HTNSA 106

Chapter 106

‘But still… what is Young Master thinking?’

A man as perceptive as him wouldn’t have stepped into this situation without reason.

There must be a special and important reason she couldn’t understand, which was why he wasn’t stopping his lover from making a scene and was quietly going along with it…

As Yetien’s head grew more and more muddled, the reception room door opened once again.

“Thank you for waiting. This is Yuria, the creator of our Flor Cosmetics.”

Behind Zordic, who bowed politely, someone quietly stepped forward.

Seeing the person Zordic indicated, Yetien’s brows furrowed ever so slightly.

‘She’s still so young.’

Small and frail, with messy hair and a face covered in bright red freckles.

Her eyes darted around anxiously, unable to settle, while her hands busily fidgeted with her apron, clearly nervous in front of nobles.

Her trembling fingertips were rough and cracked, something that strangely caught Yetien’s attention.

‘Something’s off.’

Flor Cosmetics was raking in so much money in the empire that it was hardly an exaggeration.

And yet the creator of these famous products looked so shabby and impoverished.

Though it was odd, Yetien wisely held his tongue.

“Be careful not to be rude. Just keep apologizing, no matter what.”

Leaving those cold instructions, Zordic quickly left the room.

A heavy silence fell.

The woman introduced as Yuria hesitated, then cautiously took a small step forward.

“I-I heard there was an issue with the cosmetics I made, so you came here… If you could show me the product you used, I can check…”

But instead of responding to her, Eila muttered something under her breath while gazing toward the door Zordic had exited.

“—.”

There was no visible change, but Yetien noticed that the sounds from outside the reception room had suddenly gone completely silent.

‘Did she cast a spell?’

Eila then smiled in satisfaction and spoke, her voice now soft and gentle, completely different from before.

“Why don’t you take a seat, Yuria?”

With a calm demeanor, she gestured to the sofa in front of her.

It was a stark contrast to the sharp glare she had given moments before.

Yuria, looking bewildered, hesitated for a moment, then quietly sat in the indicated seat.

“Um… how should I address you…?”

“My name is Eila.”

Eila gave a slightly sheepish smile as she spoke.

“Sorry for glaring at you so fiercely earlier. I must have scared you.”

“Huh? Oh, no, not at all…”

Yuria looked flustered as she glanced at the woman before her.

Truthfully, when she first faced her in this room, Yuria had been extremely nervous.

She had been warned repeatedly to be careful not to offend this customer, who was reportedly no ordinary troublemaker.

‘And they said the man next to her is a young master from the Azenta Duchy…’

Yuria cautiously glanced at Felix.

Under his shining silver hair were clear, emerald eyes. Beneath them, a straight nose, firmly closed lips, and a sharply defined jawline.

His appearance was so striking that it made her face flush despite the situation.

‘They’re here to scold me… right?’

She cautiously looked between the two, trying to read their expressions.

But she couldn’t find even a hint of reproach in their eyes, leaving Yuria tilting her head in confusion.

“Um… may I ask why you called for me?”

Eila nodded, opening her mouth to speak.

“First, I want to apologize for startling you with such an aggressive approach.”

She placed her hand on her cheek and then lowered it.

The red marks that had been visible moments ago had completely disappeared, and Yuria’s eyes widened in surprise.

“As you can see, there was nothing wrong with the cosmetics you made.”

“…”

“But Zordic kept you so tightly hidden that this was the only way we could meet you.”

“I… I don’t really leave the workshop much…”

Yuria lowered her head, her face turning red. For some reason, she found it hard to meet Eila’s gaze.

Eila looked at her with warm eyes before speaking again.

“I’ll be direct. I would like you to come work under me.”

“…Excuse me?”

“I know this offer is sudden. It must be unsettling to consider starting a new venture with someone else when your products are already so popular.”

Eila let out a small sigh before continuing.

“But Zordic, the owner of Flor, is not a trustworthy business partner.”

“…”

When Yuria fell silent, as if caught off guard, Eila nodded knowingly and continued.

“Did you know that several people have already tried to sue him for unfair contracts? Each time, Zordic used money to cover it up.”

“…”

“And the cosmetics sold at Flor are priced far above their production costs. You’re aware of that, aren’t you?”

Eila crossed her arms, leaning back against the sofa.

“One more thing. It’s been over a month since the business started. Have you received your fair share of the profits, Yuria? I know it’s a sensitive question, but please answer.”

Yuria’s mouth opened slightly before she finally replied in a small voice.

“H-he said he hasn’t recovered the investment yet… so I haven’t received anything. I’m even covering part of the workshop and material costs myself…”

Eila frowned deeply.

It was now clear that Zordic had been taking advantage of Yuria’s inexperience in business to keep all the profits for himself.

“Unbelievable. With how much your products have sold, you should have easily passed the break-even point by now.”

“W-what? Really…?”

Yuria looked shocked.

Eila gazed at her with pity.

‘In the original story, Yuria eventually fell out with Zordic and decided to leave Flor.’

It was Count Arman who first reached out to her back then.

But Sharon Atelier also tried to use Yuria’s name to sell overpriced cosmetics made with cheap ingredients.

‘That’s how the Arman family overcame their financial troubles and amassed enormous wealth.’

Eila knew that in the original, Yuria, trying to free herself from Zordic’s scams, would end up falling for an even bigger scam by Count Arman.

That was why she intended to save her before it was too late.

“What did Zordic say when he offered you the contract?”

Yuria replied in a trembling voice.

“I… said I wanted to make cosmetics affordable enough for commoners to use. He readily agreed. But after the contract, he changed his tune, saying we should first market to noblewomen and try a luxury line. He said we could plan products for commoners later…”

“Zordic never intended to keep his promise to you. He’s already making more than enough money, so why would he lower his prices?”

“…”

At Eila’s words, Yuria’s lips trembled, and she closed her eyes tightly.

“I… I actually knew. I could tell something was wrong with how he kept changing his words. But… I don’t have the power or resources to do anything…”

Eila asked quietly,

“What’s the current profit split in your contract?”

“Thirty-seventy. But since he says he hasn’t recovered the investment, I haven’t received any money. I’m even covering part of the workshop expenses and material costs…”

Eila’s frown deepened.

“I can offer you a fifty-fifty split. And I will respect the brand identity you want to create as much as possible. Let’s build a low-cost cosmetics brand together, one that commoners can afford.”

“A low-cost cosmetics brand…?”

“Yes. Those with money can choose the premium line, and those without can buy quality products at reasonable prices.”