== Part 8. A Tangle of Contradictions ==

As he left the salon, Jacques had the pleasure of watching his subordinates bowing low.

The entire staff of Schnee Manor greeted their master, though the man, as well as everyone else present, realized the falsity of what was happening.

They considered him an outsider, reaping the fruits of the great and wise Nicholas, while theЗ head of the SCD saw them as nothing but handy tools.

"Welcome home, Mr. Schnee," the coherent bowed said.

The man didn't react, offering his palm to Cinder who climbed out after him.

"Spouse," Willow nodded her head as he and the girl walked up the white steps to the main porch.

"Willow," Jacques answered her in the same way.

The woman shifted her gaze perplexedly to the shrinking amber-eyed girl, as if asking: "And who did you bring this time? "

" I'd like you to meet her. My wife, Willow Schnee is Cinder Fall. She'll be staying at the manor from now on. Have the servants assign her her own room and tell her the rules of our house," Jacques gave the eavesdroppers a predatory glance, warning them of any rash behavior.

Since he had brought the girl with him, he might treat her the same way Jacques had treated her. And though he did not care what the servants said behind his back. Since he was their master and boss, they dared not cross a certain line.

Cinder had no such protection in principle. Therefore, it was necessary to make sure that any possible mishaps and scandals would be nipped in the bud.

Willow's elegant face twisted in contempt or indignation or something else.

It must have been incomprehensible to her, and all the more unpleasant to receive such news after the fact.

She gave her husband a look that promised a serious conversation.

But Jacques didn't look away, responding with indifference in his blue eyes.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Schnee," Cinder bowed low, sensing the tension and instantly breaking the Schnee family's silent standoff.

" Likewise. Cinder, yes? Klein will show you around the estate and help you adjust," Willow pointed to a trim butler with a bushy mustache and brown eyes.

She left Jacques' company with a nod of agreement.

The man headed inside, followed by Willow.

The servants entered the manor after their masters, going about their duties.

The first to get in the SCD patriarch's way was Winter. Her hair was well-groomed, her pants emphasizing her lower forms, a white jacket on her shoulders, and a blue blouse.

The girl looked perky, not wanting to look like the usual high-society lioness, as Jacques had wished at the time.

And if earlier Jacques believed that his daughter is stubborn only to his detriment, then with a new life realized one important detail ...

Only the humped can be fixed by the grave. And so is Winter.

She wants to join her own army? Let him go! He wants to fight the Grimm and have nothing to do with the SCD? You're welcome!

Less hassle...

"Jacques," the daughter said emphatically politely and looked at her father defiantly.

"Winter," Jacques did not react to such blatant rudeness on her part.

The girl arched an eyebrow in surprise, not believing that her once acrimonious and prying parent didn't show a shred of displeasure.

"How are classes going?" - Jacques asked, watching the change in his eldest daughter's face.

"As if you didn't know," the girl snorted, implying that all the teachers reported almost every move his daughters made. Their moods, progress, mistakes, and so on.

" Winter I know your teachers' grades. But it's their word. I'm only interested in your opinion right now," Jacques shook his head, which earned him more catharsis from the Schnee girls.

Willow stood to his side, disbelieving him. Winter, on the other hand, was looking for some kind of sneak attack on the SCD leader's words. She wasn't.

"I am quite satisfied with my progress. The exact sciences do not cause me any difficulties, nor does the humanities. However, I would increase those classes with less emphasis on singing and such," Winter sighed.

"Schnee has to be perfect in everything," she expected to hear. She prepared to defend her position once again and go into conflict. The girl had already made a decent list of arguments to counter Jacques' disagreement.

" Alright. If your mother's okay with it, it's up to you. You're already capable of taking care of yourself," the man said.

" And yet I'd still like to... What?!" - the platinum blonde's eyes nearly popped out of her orbits.

A new blow hit the Schnee family. What the hell is going on?

Where did they put their creepy Jacques Schnee? Was he sedated after the terrorist attack or did he get so banged up that he decided to reconsider his former unshakable positions?

Without letting the couple come to their senses, Schnee continued.

"However, be kind, at the next official reception, you will accompany me. And that is non-negotiable."

Winter regained her composure. Her eyelids drooped involuntarily. It had all worked out.

It was a deal.

The Jacques she knew hadn't changed a bit. Just a change in strategy. And she... even accepted such a metamorphosis?

"Whatever you say... father," the girl whispered, realizing that she couldn't argue with her father now.

The desire not to engage in such annoying dances, etiquette and other things was too strong.

It was worth noting that this new way of negotiating with her daughter was much more successful than her previous attempts.

" Papa!"-while Jacques and Winter were playing peek-a-boo, the younger children made their way to their company.

Weiss and Whitley. The two little tomboys ran up to the tense adults, only to immediately realize their own blunder.

"T-that is...father," Weiss caught herself momentarily thinking she was about to get screwed. Whitley bowed gingerly behind his older sister's right shoulder.

"Weiss, how was your exam with Ms. Falz?"

"Um... Ms. Falz was quite satisfied with my academic abilities," the little girl bowed her head, trying with all her might to speak following the etiquette and rules of high society decorum.

The younger brother put his hands behind his back and shuffled nervously from foot to foot.

"You and Whitley don't bother the servants too much, do you?" - Jacques changed the subject, watching the older members of the family squint at him.

"Klein knocked the cake over himself. We had nothing to do with it!" - Whitley suddenly shouted.

Weiss' face immediately turned white, and Winter and Willow tensed more than ever.

The storm was about to break. There was no avoiding another scandal....

At least, that's what they thought.

"In that case, he should have been more careful. Or else the little spirits of the manor won't be able to get a portion of sweets for their afternoon snack anymore," the man sighed disappointedly.

"I'm sure that won't happen again!" - Weiss squeaked.

"Spirits won't do that!" - Whitley echoed her.

"That's settled then. Convince the spirits that nothing like this will ever happen again. Otherwise,

Schnee Manor will become a haunted house," Jacques nodded his head to Winter and the younger children and headed down the hall toward his office.

He was followed by the thoughtful, shocked, and disbelieving members of the family.

Their patriarch had definitely been replaced.....

***

As he walked up the wide staircase leading to the upper floors, Jacques clenched the palms of his hands behind his back tiredly.

What an effort it was to keep from snapping. Not to yell at Winter, not to scold Weiss and Whitley.

Not to reprimand Willow for her complete lack of control over the servants.

There's a lot of things!

The grievances of the future that had not yet happened were gnawing at his soul like rusty daggers, eating away at it, driving him into a rage never before seen.

But he was beyond that! He will not make the same mistakes as before! Jacques Schnee doesn't make the same mistakes three times!

Past life has shown that without his daughters,SCD was even better than it was with them. When the foundations of the company were not shaken by the battle for the chairmanship, everything worked plus or minus quietly.

And he really didn't want to have to spend his precious time setting the heirs straight again.

They want freedom? Let them have it! But on his terms. The trial with Weiss had taught Jacques a valuable lesson.

If his daughters did not resemble their father in character, it was from him that they took their stubbornness.

Even, needless to say, hard-headedness. And he still thought that it was just youthful maximalism and the desire to do everything to his detriment.

But no... The girls grew up stubborn to the bone. The only disadvantage was that the kindness and softness they adopted from their mother. Because of what later they defended "humanity and justice" in every possible way, not even realizing to what doom they condemned SCD

Humanity? Equality?

It didn't even exist on Remnant! Grimm hordes, poor people trying to overthrow their superiors, corporations gnawing at each other for short-term gain!

There wasn't a shred of kindness in his world!

Jacques fought on the financial war fields to secure a future for himself and his children. To leave something that would keep them from the fate of being chewed up by Grimm in the front lines or another riot of the rabble.

What was there to talk about when his hard-won monopoly was about to be swallowed up and torn into fat and juicy pieces.

And no one saw it all....

Enjoying a show called "bring down the tyrant."

His own family saw him as the enemy, the source of all their troubles and problems, but completely forgot that everything they had was obtained through his efforts.

Ungrateful.

Naive.

Myopic...

Sighing, Jacques hummed to himself. His words now sounded like the tantrums of a child.

Two underage girls and a six-year-old boy had ruined his empire.

It was surreal.

But come on. Family matters could safely be put aside for the time being. For the next few years, not counting Winter, no one would be sponsoring his perpetual migraines and headaches.

He was already being greeted at the entrance to his office.

" Sir," a russet-haired girl bowed. Dressed in a strict business suit and a tight skirt. Black stockings were a nice addition to the image of an office lady.

" Carmen," Jacques allowed himself a half smile. He would fire the girl in about a couple of years for some petty reason.

More precisely, for suspicion of spying on a competitor's firm. But those testimonies turned out to be fake, he was subtly played, and SCD lost a manager, whose professionalism could be envied by many.

And all he had to do was to delve into the reports on her disloyalty in order to discover certain inconsistencies.

But alas, Jacques had been busy dealing with another crisis in the Southern Kingdoms, and had not been able to get to the heart of the matter.

But now he could be at ease with Carmen. There was no doubt about her fidelity now.

And he would not give her even a hint of an excuse to betray the SCD and its patriarch.

"All your instructions have been carried out. There will be a press conference within 24 hours and a board of directors meeting immediately afterward. May I ask the reason for such a rush?" - The man entered the familiar office, where almost nothing had changed.

Then he sat down in a comfortable leather armchair and leaned back.

The unhealed injuries ached and burned, but Jacques endured it. Fatigue was taking its toll.

"Of course, Carmen. It's simple and confusing in the same way. Can you tell me what our situation is now?"

"Yes, sir. After your announcement, the mass discontent spilled over to other personalities associated with the Mantle slave den. Also, your news of the establishment of the boarding school has received full support from the residents. The online sentiment is now more than positive. The wave of negativity and indignation is no longer flowing towards SCD, though some persons continue to stir up the waters," the girl reported.

"Determine who they are and their identities. If official methods fail, contact General Ironwood and give him a list with my words 'Suspected complicity in the attack and possible connection to the attackers'," the businessman said after a short pause.

If his competitors are unwilling to play fair, what's to stop Jacques himself from enlisting outside help?

"But... isn't that slander?" - Carmen asked cautiously.

"We have no way of knowing for sure. Besides, against the backdrop of the SCD opening an entire school in Mantle for local children and, what's more, participating in the uncovering of a brothel for the elites, their behavior quite seems... unreliable, don't you think?" - Schnee swiveled his chair so that he could see his assistant's reaction.

She smirked meekly. Smart girl. And most importantly, understanding...

"In that case, I will follow your instructions immediately," the red-haired girl wrote down on her tablet.

"Wonderful. As for the press conference and the Directors' meeting... We can't give all the initiative to our opponents. It's time for the SCD to show what it can do," the man grinned.

While everyone will be busy with the slave scandal and the slum cleanup still in progress, the SCD will take the first step to absorb the remaining competitors.

You think if the hegemon doesn't have his eye on you, you can be so tactless as to disturb his peace?

Oh, no. Jacques Schnee forgives nothing. Never, ever.

Some will say he's petty and vindictive. And they'd be right.

For every transgression, the SCD patriarch will find the appropriate punishment.

Even if those transgressions haven't happened yet...

"Do you have a plan yet?" - the assistant asked.

" Exactly so, Carmen. Exactly so... Also call the top management staff of the SCD for the day with the Directors' meeting," Jacques waved his palm, writhing slightly at the sharp pain in his arm.

" May I inquire for what purpose, sir?"

"Oh, it's nothing at all. Just need to get rid of some excess trash..."