Chapter 75

Chapter 75
CHAPTER 75 – THE WEALTHY MERCHANT’S VISAGE

I came to Delfina’s merchant company using warp feather .
Today’s the day she would come to my mansion, and I came to pick her up .
I first warped to Delfina’s private room, but since she’s not there, I went out to the hallway .
There was Delfina’s male subordinate there . The man I’m familiar with saw me and bowed .
「Where’s Delfina?」
「She is in the drawing room . The crown prince of Aegina Kingdom has visited, so」
「He〜」
「I will guide you」
「No, it’s alright . The drawing room’s that very lavish-looking room for entertaining wealthy guests right? I can go there myself」
I said that to the man, and I started walking .
I’m already very used to Delfina’s merchant company, and they’re also very used to me .
Walking through the hallway, the various people who were working saw me and stopped, bowing their heads very deeply .
After a while, I met someone who wouldn’t bow their head .
A sullen-faced middle-aged man came out from the room with a lavish doorーーfrom the drawing room .
From the clothes he wears, it felt like it’s worn by royalties, so he’s probably the crown prince of Aegina Kingdom I heard just earlier .
The crown prince took a glance at me, but as if I didn’t appear in his eyes, he turned around and started walking .
While being curious with his tired face, I entered the drawing room .
「Kakeru-sama . You have visited」
「I just came . Was a little later better」
「No, our talk has just finished, so」
「Was that earlier the crown prince of Aegina?」
「Yes」
「He had a tired face though」
「Well that should be the case」
Delfina giggled a laugh .
She laughed covering her mouth with an elegant gesture . She had more elegance than noble ladies that can be seen around, and she’s releasing a bewitching air .
「I had refused one by one the things he had asked for, so it couldn’t be helped that he would get tired」
「Asked for?」
I sat across Delfina .
I moved aside the cup that was probably used by that crown prince .
「Actually, I bought a town」
「……he〜?」
「There’s a town under the reign of Aegina called Malonei, but it has financial difficulties in the recent years, and it’s also a town that is completely relying on the aid coming from their capital . And there I came, using the deficits and the support from now on as a card, I gave the condition of replacing all the officials to my subordinates」
「I see, it’s like you substantially bought it huh」
「Yes, I also let the noble who governs there be dismissed, But it seems like it’s a noble that had governed that land through years and generations, they cried this out to their kingdom, and because of that the crown prince came asking if something could be done with it」
「I see」
I got the story pretty much . He had that tired face because of that huh .
「But, why did you buy something like a town? Are you planning something like invading with economy, build a country and become a queen or something」
「Not at all . I will just say that Malonei has that value」
Delfina, from a serious faceーーshe had a serious face with a faint smile .
When she’s talking about business, she always makes this kind of face .
My heart skipped a beat . It’s her face as a merchant, butーーit is terribly beautiful .
「That town has been running on a deficit because of its administration up until now, but around it, rare materials are still buried, so . I let someone investigate it, and the result, it was not exhausted, but only incapable of excavating it because they could not give proper wages . Even with those resources alone are worth the money . It’s high-risk, and super-high return」
「I see」
I got impressed, as expected of Delfina .
As a merchant, she is very severe, and that is what’s the best of her .
I asked about Malonei .
Putting together, she said that it’s a「pump requiring a large volume of water」, and the people who could prepare that water is limited .
Well, if she’d be successful with it, it’s fine .
「Come to think of it」
Delfina’s expression changed .
It’s a different type of smile from earlier, it’s a face when she would chat and could say jokes .
「I was proposed to」
「Pu!」
I laughed out .
「Proposed to, you say, from that man earlier huh」
「Yes . I’m a woman, so he probably thought that if he gained me, all of it could be erased」
「Fu〜n」
「What a scary face . Of course I refused」
It’s not like I’m making a scary face though .
「You refused huh」
「Yes . Have you forgotten? I have decided that I would marry the man who would buy all of what I have including myself」
「Was that so」
I remembered she said something like that before .
Wealthy Merchant Delfina who has equal wealth with a kingdom .
There was, of course, many people who come to her with her youth and beauty, but her condition is「A person who would buy everything she had including herself using their wealth」 .
In short, mergers and acquisitions .
The condition of marrying the financial group female CEO is to M&A that financial group .
「What’s your current asset?」
「It’s almost the same with Mercouri’s national budget for a year」
「Well, that’s very hard, buying that」
「I am always waiting for you to buy it」
Delfina graciously smiled . This time, she had a face of a woman .
「I’ll do my best to do something as fast as I can . If I’m too slow, I might get bought by you instead」
I remembered about Malonei, and said that jokingly .
「That would be quite difficult」
Delfina’s expression changed again .
It’s her face as a merchant .
「I had also thought about that, but that is quite difficult desu wa . Kakeru-sama’s total value is too high after all」
「Is that so?」
「Roughly calculating, it’s five times of mine」
「Isn’t that too high?」
「Not at all」
Delfina shook her head .
Her expression’s still the same .
The one that I likeーーDelfina’s expression that I like the most .
Wealthy Merchant Delfina, with that faint smile, she said .
「Demon Sword Wielder, Goshaku-sama, the name value of that . If you are going to be bought with money, political power that can silence Rika Calamba, Helena Teresia Mercouri, Aura Torideka Comotoria, princesses and queens who would intervene with their own political powers . On top of that, army strength that would stop Nana Kanou who holds the strongest strength excluding you . When all of those are taken into account and converted to money, the necessary expenses would be roughly five times of me」
Delfina said clearly up to the end with a serious face .
It seems like it’s the evaluation of Wealthy Merchant Delfina .
I still can’t buy Delfina .
Delfina also can’t buy me .
It’s interesting .
「……」
When I noticed it, Delfina’s expression changed again .
It’s an expression I saw the first time today, it’s a face that sulks a little .
「What happened」
「No, it is nothing」
「It’s not nothing at all right」
「It is nothing at all」
She said that and finally turned her face away from me .
I wonder what it is .
For some reason, I followed where Delfina turned her face to, and arrived to the cup placed on the top of the table .
It’s the crown prince’s cup that I moved aside earlier .
She looked at that and sulks .
Maybe .
「Delfina, can I confirm one thing」
「What is it」
「I still haven’t bought you, but my reservation’s still there right」
「Reservation?」
「You can also call it negotiating rights . Until I abandon it, I have the first priority to buy you right」
Delfina got dumbfounded for a while, and then, changed her expression .
That face, it’s her face that I saw today for the first time .
「O-Of course desu wa」
It was the same face when I had an agreement with her the first time .