Chapter 4
“Oh, my little stink-cat!”
The elder of House Deiamor, Ardores Deiamor, scooped Nivellia up into his arms.
With her view suddenly lifted high, Nivellia burst into delighted giggles.
At the sound of her laughter, the stern lines of the elderly gentleman’s face softened into mush.
“Grandpa! Where were you?”
“I was out in the forest. What about you, Nini? What were you up to?”
“……”
“Hmm? Why the long face?”
“She went bankrupt,” Caleo chimed in with a smug sort of tattling tone.
“Oh dear.”
Ardores gently set Nivellia back down, his expression suddenly serious. His golden eyes gleamed.
“What about that document I gave you? Did you use it?”
“The guarantee thing? The joint-something?”
“Yes, that one.”
“…Father,” Caleo muttered from behind, full of wounded betrayal.
“No one agreed to co-sign for me. I must’ve wasted my whole life.”
“That’s exactly how guarantees work. And Nini—you should never co-sign for someone else either. Got it?”
“Even for me, Grandpa?”
“Even for you, Nini.”
Nivellia’s lower lip jutted out in a pout, her chin scrunching up with little walnut wrinkles.
As if to say I’m upset!, she stomped dramatically away from her grandfather—and straight into the arms of her grandmother.
She had long white hair and striking blue eyes.
Even in her later years, her beauty was undiminished—enough to stop passing strangers in their tracks.
Nivellia had inherited her looks from her.
“My sweet Nini. Did you behave while Grandma was away?”
“Yup!”
“So honest, how admirable.”
“Heehee!”
Nivellia beamed.
From the moment she was born, she’d been attached to Muniel. When she’d just started babbling, she even called Muniel “Mom.”
“Grandma, did you eat the poison mushroom?”
“No, sweetheart. That would be very bad.”
“But Oppa said it was pretty!”
“Well, that very pretty mushroom is right over there.”
Celletina pointed to the silver tray on the table. Caleo had wisely covered it with a glass dome just in case.
“Wow…”
Nivellia’s round eyes fixed on the mushroom.
It was shaped like antlers, large and pink, glistening faintly under the light. It was about the size of an adult’s palm, and its thick, split stalks gave it a solid, heavy look.
“What do you think? Isn’t it pretty?”
Celletina smiled at her daughter, who couldn’t take her eyes off the mushroom.
Finally, Nivellia turned her gaze away and declared flatly,
“Not pretty!”
“Oh?”
“Wolfie’s eyes are a prettier color!”
To prove her point, Nivellia held up the stuffed animal she always carried. The ruby-decorated eyes of her plush companion sparkled.
“And that mushroom is poisonous, so, uh-huh, you can’t eat it. It’s a bad color! You have to go ptooey at it! Ptooey!”
She mimed spitting at the floor.
“Father, what do you plan to do with the mushroom?” Soles asked, gently pulling Nivellia back from the dramatic performance, while Deter stepped in to wipe the drool from her mouth.
“I’m going to sell it,” Ardores said plainly.
“Well, since we’re talking about it, how about we hear your thoughts?”
Muniel beckoned the grandchildren over with a wave.
“There are two potential buyers. What do you think we should do?”
“Hmmm…”
Soles thought for a moment before answering.
“The mushroom’s pretty big, so we could split it in half and sell it to both parties. But we don’t tell either of them it’s been divided. We restrict the information.”
“Why?”
“Because if both sides think there’s only one mushroom, they’ll compete for it and drive the price up.”
He spoke clearly, explaining that it would be the best way to maximize the profit.
The adults around the room couldn’t help smiling with pride.
“That’s a fine idea. Celletina, what do you think?”
“I agree completely, Mother.”
“As expected of our son. Sharp as ever—just like his mother!”
“What nonsense. Obviously, he takes after me!”
Soles turned red under all the praise and gave a shy smile.
“What about you, Nini? What do you think?”
“Come here, Nivellia,” Celletina called.
Nivellia, who had already lost interest in the mushroom, was now smooching her plush toy Wolfie.
When she heard her name, she tilted her head curiously—then responded with determination:
“Cookies!”
With no particular plan in mind, Nivellia ran off to her room and returned with two bags of cookies in hand.
House Deiamor.
A prestigious noble house that had existed since the founding of the empire, carrying the sacred meaning of “God’s Love.”
And yet—not once in its long history had House Deiamor ever produced a clergyman.
The same was true in politics. Despite being a founding house, they had never made much of a name for themselves in court.
Behind closed doors, people often mocked them as nobles in name only—empty relics of the past.
But everything changed about forty years ago.
Since then, House Deiamor had risen to become one of the strongest noble houses in the empire—especially in economic power.
“Really now…”
Celletina let out a dry chuckle as she looked at her family, who had come all the way to the front entrance to see her off for work.
“You don’t have to do this every time. I’m only walking next door to the annex…”
“Now, now—don’t be so cold,” Muniel said, giving her daughter-in-law a quick hug.
“If it were up to me, we’d live in the annex and let the main house be your workplace.”
“Please don’t say that. If you keep treating me like this, I might actually get arrogant.”
“That’s perfectly fine.”
It was Celletina who had brought about House Deiamor’s economic revival.
The moment she married Caleo, she started a business—and it flourished. Its influence spread, its wealth multiplied, and the family entered an unprecedented golden age.
“I could live without Caleo, but you—I’ll never let go of you.”
“Unfortunately… Mother is right, dear,” Caleo agreed, looking entirely unfazed by the jab.
And so, the family gathered at the door to sincerely see off the one who brought home the empire’s finest bacon.
“Thank you for always earning so much, my dear daughter-in-law.”
“Honey, you know I love you always, right?”
“Mother, have a safe trip.”
“…I hafta pee…”
And just like that, Nivellia had to be whisked off to the bathroom in Deter’s arms.
As Celletina left for work, House Deiamor’s day officially began.
Ardores left for an external meeting, Caleo shut himself in the office to manage family affairs and assist with Celletina’s business, and the household staff moved briskly to carry out their duties.
“Deter, do you have work too?”
Nivellia asked as she washed her hands after her “relief mission.”
“Taking care of you is my work, Miss,” Deter replied, gently drying her hands with a towel.
“But I can take care of myself, so… um, Deter has an easy job?”
“Oh my!”
Deter burst into laughter, her voice ringing through the hall.
“My young lady’s even cracking jokes now.”
“That wasn’t a joke.”
“Well, it was the funniest thing you’ve said so far.”
Deter brought Nivellia to Muniel’s room, where Soles was already waiting.
“Nini,” he called, reaching out an arm. Nivellia quietly walked over and stood beside him.
She scratched her upper lip and asked,
“Grandma, aren’t you working today?”
“Today, my job is looking after you two. One of the most joyful—yet exhausting—jobs of all.”
“Why’s it hard? Because of Oppa?”
“I won’t say who it’s because of. Someone might get their feelings hurt.”
Muniel replied, staring directly at Nivellia.
Nivellia tilted her head, then turned to Soles.
“Oppa, listen to Grandma, okay?”
“Aha!”
“I’m speechless,” Muniel muttered with a wry smile.
“Now then, how about a little errand?”
After a bit of fun chatter, Muniel got to the point.
“If it’s an errand, give me a sticker.”
“Oh, how clever you are.”
“Give me three! Three!”
“Nope. Two is enough.”
As Nivellia flopped over in protest, Muniel handed two freshly written letters to Soles.
“Go deliver these to the intelligence guild and the Mage Tower.”
“Wow! Nini, did you hear that? We get to go to the information guild and the Mage Tower!”
Soles turned to his sister in excitement.
The intelligence guild—a place that knew everything from how many spoons the bachelor next door had to how many illegitimate princes were born across the continent.
And the Mage Tower—a towering stone spire that pierced the skies, where wizards studied the laws of nature and the mysteries of the world.
Both were dangerous places for children… which made them all the more alluring.
Soles was practically bouncing with anticipation.
“Your mushroom-selling idea from yesterday was pretty clever,” Muniel said. “So, how about you try selling it yourself?”
“M-Me?”
Soles tensed at the sudden responsibility.
“It’ll be a good experience.”
“But I’m still young, and I’ve never done it before…”
More than anything, he was scared he’d mess up.
“Oppa.”
Nivellia, now standing again, gave him a reassuring pat on the back.
“You have to fail to succeed.”
“Nini…”
“Look at me. I went bankrupt, but I’m still working hard to pay off my debt.”
“Y-You’re right…”
Oddly enough, Soles felt a surge of courage.
Embarrassed by his own fear, he looked at Nivellia and smiled awkwardly.
“So… it’s okay to make mistakes.”
“Yup! Nini makes mistakes all the time!”
“Then I guess… it really is okay.”
The two siblings held hands tightly and set off together on their errand.
Their first destination was the Mage Tower.
It stood deep in a quiet forest just outside the capital.
The towering spire rose so high that it was impossible to see the top, no matter how far back you craned your neck.
So Nivellia simply lay down flat on the ground.
“How’s the view? Can you see the top?” Soles asked.
“Nope!”
“Miss, please don’t lie in the dirt…”
Deter, who had accompanied them, quickly picked Nivellia up in her arms.
