Chapter 16. Business
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After moving into Camille de Walt's body, I thought a lot about my future life plans.

Any way you look at it, even though the main threat to the security of this world, in the form of the main villain, would soon be eliminated, I still didn't know what to do with my life.

The reality of life as the daughter of a ducal family was not as magnificent as I thought it would be. Anyway, all power was in the hands of my father and brother. And they, in turn, hated me to death. From this point of view, it was more than obvious that I had no claim to the family inheritance.

If I wanted to continue to lead a luxurious life without ending up on the street, I had only two ways to go about things. First, to try to «placate» these two. Using the tried-and-true tricks of the protagonists in the novels, I might eventually be able to «melt» the icy hearts of the Duke and Yufil.

But in that case, I would have to trample my own pride as well…

When I imagined flattering myself in front of that blue-haired jerk in an attempt to win his favor, I had an instant gag reflex.

No way!

I'd rather eat cesspool rats than try to make eyes at that arrogant idiot. Besides, the Duke was no better than him. If not worse. After all, there could often be conflicts between siblings, but I am his daughter. How could he treat his own child that way?

All in all, the idea was a failure from the start. So I went straight to the second option.

Trying to survive on my own. But given that I'm just a fragile lady who is nothing without my father's support, it was not an easy task.

Knowing their zeal to marry me off, I would definitely have to leave the manor before another «profitable» suitor showed up.

So, sooner or later, I would have to start a life of my own anyway.

Although it went against my idea of living my life carefree, spending money and having fun until I died, I had no other choice. It was either marriage or business. So, of these two evils, I decided to choose the lesser one.

Except… What could I do?

Of course, if I was lucky, I might still be able to get some small part of my father's funds. Perhaps even a low title. But the main problem remained-what would happen next.

Despite the fact that I'd gained almost all the knowledge from the previous body owner, it didn't do much for me. Camille, like most ladies, had not been taught much. Basic etiquette followed in high society, basic humanities, dancing, embroidery, and writing. In short, nothing useful.

It was obviously not enough to run any kind of business. My knowledge from my previous life could not help me in any way either. I spent three years studying IT, which in today's realities was quite promising and would have allowed me to earn a lot of money.

And I needed the money.

I had only a year to go before I got my degree in programming. Except. What good is an education in my current situation? How, pray tell, would writing codes on a computer help me in a fantasy medieval world?

So, I find myself in a pretty hopeless situation.

I didn't know where to apply myself, and I was also aware that not everyone was capable of running a business. I had no eloquence or business acumen. Nor did I have extensive connections. Thus, it was likely that debt and bankruptcy awaited me…

Coming to this unsatisfactory conclusion, I sighed deeply. Elisha, who had been watching my torment from the sidelines, asked:

— My lady, is something troubling you?

— A…

— Is there anything I can help you with?

I smiled and shook my head weakly.

— You don't have to. I don't think there's anything you can do.

My head has been loaded with these ideas since this morning, when I realized there was no turning back. The emperor's banquet was held yesterday, and, accordingly, the chief villain must already be dead. Soon news of this would spread throughout the empire.

I was euphoric about it for the first five seconds. After that, I seriously wondered what to do next. After all, the villain's death would solve only one of my problems, not all the rest.

Since the banquet was late, the Duke had not yet returned from the capital. And Uphil had left for his classes at the academy. Thus, I was left all alone in the manor. Stretching out on my favorite spot on the summer veranda, I was in a real despondency.

The personal maid was probably shocked at her mistress' sudden mood swings. Only last night she was overjoyed. Today she was suddenly gloomy.

What can I say, sometimes I couldn't understand myself.

Elisha, who had been trying in vain to cheer me up all morning, asked:

— «My lady, would you like to go for a walk?

I wasn't really in the mood for a walk. But, given the maid's entreaties, I agreed.

Maybe the physical activity would give me something fresh to think about.

As we walked around the de Walt residence, I suddenly noticed a place I hadn't noticed before. There was a large forest, more like a taiga, very close to our house.

It was walled off from the duchy, so it hadn't occurred to me to look there before.

The servant girl asked me perplexedly, noticing my curious gaze:

— My Lady, why do you look toward the Wolfwoods? You have always avoided it before.

— «The Wolfwoods?» — I asked in surprise.

This seemed to be the moment when I needed to display my knowledge of the real Camille. The maid stared at me suspiciously, while I strained every fiber of my being.

Oh, shit… Nothing comes to mind.

Some memories jumbled randomly in my head.

In other words, I could remember Yufil's date of birth and all his habits exactly, but forget my own. Probably because Camille was more obsessed with her brother than with herself when she was alive.

At any rate, I tried in vain not to give away that I didn't know something.

— A… You know, I don't think I've quite recovered yet.

— Hmm?

— I had a lot of treatments at the hospital… — The doctor warned me that there might be side effects afterwards. I think this is it. I'm having a bit of a blackout…

The suspicious look on the maid's face worsened even more.

«I knew it…»

His lordship must have lied to the servants and the public to avoid unpleasant rumors that he had only sent his daughter to «cure» her health. But in fact, he sent her to a psychiatric hospital… This was probably due to her constant tantrums and mood swings.

No wonder that one day, the Duke decided to get rid of such a noisy daughter.

After being there, it became clear why the mistress suddenly started acting so strangely. And who wouldn't be insane after being forcibly confined to four walls for a year?

«My poor mistress! — Elisha could barely hold back her tears,» It's not enough that His Grace and the young lord don't like her. So she also has mental health problems… I must treat her more gently.»

— My Lady, ask me anything you like!

Why did I suddenly feel pity in the maid's voice? Hmm… Strange.

— Well… I would like you to tell me more about this forest.

— You were afraid of this place when you were little. So I wasn't really interested in it either…

— Afraid? Because of what?

— Once upon a time, his Lordship's father, the former lord, created a legend that this forest was supposedly home to wild wolves. And when you were a child, you believed it too.

— What? Why did my grandfather make up that legend?

— To protect the forest from smugglers.

I was surprised.

Smugglers? Why would they want an unsightly forest with nothing but trees and squirrels?

— The fact is, there is a valuable relic in this forest. It's under the protection of the emperor himself.

— W-what?

Tell me more about that.

— Frost Mushrooms,» she explained, «are a rare natural resource of the empire, which is listed in the black book. After a hundred years ago, when almost all the mushrooms were used up by underground traders, it became illegal to collect them.

Frankly, I was somewhat perplexed by the maid's story. How could any mushrooms cause such a stir, much less be protected by the emperor?

Unless they were made of gold.

— What is so special about them? — I asked with sincere interest.

— It is said that these mushrooms can cure almost any disease…

— Really? Any disease?

My eyes opened wide.

— Long ago my grandmother told me that she had preserved my grandfather from a mortal illness with a decoction of the frost fungus. But that was before they were outlawed in the Empire.

— And? — I asked, «How valuable are they?

— Well… After they were blacklisted, their value went up a lot. Only five hundred gold pieces per mushroom.

I almost choked at that moment.

— Five hundred? Why didn't you say anything?

The maid stared at me.

— Well… Я… You didn't ask.

I waved my hand impatiently, looking at the forest now as if I'd found a gold mine.

I think I know what I'm going to build my business on now.

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