I Kidnapped the Hero's Women-Chapter 203: Tue. Gift Offensive (2)

"No, sister!? What is all this? I just heard rumors that treasures from the Imperial Palace warehouse are being delivered to the Vermont mansion...!"

With a bang, the office door slammed open.

Vanessa, who had been pleased thinking Aslan had come to confront her, stiffened as she saw Reinhardt frantically gesturing, his expression full of confusion.

"...Aren’t you still under house arrest? You shouldn’t be in the Imperial Palace." "That’s not the issue right now, sister! I’m going to find out which traitor took Imperial property and make sure everything is returned, and punish the mastermind behind it all..." "It was my decision."

"Eh? I must have heard wrong, sister?" "I approved everything, so there’s no need for you to step in."

"...!?".

Vanessa turned her head with a hint of annoyance and answered, while Reinhardt’s mouth hung open in shock.

"What on earth do you mean by that!?" "You don’t need to know. I simply repaid a personal favor. I didn’t touch the national treasury, and I handled it all through my personal vault, so don’t worry." "What favor did you receive that you’re sending out such a grand gift? You ascended the throne alone, without anyone’s help, and in the midst of being surrounded by enemies, you skillfully consolidated absolute imperial power—yet now you’re sending out gifts to repay some favor?" "Ugh, quiet! It’s something from the past, you wouldn’t understand!" "Sister...?"

Vanessa slightly blushed and avoided Reinhardt’s gaze.

At that, Reinhardt’s heart sank.

He had never seen his sister look like that before.

The sight of her distributing wealth in such a manner was even more unfamiliar!

Could it be that she wasn’t thinking clearly?

Vanessa had never lost her composure in any chaotic situation—her anger or sorrow had never clouded her judgment. This was strange.

‘Wait a minute. There’s only one emotion she’s never experienced before...’

In all her years, Vanessa had never been shaken by any intense emotion.

But seeing her act so confused, it seemed like she was feeling something new, something she hadn’t encountered before.

And that feeling could only be one thing: love.

Realizing this, Reinhardt was struck by a feeling as though the world itself was collapsing around him.

"Sister! You must calm down! You’re not thinking clearly right now!" "Shut up! Do you think I’m just recklessly throwing gifts at Vermont without a plan?" "Yes! Honestly, that’s exactly what it looks like!" "Well, that’s not entirely wrong, but... I have my reasons."

"Really, sister?" "Yes. Think about it. Vermont has grown rapidly in the past few months, but that’s only because they used all the resources of a small, underappreciated territory. To an outsider, Vermont might seem to be on par with a duchy, but that’s just inflated perception. In terms of actual assets, they’re no better than a small barony running a modest shop."

"Ah, I see...!"

Reinhardt’s eyes widened.

Vermont’s businesses were indeed growing quickly,

but they were still investing aggressively, delaying turning a profit.

In other words, Vermont’s assets might still be what they were before—or even worse.

"Do you think Vermont, with no experience managing large assets, can handle all my gifts? They don’t have the guts to sell these precious items off to a pawnshop at low prices. They don’t have the personnel, space, or ability to store these treasures properly. They’ll hit a crisis soon enough." "Yes, sister! What are you going to do about Vermont, which is about to face such a crisis?"

"There’s nothing to do. Vermont will come to me, asking to unite with the Imperial family, and they will offer all the gifts I gave them as part of their dowry. Hehe. Once that happens, all the gifts will return to me, and I can take Count Vermont as my vassal without any loss!"

"Ah...!"

After hearing Vanessa’s bold declaration, Reinhardt’s mind went blank.

He had expected a clever, highly strategic plot, but the ultimate goal was marriage to Vermont?

This was the first time he had seen his sister act so foolishly.

They say love blinds you, and it seemed like that was true in this case.

What on earth did Vermont’s horrid-looking man have that captivated her so...?

Reinhardt couldn’t help but wonder if his sister, after receiving so many proposals from excellent men, had become so jaded that her tastes had become unique.

He felt like crying into his pillow at that moment.

"Your Majesty!" "Huh? This time...!?" "I have urgent news for you, Your Majesty!" "Ah. Was it Count Vermont? Go ahead, speak."

At that moment, the office door slammed open, and a messenger hurried in, kneeling.

Vanessa immediately stood up with hopeful eyes, then sat down with a sigh.

"Sir! There’s news that an investment corporation has been set up, with 90% of the shares owned by Aslan Vermont!" "An investment corporation...?" "Yes. The full details aren’t clear, but it seems like it’s aimed at selling and managing the gifts the Imperial family gave to Vermont..."

"Vermont plans to handle that alone...?"

Vanessa felt a sharp headache as she processed the unexpected news.

Huh? This is strange.

At this point, Aslan should have been the one coming to beg for help, but why was it turning out like this...?

"How? Vermont can’t possibly manage all of that!" "Sister. I’ve told you. You’re not thinking rationally right now..."

As Vanessa struggled to accept reality, Reinhardt let out a deep sigh and slapped his forehead.

The iron-willed Empress of the Empire, who had overcome every obstacle, was now on the verge of losing everything because of love.

...

"Ha... At least that’s settled."

The golden treasures and various items were moved relentlessly.

I felt a sense of relief as I watched them being neatly stored in the large warehouse.

When I first received those items, I was overwhelmed.

There was nowhere to store them, and no specialized personnel to manage them to prevent rust or damage.

If I failed to manage the Emperor’s gifts properly, Vermont would become a traitor.

It felt like a dead end.

But thanks to a savior’s timely arrival, everything had been resolved.

At that moment, a carriage came to a sudden stop right in front of me.

The carriage door opened, and a familiar red heel appeared.

Just as I was about to greet her warmly...

"Hey! Aslan!!!" "Sister! You... cough!?"

"You bastard, what the hell are you doing without telling me? What are those things in my warehouse? How did you find out where it was!?" "S-Sister... At least let go of my neck, and then I’ll explain..."

Before I could react, something flew at me, and in the blink of an eye, I was on the ground, with Irene choking me.

Irene’s firm knee pressed against my groin, and I felt my life flash before my eyes.

"Explain! Now!" "Well... I happened to see a lot of gifts from the Imperial family, and my family didn’t have the capacity to store them all..."

"So you thought you could dump it all on me? Do you even know how much it costs to store all that stuff, especially those precious items?"

"I’m not dumping it. I’m setting up an investment corporation to manage it together. I’ll give you a 10% stake." "Wh-What? You’re giving me 10% of those?!"

Irene’s fierce eyes softened as she processed the unexpected offer, and her surprise was evident.

Irene had been active mostly in the shadows for the past decade, handling stolen goods, so unlike me, she had the expertise to value expensive treasures and cultural relics and get the right price for them.

She also had connections that allowed her to secure large warehouses around the country, which meant she could handle the storage of even large-scale items.

'I have no idea how to manage such a large sum, but Irene will know.'

While I was still a novice when it came to economics, Irene was different.

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She had gone from having nothing to owning various underground businesses, like the Tales Guild, and was now a wealthy tycoon.

Her ability to grow wealth through aggressive investments far surpassed mine.

She was the perfect manager to run an investment corporation.

"Sigh... I can’t believe you did this without telling me, but I’ll let it slide because the rain will come soon, and I’m worried about the treasures getting damaged. So, how did you find out about my warehouse?" "Emilia told me."

"Ah, so Emilia told you? That damn woman..."

Irene released her grip on my neck and, seemingly calming down, clenched her fists, grinding her teeth.

Did I make a mistake by mentioning Emilia?

I didn’t really care what happened to her, so I decided to let it go.

"From now on, you can freely sell those items, and use the money however you see fit. You’re the professional manager now." "Is that really all? You just want me to manage it?"

"Yes. If you lose it all, then you lose it. If I handled it, I’d probably waste it even more. I trust you because you’re a reliable expert."

"A reliable expert... You still trust me...?"

Irene lowered her head, sniffed, and wiped her eyes.

In the Vermont family, full of ruthless villains, if I couldn’t trust Irene, who else could I trust?

I was sure she would manage everything carefully, especially since she had a 10% stake in the profits.

"Well then, I’ll be off now. I’m counting on you, sister." "Wait. Hold on."

Just as I was about to leave after completing the handover...

Irene called me to a halt, her voice suddenly lowering.

"You know... Every time I see you, I feel a strange sense of déjà vu..." "Of course, sister. I’m your little brother, after all." "No. It’s not that. You keep appearing in my dreams. It’s a memory from when I was young, and in it, you’re all grown up..."

"..."

[The evil god, Cali, is shivering with dread!]

Ah. Did she figure it out?