The Heroines Are After My Fortune

5 – For Elena – 2

THUD!

Something yanked my leg hard, throwing me to the floor. When I opened my eyes, I saw Elena, who had rushed in from somewhere, dragging me down with all her weight.

“Ele, I…?”

Her face was a mess of tears as she clutched at my clothes.

“Oppa, I was wrong. Huh…?”

“……”

“Please, don’t die…”

My mind snapped back. Elena was genuinely grieving over my suicide attempt. The girl before me wasn’t a character from a novel. She was a living, breathing human, someone I could talk to, who cried when she was sad.

She was also a fellow victim, a companion in this mess. Neither she nor I were to blame for being dragged into this place or getting hurt. It was just that I couldn’t bear the situation I was in and needed someone to hate. Back in the real world, I was a cocky know-it-all, but being cornered like this made me feel so small, so utterly pathetic.

“I’m sorry, Elena.”

A complex mix of emotions overflowed like a burst dam. My sister and I hugged each other tightly and cried all night long.

That day became a turning point for me, and I resolved to start over with a fresh mindset.

“Now, this piece is a work by the famous painter, Vincenzo Van Gort, from the Eastern Region…”

I used the skills I briefly learned before possession to hawk copied paintings, and,

“That gentleman was in the wrong. If it were me, I wouldn’t have done that. How could anyone leave such a pretty young lady alone?”

“Yeah, right? He was wrong, wasn’t he…?”

I’d subtly soothe the displeased noble ladies, earning a small fee. Sometimes, I’d handle a substantial amount, but I never spent that money on myself. After saving up for the academy, a lot of money also went towards hiring people to secretly protect her. Still, I’ve become the empire’s richest, so money worries are gone. But, even with this wealth, I can’t be completely certain I can save her. The scale of the threat Elena faces is that massive. And, having this excessive fortune, I too am a target for dangerous people.

Even so, now is the time to celebrate. I’ve finally reached a meaningful starting line. I will struggle to the end. Until the day this goddamn novel reaches a happy ending, I won’t hesitate to do anything, no matter how dirty. And with that, I will repay you for the debt I owe that day and return to my original world.

####

I spent quite a while comforting her in her dejection. Though I don’t often show my true feelings, I was more honest than usual in expressing my emotions to her.

“So, don’t ever say things like that again. Understood?”

“Yes, oppa…!”

Elena wiped her tear-stained eyes with her sleeve. I took her to the dining hall, which I had asked the chef to prepare in advance.

“Crybaby Lady, you must be tired from crying, so let’s eat well and recover.”

“Hmph, I’m not a crybaby.”

She puffed up her cheeks in denial before grabbing a piece of bread and biting into it. Pleased by the taste, her face brightened.

“If you keep crying at the drop of a hat like that, you won’t find a husband later.”

“I don’t need a husband, I can just live with oppa.”

That wouldn’t be so bad, but I, not being from this world, can’t keep protecting Elena forever. She’ll eventually need to find a life partner compatible with her.

“…You talk big. Once you go to the academy, you’ll lose your mind over all the handsome guys.”

The original male leads were all supposed to be the most handsome men in the empire. With that level of looks, it would be more than enough to shake Elena’s heart.

“Eh, there are only people less handsome than oppa there, aren’t there…?”

“Elena, don’t say things you don’t mean.”

I preempted any over-the-top flattery. This body’s got decent physique, at best, but the face is plain as dirt. If I took the family’s praise as gospel, I’d be in for a world of trouble out there.

“…But it’s true.”

“Whatever, does the food suit your taste?”

Waving my hand dismissively, I changed the subject, asking Elena about the meal she was having. Her reaction was something else.

“Yeah, it’s so good…! I’ve never tasted a stew this delicious!”

Her eyes sparkling, Elena munched on her food. She’d probably been living off slop before, so this proper stew must be heaven.

“Actually, we could eat stuff way, way better than this to our hearts’ content.”

“What…!?”

Her food standards were probably dirt low, so she was floored by ‘way better stuff to our hearts’ content!?’ Couldn’t even imagine it, it seemed.

“But hey, not long ago we were grateful for bread like bricks, remember? We should be thankful for what we have now, but not forget our roots. How about we keep it simple for a while, just like this?”

“Okay, okay, I get it, oppa…! But aren’t you gonna eat?”

Easily agreeing, Elena seemed curious, seeing me just pick at my food.

“I’m full just watching you eat, Elena.”

“Hehe, what’s that mean?”

Smiling gently, she looked beautiful even while she was eating. If we weren’t blood-related, I might’ve fallen for her, too.

“All done?”

“Yeah, if I keep eating like this, I’ll get fat.”

“That wouldn’t do. We need to move our bodies, work off the food. Now, come on in.”

“……………?”

I called to someone outside the door and a middle-aged woman, radiating an air of old-world elegance, opened the dining room door and stepped inside.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Elena. I am Mary, and I’ll be in charge of your education from today onwards.”

“Ah, yes, it’s a pleasure! Oppa, who is this…?”

“She’s a teacher who will instruct you on noble etiquette. She’ll also teach you dancing, so pay close attention.”

One of the things she struggled with most at the academy was her ignorance of ‘noble etiquette.’ If she made even a single mistake, the noble young ladies would gossip, “Well, she’s just a commoner, blind to proper manners, hoho.” I’ll be damned if I let something like that happen while I’ve still got eyes in my head. I took the trouble of asking the head butler to find a renowned instructor from outside, so in this short time, she’ll surely hammer into Elena all that she needs.

“The Baron requested that I give you a high-intensity education, as you’ll be attending the Academy soon. Let’s begin right now.”

“Oh, Oppa…?”

Mary, ablaze with zeal, expressed her determination to put Elena through the wringer this very instant, and I averted my gaze from my sister’s pleading, tearful stare. Just endure it for a little bit, Elena!

And so, I was left alone in the dining room.

*Snap!*

I snapped my fingers, and the chef, who had been waiting outside, entered. I accepted the bucket he offered, and then,

*Tudududuk!*

I dumped the entire plate of stew I had been pecking at into it.

“…Forcing myself to chew tasteless food is a truly fruitless task.”

“It was a considerable challenge for me as well. An order to deliberately degrade the flavor of food was a first.”

“Well done. Please prepare a veal tenderloin steak, medium-rare, for my meal. Oh, and a red wine from the Ponpur region, as well.”

“Yes, sir.”

For the week of the funeral, I had been eating only the finest cuisine prepared by the best chef, and my palate had become so refined that I could no longer stomach such a commoner-smelling meal— it made me want to throw up. You could ask why I just don’t have that high-end food with Elena, but there’s a good reason why I didn’t serve it to her during our meal.

‘Elena’s greatest asset is that she is like a large blank canvas.’

Usually, noble parents would insist, ‘I’ll only feed my child the best!’ and go out of their way to give them the most delicious things they could find. But then, from a young age, their palate’s tolerance level would shoot up endlessly, to the point where they could hardly be impressed by even the best foods. I didn’t want to act like such a thoughtless noble parent.

‘She’ll have plenty of opportunities to enjoy fine dining, wonderful places, and excellent experiences with the male leads.’

Each time, her unblemished purity would shine. Amazed by the first taste of food, the first sight, the first experience, she’d genuinely love it. And, if she showed her joy alongside that disarming, fresh smile of hers, its destructive power would be doubled. Therefore, it is absolutely forbidden for me to, drunk on my own excitement, paint colors on the canvas that the future male leads are meant to fill.

‘…….Yeah, fuck that.’

*Clink!*

Already prepared, tender veal slices lay before me, parting smoothly under my knife. The veal, melting like a cloud in my mouth, soft and delicate. Truly, this is what it means to be a noble. Thinking about it, this taste is too good to enjoy alone. I wanted to give my younger sister, who’s been through so much hardship, barely leaving our cramped house, a proper taste of delicious things.

Future husbands, listen up.

From tomorrow, I’m going all in on feeding Elena nothing but delicious food and ruining her palate, so you better figure out how to woo her.

‘Ah, damn, this is good.’

Thinking about making sure my sister tries this tomorrow, I tore into my steak with abandon.