Chapter 84
Two hours ago, Cayente had planned to finish his work neatly and attend the riding gathering, but once again, his plans went awry.
“Even if you add up all the profits and investments so far, that amount doesn’t make sense. Did you accidentally add an extra zero?”
Sitting in the farthest corner on the second floor of the coffee house, Cayente read the documents offered by Viscount Bairin over and over, finally pointing out the amount and placing the papers on the table. The initial amount suggested was no small sum, yet Viscount Bairin spoke calmly, as if it didn’t matter at all that the deal was going off track.
“Even if it’s a smaller enterprise compared to Clue Textile, I run my own business. Do you think I would accidentally add an extra zero?”
“Then are you sure the amount you want for transferring Bairin Trading is really this much?”
“Yes, I am.”
This was already the third time. Unlike the initial discussion, the other party suddenly quoted an absurdly high figure, causing a contract that was going smoothly to collapse. Cayente blinked at the contract, which now listed an amount five times higher than the previous offer—not just double—and let out a dry laugh.
Cayente had been considering acquiring a small trading company that, despite his best efforts, barely turned a profit, in order to start Clue Trading. Absorbing and growing an existing small company was faster for converting profits than starting from scratch. This was a method Cayente often used when expanding his textile business, and it worked well.
Yet, for some reason, things kept going wrong.
The sandwiches and fragrant coffee he had prepared in advance for Bairin Viscount’s arrival were now worthless. This deal simply could not happen.
“Do you really think this amount is reasonable based on the current profit rate?”
“If you don’t want it, forget it. There are plenty of people willing to buy it even without the Count of Clue.”
The answer was the same as before, politely phrased but utterly unreasonable. Who in their right mind would pay that much for a company that wouldn’t make money? Yet, there were companies that had actually bought businesses at those absurd amounts after previous contracts fell through.
Cayente could not comprehend the situation.
The two companies that had been bought were more profitable trading companies than the ones sold, yet no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t understand why anyone would buy them. What Cayente wanted was not the company itself but the know-how they possessed—where to hire sailors, how far to repair a ship before deciding to scrap it—trivial things that posed barriers for a novice.
For an operator running a similar trading company, that knowledge was useless. So it was even more puzzling. Paying that much for a company with almost no value?
Business was a battle of how much profit one could make relative to investment. If Cayente already ran a trading company, it made more sense to buy a new ship with that money than acquire a company that wouldn’t help. It was such an unreasonable situation, he could hardly believe anyone would make that decision without losing their mind.
“Then sell it to someone else. I have no idea if your business is worth that much.”
Cayente, not wanting to waste any more time, stood up. Though he showed no outward sign, every step he took felt like sinking into the floor, and he had to grit his teeth to endure it.
If the two previous companies had been bought by “Eastern Trading,” Cayente would have thought they were trying to interfere with him. Eastern Trading was the continent’s top trading company and also one of Cayente’s clients. If he got directly involved in trading, the lost commission would have been significant, but they had the capacity to think long-term.
If they had anticipated Cayente expanding Clue Trading and saw it as a potential competitor 10 years down the line, it made sense that they would block him from the start, even at a short-term loss.
There were ways to handle it—offering conditions like exclusive rights to Clue Textile products for a few years could have led to a compromise. But the companies that bought the previous two businesses were completely different and had no connection to Eastern Trading. Some even borrowed heavily from banks to buy the company Cayente wanted.
Even stranger, none of these companies had reason to worry about their market share if Cayente succeeded in trading. They primarily imported minor art pieces or decorative goods, not overlapping with the goods Cayente mainly handled.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, Count.”
Without understanding why, he couldn’t find a solution. Though it wasn’t impossible, the events not going as planned left him anxious. After paying for the untouched food, Cayente left the coffee house. With the deal falling through, even the small cost of the meal felt wasted.
“Where was the riding gathering again?”
He had never thought about it when buying a pricey horse for Julia.
“It’s on Mount Ilen to the east.”
“I’ll go alone.”
Feeling he had wasted both money and time, Cayente hurried alone to the location on horseback, only to deepen his regret further.
“Count of Clue has arrived.”
“Count of Clue!”
“What’s the matter?”
“Madam has gone missing in the forest.”
Newly arrived nobles informed him, upon reaching the entrance of the forest where Cayente had purchased land, that Julia had become separated from the group.
The riding gathering… I should have practiced a bit more before attending…
Lost somewhere in the forest, Julia rode in circles, trying to find a path, but the scenery kept repeating. She finally gave up and dismounted.
Her horse, named Heshi, had initially kept pace with the others. But perhaps startled by something, it suddenly screamed loudly and bolted at full speed, leaving Julia lost.
Being lost was a problem, but it was a relief she hadn’t fallen and hurt herself.
“I don’t think I’m hurt…”
Julia inspected Heshi’s legs, worried about bee stings or injuries, but found nothing unusual.
“You’re not hurt, but why were you so scared? You got us lost.”
Patting the horse’s neck, Julia muttered a small complaint. She wasn’t overly frightened, trusting the group would come looking, but she worried the wait might stretch too long; she had never spent a night in the mountains.
“If I can see the North Star, it might be easier to find our way…”
Encouraging herself, Julia held the reins and perked up her ears.
She had heard that, when lost in the mountains, it’s best to follow the direction of flowing water. Rather than waiting for help, she decided it was better to try finding the way herself. Yet all she could hear was occasional bird calls—no water.
Julia did not give up. She strained to listen for the sound of water. After a while, she instead heard the faint sound of galloping approaching quickly. Someone was riding fast, as fast as Heshi had run earlier.
“Heshi, someone’s coming.”
Perhaps someone had noticed the horse’s tracks. Julia turned toward the sound, hoping for someone to appear. Soon, breaking through the trees, it was none other than Cayente.
“Oniichan?”
Cayente slowed the horse abruptly upon seeing Julia. As soon as the horse stopped, he jumped down and began checking her over.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No.”
Seeing no visible injuries, Cayente asked aloud. Julia simply blinked, surprised that it was Cayente, not one of the other nobles or guards, who had come to find her.
“You found me?”
“Do you call this ‘found’?”
Cayente replied, half-surprised, half-annoyed. Julia looked at him and thought: Did I really not notice? Somehow, despite being separated from everyone and unsure when she would get home, she felt oddly calm.
Though he tried not to show it, Cayente’s eyes trembled slightly. Julia smiled brightly.
“Thank you… for finding me.”
She had believed he would come, and he did not betray that trust.
“It’s enough that you’re not hurt.”
That was all that mattered. No matter his reason for rushing through the forest, Julia no longer forced herself to suppress her feelings toward Cayente. She had every reason to love him.
