I Became The Male Lead’s Female Friend - Chapter 58

After the meeting, my father patted me on the head.

 

“When did you prepare all that? I’m proud of you.”

 

My father looked like there was so much he wanted to ask, but in the end, he said nothing.

 

Instead, he looked at me with proud and grateful eyes.

 

Under my father’s eyes was a dark shadow.

 

Maybe it’s because he couldn’t get enough rest and had to endure the vassals who were arguing for days.

 

My father would have wanted to help the Duke of Bouser if possible. No matter how he was so displeased with the Duke of Bouser, he could not turn away from the Duchess.

 

There hasn’t been any news since the Duchess moved into the annex, and he’s even more concerned about Rudrick being the Duke.

 

‘I hope you’re doing well.’ (Dahlia)

 

Sometimes my mother would look north and speak to herself. Each time I couldn’t answer anything.

 

‘Cause I know best that they’re not okay.’

 

So I decided to focus on what I could do… I looked up at my father and smiled broadly.

 

Then I said in such a unique cute voice when I wanted something, “Did I do well?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Can you give me an award?” (Dahlia)

 

Father’s eyes widened and soon burst out laughing.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me if you wanted something? I would have listened to anything.”

 

“Because I want people.”

 

My father’s face stiffened, “People?”

 

He looked shocked as if he didn’t know I would ask for such a thing. I thought I knew what my father misunderstood, so I shook my hand in surprise.

 

“What are you thinking? I know slavery is illegal in the Empire!”

 

“Yes, your father believes in you. You know that, right?”

 

“No… Anyway!”

 

I quickly fixed my gaze on my father for some reason, not hating on seeing the couple becoming one, but I quickly relaxed my expression.

 

Then I glanced at my father with sparkling eyes.

 

‘What should I ask my father.’ That’s what I thought before I came here.

 

“Can I borrow my father’s secretary?”

 

❊

 

Averine’s training for an assistant was a little different from that of an ordinary nobleman’s secretary.

 

A secretary who manages the Duke’s assets, not a secretary who assists the Duke’s performance.

 

It was a similar role to an asset manager.

 

Of course, it wasn’t that there were no regular assistants to assist the Duke.

 

However, Averine had a separate secretarial position that specialized only in asset management.

 

It’s a team, not just one or two people. The position was not worth a penny or two, no matter how much personal property it had, so a small group of elite members collaborated.

 

And I asked to borrow one of them…

 

My father also knew at once that I didn’t usually speak of an attendant secretary. After becoming an adult, Averine’s successor was usually able to choose his secretary.

 

There was only one secretary I needed right now.

 

Fortunately, previous Dukes frequently assigned a secretary to a minor successor, so my father nodded lightly.

 

Then he finally couldn’t hold back his question and asked, “What are you going to do?”

 

I just smiled significantly at him, “I also need to gradually build my foundation.”

 

Of course, the words are half right and wrong.

 

As I am not a clear ‘male successor,’ the forces that support me are also divided, so creating a foundation now was not an easy choice.

 

But more than that, the main purpose was to prepare for war.

 

One of the things I’ve been taught since I was born in Averine, was that money was essential at important moments.

 

Because money can buy not only the things you want but also power.

 

If the war could not be prevented anyway, it would have been better to prepare as much as possible.

 

Just as I made good use of the war materials at this meeting. The more money I have, the better it will help me somewhere someday.

 

‘And it’s there when I need it right now.’

 

The cost of developing medicine to treat infectious diseases.

 

From now on, I have to find someone who will develop a cure and become an investor.

 

I took out a piece of paper I had carefully placed in my arms. Then I opened the folded paper and looked inside.

 

A person’s name was written in it along with a lot of information. [Hestia Justis]

 

It was the clue I got from the informant a few days ago and the developer of a cure for infectious diseases.

 

And she was also the heroine, the teacher of Aunil.

 

Aunil had many talents as the main character, and among them, she excelled in healing techniques.

 

Shortly after the war was over, the Empire was in ruins.

 

She voluntarily helped refugees who were swept away by the war as a kind-hearted person, and in the meantime, she met Hestia.

 

Hestia, who was wandering around, runs into him briefly. She later rejoins her in the capital and works alongside her.

 

‘Well of course, because she was a supporting role with some importance.’

 

Even among her friends, Dahlia, outnumbered, just said it all.

 

The book said that she was in her early thirties when she first met Aunil.

 

I expected that she was in her early 20s when there was yet a war, but on paper, she was younger than I thought.

 

‘Late teens?’ But that wasn’t the only thing.

 

Even with a scholarship as a fallen noblewoman, she entered the Imperial Academy in her mid-teens, which was said to be restricted to famous nobles.

 

Furthermore, she has accomplished the feat of graduating early with higher grades than anyone else.

 

Indeed, many people wanted to take her, and her choice was the Institute of Count Giovanni.

 

“Why?”

 

To be honest, I was puzzled…

 

Because Count Giovanni had only recently begun his pharmaceutical business, there were some inexperienced employees.

 

But she turned down the more promising lab and went to him. However, she rejects all the good offers and leaves the research institute after a short while.

 

No, to be more precise, she would have been kicked out.

 

‘The class and gender were the problems.’

 

No matter how much she flies and runs, she eventually becomes a woman of the low-class aristocracy.

 

It was only natural that the other nobles in her institute did not like her.

 

Her boss, Count Giovanni, in particular, saw her as a thorn. He was jealous of her superior abilities and eventually turned all the medicines she had developed into offerings before kicking her out.

 

Not long ago, she’d been told that the health medicine developed by Count Giovanni was on fire and sold.

 

‘Because of that, her whereabouts have been unknown until now.’

 

When I first learned that she had entered Count Giovanni’s lab, I knew I could find her sooner.

 

But when I sent someone, she was already kicked out.

 

In addition to that, she didn’t have any relatives and wandered from place to place, and thanks to this, I, who had been in vain every time, finally found out her whereabouts.

 

‘She set up a small treatment center outside the capital.’

 

How reassured I was when I learned and found out that information. I could visit her anytime if she was in the capital, not in the mountains that were hard to visit.

 

But as soon as I got the information, I didn’t go to her right away. Because I needed to prepare myself as well.

 

“Are you okay with this?”

 

I took the pocket that the man in front of me had handed me. When I untied the cord, it contained dozens of gold coins.

 

My father’s secretary was extremely helpful.

 

Because there were only a few elite people, I assumed they would assign anyone, but the person my father sent me was one of the most competent of the secretaries.

 

He wanted to raise investment funds, so he quickly sold and recovered land and property at the best price.

 

Furthermore, when I stated what business or land I wanted to buy, he negotiated with the owners and purchased it at a reasonable price.

 

I opened my mouth despite my doubts that the secretary would be useful because I would invest based on the future knowledge I had.

 

‘After all, experts are experts.’

 

My father, who manages such people from a high chair, appeared amazing once more.

 

Only after I had meticulously collected the money I had raised and distributed it to various investors did I request that all remaining funds be converted into gold coins.

 

The secretary wondered, but soon found the money on the exchange, and I had two bundles of gold coins in my hand.

 

In fact, if you’re only going to invest, you don’t have to change it to cash. I took the gold coin quickly because I only needed one certificate.

 

Just for show…

 

“This is the best way to brag about money.”

 

And when everything was finally ready, I was standing in front of the treatment center before I knew it.