Duke Babeloa scratched his neck, which was covered in hives, as he headed towards the banquet and discovered Hildegard.
She was personally directing the maids in preparation for the banquet. He strode towards his wife.
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
The duchess bowed her head with formal politeness.
“Did you know about it? About Meldenik.”
Duke Babeloa suddenly started to raise his voice.
“Oh, yes. Are they running a business in front of the academy?”
Duchess Babeloa answered quietly, unfazed.
“No, knowing that, why didn’t you tell me?”
“You didn’t like it, did you? Since you were the one who drove him out. I didn’t say anything because I was afraid it would upset you.”
She had a somewhat inscrutable smile on her lips.
“…Although it’s true that I drove him out and decided on his expulsion.”
Duke Babeloa wiped the sweat from his brow and replied.
“I feel…… Hmm.”
“…….”
“Anyway, I think I’ll go see him once more. Of course, he’ll welcome me with open arms. He always sought my approval.”
With those words, Duke Babeloa turned around.
“…The disownment trial is not far off, so it’s time to consider bringing him back into the family, at least to some extent.”
Duchess Babeloa looked at his back with a menacing glare.
It was clear that the indecisive man was reminiscing about his childhood memories with Meldenik.
‘You should understand your place.’
To dismiss coldly and then to inquire about well-being?
It’s laughable.
Hildegard was no stranger to using people as tools, but the Duke of Babeloa seemed to have no shame in doing so.
She swept her bright red hair back and bit her lip. It had been a long time.
For the first time in a long while, it seemed as though Meldenik might pose a threat to Sheria’s position. Although, she was still far from being a real threat.
‘I must prevent the Duke of Babeloa from finding him by any means necessary.’
She viciously snapped the stems of the flowers she had prepared for the garden party between her teeth.
Recently, Hildegard had hired the Red Priest Pirate Gang, which claimed dominion over the area, to deal with Meldenik.
However, Meldenik had dealt with them impressively, making a name for herself in the process.
Of course, the fact that Meldenik had opened a stationery store had not yet spread widely, and only a brief mention of his dealing with the Red Priest Pirate Gang had appeared in a local newspaper on the frontier. But still…
‘Did he use a magic artifact? The spies say the sorcerer with him is of little skill and always struggling. Was it just luck?’
Hildegard bit her lip anxiously while hiding her face with a fan.
‘I must deal with this before our daughter returns.’
After standing there for who knows how long, the steward carefully tried to lighten the mood.
“Uh, Madam.”
It seemed that all the young ladies and wives had gathered in the meantime.
Hildegard softened her tense expression and took her seat.
“Ah, everyone is here. Please, take a seat. Steward.”
“Yes, right away, Madam.”
At the steward’s signal, several maids brought over a trolley with tea to accompany the gathering.
Sweet tarts topped with elderflower syrup and shortcake filled with seasonal fruits, hot salmon pies, and warm black tea with a rose scent were served.
After a few moments of serene atmosphere had passed, she lifted her teacup to her lips and chuckled softly.
“I have invited the ladies and madams here today because of a new venture our family will be starting.”
“Oh my!”
“Our family will soon collaborate with the Hesman Ducal family to start a business for the children who are about to debut in society.”
Hildegard opened her mouth towards the people with a light laugh.
“I’m so excited!”
She was known as the duchess with the golden touch. It was no wonder the young ladies gasped at the news of her starting a new business.
“We will be launching soon, so everyone, please look forward to it. Ah-”
Hildegard intentionally paused.
“-By the way, my daughter Meldenik has also started a new business in front of the academy.”
“My goodness, don’t tell me she’s also…”
“I feel proud of her for continuously overcoming failures and running a business.”
She meant to say it was quite foolish to keep failing.
Hiding her true thoughts, the Duchess of Babeloa wore her beautiful smile known as the angel of high society.
“So, when Sheria returns, I’m thinking of having her work together with Mel. It would be too much for Meldenik alone…”
As she spoke kindly and gently, the wives of the high nobility surrounding the duchess murmured incessantly.
“The duchess is truly kind. But still, for Lady Meldenik, it’s a bit…”
“…Indeed.”
Covering their mouths with butterfly fans, they looked at each other. There had been far too many escapades and ruined ventures by Meldenik so far.
In other words, Meldenik was nothing more than the laughingstock of society, nothing more, nothing less. And that was still the case today.
“Really, you would think he’d come to his senses eventually.”
Hildegard giggled softly.
This year, Meldenik had been lucky. He managed to start a business akin to a hole-in-the-wall, and even lucked out dealing with the Red Priest pirate group.
‘But……’
The tiny shop he had set up in front of the academy was doomed to fail.
Because soon, behemoths like Babeloa and Hesman were expected to deploy right in front of the academy.
Hildegard smiled gently. Meldenik Babeloa would lose again this time.
For now, he seemed to be interacting adequately with some kids, but even that was about to end.
‘Enjoy the moment, Meldenik. You’ll soon fall miserably again.’
She maintained a gracefully solemn face, hiding her venomous thoughts.
***
I chuckled softly as I unfolded the note that the postman had handed over to me a while ago.
[There are three weeks left until the tribunal hearing.]
Finally, it’s D-3 weeks. Moreover, no one had come looking for me.
Grinning contentedly, I crumpled up the note. Everything was going according to plan.
“Dominic, there aren’t many customers today, huh?”
Indeed, today, there weren’t many visitors to the stationery shop.
“Do the nobles dislike coming to places where commoners gather, I wonder?”
It seemed the stationery shop had an unexpectedly high barrier to entry. Though the children who came once kept coming back…
‘The problem is… there are too few of those kids.’
“It’ll work out somehow!”
Clasping my fist, I forced myself to think happy thoughts.
Then, a neat knock sounded from outside. Huh. Who could it be?
“Annoyance has arrived.”
Dominic slightly furrowed his brows.
Though he was a magic sword that found everything bothersome, this was the first time he showed such a sensitive reaction.
‘What on earth could it be?’
Shrugging my shoulders, I opened the door of the stationery shop, thinking it must be a child who had come late.
But instead of a child, Prince Cassian was standing before me.
“Lady Meldenik.”
And he handed me a small flyer and asked directly.
“Have you seen this flyer before?”
I blinked as I looked at the flyer he had handed me.
[Babeloa and Hesman’s new general store is put to the test.
Duchess Hildegard has broken ground in front of the academy for a large department store she planned.
The place is soon to be decorated as a special shop targeting noble children.
It holds extra significance as it launches products produced in collaboration by Babeloa and Hesman for the first time.
For the time being, until Lady Sheria returns, it is known that Duchess Hildegard will properly lead.]
“Oh, a large department store?”
Was this the type of business that Hildegard and Duke Hesman were running in the original work?
Moreover, a business targeting noble children.
In this case, it seems it would be difficult to avoid them. A head-on clash would become a kind of inevitability.
“……Thank you.”
Having grabbed the flyer from his hand, I immediately headed to the address listed on it. It was to check the situation in detail.
