Surprisingly, the first merchant to visit the Princess was Andrassy, the last one who came to see her. He returned ten days after taking the medicine.
“I didn’t expect you to come so early. You haven’t even tried it for ten days.”
“If a medicine shows this level of effect in just ten days, I would have sold it claiming to turn a black horse into a white one. Madam”
He spoke so passionately about the benefits of holding hands with him that it was almost embarrassing to hear.
Andrassy offered conditions that anyone would find appealing..
“Consider it positively. Go back, Andrassy.”
Agnes listened to his story without making any decisions, merely nodding along.
Contrary to her indifferent attitude, Niall, who was listening nearby, became anxious and even suggested that it might be better to make a deal with him.
“Niall”
“Yes, madam.”
“Have you ever run a business?”
“No.”
“Me neither. Is there a merchant among the duke’s servants?”
“…none.”
“How can we tell if those conditions are good or not?”
Niall belatedly opened his mouth wide then closed it silently.
“Let’s wait and see. Let them bring us the best conditions they can offer.”
Agnes smiled mischievously.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Some time later, she summoned Andrassy and other merchants to the castle at once.
“I gathered you together to choose who will be my business partner.”
The five men looked at each other with a wary look.
“As you know, making money by selling this medicine is swimming on the ground. If it weren’t for the prestige of the duke, we would have distributed it ourselves.”
Agnes deliberately clicked her tongue loudly. She didn’t forget to look arrogant.
“After much consideration, I will sign a contract with the person who brought the most satisfactory conditions among the five here.”
A stout man raised his head and asked,
“Here?”
“Yes. Why don’t you start by stating the conditions you have brought?”
Sweating profusely, he listed the conditions he had been contemplating.
“Only a thirty percent share of the sales price?”
Agnes snorted.
“What kind of nonsensical terms did you come up with? Well, it seems better for the Duke to distribute it directly.”
As she stood up, someone quickly raised their hand.
“Madam. In Emintra, we are willing to go up to forty percent.”
“Just a moment! Lexion can offer more than that.”
The reception room quickly turned chaotic, and in the end, Andrassy emerged as the victor.
“Sixty percent?”
“Yes madam.”
Andrassy spoke with wide-eyed determination.
Agnes sent all the remaining merchants who were hesitating to leave.
“Go and get the contract.”
As soon as the princess finished signing, Andrassy swiftly took the contract from the table.
“What should I name it?”
He asked with a pen in his hand.
“The name of the medicine?”
Agnes pondered for a while and smiled.
“Let’s name it Elemer.”
Elemer is the goddess of beauty in the legend. Andrassy wrote its name on one side of the contract.
“I will not disappoint you, madam. I’ll send someone to explain the future schedule soon.”
As soon as he finished talking, Andrassy went out the door.
Agnes left the room holding the contract he had given her in her arms. Unfolding a happy world of imagination
‘What should I do first when the money comes in? Yes. First, buy new clothes for that man. He has to change that worn-out cape. And what else should I do? Ah, sword. I should get a new sword too.’
Just then, several vassals were walking towards her from the opposite corridor.
Most of them pretended not to notice the Mistress of the castle and simply passed by without greeting.
This was not an uncommon occurrence, so Agnes ignored them and tried to walk past.
“I heard you’ve been meeting merchants frequently lately.”
At that moment, a man with gray hair suddenly stood in front of her.
“Who are you to block my path?”
“I’m Joseph Inga. Duchess.”
He introduced himself by greeting her half-heartedly.
“Oh, yes. Inga. Do you have anything to say to me?”
“As the Mistress of the Duchy of Arpad, you have reputation and dignity to maintain. Why do you meet with lowly merchants so often?”
Agnes’s lips tightened.
Not only was it infuriating to hear such rude remarks in a corridor where anyone could hear, but what angered her more was the onlookers silently watching.
“Do you know what I’m doing with them?”
“I do. You’re planning to sell the potion brought by some pompous herbalist.”
Joseph openly mocked her.
“You still don’t understand the situation and are too naive. You shouldn’t start such a business recklessly.”
“You seem to be the one who doesn’t understand. What I’m selling is highly sought after by noblewomen…”
Agnes snapped at his words.
“Noblewomen? What do people who sit and drink tea in a room know?”
His blatant mockery left Agnes speechless.
It wasn’t that she had nothing to say, but she feared she might lose her temper if she spoke further.
“…I understand your opinion.”
“The master is so generous that he probably didn’t say anything else, but please be careful.”
She didn’t respond. The vassals who had gathered dispersed once again.
Joseph also disappeared among the crowd.
“Madam, what’s wrong?”
Ney, who came late, asked Agnes while looking at her expression.
“I won’t leave them alone.”
“Yes?”
“I will make them kneel in front of me crying and begging.”
Her eyes were burning brightly. The hidden ambition was shining like the sun.
“Sigh.”
Ney, who knows the character of the princess, shook his head.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
The day after Andrassy left, a person came from the merchant group.
He knocked on the castle gate with a fairly large box of gold coins in hand.
“What is all this? Is it the payment for selling the medicine?”
“Andrassy said it was a down payment.”
It was clear that they would not let go of the contract.
Agnes received the box of gold coins and gave it to Niall. As expected, his lips were twitching with joy.
“First, call the most famous tailor in the vicinity.”
Without saying anything, Niall brought in a tailor.
Agnes showed the tailor the gold coins, holding a lot of fabric, and said,
“Make a men’s cloak worthy of the duke’s prestige.”
“I will make a garment that shines with glory as soon as he puts it on.”
The tailor accepted the gold coins and left confidently.
Before the splendid cloak could be completed as promised by the tailor, a second carriage arrived from the merchant group..
The carriage was filled with gold coins, and several attendants were busy unloading them.
“Could it have been misdelivered?”
Laslo, who saw it, said some innocent remark.
Agnes firmly grabbed his hand.
“Duke.”
“Yes?”
“I’ll make you happy.”
She kept her word. Summoning the tailors, Agnes had everything Laslo wore – shirts, vests, coats, shoes, even the saddle – replaced with the finest materials.
She even had them embroidered with golden silk.
“Princess, this is too much.”
He waved his hands showing reluctance.
“Too much? Compared to what is worn in the palace, this is still far from extravagant.”
In fact, this is not satisfactory either.
What was considered luxurious in the palace was simply the best that money could buy after a long search.
“Is that so?”
He stared at Agnes, blinking his eyes.
“Yes. How about the newly tailored shirt?”
“It’s excellent. The fabric is very soft. Look, it doesn’t even scratch my skin.”
Laslo’s face showed a hint of satisfaction.
Having always worn stiff cotton, he found it fascinating that his skin didn’t turn red from scratching.
It was a bit touching to see.
“Duke. Don’t be satisfied with this. I’ll give you something better than this.”
“Is there anything better than this?”
Laslo’s eyes widened. Agnes chuckled in response.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
After summer, autumn has come. After the harvest, a festival was held in the temple to pray for a bountiful year ahead.
“You’re always consistent.”
“Madam.”
Agnes found it intriguing that Adrienne, always sitting in her room writing something with the scent of grass, maintained the same posture whenever she entered.
“There’s a festival in the temple. Don’t you want to go out?”
“I’m comfortable here. Oh, should I bring some tea?”
“Sure. So, what have you been researching lately?”
“It’s nothing special, just experimenting by adding various other herbs to the fever reducer commonly used in the market.”
When asked about her research, Adrienne’s face lit up instantly. She explained in detail even without being asked.
After listening attentively for a few minutes, Agnes raised her hand.
“Well, well. You’re doing a great job. But what do you plan to do with the money you earned?”
“Uh, well…”
As the money coming to Agnes increased, naturally Adrienne’s share also grew gradually.
At first, she could just stack it on one side of her room, but as the amount increased, it would be difficult.
“How long do you plan to keep hoarding gold coins in Estar’s basement? Go outside and spend some money. Buy jewelry or fabrics lavishly. Ney is shedding tears watching you.”
“I don’t really have anything I want to buy…”
