The Female Lead Takes Care of Everything - Chapter 87

“Why… why is it only this much?”

They had earned ninety million Uba. Why did she only get five million?

Where did all the rest go?

Nivellia was overwhelmed and almost in tears. Celletina gently explained everything.

“Here, look at this.”

She pointed to the list of investors.

“A lot of people invested in the Pelea Trading Company, right?”

“Yeah. Aref and big brother…”

And there were also Magia, Della, and Monitos.

“Those people trusted you and invested a lot of money, so they need to be paid back too. Right? You invested in the pharmaceutical company yourself.”

“Oh!”

Nivellia finally understood and nodded quickly.

“So, we all share the money!”

“Exactly. And the Pelea Company still needs to go west again to gather more Rospe mushrooms.”

They would need money to prepare for the next trip.

They had to pay workers, fix wagons, buy feed for the horses, and cover lodging and food during the journey.

That was why even if there was profit, she could not just spend it however she wanted.

“Even the boss can’t spend it?”

“Even the boss.”

Celletina taught her the word for it: embezzlement.

“Embezzlement is bad, right?”

“It’s a very serious crime.”

“Is it worse than using someone else’s name?”

“It’s worse. You could go to prison for fifteen years.”

“Fifteen years? Nini won’t do that! Never!”

She held out her pinky finger as a promise.

“You’ve only made one trip so far. If you go twice more before spring ends, you can earn even more.”

Celletina tried to comfort her so she wouldn’t feel disappointed.

But Nivellia was not disappointed at all.

Sure, it had hurt to see ninety million shrink down to five million, but hearing what Celletina said gave her a new sense of pride.

“I really did it. I earned it myself!”

And this time, she didn’t owe anyone anything.

Unlike before, when every coin she made had to be used to pay off debts, this money was hers.

And most importantly, she had been acknowledged.

“Mom called me the boss!”

It felt even better than being comforted after a failure. Celletina had treated her like a real leader and taught her seriously what a leader should do.

That meant she was being recognized.

For the first time, she was treated like someone who had earned money by her own hands.

“Hehe! Ehehe!”

Nivellia could not stop smiling.

She smiled during meals, while studying, even while bathing.

“Nini made money!”

She went around telling everyone she knew.

“You must have earned quite a bit, huh?”

Magia, who had come to pay the magic tower’s monthly rent, lifted Nivellia into the air with magic.

As Nivellia giggled, she proudly gave a thumbs-up.

“I haven’t returned the investment yet, but I still made money! I’ll make more soon.”

“With that confidence, maybe I should look forward to it.”

“You should! You can invest again if you want!”

“I’ll decide after I see how you do.”

After paying the tower rent to Ardores, Magia played with the children for a little while.

This time, Aref and Soles joined too.

They floated gently in the air, spinning around, while Magia quietly watched them with a soft smile.

Then she asked,

“What about the dark dragon? Still asleep?”

“It’s not a dark dragon.”

Still floating, Nivellia gently played with Magia’s long purple hair and answered seriously.

“Grandma said we shouldn’t call it a dark dragon anymore.”

“The dragon is still sleeping,” said Aref.

“But sometimes it moves. Like this,” Soles added, wiggling a hand to mimic it.

Muniel had told them not to refer to the creature as Ather the dark dragon anymore.

“When it opens its eyes again, it will be something else.”

“A lizard?”

“It’ll be a much cooler dragon than a lizard.”

The dragon was still in deep sleep.

But now, it was reacting more even while resting.

Sometimes, when they spoke to it, it would move a front leg or shift its eyes under its closed eyelids, as if it were listening.

“And now it’s completely white.”

Winter had not yet ended. Spring was still nowhere in sight.

And finally, the collapse of Petra Bank was officially announced.

“Did everyone hear the news? About the magic stone mining in the Prok Kingdom?”

“They said the quality of the stones is worse than junk. And the amount they found was way less than expected. It was in today’s newspaper…”

The magic stone mining project in the Prok Kingdom, which had stirred up so much noise since last fall, had completely failed.

And that was not all.

“Can you believe it? That man even made and sold fake winter coats!”

“He laundered money and embezzled it too!”

It was revealed that Lord Petra had been involved in producing counterfeit down coats.

Now, just hearing his name was enough to spark rage.

“So, what happens to the bank now…?”

But people’s anger soon turned to fear.

Petra Bank had been holding massive debts.

And many families had their savings frozen inside.

Blaming Lord Petra would not solve the crisis.

“This winter feels like it’s never going to end…”

Just when despair seemed to be taking over, a spark of hope finally appeared, like the first warm sunlight of spring.

“A magic stone mine has been discovered!”

Someone shouted the news.

But no one reacted. Everyone just remembered the disaster in the Prok Kingdom and shuddered.

“The Deiamor family made the announcement! The Master of the Magic Tower confirmed it himself!”

“The Master of the Tower?”

“The Imperial Court just issued an official statement. They confirmed that the mine is full of high-purity magic stones!”

And the surprises did not end there.

“The Deiamor family is taking over Petra Bank. They’re starting a new bank and said all current Petra Bank customers’ assets will be protected.”

“The profits from the magic stone mine will be used to repay the bank’s debts first. The Emperor has already approved it!”

The news spread like a miracle.

People who had been frozen in fear and hopelessness began to feel warmth return.

The long, brutal winter was finally beginning to end.

The plum and magnolia buds that had stayed closed in the cold slowly started to bloom.

Since their first trip west, the Pelea Trading Company had gone twice more.

Rospe mushrooms, with their rich flavor and perfect texture, became one of the most beloved ingredients in luxury restaurants.

Famous gourmet writers published columns praising Rospe mushrooms, and naturally, their price and value continued to rise.

Thanks to their success, the Pelea Trading Company earned enough profit to repay all their investments and still have plenty left over.

They hired more staff and added more wagons to their fleet.

Not only that, they signed an exclusive distribution contract for Philia Terre’s medicines, giving them even more influence in the market.

Armiphera had accompanied them on every trip, but during their third and final journey, she announced that she would return to Latro.

Just like when she had first arrived, she packed her things simply. As she prepared to leave, she turned to Nivellia, who had come out to see her off.

“I’m going to become a wonderful company leader too, just like you, Nini.”

“That won’t be easy.”

“That’s why I need your support, right? I’m taking on something difficult.”

“Alright!”

Nivellia gave Armiphera a big hug before she left. She didn’t forget to kiss her on the cheek either.

“Nini, don’t forget about me again this time, okay?”

“Then come back quickly!”

“I’ll try my best. Stay healthy while I’m away. Listen to the grown-ups. Get along with your brother and Aref.”

And just like that, Armiphera left.

Nivellia watched her wagon until it completely disappeared from sight.

“…”

When it was finally gone, she buried her face in Deter’s skirt.

“I hope she comes back soon.”

“…”

“And I hope she doesn’t get hurt. Not even a little. Right?”

Deter spoke softly, pretending not to notice the emotion in Nivellia’s voice.

Nivellia didn’t reply. She just gave a small, quiet nod.

The little tear that had formed at the corner of her eye faded away.

But Nivellia was not the kind of four-year-old to stay stuck in sadness for long.

“Take this!”

Thud.

A small fist, wrapped in leather knuckles, landed squarely in Muniel’s open palm.

“Take that! Take this too!”

Thud. Thud.

Nivellia kept punching, determined to become stronger.

“Phew.”

After throwing fifty punches without resting, Nivellia looked up at Muniel with bright, expectant eyes.

“Grandma, how was that? I did great, right?”

“Your spirit was strong. And your form was solid.”

“Hehe!”

“But don’t you think your battle cry could use some work?”

It was hard for Muniel to stay cheerful while catching punches and hearing her granddaughter yell “Die! Die!” over and over.

“But you used to say that too when you were killing people!”

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