The Female Lead Takes Care of Everything - Chapter 64

She had only just finished marveling at her young niece’s growing intelligence when Armiphera gently supplied the answer.

“You need a horse and a wagon. You have to load the goods and bring them back somehow.”

“Ohhh!”

“And what else do you think you’ll need?”

“Something else too?”

Nivellia furrowed her brows in thought, then offered her answer.

“Hay? Because the horse will get hungry.”

“That’s important too. But the real answer is—someone to drive the wagon and actually go buy the goods.”

“I’ll do it!”

“You really are the most eager person I know, Nini.”

But Latro was too far and too dangerous for someone like Nivellia to travel to.

More importantly, the family elders would never allow her to head west—especially not to a land filled with mercenaries.

So, someone else had to go in her place.

“Let’s hire an employee.”

And just like that, Nivellia’s first hiring process began.

Employee recruitment, management, and delivery tracking were all handled by Armiphera.

Meanwhile, Nivellia, as the rightful head of the merchant guild, took her responsibilities seriously. She carefully read every report Armiphera gave her and reviewed the situation closely.

“Auntie, what’s this?”

“These are the resumes from the applicants. See here? Twenty of them. You just need to pick someone to work with.”

“How do I choose?”

There was still so much Nivellia didn’t know about running a merchant guild.

Even when Armiphera explained things clearly, more often than not, Nivellia couldn’t fully grasp them.

Still, she tried her very best to help however she could.

And her efforts weren’t wasted.

“Mercenaries… they’re really strong, right?”

While they were discussing how much to charge for stone mushrooms, Nivellia suddenly asked.

“They are.”

Armiphera answered without hesitation.

“Then let’s hire a mercenary too!”

“…Why?”

“Because stone mushrooms are so tasty! Someone might try to steal them. Sometimes I stare at Aref and big brother’s cookies like I’m going to snatch them!”

Nivellia’s eyes gleamed mischievously, like a cat hunting prey. She even mimed peeking over the edge of a desk and swiping a cookie with a quick flick of her hand.

“But stealing is bad! That’s why we need someone to protect them!”

“……”

“…Is that wrong?”

“What? No, no! I mean—yes! You’re absolutely right, Nini.”

Armiphera, caught off guard for a moment, quickly responded.

Then, like someone who had finally found the way out of a long maze, joy lit up her face.

She stood up and swept Nivellia into her arms, planting a loud kiss on her cheek.

“Nini, you’re a genius!”

“Yup! I’m a genius!”

“Oh, you sweet little thing!”

“Kyaaaa!”

Nivellia burst into uncontrollable giggles.

“Is this… related?”

“Is this why my wife and daughter…?”

The first thing Kallaroff did after returning from the Deiamor estate was take down the family portrait.

The one with his wife and daughter in it.

The very portrait he had treasured like his own life.

His staff were shocked.

“D-Duke Kallaroff…!”

None were more startled than his loyal butler.

The elderly man, who had faithfully served the estate for years, hesitated to carry out the order without understanding why.

So, he asked.

And Kallaroff replied:

“If it’s to protect them—do you trust me?”

“My lord…?”

“Please don’t ask anything else. Do you think I…”

Do you think I want to do this?

Though he didn’t say the words out loud, the butler could hear the pain behind them.

Kallaroff had given the order himself, but his face looked as if someone had driven a blade through his heart.

“…Understood.”

In the end, the butler obeyed.

Soon after, when Al and Rubens heard what had happened, they rushed to confront him.

“Father!”

Al, usually calm and composed, had flushed red with emotion. He trembled as though he was about to shout.

“Why would you take down the portrait?”

His eyes demanded an answer, wounded and confused.

Rubens looked like he was moments away from tears.

“T-That was the only portrait with Mother and our sister in it. It’s the only one with all five of us together…”

Watching his sons’ heartbreak was unbearable for Kallaroff.

“Al. Rubens.”

He called the two sons who meant more to him than life itself.

“There’s a reason for this.”

“No reason could possibly make this okay.”

Al slowly pulled his hand back and shook his head.

Tears had started in Rubens’ eyes, but before they knew it, Al was quietly crying too.

He had always tried to act grown-up because he was the eldest, but in truth, Al was still just a twelve-year-old boy.

A boy who deeply needed his parents’ love.

“……”

Realizing this all over again, Kallaroff shut his eyes tightly.

“Is that what happened to my wife and daughter…?”

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Muniel replied.

“……”

“But don’t be too sure of anything. And don’t stop questioning it. Can you endure that? Because this won’t be easy. It’s going to be harder and more painful than you can imagine.”

Muniel spoke as if warning him to brace himself, but Kallaroff wasn’t shaken.

It didn’t matter.

Not when he had finally found a clue about what had happened to his wife and daughter.

No pain could ever compare to what they went through.

That was why Kallaroff would pursue this, no matter the cost.

But the one thing he wouldn’t allow was for Al and Rubens to be hurt in the process.

He needed their understanding—and their support.

Because they, too, had loved those two with all their hearts.

“Boys,” Kallaroff said softly.

“In the past, the present, and the future—I love only you. And of course, that includes Sana and Nia. My family… all of you… are my greatest treasure. You’re the reason I live.”

Rubens sniffled.

“Then… why did you take it down?”

“You may not believe me right away, and that’s okay. But from now on, I’ll only tell you the truth.”

I need your help.

Something in Kallaroff’s voice made the boys look at each other.

Then they turned back to him.

The pain in their faces had faded.

What replaced it was a quiet, determined look. Trust—deep and unwavering—had returned.

They looked almost solemn.

“The reason I took the portrait down is…”

“…Huh?”

Rima, carrying a thick book she had borrowed from the library, suddenly stopped as she walked down the hallway.

There used to be a big family portrait hanging there.

But now, it was gone.

The wallpaper where the portrait had been was darker than the rest. But even that difference would fade over time, and the wall would look the same again.

“……”

Looking at the empty space, Rima smiled just a little.

Then she started walking again, her steps lighter than before.

“Mmm… hmm-hmm…”

Her cheerful humming filled the quiet hallway.

The title of the book in her arms peeked out between her elbows.

It read: [The Ecosystem of the Northern Mountain Range].

Nivellia had run into a serious problem.

She had just gotten home from kindergarten when Caleo gave her the bad news—she couldn’t use the name “Kitty Caravan.”

“Kitty Caravan…”

Her soft, round eyes drooped sadly.

“Really? I can’t use it? But Kitty Caravan belongs to Nini…”

“Daddy’s… kind of surprised too.”

Caleo scratched the back of his neck, looking a bit awkward.

The name “Kitty Shop” had already been trademarked by them, so there was no issue with that. But just recently, someone else had registered “Kitty Caravan,” which meant they couldn’t use it.

In fact, someone had even trademarked the word “Kitty” itself.

“Kitty…”

Nivellia, who suddenly couldn’t use the name she loved, looked heartbroken.

But she couldn’t stay sad forever.

“…Maybe this is actually a chance.”

Caleo gently stroked his daughter’s soft, sagging cheek.

“When a business is about to succeed, it’s normal to hit a few walls. Who knows? Maybe an even better name is out there, just waiting for you.”

“A better name?”

“I know it’s upsetting right now, but I really think we can find something even cooler.”

“…Okay.”

Feeling a little better, Nivellia began thinking up new names.

When Aref and Soles heard about it, they eagerly joined in to help.

“So, what kind of caravan do you want, Nini?” Soles asked.

Before coming up with a name, they wanted to understand what Nivellia’s dream caravan was really about—what it stood for.

“A caravan that makes lots of money!” Nivellia answered boldly.

“And cats! It has to have cats!”

Ever since she was little, Nivellia had imagined a shop with a white cat painted on the signboard.

Because Nivellia was a white cat.

Of course, Soles and Aref didn’t know that, so they just nodded along, thinking she was being cute.

“Nini wants to open a cat shop.”

“So, you want the word ‘cat’ in the name?” Soles asked.

“Yup.”

Resting her chin on the table, Nivellia stuck out her lips in a pout.

As her small lips moved like a fish, Aref, staring at her without even realizing it, asked as if enchanted,

“Isn’t your name kind of… already a cat?”

He remembered what Soles had said when they were thinking of names earlier.

“Nini’s real name is Nivellia. It means ‘white cat.’”

Her name was a blend of Nix (snow) and Pelea (cat).

The name came from Saint Muniel’s beloved white cat—Nini.

“Then why not name the caravan after you?” Aref suggested.

Nivellia’s eyes grew wide with surprise.

“But we can’t do that,”

Soles quickly objected.

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