A Villain's heart (hiatus)

Chapter XXI: Cunning Eyes

Chapter XXI: Cunning Eyes
[Not Edited]

Its been 2 weeks since the last incident about the 3 siblings past. Cloud become completely silent and Ana keep on trying to have even a small conversation with her brother despite being rudely ignored.

Bea acts like usual jumping here and there and sometimes follow Sierra around like a little duckling. Both of the master and mistress of the house are locking themselves up on their workplace underground of the house. whatever it is they're doing does not concern Sierra anymore since she had a lot on her plate to deal with and also she is also not interested.

Aside from the siblings she was thinking of making some quick cash. Looking at the numbers of gold coins slowly disappearing day by day torture her to the bone. Looking at the slowly dimming of the aura produced by Aetu also added up to her concerns. She don't know what is happening to Aetu. Aetu's life force is thinning up and even Aetu herself don't know the reason.

Sitting on her grandfather's st- ahem! Sitting on her new study table on her office surrounded with books oddly all about herbs. Looking back on how she got the place. "This is definitely my office now..." She bluntly said to her grandfather whose face full of reluctant tears.

Sierra seriously stared at the paper full of her scribbles on how to lessen the expenditures or what business might work in this area. You all might ask why can't she just bring out smartphones and any other amazing technology with the summoning magic?

Well she needs Aetu's power since Aetu can connect herself to different worlds and if Sierra want to use her own aura well...  She is not qualified to perform high form of magic. Despite how simple this summoning magic looks that was only because of the cheat: Aetu.

In addition how can she explain about this technology without getting the attention of the leading and hidden powers of this world. She had no clear understanding of the political views and structure of this dimension despite reading books and learning from Carlos. She can't just roll her hands out and displaying her golden cards like an idiot just for some lack of funds.

She can start building restaurant? Bakery? Beauty products?

Who on earth would buy them in this isolated village?

She can move out of this place and find a town or city with a good amount of residents?

She can but there are two problems. First she planned to explore the mysterious forests and second is the capital! Moving itself needs money let's not count the traveling fees, food, the dangers (Bandits, Monsters, Natural calamity) paying entrance fees of each villages they cross. They also needs some lodgings.

Beside starting business is not all about having an 'idea' but the mental exhausting process. We have to consider the demand of the area and ways to supply them.

Who are the competitors?

Who are the clients?

What are the raw products and where to get them?

Countermeasures for counterfeiting of your product and your competitors ambushing or destroying your business?

What kind or who's thigh are you going to grab? Business also needs  backers and that will cause you to become part of the crazy political fights.

It's going to be a long journey...

With the growing headache she sigh as she subconsciously rub the ring with blue gemstone on her finger. Carlos came with a silver tray on his hands. He bowed and placed the tray infront of her.

"Miss a letter from the Wisemen household..."

On the tray is a letter with a pink roses seal. Without even thinking about it she already know it came from her twin sister. She silently opened it up while Bea on her back tried to take a little peek.

The letter contains about Stella's daily lifestyle which doesn't earn her interest or money. She sigh and take a piece of paper and wrote a reply. Even though she's not really her real sister she still know how to act properly. She don't want to be rude to a child. For Sierra she's just too old to be a bully to children and made her cry.

Writing her reply to another piece of paper. Ink flows and danced on the white sheet forming letter after letters. A simple reply not short but also not long.

[Sierra don't you feel it's quite wierd...? ]

'What do you mean?' sierra reply through telepathy. She was still trying to decide whether how she'll make Stella indirectly ask the head of the house to raise her living expenses. Thinking of what appropriate words she should write without sounding forceful or eager.

[Look at that girl she's acting really weird...]

Sierra side glance the silly girl that kept on following her like a tail. She acted really normally to the point it felt wrong.

Learning about the siblings past also caused a great impact of Claoudious and Anastasia's relationship. It was obvious that something is wrong.

Even an idiot that uses his toenails to think can made use of his intuition to understand the peculiarities of the siblings atmosphere. The weirdest thing is Beatrice acts normally as if nothing happened without trying to ask the current tense situation between the two.

Sierra made an eye contact with Carlos who was standing like a golden pillar at the side. He standing quietly and obediently waiting for her orders. Green eyes clashed with her dark ones. A silent understanding.

"Young Miss it's not that I wanted to add your troubles but- forgive me for my insensible remarks." Carlos took a perfect 90° bow with his right palm touching his left chest.

"No it's fine you are never a bother Carlos. You've been serving my family for so many years even my dad give high praises of you." Sierra's cunning eyes flashed with brilliance.

"For me to be praised like th- Young Miss it's my great honor." Carlos said and bowed more deeply but his green eyes mirrored Sierra's cunning ones.

"You are worth of praise. So what is it that bothers you?" Stopping the unnecessary small talk she raised the main matter.

"It seems like the siblings Attendant Claoudious and Miss Anna is having difficulties in performing their daily tasks..."

"You mean they're not doing their job properly?"

Bea's body twitched and this reaction didn't escape their eyes.

"Young Miss maybe they still need some time-" before Carlos could finish his sentence he was stopped by Sierra's fingers drumming on the table.

"Are they lazying around?" Sierra frowned the pitch of her tones sounds like it summoned the god of blizzard to freeze the world.

"It's not it! My sister and Cloud are not lazy!" couldn't take it anymore Bea finally raised her voice.

[This... ]

Aetu couldn't help but stutter she felt an intense alert of danger. She shivered thinking about it.

'To understand the psychology of your opponent you have to know which switch to move that can cause the target to immediately respond. Guiding them with conversation may lead to the answers you want willingly.'  Sierra said through telepathy as her eyes flashed a purple light and disappears. The corners of her lips slowly lift a bit it's almost unrecognizable.

.
Aetu couldn't help but sweat. This kind of cunningness astounded even the Gods of the higher realm...

•••

This is it for now. I don't know when I'll be able to update again...

Stay Safe And Stay Healthy Everyone!