I AM NOT THE LOVE INTEREST!

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: A Possibility

Chapter 49: A Possibility

—ARIA—

By the time our carriage reached the eastern district of the capital, the sun had already climbed high enough to drench the streets in warm golden light.

And honestly?

This place looked alive just like at the marketplace.

This place is very different in the polished aristocratic way near the noble districts where everything felt restrained and painfully elegant.

No.

The eastern district carried a completely different atmosphere altogether.

It was loud, busy, but not chaotic.

Carriages rolled endlessly across crowded streets while merchants called out advertisements from every direction imaginable.

I pressed closer against the carriage window immediately.

"Oh my god," I whispered.

Ren glanced toward me.

"My lady?"

"Those are beautiful items."

The streets were filled with people. Shop signs hung from nearly every building while noblewomen, merchants, adventurers, laborers, and wandering mages moved through the district. Street performers occupied corners while musicians played lively melodies near crowded tea houses.

Even the buildings themselves looked different here.

And strangely enough...

I liked it immediately.

"This district handles most of the capital’s commercial trade," Ren explained from beside me after noticing my interest. "Many independent businesses begin here before expanding elsewhere."

I nodded slowly while continuing to stare outside.

"So basically," I summarized, "this is where rich people are born."

"...In simplified terms, yes."

My eyes sparkled instantly.

Perfect.

This was exactly what I needed.

Because if I truly intended to someday escape noble society dramatically and survive through strategic relocation, then building foundations here was the smartest possible decision.

I lowered the curtain slightly before turning back toward Ren with determination.

"Alright," I declared seriously. "Today we begin my future empire."

Ren looked at me quietly.

"...Empire."

"Yes."

"My lady wanted peaceful retirement ten minutes ago."

"I can desire multiple things."

"You change life goals alarmingly fast."

"That is called adaptability."

Ren sighed softly but said nothing afterward.

The carriage finally slowed near the center of the district before stopping completely.

Ren stepped out first before offering me his hand carefully.

The moment I descended from the carriage, noise immediately surrounded me from every direction.

Honestly, it felt refreshing.

Nobody here seemed particularly focused on noble etiquette. People bowed respectfully after recognizing the Valen insignia on the carriage, but afterward they quickly returned to their own business instead of lingering nervously nearby.

I liked that too.

"My lady," Ren said quietly while walking beside me, "where would you like to begin?"

I looked around thoughtfully.

"Let us search for establishments being sold first."

Ren nodded once before guiding me through the crowded streets carefully.

At first, I genuinely felt optimistic.

Surely finding available properties in the largest commercial district inside the capital could not possibly be difficult.

Right?

Wrong.

Terribly wrong.

After the fifth establishment owner politely informed us their business was thriving too successfully to sell, my optimism began deteriorating rapidly.

After the eighth rejection, I started feeling personally attacked.

And after the twelfth...

"This district is unbelievable," I muttered bitterly while exiting another crowded tea shop.

Ren looked surprisingly unsurprised.

"It is currently peak commercial season," he explained calmly. "Most businesses earn nearly triple profits during this period."

I stopped walking.

Then slowly turned toward him.

"You are telling me," I said carefully, "that everyone here is making too much money to leave?"

"...Essentially."

"That is disgusting."

Ren looked mildly amused now.

"My lady sounds offended by successful commerce."

"I am offended because capitalism is inconveniencing me personally."

A nearby merchant overheard that sentence and looked deeply confused.

Meanwhile, I continued glaring at every thriving establishment like they had individually betrayed me.

How was I supposed to build my peaceful runaway fortune if nobody wanted to sell anything?

Even the smaller stores refused negotiation.

The bakery owner laughed nervously when I asked whether he intended to retire soon.

One restaurant owner outright looked horrified after hearing my offer to purchase the building.

Apparently business here was thriving too well.

Truly unfortunate timing.

After another hour of searching, my feet already hurt.

"This is exhausting," I muttered while dragging myself dramatically down the street.

Ren immediately looked at me.

"My lady should rest."

"No. I refuse to lose against capitalism."

"That is not what is happening."

"It feels personal now."

Ren sighed again.

Honestly, this man sighed so much around me lately that I was beginning to feel concerned for his lungs.

Still, despite the failures, I could not deny something.

I genuinely enjoyed being here.

I felt oddly disconnected from the suffocating atmosphere surrounding noble society.

Nobody here cared about Aria Valen the villainess.

Nobody whispered about rumors.

Nobody stared nervously wondering whether I would bully someone publicly.

To these people, I was simply another wealthy customer wandering through the district.

And somehow...

That felt freeing.

My thoughts paused briefly afterward.

Because maybe that was exactly why I wanted businesses so badly.

Not just money.

Freedom.

A life where my survival no longer depended entirely on the Valen name.

A place where I could exist as myself instead of constantly navigating around fate.

I exhaled slowly.

Then suddenly froze.

"...Wait."

Ren stopped beside me immediately.

"My lady?"

I turned sharply toward an unfamiliar side street nearby.

Unlike the crowded establishments surrounding it, this section looked strangely empty.

No stores.

No customers.

No towering building.

Just land.

A large open lot sat quietly between two fully developed establishments, separated from the main road by an old stone fence partially covered in climbing vines.

I stared at it.

Then stared harder.

"...Why is that empty?"

Ren followed my gaze.

"Oh."

He looked mildly surprised too.

"That land has remained unused for several years."

My eyes slowly widened.

Unused?

Unused?!

I immediately grabbed Ren’s sleeve.

"Take me there."

"My lady–"

"Ren."

"...Yes."

Within moments we crossed the street carefully before stopping directly in front of the empty property.

The closer I got, the stranger it looked.

Because this lot should have been valuable.

Extremely valuable.

Its location alone made no sense for abandonment. Surrounded by thriving businesses and directly connected to one of the busiest commercial roads in the capital, this place should have already been developed long ago.

And yet...

Nothing stood there except empty land, uneven grass, and remnants of old stone foundations near the back.

I slowly stepped closer toward the gate.

Then immediately noticed the sign hanging crookedly beside it.

FOR SALE.

My eyes lit up instantly.

"Oh my god."

Ren looked cautious instead.

"My lady..."

"Ren," I interrupted while gripping his arm dramatically, "this is destiny."

His expression became increasingly concerned.

"That sentence usually precedes terrible decisions."

I ignored him completely and continued staring excitedly at the property.

The lot was large too.

Much larger than the individual establishments we previously visited.

A tea house could fit here.

Or a bookstore.

Or a café.

Or honestly?

Several businesses together.

My brain immediately started generating possibilities faster than common sense could stop them.

"We are buying this."

Ren looked startled.

"...Immediately?"

"Yes."

"My lady does not even know why the land remained abandoned."

I paused.

Then looked back toward the property thoughtfully.

...

Fair point.

That was slightly suspicious.

But...

Opportunity was opportunity.

I narrowed my eyes at the empty lot.

"There might definitely be something wrong with this place."

"...That is not reassuring."

"But," I continued while pointing confidently toward the property, "I have already emotionally attached myself to it."

Ren looked sighed and shook his head, but laughed anyway.

"My lady becomes emotionally attached to concerning things very quickly."

"That is untrue."

"You attempted to keep a magical elf physician yesterday."

"That was different."

"How?"

"He was beautiful."

Ren went silent.

Then after several long seconds, he quietly rubbed his forehead.

"...Sometimes I truly fear for your survival instincts."

I gasped dramatically.

"And yet here I am. Surviving magnificently."

At that exact moment, my foot caught uneven stone and I nearly tripped directly into the gate.

Ren caught me instantly before disaster occurred.

"...Magnificently," he repeated flatly.

I cleared my throat with dignity.

"I was simply balance testing." freёweɓnovel.com

"Of course."

Ignoring him entirely, I stepped closer toward the property again.

The longer I looked at it, the stronger the strange feeling inside my chest became.

Because unlike the other establishments earlier...

This place felt like possibility.

And maybe...

Maybe that was exactly what I wanted too.