I, the Villain, Want to Save Myself, But the Yandere Heroines Disagree-Chapter 15 - Is It a Warning?

Earlier that afternoon, after lunch, Orson was summoned to Lucius’s study.

When Orson arrived, he found not only Lucius but also Mary seated beside him.

“Father, Mother, is there something you need from me?” Orson asked respectfully, bowing slightly.

“Mm,” Lucius nodded before gesturing for Orson to come closer. “Orson, come here.”

“Alright.” Orson stepped forward to the desk.

Lucius took a piece of paper from Mary’s hand and passed it to Orson.

As Orson read the contents, his eyes widened in surprise.

“Father, this is...”

“This is a gift from the Silver Moon Trading Company, meant to celebrate Litte’s return,” Lucius said with a smile.

“However, it was sent under Celineina Bonaventura’s personal name,” Mary added. “Orson, what do you think about this?”

Is this a test from my parents?

At the same time, seeing the familiar name on the paper, Orson began recalling what he knew about Celineina.

After thinking for a moment, Orson spoke.

“Father, Mother, in my opinion, this is a good thing,” Orson said, raising his gaze to meet theirs.

“This means we have the chance to deepen our cooperation with the Empire’s largest trading company, the Silver Moon Trading Company.”

“But haven’t we already been working with them for some time? They’ve established their trading operations in our territory—aren’t those partnerships enough?” Lucius asked.

“Isn’t it possible,” Orson said, “that they’re seeking a deeper level of collaboration?”

Lucius looked at Orson with a puzzled expression, while Mary’s gaze grew more thoughtful.

—

“Antica City has been established for several centuries,” Orson said, spreading out a map of the city. “Over those centuries, the city has developed significantly, but its districts have never expanded.”

“As a result, the old district has become overcrowded, and all the land initially set aside for future use has already been occupied. If the city is to continue growing, a new district must be developed.”

“The construction of a new district would bring enormous profits to the Silver Moon Trading Company—surely that much is obvious,” Orson said, looking at Celineina with a smile.

No matter the era, contracting construction projects was an incredibly lucrative business.

From design to materials to labor, every step was filled with opportunities for profit.

At the same time, building a new district signaled strong economic potential for Antica City.

In essence, this project was a mark of the Duke’s confidence in the Silver Moon Trading Company, making it clear why such a lucrative venture was being outsourced.

“But, Young Master Orson,” Celineina said, looking at him with some confusion, “typically, projects of this scale are announced well in advance of construction and investment opportunities. Why haven’t I heard anything about it until now?”

“Well, I suppose there’s no harm in admitting this, Miss Celineina,” Orson replied with a smile. “This project was my idea.”

“My father was struggling to decide on an appropriate return gift, so I proposed this plan to him.”

As he spoke, Orson set down his teacup and met Celineina’s gaze.

“Although I don’t know your exact reasons for wanting to work with our family, it’s clear that we have shared interests.”

“And so, I suggested this project as a gesture of sincerity from our family to you, Miss Celineina. I hope you can see that working with us is indeed a wise investment.”

As their gazes locked, Celineina felt as though Orson had seen right through her. It was as if no matter what she did, she couldn’t hide her true thoughts from him.

“You make a good point, Young Master Orson.” She forced a smile. “Since the Stranick family holds me in such high regard, I won’t let you down. The Silver Moon Trading Company will take on the construction of Antica City’s new district.”

“Thank you,” Orson said with a smile. “We look forward to the great results you’ll bring us.”

With that, he stood and gestured for Litte to follow him toward the door.

At the doorway, Orson let Litte exit first before turning back to Celineina.

“Is there something else, Young Master Orson?” she asked.

“Miss Celineina, what do you think of Litte? As a potential heir.”

Celineina’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at Orson.

How does he know what I’m thinking!?

“He’s... he’s very good, of course. But compared to you, Young Master Orson, he still falls a bit short,” she said, suppressing her nervousness.

“Is that so? I hope your opinion of him changes in the future.” With that, Orson left the room.

As the door closed, Celineina finally let out a long breath.

Was Orson trying to intimidate her by bringing Litte along?

Was he trying to show her the gap between himself and Litte, to make it clear that Litte wasn’t worth the investment?

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Especially with that last question Orson had posed—it was clearly a warning!

Damn it. How does he know?

“Click.” Celineina bit her finger, her thoughts swirling in chaos.

But if this was meant to be intimidation, wasn’t the return gift Orson brought a bit too generous?

Could it be that Orson is suggesting that even if she is someone who merely adds the finishing touch, he can still help her break free from the constraints of her family?

Known for her calm and calculated demeanor, Celineina found her mind unusually clouded.

—

Meanwhile, Orson and Litte exited the Silver Moon Trading Company.

“So, Litte, how are you feeling? What are your thoughts?”

“Um... Orson, were you negotiating with Miss Celineina just now?” Litte asked.

“Not entirely,” Orson replied with a smile. “There were some other matters involved. In any case, did you pick up on how to interact with others?”

“Mm.” Litte nodded. “When talking to people, you should keep smiling, and when speaking, you should be polite...”

“Exactly,” Orson said with a nod, giving Litte a light pat on the shoulder.

The two of them then boarded their carriage.

“To the Adventurers’ Guild,” Orson told the coachman before stepping in.

“What’s the Adventurers’ Guild?” Litte asked, looking curiously at Orson. “Shouldn’t we be heading straight home?”

“I need to update my personal information at the guild, and I figured I’d take you along to show you the place,” Orson replied. “You’ll be visiting it often in the future.”

The Adventurers’ Guild was a continent-spanning organization that accepted tasks from local lords or residents and distributed them to adventurers.

When a region had more tasks than its local adventurers could handle, neighboring guilds would post those tasks to recruit adventurers from other areas to help.

In essence, the Adventurers’ Guild functioned as a mediator.

In addition, the guild’s strength evaluation system was widely recognized across the continent.

The ranks for both warriors and mages were divided into ten tiers.

The last time Orson visited the guild was when he was twelve years old. At that time, he had already achieved Tier 4 as both a warrior and a mage, a feat that shocked the entire Empire.

Reaching Tier 4 at such a young age established Orson’s reputation as the most talented individual in the Empire’s history.