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Chapter 30
Sebastien’s warning soon became reality.
“Hey! I told you! If you keep coming over like this bit by bit, what do you expect?”
“Hmph! Are you the owner of this land? We all have to eat and live together in tough times!”
“Come over only in moderation! Don’t push your luck—clear out immediately!”
As soon as we left the main road and entered the narrower streets, the carriage hit a congested area.
Street vendors had set up their stalls haphazardly on both sides, clinging like barnacles, haggling, fighting, and calling out to customers all at once.
Even watching as a large shared carriage passed by was dizzying.
The pedestrians passing through looked irritated and tense.
“It’s better to get through here quickly.”
Just as the carriage wheels were about to move, something caught my eye.
A girl walking precariously, jostled this way and that by the crowd, suddenly came into view.
A familiar face.
“Wait! Hold on a second.”
“Adelaide?”
Why was she here?
As soon as the carriage stopped, I jumped out and supported her just as she was about to be shoved onto the road by the crowd.
“Hyppolite! Are you okay?”
“…A-Adelle…?”
Hyppolite’s eyes widened in recognition.
“Why are you here…?”
That was exactly what I wanted to ask.
What on earth had happened that the only daughter of Banker Rivers was wandering the streets like this?
Her hair, divided into two braids, was loose and messy, her face streaked with tears.
Her clothes were caked with dirt, and there were scrapes on her palms—she must have fallen.
“Adelaide. What’s the matter? Oh my! You’re Miss Rivers, aren’t you? Come inside quickly.”
I helped her clean her hands and face, and calmed her down. Slowly, Hyppolite regained her composure.
“Sniff… I… I went to visit Father at work. I stepped out to look around… and then… I didn’t know where to go, and the streets disappeared… people were pushing, and then… and then…”
“Oh my. That must have been frightening. Don’t worry, I’ll take you to your father.”
The soft tone calmed the trembling of Hyppolite’s shoulders.
“But a young lady shouldn’t be so scruffy when going to see her father. A lady must always maintain her elegance.”
I even added the bracelet I had bought earlier, and Hyppolite smiled again.
“It suits you perfectly!”
She bowed her head in thanks, her ears red.
When the missing banker’s daughter returned in the carriage of the Marchioness, chaos ensued.
“Hyppolite!”
“A-Ah, Father…!”
“Polly, are you hurt anywhere? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine… Adelaide saved me. The Marchioness braided my hair and even gave me a bracelet.”
Hyppolite’s tear-streaked face lit up with a shy smile.
“Thank you so much! If it weren’t for you, Hyppolite…”
“Lucky for you. It was Adelaide who found the child.”
“Miss Adelaide, I’m truly grateful. If you ever plan to use our bank, please come to me directly.”
Even after that, Mr. Rivers poured out tears, talking about how precious his daughter was.
“When she was as small as Master Antoine, it wasn’t this crowded.”
Finally, Mr. Rivers calmed himself and recalled the past with a melancholy tone.
“When trade with the East succeeded and the port grew, naturally people started coming. Hoo… there’s no unused land to borrow.”
My ears perked up.
‘Wasn’t it around this time?’
The royal command had come to completely rebuild the old city of the Loire.
“What would you do if you had the land?”
Mr. Rivers blinked at my sudden question.
“Well… first, we’ll evict all these illegal occupants, widen the roads, and in general, Nantes will be completely different from now.”
“And if you evict them, where would those people go?”
“Haha. Are you worried about them? How kind of you.”
At Mr. Rivers’ compliment, I could see Mother’s shoulders visibly perk up.
“Couldn’t we set up proper shops for them instead of just evicting them?”
My naive but well-meaning suggestion made Mr. Rivers’ eyes twitch.
But I meant it seriously.
“When I went to the exhibition recently, I heard Nantes is getting a train station soon. That will bring a lot of people, right? People looking for port jobs, trying to buy trade goods cheaper, or just sightseeing.”
I had already seen it happen, so I could speak with confidence.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to create a market for these people? It would give them something to see, and it would also organize the street vendors a bit.”
Mr. Rivers, perhaps to gain points with my mother, listened carefully but replied:
“Miss Adele, these are lawless people without proper permits. If your father spent his hard-earned taxes to give them shops, wouldn’t the Marchioness be upset?”
“Of course it wouldn’t be free!”
How naive did he think I was? Who would give charity for no reason? One charity in my life is enough: Sebastien.
“Even street vendors aren’t selling cheap carved wood from home—they’re selling fragrant wood from across the sea. They aren’t completely without money. If you gave them a loan at a low price, they might consider it worthwhile.”
“My, I thought you were just a little girl, but you’ve thought of that too? You have a sharp eye. But we’re bankers, not gamblers who stake their entire fortune on luck. I’d rather build a new warehouse in that location myself.”
“A warehouse?”
“Yes. Eastern trade will flourish even more. Who knows, in the future, maybe we could even move an entire foreign building here.”
Mr. Rivers said this with a smile, but it sounded chilling.
It better be legally purchased, properly permitted, or my blood will not forgive it.
“Adele, that’s enough. It’s impolite to argue with an adult.”
Ah, Mother! Things were going so well!
“No, Madam. Miss Adele’s opinion has merit. Even if it is a child’s idea, diverse opinions broaden perspective.”
Mr. Rivers, nice!
“But Mr. Rivers, land remains, but people bring in interest.”
“Interest?”
“Yes. Rumors as interest. When people hear that Nantes has only warehouses versus a proper market, which will attract more visitors?”
“Hmmm….”
