Please Lend Me 50 Million - Chapter 45

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The ticklish sensation she thought would vanish quickly continued for a long while afterward. Perhaps the excitement of that day had been bottled up with the candies, for every time she saw the glass jar sitting on her office desk, her cheeks ripened red.

Or perhaps the fluttering wind that had filled her lungs that day hadn’t quite leaked out yet, because she would burst into a giggle whenever she saw a lemon, and even while performing her usual duties, a puhi sound of leaking air would escape her. With every step she took, she felt as if she were floating. It got to the point where Cecile asked if a business she had started in secret had suddenly become a massive success.

A subtle sense of happiness brushed between her toes. That was why they kept curling up and her body kept twisting. Moreover, after many twists and turns, she had purchased the tools from the shop and her business plan was taking shape, so there was no better day than this.

Asha did not know.

That this feeling of being ready to fly would be shoved into the mud in an instant.

And by a single person, at that.

Asha’s daily life, as she skipped around unaware of her fate, flowed on as usual. Asha wanted to trust her excited mood and put her plan into action immediately, but unexpectedly, the obstacle was Harriet’s increasingly busy schedule. Perhaps the matter with the Peliche Central Branch had escalated, as it was not easy to see his face even while living under the same roof.

Since they were a couple who would spend their lives together, it wasn’t an urgent matter, but she couldn’t help the growing impatience to execute her plan as soon as possible.

Asha, who kept fidgeting restlessly, was eventually pushed by Cecile’s hands and kicked out to a banquet hall. Along with a threat that was practically a scream.

‘It’s about to spread through the entire mansion that my lady is plotting something! Please attend the banquet and clear your head!’

“Whew….”

Recalling Cecile’s words, Asha stared at the white, shimmering gallery with dead eyes. This banquet was special compared to others because it was an art exhibition hosted by ‘Count Clark,’ a man obsessed with collecting artwork. His banquets were always popular, as he was one of the wealthiest figures in Peliche, but for this exhibition, he had even proclaimed that he would display collection pieces famous enough for every imperial citizen to know.

In this situation, he had set the banquet schedule right before the start of the summer social season, so word spread that this was the banquet opening the curtain for this summer’s society. Those rumors set fire to the hearts of noblewomen with children of marriageable age, and eventually….

“Emma! You came all the way from the North?”

“It was so far. I spent three whole days in a carriage!”

An unprecedented crowd gathered.

To give an idea of the scale, even Northerners, who lived unimaginably far from the South, appeared quite frequently. Asha could guarantee that, excluding imperial banquets, this was the first time she had seen such a diverse gathering of imperial citizens.

Being a grand banquet, skilled musicians from a magnificent orchestra showed off their cheerful performance. It was an atmosphere suited for a vibrant early summer. Just as Asha, overwhelmed by the tremendous momentum, instinctively hesitated in her steps, people did not miss her and approached.

If one were to name the famous sights of Peliche, wouldn’t it be the canals, the trade ports, and the Bellstein Count family? The Countess of Bellstein, treated as a semi-famous sight of Peliche, was no different from prime prey to them. Those who rushed to Asha shoved their bodies forward and worked themselves into a heat just to show their faces one more time or exchange a single word.

“My lady, the trend for dresses this time is—”

“I heard you’re starting a business again—”

At the words that poured out like a waterfall rather than a mere stream, Asha simply smiled softly and nodded her head, offering subtle reactions to the noblewoman listing the trends. Yes, your words are right, and those words are right, too. The conversational method of not leading the dialogue but only offering peripheral reactions was something she had learned from her mother, Helen. Since she had been educated almost to the point of brainwashing after making a young lord cry at a banquet when she was seventeen, the words came out smoothly even if she lost her mind.

“Ah, really? That’s amazing. Ah, really?”

There were few who could endure the endless stream of reactions to the end. No matter how much enthusiasm one put in, if the other person’s response was consistently lukewarm, it was bound to become embarrassing. Eventually, as time passed, most of those who were only interested in Asha’s shell dropped away, leaving only noblewomen with considerable influence in the political world by her side. They were those who did not need anyone’s attention and drew the eye simply by existing.

Once a group was formed of those who were somewhat similar, the noblewomen brought up quite heavy topics. Unlike their casual, tossed-out tone, the stories exchanged could be described as scathing.

Asha, leisurely observing the people gathered around, turned her gaze to a group approaching nearby.

‘Are they noblewomen full of ambition?’

Contrary to Asha’s expectation, the Duchess of Seline, who was playing the role of leader in Asha’s group, welcomed them warmly. She thought it was excessive kindness for dealing with young ladies, but it turned out the lady positioned in the very center was the Duchess of Seline’s niece.