The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Chapter 15 The Plan
Following their breakfast, Old Master Avery once more guided Hera to his office. As he settled into his chair, he instructed. “Alfonse, why don’t you call her in?”

Hera cocked her head to the side. ‘Is this the instructor Grandpa mentioned?’

She looked expectantly at the door until a figure glided in. A graceful yet confident girl entered the room, standing tall and composed. With a respectful bow, she acknowledged the Old Master before extending the same gesture to Hera.

“Cindy?!” Hera yelp. ‘Is she going to be my instructor?’

With a smile, Cindy looked at Hera and responded. “Yes, young miss?”

Hera glanced at her grandfather, awaiting clarification, while Old Master Avery proceeded to introduce the two. “Cindy, as you may already know, Hera Avery is my granddaughter,” he began, then turned to Hera. “And Hera, meet Cindy Brent, the youngest daughter of your Uncle Alfonse.”

The Old Master didn’t pause for Hera’s response and continued, “From today onwards, she’ll serve as your personal assistant, much like how your Uncle Alfonse assists me.”

Cindy joked, “Or you could simply refer to us as your butlers.”

“No, I think ‘personal assistant’ suits you better,” Hera retorted with a playful pout, once she had grasped the situation.

Alfonse chuckled softly. “You’re just like your father,” he remarked. “He used to say that referring to us as butlers made him sound like an entitled brat.”

Hera couldn’t help but let out a giggle, it’s true though.

“I thought she was going to be my instructor for today,” Hera commented, slightly surprised by the turn of events.

“Oh, I see. Your instructor will arrive this afternoon. In the meantime, take some time to acquaint yourself with Cindy. She’ll be your right-hand woman and you’ll be spending most of your time together,” Old Master Avery explained.

Hera nodded and after confirming that her grandfather had no further instruction for her, she left with Cindy in tow and headed to the greenhouse for a chat over tea and snacks.

As they found comfortable spots in the greenhouse, Hera spoke up. “I didn’t anticipate meeting you so soon.” She couldn’t hide her happiness; she already had a favorable impression of Cindy. Knowing they would be working closely together in the future saved her the trouble of finding her own personal assistant.

She felt immensely grateful for her grandfather’s thoughtfulness; he had taken care of every detail for her. It seemed as if he would go to any lengths, even chewing her food for her before allowing her to swallow it, if he could.

This only fueled her eagerness to excel even more, determined not to disappoint her grandfather in any way. Rather than feeling burdened, she felt a sense of excitement at the prospect of meeting and exceeding his expectations.

“Throughout history, our family has faithfully served the ancestors of the Young Miss’s family as loyal butlers. Our lineage traces back to refugees from the north, devastated by the ravages of El Niño. They endured immense hardship, with crops and livestock perishing due to drought-induced famine. Fortunately, your ancestors, esteemed advisors to the empire, provided crucial aid to those affected. Despite these efforts, survival remained precarious, prompting some to reluctantly sell themselves into slavery, a practice outlawed at the time. It was your ancestor, the Duke, who intervened, offering them refuge in his mansion as valued servants. Over time, they were not just treated as staff, but as cherished members of the household. Through generations, our family has embraced this sacred duty as our life’s mission.”

Hera was taken aback by this revelation, her thoughts momentarily scattered. “I’m deeply grateful for your unwavering dedication and loyalty to our family,” she expressed sincerely, acknowledging their years of devoted service.

Cindy chuckled softly. “Our family’s commitment to yours stems from the countless opportunities your family has given us to live independently. Yet, it’s the way you and your family have embraced us as part of your own that fuels our unwavering dedication. We feel truly blessed to serve with all our hearts.”

Hera felt a wave of emotion wash over her as she listened. She felt profound gratitude towards her ancestors and her grandfather for instilling such strong values in their descendants, enabling them to forge enduring alliances that would weather any storm.

She nodded at Cindy, her smile warm and sincere. “Please bear with me and continue to guide me as we journey together through the years,” she expressed with genuine feelings.

Cindy chuckled softly. “Miss, why does that sound more like a confession than a request?”

Hera replayed her words in her mind, and as the realization sunk in, she couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Soon, they were both laughing together, sharing the lightness of the moment.

“I’m sorry, but I’m straight,” Cindy replied, albeit a bit belatedly.

“Me too.”

After their laughter died down. Hera told Cindy her first order. “You’ve arrived just in time. I have a task for you.”

Cindy’s jovial expression shifted swiftly to seriousness. “Please tell.”

“I presume that you are aware of the trending topic on the internet that’s going out of hand. Correct?”

Cindy nodded.

“Excellent! So, last night, as I was reviewing the list of companies within the Avery Consortium, one in particular caught my attention.” She paused to take a sip of her tea.

“Is it Universal Entertainment?”

Hera’s smile widened, her satisfaction evident. “It’s truly refreshing to converse with intelligent individuals,” she remarked with a chuckle.

“Would you like me to have the current CEO handle this with the PR department? Or perhaps we could consider releasing significant evidence exposing their cheating to shift the balance in our favor?”

“The answer is yes and no.”

Cindy tilted her head to the side, trying to comprehend what Hera was trying to do.

“I’d like to arrange a meeting with the CEO of Universal Entertainment(UE). Given that my background as a poor orphan is already widely known, any sudden favor from the CEO could easily be misconstrued. It would only invite further trouble, with people assuming I’m merely a kept mistress to him, wouldn’t it?”

“Then what do you plan?”

“You’ll know once we are talking.” Hera smiled mysteriously.

Intrigued, Cindy wasted no time and dialed the UE’s CEO immediately. Upon hearing that the supposed sole heiress of the Avery wanted to meet him, he readily agreed and offered them a selection of available times. Without hesitation, Hera arranged for him to come to the Avery mansion for their discussion.

Hera was amazed at how quickly he arrived; it took him only 45 minutes to reach the mansion from wherever he had come from. Now, he sat before her in the greenhouse, perspiring from the rush of his journey.

Hera’s gaze briefly swept over him, noting his slightly chubby build and prominent beer belly. It was understandable, she reasoned, given his profession likely involved frequent drinking and dining with clients. Despite his appearance, he exuded an air of honesty. Her research the previous night had revealed no scandals since he assumed the role of CEO of UE.

So she was pleased but she was not complacent.

“Miss Avery, please let me know your instructions,” he said nervously.

Hera smiled gently. “I trust you’re aware of the current trending topics?”

He nodded, taking a moment to steady his breath before continuing. “I’ve also looked into it, and it seems that the Star Ocean’s PR department is responsible for fueling the fire,” he added.

“Figured.” Hera took another sip of her tea.

“Do you have any specific instructions, Miss Avery?” he inquired eagerly, his gaze fixed on Hera, clearly eager to perform well.

“Hmm,” Hera pretended to ponder for a moment before speaking. “I want you to arrange an interview for me. Let’s stage it as if you’ve cornered me into reluctantly accepting, and then spread the word,” she instructed with a shrewd smile.

Cindy and the CEO are both waiting for her to spill the beans.

Hera found their expressions somewhat cute, so she took a moment to explain further. “I possess crucial evidence, but if I were to simply release it through your connections, it might be perceived as using my body for assistance from influential figures. And it’s highly likely that their camp will vigorously pursue this angle once they discover I’ve received assistance. On the other hand, if I were to reveal my identity now, it might be misconstrued as impersonating the Avery Heiress, given that they’re only familiar with my stand-in and she’s currently known studying in Princeton. Therefore, our best course of action is to stage an interview. From there, we can gradually unveil our cards to the public.”

Hera felt her throat dry after talking for a bit and took another sip of tea.

“And then?” The two simultaneously asked.

“What’s the fun if spill everything?” Hera smirked.

Extremely frustrated with the cliffhanger, the two immediately sprang into action so they could get the answer they wanted.

The CEO promptly contacted the producer and gossip interviewer to rearrange tomorrow night’s schedule, ensuring that Hera would be the featured guest instead.

Upon hearing the arrangement, both the producer and interviewer were thrilled. They understood that the internet was currently divided into three camps, all eagerly anticipating Hera’s appearance since she had yet to comment on the recent events. Some believed she was guilty of stalking Alexi, while others suspected there was more to the story than what circulated online. Meanwhile, many simply wanted to catch a glimpse of her beautiful face on TV. This opportunity promised to be highly advantageous for their TV station.