19

Mabel

I was excited and nervous to meet with Viscount Bryd and the business appraiser. Mostly nervous for that part and how much I would end up investing, but excited to see what they had ready to go and how fast things could be changed over.

The viscount truly wasn't knowledgeable about the venture he'd taken on. He was upset that the appraiser didn't list the large amount of stock he had for the sales price of the items. He wasn't selling them though, so the actual value of them was the ingredients and containers. It would be different if they were flying off the shelves and I would turn around and sell them.

But that wasn't reality. It was several things like that. He expected the full value of his equipment, but they were a few years old. Still in great shape, but machines depreciated over time. He also had more employees in the factory than was needed and… There was a lot to correct. It was a shame, but my offer could keep their family from losing everything.

And those people their jobs.

However, there was a lot that he'd done wrong that worked out well for me. His factory was much bigger than needed. He'd wanted that to grow and expand. Right, except he had a run of the mill product that had undersold.

I had a miracle from our goddess. So I wasn't being full of myself that I would use it. The appraiser seemed of the opinion that I would fall on my face just as the viscount had but didn't say anything.

The stores were also larger than he needed, and that meant a lot of product storage. I could keep hiring police officers who wanted some extra income to sleep in the back rooms so everything was protected.

But the viscount was sorely disappointed with what he found the value of the company was when he'd clearly put a lot more money into it. Even the appraiser felt bad for him and explained a lot of what he'd spent money on was paychecks and that wasn't recoupable.

I offered to let him get another appraisal, but after the long day of going over it all, he realized his position. I reminded him that the main value for me was the recipes and I would pay handsomely for them, plus his management salary.

He muttered something about doubting sales like this included comforting the seller.

That was probably true.

I worked the next day with the appraisal and set out my full proposal, even asking Kathy's brother Colin to look it over. Ian pouted that I didn't ask him, but I did show him. And thought it was a generous but not overly generous offer. There was even a bonus structure in place for the viscount to make more each time we expanded.

I didn't want to wait and brought it over, and after reviewing it, both the viscount and viscountess agreed by the next morning.

I was now a business owner and luckily had a manager that took orders well. I could focus on what I needed to while he closed the stores and worked with the product to add what was needed. It would be tedious and annoying to empty all of the jars and bottles out just to refill them again later… But it needed to be done.

And in the spirit of helping, Kathy actually designed a lovely logo for Transformative. It combined the sun and moon together in a way that was eye-catching but not too loud. I loved it and she was thrilled to be able to help.

Luck was also on my side that harvests were good for herbs that year and there were a lot on the market. Creams and lotions wouldn't go bad, and we could use the stock as soon as possible.

I simply had to be the one to grind it all up and mix it. Violetta made that clear in a dream. I saw myself with sparkles all around me and then sparkles transferring to the cream. So clearly Ian was right and I had some sort of power I didn't know how to tap into yet and that was what made everything work more than the herbs.

Ian knew where to get everything that I needed no matter how weird or obscure… And fast. A large herb grinder that ran on mana stones?

Done.

A rare herb that I'd only been able to get a little of through the queen?

Done.

I kept calling him my genie, and he seemed to truly like the nickname which was pretty endearing.

But it wasn't all the new business in my life. It was also working with Ian on the ink and how to handle that. Basically, he would order it all and have it set up in a part of his factory, and I would come grind up what was needed and make up what was in the batches so they could make what was needed.

And for that easy task, I was making a percentage of each jar sold. More importantly, I was involved in the expansion ideas. For now, it was just for the police stations and court employees and we'd go from there.

Plus, I was working with the sketch artist that Andre connected me with. The queen was handling the education side with the king and updating each physician's training to keep their medical licenses to practice medicine in the kingdom. I appreciated that because it took all of my strength to let someone stare at naked parts of me and focus so much on my scars.

I couldn't have done it without Kathy. She sat in the room each time with her back to us and talked to me or we simply read. But I wasn't alone. That was what mattered most. And one of my guards who was recovering from an injury had kids, so he was able to watch the artist's two kids while she worked.

It made me feel everything was normal even if it was a very not normal situation. I appreciated the support. I really did.

Ian or Andre always checked on me after they knew I'd worked with her.

At the end of two weeks, my arms and upper body were completely sketched so I could use the cream without worry. It was helpful to know it was a step in the process. She'd sketched the arm I'd put the cream on first and then I could keep using it. My scars on that arm were almost completely gone. I kept thanking Violetta for that.

Even if we'd had issues and didn't approve of how the other handled things, she was letting me recover, and that was what I needed.

The lotion was also a hit. Andre swore by it, and after it sat for a while, it did work better. Both the lotion and cream needed two weeks to soak up all the herbs and my… Essence? Power? Whatever I did to it, it was more potent if it was left to sit for two weeks.

Yes, I found that weird as well.

It was the talk of the capital that the stores had closed, people loving when a noble failed or they had an excuse to look down on someone. What people didn't expect was for something to immediately take it over and new signs going up.

I felt like I was fitting in with my new life and I could really be happy, make something of myself and contribute to the kingdom.

So of course, something had to try and ruin it.

I had just arrived home from the ink factory to finish what they needed for several runs when a messenger raced towards us on horseback. My guards moved in front of me, but the guy slowed down and held up his hands in surrender.

"My Lady, there's a problem at the bank. They dispatched me to tell you right away," the messenger said. "Can I let them know you are coming?"

"Yes, of course. Thank you." I got right back in the carriage and away we went.

I wasn't sure what was going on, but if I had to guess, it was the problem I knew would arise, that I'd had help to work around even. I didn't want to jump the gun, but if I was right, the audacity of… Rage burned inside of me while telling myself to wait to see the situation myself.

"I sent the messenger to tell the commander, My Lady," my guard said as I got out of the carriage and he jumped down from his horse.

"Why would you do that and bother him?" I asked.

"Because I like living, and if something happens and I didn't tell him, he'd kill me." He gave me a look that I should believe him.

I couldn't even think about it right then, too much already in my head. I hurried after him and the door was opened for us.

"I am tired of having to repeat myself," a man raged.

I swallowed loudly, begging the goddess for courage. I knew the voice well, and it made me shake to hear it so angry.

Too bad. You are not a child anymore and you do not have to listen to him. He's nothing but an annoyance to you now.

I strengthened up my mental armor and stepped forward, turning to the first person who worked there. "I was paged I was needed here about a situation?"

"Yes, My Lady, your father is making a scene," he told me, waving for the attention of the man my father was yelling at.

"So?" I asked the man, not backing down when he did a double take. "Why do I have to be involved with that?"

"Mabel, get over here and stop acting like—"

"Speak to me like that again without manners and I will have you brought up on charges at the noble court, Count Sunde," I said firmly.

His eyes flashed shock. "How dare you interrupt me and speak to me that way?"

"‘My Lady.' Are you that ignorant and idiotic that you cannot handle something so simple?"

"You clearly have lost your mind to talk to me like this," he seethed. "I came at the right time to handle what I should, but these fools will not let me have access to the accounts."

"My accounts. You are here to have access to my accounts. Yes? That's what you will not say in front of everyone because even you know how pathetic it would be that you came to clean out your own daughter's accounts."

"Watch yourself, Mabel," my eldest brother, Christopher, warned.

"Viscount, please behave yourself or you'll be brought up on charges as well. And please do not confuse the situation while the adults speak." It was almost amusing to watch the matching shocked expressions of his, my father's, and my second oldest brother's.

I wasn't remotely done yet.

I glanced at the man who had been speaking with my father who had to be the bank manager. "If he's throwing a fit like a child and you cannot handle it, contact the police. I am not sure why you sent an urgent messenger for me, but I am a busy woman. I pay you people to protect my money, not bother me with nonsense."

"Mabel, enough with your disrespect. Get over here right now," my father ordered, even snapping his fingers at me.

"I am no longer a child who has to listen to you, Count Sunde. I am also not sheltered or trained like a pet, and I know how you behave is disgusting to the rest of the world." I gestured around the full bank. "Thank you for showing them so no one ever wonders why I cut you out of my life."

He glanced around and lost his temper, storming down on me.

Only to have my guards intercept him. "Remember yourself, My Lord."

"Move aside. I will reprimand this child however I see fit," he roared, pushing them away.

"I was your child, but you told me to kill myself rather than get divorced. That was the moment you lost the right to call me your daughter and I made that clear before I left the house."

"You do not get to decide that!"

"The law says otherwise," I snapped. "The law says we are equals, my title the same as yours."

He snorted and looked down his nose at me. "You have done nothing to deserve that title besides embarrass your family. Title? You have no land. No area. No husband. You are nothing."

That type of bullying used to work on me, but now I saw through all of his bluster. "Funny, you would not have any of your land, money, or influence if it was not for me saving the family from your bad investments before I was sold. And more people know that now, so you are only lying to yourself."

"Shut your mouth and handle this—"

"Do you even hear how idiotic you sound? Be quiet but tell him what you want me to say? No, I will not tell them you can have access to my accounts. You are dead to me. It's grotesque that you came here to steal from—"

"It is not stealing, girl," he seethed. "I am the head of the Sunde family and everything belongs to me. That includes you."

"I am not property, and the fact you ever treated me that way is disgusting. The law is not on your side."

"It is because he's the head of the family," my second brother jeered. "Everything that belongs to a Sunde belongs to him."

"Which is why I am no longer a Sunde," I said with a smirk. I nodded when Father stopped struggling against my guards. "I knew exactly what you would do and how immoral you would be. You did not care one bit about what was done to me. You never once visited or wrote a damn letter when I was suffering and abused. But there's money now and you are greedy.

"You and my brothers are the greediest, laziest people I have ever had the misfortune of knowing. So I knew you would try to steal what was awarded to me because of the law. Which is why I had my name changed and myself removed from the Sunde family registry at the capital the moment after my divorce hearing. I am Countess Mabel Phoenix now."

My father's face went pale and there was a bit of fear. So he was there for more than himself. He'd clearly been in touch with the Matthias family and said he'd recover some of their money for them.

Of course, I knew they would.

"That's semantics and you are rambling nonsense about—"

"The law is never nonsense, Count Sunde," Andre said firmly from behind me. "I suggest you stop embarrassing yourself and leave the premises so they can keep conducting their business."

"This is none of your concern, Commander Lessa," Father bit out.

"People causing a disturbance when I am tasked with keeping the peace is always my concern," he easily replied. "And Countess Phoenix is one of my neighbors, so know that before you think to show up to her house and harass her next. Now, I said leave, which means you leave unless you want to be arrested, My Lord."

My guards started to move Father towards the door as Andre went to speak to the bank manager. People came in behind me and made a fuss about not being able to do what they needed to and the scene before them. My second brother shoved one of my guards in his injured shoulder he was healing from and he bumped into the guard holding Father.

And that was the moment Father pounced.

He shoved the guard down and lunged for me. "I'll kill you for ruining us!" He tried for my throat, but I threw my arm up in time. He grabbed my hair instead as he slapped me.

Someone must have grabbed him to try and get him away from me because he was jerked back and then I was too since he didn't let go of me. People were shouting all over, but I barely heard it. Father started to fall, and he was bringing me with him.

The one thing I'd tried to protect myself from, and now it was physically happening instead of to my life.

My head hit the marble floor too hard, and I was unconscious before I could even worry what would happen next.

The End