Became the Villainess’s Guardian

While Edan may not have allocated any stats towards invention, he was not without thoughts on investment either.

Leaving aside his desire to flaunt his creations to the world like a proud parent, there had seldom been a better time than this booming economy.

After the dreadful recession that followed the war with the demonic tribes, people who had barely escaped that hell willingly opened their wallets, intoxicated by this prolonged period of prosperity. Keres Martop had simply lacked suitable products to launch overseas but was now actively expanding its business.

“When will we get another opportunity like this? The longer we stand still, the further behind we’ll fall. We’re already falling behind at this very moment!”

“Coincidentally, we’re the number one company in this industry sector. Let’s seize the market before others can get their mouths watering.”

“Overseas expansion, you say? Yes, Keres Martop is doing well!”

Thus, no one dared to point out that Edan’s judgment was flawed.

At the very least, even Freyja, who could muster the courage to strongly oppose matters related to Martop, had no objections.
The investors, who could have applied the final brakes, were not only receptive but even actively supporting and pushing for expansion.

Of course, as pessimism tends to be more sensational and popular, there were those who doubted this party would last forever.

“Perpetual prosperity is economically impossible. I’m not saying this because I’ve shorted stocks, but there will undoubtedly come a time when this bubble bursts.”

“You’ve been saying that for 10 years now. Any other reasons?”

“No, it’s simply humanly impossible for this to go on! The bubble has to burst at some point! Gyaaahh!!”

Statistically, historically, morally, ethically.
Investors who had shorted stocks while trying to convince themselves through such reasoning ended up taking swimming lessons in the River Thames, swept away by the unethical tide of prosperity that followed.

Pessimism had vanished, leaving only the rosy prospect of the future.

However, in this world, there was one person for whom Edan and his Martop seemed to be aboard a train headed for ruin, barreling at full speed.

“Unfortunately, Keres Martop will also face difficulties for a while.”

“So what do you plan to do about it?”

“Not that it’s Mr. Edan’s fault for thinking that way.”

“So you intend to intervene in Keres Martop.”

In short, Edan had simply been unlucky.
In a village of the blind, was it wrong to only have one eye open?

However, that could not be an excuse for failure, and the only consolation, at best, was that he would have many companions in misery.

Of course, that was assuming Freugne did nothing.

“Ultimately, his accumulation of wealth stems more from the charitable foundation than personal greed, I suppose. From a smaller perspective, it’s to support me. So a little leniency would be understandable, wouldn’t it?”

“I see. Understood for now.”

While Freugne was unsparing in purging the organization, she was somewhat more generous towards Edan at home.
Even Ulr, who had a rough sense of the situation, was not so rude as to pry into the boss’s personal relationships.
After all, they were both beneficiaries of Edan’s charitable foundation, so it felt awkward to feign ignorance.

With a gratifying flutter in her chest, Freugne muttered softly:

“Indeed, Mr. Edan cannot do without me.”

Would he ever realize the extent of her efforts behind the scenes?
And if he did, how would he react? While the as-yet-undetermined future was uncertain, she hoped he would at least offer praise.

As the person she interacted with the most, Freugne was well aware of how Edan would fare in the impending chaos if left unattended.

Thanks to Edan’s diligent maintenance, Keres Martop’s technology would be solid, and he would have ample savings in the bank. Even during the recession, sales would be decent enough for survival.
However, no matter how well he performed from the peak, he would at best secure the position of the victorious fool, as opposed to the defeated fool.

Martop would not crumble, but it would stagger severely, only regaining the opportunity for a comeback much later.
And Edan would become depressed. Quite severely, in fact. That was the most important part.

“So we need to start preparing for Mr. Edan’s side as well.”

“Going out?”

“Yes, I need to meet with the head of the investment company.”

Freugne left the hideout to meet with the nominal head she had recently appointed.

Freugne had a few concepts she would take out and utilize as needed, like switching disguises.

At home, she was a devoted(?) daughter; at school, an exemplary student who did not stray from the bounds of normality.
To the few who needed to know her true identity, like Ulr, she was the boss of an organization quietly amassing power behind the scenes of the kingdom.

And her final concept was that of a lowly messenger delivering her orders within that organization.
A position nicknamed the ‘mail carrier’ within the organization.

It was that ‘highly profitable part-time work’ she would occasionally assign to friends she had made in public school.
A persona she had created to claim ignorance as a mere messenger if caught, allowing her to feign innocence.

As the mail carrier, Freugne entered a recently constructed, stylish building in West End.
And as she approached the counter, a waiting employee asked:

“You seem to be a student. What brings you here today?”

“Um, I’m here to see the Earl.”

“It might be difficult if you don’t have a separate appointment. Unless you’re representing someone who made an appointment-”

“That’s alright. She’s my guest.”

“Ah, Chairman. My apologies.”

“Come in. It seems the new hires didn’t recognize you.”

Thus, Freugne was able to have a private meeting with Earl Norton, the head of the massive investment company Norton Investment, which had meterorically risen in Londinium.

After dismissing everyone else, Freugne began her revelation.
While she had recommended various companies for portfolio diversification, her answer was always the same when asked to suggest the stock with the most impressive returns.

“Keres Martop.”

“That one Martop alone will suffice?”

“Yes. And secure as large a stake as possible, even if you have to go into debt.”

If he were to counter with ‘Isn’t that risky?’, he would be unqualified to lead an investment company in the first place. As for those dopamine addicts suggesting ‘Why not just leverage it 100 times boldly?’, they were already honorary members of the River Thames swimming class.

“Understood. If that is the representative’s will, I shall do as instructed.”

Therefore, Earl Norton, who obediently followed without question, was the most suitable person for Freugne to entrust with an investment company.

Earl Norton was a safety-conscious individual.

As such, he was among the last to heed Freugne’s investment advice letters, yet once committed, he was fated to rely entirely on her guidance.

In the earl’s eyes, Freugne was the person he had to follow most for the sake of safety.
An ironic relationship, considering that normally, heeding others’ words was the riskiest act.

“And once you’ve secured the stakes, there’s one more thing to do.”

“And what might that be?”

“Apply pressure on Keres Martop to halt its expansion.”

And this order, too, would be carried out without question.
According to Freugne’s will.

Keres Martop Co., Ltd. is, as the name suggests, a stock company.

And stocks represent fractional ownership of the company.
Therefore, the publicly listed Keres Martop on the Londinium Stock Exchange could not be free from shareholder demands.

While Freyja’s own indecisiveness played a role, her previous susceptibility to shareholder sways stemmed from this context.
It was only after I began actively working at Martop and delivering consistent profits that these voices subsided.

And the shareholders were also the force that halted my air-conditioning fandom.

“Let’s postpone the expansion for a bit.”

There you have it.

Even Freyja, who was present, seemed slightly taken aback.

However, the difference this time was that it wasn’t a swarm of individuals descending upon us, but rather a single entity in the form of an investment company.
While we could have simply insisted and pushed through, the stakes they held could not be easily ignored.

Adjusting his glasses with his fingers, Earl Norton, the head of Norton Investment, continued:
His name was quite straightforward and easy to remember.

“Of course, I don’t mean for Martop to remain confined within the Glasgow Kingdom forever.”

“Then what?”

“One year, no, just half a year. Wait only that long, accumulating funds, and then utilize that vast capital.”

“In other words, bide our time and build up strength before making our full-fledged move.”

For some reason, it felt like something I had heard before.
Ah, it was something Freugne often said. Perhaps it was more of a trend than just her personal thought.

Well, it was only natural for the intelligent girl not to rely solely on intuition.
Leaning forward, I asked the earl:

“Do you have any grounds for making that judgment?”

“Of course, according to the economic model presented last winter, that is the case. Allow me to briefly explain.”

The earl took out a bundle of papers from his pocket and began explaining to me.
Honestly, I could barely understand what he was saying, but I nodded along periodically nonetheless.

“Do you follow so far?”

“Yeees…”

“But do not be too disheartened. Since you may well be dissatisfied with this measure, my company promises additional investments on our part.”

“Heh, money…”

Freyja, who seemed to have missed part of the explanation, deferred by saying she would discuss and review it within Martop before providing an answer.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the table.
The hand holding the teacup trembled slightly as Earl Norton raised it to his lips.

It was not due to tension before closing a major deal.
After all, why worry when all he had to do was empty his mind and follow instructions?

The reason for the earl’s unease was something else entirely.

Freugne, who delivered important orders each time. And Edan, who had taken her as his adopted daughter.
If he could not sense anything from this relationship, he would be unqualified as an investor.

Although it might have been presumptuous of him to even speculate…

‘Could the mage Edan be the leader of that organization, or at least one of his closest aides?’

After some contemplation, he finally gained conviction from today’s meeting.

Unaware of anything, Edan did not understand why the earl’s movements had become so awkward and stiff, leaving him with an uneasy feeling that he might have done something wrong, unbeknownst to himself.