“He's just a childhood friend, that's all.”
At Darren's annoyed voice, Yua stopped in her tracks.
“My old man works for his dad's trading company! That's the only reason we've been hanging out since we were kids! His dad asked me to look after her. He was worried because his daughter was so spacey and small, always getting bullied.”
Yua clutched the book in her hands tightly to keep it from falling. Her hands were shaking without her realizing it.
“Otherwise, why would I, of all people, bother with such a gloomy and unattractive girl? I'm only doing it because of my dad's job. He made it very clear not to make her upset.”
Darren's father, who worked at Yua's father's trading company, was a hearty man who laughed with a booming “gahaha.” He was cheerful, the life of the party, and always made Yua laugh with his jokes whenever they met. To think that this same man had told his son to humor his employer’s daughter behind the scenes…
“That girl, she's the only daughter of the Lester Trading Company, right? Her dad's worried too. There's no way a girl like her with zero redeeming qualities could ever inherit a huge trading company like that. That's why they’ve been making her get used to me since we were kids, planning to have me marry her and take over the business. Her dad’s been overly nice to me because of it.”
It's true, Yua's father had always been kind to Darren. Many times, when drunk, her father had joked about Darren marrying Yua and taking over the business.
“Well, I plan on becoming a merchant in the future anyway, and the Lester Trading Company is one of the most powerful in the country. Taking it over wouldn’t be so bad, I guess. But then I'd be stuck taking care of her for the rest of my life.”
An exaggerated sigh escaped him, and Yua’s body trembled.
“It’s seriously depressing, isn’t it? She clings to me all the time even now, and it’s going to be like that forever! I even had to turn down a confession from Shine-chan in the class next door because of her. I can’t go cheating on her if I'm gonna be her future husband, right?”
The boy talking with Darren laughed and replied, “Yeah, right. I saw you walking with Shine-chan the other day.”
“Ah, you caught me! Well, yeah, I’m actually dating Shine. She’s way cuter, isn’t she? But don’t tell Yua, okay? It’d be a hassle if she found out. Shine is really understanding. She’s like, ‘Poor Darren, having to take care of a girl like that.’”
Yua wanted to cover her ears. The pain in her chest felt like her heart was shattering into pieces, but she couldn’t move, standing there clutching her book.
She tried to remember Darren's usual gentle voice.
Darren had always kindly protected Yua, who was smaller and weaker than others her age. The gentle voice that once told Yua, who was embarrassed about not growing at all, that she was cute…
“Well, once I marry Yua, I'll inherit the Lester Trading Company. For now, I'll just play nice and look after her. Once we’re married and I take over, I'll probably just ignore her and get myself a mistress. She’s still as tiny as ever, with a flat chest and no hips. She just stares at me with those gloomy eyes from behind her messy, unkempt hair. Even if she’s ugly, she could at least put some effort into her appearance. I mean, there’s not a single thing about her that’s attractive as a woman.”
“Man, you're ruthless, plotting to take over the company,” Darren’s companion said with a laugh, to which Darren half-jokingly replied.
“What can I say? Taking in such dead weight is basically charity.”
◇◇◇
When Yua returned home, she went straight to her father’s study.
Her father had not yet returned, so Yua sat on the sofa in the study and waited. Since her mother was out for the day, Yua asked the servants to inform her father that she was waiting in his study and requested that no one else come in. The servants, noticing Yua's tense demeanor, looked worried but quietly served her a warm drink and left her alone.
It was late at night when Yua’s father, Marc, finally returned.
“Yua?”
Marc was surprised to find Yua sitting in his study without any lights on and hurried over to her.
“What’s the matter, Yua? Sitting here without turning on the lights… Have you been crying?”
Though Marc’s expression didn’t change, he was shocked to see tears streaming down Yua’s face, and his own face clouded over. Something was different. Normally, when Yua cried, her face would show sadness or a hint of seeking comfort. But this was the first time he’d seen her shedding tears with such an emotionless expression. Marc realized that this must be the reason why the servants had seemed unsettled when he came home.
“What’s wrong, Yua? Did something happen at school? Should I call Darren?”
Whenever Yua cried, Marc usually checked with Darren to find out what had happened at school. But when he suggested this, Yua’s expression flickered.
“Father…”
Marc felt his heart skip a beat. Her voice was so flat that it startled him.
“Please let me go stay with Uncle Larshe.”
“Larshe’s place?”
Larshe was Marc’s younger brother. He managed the branch of the Lester Trading Company in a neighboring country. Originally, their father had founded the Lester Trading Company, with Marc inheriting the main branch and Larshe establishing a branch in the neighboring nation. Their father had since passed away, but their mother was still alive and now lived with Larshe’s family.
“Why so suddenly? What do you plan to do at Larshe’s?”
“I want to study abroad in the neighboring country.”
Marc was taken aback by Yua’s words. Larshe had indeed brought up the idea of Yua studying abroad before. Since Larshe and his wife had no children of their own, Yua was the only potential heir to both the main branch and the branch of the Lester Trading Company. Concerned about Yua’s introverted nature, Larshe had suggested broadening her horizons by having her study with him in the neighboring country. Marc hadn’t been opposed to the idea. However, Yua, being too shy and uneasy about being separated from Darren, had refused, and the plan had been put on hold.
“Study abroad? Are you serious, Yua?”
Yua nodded quietly.
“I will eventually inherit the trading company. I want to study and gain some experience away from home.”
Marc couldn’t believe his ears. These were not words he ever expected to hear from his shy, timid daughter, who had always hidden behind Darren.
“If you’re serious, I’ll make arrangements right away.”
Marc, while bewildered, also felt a twinge of happiness. He didn’t know what had happened, but his daughter was finally expressing a sense of responsibility as the heir to the company.
“Just to confirm, are you planning to go by yourself? Or will Darren accompany you?”
Though unsure of what had prompted this change, Marc assumed Yua wouldn’t go to a foreign country on her own. Naturally, she would want Darren to go with her. Darren, who had been with her since childhood and was likely her first love, was the son of a long-time employee of the company. Since Darren was an only child, his father might have some reservations, but if it was for Yua’s sake, Marc didn’t expect him to strongly oppose the idea. After all, Marc had come to trust Darren enough to consider him a future son-in-law who might one day take over the company.
However, Yua’s response was different from what he expected. Instead of her usual timid gaze, she met his eyes firmly.
“No, Father. I will go alone.”
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