40 CODENAME. R
"أين مالي؟!
(Where would I have that kind of money?!)"
Shocked and yelling, I reacted to my uncle's outrageous suggestion of pushing such a massive expense onto a young and small nephew.
But it seems my uncle wasn't completely thoughtless.
He hinted at a way for me to raise the enormous amount of 5 billion dollars (2020: 25 trillion won).
"Didn't your father give you some secret funds? Let's use that to cover it."
"...Secret funds?"
The problem was, I was completely unaware of having any secret funds.
***
The original owner of this body I inhabit seems to have the layered charm of an onion.
Everywhere I go, people whisper about the infamous prince's reckless past, and I've started to accept it as part of my new identity.
Given the misdeeds he's responsible for, it doesn't seem so random that I've ended up as a prince of the Arabian Empire.
It's like some sort of balance patch in life, isn't it?
But now, to hear that there's secret funds capable of covering 5 billion dollars (2020: 25 trillion won)?
Hmm...
It's enough to make my head spin.
Staring blankly at my uncle, I pointed at myself and said:
"Secret funds? You mean I have secret funds?"
"Yes. Didn't you know?"
Then, Yasmin, who was nearby, responded to my question on my behalf.
Still clinging to Sheika's back, Yasmin didn't seem to have any intention of letting go.
From an outsider's perspective, one might mistake her for being overly fond of women.
Ahem.
"You seriously forgot that you had secret funds?"
"I guess... I must have."
I shrugged my shoulders in response to Yasmin's words.
Why should I clean up after a troublemaker?
But from Yasmin's explanation, it seemed this wasn't just a mess the troublemaker had made but something given to me.
Not just any mess, but a golden opportunity.
"Insane. Most of the secret funds your father left us are astronomical in amount... and you forgot all about it until now!"
"I did have amnesia."
"Even so... oh dear~"
Yasmin sighed while looking at me.
Of course, more important than a beauty's sigh was who had given me these secret funds.
As it wasn't money I had illegally acquired but was given to me...
It shouldn't cause any trouble, right?
"But who gave me these secret funds?"
"Tsk. You forgot that too? Dad gave them to us. Specifically-"
"It's the inheritance left by our late Sultan, your second brother. Nearly 90% of his estate was passed on to you."
My uncle interrupted Yasmin's explanation to provide an answer.
His expression seemed to harden, though I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination.
"A significant portion of our second brother's inheritance originally came from our eldest brother and the founding Sultan. It was supposed to go to your father, the current Sultan 'Faisal bin Abdulaziz of Arabia'. But our quick-witted brother transferred it all to you right after he inherited it."
"....."
"He was worried that after his death, his astronomical wealth would end up with us instead of you. Tsk. If having such a perceptive brother is a crime, then it's our crime to bear."
That explained my uncle's pained expression.
The inheritance meant for him was in the hands of his nephew, which must have been torturous.
Wait a minute….
Script: A relative deprived of inheritance.
Lead: A young nephew who inherited astronomical wealth.
Is a plot unfolding here?
Could it be that this guy is planning to kill me to secretly siphon off my secret funds?!
Right.
I should have known something was off when he agreed to buy a person for 5 billion dollars (2020: 25 trillion won)!
This damned guy!
***
To my surprise, I was completely unaware of the situation.
My uncle, who had an immense love for his nephews due to not having children of his own, was actually worried about me.
'I have no sons or daughters to inherit my wealth, and I'm already busy spending what I have. What use do I have for my brother's inheritance? Besides, considering the muscles of our third brother, there's a chance he might outlive me...'
His real concern was for the Arabian Royal Family's black sheep.
Known as the worst troublemaker before me, the youngest brother.
Though we shared the same father's bloodline...
Brahman bin Abdulaziz of Arabia never once thought of the youngest as part of his family.
That guy was more like...
A pet kept at home?
'Unlike me, the youngest would never give up on the inheritance. If he's mingling with those fanatics, he'll definitely pester Mansour, Yasmin, and Sarah. Tsk. I need to strengthen security with the military to handle this troublemaker.'
And 'Brahman bin Abdulaziz of Arabia's' prediction came true.
The youngest child and fifth offspring of the founding Sultan, 'Ala bin Abdulaziz of Arabia', had already targeted me.
Thanks to him, the troublemaker ended up dead.
Or rather...
Should I be grateful?
Thanks to him, I got to inhabit this body.
Hahahaha.
***
"So it's not really secret funds, is it?"
"Well... not exactly. It's just an amount kept aside without paying any inheritance tax, slightly hidden from the public eye... but it's not illegal by any means."
Upon hearing my uncle's explanation, I clenched my fists internally.
I had been wondering how to secure luxury funds when I go to the USA...
Now, I could use this inheritance as seed money.
If I just invest in promising future companies, things should work out, right?
Hehehe.
While I was internally smiling at this thought, a very important question struck me.
"So how do I access these secret funds?"
"....."
"....."
"....."
No one responded to my question, except Sheika, who seemed used to her father trading her for his own interests.
"Probably the chief steward Pihir would know."
"Pihir?"
"Yes. Pihir used to work at Goldman Sachs. He was managing secret funds for Faisal bin Abdulaziz of Arabia back then, when he was the third prince."
"Pihir was an analyst at an investment company?!"
I was slightly shocked to learn that Pihir, who I thought was just a simpleton, had been an employee at a prestigious financial firm.
And suddenly, he seemed a bit different in my eyes, though not to Sheika.
"He even reached the Director level, quite a feat considering the white supremacist nature of the company. His skills must be extraordinary, despite his questionable character."
"..."
"Anyway, he should be managing your funds and the secret funds, so just ask him when you return to the palace."
"Ok."
"And I suggest paying for the auction item with a royal check from the Arabian Royal Family."
"Why?"
At my question, Sheika decisively made a suggestion.
"Because you don't have the cash on hand right now."
"Oh... right." "The Lati ad alterum group's Middle Eastern division gives absolute credit to royal checks, especially if it's under the name of the Sultan's eldest son."
"....."
"Or you could just give them oil in exchange."
No matter how much 5 billion dollars (2020: 25 trillion won) might seem to a small nation...
The Arabian Royal Family governs the ninth most powerful empire in the world, wielding the third strongest influence globally.
Especially after the oil crisis.
With the Arabian Aramco holding 100% of the world's oil share, approximately 30%. The wealth and power of the royal family are exponentially increasing over time.
Maybe a royal check wouldn't hold much weight if issued by an ordinary royal family member...
But if it's from the current Sultan's eldest son?
Unless dad suddenly drops dead, my credit is practically invincible.
"Haha, indeed, being born with an oil spoon is the best."
"Oh my, Mansour, that laugh is a bit vulgar."
"Just like how you laughed behind our backs after ordering Sheika to play a prank."
"....."
