Chapter 97

Chapter 97

The Reflections of a Man

It is those far off days that spring to mind when I close my eyes,

Those warm days when we all lived together as a family .

Father had managed the company back then, the workers loved him, the business continued to expand, and as a child, I looked up to him . I thought he was majestic .

My mother…she could be frightening when she scolded me, but otherwise, always wore a soft smile and was a truly warm woman .

And while we did have servants, my mother would cook everything, supporting father even behind the scenes . As a child, seeing my father and mother smiling at each other gave me a sense of pride and a sense of warmth .

And then there was my spirited, bright-eyed younger brother . It was the first time I would know someone that was younger than me . And for that reason, I swore in my heart to protect him .

We were that sort of warm family . Those were such gentle days .

The loss of them was truly unexpected .

…They say that a person will understand the true value of something once they have lost it…they were right .

The things that we enjoyed and took for granted, how hard, in fact, were they to come by . How privileged we had been .

With these recollections, I turn remorseful… and wistful .

That is how important those days were to me .

Suddenly, I open my eyes .

What enters my vision is the study .

The room that I am presently in is the president’s… in other words, the room that my father had used; had thrown himself into his work .

When I saw it long ago, there was a great deal more books and documents around, it had appeared to me as an awfully disorderly room .

Now it seemed deserted, and the sight that entered my vision was strangely lonely .

As these thoughts returned to me, I straightened my curved back against the backrest and tightened my hands into fists .

Finally, I’ve taken it back…

The loss of it all was truly sudden .

On that day…father and mother had taken a carriage to the royal capital on account of some business .

I did not think, nor could I have ever imagined as I saw them off, that they would be involved in an accident and would cease to exist .

I received the news that my father and mother had died . There was no time to grieve, and I had to make preparations for the funeral and handle other matters .

I was still very young at the time, and it was Vuld Rankam, who was the deputy head at the time, who conducted everything in my place .

“It will be fine, just leave everything to me . ”

I had lost those I depended on, and in my loneliness, I appreciated those words beyond anything .

And so I did everything as he instructed .

“…There’s a little trouble at the Conglomerate . Unfortunately, they may bring the investigation to the former head, your father’s house as well . Would you mind leaving the house and live in hiding somewhere else for a time?”

And that is why . …I accepted what he said, so unquestioningly .

And so I left the house and began living in hiding in a rundown house located in a corner district of the royal capital .

“I’ll come back for you one day . ”

He sent us off with those words and a scant sum of money, and there I and my brother lived for some time, in concealment .

One week…two weeks, and then a month .

By the time three months had passed, I could not help but think it strange, and I made my way to the market .

And there I would realize, for the first time, that I had been fooled .

“…I’m sorry, but who are you . ”

Those were the words he blandly uttered .

“What are you saying…It is me, it is Karim . I am the son of the former head of this Conglomerate . ”

“…The former head’s son, most, unfortunately, passed away along with the former head and his wife . ”

“You, what are you saying…!”

“…Somebody!”

I had opened my mouth to say more, but Vuld had called someone .

“This miscreant is claiming to be the former head’s son . Throw him outside . ”

Is what he heartlessly said .

“Stop…! Please, don’t do this…!”

Vuld offered a pitying look as I struggled wildly .

And then he approached me as I was dragged away, and brought his lips to my ear .

“…I have dismissed everyone in this Conglomerate that knows you . No matter what you might say, it will be in vain . ”

“… . Wha…!”

“…You were such a good child . Pure, the sort that no matter what people said, what they did, you did not know to mistrust them . I had even considered placing you at the top, to be controlled…but things have proceeded far better than I could have hoped . ”

He said with a grin, and as if saying that he was through with me, signaled with a look to the men that were dragging me . Consequently, they increased their force and I was briskly thrown out of the Conglomerate building .

As I was still young, I did not know how or who to appeal to .

And that did not change as the days passed . However, in order to live, I needed to secure an income somehow .

Eventually, I was able to sustain us both, but then my brother fell ill, and we needed even more money; by then revenge had become a distant priority .

And so I’ve continued, drudgingly to this point .

Bearing an anger that could not be unleashed .

And amongst all of that, she appeared . Saying that she needed my name and my help .

“…Pardon me . The head of the Azura Conglomerate is here to see you . ”

I was brought back to the present at those words, from the employee who had appeared with a knock .

“Let her in . ”

The person who entered after a brief moment was the woman who had taken me up .

“I’m sure you are very busy, and I do apologize for taking your time like this . ”

“Not at all . It is for you . There is no question that I’d make time for you . ”

“Fufufu…you’ve become very adept with words . ”

She laughed gently . In the darkness, I had thought that she was beautiful, and that impression did not change in the light .

“I came to sign the contract today . Let’s take what’s been a verbal agreement up until now and document it clearly in writing . ”

“Yes . That would be preferable . ”

The woman to her side handed the contract to me, which I reviewed and signed .

“Indeed . Well, then . I look forward to our partnership, starting tomorrow . ”

The verbal agreement with her…in the first place, she had said that she wanted my help .

About wanting to unite my Conglomerate and Azura Conglomerate’s transport department, and to carry out shipments under my Conglomerate’s name .

“How is the job?”

“There is still so much I need to learn . In truth, the people that you sent from your place have been of great assistance . ”

The aftermath of expelling everyone who had assisted Vuld was a serious shortage of laborers at the Conglomerate .

And so we had the Azura Conglomerate send us workers .

“Fufufu, I’ve heard tales from them . That you never leave anything to others, and that you have a rather covetous desire to learn . ”

“…”

Somehow, I couldn’t quite agree or deny it, and I unconsciously shut my mouth .

Seeing it, she laughed once again .

“It is a good thing . Use them, along with me . Never allow others to influence you, hold on to your will and work hard on the task at hand . If you do that, I believe that even through hesitation, you will continue to work without losing yourself . That is my advice to you as your senior . ”

“…then you also have moments of hesitation?”

“Why, of course . I am human just like you, and I am your senior by only a few years . Many times have I hesitated, felt regret and distress . ”

It was a little surprising . Knowing her, I had thought that any hardships would be met with a fearless laugh and be overcome, just as when I first met her .

“…But . It was because I had a fixed vision, that there had to be something that I could do, even with such hands as mine . ”

“…and what was that vision?”

“I met children at the orphanage, and after I had read stories to those children…I started a business of selling those stories as picture books . And the profits we gained from them were sent to the orphanage as a donation . I think it was after that when I realized . Of course, it is important to earn money, but I understood that the ‘profit’ needed for the Conglomerate was not that alone, that is my incentive . …Do you as well, have that sort of ambition or vision?”

I pondered on her words for a moment .

So, the vision that I pursue…

“There is no need to hastily decide if you do not have one now . ”

She said and smiled, perhaps it was because I had not opened my mouth for a long moment .

“…One day…”

I opened my mouth to utter my thoughts, just as they were .

“Work related to medicine, and also, I want the kind of job that will put smiles on the faces of the people from that town . ”

“I see…”

But in truth, I do not know at all, how I am going get there . I do not know what I need to do .

Yet even still, if I managed to accomplish that… . surely, I could say that everything I experienced up until now was not in vain; I believe that .

Her smile simply deepened as I spoke those words .