I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Chaebol Family-Chapter 108: Travel Training (3)

As with all things, it began with a small crack.

When exactly did it start...? Roughly with the short-selling of the British pound in 1992.

“It’s fine. Unlike those damn Brits, the French economy is solid.”

At first, they made such bold claims, raising interest rates and releasing capital to defend the value of the franc.

To a certain extent, they were right. Hedge funds that half-heartedly threw short-sells just to test the waters ended up bleeding and pulled back.

Great France, unlike Britain, seemed to be doing fine. They were neighbors soon to become one community under the name of the European Union, but well... watching the Brits get wrecked was always a pleasure, wasn’t it?

“Ahaha! See that? We can’t let those American bastards eat up our great France. Hmph, but what the hell is up with CL? Politicians, I swear...”

And around that time, CL’s corruption started trickling out.

The usual news of bribery and misconduct, to stories about insiders at the bank pocketing enormous sums through insider trading.

Even optimistic circles started murmuring when the French state-owned bank suddenly announced plans to enter the airline and film industries.

“...Is it really okay for a bank to act like this? I mean, maybe if it were a private bank, sure, but why is a state-owned bank investing so aggressively?”

But they only raised concerns—they couldn’t actually say anything outright.

On the surface, profits still looked good, and most gamblers don’t realize they’re gamblers until they lose. Until then, they think they’re just smart investors.

.

.

.

But all good things must come to an end.

And when the hidden lid was finally opened, what spilled out was the stench of massive, festering corruption.

[Crédit Lyonnais loses at least $1 billion in failed MGM acquisition... Is CL’s reckless investing sustainable?]

[French government announces discovery of large-scale insolvency during Crédit Lyonnais audit]

[Collapse of France’s largest bank? Mounting calls for privatization amid Crédit Lyonnais crisis...]

“...Huh?”

Something had gone terribly wrong.

The French people instinctively felt it.

***

Hoo.

I could see my white breath. The steam condensed instantly in the cold air and reflected light.

This winter too—like all winters—was cold. I was sensitive to the cold, yet always dressed lightly, so winter truly was the worst season for me.

“You know? Breath isn’t steam.”

I murmured that randomly. I didn’t particularly expect an answer, but Seo Ji-yeon gave one anyway.

“Oh, yeah. We learned that in science class. Clouds and breath aren’t actually gases—they’re liquid. Gases aren’t visible in the first place, remember?”

“Right. It’s the same with other things too. What looks amazing can turn out to be nothing, and the opposite can also be true.”

A rainbow is nothing but light refracted through water droplets, and clouds taste just like water.

People who once dreamed of flying up to grab a rainbow eventually realize it’s meaningless. And then they start obsessing over how cool it would be to drop a bomb from the sky.

While ignoring the fact that even that might not be so meaningful.

“...I’m not quite sure what you mean. Are you saying that what we see isn’t all there is to the world...?”

I forcibly shut the sentimental part of my mind and thought about how to respond. Childhood trauma aside, money and power were enough to soothe me.

It’s not like I can resurrect my dead parents. No matter how hard I try, I can’t catch a rainbow—you know that, right?

“Hmm... I just wanted to say that our senses and instincts aren’t as reliable as we think. As you know, Ji-yeon, relying on intuition when investing usually leads to idiotic results. Just like this time.” fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

Crédit Lyonnais overinvested thinking “I’ll be fine,” and got swept away by the tide of the times.

Seo Ji-yeon, who’d been sticking close to me yesterday and soaking up my plans, finally nodded.

“Aha, true. Everyone assumes things will keep going well just because they have so far. Even in a duel with 50% odds, one out of 1,024 will win ten times in a row.”

And there are billions of people living on Earth.

“...Exactly. Well said. People who rely on instinct never last long. But on the flip side, if you never take risks, all you do is stand still.”

“Hmm. That’s true too. But even I think Crédit Lyonnais overdid it this time. There’s no way those high-and-mighty adults didn’t know better...”

Pfft.

I chuckled. She’s smart, but my secretary is still young and pure—she doesn’t understand how desperate people can get.

“Ji-yeon. The people who made it this far... they’re not just folks who won ten duels. These people, when they suffer huge losses, they think like this.”

“How?”

“I’ll win it back and repay it.”

“....”

Seo Ji-yeon’s mouth fell open at the foolishness of people, but honestly, I could relate.

I’m the same, aren’t I? Objectively speaking, my success rate—considering I’ve seen the future—is incredibly high, but it’s never 100%.

Even so, I staked my life on this. I threw myself into the whirlwind of history, one that could utterly destroy me if luck ran out, in hopes of one day securing lasting peace.

Ironically, that’s how it is. You have to prepare for war if you want peace—and I want a very long peace.

Seo Ji-yeon was still much shorter than me. Fidgeting with her mittened hands, she looked up at me.

“Then... are /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ you the same, Miss?”

“...Yeah.”

I was supposed to confidently say no. But I just nodded. And added, as if to excuse myself,

“Still, I’ve got a pretty high chance. I’ve been right about almost everything so far... and even if I fail, I’ve set up the board well. Maybe not in the past, but now, failing one or two plans won’t ruin me.”

“Hmm. But then why do you always look so exhausted? You said it’s okay to fail now.”

She stared at me. I blurted out without thinking.

“...Don’t talk like you know everything.”

I said it out of discomfort, but Ji-yeon grabbed me and said—

Tap.

“Miss, I honestly don’t know what you’re thinking. I don’t know what you’re struggling with or what’s tormenting you. That’s why I want to know. Because I want to help.”

“I appreciate the concern, but this is a problem you can’t solve.”

Then the girl smiled brightly.

“But isn’t that true for everyone? Most people don’t know what’s going on in the mind of a teenage girl.”

Maybe so.

Teenage years, huh. Maybe I really am going through that. In my past life, I’d have acted without worrying this much.

“...Maybe, I feel a little sorry. Toward people. Hm, maybe I caught it from Joo-eun.”

A mix of emotions stirred. Of course, the biggest was joy and thrill from success. Then came guilt, and anxiety over possible failure.

“I don’t know. I was definitely in a great mood this morning.”

I always thought guilt was a luxury. That hasn’t changed.

But now, I’m far too wealthy. Wealthy enough to afford a bit of luxury.

And since I measure everything by how I feel, if I feel guilt, I ought to resolve it. Money’s just one of many things that make me happy—I never planned to hoard it like a miser.

“Mmhm. Sounds like a very teenage girl kind of worry.”

“...I’d rather you didn’t reduce this to something a teenager would fret about. You do know your life depends on this, right?”

I scowled. How dare she treat me like a kid? If we weren’t close, I’d have scolded her right then.

“Ahaha! That—just now, you really sounded like a teenager. Everyone’s like that, thinking only their worries are serious. But Miss, didn’t you say it yourself? That maybe... it’s nothing at all.”

Standing on tiptoes, drawing close as if to wrap her arms around my neck, she whispered to me with eyes gleaming:

“Just—go for it. Whatever you’re thinking, whatever you’re worrying about... why not just do it?”

My cheeks flushed.

“Why... why would you say that? How do you know what I’m thinking of doing?”

Seo Ji-yeon grinned brightly.

“I don’t. That’s why we try.”

Because it’s bound to be fun.

***

The next morning.

I woke up feeling refreshed and looked up at the clear sky. Beside me, Seo Ji-yeon was trying to collect her slack body as she breathed heavily.

“Huu... Miss, you’re so mean. You’re all energetic by yourself...”

“Hmph, weren’t you the one who said I should do whatever I want?”

It wasn’t a big deal—Seo Ji-yeon caught a light cold. She had overexerted herself helping me last night.

Seriously, who told her to stay outside so long in winter?

Well, I did gain something from it.

[Report on French real estate crash and Crédit Lyonnais losses.]

Soon, Crédit Lyonnais would dump their massively devalued real estate. Dirt cheap.

And of course, real estate always goes up eventually... meaning I could profit. Dozens of plans were already forming and dissolving in my head.

‘Ah... I really shouldn’t.’

The French real estate market was clearly in a slump. And it would stay that way for a while.

Unless someone interfered, that is.

‘Still, can’t be helped. It’s France’s fault for putting out such a juicy bait like this...’

I calmed my excited heart and slowly began drafting a new plan.

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