“Don’t come any closer,” came the desperate plea, and Sayla stopped walking. Then she turned back toward Condis.
“Condis oppa, I have a favor to ask.”
At those words, Camellia flinched.
‘Prince Condis… Isn’t he the eldest of the Queibek family?’
In the Central Continent, the authority of the eldest child was far greater than in other regions.
Often, the eldest inherited everything, so their authority was immense.
‘And she’s addressing the Queibek heir so casually? The youngest of the Dvernon family?’
She was even asking him to run an errand!
By Central Continent standards, this was shocking.
“Could you call a reporter for me?”
“Me? You’re asking me?”
At his reluctant response, Camellia inwardly rejoiced.
‘I knew it!’
Sayla must’ve let her pride get the better of her and slipped up.
Trying to show off by treating the Queibek heir like a servant!
‘Tsk. Got too cocky and made a mistake!’
But Condis looked genuinely thrilled to be chosen.
‘She always asked Hamun to do it! Finally, it’s my turn!’
Sayla gave a reasonable explanation.
“If you go, they’ll come running right away. Since this isn’t a scheduled meeting, it’ll be resolved faster if you help.”
Hmph, like the heir of Queibek would run errands for something like that?
Camellia scoffed inwardly, sure Condis would explode in anger.
But instead, he beamed and replied,
“I’ll be back in a flash!”
“Thank you. A reporter with a camera would be best.”
“Leave it to me!”
Condis thumped his chest proudly.
“Thanks!”
And then took off running.
Camellia was utterly confused.
…What was she thanking him for?
She barely managed to speak.
She had to stop Condis right now.
There was no way she could take a photo with Sayla.
“No, there’s no need. I’m not really fond of taking photos.”
“That’s strange.”
“Pardon?”
“I saw an interview in the Wind Whisper Gazette.”
That interview stated that she did enjoy taking photos.
In the <Geoyeogeu> world, taking photos was a luxury reserved for high-ranking nobles and a very expensive hobby.
Children from wealthy families often enjoyed capturing their image and growth from multiple angles—essentially, selfies were all the rage.
It was considered a refined hobby, and in that interview, Camellia had proudly mentioned enjoying it.
“Were you just boasting about a fake hobby?”
Camellia’s face turned bright red.
Sayla stepped closer.
As Camellia tensed, Sayla leaned in and whispered softly,
“Lady Camellia, I don’t want to play power games with you.”
She had gone along with it, but it was all quite exhausting.
“So don’t provoke me for no reason.”
“W-what are you talking about…!”
Camellia was the kind of villain who bowed to those stronger than herself.
Once she sensed someone was superior, she would immediately start to grovel.
“Don’t forget. I’m not Queibek. I’m Dvernon.”
She knew exactly what kind of rumors circulated about Dvernon in the Central Continent.
Though mostly baseless, many feared the Dvernon family.
A quick glance showed Camellia had gone pale.
Sayla decided to drive the point home.
—Dvernon is a terrifying polar bear. It rips people apart.
“There’s a saying in the Northern Continent: return kindness twice over, but revenge tenfold.”
—If you keep messing around, I’ll punish you.
“I don’t want to hold a grudge against you, my lady.”
She lightly dusted off Camellia’s shoulders.
Camellia froze like a frog before a snake, unable to do anything.
In the carriage, Camellia sat dazed for a long while.
‘What on earth did I just hear?’
Her attendant, Belloponso, threw out various concerned questions, but Camellia didn’t respond.
She didn’t want to say a word.
‘Sayla Dvernon…!’
Camellia clenched her dress in her hands.
Her whole body trembled.
Belloponso continued to look at her with concern.
Then, Camellia mumbled something.
“Pardon, my lady? I didn’t catch that?”
“…Cool.”
“My lady, please speak clearly. I am listening.”
“…She’s so cool.”
Belloponso tilted his head.
‘She must be in shock.’
Well, after seeing such ruthless people wielding swords so crudely, anyone would be shaken.
I’ll have to look after her even more now, Belloponso vowed.
Then Camellia said something again.
“So damn charismatic.”
She was thinking of Sayla.
A noble lady unlike anyone she had ever seen in the Central Continent.
“Steward. You saw Lady Sayla, right?”
“Yes, I did.”
Camellia removed her earrings and necklace, handing them to Belloponso.
“…My lady?”
“These things are meaningless now.”
She soon removed her bracelets and anklets too.
“Today I learned that true beauty comes from a natural, confident presence.”
“My lady, I don’t quite understand…”
Camellia looked like she was dreaming.
With unfocused eyes, she murmured,
“Lady Sayla hasn’t even properly entered high society yet.”
“T-that’s true.”
“When she does, a revolution will sweep through society.”
Currently, over-the-top luxury was the trend.
But seeing Sayla had made her realize something.
The day Sayla steps into the spotlight, the trends would change.
She wouldn’t just follow the trends—she would lead them. No, she would be the trend.
“Let’s postpone the launch date of the Lia brand.”
“Pardon?”
“We’re going with a simpler, more modest concept. I want to try pants, too.”
“P-pants? But that’s…”
“Yes. Historically worn only by men. In our Central Continent, at least.”
But today, she had seen a new kind of beauty.
“Worn well, even pants can be beautiful. The market is going to shift. We have to keep up. Change the brand name from Lia to Saylia and register the trademark.”
She saw the potential today.
Hiding behind her fan, she whispered to herself,
“…She was fucking charismatic.”
That evening, Camellia came to see me again.
‘Huh? She was clearly scared of me…’
I braced myself, thinking she’d pick another fight, but she surprised me with something strange.
“…Saylia?”
“Yes. My original clothing brand was going to be called Lia. But now I want it to evoke Sayla—so Saylia.”
She even showed me a hand-embroidered logo she’d made just today.
“It’s just a draft.”
Her embroidery skills were top-notch.
A silver sword was embroidered on it—very neat and elegant.
“Please be the model for Saylia.”
“…”
“I’ve never seen anyone like you. You’re not just unique—you’re mysterious.”
…Was that an insult or a compliment?
Her tone suggested a compliment, but still.
“There’s a strange charm about you that goes beyond mere beauty. I apologize for my rudeness earlier. Like you said, I was just trying to test you a bit. I was curious what the faceless beauty was really like. I’m really sorry. But this is separate from earlier—I’m making a business proposal. You don’t have to do anything. Just lend me your name, your face, and your aura.”
Wow, was she rapping?
Spitting out that whole monologue in one breath was a real talent.
Still, I didn’t like the offer much.
Eventually, my face would become known, sure. But still, “ever-present danger” was unpredictable.
Nothing like this had ever happened in any <Geoyeogeu> route, so I couldn’t guess how things would turn out.
“One billion dia as a signing bonus.”
Wait. Hold on.
You’re offering one billion?
“And twelve billion dia annually for one year.”
So… an annual salary of 12 billion?
“Plus, 5% of net profit as royalties.”
That math escaped me immediately.
Regardless of her personality, Camellia’s fashion brand Lia ends up a massive success.
She had no fashion sense herself, but her eye for things was excellent.
‘Wait… come to think of it… she only acted like a villain toward the heroine, right?’
She hated and envied the heroine—but beyond that, she didn’t cause much trouble.
She earned players’ hatred for constantly stabbing the heroine in the back, but objectively, she hadn’t committed any serious crimes.
‘As long as she doesn’t see me as weak, she won’t be able to backstab me.’
She was annoying, but not quite a villain.
She had a slightly crude way of thinking, but in the <Geoyeogeu> world, that was understandable.
Most Central Continent nobles thought the same way—this was their norm.
Somehow, I found myself noticing her good points more than her flaws. Just a feeling, right?
‘No, get a grip.’
Don’t be swayed by money.
This was an unexpected variable.
You never knew when the threat of death might suddenly strike.
‘Besides, the Armazio family gets crushed by the male leads eventually…’
But if she doesn’t act like a villain, wouldn’t she be fine?
“Are the terms not good enough?”
“…”
“I thought so.”
…Huh?
“Sorry. Let me revise them. Five billion dia as a signing bonus. Twenty-four billion annually.”
Her offer just doubled in a second.
H-hmph, I won’t be swayed by that!
“I’ll also guarantee a minimum payout of ten billion dia, with 5% net profit royalties.”
Yes, ma’am.
I have found myself a big sister.
