Heroine's Father's Plan

"Damn it! That insolent brat... How dare he reject my proposal!"

At the Karen Trading Company, Chairman Uma Karen slammed his fist onto his desk, the impact reverberating through the room. The prominent veins on his forehead pulsed with a fury that was impossible to miss.

"I told him I'd return the money... I even offered an absurd amount to that priest, and yet he had the audacity to refuse! Does he really value that worthless girl's body so highly?!"

The man who was Maris's biological father had sold her to the temple a few months ago. However, after two months, he was desperate to get her back. Now, Maris was the talk of the town. Rumors abounded about an angelic and talented sister who could wield healing magic at the tender age of ten. Skeptical, Uma had his subordinates investigate, only to discover that the girl at the temple was indeed Maris, transformed beyond recognition.

Before he sold her to the priest, he had known Maris had some value, but he never anticipated her potential to be so immense. His instincts as a merchant screamed that Maris could now fetch an astronomical price. Not just as a second wife for some affluent man, but powerful nobles in the royal capital would be willing to pay enough gold to buy a castle for her.

"I failed... I never imagined she would change so dramatically...!"

"What shall we do, Chairman? Should we apply pressure to the temple and take her by force?" one of his subordinates suggested. Normally, Uma would have agreed, but this time, he shook his head.

"No... That priest came from a noble family. Pressuring him would backfire."

The priest who had taken Maris in, Lucan Ironfist, was a member of a prominent noble family in the royal capital. It was unclear how much support he had from his family, but a direct confrontation could jeopardize Uma's trading routes and potentially destroy his business.

"Then... are we giving up on the girl?"

"Of course not. She's a golden goose. We must get her back at any cost."

Uma clasped his hands on the desk and pondered deeply. Lucan clearly understood Maris's value, which is why he didn't agree to return her for money.

'Is he planning to sell her at a high price, just like I am? Or does he intend to adopt her into the Ironfist family and marry her off to royalty? Or maybe he has a personal interest in her?' Uma thought.

Uma dismissed the notion of Lucan acting out of pure goodwill. To Uma, people were driven by desires, and he didn't believe in kindness or compassion. Even priests were the same, pretending to be holy while enriching themselves.

"I have no choice. I'll have the dark men kidnap her."

The "dark men" were Uma's subordinates who handled his illegal activities. They would attack rival companies, cultivate and sell drugs, and kidnap young women to sell to brothels.

"But sir, if we get caught..."

"We won't get caught. There are many ways to do this."

Even if he used the dark men to take Maris, he couldn't keep her at his company or mansion. But if he took her outside the town and hid her in a secret location, no one would know it was him. He could wait until things cooled down, change her name, and sell her.

"I could use a magic potion to erase her memory. Or I could get a noble higher than the Ironfist family to support me..." Uma thought.

"First, we must get the girl. Finish this before the Ironfist family catches wind of our plan."

"Understood. I'll inform the dark men."

His subordinate bowed and left the room. Soon, Maris would be back in Uma's grasp.

"Heh... No matter how much you've changed, you can't escape your father's grasp."

Uma usually would be cautious and not do things like this, but Maris was just too valuable to leave.