Chapter 47. A New Arrival
“Hmm?”
When Chei didn’t seem to hear Bella’s small remark and asked again, Bella quickly shook her head and awkwardly smiled.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I just vaguely wanted to regain the glory of the past.”
Maybe it was because she had been drained of energy, but sometimes she became sentimental.
When she worked as a maid, her goal of saving money was clear, so she just ran without a break. But now, ironically, having succeeded in securing her own home, Bella felt the most confused.
Because the picture Bella had imagined when she first succeeded in getting her own place was at least not like this.
“Bella. You know by now why the caste system was so firmly upheld. No matter how much you try—ten times harder than them—they can so easily destroy your daily life like this.”
“……”
Bella lowered her eyes silently, feeling the weight behind Chei’s words.
At first, she was just sad about being homeless and wanted a home.
Then, she found saving money fun and thought it would be nice to open a small shop in the house.
After that, working as a maid, she thought she needed money she could use desperately.
“The noblemen don’t care if you’re rich, high-status, or powerful. To them, it’s just one thing: Is there something to take? Can I suppress you? Or are you not even worth oppressing?”
“…Chei?”
“……”
“Were you that kind of noble too?”
Chei hesitated for a moment. After a brief silence as if choosing his words carefully, he finally spoke after a long while.
“I tried not to become that, but for some people, yes. Just the status of nobility by birth is enough to command others.”
“Is status something you get to choose? If so, I was originally a baron’s daughter. I had a nanny and was used to commanding others. …Well then, I’ll be going. I have a very important meeting today.”
Bella smiled brightly and waved her hand lightly, indicating she would leave now.
Chei felt relieved inside, thinking it was for the best. Talking about his living past enemy was quite a burden for him.
“……”
After leaving the room, Bella stared at the closed door for a moment. As time passed, a strange distance was growing between Chei and herself.
Chei no longer looked as desperate as before, and Bella felt like she was the only one fussing.
But wasn’t Chei the one who actually needed Bella’s help?
“You don’t even ask who I’m going to meet,” Bella sighed softly.
Her business preparations were going well, and she no longer had to feel intimidated in front of high nobles like the Count.
Still, what was this frustrating, empty, and contradictory feeling, as if something was blocked inside?
Shaking her head to calm her complicated thoughts, Bella forced herself to walk sturdily.
“Have you arrived?”
The manager responsible for overseeing the work came out to greet Bella. As she looked around the soap factory, her restless mind began to calm.
Although many unbelievable things had happened lately, Bella’s dream was always here.
Before the new rising powers created another caste and built their own solid walls, she wanted to enter this field first.
“How far along is the construction? From what I see now, it looks almost finished.”
Bella looked around the interior under construction and then shifted her gaze to the workers.
All the workers focused only on their tasks, not even glancing at Bella and the manager.
“The perfume workshop is already completed, and the soap factory is almost done; we just need to install the equipment properly.”
“You finished faster than expected. Thank you.”
Bella smiled happily and bowed slightly in thanks at the manager’s explanation.
The manager quietly followed behind Bella as she carefully brushed over the newly delivered chairs and tables.
Soon, her dream would come true. She planned to be the first to enter the market with this splendid factory and workshop.
“Can you guess what kind of space this will become?”
“I’m not sure. We only worked faithfully according to the client’s design and opinions.”
“Answering ‘a soap factory’ would have been the natural response. Anyway, let me change the question. How many young people do you think receive enough support to carry out artistic activities?”
Nowadays, luxury buyers were no longer limited to nobles. Even the newly rich commoners spent enormous funds to satisfy their desire to both admire the nobility and show they were superior.
A prime example was art. The rising class spared no support for artists, just like they did for the royal family.
Unfortunately, Bella was rather far from art and was not suited for that field.
But goods were different. Goods were a market where how to sell existing items was important. The sales strategy mattered more than the product itself.
“I think very few.”
“The art academy has just over two hundred students, and only thirteen receive sponsorship. But there is also tuition, so that means only those with great talent or fairly wealthy backgrounds can study.”
“…I’m just someone who works in construction, so I don’t know much about this.”
The manager’s expression stiffened slightly at Bella’s continued pointed questions.
Not missing this, a picturesque smile appeared on Bella’s face.
“It’s such a waste if talented people give up because they don’t have money, right? But I’m not some rich noble who can support all those people. However, I have a good idea.”
“……”
“A way for both them and me to do well together. I hire them and pay them wages, and they provide me with scarce, valuable products.”
“Do you mean soap? But what can artists do with soap…?”
Now the manager leaned his upper body toward Bella and actively joined the conversation.
Everything was going as Bella wished.
Her smile held that characteristic confident expression.
“You’re starting to feel it a bit, right? Of course, fragrance and sculpture.”
“Fragrance and sculpture.”
The manager echoed Bella’s words with a somewhat blank face, now grasping what she meant.
Bella didn’t miss a single expression on his face but also watched the workers beyond who pretended to be engrossed in work but were actually eavesdropping.
“Nobles used to be closely tied with temples and followed their ideologies a lot. For example, wearing perfume without washing? But most commoners don’t avoid washing—they simply can’t afford it.”
“So this product is aimed at those in between?”
“Exactly. It will give them a completely new image: perfectly tailored suits, subtly scented soap, perfumes designed to match, and neatly slicked-back hair. How does that sound?”
Bella suddenly turned and stared intently at the manager.
The manager felt his heart skip a beat at the intense purple eyes suddenly meeting his own.
He had felt this feeling before—on the day they met the misty-faced boss.
Those sparkling eyes like a confident yet curious child weren’t the usual kind found in this deeply ingrained society.
“The rise of fashion-conscious new money. Nobles will definitely be nervous. It’s not just admiring nobles and imitating them but signaling a clear difference: ‘We are different from you.’”
“Oh, so now you’re not dodging the question anymore.”
Bella smiled slyly, and the manager turned his head sharply.
“I’m not dodging. I really didn’t know before, so I just said I didn’t know.”
Bella stared fixedly at the manager, then turned slightly with a knowing look.
“Well, I’ve looked around enough, so I’ll be going now.”
“Oh, miss.”
“Yes?”
The manager grabbed her, and Bella answered slowly with a knowing look, as she had expected.
“The misty boss asked if it would be okay to visit the mansion tomorrow morning.”
“Of course, that’s fine. As long as he brings something in his hands.”
Bella showed both palms as she replied.
The manager, wanting to provoke the otherwise calm Bella, bit his dry lips and then spoke challengingly.
“He said he would come with the servants who will work at the mansion.”
Actually, it wasn’t something to say challengingly, so this implied there was some other meaning beneath the surface.
Perhaps the misty boss was playing some trick.
“Thanks for letting me know. Oh, by the way, I have a question.”
“Go ahead.”
Bella stepped closer to the manager and glanced briefly at the workers behind him.
“The servants you mentioned—aren’t they already here?”
