Who Do You Like More, Mom or Dad? - Chapter 6

Hermann didn’t return for a long time and the snoring horseman was proof of it. Diana waited in the wagon alone made her feel gloomy. Feeling choked up for no reason, she rubbed her nose, leaving the carriage door open for some air.

 

Her mother’s funeral was simple. Diana knew nothing of what should’ve been done but she barely managed to hold the funeral with the help of a priest from Aachen. If Hermann was there back then, would things have been different?

 

A long time passed before Hermann returned. When he came back, his eyes were red and filled with deep anxiety.

 

“You came.”

 

When Hermann saw Diana, he clenched his teeth, a way for him to resist the incoming burst of emotions.

 

“Yes, at least her daughter is still here… ”

 

Is it a relief?

 

In the end, the words Hermann muttered were not heard.

 

But in her heart, Diana wished in a small way that it would be great if it was a relief. Hermann reached out his hand to Diana.

 

“… Let’s go.”

 

 

***

 

 

The carriage rattled loudly on the dirt road.

 

“Where are we going now?”

 

“Aachen.”

 

“Do you live there?”

 

“No, I usually reside in the World Tower.”

 

“World Tower….”

 

She had heard of that place. A tower of sorcerers, where twelve wise men ruled as representatives through voting.

 

“Come and play later. It’s worth seeing at least once.”

 

“R-really? I can also go in there? Can I really go?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Woah….”

 

The World Tower… Isn’t that the place I’ve only seen in fairy tales?

 

“There is not much to see in the World Tower. It’s not something you should expect much of.”

 

“Even so.”

 

Looking at Diana’s sparkling eyes, Hermann swallowed back his words, too embarrassed to crush a little girl’s dreams.

 

“First, we’ll visit the Ohri Bank today.”

 

“Bank?”

 

“Yeah. Have you ever been there?”

 

Diana shook her head.

 

The Bank is a place for people’s wealth to go, but the entirety of Diana’s fortune was already inside the small leather pouch she carried.

 

“Ohri Bank is a bank that is owned by Count Ohrid.”

 

Herman rubbed his face then continued.

 

“Count Ohrid was called the ‘Gold Master’ way before the Heimbarden was founded.”

 

Hermann peeked at the window curtain.

 

“You know that gold coins are called Reeds, right?”

 

“Yes, I know.”

 

Even though she has never actually seen a gold coin….

 

“It’s named after Count Ohrid.”

 

“Wow. Even gold coins?”

 

“Yeah. Ohri Bank’s Reed is the base value of a gold coin. Other currencies are simply made after it and then the prices of goods are set.”

 

Ohri, Reed. They were all named after Ohrid. She laughed because it seemed like a funny pun. Hermann hesitated after hearing her but still continued.

 

“For the Ohrid family nothing is impossible. Everything that can be done with money can be done and everything that cannot be done with money will be made possible. He is but a Count, but he is levels above the others holding the same title.”

 

Hermann drew the curtains again and looked at Diana. He sighed deeply, looking as if he had something on his mind.

 

“If you… so if… this is only an example. Okay?”

 

Looking at his cautiousness Diana couldn’t guess what he was trying to say.

 

“Yes, please just say it.”

 

“What would you feel if you became a part of the Ohrid Household?”

 

Diana blinked.

 

‘… Is this some sort of metaphor for winning the lottery?’

 

It was a very strange question. Diana, for the life of her, couldn’t figure out why Hermann would ask such a question. Looking at Diana who was agonizing over the problem, he waved his hand.

 

“No, no. Just forget it.”

 

Hermann shook his head.

 

“We’ll stop by the bank and find a house where you can stay.”

 

“…Look for a house?”

 

They weren’t going back to Hermann’s house? Ah, come to think again, he did say that he lived in the World Tower. Diana could feel her future turning dark.

 

“I’m going to find your biological fathe— I mean friend. I have to go find my friend. That person is in another continent right now, so going there in person is the fastest way, and I can’t take you there.”

 

“Then, what about me—”

 

“It’s three months at the most. Only until then, will you be alone.”

 

“Alone?”

 

“I’ll have someone I know to watch over you, so you don’t need to worry.”

 

“Oh….”

 

Diana’s expression fogged over.

 

Not long after, the carriage stopped. Diana put on a hat and a robe, and got off the carriage. It was something Hermann gifted her.

 

Countless people moved in and out of the ivory building. Some people who looked like uniformed guards stood at the entrance.

 

Diana leaned over and read the sign.

 

 

[Ohri Bank, Aachen Branch]

 

 

Above the metal sign, there was a sculpture of a bird flying over a branch.

 

“Let’s go in.”

 

Hermann made sure his hat was on properly and went ahead. Diana hurriedly followed, afraid she would lose him.

 

Inside, employees bustled around trying to finish their tasks, some people sat by the windows and chattered, and some people silently waited.

 

Hermann walked past the busy hall and walked towards a corner where he opened a heavy-looking brown door.

 

Inside the door was a completely different scene from the one outside. The red carpet in the silent hallway absorbed the sound of footsteps. Unfazed by the sudden change of atmosphere, Hermann walked up the spiral stairs and walked down the hallway on the second floor. He looked at the signs and stood in front of one door. He knocked, and with almost no delay a ‘Come in’ came.

 

“What brings you he—”

 

The man sitting at the mahogany desk suddenly jumped up, not continuing his words.

 

“… Mister Hermann Rietchev? Are you really Mister Hermann Rietchev?”

 

Diana looked at Hermann in surprise. Hermann clicked his tongue.

 

“Don’t make a fuss.”

 

“…I apologize. Please come in.”

 

The man guided them in the most courteous manner. He brought them to a drawing room attached to the previous space and both Hermann and Diana sat down on a leather sofa directed by the man.

 

“Who might the person beside you be?”

 

The man asked politely.

 

‘Person?’

 

(t/n: In Korean, there are different ways to refer to a person, like 사람 [saram], 분 [bun], 명 [myeong], 군 [gun], 님 [nim], 씨 [ssi], etc. Some are units that refer to people, and some are ways to call people and many other uses. Here, the man uses the word 분 which is a respectful & very formal way of saying a person. So, for Diana who was bullied and has never been respected, it was a very unexpected title.)

 

Not knowing what to do with the heartwarming title, she blinked her eyes quickly.

 

Hermann put his hat down on the table and said.

 

“You don’t need to care about who she is”

 

Hermann’s cold voice quickly caught the man’s attention.

 

“Does the Lord Mayor also know that Mister Rietchev is in Aachen?”

 

“He knows. But, I asked him to be quiet.”

 

Lord Mayor? Wasn’t that a very high position?

 

“I see. May I know what brings you to our Aachen Branch?”

 

“I want to have a quiet conversation related to the property that was managed by the proxy.”

 

Hermann glanced at Diana. The man from earlier rose from his seat, seemingly knowing what Hermann was talking about. Hermann took off his cape and frowned as Diana tried to take it.

 

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

 

“…It’s not a thing that you should be sorry for. However, try to correct such behavior from now on, or else you’ll be looked down upon.”

 

Hermann spoke firmly as he roughly hung the cape on the sofa and followed the man out of the drawing room.

 

‘I don’t know if he’s a nice or scary person….’

 

And just like that, Diana was left alone in the drawing room. Trying to kill time, Diana shook her legs. Noticing that Hermann showed no signs of returning, she cautiously got up.

 

‘It wouldn’t matter if I looked around for a bit, would it?’

 

On one wall of the drawing room was a bookcase full of hardcover books, and on the other was a cupboard with luxurious ornaments.

 

On another side, a colorful candlestick with leaf-shaped decorations was placed, and next to it was a bronze scale and an additional weight measurement.

 

Diana slightly pressed one side of the scale.

 

‘Oh, it moved.’

 

Diana fascinatingly pressed it a few times then looked at the other decorations. In the big picture on the wall, there was a navy-haired woman who had her hand raised as if greeting a flying bird.

 

At the bottom the words [Elpasha Ohrid] were written in small letters.

 

‘Scarlet eyes?’

 

Even though her and her mother’s eyes were scarlet, it wasn’t by any means a common color.

 

‘Well, mom also hid hers because she said it stood out too much.’

 

Just as she finished her ‘sightseeing’ Hermann’s voice grew closer.

 

“… Okay. Then if you find a good real estate agent, please introduce the person to me.”

 

Hermann, who entered the drawing room, saw Diana and took back his cape.

 

“Let’s go. We have to go see your house.”

 

“…Are we really buying a house?”

 

“Of course, we are. Did you think we were going to look for a fake house?”

 

“Ah, no, um…”

 

Diana briefly glanced around.

 

“What’s the problem?”

 

“Um….”

 

Diana hesitated.

 

Even though it was hard without money, she had never been embarrassed about it. But now, in a place full of such expensive items, explaining her poverty to Hermann, who seemed to be her mother’s very rich friend, was too… miserable.

 

“Because of what? Tell me quickly.”

 

At Hermann’s urging, Diana grabbed the hem of her skirt, her face turning red with embarrassment.

 

“I’m… Um, money… I don’t have it. It’s a little hard to get a house….”

 

“What did you say?”

 

“…I don’t have money.”

 

She didn’t fit in here.

 

Hermann frowned, as if he was confused about Diana’s words, sighing, he rubbed his forehead.

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

He put down the papers he was holding with a ridiculous expression on his face. It was a bundle of documents.

 

“Read it.”

 

Diana picked up the documents on the table and began to read them out.

 

‘Whose property was Hermann taking over?’

 

There were many words that she couldn’t understand because of the difficult terms, so she had to grasp the contents merely through context.

 

“Why are you telling me to read this—”

 

Diana’s eyes, which had been reading straight, stopped like that.

 

 

[…Hermann Rietchev, the guardian, gives the inheritance of seven hundred one million six hundred thousand Sorna to Diana.]

 

 

“…?”

 

Diana rubbed her eyes.

 

 

[…gives the inheritance of seven hundred one million six hundred thousand (701,600,000) Sorna to Diana.]

 

 

She wasn’t seeing things. Diana looked at the document then looked at Hermann once, twice, and once again.

 

“W-what… i-i-i-is this?”

 

“Your inheritance.”

 

Inheritance?

 

“It’s something your mom left to me.”