CHAPTER 84…………………………..
“Mother?”
“Yes. She asked that you come to the greenhouse immediately.”
Just as Aria was cheering loudly,
Dian, who had been working, couldn’t hide his confusion at the sudden summons.
Just in case, he checked the time—3 p.m. By now she should normally be enjoying her tea time.
Usually she didn’t allow anyone to disturb her then.
Dian set down the documents he had been reviewing and stood up.
But just as he was about to leave the office—
the door suddenly opened.
“M-Madam?”
Madam Odilon, dressed as impeccably as always, walked in with firm steps.
“You may leave now.”
“……”
At her words, the aide glanced at his superior for guidance. Seeing this, Dian gave him a small signal telling him to step outside for a moment.
After receiving the order, the aide quickly left the room. Dian then smiled at his mother, who had stepped inside.
“What brings you here so suddenly?”
“About the time we went to Sir Bentham’s residence.”
Madam Odilon got straight to the point as soon as she entered, speaking with a serious expression.
“You said then that Lady Renesti… no, Count Renesti had also come.”
“Yes, that’s true, but…”
Dian barely had time to show his confusion before another question followed.
“Did he say why Count Renesti came there at the time?”
At that, Dian shook his head.
“He only said he would explain later. He didn’t give any further details.”
“…I see.”
So that’s how it is.
Madam Odilon muttered quietly. Hearing this up close, Dian asked again,
“But why are you suddenly asking about that?”
“You know I attended a tea party yesterday.”
“I heard it was hosted by Her Imperial Highness the Princess.”
“That’s right. That very tea party.”
Madam Odilon recalled the dish that was now being carefully kept in her study.
“I saw something quite shocking there.”
She had heard that the trading company was being rebuilt, but she never imagined they were planning an item like that.
An incredulous chuckle escaped Madam Odilon. She had thought he knew nothing about business—but to use the princess’s tea party like that.
Not only had it captured her heart, but also the tastes of every noble lady present.
As expected.
I should meet him once.
If this strategy had been chosen to draw the nobles’ attention,
then it had been an undeniable success.
* * *
But Madam Odilon wasn’t the only one who had similar thoughts.
<I heard about it from Her Imperial Highness. The dishes you displayed at the tea party… I was told they were made by the Renesti Trading Company…>
<I actually liked them very much. Besides the paintings by Heinz Bentham, I quite liked several other styles as well…>
<When would be a convenient time for you?>
Letters inevitably arrived from the noble ladies who had attended the tea party.
Not only did they express their desire to meet me, some even included invitations to parties they themselves would host later.
My judgment was right.
It was a good thing we produced them according to individual tastes. If it had just been a uniform design, that would be one thing, but—
Once people experience customization, they can’t escape it.
Now that I had successfully attracted the noble ladies’ interest, it was time to start presenting the products to other nobles in earnest.
“Hm?”
While organizing the letters I had received, a familiar emblem caught my eye.
Madam Odilon sent one too.
I knew she liked Heinz’s paintings, but it seemed to have suited her taste quite a lot.
“Have you decided who you’ll meet first?”
Kenis asked, having just entered the office.
I looked over the letters spread across the desk.
“I just decided.”
Now that everyone’s attention was focused on us, I had honestly been debating who to contact first.
Should I reach out to the duke’s house with the highest title? Or send a letter to a family that had recently risen politically?
But the place I decided on was…
“I’m going to Odilon first.”
I had worried about what to do if a letter didn’t come, but thankfully I didn’t have to make the first move.
“The Odilon family is part of the pro-emperor faction, but at least I have some connection with them.”
Aside from the broken engagement issue, we had also helped each other when dealing with the slave trader before. Other families weren’t like that.
Maybe the previous generation had ties.
But I personally had very little connection with other houses.
“At the tea party there were both pro-emperor and noble factions.”
“……”
“That means depending on who I choose first, Renesti could be seen as acting with political intentions—or not.”
The reconstruction had only just begun.
There was no need to take on political risks unnecessarily.
“How are things with the other goods?”
“They’re going well. Thankfully, the places we previously traded with still value Renesti’s quality and said they want to do business again. We’ll probably be signing several contracts next week.”
At that, I exhaled slowly and nodded.
“We’ll have to stay alert from now on.”
I had chosen Madam Odilon only for the first meeting. The noble ladies who sent letters were all among the most prominent figures in the empire. There wouldn’t be enough days to meet them all.
Still.
The path had been opened properly—now it was time to row the boat forward.
* * *
As soon as I decided where to go first, I contacted the Marquess Odilon household.
As if they had been waiting, they replied that they wanted to meet as soon as possible.
“You’re going too?”
A few days later, after finishing my work early to visit the marquess’s estate, I looked up at the man blocking my path.
Matthias nodded.
“As an escort.”
“I could just bring another knight for that.”
“I’m better.”
W-Well, that’s true.
Not just his skills—his physical abilities already far exceeded normal human standards.
“Don’t you have training today?”
“No.”
“Personal training?”
“I’ll do it after we get back.”
“Hmmm…”
Would it be okay to bring him?
It’s not really a problem.
Unless it was the imperial palace, we probably wouldn’t meet the Grand Duke Frombel at the marquess’s estate. There was no special reason to bring him, but also no reason not to.
Last time he seemed to be avoiding me.
So I had tried to be careful. Now that he could express himself more, I didn’t want to force him into anything he disliked.
But well,
“You might have to wait for a while there. Are you okay with—”
“Yes.”
I hadn’t even finished speaking before he answered immediately. I didn’t know the reason, but he seemed quite eager to go.
It can’t be helped.
We were about to depart soon anyway.
“Alright, let’s go then.”
What could possibly happen there? While I met the madam, Matthias would have to wait outside anyway.
Maybe before, but not now.
He had become more like a normal person.
Conversation with him flowed smoothly now, and he wasn’t the type to cause trouble anywhere.
As soon as I gave permission, Matthias’s face brightened instantly.
“I’ll wait quietly.”
But at that moment, I didn’t know yet.
That in the brief moment I took my eyes off him—
“We were just sparring for a moment, my lady.”
something would actually happen.
