"How annoying… I feel that the elves are gradually erasing the good impression I had of them." I sighed, scratching my head at the same time.
This time, Veirya didn't comfort me. She, instead, chided, "But. Well. Deserved."
"Though I'm reaping what I sowed, don't you think it's too much to say that it's well-deserved?!"
Denying that I reaped what I sowed wouldn't change the fact that it was coming back to bite me. With that said, Veirya hurt my feelings.
"Does Veirya still not realise why I got associated with those haughty elves and still have to put up with their attitude?" I wondered.
Sisi's life had never been my business… Of course, it was now, but certainly not at the outset. Back then, I went to the elven lands and risked my life that I could've lost at any given moment to rescue Sisi for Veirya's sake.
"Hmph."
Veirya was still angry even now. Irate, she touched my shoulders: "You've lost. The cloak. I was the one. Who gave it to you."
"Sorry, Veirya."
If I had another choice, I wouldn't have given away the cloak. Veirya wasn't the only one who valued the cloak.
Head angled, Veirya questioned, "Why didn't. You. Give him the sky blue cloak? Are you still. Thinking about Her Majesty?"
"Veirya, we have to go to the imperial capital. If Her Majesty found out I gave the cloak to the elves, I'm afraid I'll never come home again."
"Why. Can't you. Come home?"
"Because furious Queen Sisi would likely kill me," I explained, smiling helplessly.
Veirya responded with a small nod then turned to Angelina.
Angelina took a bite of the fruit in her hand: "Don't worry about me. You two continue. I'm just eating. I'll get moving soon. Right now, I'm imaging this fruit to be that damned elf's head! Speaking of which, how did you manage to go adventuring with Lucia given an elf's foul temperament?"
"Lucilia. Doesn't have a foul temper. She's cute. Angelina. Do you know. How to make a cloak? I remember. You made one. For Dad."
"That one? Oh, I bought it," answered Angelina, while casually waving her hand. "As if I know how to make one. I sneakily bought it, obviously. Then, I just tugged some of the thread out of place to make it look as though I did my absolute best. Your father wouldn't have been so touched, otherwise. And so, I got to do what I wanted to do at night."
"What did you do?!" I exclaimed, feathers rustled.
I didn't feel scared because I thought Angelina would do anything to me, but Veirya was her daughter. She may very well tell Veirya, who was a pure slate. Once Veirya learnt it, she might coldly do something very dangerous… Angelina had a sense of control, but Veirya would bring a mountain down… I bet my bones would shatter…
"I won't mention it in a child's presence," remarked Angelina, chuckling and shaking her head at the same time.
I thought the conversation had ended. Alas, Veirya didn't quit:"Take me. To buy a cloak. For him, then."
"Can't you go on your own? Why do I have to come?"
"I don't know. How to choose."
Indeed, that was a hurdle for Veirya. There was a fat chance she'd end up getting scammed into purchasing garbage. Further, she lacked any sense of aesthetics, so she'd most probably buy whatever the seller told her to buy. She made the perfect customer for someone who wanted to sell items that wouldn't sell and even jip her in the process.
Knock, knock!
Anna went to answer the door. I thought it was Edward, yet nobody came. Instead, Anna brought back a letter for me and reported, "Sir, this is a letter from the imperial capital that was sent by Sir Edward's messenger."
"Edward has already gone back to the imperial capital?!"
I contemplated, "He should've stayed to supervise the progress with the coal mine, yet went back already? What in the world? Is he not aware of what's going on in the imperial capital? I think that's plausible. How can a businessman as savvy as Edward not have a news network, though? Could I have been the only one to receive the news? I'd consider this a trap if it was somebody else. Why am I the only one being given the profit?
"Oh, I see. I see. Achilles must've given her the idea. Perhaps the news has been strictly shared with only me. That's what you call love. Sisi gave me the news ahead of time so that she could give it all to me. I now have information that others don't. The initiative is in my hands now."
By the time the businesses began to rush on board, I'd probably have acquired enough shares. All I was waiting on was the bank's money. They wouldn't go back on their word. In saying that, if they didn't receive the news, I needed to show them the letter I received.
"The other alternative route is that Achilles figured out my method and arranged things with the bank? No, he had a relationship with the bank president, as well. The two of them have a crack in their relationship that needs to be repaired. Sharing this information might be a good opportunity, which would mean that the bank would also know about it.
"I'll wait until the end of the day. If the money doesn't arrive, I'll go pay the bank a visit. Once I've obtained the money, I can go to the imperial capital to buy up shares and throw in all of the money," I rationalised.
Edward's awful handwriting reported that the shareholder meeting would be held at the city closest to me.
As I finished reading the letter, a knock on the door was heard again. Anna opened up again. When she came back this time, however, she wore a strange smile with a letter in hand: "Sir, what you have been eagerly waiting for has arrived. I never imagined money that could fill two chests could be replaced with a sheet of paper."
"Two chests?"
"Two thousand gold coins."
I couldn't hold back my delight. I pulled Veirya into my embrace and jubilantly laughed: "Yes! Yes! Everything is playing out perfectly! Everything is going the way I want! Yes! This is fantastic. This time, Veirya, I'll make so much money that you won't finish spending it in a lifetime! Watch me run the show! This is my stage!"