TMOWM~82

Chapter 82

After Kiera and Herden divorced, the connection between the ducal house and Aites was completely severed.

Count Zeck, Viscount Aros, and Viscount Nathan began coming and going from Catiéron freely.

Would all authority now fall to Duke Herden?
It seemed all the running around I had done hadn’t been for nothing after all, which was a relief.

All the businesses were running smoothly.

That meant there was nothing left for me to do among them.

Or so I thought.

“Duke Herden is calling for me?”

“Yes, hurry along, Lani. He seemed to be in a rush.”

I was summoned to the meeting room.

When I entered, Duke Herden, Count Zeck, Viscount Aros, and Viscount Nathan were waiting for me.

“You’ve come?”

Duke Herden spoke with a haggard face.

He had lost even more weight, tsk.

Seeing the lifeless light in his eyes, I finally understood why Taibern had entrusted the family to me and Hilden.

He looked like a tree dried up and withered, utterly devoid of vitality.

“Yes, I heard you called for me, Your Grace.”

Herden looked me up and down.

“…You’re no longer a maid. You should start dressing properly.”

“I thought what I’m wearing now was decent enough…”

“I agree, Your Grace. Actually, lately the Del Trading Company has been opening some new channels. They’re dealing mainly in exports, and they’ve just imported dresses from Ilanger!”

Viscount Aros said brightly.

“Ilanger’s dresses are all the rage right now, so I’ll ask the merchants if we can secure the very first batch!”

“See to it.”

But I already thought I had more than enough. Taibern had given me plenty of money, and I had shopped to my heart’s content.

I bought dresses, shoes, everything.

Granted, they were all practical and comfortable designs.

Is that strange? Madame had looked at me oddly, and even Dania seemed disappointed.

But how can anyone work in cumbersome dresses with endless layers?

“To be honest, I always knew this day would come! You’re far too clever to remain a maid. If it weren’t for you, how would we have survived that dark period?”

“Indeed. Without you, our Del Trading Company would have been finished…”

Viscount Aros even dabbed at the corner of his eyes. What’s with the sudden flood of compliments?

Well, if they’re going to praise me like this, I won’t refuse. Even whales dance when praised.

“Oh my, you flatter me too much. I just worked a little harder than usual!”

“You certainly did!”

“Catiéron will keep prospering! Especially with Duke Herden here!”

“Of course! And with you here, I can breathe easier.”

“Hahaha!”

“We’ll be counting on you from now on, Lani.”

…Huh?

That was not what I expected. My eyes widened.

Herden ran a hand through his hair. Even that movement looked drained of energy. I had thought all authority would pass to him.

So what exactly was he asking of me?

Did he want me as a strategist?

I tilted my head, and then the duke spoke.

“I don’t have much talent for business. I can maintain things as they are, but I cannot expand. But right now, Catiéron has the strength to rise even higher.”

He wasn’t wrong. We had been diligently gathering funds, and Del Trading Company had endless growth potential.

And those mines we had secretly acquired were just about to begin production.

This was the future we had been preparing for with Hider and the others.

Do you know how much effort it took to recover from what Aites had squandered? Now that we had come this far, wanting to push ahead was only natural.

“But I am not the person to lead such growth. My father and the three lords here all recommended you.”

“M-me?”

I swallowed hard. Well… I was the shadow behind everything, wasn’t I? I had guided Hider this far.

I also knew how to make money. It was my idea to buy up abandoned mines and mine the hidden ore. I had been using the original story to the fullest.

“Yes. Thanks to your push to acquire those iron mines, we were able to prepare for this war without trouble. Supplies will keep flowing smoothly.”

Heh.

That was true. Taibern had thanked me profusely for that.

“I believe your abilities can be a great asset to the ducal house, Lani. So, until my father and Hider return, will you take charge?”

“Please, Lani.”

“I feel the same as His Grace. We need you.”

“If not for you, none of us would still be here.”

If they all want me this much…

“Thank you! I’ll continue to do my best!”

It almost felt like being appointed as company president. I like it!

Even though Hider and Taibern were gone, we barely had time to feel their absence—we were kept busy.

The rumor about Ilanger’s dresses being imported was true.

The merchant group dealing with us was the Quartz Company. But Quartz specialized only in clothing and had always operated on a small scale. They couldn’t handle large volumes.

In short, they didn’t have the money. I learned this while ordering my own dress and chatting.

My dress first, of course.

“This dress looks stunning on you. Your complexion is fair, and your face and hair suit any design.”

Even I had to admit it really did suit me. Lani was quite pretty, after all. Dania even clapped with delight.

“You finally look like a proper lady! A. real. lady!”

“Stop stressing that.”

Dania giggled, while I rubbed my reddening face and picked out more dresses.

Anyway, it’s shopping with someone else’s money—might as well buy everything. Since I’ll be helping for a while, this much is fine, right?

“I can see why Ilanger’s dresses are so popular. They could truly captivate every noblewoman’s heart.”

“I’m glad you think so. You should wear this one out, Lady Lani.”

Lady. Lani. Lady!

My hands and toes all curled up.

Kyaa! I never thought I’d be addressed like this.

It’s going to take a long time to get used to that.

The madame had the staff prepare refreshments.

I sat in the dress. As expected, an expensive dress had a different feel—comfortable yet elegant, though not practical.

The design itself was unique too.

“As you said, Lady Schultz, demand for these dresses is enormous. More and more clients are seeking them.”

The madame sighed as she explained the situation.

But as the imperial wedding approached, the number of noblewomen wanting Ilanger dresses skyrocketed, and that’s where problems began.

So far, they had been importing small quantities from Ilanger, tailoring them, and selling them.

That meant they had to pay upfront to bring the dresses in.

“Placing a large order is possible—their ateliers are big enough. But…”

Noblewomen refused to pay in advance before receiving their dresses. And since Quartz had no noble patron backing them and very little capital, they couldn’t shoulder the risk.

“They simply don’t have the money.”

They had the distribution network and clear business potential, but no funds.

Viscount Aros had been paying attention to this point.

‘Lani, go and check it out. Quartz Company wants our Del Trading Company to acquire them.’

Acquire them, huh.

Of course, we had more than enough funds. I already had permission to freely use Del Trading’s capital—permission from both Hider and Duke Herden.

But is there any reason to keep importing dresses? Why don’t we just make them ourselves?

We could open a branch here and bring in artisans. Import Ilanger silk as well. That would be much cheaper.

If not, we could at least learn the techniques.

“Also, Princess Siela and Lady Kiera both insisted on wearing Ilanger dresses.”

Oh-ho.

A sly smile tugged at my lips.

Well, well… is that so?