606 MASTER MANIPULATOR
NEOMA smiled while looking at her allies. “First of all, I want to say that I’m happy to see everyone looking well.”
Right now, she was in the study alone because Trevor (who was supposed to join the eting) was summoned by the ancient royal twins.
The wall in front of them had turned into sothing similar to a projector.
It was divided into four “screens.”
The screens showed Hanna, Lewis (whose face was covered with white bandages), Jasper oppa (and Gin in his black cat form sitting on the top of the duke’s head), Hanna (who looked skinnier than the last ti she saw her), and finally, Skylus and Monik.
[They grew up so well.]
Monik was now eight-years-old. Her blonde hair had turned paler, and her pink eyes looked more sparkly than usual.
Skylus, now five years old, inherited Uncle Glenn’s sandy blond hair and Brigitte unnie’s deep blue eyes. Unfortunately, since the baby saint lost his divine power, his eyes weren’t sparkling like how Monik’s eyes did.
[No worries, Baby Skylus. I’ll still make you a saint. Just hang in there for now.]
.....
“Now, let’s hear Jasper oppa’s report,” Neoma said cheerfully. “Oppa, how’s the status of our shopping mall?”
Yes, “their” shopping mall.
The empire had several shops, of course. But the concept of a shopping mall hadn’t been introduced to that world yet. Hence, she wanted her side to co up with that first. After all, they needed to get a hold of the empire’s economic power.
[To whoever ca up with the shopping mall idea first, I’m sorry for stealing your concept and bringing it to the other world.]
“The shopping mall is in its final stage of production,” Jasper said. “We can have its opening before the year ends, Miss Ramsay.”
Yes, ‘Miss Ramsay.’
There were two rules that Hanna and Jasper had to follow: First, they must never see Neoma and Lewis’ faces. Second, they must never ntion Neoma and Lewis’ real nas out loud.
That was the reason why Neoma and Lewis were covering their faces.
[Ruto and his demigod friends protected the mories of our allies. In order to deceive the crows to think that Jasper oppa and Hanna really lost their mories of , Hanna and Jasper must never see my face and ntion my na out loud.]
Since Lewis was always with Neoma, Ruto suggested that Hanna and Jasper oppa refrain from rembering and ntioning Lewis to be safe.
Hence, her son was covering his face as well.
[Ruto said seeing Lewis might trigger Hanna and Jasper oppa’s mories of since they associate my son with , so Lewis has to cover his face as well.]
“That’s good to know,” Neoma said. “And the stores that we will launch in the mall?”
“All the stores that Lady Hanna owns have secured a lease in our mall,” Jasper oppa said proudly, then he looked at Hanna. “It’s a pleasure doing business with Lady Hanna. She’s smart, and she knows what she wants.”
Hanna smiled shyly. “I’m glad to hear that, Duke Hawthorne. But I wouldn’t be able to learn about running a business if it wasn’t for Your Grace.”
“Lady Hanna, I told you that you can address casually in private.”
“Very well, Lord Jasper.”
[Aww, they’re getting along well.]
“Hanna, why do you look skinnier than the last ti we had a eting?” Neoma asked worriedly. “And you’re pale, too.”
Hanna smiled sweetly. “No, it’s nothing to be worried about, Miss Ramsay. Regina is just trying to kill little by little with poison.”
“What?!”
She wasn’t the only one who got worried after hearing that.
Jasper oppa and the kids looked surprised as well.
Even Lewis. Although his face was covered with white bandages, his golden eyes glowered for a mont– indicating that he was upset.
“Hanna, how is that sothing that we shouldn’t be worried about?” Neoma asked worriedly. “Since when did you know that Regina was poisoning you?”
“It started a year ago,” Hanna said, still smiling. “She started putting a small amount of poison in my tea a year ago.”
Neoma clenched her hands tight. “It’s been going on for a year already?”
“Yes. It’s the type of poison that’s hard to detect because it’s odorless, colorless, and tasteless,” Hanna explained. “It’s also the type that works slowly, so you have to start by feeding your victim a small amount of it every day. Then the victim will slowly yet continuously lose their strength. Since I’ve been taking the poison for a year already, I’ve grown weaker to the point that I can’t get up from bed most of the ti.”
“I’m sure Duke and Duchess Quinzel are worried about you,” Neoma said. “And I’m sure they’ve called the physician to check on you. Did they not find the cause of your deteriorating health?”
“Our family doctor has been changed after what happened five years ago,” Hanna said. “I suspect that the doctor working for House Quinzel right now is a crow. After all, she diagnosed my “sickness” as a heart disease caused by my overflowing Mana.”
“Heart disease?” Neoma asked, frowning. “She’s clearly lying.”
After all, Hanna had already gotten over her heart disease by mastering the Shadow Manipulation Technique.
“That’s how I knew that the doctor is a crow,” Hanna said. “She keeps on acting like I’m going to die soon. I think the crows’ goal this ti is to hasten my marriage with Nero.”
Neoma knitted her eyebrows. “What? They’re killing you, and yet they want you to marry Nero soon?”
Hanna smiled bitterly. “Regina often ntions how it’s already ti for the Crown Prince to have an heir. I think the crows want to give birth to the future emperor’s successor before they get rid of .”
Neoma clenched her hands tight. “How dare those fucking bastards to treat you like a breeding machine?”
Hanna smiled and shrugged. “They want for Nero because I have the noblest blood among the ladies in the empire,” she said. “Moreover, Regina is greedy for my inheritance. She probably wants to hasten my wedding with Nero in order to replace as the Quinzel Heiress. After all, once I beco the official Crown Princess, I will lose the right to inherit the family title and wealth.”
“Then is Regina trying to convince Duke Quinzel and Duchess Quinzel to adopt her?” Neoma asked, frowning. “Being appa’s illegitimate daughter and being adopted by Duke and Duchess Quinzel officially are two separate matters. If the latter happens…”
Hanna nodded even though Neoma wasn’t done with her words yet. “What you’re thinking is correct, Miss Ramsay,” she said. “She’s not contented as Uncle Gavin’s illegitimate daughter. She wants the right to inherit the family title. I also noticed that these days, Regina is trying to get involved with the businesses I run.”
Neoma frowned, hating that Regina was trying to beco a legit Quinzel just like how she did in her first life. “Hanna, are you fine? The poison...”
“It’s not going to kill ,” Hanna said confidently. “I’ve been studying poisons for the last five years, and I’ve built immunity against them. Moreover, I have secret allies who are helping get rid of the toxins in my body. So please don’t worry about too much.”
Neoma could see the confidence in Hanna, so that put her at ease. “Alright. Then let’s just focus on stopping Regina’s plan to swallow up the Quinzel’s wealth.”
“I actually t that lady crow the other day,” Jasper oppa said. “She asked about what a “mall” is as if she’s interested in my business. Of course, I dismissed her. But I have a feeling that it won’t be the end of it.”
Neoma laughed bitterly. “It seems like the crows and I have the sa idea,” she said, smirking. “If you want complete power over the entire empire, you have to get a hold of three things: the royal family, the nobility, and the economy. The crows already have the royal family and the nobility in their hands, so now they want money.”
Nero once ntioned that he wanted to have power over the empire’s economy.
However, as the direct mbers of the Royal Family, Neoma and Nero weren’t allowed to have private businesses. They were expected to perform Royal Duties by running the empire.
But that rule didn’t apply to her.
Not yet, at least.
[After all, I’m not officially registered as a mber of the Royal Family Household.]
That was why at the mont, she was using ‘Ramsay’ as a last na instead of ‘de Moonasterio.’
“Hanna, Jasper oppa, you two will dominate the empire’s economy,” Neoma said. “And you must be careful who to do business with.”
Hanna and Jasper oppa bowed to her. “As you wish, Miss Ramsay.”
“Thank you,” Neoma said, then she turned to Lewis. “My son, have you beco the Pirate King already? Should I call you ‘Luffy’ now?”
“I’m not your son, Rara,” Lewis said, calling her by the pet na that they had co up with a few years ago. “The wealth that we accumulated by stealing from the crows who try to cross the sea is being used well.”
“And the island that I inherited from Grandma Roxana?”
The reward for finding Monik was a well-hidden island that the Light Goddess gifted to her. It was currently being used by Lewis and her other “children” as a hide-out.
“It’s being maintained well,” Lewis said confidently. “We’re just waiting for you, Rara.”
Neoma smiled proudly. “I knew I could entrust everything to you, Lulu.”
‘Lulu’ was the pet na that she ca up with for her “son” many years ago. Nero used to call Lewis ‘Lu’ in the past, but she didn’t want to copy her twin brother.
Hence, she gave Lewis ‘Lulu’ as a pet na.
[Jasper oppa and Hanna can’t ntion Lewis’ na out loud, so I’m calling Lewis by a pet na so his real na won’t get stuck in Jasper oppa and Hanna’s minds.]
Now that she had heard the adults’ report…
“Skylus, Monik,” Neoma said, finally addressing the divine babies. “I heard that Calyx is in contact with the Astello Temple these days.”
“A new divine power is born in the world!” Skylus said cheerfully, his curious eyes wide. “But it’s not natural! It’s like an artificial divine power! And it’s scary!”
“Having said that, we still feel a small amount of genuine divine power from it,” Monik said calmly. “Worse, it seems stronger than mine and Skylus’ divine powers combined.”
“I know it’s worrying, but don’t worry too much, babies,” Neoma said, smiling at the two. “The fake can never replace the original.”
Thankfully, Skylus and Monik looked relieved by what she said.
“Anyway, I heard the empire will celebrate Calyx’s birthday soon?”
Hanna let out a sigh as if she was frustrated. “I can’t believe they’re throwing an extravagant birthday banquet for Calyx when it’s Nero’s coming-of-age ceremony a few months from now.”
“It was the Empress Dowager’s decision, and the Empress Dowager is milking out the love and respect that people have for the real Empress Juliet,” Jasper oppa said, shaking his head. “Hence, people can’t really complain openly about how Prince Calyx’s birthday banquet seems to be more extravagant than the Crown Prince’s approaching coming-of-age ceremony.”
“If the Empress Dowager is preparing that much for Calyx’s birthday, then I suppose I should send them an extravagant gift,” Neoma said, smiling. Then she put a hand over her chest. “Should I put a cute ribbon on top of my head when I show up to the party?”
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