The Villainess turns the Hourglass

Chapter 66. Testing And Trial, Part VII

Translator: Khan

Editor Group: Liber Reverie

“He’s eliminated the risk once, so it should be reopened. Would the security be tight, wouldn’t it? Above all, the Crown Prince said he would take care of it himself.”

“As expected, you think so.”

“Yes, this is what his Highness does. It might be a good idea to boost his investment and expand the business in the future. It should be enough to be known to other countries.”

“I agree. Would it be nice to use it as a symbol of the capital?”

“Right. How about building a statue of the Crown Prince?”

“I’ve heard rumors that he is a handsome man. That sounds like a great idea.”

Having heard Mielle’s very ordinary and simple proposal, Lane responded with a loud response. She couldn’t hide her joy since her thoughts were accepted and continued to make a suggestion that everyone could think of, and Lane replied, praising that it was an excellent idea. She seemed to feel her thoughts and opinions were as great as ever as always.

‘Was Mielle with no keen notice, like that?’

Mielle couldn’t even feel Lane’s disappointment. Although he didn’t express his feelings, he didn’t go deep into her thoughts and opinions and only responded appropriately. It was almost as if the count was the one who heard the foolish opinions of Mielle.

‘You asked him to set a statue of the Crown Prince! What a foolish idea it was!’

It was so childish. The Crown Prince was not a hero who put a flag on the conquest, but what kind of statue was she going to build? She was so childish that Aria laughed at it.

“… sister?”

Then Mielle responded straight away. She seemed to have been paying attention even if she had pretended not to do so. It was worth it because Aria had taken the eyes of Oscar and Cain. Aria was also bothered about what Mielle and Lane were talking about while she was away.

Aria wiped her lips with a handkerchief and apologized briefly as all the attention was paid to her because her name was called.

“I’m sorry. I was drinking tea and…”

“Are you all right? There are such times.”

Aria nodded calmly because Sarah asked with a worried face. It was obvious that she was being mocked, but Sarah, who only knew the lovely Aria, seemed to be just worried about her.

“Do you have anything to say?”

But that wasn’t for Mielle and Lane. It was appropriate to say that she was being mocked because it happened while they were talking. He asked why Aria was being mocked because he was bored and disappointed in his conversation with Mielle.

“Well, I don’t know if I can join.”

“Anyone in the House is free to make their own decisions.”

‘Alas, how boring would you be when you talked to Mielle and get an opinion from a wicked woman? You came here to get her heart with a heap of wealth, but you couldn’t resist boredom, so you talk to the daughter of a humble prostitute first. Wouldn’t your master be angry and resentful if he knew?’

“Well… it’s simple, but I’d like to show my thoughts.”

“Yes, please.”

Lane replied with a tone of whether he expected something or not. It was because of Aria’s reasoning that she had shown him once in a while. Since she was a vulgar woman of low birth and the rumors were not ordinary, he seemed to wonder if her previous sharp reasoning was a coincidence. Nevertheless, his eyes glowed with anticipation just in case.

“I think they’d better shut down the casino.”

“… why?”

Lane frowned at the extreme opinions.

“I think a casino that can be used for people who dream of making a fortune at one stroke, no matter how legal, will devastate the spirit and soul of the people.”

—

And it would soon become a reality. Unlike the days when Viscount Lupre managed it, the casino that the Prince himself was in charge of was very prosperous under the hands of the Crown Prince. It was also because of the reassurance and trust that the Empire would manage them. Therefore, there were a number of people who had lost their entire fortune to the casino, which was a legitimate gamble, and the damage went to the nobility.

The countess, Aria’s mother, in the past, also caused minor trouble to the count by throwing away enough money to dispose of the jewels she had. Fortunately, the countess had to read his countenance for a while although their relationship recovered over time. Therefore, Aria intended to give proper caution or accompany the casino to give advice.

There were quite a few people who lost their fortune even when Viscount Lupre was managing it, but she heard that the business was not expanded or promoted properly, and he touched the illegal business. However, if the Crown Prince was involved, who would be able to embrace it all at once…

“You mean they’re going to lose their money because of gambling?”

“That’s what I think. If there’s a rumor that the Crown Prince is in charge of it, unlike when Viscount Lupre was in charge, they’d be relieved to invest their money. Because of the nature of gambling, the majority of people will lose money.”

“You have a point. Then why not impose restrictions?”

“How are you going to impose restrictions?”

“Well, if we decide how much they can spend according to their own property…”

“Really? I wonder how you’ll study and set standards when they have different assets.”

Even if the number of aristocrats was small and the taxes they paid were large, it would be easy to identify them. However, how would they investigate a large number of commoners? Even if one or two commoners went bankrupt, it would not deal a serious blow to the entire Empire.

But what if the number went up? If they fell, who would pay small but solid taxes and support the base of the Empire; the noblemen who led elegant lives on them would also be dealt a fatal blow.

“That’s…”

Lane blurred his words. There seemed to be no alternative. It was the same with Aria. So she thought it would be better to end the casino business because she did not think of an alternative plan to prepare.

“The people who enter the casino with the dream of making a big fortune first…”

Before the words were spoken, Aria looked at Mielle once and smiled brightly.

“They’ll see the statue of the Crown Prince. And this is what they’re going to think, ‘It’s a casino managed by the Crown Prince, and I’m sure it will enrich my life.'”

Mielle’s shaking eyes fell on Aria. The saliva-sucking look seemed to wait for the next word for Aria. Lane’s face hardened if he had guessed what she would say.

“But what if they lose money? What do you think of the thing they will face after losing all their property and being kicked out of the casino?”

‘Even if I don’t tell you anymore, you will know that.’

Aria picked up a cup of tea and kept some cold black tea in her mouth. Lane clenched his fists as if she was a little bit of a wicked woman who enjoyed tea gracefully with her long, rich eyelashes down.

As Mielle spoke with her short foolish thought, she did not overcome the shame and could not answer any. So it was lovely Sarah who answered Aria’s question.

“… it must be a statue of His Highness.”

“That’s right. But if he faces people crying out at his statue… His Highness must not be very pleased.”

Mielle’s brow creased as it could be seen.

‘What a pleasant surprise!’ It looked very well suited to the foolish woman. She should know how foolish she was.

Why did Mielle still think her ideas were great? Facing Mielle’s face, Aria shook her head, making a surprised face.

“Mielle, you’re not offended, are you? It’s just a hypothesis and I’m not ignoring your opinion. His Highness’s statue? in fact, I really want to see it. I can’t wait to imagine how beautiful it will be.”

“… yes. I don’t know his face, so I’d like to see him as a statue.”

Sarah helped, but Mielle’s face was hardly loosened. ‘Is it okay for a saint to narrow the middle of her forehead while a wicked girl is smiling?’ Of course, it was a very pleasant and enjoyable situation.

Lane’s eyes were fixed on Aria for a while. It seemed quite shocking that a young girl of only fifteen came up with this idea. She was the daughter of a prostitute who even had a bad reputation. Lane must be aware of the rumor.