The Perks of Being a Villainess

When asked what she wanted, Deborah hesitated for quite a while.

'Why is she pretending to think it over?'

Duke Seymour felt puzzled. Deborah seemed to be seriously pondering something, and then slowly opened her mouth.

"Then… please invest in my business."

"Hmm?"

This time, Duke Seymour had to doubt his ears, not his eyes. He had fully expected her to ask him to win the pink diamond at the auction in a few days—but instead, she suddenly requested an investment?

"You mean, you want to get into commercial activity and are asking me to fund it?"

"Yes."

"How absurd. Why would you suddenly think of something like that?"

"While I was under house arrest, I came up with a pretty good business idea."

"...Hmph."

The Duke didn't fully believe her words.

In the Asteia Empire, nobles generally looked down on commerce. Running a merchant group was considered a fallback for nobles who lacked a decent inherited estate to sustain their finances.

It was hard to believe that Deborah, who had been raised with an aristocratic mindset, would suddenly decide to pursue business.

"So, how much do you need?"

Though suspicious, he had already promised to grant whatever she asked. So instead of interrogating her, he got straight to the point.

Rather than answering out loud, Deborah wrote a number on a piece of paper and handed it to him. As soon as the Duke saw the amount written, he tilted his head slightly.

'Did she forget a zero?'

The amount she requested was even less than what had been used to resolve the incident young Deborah had caused with a Tower Elder back in the day.

'A business with this much money?'

…Still suspicious.

But seeing the serious expression on her face, the Duke felt she must have some kind of purpose, so he chose not to press the matter further.

Lately, he had come to realize that his daughter wasn't the hopeless troublemaker he once thought she was, and that she had a surprisingly thoughtful side. So he decided—for now—to just watch quietly.

"Very well, I'll instruct the administrator to send you the gold coins you requested."

"Thank you, Father."

Deborah's eyes sparkled with joy.

Now that he thought about it, she had the same bright eyes when she used fire magic to melt the snow frozen to the ground. That kind of gaze—it somehow stirred what little fatherly affection he had left. It made him want to give her even more, for no reason at all.

'That's a dangerous thought.'

Realizing his unusual thoughts, the Duke gave a loud, exaggerated cough and stood up.

"I have work to do. Give me the letter next time."

"Yes, Father."

"No need to see me out. Just continue your studying."

Even as he said it, he felt awkward. Deborah, studying on her own?

'It really seems like she's matured…'

With an indescribable feeling, the Duke walked toward his office—then suddenly stopped mid-step.

He had just realized the real reason why his daughter had suddenly asked for funds and started talking about a business.

'I see. So she really has matured.'

If Deborah had deliberately created the "business investment" excuse just to fulfill his request—to state what she wanted—then everything made perfect sense.

'To think she'd ease my burden in such a sophisticated way.'

The Duke had made it abundantly clear in front of his retainers that he would never buy that pink diamond for his daughter. Deborah had intentionally shifted the subject to a business venture rather than a jewel, allowing him to keep his word.

'She even preserved my authority.'

And by setting a low investment amount, she had reduced the financial burden as well.

'I'm genuinely impressed.'

He had thought she would remain a reckless and immature child forever. But here she was—growing up at last.

Blowing things out of proportion in his mind and touched to the core, Duke Seymour called for his aide with a determined look.

At this point, it wasn't that he had to give her the jewel. He wanted to.

After all, as her father, he had to show that he was capable of even greater generosity than his daughter.

"That pink diamond. Win the auction no matter what."

"Outbid the eldest son of the Montes family. No matter the cost."

"Yes, Your Grace."

Three days later.

The auction house was thrown into an uproar by the unexpected outcome.

Not only was the winning bid unprecedented in its astronomical price, but the coveted jewel that had stirred the social scene didn't go to the Montes family.

It went to Seymour.

***

I waited for the gold coins the Duke would send, absentmindedly scribbling on my notebook. There were three reasons I asked him for business investment funds.

First, rather than blatantly asking for money and saying I didn't want any jewels, bringing up a business made things look much more refined.

Second, looking like I was absorbed in work would serve as a great excuse to delay marriage.

'All over the world, the idle get scolded more than the busy.'

And lastly—most importantly—I figured I might actually be pretty competitive if I started a business. I had, after all, spent 24 years fighting to survive in a capitalist society.

I'd secured my seed money, so I spent some time brainstorming business ideas. Then, an administrator came in carrying a large box.

'Gold coins! The gold coins are here!'

I barely managed to keep a straight face as I quickly opened the box.

'After seeing nothing but gems, gold coins feel refreshingly new.'

As I gazed in awe at the heavy pouches of gold coins, I suddenly spotted something in one corner—a luxurious velvet case placed carefully inside the box.

What is that?

With a puzzled expression, I opened the velvet case—and nearly passed out.

Inside, nestled in a bed of black velvet, lay a heart-shaped diamond necklace radiating a dazzling pink hue.

The very same necklace described in the novel as the one Pilaf had won at auction for the price of a townhouse in the capital—was now shimmering before my eyes.

'W-Why is this here?'

In the original story, it was Filaf who won it at the auction and gave it to the heroine.

No way... it's not a fake, is it?

As I blinked slowly in bewilderment, I spotted a certificate of authenticity and a letter from the Duke inside the case.

Deborah,

I gladly accept your consideration. But giving you only a small sum in return for such a heartfelt letter kept bothering me… As your father, I can't just pretend not to know what my daughter truly wants... (abridged)

The moment I read the letter, I felt my blood pressure spike.

'He called 40 million won pocket change?'

And what's with this 'consideration' thing? Did he think I'd ask for a billion, so the fact that I only asked for 40 million makes me considerate?

"Being a villainess is actually kind of nice."

I muttered in disbelief.

Back when I was Yoon Dohee, it was expected of me to always be considerate, and I'd get scolded mercilessly for even a single mistake. But now, just by acting a little decently after being a total brat, I get praised for being thoughtful.

'Guess I really was living life all wrong.'

Even with a high-priced jewel right in front of me, I couldn't shake off the strange feeling of melancholy that day. But then, I stumbled upon an unexpected clue.

Something far more valuable than mere gold coins.

'This is....'

***

A Suspicious Woman

"Master, the pink diamond was sold at the highest price in today's auction. Congratulations."

Gerard, the deputy guild leader of the information guild Blancha, returned from the fierce auction house and delivered the good news to his guild master. Though the profit exceeded the guild's annual operating cost, the master remained calm, simply stroking the golden fur of a massive beast by his side.

'Can't read him at all.'

The man was relatively young for a guild master. But thanks to his expressionless, mask-like face, he was even harder to read than the previous master, who was sly as a snake.

No one could fathom the extent of the master's abilities either.

Since early last year, the Blancha master had been secretly investing in an eccentric kind of alchemy that could change the color of minerals. Gerard initially questioned his master's strange obsession with the research, but his doubts were soon resolved.

Through this alchemy, the master declared that "colored diamonds" would become the flagship product of the guild's jewelry store.

'If diamonds have color, are they still diamonds? Master really is unpredictable.'

He had worried whether the market would even respond positively to such a product, but that worry proved unfounded.

Using a network of informants, the master discovered the hair color of the woman Pilaf Montes was obsessed with. Then, using alchemy, he created a pink diamond matching her hair and spread rumors throughout the capital about a rare gem going up for auction.

Just as expected, Pilaf Montes—eager to find a gift for that woman—took the bait. Even the daughter of Duke Seymour, known for her vanity and greed, began to desire the pink diamond, rumored to be the only one of its kind in the empire.

As competition intensified among prestigious noble families, interest in the gem skyrocketed without anyone realizing. More and more people began vying to win the auction.

In the end, the master managed to sell the pink heart-shaped diamond at a price hundreds of times higher than that of a regular diamond.

The immediate profit was considerable, but the most encouraging part was that colored diamonds were now being highly valued in the market. The upcoming sky-blue teardrop diamond would undoubtedly sell at an astronomical price as well.

The reputation of the jewelry shop, rumored to monopolize the distribution of rare gems, would soar even further.

'The master's business acumen is truly beyond imagination.'

And not just with gems. If he believed something could be profitable, he'd dive into it—like playing a game.

Just four months ago, he bought out a failing bakery and transformed it into a luxury dessert shop that only sells a limited number of pastries per day. Who could've imagined a bakery once plagued by flies would become the signature dessert shop of the Yones district?

Thanks to that, Blancha's vaults were now stacked high with piles of gold coins.

"How much did that item sell for?"

Gerard, who had been gazing in awe, quickly came to his senses at the master's question.

"Here, please take a look."

Gerard carefully placed the document containing the final bid price of the pink diamond on the table. As the man furrowed his brow while reading the paper, the massive beast lying beside him narrowed its pupils and let out a low growl.

Seeing the master look displeased despite such an unprecedented profit, Gerard's face turned pale.

"So, Duke Seymour got it."

The master put the document down with a complicated expression. The fact that Duke Seymour won the gem meant that his daughter, Deborah Seymour, was now the owner of the pink diamond.

'I was sure Mia Binoche would end up with it.'

The master had miscalculated twice today. He expected the diamond would be sold at a lower price and was certain Pilaf Montes would be the buyer.

'Did I underestimate Deborah Seymour too much?'

He recalled the information on Deborah Seymour gathered by his guild members and absentmindedly fiddled with the mountain of gold coins piled on the table.

'I thought she was just the child the duke had cast aside… Did I miss something?'

With a crooked smirk, the man tossed a coin into the air and caught it one-handed. He played with it until the front side appeared, then suddenly spoke.

"Gerard."

"Yes, Master?"

"Didn't I tell you to keep a close watch on the high nobility?"

With a clear note of displeasure, the master ordered a reinvestigation of Deborah through the agent responsible for Seymour intelligence.

But one week after that order, an entirely unexpected client appeared before the master.

'How did Deborah Seymour manage to find this place?'

As he looked at Deborah Seymour, her face hidden beneath a dark hood, Blancha's guild master, Isidore Visconti, couldn't hide his inner confusion.