“Of course. Everything was done knowingly.”

Interest filled Deboah’s eyes as she looked at Elise.

‘She knew Cien’s character and approached her on purpose. She even predicted Iris’s arrival.’

Elise could manipulate the whole social circle if she decided to stir things up.

‘Even Iris is no exception. She’s quite remarkable.’

Deboah’s estimation of Elise soared.

“Deboah, didn’t you have something to tell me?”

Elise waved her champagne glass in front of her.

“There was a reason to pop the champagne, wasn’t there, Deboah?”

The smile faded from Deboah’s face.

She raised her eyebrows, her eyes full of suspicion as she fixed her gaze on Elise.

Elise waited patiently for Deboah to speak, not losing her smile.

The standoff ended as Deboah sighed and relaxed her shoulders.

“Hey! Yes, you there. Can you bring some champagne?”

Deboah called over a passing servant.

A servant with a bow tie quickly brought the champagne.

Deboah handed Elise a cool glass.

“How did you know?”

Deboah asked.

“What are you referring to? That the Von Newspaper was up for sale? Or that you’ve become the new owner of the Von Newspaper?”

“Both. Did you have someone follow me? I didn’t notice anything.”

Elise found Deboah’s wild guesses endearing. Her assumptions were wrong in several ways.

‘Even if I had someone follow her, she wouldn’t have noticed. I wouldn’t have chosen a sloppy person.’

Skipping over that, Elise answered Deboah’s question.

“Because I know you.”

“You know me?”

“Yes. Your past, tirelessly working for your dream for three years, told me you wouldn’t miss an opportunity.”

“It’s a strange logic, but let’s say that’s true. Still, it doesn’t answer my first question.”

“It’s the same thing. The past of the Von Newspaper’s owner revealed his future. His personal life was terribly messy. He ruined his relationships over money.”

“There are many like that. Not all of them fall so easily.”

“That’s true. So you can’t move just on predictions. You can’t bet solely on the past. Deboah, it’s a difficult question. Why? Because you asked the wrong question. I didn’t notice it; I created it.”

“Created what?”

“The situation. One common mistake people make is waiting for the situation to arise. Why wait? You can create it.”

Deboah’s mouth hung open, stunned. Elise added a few more words.

“That’s all I’ll say for now. I don’t have time to explain more. I see the person I need to meet.”

Elise clinked her glass against Deboah’s.

The clear sound snapped Deboah back to reality, but Elise was already walking away.

“Wait, Elise! One thing is clear.”

Elise tilted her head.

“I should be friends with you. Let’s be friends.”

Elise placed her empty glass on the table. Deboah was tense.

Elise’s face was expressionless, making it hard to guess her thoughts.

“Friends…”

Elise seemed to ponder. The situation had completely reversed from when Elise asked Deboah if she was the owner of Alleycat Times.

Deboah grew anxious.

Elise was different. From their conversation, Deboah realized she could learn and grow with her.

She had been waiting for such a person.

‘And she’s capable too.’

Creating the desired situation was a higher skill than predicting and preparing for it.
It required an astonishingly broad perspective, the ability to analyze and integrate information, and strong execution skills.

Deboah realized she must never become adversaries with such a person.

Once she sorted out the hectic activities following the acquisition of the Von Newspaper, she planned to properly express her gratitude for the help she received.

And she intended to maintain a proper distance because there’s nothing good in a newspaper and a noble being too close.

However, Deboah completely changed her mind. She decided to become Elise’s close associate.

As close as possible.

“I will be a friend you won’t be ashamed of.”

Deboah hastily added, as Elise turned to leave.

‘Is that a rejection?’

A cloud of disappointment formed on Deboah’s face. She hung her head low.

‘Did I overstep? I should have trusted without doubting.’

Just then, she heard footsteps approaching her, and a champagne glass was suddenly extended in front of her.

Deboah looked up.

“We’ve been friends since that tea time, haven’t we? Let’s be friends and more. How about business partners?”

Deboah eagerly accepted the champagne glass and drank it in one go.

“Yes, let’s do it all. Everything with you.”

Deboah’s determination was aflame.

Having made plans to meet Deboah again, Elise quickly moved on.

She had to meet someone important today. Her steps led her towards a gathering of dignitaries.

Noticing her approach, Karan and Elise’s eyes met. He raised his hand to call her over.

Elise naturally joined the group of dignitaries.

“She is the one I will marry.”

Karan introduced Elise effortlessly.

Thanks to him, Elise could mingle among dignitaries who weren’t too fond of Pedrocians.