After dropping Graham off at the mansion, Rachel went to see Cian. He was talking to Stefan, who’d arrived earlier.
“Your Highness, Your Excellency, it’s nice to see you. You’re already gathered.”
“Welcome, Countess Rachel. I hope you had a nice time with Graham.”
“Yes, I had a wonderful time playing with the child after so long.”
Cian smiled, and Stefan, who was sitting opposite him, raised his hand in a casual greeting.
“Hello, smart Countess Rachel. Seeing you here, you must know what has happened?”
“I just came from an ice cream shop where the owner bought sugar in bulk. I heard that the Rodotu merchant company is selling sugar at half the price it used to be.”
“Ah, yes. Sigar has started to move.”
Rachel, sitting down, noticed the documents on the table. She’d come to see if they needed any advice, but it seemed it wasn’t necessary.
“‘Sugar and Salt Supply Suspension Plan’, you’re using that method.”
“Yes. While Rodotu sells salt and sugar cheaply, the Iacobs trading company won’t sell anything.”
Stefan smiled as he met Rachel’s gaze.
“Thanks to you, Countess Rachel. Thank you.”
“What are you saying out of the blue?”
“The short-term rental of the mansions. Thanks to that, the Iacobs merchant company won’t have any trouble making money even if we don’t sell salt or sugar for a while. It worked out well, just as you predicted.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Despite the high prices and no reservations, people are flocking in. Especially, the mansion that Cian rented for a day. It’s very popular among the ladies. They’re all eager to spend a night in that bedroom…”
“Stefan…”
“Ahem.”
Stefan, who’d been excitedly talking about the short-term mansion rental business, scratched his head awkwardly.
“Anyway, thanks to you, we don’t have to worry about not selling salt and sugar for a few days. Thank you.”
Rachel nodded.
Stefan was indeed a wise merchant. A game of chicken or cutthroat competition where prices are competitively lowered was not ideal, both sides would end up losing. It would be better to withdraw early if possible.
“But if the Iacobs merchant company stops selling, won’t Rodotu merchant company start raising prices slowly?”
“Exactly. Rodotu bought salt and sugar at quite a high price. Including transportation and operating costs, they’ll likely raise the price to double, or even four times the current price.”
“Then the Iacobs trading company will resume selling salt and sugar at that time.”
“Right, Countess Rachel. That’s correct. When that time comes, I will start selling at the same price as before. Rodotu will then have to lower their prices again.”
“In the end, Rodotu and the Emperor, who invested in it, will be forced to sell the goods they bought at a high price cheaply.”
“Unless the Emperor can endure until the Iacobs trading company runs out of salt and sugar, which won’t happen.”
Stefan smiled leisurely.
“We’ve secured enough salt and sugar to engage in this nuisance for a few years. Enough to make this kind of annoying mess worth while.”
“Impressive.”
“Well, it’s actually Cian who’s impressive.”
“His Highness?”
“Yes. It was Cian’s idea.”
“Oh.”
Rachel’s eyes widened.
Cian, who’d been quietly listening to the conversation, smiled softly as Rachel’s gaze turned to him.
“You never know when something might happen. As long as it’s stored properly, it won’t spoil, so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to secure supplies in advance.”
“Your foresight is remarkable.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
Cian’s golden eyes sparkled beautifully, seemingly pleased with the compliment.
Watching them, Stefan cleared his throat and gathered the scattered documents on the table.
“Anyway, from today, the Emperor’s wallet will start leaking money. He dared to challenge the Iacobs merchant company, which has always traded with integrity and honesty, so he must pay the price. Let’s have a party to celebrate!”
“Sounds good. I’ll prepare the carriage.”
“Why a carriage all of a sudden?”
“For the party. Aren’t we going to the Iacobs mansion?”
“We’re having it here.”
Cian frowned at Stefan’s confident answer.
“Who decided that?”
“I did. And Countess Rachel did too, right?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Rachel burst into laughter.
“I’ll gladly attend wherever you invite me.”
“See?”
Cian sighed deeply and nodded.
“…Alright. I’ll host dinner tonight.”
“Okay!”
Afterward, Stefan eagerly insisted on serving expensive food, and Cian, ignoring his friend’s demands, prepared a feast filled with Rachel’s favorite dishes. It was a joyful time.
* * *
A few days later.
Sigar looked down at Rodotu coldly as he was lying on the floor trembling.
Normally, Sigar enjoyed seeing someone cower before him, but not this time. He wasn’t pleased or excited.
“Iacobs used a trick? Explain in detail, Count Rodotu.”
Rodotu, tears streaming down his face, barely managed to speak.
“When we sell salt and sugar at low prices, they stop selling. When we raise prices, they resume selling at the original price.”
“So?”
“We can’t sell it at the price we bought it for, so we keep losing money…”
Sigar’s gaze shifted to the dozens of reports scattered on the floor. Despite the difficult content and numerous numbers, the summary was simple.
“You bought it for 20 gold per sack and are selling it for only 10 gold.”
Sigar’s teeth ground together, making a chilling sound.
“How much salt and sugar does Iacobs have stored?”
“Well, only 600,000 bags have been revealed so far, which, if converted into money, is worth about 6 million gold.”
Six million gold. It was an amount that could buy most of the Empire’s territories with some left over and even for Emperor Sigar, it was a considerable sum.
Until all that salt and sugar they accumulated was gone, Sigar would keep losing money because he couldn’t monopolize the market.
Moreover, Stefan, who had started the rental business, had no problem making money even if he didn’t sell salt and sugar for a few days.
Sigar clenched his fists, recalling Stefan’s visit.
‘I was worried you might misunderstand it as treason, so I came to report in advance. I’d like to hire a few more knights for the start of a business.’
‘You’re confident.’
‘Because I have nothing to hide.’
The mansions Iacobs owned were mostly small and insignificant. Moreover, the number of knights he wanted to hire was quite minimal, about ten per mansion.
Suspecting it might be a rebellion, Sigar kept a close watch, but Stefan indeed started a rental business.
Renting such places? Who would stay there?
It seemed ridiculous. Sigar thought the business would fail, and Stefan would waste money paying knights and servants.
But…
People flocked to see Stefan’s drawing room, where he’d wallowed in despair after a failed first love, Cian’s bedroom, where he had stayed during his travels, and the dressing room where Melita’s out-of-season dresses were kept.
Wealthy nobles and merchants paid huge sums to see such places.
‘To think they’d be amused by such trivial things! I knew nobles were foolish, but not to this extent!’
Sigar recalled the banquet held at Cian’s mansion last time. Nobles had willingly paid thousands of gold for an invitation.
In retrospect, Cian and Stefan must have made a fortune from that banquet.
While others suffered losses.
Bang!
Sigar’s fist slammed the armrest of his chair.
“Damn it!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Sigar pounded the armrest for a while before stopping when his fist turned red. This wasn’t enough to relieve his anger.
“Someone! Is anyone out there? Drag this useless man out and execute him!”
Rodotu jumped up, pleading.
“Y-Your Majesty! Please, please spare me! I will do my best to minimize the losses from the remaining salt and sugar…”
“‘Minimize the losses’? Even if you make up for the damage and break even, that’s not enough. Is that all you can say while begging for your life?”
“No, I’ll earn money! I’ll make a huge profit with the remaining salt and sugar…”
Sigar dismissed Rodotu’s pleas with one word.
“Die.”
“Your Majesty, please! Please spare me!”
Rodotu was dragged out by the guards, and Sigar’s salt and sugar operation ended in a massive loss.
* * *
After the salt and sugar affair was concluded, the aristocratic society was enveloped in silence, and Sigar canceled one regular court meeting after another, shutting himself in the palace.
Nobles criticized the Emperor for attacking his loyal brother and a competent merchant company without just cause, while at the same time fearing that they themselves would be the Emperor’s next target.
Of course, not all nobles spent their time in gloomy silence. Some nobles, including Rachel, Cian, and Stefan, actually enjoyed more peaceful times than before.
Rachel, who was standing in front of her mansion, was delighted when Katie came out carrying her luggage.
“Katie! I’ve been waiting. Are you all packed?”
“Yes, I’ve prepared thoroughly for any journey. I will definitely find out who bought the castle and estate that Count Fram used to govern.”
“It feels like I’m sending you on a mission.”
“I’m going with a similar resolve.”
Rachel and Katie both burst into laughter at the light-hearted joke. Both were filled with anticipation that they might soon reclaim the castle and land.
After loading the luggage into the carriage, Katie respectfully bowed to Rachel.
“Then, Countess Rachel, I’m off.”
“Wait. Take this before you go.”
“This is…”
Rachel handed over a pouch marked with the Fram family seal, smiling brightly.
