you’re even capable of delivering?”
“No.”
My hands trembled slightly beneath the table—but my voice did not betray me.
“There’s nothing I can say right now. But know this: even if the royal family continues to suppress the Shultz family financially, we’ll still find a way to fund our ventures.”
Her eyes widened slightly.
“A successful businessperson,” I added, “never shows their cards.”
Her lips parted in surprise… then curled into a genuine, satisfied grin.
“Yes,” she whispered. “At this level… it might not be such a bad idea to work with the Duchess.”
“But I’ll need a visible contract. Otherwise, I won’t disclose anything.”
Her smile faded.
She looked positively displeased.
But after a beat, she gave a quiet nod.
“Very well. We’ll meet again when the contract is drawn. But if your idea disappoints me—I’ll walk away without a second thought.”
“That’s only fair.”
⋆｡°✩
I exhaled in silence, smiling outwardly… while my heart pounded like a war drum.
𓆩⟡𓆪───────✧───────𓆩⟡𓆪
Even though our negotiation had ended, Old Mrs. Russell remained in her seat—gazing at the glittering guests on the ballroom floor.
As I considered whether to take my leave, she suddenly murmured:
“Why are young people always so thoughtless?”
I turned, startled.
“They believe the world will bend to their will. That everyone can be persuaded. Only when everything slips away do they realize how foolish they were.”
She wasn’t looking at me. She was staring into a memory.
“…Did that happen to you?”
Her face tightened.
“Yes. I made the gravest mistake of my life. And by the time I realized it, too much had been lost.”
For a fleeting second, the iron-willed woman before me looked… fragile. Human.
I searched for words to respond—but before I could speak, a familiar voice broke the moment.
“Looks like you’ve become fast friends,” Johannes said, his tone light but eyes searching.
He was studying us—gauging whether I’d been treated unfairly.
Mrs. Russell’s soft expression hardened once again.
“Friends?” she scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself. He says all sorts of absurd things.”
She smiled brightly—masking the truth behind polished sarcasm.
And then, as if summoned by fate, Edward Windsor appeared.
“I’m sorry, Old Mrs. Russell. I invited you, yet here you are, trapped with these two.”
He grinned wickedly.
Johannes’s smile vanished.
Mrs. Russell noticed the tension instantly—and clucked her tongue.
“I’m well aware you two don’t get along,” she said sharply. “But must you quarrel in front of an old woman? At our age, we should see and hear only pleasant things.”
Edward raised his hands in mock surrender.
But then, with that infuriating smirk still on his face, he looked between me and the old lady.
And murmured:
“Still… seeing you two together like this… you do resemble one another.”
𓆩⟡𓆪───────✦───────𓆩⟡𓆪
✦ 𝓔𝓷𝓭 𝓸𝓯 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝟕𝟔 ✦
𓆩⟡𓆪───────✦───────𓆩⟡𓆪
aliceyriz
i have this feeling since it was mentioned old russel lost her child that it was fl father. maybe i was right?