Chapter 66
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Violet's First Words - Episode 66
"Don't worry. I haven't been going out much these days."
For now, I was planning to attend the Knight Order interview, but that hardly seemed like a catastrophic development.
"Then let's return to our original topic—the property division lawsuit concerning your biological mother's estate. This appears to be resolved quite easily. Geoffrey Everdin has requested a settlement. He's offering the Everdin Mansion."
"That's exactly what we wanted. We asked for the house in the first place, after all."
"Yes, the Everdin Mansion holds considerable monetary value."
"Living in a prestigious mansion at the heart of the Capital was a source of great pride for my family."
"Did you anticipate that Geoffrey Everdin would request a settlement first?"
"No. But I judged that he might do something like this. Now I know for certain."
"Is that so?"
"I was curious what mattered most to Father. He genuinely loved my Stepmother and Marigold, after all."
"His actions are remarkably swift for someone in such circumstances. He's already contacted newspaper journalists, claiming he knew nothing of his wife's crimes, expressing profound sorrow, and letting it slip that he desperately wishes to reconcile with his only daughter, Violet."
Truly a repugnant man. I let out a soft laugh.
What would happen if Paula and Marigold later discovered that he'd given away the mansion in an attempt to settle with me?
They would certainly condemn Father. That mansion was the precious foundation of their family's life, after all.
Yet Geoffrey had immediately surrendered the house to appease me.
"Is he attempting to shift his allegiance toward you, Miss Violet? Playing the role of a true father now?"
"Hardly. What truly matters to him is his own reputation. More precisely—money and status. He loves his family, certainly. Just not as much as he loves himself."
Now I understood.
The next time I spoke to Father would be when his precious money and status had suffered a devastating blow.
"Speaking to him in court would serve as revenge as well, I imagine."
Brown too had learned of Violet's "plan to speak to her enemies."
"That would suffice, but there will be many more opportunities ahead."
I smiled radiantly.
"Because his path forward will be downhill from here. There's no rush to speak to him when he's fallen even lower."
I decided not to tell Brown that I'd obtained nearly all of Father's ledgers detailing his misconduct.
After all, keeping one final move in reserve could only be advantageous.
"You're more interesting than I expected. Or perhaps...."
"...."
"You're well-suited for Ash."
"You may have heard, but Ash and I have agreed to remain friends."
"Your resolve is unexpectedly firm as well. This is the caliber one should possess."
Brown swiftly returned to his businesslike demeanor.
I glanced at Olive. It had been an excellent decision for Cyril Uncle not to attend this meeting.
'Cyril Uncle would certainly have been furious hearing Brown's words just now.'
Violet pondered the matter.
"What about the dismissed lawsuits, then?"
"Father only agreed to settle one case, didn't he?"
"So?"
"We'll file again. We'll keep pestering him relentlessly until he's exhausted. Before any dismissal comes through, Father will receive a mountain of legal documents."
Nothing quite instilled fear and displeasure in a person quite like lawsuit papers.
"My, it seems you've picked up some habits from spending time with Ash. How troublesome."
"It's not a bad influence, I think. More like wisdom gained from living."
"Then I'll resume all ongoing lawsuits. This is rather entertaining. Let's drain his life force with relentless paperwork until he collapses from exhaustion reading lawsuit documents."
"Yes, I'm grateful."
"Don't worry about legal fees. I'll give you a reasonable rate."
"Are you offering me special terms because it's my case?"
"Precisely. But to clarify, since I'm handling an interesting case, I'm offering a discount on that basis."
"Thank you."
Violet spoke.
Brown then briefly updated her on those around her.
Gran was busy attending to Ash, and Marin was actively working to open the dressmaking studio she'd always dreamed of, with everyone's support.
"The hardest part about opening a shop in the Capital is finding a location. The upscale shopping districts where people gather are already established. Even when a spot opens up, the rent is astronomical, or so I hear."
"I see...."
Violet listened intently to this information.
To reiterate, disappointment and affection were separate matters. She genuinely wished to see them.
Honestly, whenever news of Ash came up, she couldn't help but perk up her ears.
Though it was merely talk of him being frantically busy.
"Then let's settle it this way. We'll keep running sensational articles about the lawsuits."
"There's already been sufficient coverage, hasn't there?"
"The value of media coverage differs between then and now."
"In what sense?"
"This morning, when you distributed flowers to the public, it already appeared in the evening edition."
"...."
"Such acts become news. In other words, we'll make the public support you even more."
"I see."
Violet reflected. She truly had been influenced by Ash.
Because she was genuinely enjoying this.
* * *
"Will this resume suffice?"
The following morning, I drafted my resume with Olive's assistance.
Truthfully, there wasn't much to write. I'd dropped out of the Academy, and I had no substantial work experience to speak of.
However, the section on special skills was remarkably impressive.
-Spirit Mage / Capable of issuing complex commands to wind spirits, as well as protection and offensive capabilities
-Barrier Master / Able to identify barriers, though only visually
-Sword Expert tier / Precise ability level requires assessment, but capable of freely manipulating aura
There was barely enough space for everything.
"As for other special qualifications..."
"You're a prophecy bearer. You received the blessing of Prophet Gillit, after all."
"Olive, including something like that seems a bit..."
"Now you simply need to submit interview requests to Knight Orders that appeal to you. Most will likely agree to interview you. Having even a single talent is remarkable, but you possess three."
"I've heard that elite knights typically receive recruitment offers, but since I didn't distinguish myself during my Academy years, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if no responses came."
"Even now, there are many Knight Orders targeting you. The reason recruitment offers have been quiet is simply because they don't know you've entered the job market."
I didn't think it would go that far.
I drafted resumes to send to several places—avoiding anywhere with strong Imperial Court influence, while targeting organizations with good reputations that were actively recruiting new knights.
"So I just need to attach this, then?"
"Yes."
Olive cleared the desk. Today's newspaper lay there, still unread.
Cyril had left early this morning for work. Between the two of us remaining, neither had found time to read the newspaper while drafting the resume.
At that moment, Olive began reading the newspaper with a grave expression.
I noticed the streets seemed unusually chaotic today and pulled back the curtains to gaze outside.
"Miss Violet."
"Yes?"
"A problem has arisen."
I met Olive's eyes. He continued.
"The Academy has placed you on their blacklist."
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org