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Chapter 83
At that moment, I realized this was a business I had to seize.
Lady Kiera and Princess Ciela were both women admired in high society, highly sensitive to trends.
If I could provide Princess Ciela’s dress, it would definitely draw massive attention.
Besides, wasn’t this a chance to squeeze money out of Kiera?
I swallowed hard.
Even if it was risky, this was worth betting on.
At the same time.
Carte fiddled with his sword. Why had he never realized how easy this was before?
The things he hadn’t been able to grasp in the past were now dawning on him naturally. No, that wasn’t even the right way to describe it.
Just holding the sword made him feel as if he knew the path he had to take.
Was this what talent really meant?
The gift Hider and Tybern had possessed, but Carte had lacked.
A red gleam flickered in Carte’s eyes. He could hear the sword whispering.
“Take what you want.”
“We can do anything.”
“Whatever you desire, I’ll make it all come true.”
A thrill like electricity coursed through his whole body.
“What I want. What I desire.”
Carte muttered under his breath. At his feet lay a maid, gasping out her final breaths.
Her black maid’s uniform stood out starkly against the blood pooling across the floor.
She was dying for the sin of daring to touch Carte’s sword.
“What I want… a maid.”
Carte narrowed his eyes and curled his lips. The sight of her clothes made someone come to mind.
Hider’s maid, Lani.
Pretty and innocent-looking. Hider’s possession.
Carte licked his lips with his tongue. Conveniently enough, Hider and Tybern had left.
They wouldn’t be coming back anytime soon. Once they left, it usually took at least three years before they returned. Plenty of time.
And marrying the princess would bring Carte immense power and influence.
Forcing one pretty maid into submission was nothing by comparison.
Carte rose to his feet in one swift motion.
“Y-Young Master…”
The maid croaked out with her last breath.
“Please… spare me…”
Carte looked down at her with icy eyes. His voice dropped coldly.
“I told you. If you hadn’t erred in the first place, none of this would’ve happened.”
He walked past her. Red marks trailed in his wake.
This was already his second murder.
The crimson aura clinging to his sword grew even more sinister, as if hungering for more.
The next day.
I went straight to visit Viscount Aros with Dania in tow. According to Dania, “You’re a lady now—there’s no way you can go about alone! That’s what ruined noblewomen do.”
Apparently, I was supposed to behave like a successful young lady.
Well, since I’d be leaving eventually, it wasn’t so bad to enjoy some perks while they lasted.
In any case, ever since I signed the adoption papers with Sir Hilden, my status had officially changed.
[Role: Adopted daughter of Count Schultz, Risk-taking Adventurer.]
I didn’t really know what that last bit meant, but at least being a count’s daughter was certain.
Today, I wore the Ilanger dress I had bought yesterday. Dania clapped her hands like a seal, praising that I looked more like a count’s daughter now.
I walked lightly in my dress.
“Lani!”
Viscount Aros greeted me with a delighted expression.
“Ah, should I call you ‘Lady’ now? You’re already eighteen—and now the young lady of a count’s household.”
“Please just call me Lani, Viscount Aros.”
I waved my hands modestly.
“Hm, then Lani it is. How did things go at the Quartz atelier?”
“Ah.”
I settled into my seat naturally.
“I think acquiring the Quartz atelier has great potential for development. But…”
“But?”
“I don’t think we need to import the dresses directly. Instead, why not bring over the techniques and make the dresses here?”
That way, labor costs and tariffs could be saved.
“We could even just pay them royalties. Open a branch store.”
After all, the Ilanger atelier carried such prestige that it bore the nation’s very name.
It was world-famous—when people thought of the Ilanger Kingdom, they immediately thought of its atelier.
Ilanger Kingdom, Ilanger Atelier, Ilanger Silk.
They were all tied together in people’s minds.
The atelier had developed its own silks and designs, safeguarding three centuries of history.
Simply having a branch would draw huge attention.
“Oh-ho.”
“And the Quartz atelier could remain an independent establishment as well.”
Of course, that would put it behind the Ilanger atelier’s dresses.
But the Ilanger atelier was so renowned for luxury gowns that Quartz had survived thus far purely by selling them.
After all, nobles’ purses for luxury goods never seemed to dry up.
“Wouldn’t its competitiveness drop?”
“We’d change the target market.”
“The target market?”
“Yes. Commoners love the Ilanger atelier’s designs too. What if Quartz offered gowns using cheaper fabrics, tailored for the common class?”
The viscount rubbed his face thoughtfully.
“Catering to commoners…?”
“Given the choice, wouldn’t most prefer something prettier at the same price? If fabric costs are low, then the only expense left is labor.”
“So reduce fabric costs, and even if wages go up, we can still meet the price point?”
I nodded.
That way, the Quartz atelier could gain its own competitive edge.
“That’s an excellent idea. Worth pursuing indeed!”
Viscount Aros looked overjoyed. I smiled brightly. This was what you called a high-end brand strategy.
Luxury houses often launched lower-end sub-brands to profit from the masses. That was the plan.
“And by opening trade routes to Ilanger, we could also promote Del Trading Company’s herbs more widely.”
“But would the Ilanger atelier even accept this arrangement?”
There’s a saying: if money doesn’t solve it, then you just didn’t offer enough.
“Start by offering them a staggering advance payment.”
“An advance payment?”
“Yes! Something so exorbitant it makes them unable to resist. Of course, I believe we’ll earn far more than that in return. And also…”
“And also?”
“To market Del Trading’s herbs, we’ll need allies. If Ilanger shows interest, granting them exclusive rights to import Del’s hibiscus beverages might be worthwhile.”
The viscount stared at me for a long moment, then clapped his hands together.
“Remarkable, Lani! Where did such a gem come from!”
“It’s all thanks to Young Master Hider. I picked up a lot just by observing him.”
“Indeed—like master, like servant! Young Master Hider was exceptionally brilliant too!”
The viscount burst out laughing, his cheeks shining as if lit by a lamp.
“I’ll set things in motion at once, Lani. I’ll keep you informed as it progresses.”
“Thank you, Viscount. Still, for the upcoming royal wedding, there’s no choice but to pay and purchase their gowns.”
“That can serve as the starting point for negotiations.”
His face radiated determination—he would use every means to turn this into a binding contract.
The royal wedding was still about two months away. Since Ilanger was relatively close, it only took about a week by ship.
Plenty of time.
“By the way, did you know?”
“Know what?”
“That Princess Siera has requested her wedding dress be made by the Ilanger atelier. And Lady Kiera has promised to procure it for her.”
It was essentially part of the dowry.
“Really?”
“Yes. On top of that, Lady Kiera wants to commission both Lady Sornia’s dress and her own gowns as well.”
I curved my lips into a sly smile.
“Looks like the perfect chance to reclaim our money, Viscount.”
The viscount let out the heartiest laugh of the day.
