‘I suppose the tiny amount of silver tableware available on the market must be completely sold out today.’
While the servants rushed to take the silver tableware out of the display cabinet to wash it, I finished my meal and stood up at my leisure.
The next day, I once again used an investment excuse on Gerald and went out with Ris to visit the Epode Trading Company.
The reason was that the previous evening, Veronica had requested a meeting with me through the maid Solvey.
‘Right. It’s about time she got curious.’
Veronica had the most flushed expression I had ever seen on her. As soon as she sat down, she went straight to the point.
“Silver tableware has sparked a frenzy among the nobles. No, the tableware itself was already wiped out long ago, and now even silver itself is in short supply.”
When I gave a small nod with a calm smile, a flicker of surprise crossed Veronica’s face.
“So you knew this would happen in advance. How on earth…?”
Only then did I open my mouth.
“A few months ago, by chance, I heard that silver reacts to a poison called Entin. They said it came from research conducted by the Imperial Academy.”
That such research existed was true. After all, the newspaper coverage had reported on that study.
“I found it interesting, so I even looked up the paper and read it.”
This part was a lie.
“I thought that once those research results became widely known, demand for silver would rise. That is why I wanted to invest.”
Veronica slowly nodded, her eyes and nostrils both flared wide.
“Of course, I didn’t expect something like a poisoning incident to occur like this.”
Veronica, left speechless and only nodding, now looked like one of those dolls placed in car dashboards, endlessly bobbing its head.
Suppressing my laughter inwardly, I continued speaking calmly.
“So the boom in silver tableware was bound to come eventually. That it arrived so quickly like this seems to just be our luck.”
This, too, was of course a lie.
I knew this incident would happen around this time.
Because in my previous life I hadn’t read the investigative reports on this case in detail, I didn’t know the exact date or who the culprit was.
I only knew that the late Marquis Rays had lost a great deal of public goodwill in his own territory.
‘I only remember hearing that he had made enemies in so many places that it was difficult to pin down a single suspect.’
This case would run into difficulties during the investigation and eventually fizzle out, but that didn’t matter at all.
What mattered to me was that after this incident, the price of silver would skyrocket.
Veronica asked me cautiously.
“Then when should we start selling the silver we have secured?”
Her voice sounded like that of a dependent client asking a very reputed shaman for guidance.
I smiled gently and opened my mouth.
“The current prices have been skyrocketing day after day, to a truly absurd degree. But that’s only a short-term phenomenon caused by anxiety.”
Veronica nodded in agreement.
“That is true. Prices cannot rise forever.”
“So rather than getting greedy and letting it sit needlessly, I think it would be better to start gradually releasing the silver we are holding onto the market from now on, in portions. While adjusting the prices appropriately, of course.”
Even after hearing just that much, Veronica, true to her nature as a merchant, grasped it instantly and responded.
“So you are saying we should aim for reasonable profits, secure cash in the short term, and then pull out.”
“Exactly.”
“…Honestly, I am impressed.”
Now she looked at me with an admiring expression.
“I have been married and working in a trading company for years now, but how on earth does a young lady like you come up with ideas like this? Especially when you have not even been active outside.”
In truth, I had personally managed the finances of House Krone and House Lansval, and had even handled affairs of the Lansval Trading Company before. A mid-career newcomer, one might say.
‘I also vaguely remember having majored in business administration in modern Korea.’
But it wasn’t something I could really say to her, so I simply smiled faintly.
At that, Veronica suddenly clasped my hands tightly with both of hers and spoke.
“It seems I really do have an eye for people. I am glad I hitched myself to your discernment and luck, my Lady. You are my benefactor.”
“Ha, haha.”
Unable to give a proper reply, I laughed awkwardly and subtly averted my gaze.
Veronica herself was a good person, but no matter how I looked at it, I still wasn’t used to being looked at so warmly by someone who, with her youthful face, reminded me of a younger Helga.
***
Between practicing my ability and keeping track of the ever-surging silver prices and market conditions day after day, time flew by, and before I knew it, the day of the Imperial Palace banquet had arrived.
“All done. Please take a look in the mirror!”
The clothing, hair, and makeup experts Rastan had sent came in, prepared me from the morning onward, and then left.
In the mirror, I was smiling in a dress of elegant cream fabric, lavishly embroidered with gold thread.
My hair was braided with ribbons of the same design woven in, half twisted up while the other half was left loose in soft waves.
“Wow, as expected of my Lady! You are the most beautiful in the world!”
Thanks to the experts sent, Ris was excluded from the actual dressing work and instead took it upon herself to stand beside me and shower me with praise.
“As expected, you like it too, don’t you, my Lady? Today His Grace will fall for you all over again!”
It was nonsense.
I casually responded while checking how the dress looked from different angles.
“Again? His Grace has never fallen for me.”
Ris seemed unaware that Rastan and I were merely friends, and that he was even secretly in love with another woman.
Since she seemed to be misunderstanding our relationship, I needed to state it clearly.
“We are just friends.”
“Pardon? No, that is not it! It is obvious that His Grace likes you, my Lady!”
The way she said it was so cute that I ended up letting out a small, deflated laugh.
“Why are you so sure?”
“If he didn’t like you, my Lady, why would His Grace do all of this for you?”
“Huh? Well, that’s because we’re friends…”
“His Grace has no friends.”
The way she cut it off so decisively made my head go blank for a moment.
“S-surely not. What kind of person has no friends at all? You just don’t know all of his connections.”
I denied it in a fluster, but Ris was more firm than ever.
“There are people he meets because of the noble council or business matters, of course. But aside from that, he does not form personal relationships with anyone.”
If she was saying it to this extent, there was a high chance it was true.
‘But there’s no reason for him to be like that only with me… Ah.’
It seemed I would have to explain things to her, even if only briefly.
“Hm, Ris. His Grace has a reason he needs to enter into a fake, time-limited marriage with me. But I refused. So he’s treating me well to change my mind.”
Saying it out loud, it made sense to me again.
‘Right. That’s it. That must be why.’
But Ris was resolute.
“His Grace is not someone who moves based on such shallow calculations. He truly likes you, my Lady, and intends to marry you and live out his life with you.”
At those words, my chest suddenly fluttered with a sharp, tingling sensation.
It was my own body reacting, yet I couldn’t understand it at all.
‘What is this? I was sick to death of marriage. So why does hearing that make my heart race?’
“W-why do you think that?”
I tried to sound nonchalant, but my words came out slightly stuttered despite myself.
Fortunately, Ris didn’t pay it any mind and answered briskly.
“His Grace is someone who practically has no female acquaintances. I have never once seen him even engage in private conversation with women.”
“Doesn’t he have a lady he is in love with? Ah, I mean, not me!”
She shot me a look, and I hurriedly added the words, waving my hand.
“Neither I nor the aide has ever been ordered to deliver letters or gifts from His Grace to another woman. The first and only person he has ever treated like this is you, my Lady!”
‘That can’t be true. There’s no way.’
Even as I doubted it, for some reason my chest began aching with excitement all over again.
“And he is truly sincere about breaking off the engagement between you and that person from this household.”
It seemed Ris had now started referring to Gerald as ‘that person from this household’.
“Isn’t it obvious what kind of feelings that comes from?”
I should have refuted it, but I had no idea what to say.
At a loss for words, I just rolled my eyes to the side, when she delivered the finishing blow.
“I thought you already knew His Grace’s feelings, my Lady. Don’t tell me you truly had no idea at all?”
