Chapter 30
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A villainess locked away in a desolate tower—I had possessed her body.
Chapter 30
"What is this place?"
"A storage shed."
I regarded Liam with a cold stare as he offered his matter-of-fact reply.
Merely a day after I'd inquired of the Grand Duke about Poleta leather, Liam had sought me out and guided me to a small storage shed situated in the Grand Duke's Estate Courtyard.
Though it was called a storage shed, it appeared to be exactly what he described—a warehouse crammed with miscellaneous items deemed unnecessary.
The problem was...
"There's... quite a lot more than I expected?"
The finely prepared Poleta leather was abundant enough to fill the entire shed.
I gazed with weary eyes at bundles of raw leather meticulously sorted by color, pattern, and size.
"Well, the Grand Duke graciously ordered that all Poleta leather circulating throughout the Grand Duchy be gathered and transported here for Your Highness's sake."
"Ah, I see..."
I hadn't expected him to go to such lengths.
Could he be trying to get back at me for refusing to share the information?
Even after Liam departed, I remained standing outside, hesitant to venture into the shed.
Then Bonita, who had been nearby, approached me.
"But why did you need so much Poleta leather?"
"Well, that's..."
I trailed off and shifted my steps forward.
Inside the storage shed with its wide-open door lay even more Poleta leather than was visible from outside.
However, it hadn't undergone any cleaning or processing yet, so each hide was caked with byproducts and emitted a considerable stench.
"Ugh."
"...Next time, I'll prepare a handkerchief for you to cover your nose with."
Bonita, who had entered without any preparation, grimaced and stepped back.
But I ignored the acrid animal smell and ventured deeper into the shed.
I heard Bonita gasp behind me.
"Oh, Miss?"
"Hmm."
As I pulled out one of the nearest bundles of leather to examine it, a Poleta hide far longer and heavier than an average man's frame was dragged out.
Upon closer inspection, though rough from being unprocessed, it seemed somewhat similar in texture to the blackout curtain material I'd made in Salt.
I'd need to handle it properly to know for certain.
"Bonita."
I turned toward Bonita, who had somehow become my personal encyclopedia and speedy assistant, always ready to provide whatever information I needed.
"Yes?"
"How would I turn this leather into fabric?"
It was an abrupt question, but Bonita, thinking I was testing her, shrugged her shoulders and opened her mouth.
"Of course there are specialists who process it. Lady Rainy is second to none in tailoring craftsmanship in our Blaire Grand Duke Territory."
"...Is that so!"
I cast an admiring gaze toward her before swiftly darting out of the storage shed.
I felt like my nose would rot away if I stayed any longer in that strange-smelling place.
"Is there any chance I could meet Lady Rainy?"
"The lady is currently supplying high-quality fabrics to the Blaire Grand Duke House, so she'll likely visit again early tomorrow morning!"
Early morning, then....
After a brief moment of consideration, I nodded readily.
It wasn't as though I had a choice—I'd be awake the moment the sun rose anyway.
* * *
The previous day, I'd entered the library alone to search for information about Poleta, but after evening fell, I was dragged into a meeting with the painters and ended up staying awake through the entire night.
Actually, I'd wanted to slip away midway and catch at least a little sleep, but I couldn't bring myself to get up with Ashley sitting beside me, her face hollow and zombie-like.
Which meant, in short, that this morning was also in the worst possible condition.
'S-so sleepy.'
They say sleep deprivation is the greatest torture of all.
I couldn't suppress a yawn even as I faced Lady Rainy sitting directly across from me.
Shortly after, Lady Rainy—her round, rosy face growing carefully stern as she examined the leather for an extended period—shook her head slowly.
"Hmm... I'm afraid it won't be possible."
It was an unexpected answer.
Seeing her reluctant expression, I asked with a face even more desperate than yesterday's.
"Why... how so?"
"Processing Poleta leather to be like fabric itself isn't particularly difficult, but the compensation is rather low compared to the intensity of the work. It's such a common leather, after all...."
Was this what they called a thankless task?
Having completely set aside the Poleta leather, she wiped her hands with a damp handkerchief and continued.
"In weather as hot as this, there's far greater demand for thin, lightweight materials like chiffon or lace."
Though she spoke in roundabout terms—likely because she was dealing directly with the Blaire Grand Duke House—the clear refusal was evident in her eyes.
'This won't do.'
Was my dream of a cozy, sunless morning truly slipping away like this?
After wrestling with my thoughts repeatedly, I decided to buy myself some time first.
"Bonita, would you mind bringing the lady some refreshing tea?"
"Of course, Miss!"
While the quick-witted Bonita stepped away, I began turning my mind over furiously.
Come to think of it, the manga books I'd thought I needed before, the blackout curtains—I'd simply wanted to create them for myself without any real system in place.
Even now, Liam was handling all the profits from the manga business and the painters' monthly wages (?) and such.
But there was one certain fact I knew....
'The royalties accumulating in my name would be astronomical.'
If what Lady Rainy wanted was money, I could provide as much as she desired.
And even if producing these blackout curtains drained a considerable sum, I could replenish it quickly enough.
'Would people who need blackout curtains really exist only in the Grand Duchy?'
Just in the Salt Kingdom alone, there were countless poor administrators who could only rest their exhausted bodies from all-night work when dawn broke.
"Lady Rainy."
"...Yes?"
The lady, who had been silently sipping the cold tea Bonita brought, set down her cup with a startled expression at the subtle change in my voice.
"What's the most expensive fabric you carry?"
"...Unless there are special circumstances, lace is our highest-priced material."
Then I'd have to price Poleta leather higher than lace no matter what.
With my resolve hardened, I replied with a bit more confidence.
"I'll pay you above that rate, and if you happen to work overtime, I'll double the compensation for those hours."
"...Pardon?"
Gasp...!
Was it Bonita? Or perhaps an assistant Lady Rainy brought along?
Someone's breathing grew audible.
Soon, Lady Rainy's eyes, which had been firmly set, began to tremble slightly.
I knew that look well.
'The eyes of someone conflicted before money.'
Lady Rainy clearly knew that Poleta leather had no demand and was difficult to process.
So she must have intended to refuse somehow, but then again.
'It would be quite a substantial sum to turn down, wouldn't it?'
And truthfully, everyone here knew that Poleta leather was far easier to make than lace, which required painstaking hand-weaving stitch by stitch.
"However, I'll need to actively recruit a tanner to process the leather and the necessary skilled workers."
This time, I sipped my tea with an air of leisure.
Sip.
After lowering my gaze into the teacup for a moment, Lady Rainy's expression when I looked up again was quite bewildered.
Nice.
"...Forgive me, but what exactly are you trying to make?"
"I'm going to make curtains."
"Curtains?"
Overtime pay just to make a single set of curtains?
I could almost hear what Lady Rainy was thinking, but I had my own reasoning.
'It's an investment.'
What if I used the royalties I'd received so far as investment capital and started a new business making blackout curtains from this Poleta leather?
Besides, though I'd almost forgotten, I—who had experience swindling in the Salt Kingdom—was thoroughly versed in how to collaborate with major merchant guilds.
For example.
First, I'd purchase surplus Poleta leather from the Grand Duchy at a low price.
Second, I'd recruit leather-processing workers at similarly affordable rates.
Third, once the blackout curtains were made, I'd contact merchant guilds traveling through various nations and entrust them with sales.
'I don't think I'd run a loss.'
As I'd thought before, night-shift work wasn't exclusive to the 21st century.
In this world without labor rights, night-shift occupations were practically abundant.
'This will become my lifelong venture.'
I hate stepping forward, but if I'm literally dying from sleep deprivation, that's a different story.
Since things have come to this, why not run a big business and earn a fortune?
If worse comes to worst, I could even become independent...
'Yes, independence.'
If that came to pass, I could finally shed the image of a parasite constantly freeloading off others, and perhaps even decorate my cherished sanctuary—that precious nest with blackout curtains drawn across every window—to my liking.
Of course, I'd need to settle in the Blaire Grand Duke Territory since I had to catch the latest chapters of the manga first, but still.
"Hehe, hehehehe...."
Lost in the flood of pleasant fantasies, I let out a peculiar laugh without restraint.
Completely oblivious to the strange looks people were casting my way.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org