Chapter 55
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
I'm a homebody who ended up possessing the body of a villainess locked away in a desolate tower.
Chapter 55
About a day had passed since I sent over the newly released thermal flask.
The moment dawn broke, word reached me that Fabron Marquis was requesting an audience with the Grand Duke and myself.
"Your Grace the Grand Duke, and Miss."
In the small reception room attached to the palace where the Grand Duke was staying.
The Marquis's complexion, when we met again there, had transformed remarkably for the better.
"I truly don't know how to express my gratitude...."
From between the lips of Fabron Marquis, who was fidgeting with his neatly tied cravat, came a breath overflowing with emotion.
Fearing he might burst into tears before the Grand Duke, I gently steered the conversation in a different direction.
"You must be busy caring for your ailing wife—are you certain it's alright to visit us so early?"
"Yes. My wife is currently being attended to by a physician, so I managed to spare a moment. Haha."
Fabron Marquis, who had been laughing lightly, soon curled his lips upward and cast his gaze toward me.
"Besides, if I didn't offer my thanks first, my wife would surely think me a pathetic wretch."
The Marquis, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, wiped away tears that had begun to pool in his eyes.
"The thermal flask not only kept the soup warm for an extended period, but the food inside didn't stick or spoil easily either. What sort of magic did you employ...."
"The Mages at the Magic Tower handle the crafting. They're working hard to ensure the products function properly."
Even at this very moment.
Fabron Marquis, whose eyes brightened at my words, responded with a slightly excited voice.
"It must be the Magic Tower after all! Thanks to this, I can now travel long distances with my wife. I was actually thinking of visiting my hometown soon."
"Your hometown? It must be quite far from here."
"Not terribly far, but...."
As I listened to the Marquis's sentiments with a pleased heart, a commotion began to arise from nearby.
"Release that at once!"
"You mustn't do this, madam!"
Crash!
Along with the flustered voice of an attendant, the firmly closed door of the reception room swung open.
And what appeared alongside a thunderous rebuke was....
"You wretch!"
A noblewoman dressed in an unmistakably expensive gown.
'Hmm? Did she wander into the wrong palace?'
Now that I thought about it, I seemed to recall hearing that many guests stayed at the Imperial Palace, and some of them occasionally found themselves in the wrong wing.
I assumed this was another such incident and expected the noblewoman to apologize and depart.
However, the noblewoman, whose fingers were adorned with rings as large as pearls, showed no intention of leaving and greeted the Grand Duke with a fierce expression.
"Your Grace the Grand Duke Blaire."
"...Marquise Embrose. What brings you here?"
"I've been forced to show myself in an unseemly manner due to a matter concerning my child. Alas. I beg your pardon for the intrusion."
With a chilling tone, she stepped further inside and fixed a piercing gaze upon Fabron Marquis.
What was even more unexpected was Fabron Marquis's reaction upon discovering the uninvited guest.
"M-Mother!?"
What? His mother? That wealthy-looking noblewoman?
My bewilderment at her appearance, so utterly different from Fabron Marquis's circumstances, was short-lived.
In an instant, Fabron Marquis's face drained of color, and he began trembling so pitifully that it was painful to watch as he stumbled backward.
But why had Fabron Marquis's mother come all the way here?
Whether fortunately or unfortunately, that question was answered soon enough.
"So now you've resorted to illegal auctions and gotten yourself dragged away by Knights? Are you determined to bring utter shame upon this family!?"
"M-Mother! That's not—Ugh!"
Smack, smack!
Closing the distance in an instant, she began striking his back with a sharp hand before he could even finish his protest.
What on earth was happening?
Unable to comprehend the unfolding situation, I stood there dazed until my gaze suddenly met that of the Grand Duke beside me.
"Do you... know her?"
The Grand Duke seemed equally bewildered, but he nodded readily at my question.
Then, bending slightly at the waist, he whispered softly into my ear.
"The Embrose Marquise."
"What!?"
For a moment, I doubted my own ears and covered my mouth as I asked again.
"The... Embrose?"
"Yes."
"The Embrose Marquise!?"
"That's right."
So the Embrose Marquise was actually Fabron Marquis's mother? Is that what he was saying?
There was good reason for my shock.
What exactly did the Embrose Trading Company do?
'A major merchant guild that delivers goods with unparalleled speed, backed by enormous capital and scale.'
In simple terms, it functioned much like a certain delivery service from South Korea.
Of course, the prices were exorbitant enough that commoners couldn't easily use it, but what the Embrose Trading Company guaranteed was the speed of delivery.
Moreover, thanks to the trust built up over long years of business, the Embrose Trading Company enjoyed considerable freedom with customs clearance.
In other words, it was far more convenient than the Magic Tower, which could spend months just on procedures when sending goods overseas.
Perhaps because it played such a crucial role in logistics and distribution.
The Embrose Trading Company was given considerable importance in the original story as well.
That's why I had already encountered the Embrose Marquise through the original narrative.
I was even aware of the circumstances that weighed upon her heart.
'...This means I've just stumbled upon an incredibly influential figure, doesn't it?'
The Magic Tower was already suffering from an avalanche of complaints from consumers.
Production demand was being met, but customs clearance was causing delays...
Of course, I hadn't forgotten about the Embrose Trading Company, but they valued their relationships with established partners, so there had been no opportunity.
Yet here I was, meeting them like this.
'I can't possibly let this golden opportunity slip away!'
A body worn down by black companies in South Korea and then ground down by Lemeia here in this world.
Because I understood all too well the plight of those being manipulated, I couldn't simply stand by and watch the Magic Tower remain unchanged.
I grasped my skirt hem tightly and took a step forward.
"Wait, just a moment, Madam?"
"What is it?"
Unlike Fabron Marquis, Embrose Marquise possessed such a fierce expression that it was difficult even to approach her with words.
Moreover, her impeccably maintained appearance—not a single strand out of place—revealed her characteristically meticulous nature.
Yet her actions stemmed from nothing less than her deep affection for her son.
Undeterred by her curt question, I clasped my hands respectfully and walked toward her.
Then I gently wrapped my hand around the back of her hand, which still gripped Fabron Marquis by the collar.
"Whatever concerns you may have, please set them at ease. 'We' have already resolved all of your son's matters."
I offered a brilliantly radiant—purely professional—smile.
* * *
"...So you created a thermos after hearing the tale of my incompetent son and his ailing wife."
"Yes, that's right."
Embrose Marquise, now held by April Salt, observed her with a dissatisfied expression.
For someone whose very bones were those of a businesswoman, scrutinizing a stranger upon first meeting was as natural as breathing.
The comic books, blackout curtains, tumblers, and thermoses that had recently swept through not only the Capital but the entire Continent.
It was unexpected that this young lady sitting before her had created all of them.
Moreover, she had assumed the thermos was manufactured based on the tumbler to meet demand, but the truth was it had been created because of her daughter-in-law's illness.
'Hmm.'
Her eyes narrowed as she thought of Fabron's Wife, Elena.
Observing the wife of her eldest son—married for the family's sake—and the husband of her youngest daughter, she had grown increasingly troubled by their lacking character.
Then wouldn't the wife of her second son, though from a humble house, be more suitable with her competence and household management skills?
She had never intended to sever ties in the first place; her lovesick son had simply misunderstood and left home on his own.
In the end, the ones most wronged in this affair were the Embrose Marquis and Marquise.
'That fool won't even think of reconciling first.'
The Marquise glanced sideways at Fabron Marquis, who stood some distance away.
Still, she had never imagined that her daughter-in-law's illness—whose face she had never even seen—could be so severe.
Had she known the situation sooner, she would have provided assistance as quickly as possible to cure the ailment.
She carefully reconsidered April Salt's explanation before speaking.
"So you're asking me to help distribute the thermos?"
"I'd appreciate it if you could help distribute not just the thermos, but also comic books and other products."
"You're proposing a business transaction. Very well, what are your terms?"
The number of merchant guilds that had requested trade with Embrose was beyond counting. This one would likely be no different.
However, since this person had helped her inadequate son, she was willing to spare the time to hear them out.
But then.
"Right now, Marquise, you must be wanting to pursue trade with the Ilamena Alliance. You'd also like to use their inexpensive labor."
April Salt's subsequent answer completely defied her expectations.
"I'll introduce you to the representative of Golbro Count, who owns the largest merchant guild in Belre, one of the Alliance nations."
"What did you just say...!"
"The proxy is Genevre Golbro, the daughter of Golbro Count. You've heard of her, haven't you?"
Embrose Marquise's mouth fell open in shock.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org