With a loud ‘bang,’ the door slammed shut. Unlike before, all the carvings had disappeared.
“It seems like the carvings are only visible when the door is open.”
Edelmar touched the door. Contrary to his assumption, he only felt the cold marble, as if the carvings had been an illusion.
“Let’s go home now.”
What had initially seemed like a tense journey turned out to be an easy retrieval of the sacred item.
As Ian and Edelmar passed through the passage and completely exited the cave, the fantastical rock door vanished instantly.
It had become a place they could never re-enter.
Edelmar turned to Ian and said,
“I made the right choice in picking you.”
Ian frowned.
That wasn’t a compliment.
What Edelmar meant was that he found the work Ian did amusing.
Feeling the corner of his mouth twitch, Ian looked away from Edelmar and began descending the mountain.
Since the sun was about to rise, he had to hurry down to feed Rose.
***
Despite its waning popularity, <Rose> remained a favorite among noble ladies who adored its products.
At the mention of new items arriving at <Rose>, Lady Hidwar, her eyes sparkling, visited the store early in the morning.
“Oh my! Lady Hidwar! Welcome!”
Lily, the manager of Rose, warmly greeted her.
“It’s the day for new arrivals, isn’t it? Can I see what’s come in?”
Lily led Lady Hidwar while replying,
“Of course! I’ve been waiting to show you first.”
Lady Hidwar, laughing at Lily’s flattery, entered the VIP room.
“But this new product is different from anything we’ve had before.”
“Different, you say?”
Lily whispered to Lady Hidwar,
“It’s not for our lady customers; it’s for gentlemen.”
“Gentlemen?”
Lady Hidwar’s expression showed disappointment. Jewelry stores didn’t sell products for men. After all, their clientele consisted entirely of noblewomen.
Noticing her reaction, Lily grinned.
“This is a product sold exclusively by <Rose>. Don’t think of it as just another ordinary accessory for men.”
“I didn’t expect <Rose> to offer the same things as others.”
“Oh, come on, my lady. Don’t you know me? I’m the manager of Rose. I’m confident in this product. If you gift this to him, you’ll be escorted to the upcoming palace ball.”
Lady Hidwar’s eyes widened at the mention of an escort.
“Really?”
“Yes, I’m sure of it. It’s a one-of-a-kind product in the entire world.”
Lady Hidwar fanned herself and nodded.
“All right, bring it here.”
“Just a moment, please.”
Lily, who returned to the VIP room in hurried steps, held a luxurious black square box in her hands.
On top of the box was the <Rose> emblem—a rose—and three hands resembling those of a clock, pointing to 2:50:35.
“A pocket watch? That’s nothing special.”
Assuming the contents based on the box, Lady Hidwar grumbled in disappointment.
“My lady, take a look before you judge.”
Placing the box on the table, Lily donned long white gloves that reached her wrists and opened the box.
Like a clam revealing its pearl, the box opened to reveal an item that matched Lily’s description—a never-before-seen object resting on a cushion.
The round, black dial was engraved with the letters ‘ROSE’ in red.
A golden second hand was ticking away diligently, and the markers where numbers would typically be, as well as the hour and minute hands, were also golden.
The round glass covering the face was crystal-clear, and the black leather strap connected to the small clock exuded sophistication.
“What is this?”
Lady Hidwar, startled, tossed aside the fan she had been holding and leaned forward to examine the wristwatch closely.
“Look here.”
Lily lifted the wristwatch with her gloved hand and brought it to her own wrist.
“It’s a watch you wear on your wrist.”
“A watch you wear on your wrist?! Unbelievable!”
Watching Lady Hidwar, who seemed utterly captivated by the wristwatch, Lily remarked,
“Didn’t I tell you? It’s truly a special item.”
From the sight of the item, Lady Hidwar could understand why Lily was so confident.
A wristwatch—what an unimaginable item.
And if she gifted this to the one she secretly admired, it seemed plausible, as Lily claimed, that she would be escorted to the palace ball.
“This product is a limited edition of 20 pieces. Once all 20 are sold, there won’t be any more.”
Twenty pieces?!
Lady Hidwar couldn’t help but be astonished by Lily’s statement.
If she were the one who developed the wristwatch, she would do everything in her power to mass-produce it so that all noblemen could wear one.
Not only was it revolutionary, but it could also provide a touch of uniqueness to noblemen who otherwise had limited options for adornment.
But only twenty pieces?
In the capital alone, there were over a hundred noblemen. How could just twenty pieces suffice?
At that moment, Lady Hidwar couldn’t help but commend her own diligence.
If she had been even slightly lazy, not only would she have missed seeing the wristwatch, but she also might have lost the chance to gift it to her crush and allowed someone else to seize the opportunity.
“I’ll buy it! I’ll take it!”
“Yes, understood. Since this is a prototype, I’ll have it packaged as a new product for you.”
“Alright.”
Lady Hidwar nodded with a satisfied smile but suddenly paused.
Having purchased the one for her secret crush, her father and brother came to mind.
Picking up the fan she had abandoned earlier, she asked,
“Do you have other designs?”
“Of course. Would you like to see them?”
Lady Hidwar nodded.
Lily returned to the VIP room empty-handed, but this time, she was followed by Rose staff members, each carrying a box.
As all six boxes were opened, Lady Hidwar couldn’t focus properly.
The wristwatches had identical dials but possessed unique charms.
Upon careful inspection, her favorite remained the one Lily had shown her first.
Lady Hidwar pointed to a gold wristwatch with a dignified charm and a dark mahogany one with a subdued elegance.
“Wrap these two as well. I’ll give them to my father and brother.”
“Understood.”
Lady Hidwar, a VIP among VIP customers of Rose, purchased three wristwatches, each priced at 100 gold coins.
The following morning.
Rose was flooded with noblewomen and ladies from across the capital.
***
– My lord! It’s a huge hit! Those who couldn’t buy a wristwatch are constantly contacting Rose!
When the communication crystal was activated after a long time, May enthusiastically relayed the good news.
The wristwatches had been released, and all 20 of the initial batch had been sold out.
“What about <Yekhaterina>?”
– No notable movements. My lord, do you have plans for other designs? Oh! And are you considering developing wristwatches for women?
The ladies expressed their desire to own wristwatches too.
Ian nodded after a brief contemplation.
“I’ll sketch some designs during transit.”
– Yay! Thank you! Once the second batch of watches arrives the day after tomorrow, we’ll resume sales!
“Don’t release too many at once. We mustn’t undermine their value.”
Laughter echoed from the communication device.
– I understand. Don’t worry.
“How’s the skeleton watch coming along?”
– The craftsman is testing the prototype, but he seems dissatisfied with the design. He’s questioning why all the gears need to be visible.
This time, Ian chuckled.
“There’s no need to cater solely to the craftsman’s tastes. Some people prefer that style.”
– That’s true. Fred suggested dedicating a skeleton watch to His Majesty the Emperor when it’s ready.
Though only their voices were exchanged, Ian nodded.
“I was already considering that. When is the craftsman planning to finish the skeleton watch?”
– The testing will conclude tomorrow, and production will start the day after, so it should take about four days.
After a moment of thought, Ian instructed,
“Engrave numbers on the backplate of the watches dedicated to His Majesty and Grand Duke Edelmar.”
– Numbers?
“Yes. For His Majesty, engrave 000. For Grand Duke Edelmar, engrave 001.”
– Why do that?
“To emphasize their uniqueness.”
Serial numbering on luxury goods not only facilitated management but also highlighted their limited-edition status.
Particularly, items with lower serial numbers were perceived as even more special.
The Emperor and the Grand Duke.
Both being members of the imperial family, it was appropriate for them to receive the initial numbers. People would then strive to obtain serial numbers as close to theirs as possible.
– The designs will be slightly different, right?
“Yes. Inform the Grand Duke as soon as they’re ready. The watches must be delivered personally—”
– No need.
Ian turned his head at the sudden sound of the Grand Duke’s voice.
“What brings you here?”
“I was bored.”
It truly seemed that Edelmar didn’t manage the affairs of the grand duchy. Unlike Ian, who received reports about the fiefdom, bank, and shops through his communication crystal, Edelmar always appeared to have free time.
Frequently claiming boredom, he would drop by Ian’s room.
“Delivering it personally won’t make it seem special to my brother. Besides, some might think it’s just a rumor, and my brother won’t be able to boast about it even if he wants to.”
‘The Emperor doesn’t seem like the boasting type, though.’
“Do you have a better suggestion?”
“Present it at the upcoming palace ball.”
Ian considered this.
Having Edelmar wear the wristwatch and then present an identical one to the Emperor during the palace ball, in the presence of gathered nobles.
Not only would the nobles who already owned a wristwatch pay attention, but so would those desperate to acquire one, especially when it was a gift to the Emperor.
‘That’s quite effective marketing.’
Ian immediately spoke into the communication crystal.
“Let’s go with the Grand Duke’s suggestion. Inform the craftsman to ensure it’s ready by the ball date. And don’t forget to embed a diamond from our mine at the 12 o’clock position.”
– Of course! That goes without saying!
“Is there anything else to report?”
– Nope! I’ll get back to work now!
The light from the communication crystal faded.
Ian stored the crystal in his inventory and looked at Edelmar.
“When is the ball scheduled?”
“A week from now.”
“Have a good trip.”
Edelmar tilted his head at Ian’s farewell.
“Have a good trip? What do you mean?”
