Chapter 97

2/2

When I close my eyes, what comes to mind is the distant past.

Those warm days when our whole family lived together.

I admired my father, who ran the trading company and was beloved by his employees, and thought he was cool, even as a child.

My mother... though she was incredibly scary when she scolded us, she was always gentle and warm, with a soft smile.

Even though we had servants, my mother never skipped cooking, and she supported my father in both good times and bad. Seeing my parents smile at each other, even as a child, made me feel proud and warm.

Then there was my energetic and adorable younger brother. Being younger than me was a new experience for me, so I silently vowed to protect him.

Such a warm family, such a gentle daily life. Losing it all was truly sudden.

...They say you only realize the value of something after you lose it... and that was exactly the case. I only realized how precious and blessed those days were after they were gone.

Thinking back to those times, I feel regretful... and sad.

That's how important those days were to me.

Suddenly, I opened my eyes.

What I saw was the study.

I am now in the chairman's study... the place where my father used to work.

When I saw it as a child, it was filled with many books and documents, and I thought it was quite messy.

Now it is empty, and the scene before me feels strangely desolate.

As I recalled these memories, I stretched my back, which was leaning against the chair, and clenched my fist.

Finally, I have reclaimed it...

Losing it all was truly sudden.

That day... my father and mother were on business and left the capital in a carriage.

I never imagined, let alone thought, that they would be in an accident and not return.

When I received the news of their deaths, I had no time to grieve; I had to deal with the funeral and various procedures.

Vulde Lancum, who was the vice chairman at the time, took care of everything for me, a child who had lost his support and felt vulnerable.

"You can leave everything to me, it will be fine."

Those words were a great comfort to me, who had lost my support.

I did everything as he said.

"...The company is in a bit of trouble. I'm sorry, but there might be an investigation into your father, the former chairman. Could you and your brother hide out somewhere for a while?"

Because of that... I believed his words without hesitation.

We left home and started living in a run-down house in a corner of the capital, as if hiding.

"I'll come to get you someday."

With those words, we were given a small amount of money and lived in hiding for a while.

A week... two weeks, and then a month.

By the time three months had passed, I began to feel something was wrong, so I went to the trading company.

There, I learned for the first time that I had been deceived.

"...I'm sorry, but who are you?"

He said this calmly.

"What are you talking about... It's me, Karim. The son of the former chairman of this company."

"...The son of the former chairman, unfortunately, died along with his parents."

"You're the one who's talking nonsense...!"

"...Someone!"

Just as I was about to speak, Vulde called for someone.

"This is an impostor pretending to be the son of the former chairman. Throw him out."

And he said this mercilessly.

"Stop it...! Hey, stop it...!"

As I struggled, Vulde gave me a pitying look.

Then he approached me, who was being dragged away, and whispered in my ear.

"...I have dismissed everyone in the company who knew you. No matter what you say, it will be in vain."

"...What...!"

"You were a good boy. Pure and trusting, never doubting what you were told. I considered putting you in charge and manipulating you, but things went better than I expected."

He said this with a smile, then signaled the men to drag me away. As a result, I was easily thrown out of the company.

I was still young and didn't know where to turn or what to do. As the days passed, I had to find a way to earn money to survive.

I managed to get by, but then my brother fell ill, and I needed more money, so revenge was no longer an option.

And so, I ended up here, harboring anger with no place to go.

It was then that she appeared, saying she wanted to use my name and power.

"...Excuse me, the chairman of Azuta Trading Company is here."

I snapped back to reality at the words of the employee who had knocked on the door.

"Please show her in."

After a while, the woman who had picked me up back then arrived.

"I'm sorry to take your time when you're so busy."

"No, it's fine. It's for you. It's only right that I take the time."

"Hehehe... You've become quite the smooth talker."

She smiled gently. She was beautiful, even in the darkness, and that impression didn't change in the light.

"Today, I've come to formalize our agreement. Let's put our verbal agreement into writing."

"Sure. That's better."

I received the contract from the woman beside her, checked it, and signed it.

"Indeed. I look forward to working with you starting tomorrow."

The verbal agreement with her... was about using my power.

To integrate the transportation department of my company with Azuta Trading Company and operate it under the name of my company.

"How is the work going?"

"There's still a lot I don't understand. Honestly, I'm grateful for the people you've sent to help."

As a result of expelling those who had colluded with Vulde, the company was facing a serious shortage of personnel.

So, I had Azuta Trading Company send people to help.

"Hehehe, I've heard from them. You never delegate tasks and are quite eager to learn."

"..."

I couldn't affirm or deny it, so I closed my mouth without saying anything.

She smiled again at my reaction.

"That's a good thing. Use me and them. Never let others sway you; approach your work with your own will. If you do, even if you get lost, you can still do your work in your own way. That's my advice as a senior."

"...Do you ever get lost?"

"Of course. I'm just a human like you. Even as a senior, I've only been at it for a few years. I get lost, regret things, and feel a lot of pain."

I was a bit surprised. I thought she would overcome any obstacles with the same defiant smile she had when we first met.

"...But. I've been able to come this far because I have a vision of what I can achieve with my own hands."

"...What kind of vision?"

"After reading stories to the orphans, I started a business selling those stories as picture books. The profits from that are donated to the orphanage. Since then, I've realized that the 'profit' the company should aim for is not just money, but something more. That's what motivates me. ...Do you have any such goals or vision?"

I thought for a moment at her words.

The vision I seek...

"If you don't have one right now, there's no need to rush to decide."

Perhaps because I hadn't spoken for a long time, she smiled and said this.

"...Someday..."

I opened my mouth to say what I was thinking.

"I want to work with medicine, and I want to do something that makes the people in the lower town smile."

"..."

I have no idea how to get there. I don't know what to do.

But if I can do that... I think I can say that my experiences were not in vain.

She just smiled more deeply at my words.

I would like to use this space to make an announcement.

I am very sorry.

There is a typographical error in the book currently on sale.

The names of Ryle and Dida in the first illustration are reversed.

It is said that this will be corrected in the next printing...

I am very sorry to those who have already purchased the book.