Bab 78: The sound of money
Money makes the world go round.
I feel much better with money. Good enough to even stand to be around my disgustingly gross parents.
Please shut up and just throw me money.
We do not speak about what I may or may not have seen in the very distant past. Do not. All attempts at communication or pathetic excuses are met with drowning screaming and me ignoring. Lalalala I do not hear anything~
I use the excuse that seems to have taught common children all around the world, in all planes of reality. Animal planet.
Thank you boys, for the awfully crass but sufficient excuse. Blessed be children's love and acceptance of animals, especially Lukas.
While my words horrified mother, I'm the one that is rightfully horrified.
Just lie! Kids don't need to know anything! Not at this age! You wouldn't do this to Lilyanne!?
At least father had a proper sense of shame and humiliation. But he quickly got over it when we established the 'Rosalia is not listening lalala~" rule.
Instead, just keep up with the money. Money solves all.
"Frederick dear I do worry about this?"
"Maria my love all small children are attracted to shiny things, as are many adults. It's nothing so odd, why you yourself are fond of beautiful accessories that glimmer in the light?"
" Yes but - it's very different darling."
" How so my turtledove? "
"Well, for one my dearest husband, it is true that our sweet youngest and this humble wife sincerely enjoy beautiful things that shine and sparkle."
"Yes, and so? "
" However our eldest appears to only be attracted to the shine of ...gold and silver coins."
"I beg to differ dear."
Like a boring old person, father throws another coin, copper, unfortunately, as if he were playing fetch with a small animal.
Move over Lilyanne, that one is mine. I don't mind cutting off my own sister for money. Don't cry Lily, you have no need for penny pushing as I do. You'll get your chance
"See my most divine love, she does coppers too. Yes, our Rosalia is much more economical. "
Whatever he throws out next is indeed sparkly, but worthless. Your turn Lily, go fetch.
"Oh my charming darling, while I am so glad to have us all back together and spending time so comfortably again, you truly don't see a problem with this sort of...activity?"
"...No?"
A shiny round gold thing goes flying too far and I'm rushing with my short little legs. The coin lands and rolls under an ottoman but no fear, I am more than small enough to crawl.
God damn rich people.
It's not like I don't know what he's doing. Treating me like a cat with a laser. Only the shiny of precious high-value coins is even more irresistible to me than a moth to the flame. I need money. So much money. Money is not my end all be all but all sorts of goods and services can be exchanged with money. Can't waste the chance for such free easy money.
When I crawl out of the dark cramped space, coin safely tucked away, I'm met with a sight that would make any common man see furious red and green.
Actually, I'm a girl, and I'm still full of righteous rage and envy!
Looming in front of me is a scene out of a hated fantasy, not meant for normal eyes. A polished man that can only be described as a pretty flower boy lazily lounges on a plush loveseat, gold at his feet and a gorgeous well-endowed beauty pressing into the crook of his arm. On his other side rests a fine crystal glass and decanter of probably very expensive amber red liquor. If he runs low, a line of diligent maids pours his glass perfectly half full and offers shiny plates of fresh fruit and Hors d'oeuvre. The half slicked auburn hair and pop off the top two buttons of his probably too expensive silky shirt, exposing creamy collarbones, gave off the impressions of a rich waste. A terribly wealthy and hateful waste living in the lap of luxury.
Near his lap lightly spills a blanket of riches, like a messy bucket of popcorn. What a metaphor. He throws a grape from the nearby plate, which gets the attention of a dumb tiny cherub chasing after it with precious giggles.
How hateful. To think an angel like Lilyanne came from 50% of that DNA. The sight alone makes my blood boil in indignation almost as much as the mention of the old man. It's a different type of hateful rage than my reaction to grampa, but grampa is crazy.
God damn rich people.
Father's golden eyes, the same terrible shade of my most precious money, narrowed in amusement. Sparkling gold, same as the gold in his lap, the gold piled at his feet and in his hidden safes and account. So much gold.
My throat itches to yell out all sorts of scathing insults but the tips on his long fingers dance upon the shinies. He pinches and tosses a large coin, like flipping it into a fountain right at his feet.
I sprint for it.
Free money!
"It's actually quite good Maria my love, for Chippy to be able to recognize what's valuable and what's not, especially at her age. Wouldn't want our children to be so easily.... "
Another shiny goes flying, but it's just a rock. Not even a valuable one. Lilyanne giggles in glee and chases after it, landing with her pumpkin butt up in the air on the nearby cushions.
"It is indeed a harsh world out there my beloved sun and stars, one must choose their endeavors carefully. It's good to be open as it's good to be ambitious. But darling, our baby stars are nowhere near grown enough to be able to tell! I fear, rather than a lesson of value they, particularly one, are learning something more....vicious."
Oh my god it's a pearl! I got it I got it, you can't trick me with the fake throw! Hand over the pearl already you sick rich bastard!
But it's more than a cheap shot, he merely drops it into his lap! I have no choice but to climb the couch and his legs like Jack and the bean stalk. Ugh, the things I do for money!
"Vicious is good my Maria, my heavens. Vicious will keep them afloat in society. A society that while you may have found easy to integrate into given your status, they may not. You had honorable father but sadly our girls will be judged by my unfortunate name. "
"Oh Frederick dear."
"Now now Maria, there's nothing that can stop the gossip of noble circles. Forgive me, by marrying this unworthy man, our precious offspring cannot claim any 3rd generation excuses. "
"There's is nothing to forgive, oh do forgive me for..."
Blah blah blah, is anyone going to pay me in some more nice valuables or do I have to try my luck elsewhere? It's already disgusting enough to be in the same room as these two when they're all flirty like this. It's awful. ...
Lalalalala~I don't remember anything! Ohohoho nothing at all!
As much as I curse rich people, father is a very good rich person. Not particularly because he gives to lots of charities or any fake PR stunts like that. See grampa may have accumulated a vast amount of wealth in his youth from adventures and stuff. My nerd of a father, however, turns that initial money into even more money.
Grampa's inventions are patented, researched and distributed into the correct market. His treasury, collecting dust or to be drained into the troops and household, were properly budgeted and allocated, leaving no room for thievery or fraud, with my father in charge.
In an entirely different sense than grampa, my father is a terrifying man. A lot of people's daily work and livelihood depends on him and his mighty signature.
Mother, however, is a much simpler person, despite her love of expensive pretty things. She's a true second-generation wealthy heiress. A living breathing stereotype of grandeur and ignorant bliss. That's not to say she's an awful person with no accomplishments but...oh damn rich people.
At least father makes the money.
Still, it's these sorts of couples I hated the most at work, whether it was at the bar or planning events. Blissful lovey dovey beautiful people....just ew.
Ones that are just so perfect for one another, primarily because they are sooooo rich and have never known hardship. "Who has time to be in love when you're busy worrying about money?" True true. Amen to that. My own parents, my real ones, were a good case scenario on that.
Now I'm generalizing here. There's plenty I don't know about my current parents, let alone their past. Look how much I've already learned in these short years that the original Rosalia never knew. Father can draw and has a stupid "commoner" fascination. Mother is horrifying despite appearances and has a surprisingly very painful grip.
But wow do I hate couples like these.
My old friends heard me rant enough. More than them, a certain former boss of mine would always yell at me to shut up if I was so bitterly jealous, which I was not. He was the one cussing out overly cute couples then going to cry at his Korean dramas in his office, that hypocrite. It's cool, we got him back by hooking up his speakers to the dancefloor once.
Ah good times at the bar, good times, gross couples aside.
See, I'm getting better at remembering my old life. Before such thoughts would have me tearing up, how sentimental of me. It must be because it's too difficult to process any strong emotions in this small sensitive body. I only have the emotional range of a toddler after all. Coming to terms with death is a hard topic for anyone, especially when it's technically all over.
Which is great!
No more insane overtime! More more slaving away for a paycheck, or losing sleep over a commission. No more crazy managers piling up even more product research or PR events for me to juggle! Hahaha see you all handle old clients without me, I'm not that easy to replace! I hope all my old bosses suffer!!!
Cept the old bar, bossman was cool.
As naggy as that forever alone loser was, he was an alright boss. Gave me my first job and all, even though I was still only in high school when I started. A bit of cushion money, a place to go besides an empty home.
His little brother, our cool glasses manager, was more of the actual boss though. We never did stop calling him glasses manager huh? Then there was the youngest brother, ah what a baby brat. Someone should get it through his skull not to give out so much stuff for free. It's fine if it's was me, or another close friend or two, but it's not good for business. That bar really was a strange sort of family business.
It wasn't all good and fun, after all it was customer service.
But it wasn't so bad. Kinda loud and messy at all times in the back but it wasn't unlike the friendly atmosphere at grampa's troops. Our bouncers were huggable and hilarious at intimidating losers. Our kitchen staff was always making something weird in the back and calling it the daily special. The pretty waitress sisters taught me all sorts of tricks and tip making.
I kinda sorta really missed that sort of place when I finally graduated and got that dream job with the #######paycheck. AHhhh...more like hell job. Goodbye life, hello money.
The things I do for money.
Maybe that's what I'm unconsciously trying to replicate here, no not the money. I was born hella rich in this life, the only consolation to being a future villainess.
It's not technically my money, but the family's, however, if I play my investments right I'll be independently rich in no time.
What I admit that I miss is that odd sort of back bar and not just the free drinks. I miss that easy dynamic that everyone had. I miss our jokes and the ragtag family-like support and structure.
I suppose that's why I may have been getting weak lately. Weak to this strange family of Rosalia. I shouldn't but it's rather easy to just fall into the pace of things as a Ventrella. Why I tried creating a nicer kind of work environment for my kitchen and overall staff.
Isn't this just the same as before? Isn't this just me being lonely and trying to fill the void? Ahh I'm really still such a pathetic person, what a shame. To be fair there's still lingering feelings, hunger, from the original goods.
Still, there's no shitty sweet talking bartender to rant to in this lifetime. No silly chatty friends and coworkers to sling their arms around me and take my mind off of things. It's just me here.
Just little old me vs the gross and oblivious couple, great.
Gross gross gross. If no more money is being tossed out I'm just going to cower behind some seat cushions. Cool, thanks.
I'd escape if I could but this close to my bedtime I have nowhere to go. Even my staff need their closing clean up time. Besides, it may not look like it currently but the parentals are watching me, or well us, since we got back.
Also, father is currently taunting me by both holding my waist but waving a gold coin hypnotically in front of my face.
There's money but I can't move, my arms are tragically too short to reach. Below me is a ferocious toddler, cutely hopping up and down because she can neither climb nor reach her disgusting parents properly.
Oi stupid couple, you already have children here. If you want to make more, go stare into each other's eyes in some other room and put us to bed already. Also, pay me more money for dealing with this.
I really am no good with lovey dovey couple like this. Even if I had experience in it, it just makes me shiver uncomfortably. I suppose it's a good thing for married couples to actually like each other, let alone...love? Oh ew. Yeah let's not think about that.
At least they don't argue like my old folks back home. None of that stress, a whole load of different kinds of stress. Like making money!
Father's hand casually droops to low and I pounce, grasping his long fingers and the precious shiny gold trapped in them. Success!
Gold is precious you know? I have to sell how many soda pops to even make a proper copper then alone a full sized gold coin like this?
Yeah, it's going into my personal escape fund. My investment money has to be returned to the Ventrellas after I start making enough profits. Don't want them chasing after me for a debt. I'm not that sort of petty thief. But this sort of freely given allowance is all mine! The undeniable benefit of being born into an ultra-wealthy family! If I'm very careful about saving and investing it, I can live the rest of my life post getting disowned quite comfortably.
"What's that Chippy, you want attention as well?"
I respond to father's absolutely ridiculous question with a glare and a tug at his finger. Let go of the gold already you wasteful miser. Go do some paperwork or something.
"Hmm it can't be helped. Children are ever so needy I suppose."
He gives me a hateful pretty boy smile as he messes up my hair even further and throws me onto mother's side of their fused shared lap space. If it weren't for the gold coin, I wouldn't have kept quiet. But money. Then he bends to reach and lift up a cooing Lilyanne, who babbles happy nonsense even I can't decipher.
I'm sure we make a very spiteful family portrait right now. Of course, that's impossible with the angel that is Lilyanne and the heavenly beauty that is mother. With them in the picture, it's a glorious and glamorous scene. But the sheer amount of gold and money just laying around like movie popcorn is enough to cause a common thief to have a stroke.
Good thing I'm not the common sort.
While mother's lap is very warm and squishy, it's further away from the money pile. At least it's a good sign that mother's eating well and getting healthier. I hear she wasn't always as weak and frail but that our birth took a lot out of her. From my memory, though she was always this delicate sort of Barbie doll, perfect, confined to beautiful controlled spaces and maybe not even real.
It's fine if she's getting healthier overall. Maybe it will let her be more lenient in my groundings, let us out more!
Lilyanne may not care where Mother decides to trap us but I do! I can't stand to count another dress! Unless I make it dresses that can fit grampa? Hmm that's a new game to try.
But let's avoid getting grounded again in the first place! I have a busy schedule to keep if I want to have all my affairs organized and my business start ups running by the time I turn 5. I have a little over 2 years left.
Of course, having more money helps.
"Oh dear, our Rosalia seems to be reaching out for you my darling?"
No no, it's the money I'm making grabby hands towards. Instead of keeping that in my head, I should make it clear. People like father prefer direct communication on personal matters or else they don't get it, let alone respond. I make it as simple yet childishly passable for mother not to ground me again.
"Money. Gold. Gimmie."
Father lets out a prideful sort of laugh that only good looking people can pull off. Though I must admit, with the red of the wine and his auburn hair, the lavishness of the room and atmosphere, he looks somewhat shall I say, villainous?
All is forgiven as he jingles a handful of gold coins at me. Lilyanne on his other side is more content to chew on some cheese, leaving the palmful of precious coins vulnerable and open for my taking. I feel my own eyes grow wide but I just can't...move!
"Oh dear...darling again I entirely blame you." frowns mother, tightening her hold on me even further. Let me go mother, the money is just right there!
"It's nothing so strange my beloved. Many people, even the young, knows the value of gold. But I surely didn't teach her that!"
" You didn't have to oh wretchedly wonderful love of my life. I'm afraid it's as genetic as your hair."
"Maria, my divine prisonkeeper which I would, of course, have it no other way, I find that both impossible and highly offensive. Her hair isn't even that red?"
"Yet, not if I can help it."
"You like my hair!"
This is the part where mother cruelly rips me away from the human gold ATM. While I do appreciate her trying to tame the mess that is my hair, she has unnecessarily scooted herself, and thus me, to the other side of the sofa.
So close yet so far from my precious money, I can only helplessly baby cry in my cutest voice and reach out with chubby pathetically short arms. Cute attack! Let me at the moolah mother!
Of course, it proves to be absolutely ineffective on the nerd. All he does is shake and laugh at my pain. How rude! Has anyone told father he gets red super easily? It's getting worse because he's trying to hold it in so mother doesn't get offended at the volume.
I guess I have to do all the work on my own, typical.
"Mama? Mama don't be mad."
"Oh my baby bird, I'm not angry. But I am worried. You must not grow to concern yourself so much with riches. All that is glitters is not gold."
"I know that mo-mama. That's why I only chased after the real money."
"Oh that's not quite what I meant. Oh, there's a lot of more important things to this world than money. It scares me, my honey sweet darling, to even need to explain this thing to you. "
"I know mama. Money can make men do bad things and make them stupid. But I'm a girl and I'm very smart about it. "
"....."
Father has given up with holding it in, otherwise, he may have choked from holding back his own laughter. At least Lilyanne is enjoying the shaky ride, clapping pieces of cheese along with father's hilarity.
"Well isn't this familiar?" he chuckles out, tears forming at the edges of gold.
"I blame you entirely darling."
"Now now my greatest treasure, I do believe it took you a bit more time convincing a certain someone? A few years perhaps?"
"Yes but that was against a horribly naive golden carrot boy and not my own child! How is she infected so young! She's only seen your family once! Have they been sneaking through without my knowledge?!"
"Other than one of my nephews in honorable father's barracks, I must say without a doubt, no. And do trust me on that, I make sure of it."
"Oh of course I do darling, would never doubt you on that."
"Forgive me my love, I'm not sure where Rosalia gets it from either. As far as I've seen, and I do very much check, she's never so much as interacted with young Philipe nor any such contacts....too busy with certain other brats."
"Oh hush on that nonsense darling. Yes at this point I suppose it really is a family curse, just like your hair."
"You like my hair?!"
She does, always playing with it like a flirty girlfriend. Except she's the legal wife so everything is gross and fair and I really should go before I witness any more trauma,
You can let go of me at any time now? Why is Lilyanne allowed to just roll around on the couch and I'm trapped between the two of you? This is biased and unfair punishment. I didn't even do anything yet!
Is it the money? Finder's keepers, if father threw it then it's mine. Duh.
"But of course darling, I just can't help the tears that come to my eyes when I recall how you would comfort yourself to sleep in childhood."
"...Refresh my memory Maria my shining jewel. Whatever are you talking about?"
"Oh you know, how you would listen to the soothing clinging and clanking of money as you counted yourself to sleep."
"....That's called accounting my love and I still do that, though not on purpose. Sometimes I still lose track of time when working on such affairs and the sound of coins really is soothing. "
It is! You don't get it with paper money but the clinking of golden coins is truly very satisfying! Like some medieval hoarding goblin part of my brain is pleased and sated. See I'm not alone in this, father agrees.
"A curse! Don't worry my poor golden darling, I shall save you from such a doomed fate!"
"My starlight hero, I do swoon in your hands."
"Not in front of the maids darling, I can't bear for another woman to see you like this."
And they're flirting again. Just end me. End me right here before I make myself sick all over again from what I may or may not have seen.
"That's just sad. Go sing yourselves a lullaby or something. In fact put Lily and I to bed!" also give me more gold.
Father's swooning is very ineffective with me right here. Please remove me from the scene immediately. Instead, his head lands somewhere awkwardly cushioned on mother and half squishing me, thus trapping me further.
"Yes I do suppose it's late enough in the night for the girls!" exclaims mother.
Lilyanne babbles in her own toddler nonsense language, not at all sleepy. Though I suspect it's coming from the amount of cheese and crystalized fruit. Yes, the nasty old people kind. Sweets really need an update in our world, no no no even our household alone!
"Sad? Now what is that Chippy? And what is this lullaby that can solve it?"
"Father are you being serious right now?"
"Quite."
"You're kidding me. Mother, father claims not to know what a lullaby is and that's even sadder."
"Rosalia dear, not everyone knows what goes on in another person's mind. Your mother here doesn't know either? Is it another one of papa's things? Did he teach you?"
"....no. It's just....a thing. That almost everyone does or hears as a kid? Like a soft song or something. Mothers often sing them to their children to get them to go to sleep but it doesn't have to be just for that."
I feel a twitch in my temple. They're both pulling my leg here! But while I can call out father for messing with me, mother gives an honest to god innocent expression of pure ignorance. There's no way, no damn way. Even if they don't have the word lullaby, surely they know soft humming or singing to lull a child to sleep?
Oh my god is why I never got a lullaby, no one in my weird family knows what this is? No way, even common people have their folk songs and stuff!
"You know! Like lalala~go to sleep~ go to sleep little baby~." I generically try to recall something.
"Oh that's lovely!"
"What a fascinating concept? Mothers often do this you say? In which sort of country?"
"Ours? Everywhere!"
"Oh well, then I certainly didn't know. Oh do forgive this inexperienced mother and useless wife."
"Oh no my beloved, I'm certainly in the dark on the subject myself. Then again I think if my own birth mother had ever opened her wrinkled beak to sing I may have died in shock and terror. Is it common among the locals?"
"I would think so!? Ask anyone when you're out again!"
I can't believe this, actually yes I can given my parent's own maternal influence, of lack of them. But I really can't believe this.
"It really was a lovely sort of sound? Rosalia can you do that again? Show your mama so she can try?"
"Is it a common universal thing? Any particular words to repeat of a rhythm?"
"Hehehe Rosa swoft!"
Rather than answer any of the nerd's questioning, it's easier to just comply with mother's requests. If anything it may calm down Lilyanne for bed. Bad girl, go clean your teeth.
I'm not the world's best singer, nor do I have Lilyanne's angelic voice in the future. But I think can I make do with something as simple as a lullaby. There's a lot of classics to sing, from Rockabye Baby to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
But I'm lazy and keep it to one commercialized song, the first thing that pops into my head in its entirety.
La la lu, La la lu~
Oh, my little star sweeper,
I'll sweep the stardust for you,
La la lu, La la lu,
Little soft fluffy sleeper,
Here comes a pink cloud for you…
La la lu, La la lu
Little wandering angel
Fold up your wings close your eyes.
La la lu, La la lu
And may love be your keeper
La la lu, La la lu, La la lu~
It takes no more than two minutes, even as I stretch out the song to remember the lyrics. Going lala lu is very easy now. Movie songs are just easier and they sound classy and nice. But somehow Lilyanne has knocked out entirely and mother is half dozing.
The surrounding maids are of mixed reactions, but they've all obviously been raptured in listening to the new song.
It's father's reaction that scares me the most, gold eyes glittering like stars as he stares at me directly in shock and something else.
"Songs....Chippy...you can compose songs?"
"....no....I can just hum or sing things I heard in my head...."
"...in your little head you say."
"Oh that's lovely." croons mother, voice sweet with sleep, and not at all stopping father wherever he's going. I don't like where he's going with his tone of voice.
"Yes, it really is. And where...just where did my adventurous baby bird hear this song?"
Uh oh...I can no longer see the color of father's eyes, not when he grins this wide. It's his business smile. Not the kind he shows to clients but personal half crazed one when he catches onto something profitable or stupidly interesting. Another project to add on to his growing list.
"Um....kind of....once in a dream? And around!"
"Lovely, really lovely. Could you do it again?"
This time however father snaps for paper, ink and a pen, the wine and fruit cleared for his supplies. I think I'm getting into more trouble than I intended, again.
I'm just going to go to sleep now, good night.
----
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
CCmei
CCmei Whattup readers. Flu season came late and I am one of the unlucky recipients.
Today we get a little bit more detail on Rosalia's other 'modern' life. Just a bit, as she's getting more comfortable with confronting it/death. What does that mean for our MC? Emotional growth? Turmoil? More modern tech gap medding and inventions!
....Yes.
But no worries, with papa's Frederick's money and investments, all wounds are soothed. (I don't know if our MC put it completely together yet but the previous villainess Rosalia was also spoiled rotten in riches and gold. Who would have provided all the $$$? and no it wasn't her mom.)
BTW aren't her parents just gross!? You know much much prequel backstory I had to mentally screenplay and direct to come up with these nicknames?!
------
From a friend's convo:
"How long have you wanted to use the animal planet joke?"
For a very long time now.
"I call BS. Authors all say that."
No really, I mean that too but my brain is really derpy and I try very hard not to unleash everything all at once in a floodgate.
"I still call bs. You J.K. Rowlinged it. "
Um you can go check back ch40? If you want? Just don't blame me for where your imagination goes. And how dare you, I don't have a spinning wheel and darts for my next ideas. Though I should, that would be useful-random but useful.
-----
Goodluck to Rosalia- guess forced music lessons are next. Man her dad is so ready and supportive.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone