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Chapter 69 – Milena Akasha (3)

Milena instinctively shuddered.

Ketal merely laughed, but it felt as if her head was halfway into the jaws of a beast that hadn’t eaten in a week.

‘…No way.’

Milena shook her head slightly.

She knew this barbarian well enough.

There was no reason to be afraid.

Suppressing her fear, she spoke.

“Congratulations.”

“And it seems you have also achieved quite a bit of success.”

While staying in the basement, Ketal had asked the guards about what had happened to Milena.

The story he heard was quite surprising.

She had successfully navigated the White Snowfield and earned a tremendous amount of money.

She revived her fallen family and still had plenty to spare.

Having saved her family with a life-risking venture, she garnered overwhelming support from her vassals.

The title of being a concubine’s child meant nothing in the face of her achievements.

She quickly took control.

Since then, she had used the remaining funds for several investments and ventures, most of which succeeded.

In just three years, she turned her near-collapse family into a highly successful one.

The Akasha family now had significant influence in the Denian Kingdom, enough to directly engage with the royal family.

Her achievements were so significant that, despite her father still being alive, she became the head of the Akasha family.

Akasha spoke calmly.

“It’s all thanks to you, Ketal. If you hadn’t helped me back then, I would have become a corpse buried in the snow.”

“That’s kind of you to say. You were the one who took the life-risking challenge, so you deserve the rewards.”

Ketal chuckled.

“But.”

He glanced sideways.

An elderly woman was glaring at him with wary eyes from behind Akasha.

“Is she your housekeeper?”

“Yes. She helps me.”

“Not the old man I saw in the White Snowfield.”

The old man who had accompanied Milena to the White Snowfield was nowhere to be seen. Milena’s face darkened.

“He… left. To support my family.”

Her voice was sad, and Ketal didn’t press further.

“It seems there’s a story there.”

“No, it’s because I’m lacking.”

A moment of silence followed.

Just as Milena was about to say something, a sound was heard.

Gurgle.

“…”

Milena quickly explained.

“It was just about time to prepare dinner.”

“Oh. Sorry about that. How about having some food?”

“Why don’t you join me, Ketal? It’s too much for me to eat alone anyway.”

“That sounds good.”

Ketal’s face lit up.

The thought of a noble’s meal was too good to pass up.

Milena stood up.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t properly greeted you.”

She suddenly remembered and looked at Ketal.

She then bowed respectfully, a very noble-like gesture.

“Milena Akasha, as the 22nd head of the Akasha family, I welcome my benefactor as a guest. Ketal.”

“Thank you.”

Ketal smiled broadly.

* * *

Ketal lay on the bed in the room he was shown to.

“Nice.”

The food was delicious.

The spices were a bit strong, but the dishes were meticulously prepared.

He was impressed by the noble’s cuisine.

Though he had stayed briefly in the Denian royal castle, he hadn’t had the chance to relax and enjoy himself.

The meals provided were simple and functional.

It was somewhat disappointing for Ketal, who had hoped for a royal feast.

However, being treated to a noble’s meal made up for it.

‘The room is great too.’

Though not as luxurious as the castle’s rooms, it was splendid enough.

“Such luxury.”

If it were the modern day, the room would easily cost over a million won per night.

Staying in such rooms twice in two days made him feel quite pleased.

As he was rolling around, someone opened the door.

It was Milena.

She was lightly dressed, perhaps ready for bed.

She hesitated at the doorway.

Ketal was lying on the bed, rolling around.

Seeing the large barbarian rolling on a bed his size was a rather strange sight.

Ketal asked nonchalantly.

“What’s the matter?”

“Oh. It’s just that…”

Milena, having composed herself, waved the wine bottle and spoke.

“Would you like a drink?”

“Of course.”

Ketal nodded.

Milena entered the room and took a sip of wine.

They spent time engaging in small talk.

As the night grew deeper and the wine bottle was half empty, Milena’s face had turned slightly red from the alcohol.

Ketal, on the other hand, showed no change.

“You… you’re strong… I’m not weak myself…”

“I’m used to it.”

Ketal sipped his wine.

The barbarians of the snowfield were maniacs for both alcohol and combat.

Some literally drank themselves to death.

Naturally, Ketal had grown accustomed to it as well.

“So, what’s your business? Didn’t you come here because you had something to say?”

“…Did you notice?”

Milena gave a wry smile.

For a noblewoman to enter a man’s room at night could severely damage her honor if rumors spread.

Even without rumors, there was a considerable physical risk.

Nevertheless, she had no choice but to come.

Milena began to speak.

“Ketal, do you know what I did after leaving the snowfield?”

“I know you made various investments and business ventures. Beyond that, I don’t know.”

“…Will you listen to me?”

Ketal nodded.

“Go ahead.”

After a moment of hesitation, Milena began to explain.

“I successfully completed the White Snowfield expedition. As a result, just as you predicted, I gained real power.”

With the power she had gained, she attempted various investments.

Although her family and father opposed her, her authority, having saved the family, was significant.

Her father, the head of the family at the time, had repeatedly failed, bringing the family to the brink of collapse, so in the end, he allowed her to proceed with her plans.

She secured weapon contracts and sales, invested in spices, and more.

Whether it was due to her skill or luck, most of her ventures succeeded.

The family quickly amassed a great deal of money.

While everyone praised and revered her, Milena felt frustrated.

“Although the family was successful, simple investments were extremely risky. There was no guarantee that the family wouldn’t collapse again.”

A single misstep could bring the family down again.

The risk was far too great compared to the returns.

She was constantly plagued by anxiety.

So she pondered.

What kind of investment would bring the greatest return with the least risk?

After endless deliberation, she reached a conclusion.

Lend money to those in urgent need of it.

Safeguard the money for those who needed it stored.

Collect the fees and interest from those transactions.

That was the conclusion she reached.

It required a substantial initial capital, but she had enough money from her previous ventures.

She immediately put her plan into action, announcing that the Akasha family would also handle financial transactions.

And in just three months.

She made more money than she had with all her previous successes combined.

She herself was astonished.

The Akasha family quickly gained enormous influence.

“I succeeded by buying and selling money.”

Milena looked at Ketal with an anxious face.

“Ketal, what do you think of my decision?”

Barbarian Ketal.

He was the only person who had seen through her true intentions.

And barbarians detested those who bought and sold money more than anyone else.

What would Ketal think of her?

Milena bit her lip quietly.

Ketal spoke lightly.

“Does it matter?”

His tone was so casual that it instantly erased her anxiety.

Milena’s face wavered for a moment.

“D-Doesn’t it matter to you?”

“I heard you got the king’s permission. Didn’t you?”

“Oh, yes. I met His Majesty personally and received his permission.”

“Then there’s no problem.”

Buying and selling money.

It could be seen as no different from loan sharks or usurers.

But Milena was operating with the approval of the Denian Kingdom.

That changed the story significantly.

A massive financial institution moving with the country’s recognition.

This was a bank.

‘The Rothschild family.’

A modern conglomerate holding hundreds of trillions of won.

They also started as an ordinary merchant family before establishing a bank after some success.

The Akasha family was following the same path.

‘Did the Rothschild family start this way too?’

He might be witnessing the beginning of a family that could control the world’s wealth.

As Ketal showed no particular reaction, Milena stammered and asked.

“Do you… not think I’m base or dirty? Like a ghost obsessed with money?”

“Some might see it that way, but I don’t particularly care.”

Medieval people were said to despise and loathe those who bought and sold money.

Many literary works of that era portrayed merchants as villains.

However, Ketal was a modern person.

Milena might be reviled if she were a loan shark, but as a banker operating with the country’s approval, there was nothing to hate.

“You lend money to those who need it and safeguard it for those who don’t. There’s nothing to hate. You’re just doing your job.”

“R-Really?”

Milena’s voice rose.

Since she ventured into banking, her family had accused her of tarnishing the Akasha family’s honor and left her.

People around her looked at her with disdain, calling her obsessed with money.

Even the old man who had risked his life with her in the White Snowfield could not understand her and left.

She was alone.

She believed she wasn’t wrong.

Making risky investments for the sake of honor could lead to losing everything if they failed. This was the right way.

She convinced herself of that because otherwise, her heart felt like it would crumble.

Being called the Iron Lady was because she had shielded her heart.

But it was hard.

She wished for just one person to understand her.

And now, Ketal was saying the words she longed to hear.

Come to think of it, Ketal had always been like that.

He was the only one who had seen through her true intentions when no one else had.

He was her only confidant.

Tears welled up in Milena’s eyes.

* * *

The elderly woman walked down the corridor with a worried expression, holding a lantern.

‘Will she be alright?’

Milena had told her not to come looking for her as she was going to visit the guest’s room.

But she couldn’t help worrying.

Carefully, she made her way to the room where Ketal was staying.

And as she got closer, she heard a woman’s sobs. T

he elderly woman’s face hardened.

She rushed to the door and grabbed the handle.

Just as she was about to forcefully open the door, she heard voices from inside.

“So, I’m saying I did it all for the family. Continuing with risky investments and ending up with nothing is insane. Don’t you think so?”

“Yes. I think so.”

“Borrowing money and not paying it back, and then talking about honor. Honor! If that’s the case, they should pay back the money first. Don’t you find it shameless?”

“It is shameless.”

“You really get me, Ketal. You understand me perfectly.”

“All I’m doing is agreeing with you.”

“……”

The elderly woman stopped with her hand on the doorknob.

What is she hearing?

For a moment, she doubted her ears.

She thought it couldn’t be Milena, but the voice was unmistakably Milena’s.

The Iron Lady, Milena Akasha.

The woman who had never shown any change in expression while leading the family to this point, was now drunk and complaining.

And in front of a barbarian, no less.

The elderly woman was utterly confused.

In the end, she could do nothing but let go of the doorknob.

She didn’t hear anything.

That’s what she decided.