Transmigration: Step Into The World of Books And Become The Strongest!-Chapter 45: Vanessa’s Difficulty and Providing Help (1)

Arthur’s words made Vanessa freeze in place.

"Something concerning my future? W-What do you mean!?"

A blush spread from her right ear to her left as she pointed at Arthur, both embarrassed and annoyed.

Realizing his mistake, Arthur quickly clarified, "Ahem! That’s not what I meant. Please don’t misunderstand."

Hearing that, Vanessa slowly began to calm down, though the blush on her face didn’t fade right away.

"When you speak, be more specific. Otherwise, it’s easy for people to get the wrong idea," she huffed with a cold snort, clearly warning him.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t happy to hear those words. But too shy to express her feelings, she ended up getting flustered instead.

Noticing her bashful demeanor—a stark contrast to her usual cool and composed image—Arthur couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.

’This woman is really interesting... and kind of funny,’ he thought to himself.

The image of Vanessa as cold, stern, and distant slowly crumbled before his eyes.

If he hadn’t been worried about embarrassing or angering her further, he might’ve teased her more.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Arthur offered a small smile. "Alright, I was wrong. Sorry."

Then, in a more serious tone, he continued, "What I meant was your future as the heiress of the Maple Leaf Trading House."

Vanessa’s brow furrowed as she stared at him, astonished. "My future as the heiress to the Trading House?"

"Yes," Arthur replied with a small nod, taking a sip of his tea. "Many already see you as the sole heiress of the Maple Leaf Trading House—a position with unmatched influence."

He set down his teacup and gave Vanessa a steady look. "But things aren’t as simple as they seem, are they? Like... the sudden appearance of your younger brother."

Vanessa fell silent, her gaze locked on Arthur’s eyes—calm on the surface, yet hiding turbulent undercurrents.

A few moments passed before she finally spoke in a cold tone, "How did you know?"

Arthur merely chuckled and leaned back casually. "That’s my secret."

The Maple Leaf Trading House was the largest on the continent.

With its towering status and unimaginable wealth, everyone knew just how tangled the power struggles within it were.

Several factions competed—both openly and in the shadows.

Rolland Caldereth, Vanessa’s father and head of the trading house, faced immense pressure and resistance from those factions.

It wasn’t his policies that drew opposition, but the simple fact that he had failed to produce a male heir.

In this world—just like in his previous one—the patriarchal system remained deeply ingrained.

That’s why the decision to name Vanessa as his successor was met with fierce opposition.

While the opposition hadn’t yet caused any direct impact, the pressure was mounting—and it would eventually become a serious threat to her.

The real danger, however, didn’t come from those factions but from the existence of Rolland’s illegitimate child.

Yes—an illegitimate child, born from Rolland’s affair with a prostitute in one of the most well-known brothels.

To stabilize his position and silence the voices of dissent, Rolland had no choice but to bring the boy into the Maple Leaf Trading House and attempt to name him heir. But he failed.

With Vanessa already holding the position and having built her own power base over the years, replacing her wasn’t something that could be done easily.

Moreover, many high-ranking officials within the trading house supported her, making it even more difficult for his son to replace her.

Still, Rolland remained the highest authority within the Maple Leaf Trading House and the head of the Caldereth family.

Though he couldn’t strip Vanessa of her title outright, he could still make things difficult for her—applying pressure in more subtle, calculated ways.

Imagining a man like Rolland doing such a cruel thing to his own daughter just for the sake of power, Arthur smiled bitterly.

’What a disgusting man,’ he thought.

The more he dwelled on it, the more disgusted he felt—not just at Rolland, but at the real Aron.

Even in such a situation, Vanessa had come all the way to the capital simply because Aron had asked.

Yet all Aron wanted was to exploit her position for his own gain.

Had he been able to meet the original soul of Aron, he would’ve beaten him to a pulp.

Unfortunately, that soul had already left by the time he took over the body.

Shaking off the thought, he reached into his robe pocket and said calmly, "You don’t need to worry, Young Lady Vanessa. My intention in telling you this isn’t to threaten or pressure you. On the contrary—I’m here to help."

He pulled out a scroll—a contract letter—and handed it to her.

"The reason I attended Celine Everhart’s birthday party as your representative... is for this," he said in a serious tone.

Vanessa looked at the scroll with mild surprise. "What is this?"

She took it, glanced at it briefly, then looked back at him.

Arthur smiled and shrugged. "If you don’t open it, how will you know?"

His teasing tone made Vanessa frown, clearly annoyed. Still, she said nothing and unfurled the scroll.

As she read the contents carefully, her eyes slowly widened.

"A cooperation contract? How... how is this even possible?"

She looked up at Arthur, her gaze filled with disbelief.

At first, she thought the letter was nothing important. But to her surprise, it turned out to be a cooperation contract between the Duke of Everhart’s family and the Maple Leaf Trading House!

And it wasn’t just a simple agreement—it was a large-scale strategic partnership.

Arthur nodded casually, crossing his legs.

"Nothing is impossible, Young Lady Vanessa. Now, I just want to know—are you pleased with what I’ve done?"

Vanessa paused, taking a moment to compose herself, then nodded firmly.

"Yes, I’m deeply pleased," she replied, clutching the letter tightly.

Her position had indeed been shaken by the sudden appearance of her father’s illegitimate child. To make matters worse, the father she once believed loved her was gradually turning his back on her.

All of it left her feeling frustrated... and helpless.

But this cooperation contract could change everything. It would greatly strengthen her position as the heiress of the Maple Leaf Trading House—perhaps even earn her the support of other high-ranking figures.

She skimmed the contents of the contract again, but this time, her brows furrowed slightly.

"By the way, don’t you think... some of the terms in this contract feel a bit unfair?" she asked, glancing at Arthur with a hint of confusion.

"Unfair?" Arthur raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Which part are you referring to, Young Lady Vanessa?"

Vanessa pointed to several clauses outlining the benefits granted to the Everhart family.

"I know we’re getting goods at below-market prices, but... giving ten percent of the profits from each item to the Everhart family—doesn’t that seem excessive?"

"And on top of that, there’s a guaranteed purchase of all their products, regardless of whether they sell well or not. That could easily become a burden... or even backfire on us."

She had to admit, selling weapons like swords, armor, and spears could be incredibly profitable.

After all, a single high-quality sword could go for ten to twenty gold coins.

It sounded lucrative in theory, but the reality wasn’t so simple.

People didn’t buy weapons the way they bought clothes or food—they weren’t daily necessities.

So, despite the high profit margins, turnover was often slow.

Arthur listened patiently, then nodded in appreciation. "You’re incredibly sharp, Young Lady Vanessa. Everything you’ve said is perfectly logical. But..."

A faint, meaningful smile curved at the corner of his lips as he leaned slightly forward.

"What if the demand for weapons increases... by a thousand percent... within the next six months to a year?"