Chapter 25
As Nivellia turned toward the drawing room, she threw her arms around the older woman.
The woman’s loosely gathered hair was mostly gray now, though faded strands of brown still peeked through. She returned the hug with a bright, beaming smile.
“Della! Della’s here!”
“And my sweet Lady Nini has been doing well too—”
But Della’s gentle green eyes suddenly narrowed.
“Wait… Have you been crying?”
Tears still clung to the corners of Nivellia’s eyes, not yet wiped away.
Della’s elegant face scrunched up in a scowl.
Nivellia’s lips trembled again, her own expression turning into a pout.
“What happened?”
“I almost didn’t get to make money.”
“Money?”
“Yeah. But I just had a really great idea! I was about to go tell Mom and Dad. Nini hasn’t failed yet!”
With fists clenched, Nivellia fired herself up again.
Della lifted her head and glanced outside the room. There stood Aref, watching nervously, and Soles—who now seemed to realize exactly where he’d seen Della before.
“You used to work at the information network, didn’t you?”
Soles was confirming his memory.
Back when they’d gone to the Mage Tower and the informant guild to sell the poisonous mushroom, he had seen this cleaning woman waiting outside the guild office—making eye contact with Nivellia as she passed.
Soles had seen the entire exchange.
“…You’ve got a sharp memory.”
Della chuckled softly, pleasantly surprised.
“You’re right. I’m Della from the information guild.”
“You have the same name as the guild master.”
“What a coincidence, isn’t it?”
“Della is Nini’s subordinate!” Nivellia declared with pride.
“A long time ago, when Nini was still a kitty, Della brushed her fur and gave her snacks! So Nini made her a subordinate!”
“Oh my! Am I still one of your subordinates?”
“Of course! Nini never abandons her crew!”
“I’m honored, Lady Nini.”
The conversation made no logical sense, but it flowed like it did.
She seems nice…
Soles watched as Della played along with Nivellia’s imaginative world.
…But why is she calling her ‘Nini’?
Nivellia only allowed family and people she was close with to call her “Nini.” If a stranger tried, she’d ignore them—or get angry.
But Soles quickly brushed it off.
If Nini’s not mad, I guess it’s fine.
But someone was taking it very seriously.
Aref stood silently, eyes darting between the two with growing unease.
I… I’m her subordinate…
He’d only just found his place and purpose—and now he was afraid it was being taken from him.
“Della,” Nivellia suddenly said, turning to her.
“This is Aref. He came back to Nini!”
“Oh! The little wolf himself?”
“Yup! He lives with Nini now. He’s my favorite wolf!”
“Nice to meet you, Master Aref.”
Della gave him a respectful bow.
Frozen in place, Aref flushed bright red. He’d just been jealous of her a moment ago—and now he was mortified.
“H-Hello…”
“Your golden hair and red eyes live up to your name. Please continue looking after our Nini.”
“Yes…!”
But when it came to protecting Nivellia, he answered with clear conviction.
Watching him, Della smiled softly.
“So… were you three on your way somewhere?”
“We’re going to see Mom and Dad.”
“You mean the Saint and the Holy Knight?”
“No, my current mom and dad.”
“Oh…”
Della muttered to herself, “That was a slip,” then quickly smiled again.
“Is it about the flower farm you visited today?”
The kids’ eyes widened.
“Don’t forget—I’m the Della from the informant guild.”
She explained that her reason for visiting the estate was exactly that.
Then she reached into her cloak and pulled out a small envelope sealed with wax.
“Please give this to your parents.”
“What is it?” Nivellia asked.
“A thank-you gift for letting me purchase that rare poisonous mushroom…”
As she spoke, Della gave Soles a knowing sidelong glance.
Ah…
Soles were almost certain now.
This wasn’t just someone who worked for the Della of the guild—this was the real Madam Della herself.
“A small present from the head of the information guild.”
“Is it money?”
“No, but it’s information—just as valuable,” Della replied.
“Fresh intelligence. Straight from the Mage Tower’s analysis—just yesterday. It’ll be a huge help.”
Monitos, the legal advisor for Rubeo Corporation, visited the flower farm.
He looked like the kind of man who would curse at you for brushing against his shoulder. Despite being well into middle age, his body was impressively muscular—his suit visibly stretched every time he moved his arms.
When he showed up at the farm, the Plaude couple were so startled they dropped the bottle of liquor they’d been holding.
Monitos glanced briefly at the shattered bottle on the ground, then silently pulled out a business card identifying himself as the corporate attorney of Rubeo.
“I’ve brought the contract.”
From a well-worn leather briefcase, he retrieved a stack of thick documents.
“This is a venture investment agreement. The contract takes effect the moment you apply to withdraw the investment funds from the bank.”
His deep, commanding voice echoed as he explained further.
The terms were simple.
House Deiamor would invest a large sum. The Plaude couple would use it to establish a lab and generate profits, with support from Rubeo Corporation.
“The primary contractee is the one who developed the liquid fertilizer that keeps flowers from wilting…”
“That would be me,” the Plaude wife interrupted quickly.
“Then you’ll want to read through the contract thoroughly before signing.”
“Do we need to sign it right now?”
“As I said, review it carefully first. However, the funds will only be released once the notarized contract is submitted to the capital’s bank.”
“R-Right…”
After exchanging a quick look, the couple signed the contract on the spot.
Of course, they reviewed it thoroughly—or rather, they reviewed the section listing the size of the investment very thoroughly.
Monitos said nothing as he watched them silently count each digit of the investment sum with their fingers.
“When… when can we get it notarized?”
“Fortunately, I’m certified to notarize it myself. If you’d like—”
“Please do it now!”
“We want to set up the lab as soon as possible. Our daughter deserves a real home… and proper treatment…”
The notarization was handled immediately.
Having completed his task, Monitos exited the farm.
The Plaude couple saw him off, then quickly shut the door behind him.
“……”
In the carriage, the lawyer turned his gaze away from the receding farmhouse.
They have the same taste in liquor as me.
A 40-year-old bottle of whiskey.
But it’s not exactly the drink you’d expect from parents supposedly desperate to save their sick child.
That night…
“What a windfall!”
“Who’d have thought the contract would actually go through?!”
The Plaude couple were hurriedly packing their belongings—as if preparing to flee far away.
“Who would’ve guessed that little orphan brat would be useful?”
“Everything fell right into place. Maybe we really should try being nice more often.”
“Didn’t I tell you? Keep them alive and they’ll pay off—whether it’s soup, bread, or whatever!”
As they threw crass compliments at each other, they peeked out the window toward the flower farm.
“…What’s the situation now?”
The husband asked, now nearly done packing.
“Why? You want to go praise her or something?”
“We should take care of it. If someone finds her alive and she says anything about us, we’re screwed.”
“……”
His wife paused, clearly thinking, then shook her head.
“That would make things worse.”
If they killed her, House Deiamor would hunt them down.
“If she dies, the Saint herself might get involved.”
“The Saint?”
“An old guy I used to work with told me she’s completely insane. She’s the one who killed the former Emperor and the High Priest.”
“I thought that was just a rumor?”
“That guy fought as a mercenary in the war 40 years ago. He saw her kill people with his own eyes.”
Silence fell.
It was a terrible, cold quiet—like an invisible blade had just pressed to their throats.
“…Right. What’s the point of making this worse?”
The husband spoke up loudly, trying to sound nonchalant.
“She’ll just starve to death anyway.”
“Exactly. Leave her.”
“This is mercy, really. We could’ve killed her, but we’re not. That’s generous.”
“Let’s call it natural causes. A peaceful end.”
“No more risky business from now on. Let’s enjoy life!”
Once the packing was done, they left for the capital before dawn broke.
By the time their rickety carriage had disappeared from view—
“……”
“……”
A group of people, hidden in the forest, began to emerge.
Dressed in black with masks covering their faces, they silently turned toward the flower farm.
“Begin.”
At the command, the masked figures infiltrated the buildings, sweeping through the interior with precision.
Among them, one person clearly stood out.
“…Are you really going in yourself?”
Deter eyed the dilapidated shed with disapproval, then glanced down at her arms.
Nestled there was Nivellia, dressed in all black like the others, her face partially covered by a mask embroidered with little cat whiskers.
“I have to. It’s my investment. I need to confirm it myself.”
“I still can’t believe your parents approved something this dangerous.”
“Grandma said experience is important.”
“There are… better kinds of experience than this, though…”
“Let’s go!”
Pushed by her small master, Deter sighed quietly and stepped into the shed.
