Tanisha’s confident stride, her deliberate call to a distant employee to assert her authority, and the haughty glint in her eyes as she offered the chair, whispering that this position wasn’t earned by Rebecca’s merit—all these actions flashed through Rebecca’s mind. She quickly read Tanisha’s desires.
A tense silence hung between them, like the calm before a storm.
Under Tanisha’s probing gaze, Rebecca abandoned her original plan and pivoted to a new one.
“I’ll stick to being a partner. I’m not cut out to be the head. That role’s yours alone. I trust Yulian’s judgment.”
Before Tanisha could respond, Rebecca plopped into the guest chair opposite, smiling brightly.
Yours alone…
Tanisha, deflated, awkwardly pulled out her chair and sat.
She’d anticipated a fierce battle for control when the duke assigned her this role. After uncovering Rebecca’s identity, she’d prepared for every scenario.
From childhood, Tanisha’s sharp mind had handled the Johannes family’s messy affairs. The hot-tempered duke caused daily chaos, keeping her busy. Yet her pay stayed the same, often siphoned off by her parents.
“It’s only natural for Chenisters to serve the Johanneses. Expecting money is absurd! We’ll hold it for your marriage.”
Lies.
After the previous duke’s death, her jobless parents relied on her and Croa’s income. Their lavish spending meant Tanisha knew she’d never see her money again. Croa, similarly drained, seemed unbothered. But Tanisha was different.
She begged her parents to work, but they coldly refused.
“We served the Johanneses. We can’t stoop to dealing with lesser nobles.”
“We’re just barons!”
Tanisha screamed internally but couldn’t voice it, not wanting to hurt her proud parents.
Her long-cherished dream was independence.
Tanisha Trading Company was her starting point. She’d already set up a fund for it. Once she saved enough, she’d repay the duke’s initial investment and leave the duchy.
She couldn’t let Rebecca take this company.
Her research showed Rebecca as a frail noblewoman. Why would she want a trade company?
To gather money for a divorce from her cheating husband.
And she was using the notorious Johannes duke to do it.
Tanisha didn’t know how Rebecca had swayed Yulian, but she wasn’t ordinary.
So Tanisha prepared meticulously, ready for intense negotiations. She sent Rebecca a letter—a challenge, in her mind.
She expected Rebecca to arrive dripping in jewels to intimidate her. Instead, Rebecca came dressed like a market vendor and bluntly said she didn’t want the head position.
Confused, Tanisha could only stammer an introduction.
“So, what’s our head’s name?”
Tanisha faltered.
“T-Tanisha Chenister…”
Rebecca flinched at “Chenister.” Tanisha’s features vaguely resembled Croa’s. Recalling Croa’s stories of his clever sister from her past life, Rebecca realized Tanisha was her. She was glad she’d scrapped her plan to be head—crushing, Croa’s sister’s dream wasn’t an option.
Checking the clock over Tanisha’s shoulder, Rebecca saw time was tight for her next stop.
“No time, so I’ll be brief. I only want money. Let’s split it 6-4.”
Tanisha snapped to attention.
“Who gets 6?”
“You. I’ll provide useful info, but you’ll do the hard work. If that’s not enough, I’ll go up to 7.”
Thrilling. Tanisha had haggled often, but never for her own pocket. Yulian had stressed that all profits were Rebecca’s. So Tanisha planned to secretly negotiate a cut, knowing Yulian would overlook minor embezzlement for her past efforts.
Tempted to push for 7, she stopped—fearing Yulian’s wrath if he found out.
“Fine. What’s this high-value info?”
Rebecca smiled faintly, grabbed a sheet from the desk, and began writing with a quill.
The scratching filled the room until she stopped.
“A list of goods whose prices will soar. Given you uncovered my identity, you’ll make big money easily.”
Tanisha took the list with skeptical eyes.
Yurian blue porcelain, Caribana pepper, Bongani coffee beans, Tamara ladybugs…
All currently low-value items.
“Got foresight or something? How do you know these will rise?”
Foresight? Not quite. Rebecca listed luxury goods that trended in her past life around this time. The Devonshire estate got trends first, so she remembered them vividly.
No time to explain, she checked the clock.
“Can’t elaborate, but trust me. Especially the Tamara ladybugs—monopolize them. Make this the only place to buy. Someone will pay a premium soon. Stock up.”
A dirty tactic, but necessary. Danae’s salon promised huge profits, but it took time to open. Rebecca had no intention of staying tied to Zeppelin that long. To repay Obeliaga’s debt to him quickly, she used her past life’s knowledge.
She poured out memories like a storm.
“This mine has high-quality iron. Caribana will have a civil war soon. They lack iron, so they’ll import heavily. Secure the mine for big profits. Buy coffee beans from a merchant named Adolf…”
Tanisha scribbled frantically, afraid to miss a word.
When Rebecca exhausted her memories, she gulped water.
“That’s it. Can you do it?”
“I will. No, I must.”
Tanisha’s eyes sparkled.
Rebecca must be a saint blessed by Defria. How else could she recite the future so vividly?
A normal person might dismiss it as nonsense, but Rebecca was vouched for by Yulian. Though Tanisha didn’t like him, she trusted his eye for people. Those he called shady always were; those he praised always delivered.
So she embraced Rebecca’s words, clutching the notebook dearly.
“More tea before you go…?”
Tanisha’s hostility had vanished, and she reluctantly grabbed at Rebecca as she headed out.
Rebecca found her adorable and laughed.
“When I’m free, we’ll get to know each other better.”
“Free…?”
Rebecca winced at her slip, but Tanisha, understanding, let her go.
“One last thing,” Rebecca added. “A lady named Danae Obelia will come. Share the profits with her. She’s wise—consult her if you’re stuck.”
“Got it. How do I report?”
“To Yulian. He’ll relay it to me.”
She meant Leo, their recent messenger cat.
Tanisha, misinterpreting, blushed and nodded.
Guess there’s something between them.
Rebecca gave her a warm smile and headed to her next stop, lured by the smell of fresh bread.
“You visiting me? Shocking.”
Emperor Zahidra, enjoying a rare tea break, was stunned to hear Yulian requested an audience.
It was always Zahidra summoning him, never the reverse.
“Hope you’ve been well.”
Zahidra, thrown by Yulian’s oddly polite demeanor, stared blankly.
