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Chapter 72
Life’s Fourth Time Around, the Baby Makes a Path of Flowers
A few days later.
Elia communicated with Lapis.
“Duchess, just as you expected, Queens has started an aggressive push with their inventory. It looks like they’re also planning to launch new products by copying ours.”
“Really? Then let’s prepare a new product too.”
“A new product?”
“Yeah. I prepared a men’s cosmetics line.”
“A men’s cosmetics line?”
“That’s right. Men need to take care of their skin too.”
“Do you think we can compete with Queens?”
“Of course. The whitening effect is better than the cosmetics from Queens. On top of that, the fragrance is subtle. Queens’ products are too strong.”
Aristocratic men did use cosmetics, but they did not particularly favor Queens because of its strong fragrance.
Most men did not like cosmetics with overpowering scents.
Taking advantage of this preference, Elia had created a line of men’s cosmetics with a mild fragrance.
The results were extremely satisfying.
“If Queens targets noblewomen with promotional deals and floods the market with their products, we’ll target the men instead and do business there.”
It was a strategy aimed at exploiting the gap Queens had failed to enter.
“The finished products will be delivered to the stores soon.”
The prototypes had already been made and sent to the White Horse Tower along with the recipes for production.
“So that’s why you told us to send the newly ordered medicinal ingredients to the White Horse Tower.”
“Exactly.”
“Understood.”
“When Queens starts its event, let’s launch our new-product promotion at the same time.”
They would have to wait and see which side would benefit more from the resulting synergy.
And, just as Elia had expected, the results unfolded exactly according to plan.
Queens’ ambitious Buy Two, Get One Free event failed spectacularly.
The reason was the new men’s cosmetics promotion launched by Beautiful Line.
The men’s cosmetics released by Beautiful Line consisted of a whitening lotion and toner.
The whitening lotion inhibited the production of melanin, which caused skin pigmentation, and was also effective at removing dead skin cells, making the skin tone brighter.
With consistent use, the effects lasted, making it a welcome product for men. Furthermore, its subtle fragrance made it comfortable to use.
All the male customers who had previously used Queens’ cosmetics began flocking to Beautiful Line.
Aristocratic men generally had large hands, so they often bought several products at once.
Queens’ sales steadily plummeted.
On top of that, requests began pouring in from other regions asking Beautiful Line to open branches there.
More importantly, among the provincial nobles, Beautiful Line had gained the reputation of being cosmetics that could only be purchased in the capital.
Naturally, everyone wanted to get their hands on them.
Elia looked at the cosmetics sales report and chuckled with satisfaction.
Noah, who had been studying documents beside Alexis, asked her,
“What’s got you so happy that you’re laughing like that?”
“Hehehe. There’s no way I could look at this and not smile.”
“What is it?”
Elia proudly showed Noah the cosmetics sales report.
“Sales are this high?”
“Isn’t it amazing?”
“Is this how much you made from the cosmetics you created this time?”
“Yes. This is this month’s sales report.”
“You really… I want to see inside your head.”
Noah couldn’t understand how such a small head could come up with such business ideas.
“What are you going to do with all that money?”
Elia looked at Noah and grinned.
“Are you really asking because you don’t know, or are you asking even though you already know?”
“I don’t know. I’m asking because I don’t know.”
Noah’s expression clearly suggested otherwise, but Elia decided to play along.
“You know very well that we’ll need a tremendous amount of money to make His Highness the Emperor.”
“You’re serious about this.”
“Yes. I’m always serious.”
Noah looked at Alexis.
His expression seemed to be asking for his opinion.
“My opinion is not important. His Highness should do whatever he wants.”
“Whatever I want?”
“Yes. Whatever you do, what matters is what His Highness wants.”
“If I say that I want to become Emperor, will you help me, Duke?”
That was the most important question.
The Cartellani ducal family had always maintained neutrality.
They were already struggling just to protect the North, leaving them with little room to participate in the capital’s political affairs.
“Of course. I will always stand on His Highness’s side.”
At Alexis’s answer, Noah fell into thought for a moment.
Soon, his eyes lit up.
“Then… I want to give it a try.”
A challenge for the imperial throne.
He had never even dared to dream of it.
All he had wanted was for the Duke to come and rescue him as quickly as possible. Nothing else had mattered.
But now, his heart had changed.
He genuinely wanted to try.
Noah looked at Elia.
“Can you really make me Emperor?”
“If that’s what Your Highness wants.”
“Then do your best to help me.”
It seemed he needed to set a goal.
There was a difference between moving forward with a definite goal and simply letting the years pass without one.
Setting out with a goal also meant reducing wasted time.
“Just wait and see. I’ll make you Emperor even if I have to risk my life.”
“I don’t need your life. You little thing, you don’t even know how precious your life is.”
“That’s right, Elia. Your life is precious. Don’t risk it.”
Elia could tell they were saying it because they were worried about her, so she merely smiled.
The World Tree also chimed in.
[Hey, I told you to take care of your life. Just when it seemed like you were finally getting to live a little comfortably, you’re trying to overdo things again.]
I’m not overdoing it. I just said I’d risk my life.
[That’s basically the same thing. What are you going to do if you actually lose your life?]
It’s okay. I’m grown up now too.
[Even so, you’re still only ten years old. You’ve got a long way to go before you’re grown.]
Anyway, don’t worry.
[Stop making me worry.]
Fine, fine.
She knew the World Tree was being very lenient with her.
That was why she wanted to live this life well.
She wanted to help the people who had been forced to die because of her in her previous lives live happily.
The first was Alexis.
The second was Noah.
And the third was the siblings Lapis and Lazuli.
Fortunately, in this life, the siblings would not be manipulated by the Grand Duchess.
Because Lazuli had become healthy.
There were still other people she wanted to save, but the time was not right yet.
She would probably be able to rescue them after entering the capital.
She had too much to do to die easily.
“Your Highness, how good are you with a sword? Can you use a mana sword?”
“Do you think something like that is easy?”
“But I heard Prince Serhi can already use a mana sword. He’s two years younger than you, isn’t he?”
“Do you think Serhi and I are the same?”
“Well, I heard Prince Serhi has been taking elixirs since he was two.”
Noah pouted.
While Serhi had been growing stronger by taking elixirs, Noah had been trapped in the Imperial Palace and abused.
Naturally, the Empress had probably simply stood by and watched.
“But there’s something Your Highness doesn’t know.”
“What don’t I know?”
Elia grinned slyly again.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
Elia patted Noah on the shoulder.
“Just remember that everything I do is for the sake of Your Highness and the Duke.”
Noah spoke in a suspicious tone.
“You’re planning to cause trouble, aren’t you?”
“What do you mean, cause trouble? Do I look like the kind of person who would do that?”
“Yes. You absolutely do.”
Noah gave her a suspicious look, but Elia responded with a smile.
“I’ll be going out for a little while. I have something to discuss with Lapis.”
After entering her bedroom, Elia immediately contacted Lapis through the communication orb.
She had suddenly remembered something she needed to check.
“Duchess, what is it?”
“Are you busy right now?”
“I was just talking with Lazuli about her workshop.”
“Oh, right. Lazuli said she was opening a workshop.”
“Yes. It looks like it will open in about a week.”
“That’s great. Tell her that once I go to the capital, I’ll definitely stop by.”
“I will.”
“And the reason I contacted you today is about Prince Serhi and Empress Marianne.”
“You want to know how things are progressing.”
“Yeah. How is it going?”
“They’re using the magic stones without any suspicion. I believe you’ll get the results you want in two years.”
“Good. That’s a relief.”
“But are you really going to the capital in two years?”
“Yeah, I am. That’s why I’m preparing so thoroughly for that day. And there’s one mansion I want you to look into.”
“Is there somewhere you’ve already got in mind?”
“Marquis Fiorn’s mansion in Noblesse Town.”
“Has it been put up for sale?”
Lapis sounded somewhat surprised.
“No. But it will be soon. Keep a close eye on the House of Marquis Fiorn, and let me know as soon as the mansion goes up for sale.”
“Understood.”
After ending the communication, Elia gazed out the window.
