I Don’t Trust My Twin Sister - Chapter 9

The matter in which one succeeds the family business is considered a heavy burden. For the most part, it was generally considered to be a very special situation for the youth to come forward as the family head. The only instances of this happening were if the position is opened due to a sudden death in the family or the seat was relinquished due to the incredibly outstanding abilities of the youth.

Whether young or old, family heads would have to make contact with people to make connections for the family.

Even though transferring over a small territory was simple there were numerous legal procedures that had to be pa.s.sed through. It didn’t stop there, one would have to meet up with residents and the leader of the territory and face influential families of the region. In addition, one would have a plan for future investments to obtain profit.

A business owner’s responsibility is to account for business transactions, as well as the hiring and promoting of workers. In addition, a lord’s responsibility is to hire household staff and guards and to manage the transactional accounts. Thus a lord is powerful not only if he has power, but also the wealth to expand his territory.

The aristocratic cla.s.ses did not have set rules on how to manage their territories, so if they have the wealth even a low cla.s.sed aristocrat can have many hired hands, but the Aztane family did not do that.

Everyone was aware that the Aztane family had the most wealth in the kingdom. However, even though we had this much wealth the number of hired guards and household staff was low. Of course, in order to protect the viscounty there was the guild and many of the residents of the viscounty were sponsored.

“It’s been awhile, coming here.”

Although it is a viscounty, the territory housed a fairly considerable population in the kingdom.

The place that was voted as the number one in the best territory to live in the kingdom’s newspaper. It was commonly said by the people that if there was a paradise it would be the Aztane viscounty.

If you have a vast amount of wealth you must never swing it around to show it off. You have to share with others and listen to their voices. Be simple and modest. We greatly emphasized this lifestyle in order to not draw the envy of others.

It was Grandfather who lived and practiced these words that he kept in his heart. Although suffering from the sadness that came from the death of his child and the child’s spouse he still loved the people of the Aztane territory and strongly secured his position and fulfilled his duties.

Seeing the faraway bascule bridge go down filled me with delight. Before returning to the past it was the land I hardly stepped on. I had placed all the responsibilities of this place to the head superintendent because I had to run around to save the family.

I blocked my ears as I blamed myself for my incompetence. I didn’t even know what was going on behind my back.

‘This time, it’ll be different’

Often there were times I imagined ‘only if I could go back to the past. Then…’. If that were to happen, a person would want to make a lot of money, others would want to change their shameful behavior or instance. And for me, one of those things was the coming-of-age celebration.

I shouldered everything. Save for the time for eating, I devoted myself to studying in order to become the lord of the Aztane family.

Since I was 13 years old I had gone to the mines and experienced the work environment there. This way I would be able to understand their hardships.

I have also made concessions. I was always pressured to yield because I was the older sister despite being born only three minutes earlier.

I had to protect my younger sister and yield to her. That is what my parents told me before they pa.s.sed away.

The words that they had ultimately left me before they left the world in a hurry as the sudden rainfall had caused a landslide wasn’t for me, but for my younger sister. Despite that the last words of my parents felt like a will and I held onto it until the very end.

Even Grandfather was worried about Erusia prior to him departing this world. In the end, Erusia had received all of their concern and love.

For what reason?

I stared at Erusia who tilted her head ever so slightly to look out the window with a tired expression. I glanced out to hide my face as she smiled cheerfully towards me after feeling my gaze.

She had always smiled at me like that. Every time she did I had always thought that I should work harder. What was she thinking behind that dirty mask as she saw me?

I wanted to ask. Why did you do it, what did I do wrong that you would do this to me, and why would you do such a terrible thing to the family? I wanted to ask those questions. But listening to those harsh words now would be bad.

Thus I had firmed my heart even more. The coming-of-age celebration was close, and a little further on the death of Grandfather. I want to restore everything.

Now that I have been given 10 years, I no longer want to make concessions.

“They’re coming!”

I smiled warmly at the voice that came from afar.

I heard cheers as I entered the castle through the doors that were dedicated to carriages as the bascule bridge came down. The residents of the Aztane viscounty that loved and respected their lord cheered and welcomed us.

“Let out a smile. Everyone is welcoming us sincerely.”

Listening to my Grandfather’s warm words of advice I let out a smile and waved my hand.

In the past, there were times I would hide from embarra.s.sment. I became conscious-stricken receiving the compliments of so many people.

But if I were to think about it now, their welcoming filled me with pride and joy. I waved my hands as I enjoyed the compliments of the people.

“Lady! Please marry me!”

“You are very beautiful!”

Mmm, my ears seemed to have installed a filter that would only pick up pleasing words. How nice. The compliments increased and got louder as I smiled brightly and waved my hand.

“You’ve changed quite a bit.”

“Pardon?”

Changed? My expression didn’t change after hearing those sudden words. Although my hand was waving towards the outside all my attention was on Grandfather.

“In the past you often hid because you were too bashful, but that’s not the case now.”

“That was in the past.”

Grandfather softly laughed.

“Truly it has been a while since you came back to the territory. About two years.”

“Returning to the territory altogether has been 2 years. Due to work Grandfather has come to the territory a few times, but for me, it has been two years.”

Erusia was always in my eyes. One person was always left behind because it was not necessary for two people to vacate the head position for any situation, that was one explanation. Ultimately, I could not leave Erusia alone. In the end, I was tied up in this situation.

People said Erusia was a pitiful girl, like a delicate bird trapped in a cage, but I had thought differently. The love and the warm embraces that were given to her, she didn’t want to lose their pitiful gazes.

I knew I had to take care of her even though the family was collapsing. It was both my duty and love.

I was trapped. It was similar to being a caged companion to a canary so it wouldn’t die from loneliness. I couldn’t escape no matter how much I struggled, that place was my nest. A warm treasure but at the same time a h.e.l.l due to the one reason that was Erusia.

“It’s been a while since you’ve been here, Erusia. How are you feeling”

“I’m a bit tired, Grandfather.”

I stared at the despicable sight of Erusia who lowered her head with a tired expression.

It was in about three years, the memories of Erusia’s medical records of when we were 25 years old came to mind. I couldn’t believe it. Erusia’s illness was never a terminal disease and the procedure for her treatment was completed a long time ago.

If I had only viewed the opinion from one place, I wouldn’t have had any suspicions. However, that opinion had been made up by every skilled hospital and temple concurrently. So I could only see the act of Erusia holding onto her head out of sickness as fake.

Ultimately Erusia’s contemptible and nauseating behavior didn’t happen suddenly. It was a behavior that was calculatively planned for a long time.

“We should hurry inside then.”

Hearing the head bursting loud cheers Grandfather urgently closed the carriage window. Laurencia closed her eyes in silence.

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Returning to myself, I entered the office and requested the budget for the coming-of-age celebration from the butler.

I had felt this previously but the costs to host a coming-of-age celebration party was not that high. I don’t know how it was in the past but as the period changed coming-of-age celebrations increasingly being more extravagant and grand had become a trend.

However, because our coming-of-age celebration was very small we had received many rebukes. It was to the degree that they would talk about how they realized how much of a miser the Aztane family was in our presence.

There were many strange rumors because we had a simple coming-of-age celebration party. Even though I did not think it was a large issue, Grandfather personally apologized to all the guests.

I didn’t know the exact details behind the story but I can vaguely guess, it was my suspicion that it had the backing of the Marquis of Acpencia.

Barrett did not love or like me. What he had in his eyes was the a.s.sets of the Aztane family.

Pitiful Erusia. Even though you knew he only loved himself, you still fell for Barrett’s temptation and lead the family to its destruction. My pitiful yet detestable younger sister.

I didn’t know if Barrett was eagerly wishing for our family to decline. No, that was definitely what he desired. That way he can swallow everything up.

There were ten business contracts between the Acpencia family and Aztane family. If the Aztane family was unable to fulfill one or two of those contracts Barrett will be able to swallow us whole with that his big mouth of his and toss us aside.

Even though I wanted to annul those contracts, unfortunately, the family of Marquis Acpencia was a considerably good connection. And if I were to annul the contracts immediately it would not end with a moderate blow and several businesses would go bankrupt.

Especially, all the banks holding stocks in the business would smoothly go bankrupt. Avoiding him immediately would have a negative effect so I had to slowly evade him.

So I need to avoid Barrett and pretend as if the engagement was never brought up and work on building up my businesses. Although it is complicated and I had to run around in circles, there’s no other choice. All for the sake of not seeing his vomit-inducing face.

“Butler.”

Pevil is a young butler. How old was he again? I don’t think he was over the age of 30.

This person that Grandfather had brought was a very talented man. He was the one who was given the responsibility of the castle, he is of a Baronet family.

“Please speak, Lady Laurencia”

I was quite fond of the man who looked at me and spoke politely. In the past, thanks to this man I was able to protect the viscounty till the end.

“This budget, do you not think it’s too low?”

“It was the direction of Viscount Aztane.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Then…?”

I pointed my pen at him as his question trailed off.

“What I mean is to increase the budget.”

“However this is the budget the Viscount…”

“This is my coming-of-age celebration.”

“…”

“This is my coming-of-age celebration, not Grandfather’s. I don’t want to have to hear how much of a miser I am because my coming-of-age celebration was simple and shabby.”

He quietly listened to my words. It must be difficult. He must be confused. Confused because even though the head of the Aztane family said one thing the granddaughter in charge was changing it. However, this man was sensible and thought deeply.

“Then how would you like to proceed?”

“It’s simple. Execute all the budget 10 times.”

“Are you saying to raise it 10 times…?”

“Yes, 10 times. Naturally please prepare a very large place for the banquet hall. As you can see, my castle is not that large. There’s the recently built banquet hall devoted to Countess Kalonia. It’s not far from here. Please ask her to rent the hall out to us. The price doesn’t matter.”

It was common for coming-of-age celebrations to take place in a s.p.a.cious and large banquet hall or castle and not on one’s own territory. This extent is nothing, there are times where it can take place in a territory on the other side of the continent.

“And resend the invitations with the corrected location. I will personally manage everything for the banquet hall one by one. So convey to the superintendents to come see me tomorrow. In addition, regardless of the amount, prepare gifts for the people partic.i.p.ating in the coming-of-age celebration. What I’m saying is pocket watches for the gentlemen and brooches for the ladies.”

The price of both brooches and pocket watches is expensive. The price of a jewel on the brooch can sell for an amount equivalent to a small house, the same can be said about a pocket watch.

“Set the brooches to be the highest quality. Don’t worry about the price for this too.”

“If that is so, just for the gifts it would cost a thousand gold.”

“Did I tell you earlier? Money doesn’t matter. A thousand gold or ten thousand gold, spend the amount you need. If 10 times isn’t enough, then twenty or thirty, and if that still isn’t enough than 100 times! Do you understand?”

“…”
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