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47. Danae not only managed her own business affairs but also provided considerable assistance to Tanisha. Tanisha began working at the ducal household immediately after her debutante presentation. Since she held little interest in high society, she struggled considerably when dealing with noblewomen. Whenever such difficulties arose, Danae would step forward and offer Tanisha counsel. ‌‌‌Having once served as ‌‌‌‌the Empress's lady-in-waiting, she possessed an innate mastery of social grace. Watching Danae meticulously inspect the goods that arrived in steady streams, Tanisha found herself wishing that Danae were her mother. Had that been the case, she might have become a capable businesswoman by now, rather than someone's subordinate. Tanisha's parents had shown little interest in her education. She had ‌‌‌‌grown up almost entirely neglected. Consequently, she had taught herself everything. It would be a lie to say she had not felt lonely. Self-pity mingled with thoughts of Rebecca. Had she ‌‌grown up under such a mother, Rebecca too would surely possess considerable talent. Yet to be confined by the title of Countess—Tanisha found herself silently rooting for Rebecca's safe divorce. "Madam Proprietor! Someone has arrived from House of Devon." An employee burst into the warehouse, breathless. At the mention of Devonshire, Danae and Tanisha exchanged a meaningful glance. "I'll ‌‌be right there. Have refreshments prepared, and escort the lady through the back entrance." Tanisha brushed the dust from her skirts and reread the letter Rebecca had sent, this time with meticulous care. Upon reaching ‌‌the postscript, Tanisha broke into a radiant smile. P.S. Tanisha, by whatever means necessary, keep as much as you possibly can ‌‌for yourself. What a delightfully sweet directive. Tanisha's pace quickened with renewed vigor. Very well—time to make ‌‌‌some money. * * * "I consider this quite generous." Pablo, a retainer of House of Devon, slid a card bearing the sum across the table toward Tanisha with an air of arrogance. This negotiation seemed far simpler than anticipated. Observing Tanisha's still-youthful, rounded cheeks, ‌Pablo smiled quietly to himself. The wine trade, alongside art distribution, formed ‌‌‌one of the Devonshire household's core ‌‌enterprises. To assume control of such a business would naturally ‌‌bring immense wealth ‌‌and prestige. Though he held the rank of viscount, he had methodically crushed those ‌‌far above him to become the supreme overseer of the wine operations. Unlike many nobles intoxicated by their elevated station, he had never neglected his ‌‌‌duties. From ‌‌‌the grape farms themselves to the wine shops that distributed their products, everything remained under his strict supervision. Yet overnight, the rose grapes throughout the farms had withered entirely. After exhaustive investigation, he had identified the cause—but the solution remained elusive. Inexplicably, the entire nation's supply of Tabara ladybugs had been depleted, all of it purchased from Tanisha Trading Company. Initially, he had suspected the company of deliberately causing the rose grapes to wither, ‌‌‌but upon seeing this place, such suspicions seemed absurd. No one in their right mind would have reason to provoke House of Devon from such a shabby establishment in the heart of the marketplace. And the proprietor was merely a young lady. Because Tanisha appeared younger ‌‌than Pablo's own daughter, ‌‌‌his vigilance had eased. He'd ‌‌likely been fortunate enough to acquire the insects at a bargain. Pablo pulled the corner of his mouth upward, waiting for Tanisha to accept with delight. "Hmm..." Tanisha pretended to deliberate, studying the paper Pablo had offered. Then she added another zero to it and slid it back across to him. "I believe this is the appropriate price, wouldn't ‌‌‌‌you say?" Pablo doubted his own eyes. "Listen, young lady. Your sense of currency seems rather dull—no one would pay such an exorbitant sum for mere insects." "Is that so?" Without hesitation, Tanisha added yet another zero. "How does this price suit you, sir? Wasn't this rather urgent?" "This..." The sum easily exceeded five times the budget Zeppelin had allocated. ‌Pablo brought his cane down against the floor with a sharp thud. "Young lady? And these ‌‌‌‌absurd prices to boot. I've come here as a representative of House of Devon. Show some respect!" "Ah, I see—you called me 'young lady' first, so I simply matched your manner of address. And I've done my research. Your situation is dire, isn't it? The ‌rose grape supply has encountered a serious problem, I hear? Let's see... the summer festival and the Crown Prince's birthday celebration are just around the corner! With the peak season upon you and I holding the only solution, raising the price is ‌‌‌basic business practice, wouldn't you agree?" Tanisha ‌‌‌circled a date on her calendar and thrust it before Pablo's eyes. "And your superior is Zeppelin Devonshire himself. If you don't resolve this by today, you might very well die." She didn't stop there—Tanisha even made a gesture of drawing her finger across her throat. Pablo gripped his cane, his hands trembling visibly. "You dare approach me with such arrogance, knowing full well the Earl's temperament? Don't you realize a crumbling trading company like yours could vanish overnight?" "Then by all means, try it. I'd be happy to ‌‌wager whether I go bankrupt faster or you die first." Tanisha's expression showed not the slightest concern. She was ‌‌no longer the cute, innocent young lady—now she bore the ‌‌‌cunning smile of a seasoned old demon. Cold sweat trickled down ‌‌Pablo's back. The trading company owner before him wasn't negotiating at all. She was intent on fleecing him ‌entirely. With no alternative, Pablo had no choice but to accept her terms. He could request additional funds from Zeppelin, but doing so would reveal that he'd purchased the insects at an absurd price. That would be tantamount to proving his own incompetence. Zeppelin had no tolerance for incompetent people. This meant he'd have to cover the remainder from his own pocket without Zeppelin's assistance. 'Resolve this! You understand what horrors will befall your family with each passing moment, don't you?' He recalled Zeppelin's words, spoken in fury as he surveyed the vast farm darkened by blight. ‌‌Zeppelin never made idle threats. Pablo knew better than anyone that his words were no jest. 'I have no choice...' He had to extinguish the fire at his feet immediately. Pablo spoke in a sharp tone, vowing to exact great revenge later. "I'll make the deal." "I thought you would. I've already prepared the contract—you need only sign here." Tanisha ‌‌‌extended the paper with a noticeably more relaxed tone, as if the prospect of substantial wealth entering her coffers had lifted her spirits. As Pablo carefully read through the contract, ‌‌‌‌his head snapped up. "Full payment upfront? In ‌‌cash, ‌no less? Have you lost your mind?" "If you don't like it, feel free to walk away. I hear ‌‌you're famous for paying late, Your Grace. I've heard of over ten businesses ruined because of you—how could I possibly trust you?" "Even so, I don't have that amount of money available today." "The House of Devon can't spare that much? How disappointing. Then let's call the whole thing off." ‌‌‌Tanisha made a move to retrieve the contract. Pablo slammed his thick hand down on the document. 'This damnable woman. I swear I'll watch her business crumble with my own eyes.' Gritting his teeth, he signed roughly. * * * 【Payment received.】 Croa ‌‌‌‌discreetly showed Julian a slip of paper no larger than her palm. Julian smiled knowingly, as if he'd expected nothing less. "I ‌‌‌apologize for the delay. There were some family matters to attend to..." The Pope of the Defrian Church dabbed his perspiring brow with a ‌‌handkerchief before collapsing onto an enormous ‌‌‌‌white sofa, which sagged beneath his considerable bulk. "Not at all. ‌‌‌I've ‌‌been admiring the newly acquired sculpture and lost track of time." There was no reason he couldn't wait indefinitely. In fact, Julian was thoroughly enjoying the Pope's predicament. The troublesome situation that had befallen the Pope's household was Julian's own handiwork. ‌‌The Pope's fifth wife, whom Deslatino desperately sought, was likely enjoying a voyage across the ‌sea with Barinika at this very moment. Deslatino narrowed his eyes as he observed Julian's unusually gracious demeanor. What scheme was brewing in that mind of his now? Meow. "Oh! Lord Leo!" Leo inserted himself between them. Julian was obligated to bring Leo to the Cathedral once a month without fail. "Then I shall excuse myself for a moment." A priest brought forth a staff crowned with an enormous crystal, from which a faint luminescence ‌‌‌‌‌emanated. The Pope accepted the staff and carefully brought the crystal to Leo's head. Where Leo and the crystal made contact, brilliant light poured forth. Julian felt as though something ‌‌‌‌had seized his feet and dragged him downward into the earth. 'That's never a pleasant sensation.' It was a symptom that occurred whenever vast amounts of holy power were consumed. Dizziness washed over him, and ‌‌‌Julian pressed his forehead for a moment. The priests paid him no mind whatsoever, their attention devoted entirely to Leo's wellbeing. The Pope was no different. "How does he grow more beautiful with each passing moment?" Deslatino extended his plump hand to stroke ‌Leo's lustrous fur. Leo's golden eyes flashed ‌‌menacingly, ‌‌‌‌and he bared his fangs. Deslatino flinched and withdrew his hand. "F-forgive my presumption." Every Pope throughout history had attempted to pet Leo at least once—he wondered when his turn would come. Deslatino watched with a distinctly disappointed expression as Leo walked proudly toward Julian's side. Leo deliberately showed favoritism, gently licking the back of Julian's hand as he kept his eyes closed against the ‌‌dizziness. Julian laughed and opened his eyes. "Leo, that tickles." Deslatino's eyes narrowed slightly. He couldn't fathom what the divine messenger found so endearing about this ill-mannered brat. As the dizziness began to fade, Julian's ‌‌‌gaze shifted toward the staff gleaming in the priest's hand. The crystal at the staff's tip now shone with a brilliance that stung the eyes. "Sigh. Just to make that toy ‌‌glow—what is this nonsense you perform every month? Do you even realize my lifespan diminishes each time you do this?" Despite Julian's complaint, Deslatino spoke without so much ‌‌‌as a flicker of expression, as though this were an everyday occurrence. "How can one who serves ‌‌the sacred speak of holy relics as toys? This staff of light becomes a beacon of hope for the wretched merely by its existence—much like Leo himself." Julian's brow furrowed sharply. The Runaway Countess Returns E-book Publication January 12, 2022 Author Long Night Sky Publisher Desert Fox Published by Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd. Submission Portal naver.me/54VzzLSn Blog blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox Twitter @wjt_fennecfox

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