Chapter 153: Bardia Territory Begins to Move (2)
“Ufufu… Whenever Rid reads a picture book, it’s always enjoyable, isn’t it?”
“Yeah! The picture books that Big Brother reads are always fun!”
“Thank you, Mother. And Mel too.”
Mel happily laughed and swayed her body, saying, “Ehehe.”
I’m currently in Mother’s room, reading a picture book to Mel. We’ve just finished reading it.
As usual, the way I read the book requires me to change my voice for different characters, all thanks to Mel’s demanding requests. If I use the same voice, she points out, “That’s the same as the person from before.”
Lately, Cookie and Biscuit, who are by Mel’s side, also nod in agreement, making the scrutiny even stricter. (Tl note: Cookie and Biscuit…I don’t really know if they are names or not. In raws: クッキーとビスケットも (Kukkī to bisuketto mo), this is given which translate to Cookie and Biscuit. Can you tell me if they are mentioned in the previous translation.)
I’m sitting on the edge of Mother’s bed, and Mel is sitting at my knees.
I suddenly remembered Sandra’s words and looked at Mother’s condition. Maybe it’s because Sandra mentioned signs of recovery, but Mother’s complexion seems better than before.
I haven’t told Mother about the signs of recovery in her condition yet. We decided to wait until all the information was gathered.
Mother noticed my gaze and smiled warmly, saying, “Rid, is something on your mind? Is there something bothering you?”
“N-no, nothing at all. I was just wondering about your health…”
“Hehe… Thank you. But for now, I’m feeling much better.”
Mother’s gentle words reassured me.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and when I responded, Deanna’s voice could be heard.
“Lord Rid, Lord Chris has arrived.”
“I understand. Please guide him to the reception room, and I’ll be there shortly.”
“Very well.”
Mel, who overheard my exchange with Deanna, looked disappointed and said to me, “Big Brother, are you leaving again?”
“Sorry, Chris. Did I keep you waiting?”
“No, I was just shown in by Deanna a moment ago.”
As Chris and I exchanged greetings, we both sat on opposite sides of a table.
At the same time, Deanna, who had been preparing tea in the room and waiting, promptly served us tea.
“Thank you, Deanna. I apologize, but can we have some privacy for our business discussion?”
“Understood. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call.”
She nodded to both of us and then left the room.
Chris, with a slightly puzzled expression, spoke after Deanna had left. “Rid, forgive me if I’m out of line, but since Deanna is also privy to our secrets, wouldn’t it be suitable for her to stay here?”
“Well, yes, that’s true. But I still think that some discussions are better suited for just the two of us. Depending on the content, it might become a burden for her. Of course, when necessary, I’ll involve Deanna as well.”
I answered Chris’s question while considering Deanna.
She tends to take things quite seriously, and I have a feeling that if she hears too much of Chris and my conversations, it might weigh on her unnecessarily.
Of course, for important matters, we’ll consult with her in advance. She seemed to understand my perspective, nodding in agreement.
“I see. Indeed, Deanna-san seems like she might take on more than she can handle at times… ”
“Exactly. Especially when it comes to matters concerning Rubens. Deanna and the Rubens care about each other, but they often find themselves going in circles, wasting each other’s time, leaving everyone quite disappointed.”
Chris appeared surprised by the dynamics between the two, which I had inquired about, and she spoke with a slightly bewildered expression.
“Is that so? … Are their interactions perhaps what they call ‘even the dogs won’t eat in a quarrel between husband and wife’?”
(Tl note: The proverb “even the dogs won’t eat a quarrel between husband and wife” implies that when a married couple argues or quarrels, it can be so unpleasant or intense that not even onlookers (symbolized by the dogs) would want to get involved or take sides. Here, the husband is Ruben and wife is Deanna.)
“Hehe… Something like that.”
While Deanna and Rubens weren’t yet married, I responded with a wry smile, acknowledging Chris’s observation.
She too, as if drawn by my wry smile, smiled faintly before clearing her throat.
“Cough… Lord Rid, shall we get to the main topic soon?”
“Right. You came today regarding the ‘certain tree’ that I had asked for, didn’t you? I was quite surprised by how quickly I received a letter saying you had obtained it when I requested.”
Indeed, just a few days ago, I had received a letter from Chris informing me that the item related to the “tree” I had requested had been obtained. I immediately contacted her and asked her to bring it to the estate so we could discuss it further.
Chris, while blushing a little, looked somewhat proud as she responded, “It was quite a task, but I managed to obtain it through various information channels. What surprised me a bit is that it seems to be something not found on our continent. Fortunately, it happened to come into our possession after crossing the sea.”
After finishing her explanation, she placed a “sapling” and “seeds” on the table and continued.
“I wasn’t sure which one you wanted, but I obtained both just in case. What will you do? If you don’t need one of them, our trading company can handle the sale…”
“No, no, I’ll buy both from you. Thank you very much.”
I took one of the “seeds” that Chris had placed on the table. It was brown and about 2 cm in size, I estimated. She had brought ten of these seeds and one sapling.
As I stared at the seed in my hand, I couldn’t help but smile, realizing that my possibilities had expanded.
However, upon seeing my expression, Chris raised an eyebrow and commented, “Lord Rid, are you alright? Smiling while looking at a seed makes you seem rather suspicious, you know?”
“Huh…? Oh, yeah, sorry! I just got carried away thinking about the possibilities for the future.”
I explained to Chris, who looked puzzled, not understanding the reason behind my smile.
“Is that seed and sapling really something extraordinary?”
“Yes, indeed. These can be grown into trees to extract sap. And with the help of Ellen, Sandra, and others, we can process it into ‘rubber.'”
“Rubber…?”
I explained to Chris the potential of “rubber” and what could be achieved with it. I also mentioned its significant relevance to the discussions we had recently.
With a grin, I added, “Once we have this, the rest will be up to Ellen, Sandra, and their efforts. Once it’s completed, I believe it will bring about significant changes in your sales network and more, don’t you think?”
“I never expected that our previous discussions would be connected to this ‘tree.’ And if what you told me earlier can be realized… it does indeed sound like there will be exciting changes ahead.”
She listened to my explanation, her eyes sparkling with excitement at the potential of “rubber.”
Afterwards, I continued to answer Chris’s questions about rubber and discussed our plans for the future.
