Chapter 97: Hey…..

After taking over the Keris Chamber of Commerce, Mapell secretly began her layout.

She quietly enrolled in Avilina Academy to observe the situation and search for powerful individuals.

Outside, she scouted potential partners worth developing while expanding material trade with the academy to evade the Imperial Family’s oversight.

Furthermore, she established a partnership with the Holy See.

While secretly moving assets, she gave herself some room to breathe, using the excuse of being a logistics supplier for the Monster Well to ensure the Imperial Family would not dare to move against her easily.

Finally, she used the Nightingale intelligence network to gather evidence of imperial corruption, attempting to use resistance forces to restrain the Imperial Family.

She worked tirelessly to navigate these waters.

If the current situation were a chessboard, her hands would be smoking from the intensity of her moves.

Yet, no matter how hard she tried, she could not account for the abundance of useless allies and defeatists.

Many conservatives were content with the status quo, feeling that a young girl who had only officially appeared several years ago had no right to lead the chamber.

They figured they could just coast along and live a few more peaceful years.

Those who did not intend to follow Mapell made up the majority.

It could be said that under heavy resistance, she used her talent and perseverance to keep them afloat, even returning the chamber to a period of growth and temporarily winning the shareholders’ trust.

Now was the time for her to expend that trust.

Her bottom line was to maintain the chamber’s independence.

She neither fully submitted to the Imperial Family nor offended anyone.

She did not expect this neutrality to become a sin in the face of absolute power.

In the original story, she was eventually set up by multiple parties, leaving her no chance for a comeback.

Most people were dissatisfied with her risky decisions, but few stood up to object as this man did.

“We chose to hand most of the business to you because of your outstanding contributions over the last two years, giving you time to find a suitable partner. And the result is you bringing back such a… well, young student?”

He wanted to say the guy was unattractive, but he could not find a single flaw in the youth’s looks, so he could only attack his age.

This was a critical moment for the survival of the chamber.

How could they let Mapell’s selfishness affect their salvation?

Lin Yue listened, feeling the situation was strange.

‘If you really cared about the chamber’s survival, you wouldn’t have pushed everything onto Mapell. How hypocritical and disgusting.’

“Are we really going to give up the title of the Richest in the Imperial Capital? Do you know how many enemies the chamber has, and how many forces are staring at us like a piece of fat meat?”

The status of being the richest sounded good, but without any political standing, they were simply a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

It was not as if they had not thought of change, but the Empire would never allow one to hold massive assets alongside other powers.

Even if they wanted to, forces of Rank 5 or higher would refuse because the benefits were not large enough, and they might lose their foundation.

Having some mercenaries as bodyguards was about as far as it went.

No matter what regime or who was in power, they would never allow such a thing.

In addition, Lin Yue’s lateness had already caused great dissatisfaction, and the fact that the meeting’s host had to personally go out and find him made him seem too arrogant.

The man raised an eyebrow, his gaze carrying a hint of suspicion as he looked Lin Yue over again.

“Moreover, we had to stop the meeting just now because we couldn’t find him. Can someone like this really save the chamber as you hope?”

Mapell’s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, clearly displeased at being interrupted.

Lin Yue was someone she had observed for a long time before deciding to choose him.

To have him dismissed before he was even introduced was infuriating.

“In my opinion, it’s better to pack up the chamber and sell it to the Prince early. That way, we can secure a stable life for the rest of our days and avoid the guillotine…”

Luca gently rubbed the silver bracelet on his wrist.

Though his tone was calm, it carried an inquisitive edge.

It did not seem like simple opposition, but rather like he was guiding everyone to find where the problem lay.

‘How troublesome…’

Although Lin Yue did not previously know who the heir to the Keris Chamber of Commerce was, he knew very well that if things continued like this, the chamber would collapse just as it did in the original timeline.

Furthermore, the Nightingale would be exposed because of the chamber’s downfall and forced to disband.

For the Imperial Family and the Prince, it would be a total victory.

But for Mapell, it would be absolute destruction.

Her home would be seized, the secret organization she worked so hard to build would be overturned, and her identity would be exposed with nowhere to run.

‘Is she really choosing to risk helping me under this much pressure?’

Recalling how Mapell had chosen to believe him without hesitation during the Holy See carriage incident, something in Lin Yue’s heart began to soften.

“Mr. Luca, if you joined this meeting just to speak words of discouragement, then please leave.”

Mapell’s gaze was cold and sharp, completely different from her usual sweet and fox-like demeanor.

She looked like a wild beast baring its fangs.

“As you said, my contributions to this precarious chamber over the last two years are plain to see. Without me, this chamber would have fallen long ago. Would you even be sitting here having a meeting? When I first became the temporary manager, you tried to block me just like this…”

Mapell slammed the previous year’s financial report onto the conference table and said coldly, “Facts and wealth are far more direct proofs than mere words.”

The man fell silent, knowing he could no longer argue.

He slowly sat down, giving Lin Yue a deep look but no longer objecting.

Several shareholders looked at each other; they could no longer stop her decision.

…

“Now, can the meeting continue?”

Mapell took a deep breath and was about to continue when a sudden exclamation came from outside the door.

“Young Master, you can’t go in! The meeting is still in progress!”

Everyone turned their heads as the door to the conference room was kicked open as if it were made of paper.

“Mapell!”

The moment the voice reached them from outside, Mapell’s body suddenly froze.

‘Didn’t he go to the market district to drink? Why would he come here now?’

Lin Yue’s pupils constricted as he recognized the newcomer.

Was this not the “Keris Chamber of Commerce Envoy” who had caused trouble at the market?

To be able to enter the chamber directly and interrupt the meeting so crudely—who exactly was he?

Lin Yue pinched his nose, realizing the guy still had not had enough to drink.

He smelled even more of alcohol than before, and he was still clutching a wine glass.

‘Could it be…’

“Big Brother…”

As expected, it was her elder brother, Reno Kristolier.

Lin Yue turned to look at Mapell and saw her body trembling slightly.

It seemed she had reached her limit.

‘Not caring for the chamber and acting recklessly outside is one thing, but to interrupt a meeting whenever you please? Do you think I’m invisible?’

Mapell suppressed her inner anxiety and dissatisfaction.

Her slender, pale fingers gripped the edge of the table so hard that her knuckles turned white.

“This meeting is very important. Please leave.”

Reno acted as if he had heard something hilarious.

He bypassed several shareholders and walked straight toward Mapell, carrying the same bullying momentum he had shown earlier.

As he walked quickly, he shouted, “Leave? Hahaha! You bastard child! What right do you have to kick me out? Before you were brought back, the chamber was thriving. Now… hmph.”

He was already fuming because Lin Yue had escaped earlier, and seeing Mapell gave him a perfect outlet for his anger.

“A mere woman dares to interfere with my chamber? I am the legitimate heir! Get out!”

He suddenly splashed the remaining wine in his glass toward Mapell’s face.

In his eyes, there was only disgust, without a single trace of sibling affection.

Mapell closed her eyes, seemingly having no intention of dodging.

‘Fine… I’ll just kick him out afterward.’

She instinctively hugged her arms.

It had always been like this.

No one would help her; she had no one to rely on except herself.

From childhood to her time as an officer, and finally as the manager, it was always the same.

Mapell kept her eyes tightly shut, but the expected coldness did not hit her.

After a long moment, she slowly opened her eyes.

Her beautiful gaze reflected the young man wearing the gray wig.

“Hey…”

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, the previously silent youth used his body to block the splashed wine.

The liquid on his chest slowly dripped down, following the pull of gravity.

Drop by drop… his gaze was now incredibly dark.