Free Web NovelChapter 55: Chapter 55: Trust the Vision
Chapter 55: Trust the Vision
—ARIA—
By the time Ren and I returned to the Valen Estate, the sun had already begun lowering behind the distant capital walls.
And unfortunately...
Reality had finally started catching up to me.
Because now that the excitement from the eastern district settled slightly, one horrifying detail abruptly surfaced inside my brain.
Money.
I froze halfway through entering my room.
Ren nearly walked directly into me from behind.
"My lady?"
I slowly turned toward him.
"...Ren."
Something in my voice immediately made him cautious.
"Yes?"
"Hypothetically speaking..."
That sentence alone made him visibly wary.
"What if," I continued carefully, "someone accidentally planned an entire commercial empire before calculating financial requirements?"
Ren stared at me silently.
Then he sighed.
"...I was wondering when my lady would remember that part."
I gasped softly.
"You knew?"
"My lady spent several hours designing boutiques aloud while possessing no visible source of income."
"That is unfairly observant."
Ren looked mildly exhausted already as he quietly closed the door behind us.
Meanwhile, I slowly walked deeper into my room before collapsing dramatically across the sofa near the tall windows.
"Oh no," I muttered toward the ceiling. "I forgot capitalism requires money."
Ren stood nearby watching me quietly.
"My lady is still a noblewoman," he said carefully afterward. "You are not without resources."
"Yes," I answered immediately. "But those resources belong to Duke Valen."
And suddenly...
The excitement inside me dimmed slightly.
Because that was exactly the problem.
No matter how comfortably I currently lived inside this estate, none of it was truly mine.
Not the money.
Not the influence.
Not even the room I slept in.
Everything existed beneath Duke Valen’s authority.
And with Cynthia gradually revealing more of her true nature little by little...
I could no longer ignore the possibility that this household might eventually become dangerous for me too.
I slowly sat upright afterward, my earlier enthusiasm fading into thoughtfulness.
"What happens," I murmured quietly, "if Father suddenly decides to stop supporting me?"
Ren frowned immediately.
"My lady."
"No, think about it seriously," I continued while folding my arms. "What if Cynthia pushes things further later? What if public opinion completely turns against me again? What if I lose my position inside this estate entirely?"
Ren’s expression tightened faintly.
"You are overthinking."
"Am I?"
The question lingered quietly between us.
Because unfortunately...
I was not entirely wrong.
This was still the same world where the original Aria eventually lost everything.
And even if I already changed parts of the story...
There was no guarantee fate would simply leave me alone forever afterward.
I lowered my gaze quietly toward my hands.
"If I ask father for funding now," I said more softly, "then my future still depends entirely on his approval."
Ren remained silent.
"And if something goes wrong later..." I smiled faintly, though it felt more tired than amused this time. "Then everything I build could disappear just as quickly."
The room grew quieter afterward.
Meanwhile, my thoughts spiraled relentlessly.
Land.
Construction.
Workers.
Materials.
Furniture.
Licenses.
Magic utilities. freewebnσvel.cøm
Inventory.
God.
Building a business was horrifyingly expensive.
And now that I thought about it properly...
Even purchasing Sir Alden Virell’s property alone would probably cost an absurd amount.
I slowly leaned backward against the sofa again before covering my face dramatically with both hands.
"...I am doomed."
Ren almost laughed.
Almost.
"My lady," he said carefully afterward, "if necessary, perhaps the Duke truly would support your plans."
I lowered my hands slowly before looking toward him quietly.
"That," I answered honestly, "is exactly the problem."
Ren’s brows furrowed faintly.
I exhaled slowly afterward while staring toward the darkening windows.
"I do not want this to become another thing I owe him for."
The words slipped out more honestly than intended.
And somehow...
Saying them aloud made me realize just how deeply I meant them.
Because despite everything changing recently...
Despite Duke Valen paying attention to me...
Despite the strange shift inside this household...
A part of me still remembered exactly how temporary affection could become.
Especially in noble families.
Especially in this world.
I looked down quietly afterward.
"I do not want to build a future that can be taken away from me the moment someone changes their mind."
Silence settled softly between us.
Then Ren finally spoke.
"...My lady truly intends to leave someday."
The words caught me slightly off guard.
I blinked toward him.
Ren stood quietly near the door, but his expression looked strangely difficult to read.
I smiled faintly.
"What are you talking about?" I laughed awkwardly, deliberately feigning ignorance.
Ren did not laugh.
His gaze lowered briefly before returning to me again.
"My lady keeps speaking about building something that belongs only to you," he said quietly. "A future outside this estate. Outside noble society."
I opened my mouth immediately.
"Well, obviously I cannot remain emotionally unemployed forever."
"That is not what I meant."
The softness in his voice made me pause slightly.
Ren looked away for a brief moment before continuing more carefully.
"You speak as though you are preparing for the day you no longer have a place here."
I forced another small laugh.
"That sounds overly dramatic."
"...Does it?"
I looked toward him again.
And suddenly realized he was completely serious.
Ah.
He surely is worried I might disappear the moment he looked away.
The realization made guilt twist faintly inside my chest.
I looked down toward my hands instead.
"I am only trying to be practical," I murmured. "Depending entirely on this estate forever would be foolish."
Ren remained silent.
"And besides..." I tried smiling again. "Wanting independence is normal."
"Yes," he answered quietly.
Silence lingered briefly between us before Ren finally spoke again.
"If my lady leaves someday..."
He paused slightly afterward.
"...then will you take me with you?"
The question startled me more than expected.
I blinked at him.
For a brief moment, Ren looked oddly tense after saying it aloud, as though he regretted the question the moment it escaped him.
Honestly...
Why did he sound like some abandoned puppy waiting to hear whether he would be discarded too?
I immediately straightened.
"Well... of course!"
The answer came so naturally that Ren visibly froze.
I continued before he could overthink himself.
"But first," I added quickly while suddenly sitting upright with renewed energy, "do you know whether there are unused fabrics somewhere inside the estate?"
Ren blinked once.
"...Fabrics?"
"Yes. Old curtains. Discarded dresses. Excess embroidery cloth. Anything."
His brows furrowed faintly.
"My lady wishes to use secondhand fabric?"
I pointed dramatically at him.
"No. I wish to repurpose luxury materials into modernized designs."
Ren stared at me silently.
Then sighed softly.
"...I see."
"Do not sound unconvinced. Great empires begin from strategic resource management."
"That sounded suspiciously improvised."
"It was inspirational."
Ren looked deeply unconvinced by that explanation but still thought about the question seriously afterward.
"The estate storage rooms likely contain unused textiles," he answered after a moment. "Noble households replace decorations frequently. Many old fabrics are probably untouched."
My eyes brightened instantly.
"Oh my god."
Ren immediately looked concerned by my expression.
"My lady?"
"We are about to financially recover."
"...From money you never possessed?"
"Yes."
I stood up from my seat immediately and began pacing around the room again while my thoughts accelerated rapidly.
Unused expensive fabrics alone would already be high quality.
Velvet.
Silk.
Layered lace.
Expensive embroidery.
And if I redesigned them properly...
No.
Forget properly.
If I redesigned them using modern fashion concepts alone, this entire kingdom would lose its collective mind.
I abruptly turned back toward Ren.
"Can you ask the butler about it?"
Ren nodded slowly.
"I will."
"Okay!" I clasped my hands together excitedly. "Do include jewels too. Small decorative ones if possible. Needles. Colored thread. Maybe ribbons."
Ren blinked.
"...My lady intends to begin immediately?"
"Of course."
I pointed toward myself proudly.
"I am currently fueled by financial desperation and artistic delusion. This is the strongest state I can achieve."
Ren covered his eyes briefly with one hand.
"That sentence concerns me greatly."
"Ignore the concern and trust the vision."
