Chapter 20
“N-Nini isn’t scared. It’s just… a little uncomfortable.”
“Yes. It’ll feel a little less uncomfortable now.”
“……”
Nivellia stared at the hand offered to her—then grabbed it tightly.
In front of her was her older brother’s back.
Beside her was Aref’s hand.
With a deep breath, Nivellia took a brave step forward.
The employees who saw her looked surprised and curious.
They were finally meeting the white-haired little lady they’d only heard about in stories. Everyone quietly waited for Celletina’s formal introduction.
“These are my children,” Celletina said, introducing them one by one.
“This young man here is my eldest son, Soles. And this boy is Aref, whom our family has deeply supported. Lastly…”
“Nini!”
Nivellia introduced herself before her mother could.
“Nivellia Deiamor, four years old!”
Her bold introduction brought warm smiles to the employees’ faces.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Welcome to Rubeo! Madam Chair, should we escort the children to the employee family tour event area?”
“I’ll take them later. For now, I need to discuss an important business matter.”
“Nini didn’t come to play. I came to work.”
“Haha, I see!”
Celletina led the children to her office.
Having learned the importance of greetings at kindergarten, Nivellia waved cheerfully at the staff as they walked past. The employees waved back.
“They waved back!”
Nivellia looked at her hand and grinned.
“When I greeted them, they greeted me too.”
“Greetings are a sign of respect and kindness,” Celletina told her. “It shows you value the other person.”
She emphasized that good manners were essential for making money.
The Rubeo headquarters wasn’t quite as massive as the Magic Tower, but it was still a tall and expansive building. There were even five elevators—just like in the tower.
Nivellia rode one of them all the way to the top floor—the executive office.
“Soles, Aref.”
The moment they entered, Nivellia turned serious and called the two boys to stand before her.
They obediently followed her lead.
Nivellia declared, “Nini’s going to make money now. I’m going to make a very difficult and important investment with Mom. So you can’t get in the way, okay?”
“Got it.”
“Yes.”
Soles held back a laugh, and Aref answered with sincerity.
But then Celletina called all three children over.
Nivellia’s eyes widened.
“Why Soles and Aref? I’m the one making the investment. I’m the one who’s going to earn money!”
“My, such an honest little capitalist,” Celletina said, gently pinching Nivellia’s soft cheek.
“Of course you’re investing, Nini. But don’t you think Soles and Aref should learn about finance too?”
“But Soles is really smart… What if he secretly invests behind my back and makes more money than me?”
Looking genuinely distressed, Nivellia pouted.
Soles couldn’t hold back any longer and burst out laughing.
“Hahaha! Nini, I won’t invest, okay? I promise.”
“M-me neither,” Aref chimed in, even though he had no idea what investing really meant.
At last, Nivellia smiled with relief.
Celletina, however, paused. She wondered if it was okay to let this slide.
It was great that Nivellia was enthusiastic about earning money. But if that desire led her to block others from trying, that wasn’t right.
That kind of behavior could turn into abuse of power—and cause real harm to others.
Celletina was thinking about how best to explain this when—
“But you know…”
Nivellia suddenly said, “If they want to invest, it’s okay.”
Oh?
Celletina looked at her daughter, surprised.
“A good kid shouldn’t bother or block other people. That’s what they taught us at kindergarten.”
Oh, my goodness.
Overwhelmed, Celletina covered her mouth with both hands.
For the first time, Nivellia—who never hid her ambitions—was showing fairness and willingness to share.
Kindergarten really is working wonders!
Soles was just as surprised as his mother.
“Really? You don’t mind if I invest too? And Aref?”
“Yup. But… um… I’d like it if Nini earned just a little more…”
There was still a hint of greed in her voice—but Celletina figured that was perfectly fine.
She was deeply moved to see just how much her daughter had grown on the inside.
“Well then, shall we talk about investments?”
Celletina called the children over and laid out a list of pre-prepared investment opportunities.
“Economics is about money and the actions related to earning it. To make money, you have to understand how the world works.”
“Because money is closely tied to everyday life?” Soles asked.
Celletina smiled, clearly pleased.
“That’s exactly right. People now live their lives using money. So to earn it, you need to understand how people live. That’s what it means to understand the flow of the world.”
She explained calmly and clearly.
Soles nodded, listening intently.
“……”
“……”
Nivellia and Aref, however, looked slightly overwhelmed.
Still, Nivellia didn’t complain. She focused hard, trying to remember what she could understand.
To make money, you have to understand people.
In other words, to earn money, you had to know what people needed.
“Mom.”
“Yes?”
“To make money… you have to sell what people need. Right?”
“That’s right. You understood it perfectly.”
Nivellia beamed at the praise.
“How about you, Aref?”
“I, um…”
“Was what I said a little hard to understand?”
Aref hesitated, then nodded honestly and said yes.
He had only just begun to learn how to read, and was just starting to acquire what could be called knowledge. It was understandable that the content had been difficult for him to grasp.
Celletina smiled gently and thanked him for being honest.
“You’re just beginning to learn, so it’s perfectly normal not to understand everything. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. If there’s ever something you don’t know, don’t hesitate to ask me, anytime.”
Aref, his cheeks turning pink, slowly nodded.
But it wasn’t embarrassment that made his face flush.
It was joy—joy at discovering something new, joy at the realization that even a small part of his ignorance had been replaced by knowledge.
“Learning something you didn’t know before can be really exciting.”
Now, Aref understood why Soles had looked so happy when learning.
Each child paid attention to Celletina’s teaching for their own reasons.
Seeing their eager faces, Celletina felt proud of them and became even more enthusiastic about sharing everything she could.
Then—
“Hmm, in that case…”
After thinking carefully, Nivellia pointed out her first investment choice.
“This one!”
Her plump finger jabbed at a spot on the investment list.
“The flower shop!”
“The flower shop is over here, sweetie.”
“Oh—”
Nivellia, who still couldn’t read, quickly moved her finger to the correct location.
And so, her first investment was decided.
It was a flower farm.
Back at the mansion, the children chattered excitedly during dinner, proudly sharing everything they had seen and experienced in Rubeo.
“Mom was so cool! Like a real commander—no, the commander!”
“You could really tell that all the employees were moving according to her decisions. It made me realize just how much they trust her skills.”
Not just Nivellia and Soles, but even—
“She was really amazing…”
Even shy Aref found the courage to speak up and offer praise.
Celletina had made a deep impression on them all.
“That’s enough now. You’re embarrassing Mom—I can’t even eat properly.”
Celletina fanned herself with one hand, her cheeks glowing red like someone who had gotten too warm.
Caleo watched her with pride in his eyes.
“So, you’ve finally realized how incredible your mother is. I’ve known that since forever.”
“Oh, don’t start.”
“Well, our daughter-in-law really is something special.”
“Then shall we raise a glass to Celletina?”
Even Muniel and Ardoreth joined in, joining the chorus of praise.
“To Celletina DeiAmor, the hero of our family!”
“Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
“You’re the best, Mom!”
Nivellia, who had stretched her arm higher than anyone else but held her glass the lowest, shouted the loudest of all.
“You all are just too much…”
Celletina grumbled softly, but her lips curved into a warm smile.
Amid the joyful atmosphere, Muniel asked,
“By the way, has our little kitten decided where she’s going to invest?”
“Yup!”
Nivellia, who was sharing a piece of meat with Aref, answered brightly.
“The flower shop!”
“To be precise, a flower farm,” Celletina clarified. Beside her, Caleo gently cooled her still-warm cheek with the back of his hand.
“They haven’t announced it publicly yet, but apparently they’ve invented a new technique—a special nutrient formula that keeps trimmed flowers fresh for a long time.”
“Oh my.”
Muniel paused, her knife still in midair.
“That’s truly wonderful.”
“They’re planning to go public once the technology is officially presented. I thought it would be a great opportunity for Nini’s first investment.”
“That’s exactly how a first step should be.”
“Grandma!”
Nivellia grinned, her mouth covered in sauce.
“Nini’s going to make lots of money!”
“Haha! Go on then, earn a lot.”
“I’ll earn so much that I can buy gifts for Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, big brother, and Aref!”
Nivellia’s little maple-leaf fingers folded one by one as she counted.
“Oh! And Deter too!”
She quickly folded a seventh finger.
“I’ll buy everyone something really nice!”
“Really? What will you get me?”
Caleo asked with an exaggerated voice, pretending to be curious.
Nivellia crossed her arms and thought hard.
“A rat!”
“…A rat?”
“Rats are delicious!”
“……”
Caleo smiled helplessly. Clearly, there was still a lot left to teach her.
With her new investment choice made, Nivellia didn’t waste any time.
She jumped right into the world of hard work—after all, she needed to earn money to invest in the flower farm.
This time, Aref joined her.
Wearing aprons prepared by Deter and wide-brimmed straw hats, the two children stood in front of the garden beds with serious looks on their faces.
Thick gloves covered their little hands.
“Aref.”
As the more experienced worker, Nivellia said seriously,
“Earning money is tough.”
“Yes.”
“You can’t be lazy. You have to sweat to earn it.”
“Yes.”
“And never gamble. Dad lost all of Nini’s money… with those card things. Nini’s totally broke now.”
