I bought the villains with money — Chapter 20

I'M GLAD THINGS WENT WELL WITH MY AUNT.

YOU WANT TO SPREAD TWO CONFLICTING RUMORS AND BUY UP A LARGE QUANTITY OF TIMBER?

WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU PLANNING?

I DON'T WANT ANYONE FINDING OUT THAT I'M BEHIND THE RUMORS.

I'LL EXPLAIN WHY WE NEED THE TIMBER LATER.

ALL RIGHT. IT'S NOT AS THOUGH THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN WHAT YOU CAN DO.

THEN I'LL BE OFF.

AND THE MATTER CONCERNING REBERT HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF, SO MAKE SURE HE HEARS THE NEWS AS WELL.

OF COURSE. I WAS JUST ABOUT TO GO SEE HIM ANYWAY.

NOW I JUST NEED TO GET REBERT TO AGREE TO MY REQUEST.

I might as well give him the good news while I'm at it...

MY LADY!

REBERT, HAVE YOU BEEN EATING PROPERLY?

YES! THANKS TO YOU!

I'M NEARLY FINISHED DEVELOPING THE PAINKILLERS.

CARE TO TAKE A WHIFF?

WOW, THERE'S BARELY A SCENT REMAINING.

EXACTLY! AND I'VE MADE IT A LITTLE MORE POTENT, TOO.

IT'S PRACTICALLY READY TO BE CALLED THE FINISHED PRODUCT.

THANK YOU, REBERT. THIS WILL BE A GREAT HELP TO HIS HIGHNESS.

ONCE YOU'RE FINISHED DEVELOPING THIS MEDICINE, COULD I ASK YOU TO MAKE ANOTHER ONE?

OF COURSE. WHAT DO YOU NEED?

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF PPEUPRIKA LEAVES?

PPEUPRIKA LEAVES? AREN'T THOSE A FOLK REMEDY SAILORS USED TO CHEW TO HELP WITH SEASICKNESS?

THAT'S RIGHT. I WANT TO MAXIMIZE THE HERB'S MEDICINAL PROPERTIES AND TURN IT INTO A PROPER MEDICINE.

IDEALLY, I'D LIKE IT TO BE COMPACT ENOUGH TO CARRY AROUND EASILY AND HAVE A LONG SHELF LIFE.

YOU WANT ME TO MAKE MEDICINE FOR SEASICKNESS.

HMM... I SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE A TEST BATCH WITHIN A WEEK.

BUT HOW MUCH DO YOU NEED, AND BY WHEN?

THE DEADLINE IS A LITTLE TIGHT, BUT...

HOW ABOUT FIVE THOUSAND PILLS WITHIN SIX MONTHS?

...PARDON? WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU PLANNING TO USE THAT MANY FOR?

WHAT ELSE? FOR THE PEOPLE WHO'LL BE TRAVELING BY SHIP WHEN WAR BREAKS OUT.

IT'S A SECRET FOR NOW. IN ANY CASE, WILL YOU BE ABLE TO DO IT?

IF IT'S A REQUEST FROM YOU, MY LADY, OF COURSE.

THANK YOU, REBERT.

THERE'S ONE MORE THING I NEED TO TELL HIM.

REMEMBER THE YOUNGER SIBLINGS YOU'VE BEEN TAKING CARE OF?

I MANAGED TO GET THEM ALL OUT TODAY AND SEND THEM TO A SHELTER.

...WHAT? MY SIBLINGS? HOW?

Rebert may have withdrawn from the trade,

but the younger siblings he'd been looking after were still working as couriers for the smugglers.

YOU'RE ONE OF THE PEOPLE OF IRENBERG NOW.

I CAN AT LEAST DO THIS MUCH FOR ONE OF MY OWN.

THOSE CHILDREN WERE ONE OF THE REASONS I HAD TO KEEP GOING.

I OWE YOU A DEBT I COULD NEVER REPAY, MY LADY.

THANK YOU. TRULY. I'LL NEVER FORGET WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR ME...

AND IF YOU SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THIS MEDICINE...

I'LL ARRANGE FOR YOU TO PARTICI- PATE IN THE DISSECTION PRACTICUM HELD BY THE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION NEXT TIME.

W-WAIT, WHAT DID YOU SAY?

I SAID I'LL LET YOU PERFORM AS MANY DISSECTIONS AS YOU WANT.

...WHAT? THAT'S NOT THE REACTION I EXPECTED...

I'LL WORK AS HARD AS I CAN...!!

Phew... Just as I thought...

WHO GETS THIS EXCITED ABOUT DISSECTING BODIES?

HONESTLY, HE'S SUCH A STRANGE PERSON.

MY LADY, LADY BELLA HAS ARRIVED AT THE MANSION.

THAT'S RIGHT. I GOT SO CAUGHT UP IN BUSINESS THAT IT SLIPPED MY MIND FOR A MOMENT.

IT'S ALREADY TIME FOR BELLA'S VISIT.

THANK YOU, JANICE. COULD YOU HELP ME WITH MY DRESS AND HAIR?

I SHOULD GET READY TO RECEIVE HER.

BELLA! DID I KEEP YOU WAITING?

...IT'S FINE, DIANA.

WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO STAY?

I STILL HAVE THE SAME ROOM, DON'T I?

ALTHOUGH BELLA WAS TECHNICALLY A GUEST, SHE HAD A ROOM IN THE FAMILY QUARTERS AS A RELATIVE.

MY PARENTS HOPED THAT BELLA AND I WOULD GROW CLOSE SINCE WE WERE AROUND THE SAME AGE, SO THEY TREATED US EQUALLY AND SHOWED HER THE SAME KINDNESS THEY SHOWED ME...

BUT BELLA CAME TO SEE MY PARENTS' KINDNESS AS SOMETHING SHE WAS ENTITLED TO, AND SHE WANTED EVERYTHING I HAD.

MY JEWELRY, MY DRESSES, EVEN THE WAY I STYLED MY HAIR. IT WAS AS THOUGH SHE WANTED TO BECOME ME...

SHE COPIED EVERYTHING.

SO TODAY'S DRESS IS ONE OF THE DESIGNS I USED TO WEAR ALL THE TIME.

I'LL HAVE TO GET RID OF EVERY DRESS IN A SIMILAR STYLE.

BACK THEN, I LET YOU PUSH ME AROUND WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING WHAT KIND OF PERSON YOU WERE.

BUT THINGS ARE DIFFERENT NOW. I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF PERSON YOU ARE, AND I KNOW ALL ABOUT YOUR TWISTED INTENTIONS.

THE DIANA WHO LET YOU PUSH HER AROUND IS LONG GONE AS OF TODAY.

WHAT EVER DO YOU MEAN, BELLA?

WERE YOU NOT STAYING AT UNCLE'S VILLA?

HUH? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I JUST CAME BACK FROM MY ESTATE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE.

BUT I SENT THE LETTER TO UNCLE'S VILLA.

AND I RECEIVED A REPLY JUST ONE DAY LATER...

BELLA, ARE YOU LYING TO ME?