The atmosphere in the hall remained thick with a strange mixture of tension and adolescent awe. Draco, finally silent about his toys, couldn't take his eyes off the woman standing behind Reinhardt.
"Is she your maid, Reinhardt?" Draco asked, his voice suddenly much quieter.
Reinhardt glanced back at his companion. "Yes. She is the Head of my household."
"My name is Dia," she greeted them, her voice like velvet and ice. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
Draco's face turned a shade of crimson that rivaled a Weasley's hair. He had never seen anyone so perfectly beautiful, and the sweetness of her voice made his heart race. Beside him, Evelyn Malfoy's eyes narrowed. As she looked at Dia, a sharp pang of jealousy hit her. Dia wasn't just beautiful; she possessed an otherworldly elegance that made Evelyn feel plain, and her figure was far more curvaceous than Evelyn's own. She quickly looked away, masking her irritation with a sniff of disdain.
Lucius returned, clutching the heavy stack of documents. He, too, felt a moment of hesitation when his eyes landed on Dia, stunned by her presence, but he quickly shook his head. He had a 100-million-Galleon shadow to escape.
He sat down and spread the scrolls across the table. "Here are the deeds to the five mansions, the transfer of the Black family assets, and the inventory of the properties, Lord Sylveron."
Reinhardt began to scan the documents, his Perfect Mind and Finance Master skill verifying every line in seconds. "And Narcissa Black?" he asked, his voice cool. "Where is she?"
"Let me bring her, Lord Sylveron," Evelyn offered, eager to get away from Dia's intimidating beauty.
"Dia," Reinhardt commanded, "go along with Lady Malfoy. Take Narcissa directly back to our mansion. There is no need for her to remain here any longer."
"Yes, Master," Dia replied with a graceful bow. She followed a stiff-backed Evelyn out of the room.
Left alone with the Malfoy men, Draco leaned over, peering at the scrolls. "What are you reading?"
"The future," Reinhardt replied simply. He then looked at Lucius, who was watching him like a hawk. "I am not suspecting your judgment, Mr. Malfoy, but as the new owner of these assets, it is only proper that I verify the details."
"Of course, Lord Sylveron," Lucius nodded, his voice tight. "The twenty million Galleons will be deposited into your Gringotts account by this evening."
Reinhardt finished his review and signed the transfer documents with a flourish. In exchange, he slid the ancient, glowing Sylveron debt parchment across the table. Lucius snatched it up as if it were a life-preserver in a stormy sea.
"Our business is concluded," Reinhardt said, standing up.
Without another word, he turned and swept out of the Malfoy Manor. He didn't care about their relief; he was thinking about the five new mansions he now owned and the broken woman, Narcissa, who was currently being transported to his home.
Status Update
Assets Acquired: 20 Million Galleons, 5 Ancestral Mansions, and all seized Black Family Assets.
New Resident: Narcissa Black has been "claimed" and moved to Windsor Manor.
Malfoy Status: Bankrupt in all but name, their debt cleared but their power shattered.
In the wake of Reinhardt's departure, a heavy silence lingered in Malfoy Manor, but for the first time in generations, it wasn't a silence of dread. Lucius Malfoy sank into the velvet sofa, clutching the debt parchment as if it were a holy relic. With a flick of his wand, he ignited a small flame and watched the ancient contract turn to ash.
"It's over," he breathed, his shoulders finally dropping. "The Sylveron shadow is gone."
Evelyn sat beside him, pulling Draco into a protective embrace. "We are finally free from that stupid debt, honey. We can breathe again."
Lucius looked around the opulent hall, his expression darkening slightly. "Free, yes. But at a staggering cost. The liquid gold is gone, the five mansions are gone, and the Black family wealth we worked so hard to 'absorb' has been stripped away. It pains me to see it all vanish in a single afternoon."
"True," Evelyn replied, her voice turning cunning. "But we still have our core assets. And don't forget the shares! That boy was foolish enough to sell off his best holdings. Through our shell companies, we now own a massive stake in the most profitable businesses in Britain. We will recover everything—and more—within the next ten or fifteen years."
Lucius nodded, a small, greedy spark returning to his eyes. "You're right. It was a masterstroke to buy those while he was distracted by his construction projects."
Draco, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, looked up at his father. "Dad, Reinhardt is actually quite good to talk to. He isn't loud like the others."
Lucius, still slightly embarrassed by Draco's earlier bragging, cleared his throat. "Draco, you and he are the same age. You will meet again at Hogwarts in five years, and certainly at the Ministry galas before then. If Lord Sylveron is present, you must do everything in your power to become his friend. An alliance with a Sylveron is worth more than gold."
"Yes, Daddy," Draco said dutifully. Then, his face reddened as he remembered the silver-haired maid. "And... can we have a maid similar to Dia? The one Reinhardt has?"
Evelyn's eyes widened, and she immediately reached out to pinch Draco's cheeks. "You little brat! You liked her that much, did you? Already looking at women at your age!"
"Ow, ow! Mama, it hurts!" Draco squeaked, squirming in her grip. "But she was beautiful!"
Lucius remained silent, but internally, he couldn't help but agree. Dia's presence had been overwhelming—the kind of beauty that made a man feel both captivated and inferior.
"But Mama," Draco added quickly, trying to save himself, "you are equally beautiful, of course!"
Evelyn let go of his cheek and began to tickle him relentlessly. "Oh, you're buttering up your mother now, are you? Trying to escape the consequences of your wandering eye?"
"Mother! Please! Stop, it tickles!" Draco laughed, rolling on the sofa.
"Say 'Sorry, Mama, I will not ask for any other maid!'" Evelyn teased, her fingers dancing against his ribs.
"Sorry, Mama! I'm sorry! I won't ask!" Draco gasped out through his laughter.
The Malfoys shared a rare moment of genuine family warmth, completely unaware that the "investment" they were so proud of—the shares Reinhardt had sold them—was a ticking time bomb carefully crafted by a Finance Master and an AI Goddess.
Windsor Manor: The Return of the King
Reinhardt arrived back at his temporary estate just as the sun began to set. Dia was already waiting at the entrance, her expression as calm as ever.
"Master," she greeted him. "Narcissa Black has been settled into the west wing. She is currently in a state of shock, but she is unharmed."
[System Notification: Darling, the 20 Million Galleons have just hit your Gringotts account. Also, the market is beginning to fluctuate. Would you like to watch the 'Malfoy' shares start their downward spiral before you deal with Narcissa?]