“Yeah. And I’m also thinking about changing the image of the spirits soon.”
Spirits have a ‘substance.’ They move in visible forms and seem alive.
Although they aren’t actually living, spirits appear as if they are breathing and alive, making them an unusual presence.
“How are you planning to change it?”
“Hmm, do you know about some of the businesses I’m involved in, Lady?”
How would I know that?
I blinked and answered.
“…I only know that most profitable ventures in the Empire have passed through your hands.”
“…it seems you don’t know exactly what businesses I’m involved in.”
I was caught off guard and smiled awkwardly.
“Well, you have so many businesses.”
The original story focused on the romance between Nadia and Kaien, so background information was rather lacking.
I only learned recently that Kaien runs quite a large newspaper company. Before that, I hadn’t paid much attention to the male lead, Kaien.
“Hm.”
Kaien suddenly looked out the window and tilted his chin.
“Name a store you see.”
I followed Kaien’s gaze outside.
The carriage had entered the square. As it was the most densely populated area, famous stores lined up one after another in the center of the square.
“The Chiffon Candy Store.”
“That’s mine.”
“…That one?”
My eyes widened in surprise.
The candy store with its cute and lovable mascot was particularly famous.
It had a reputation for being delicious and clean, and it was popular with people of all ages and genders.
“Try another one.”
This time, I pointed to a large building.
“K Department Store.”
“That’s mine.”
Flustered, I pointed to a smaller but more crowded building next to the department store.
“Mu-Mera!”
“That’s mine, too.”
Mu-Mera was a brand that could be compared to a modern-day one-stop shop. It handled a wide range of products and was essential for the daily needs of the Empire’s citizens.
I gaped at the scale of Kaien’s business, which was beyond imagination.
“As you can see, most of the businesses I do have a lot of influence. So I’m planning to use that to change the image of the spirits.”
Kaien explained.
In short, it was a collaboration. The idea was to create a friendly and cute character out of the spirits and then use that for marketing and promotion.
For example, making candy wrappers with both the chiffon mascot and the spirit character on them.
This way, people would become accustomed to the image of the spirits.
“That sounds great.”
I nodded absentmindedly.
“I really think it’s a good idea.”
“That’s a great compliment.”
As if sensing my sincerity, Kaien chuckled.
“Your partner should like it too.”
“Harnen? Harnen usually follows my decisions, so there’s no need to persuade him specifically.”
The reason Kaien and I were out today was to see Harnen. I needed to show him the new scrolls and explain the future plans.
“Oh, by the way, I received an invitation from Countess Pesain recently. It’s for a tea party, and I found out that she is a close friend of the Empress. It seems like it’s not a purely social invitation. What do you think?”
“Why?”
“To put it plainly, it was an invitation to help me get acquainted with high society, as I’m new and might not be familiar with the atmosphere.”
In the original story, Countess Pesain had sent Nadia an invitation.
At that time, Nadia, who had recently become engaged, admired Countess Pesain and intended to accept the invitation. However, when she was refused by Kaien to attend together, she was too scared to venture into society alone and declined the invitation, leading to Countess Pesain isolating Nadia from social circles as if she had been waiting for it.
Now that I needed to resume my social activities, I couldn’t just refuse Countess Pesain’s invitation without consideration. After all, that was exactly what the countess wanted.
“Countess Pesain does hold significant influence in society. She’s also a representative of the Empress.”
Kaien seemed to ponder for a moment before smiling.
“By the way, did the invitation say you had to come alone?”
I shook my head as I searched my memory.
“No, it didn’t say that.”
“Then it’s perfect. You should accept the invitation. Countess Pesain likely sent the invitation expecting a refusal, so you can’t just go along with her wishes.”
“I was planning to accept it anyway. Refusing could lead to disadvantages for me.”
Once we agreed, I felt a sense of relief.
“But why is it perfect?”
Kaien smiled playfully.
“It’s a secret.”
…Isn’t it a bit much to keep secrets from me about my own situation?
I frowned at Kaien, but eventually nodded.
“Alright, I’ll do my best.”
“Are you sure? Countess Pesain is likely to be quite demanding.”
“I’m fine.”
I smiled brightly.
After all, who am I? I’m a reincarnator. And reincarnators know the details of the original story.
That gave me a significant advantage.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
“What about Philome?”
As soon as Kaien sat down, he asked. Mentioning Philome naturally brought yesterday’s events to mind.
Yesterday, he went out with Philome and met with Harnen. And just as Philome had said, Harnen wasn’t interested at all when he explained the business plan.
After receiving the new scroll, he kept fiddling with it without taking his eyes off it.
When Kaien handed him a few more samples as a gift, Harnen insisted on immediately working on them with a bright smile, so they ended up being kicked out and had to return to the mansion.
“The Miss had dinner alone and then went to her room a short while ago. She seemed quite tired from choosing dresses.”
“Hmm.”
Kaien, pulled from his thoughts, nodded briefly and then looked at Sebastian with a puzzled expression.
“…Miss?”
Usually, even if engaged, proper titles are used. Until recently, Philome was addressed as “young lady” by the servants.
Yet, within just a few days, the title had changed to the more familiar “miss.”
Sebastian straightened his shoulders proudly.
“It seems appropriate to change the title now that there is a new young lady in the mansion.”
Sebastian, who had known Kaien since he was a child, immediately sensed that Kaien secretly liked the new title and didn’t feel the need to elaborate.
“I feel very good about being a bit closer to the Miss.”
“You seem to like Philome?”
“I mentioned from the start that she’s a kind person. I appreciate kind people.”
Sebastian had always worried about Kaien, who showed no interest in women or marriage.
He was concerned that Kaien might be asexual due to being too absorbed in work. The former duke occasionally sent letters inquiring if he had any women, which only made Sebastian more anxious.
Then, out of the blue, Kaien brought Philome as his future spouse.
Not only was she to be cherished for that reason, but Philome was also perceptive and kind.
People viewed Philome as a young lady who had quickly risen in status. Given the sudden change in her environment, she could have become arrogant or presumptuous, but she did not.
She accepted her new circumstances without showing off and did not hoard things thinking about the budget of the dukedom, which was a good thing.
The future Duchess of Wintbell did not need to be frugal but needed the ability to use what was given appropriately. In that regard, Philome was suitable.
“Since you’ve already received the approval from His Majesty, how about holding the wedding as soon as possible?”
“Sebastian, you’re becoming like my father.”
“I think the previous duke would agree with me.”
If anything, the previous Duke was probably more eager than Sebastian.
Kaien chuckled as he thought of his father.
“By the way, how are things in the North?”
The North, known for its monsters, was governed by the Duke of Wintbell, who was known for producing transcendents.
However, several hundred years ago, the last saint sacrificed herself, causing all the monsters tormenting the North to be frozen and buried in the snow.
Since then, no monsters had appeared, but it was not a time to be complacent. The Duke of Wintbell could not afford to let their guard down after the immense losses caused by those monsters.
Recently, a report came from the North.
It was about a body that had been brutally killed by some kind animal. Although there was no evidence linking it to the monsters, the corpse was in a form never seen before. The harsh conditions in the North had led animals to evolve to adapt to their environment.
Therefore, it would take time to determine what kind of animal was involved and whether it was the work of a monster.
“Ah, the previous duke has contacted us.”
The former duke and his wife were currently managing the North after their retirement.
For Kaien, it was good news that a reliable person was handling something that required attention.
“What did he say?”
There was a hint of tension in Kaien’s voice as he asked.
Thanks for the chapter