Thought It Was 'The End', Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 37
Villains, Made Not Born
Jeff Bertrand headed to <Madame Harper> in the center of Delmuz after the ball.
All the employees had already gone home, and Rachel, who was alone, greeted him.
“Was there a problem?”
“No. It was perfect.”
“I thought you came to complain. So, whatās up?”
“I need to borrow your office.”
Rachel blinked a few times in response.
Jeff was an investor in <Madame Harper>, and since the office was empty, there was no issue with lending it to him. Besides, Rachel planned to stay in the sewing room tonight to work on Adeline’s wedding dress.
“Itād be a problem if blood splatters… I just received high-quality silk from the Kingdom of Thveit. It’s a special request from Her Highness the Imperial Princess, and it can’t be damaged. It’s too much to move right now.”
“What do you take me for? Itās just a conversation.”
“Then itās fine. Come in.”
Rachel was someone Jeff had met during his studies in the Kingdom of Thveit.
They were business partners and old friends, and they had a brief romantic involvement. They quickly broke up after acknowledging that they could not prioritize each other, though Rachel still harbored some lingering feelings.
“Who are you meeting?”
“A rat.”
“…Well, alright. Good luck, squeak squeak.”
Understanding that he didnāt want to discuss it further, Rachel didn’t ask more questions.
Instead, she changed the subject.
“What did people think of Adeline’s ball gown? They couldnāt take their eyes off her, right? Honestly, it was my masterpiece.”
“My sister is naturally beautiful, so of course.”
“I agree, but my creation contributed too.”
“Adeline looks beautiful no matter what she wears.”
“…”
“Since she returned, her complexion has improved, making her even more beautiful.”
“Thatās true. Iāve seen her from a distance several times, you know, because sheās your sister. I couldn’t greet her, though. Honestly, she didnāt look healthy back then. She had dark circles under her eyes and always looked tired.”
“The Saintess’s miracle works wonders.”
“Is a miracle some sort of tonic? …And honestly, I still don’t know whether to believe it or not.”
“Believe it, Rachel.”
Jeff casually turned the doorknob to Rachel’s office as if it were his own. Rachel followed him in with a candlestick.
“Anyway, Adeline has returned.”
“That’s true.”
“With evidence right in front of you, whatās not to believe?”
“It doesnāt make sense, though. I know the Saintess is amazing. Everyone knows that. Without her, we wouldn’t be able to breathe on this polluted land. But the Saintess is a ‘purifier’, not a ‘resurrector’,”
Jeff shrugged.
“Maybe she has that function too.”
“Donāt talk about the Saintess like sheās a machine. Sheās a treasure of humanity.”
“Sheās the one who described herself as such.”
Rachel sighed deeply.
“Anyway, Iām too tired to argue. Iām busy, so Iām going to the sewing room.”
“Donāt let your fatigue affect the quality.”
“Youāre such a jerk.”
Rachel gave Jeff a resentful look.
He only spoke sweetly to his younger sister, saying she was pretty no matter what she wore, while spouting blasphemous nonsense to her. It was frustrating.
But thatās why they had broken up. Rachel realized that she could never be Jeffās priority and had initiated the breakup.
Jeff was a cold-hearted businessman.
He appeared cheerful and cunning but never considered others’ circumstances and never missed an opportunity.
He was skilled and lucky, but his greatest driving force was his ruthless determination.
Traveling across the continent managing his company, Jeff only returned to Delmuz around the anniversary of his sisterās death.
Rachel once calculated how many more times she might see him if she lived until she was the ripe old age of sixty. Even if he visited Delmuz, he wouldn’t meet her every time, so it would only be a few dozen times.
Thatās why she was truly grateful that Adeline had returned alive.
After all, Jeff acted cheerful and laughed often in front of Adeline.
