Zhan had requested for all of the members of the VelArte family to gather up in the dinner table, holding a large feast.
"I-I wouldn't say this as a feast..."
Zhan muttered under his breath, feeling really embarrassed about what he was seeing in front of him. The food that was spread out on the table wasn't the kind of fancy food that nobles were supposed to eat, but just simple peasant food that looked plain and cheap. It was hard for Zhan to accept this situation, because he knew that his family used to have much better meals than this, and seeing how far they had fallen made him feel uncomfortable and ashamed.
"Sorry, Zhan... We just don't have enough funds..."
"WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS!?"
Zhan yelled out loud, slamming his fist down hard on the wooden table, making all the plates and cups shake from the impact. This dinner was supposed to be a proper feast to celebrate something important, but instead, it looked like some kind of low-quality offering that you would give to beggars. He couldn't believe that his proud noble family had fallen so low that they couldn't even afford decent food for a simple family gathering.
"Sorry for this, Young Master..."
A man wearing a neat black suit bowed his head and apologized with a pained expression on his face, his white hair making him look older and more tired than he probably was. It was clear from the way he carried himself and the guilt in his voice that he felt responsible for the family's money problems. His shoulders were bent like he was carrying a heavy weight, and his eyes looked sad and worried about the future.
"No need to apologize... Uh,"
Zhan paused for a moment, realizing that he didn't remember this person's name even though the man seemed to know him well. He felt awkward about not knowing who this important-looking person was, especially since the man was clearly someone who worked closely with the family. It was embarrassing to admit that he couldn't remember someone who was obviously important to their household.
"It's Gandalon, Sir. I have heard you lost your memories, I deeply apologize for that, Young Master..."
"Well, I didn't lose my memories, but, what should we do to gain funds for the people living here?"
Everyone around the table sat completely silent for what felt like a really long and awkward moment, their eyes going wide with shock at what Zhan had just said to them. The silence was so thick that you could almost feel it pressing down on everyone, and all their faces showed the same expression of complete surprise. They stared at him like he had just said something completely impossible or crazy, and nobody seemed to know how to respond to his question.
—W-What...? Did I say something wrong?
Zhan looked around the table at all the people sitting there, noticing that every single one of them had the exact same shocked expression on their faces. He couldn't understand why they were all acting so strange about a simple question, because it seemed like a normal thing to ask about. Their reactions made him feel confused and a little bit worried that he had somehow made a mistake.
"Y-YOUNG MASTER, DID YOU JUST SAY, 'FUNDS FOR THE PEOPLE'!?"
All of them shouted at the same time in perfect unison, like hearing him say those words was something completely unusual and unexpected. Their voices echoed around the dining room, and they all looked at him like he had just performed some kind of magic trick that they couldn't believe. It was clear that for some reason, talking about helping the people who lived in their territory was not something the old Zhan would have ever cared about.
Well, it really was unusual for him to say something like that, because in the past he had such a bratty and selfish attitude that he never thought about anyone except himself. The idea of him caring about other people's welfare was something that had never happened before, so their shock made perfect sense.
"Y-Yes...? What's wrong with that..?"
Zhan asked them while scratching the back of his head, feeling completely confused about why everyone was making such a big deal out of his question. He couldn't understand what was so strange about wanting to help the people who depended on their family, because it seemed like the right thing to do. Their reactions were making him feel like he had said something terrible, even though he thought he was being reasonable and caring.
"Young Master really did lose his memories..."
Daer muttered quietly to Gandalon while giving Zhan a sideways look, like he was trying to figure out if this was really the same person he had known for so long. His voice was low but Zhan could still hear what he was saying, and it made him feel frustrated that nobody would believe him. The way Daer was looking at him made it clear that the old Zhan would never have asked such a question.
"Eh!?"
Zhan stood up quickly from his chair, feeling confused and a little bit angry that they kept insisting he had lost his memory. He didn't understand why they couldn't just accept that he had changed and was trying to be a better person than he used to be. Their constant doubt about his mental state was starting to get on his nerves, and he wanted them to stop treating him like he was sick or broken.
"I told you guys, I didn't lose my memories!"
Zhan tried to explain to them as clearly as he could, his voice getting a little desperate because he really wanted them to understand and believe him. He felt frustrated that no matter what he said, they kept thinking that something was wrong with his brain instead of accepting that he had simply decided to change his ways. It was annoying to have everyone doubt him when he was trying to be helpful and responsible.
"Yep, he really did. But it isn't that bad..."
Maria nodded her head in agreement with the others, her cheeks turning a little bit red as she smiled at him in a way that was both sweet and amused. Even though she was agreeing that he had lost his memories, she seemed happy about the change in his personality, like she preferred this new version of him. Her blush made it clear that she liked how he was acting now, even if she thought it was because of memory loss.
"Believe me guys!"
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"Alright, back to business, what should we do to regain our funds..?"
Zhan asked everyone around the table, standing up from his seat so he could look at all of them while they discussed this important problem. He wanted to focus on finding a real solution to their money troubles instead of continuing to argue about whether or not he had lost his memory. The financial situation was serious, and they needed to come up with a plan quickly before things got even worse for their family and the people who depended on them.
"There's one answer to that, Young Master."
Gandalon, who was the Financial Manager for their family, replied to his question after taking a moment to think about it carefully. His voice was serious and professional, and it was clear that he had been dealing with their money problems for a long time already. He looked tired and stressed, like someone who had been trying to solve an impossible puzzle for months without any success.
"To sell our properties."
Zhan went completely silent for several seconds, thinking deeply about what Gandalon had just suggested to him and considering all the consequences that would come from that decision. Selling their properties would give them money in the short term, but it would also mean giving up everything that made their family important and powerful in the long run.
—Selling our properties would mean we would have nothing left in the end, it's like a last resort, but it's the worst possible way to handle this situation.
Zhan thought logically in his mind as he sat back down in his chair, trying to come up with a better solution than just giving up everything they owned. He knew that once they sold their land and buildings, they would have no way to make money in the future, and they would eventually end up with nothing at all. There had to be a better way to solve their problems without destroying their family's future completely.
"There is another way."
Zhan grinned in a way that looked a little bit sneaky and mischievous, resting his chin on his hand as he looked around at everyone's faces. He had an idea that might work, but he knew that the others probably wouldn't like it very much when they heard what he was thinking. His smile showed that he was confident about his plan, even though it might seem crazy or dangerous to other people.
"Care to guess what it is?"
Everyone around the table started chattering quietly among themselves, trying to figure out what kind of solution Zhan might have in mind for their money problems. They whispered to each other and made guesses, but nobody seemed to know what he was thinking about. The room filled with the sound of quiet conversations as they all tried to come up with ideas.
Maria raised her hand up in the air, looking directly at Zhan with a serious expression on her face. She seemed to have an idea about what he might be planning, and she wanted to share her guess with everyone else. Her hand was steady and confident, like she was pretty sure about what she was going to say.
"Yes, Maria?"
Zhan pointed at Maria and picked her to share her guess, giving her permission to speak up and tell everyone what she thought his plan might be. He was curious to see if she had figured out what he was thinking, because she knew him pretty well and might be able to guess his ideas. His expression showed that he was interested to hear what she would say.
"Uhm..."
Maria stood up slowly from her chair, pausing for a moment because she knew that what she was about to say would probably shock everyone around the table. She took a deep breath and looked around at all the faces staring at her, preparing herself for their reactions. She knew that her guess was going to make people upset or worried, but she felt like she had to say it anyway.
"Gambling."
"Correct."
Everyone went completely silent once again, but this time the silence felt even more awkward and uncomfortable than before, while Zhan just stood there acting like what he had said was perfectly normal and reasonable. The room was so quiet that you could hear people breathing, and all their faces showed expressions of shock and worry. They couldn't believe that he was seriously suggesting gambling as a solution to their money problems, because it seemed like the most dangerous and irresponsible thing they could possibly do.
"THAT'S NOT A CHOICE, YOUNG WASTER!"
"WASTER!?"
Zhan exclaimed loudly, his voice full of surprise and a little bit of anger at being called such an insulting name. He couldn't believe that someone had just called him a "waster" right to his face, especially when he was trying to help solve their family's problems. The word stung because it meant they thought he was someone who wasted everything he touched, and it made him feel defensive about his suggestion.