Chapter 58
“By the way, I’m guessing this isn’t even everyone, and yet, there are already a lot of people here. Not to mention, each one of them is either a representative or a big player in a famous merchant guild, a businessman, or a noble. These are the kind of people who wouldn’t even flinch anywhere else. It really shows how powerful Bozbourne is.”
“They say Bozbourne is above the imperial family, so that says it all. But, why did you think I’d come here?”
“Wouldn’t Miss Sierra know the answer to that better than me?”
Gettia smirked and tilted her head slightly.
I waved my hand that was resting on my knee and stared quietly at Getia for a moment, then lowered my voice after looking around.
“So, does that mean you’ve already talked with Bozbourne?”
“That wasn’t what I meant. Our guild has been trading with Brilloxen for a hundred years. We’re a guild that values loyalty in business. We’re not foolish enough to risk a hundred years of trust for a moment of sweetness.”
“Then what are you saying?”
When I pressed for an answer, Gettia glanced around and leaned forward, her eyes gleaming.
“As you probably already know, Bozbourne has been approaching people who do business with the Brilloxen family. They tried to recruit me, but I refused. Still, I can’t be certain what others will decide. Thankfully, now that you’re here, others won’t easily jump into talks, but I’m sure some will be swayed.”
As I listened to her, I tapped my fingers rhythmically.
I looked up from watching my fingers slowly drumming on my knee and met Gettia’s eyes.
Gettia was watching me intently like she was waiting for me to react.
Even though she has a fiery temper, I’ve often clashed with Gettia in the past and will probably continue to do so in the future, but she never lets it get personal.
She’s someone who can clearly separate business from personal matters, which I admire.
She also knows full well that her guild makes money only if Brilloxen stays strong.
I stopped tapping my knee and nodded.
“Got it. I’ll keep that in mind. But, I do have a favor to ask.”
“I don’t like the word ‘favor.’ I prefer ‘deal.’”
“Then how about we make a deal? A moment ago, you said you turned down Bozbourne’s offer to talk, right? If possible, go back and talk with them again. See what they bring up, and let me know. If you do that, I’ll consider lowering the fees you’ve been asking for.”
“Are you serious? You’re going to lower the fees just for that?”
“It’s not ‘just for that.’ It’s pretty valuable information. So, what do you say? Are you in?”
I asked in a subtle tone, and Gettia got up as if there was no need to hear more.
“I’ll get on it right away.”
“Good. You can report back to me directly or to Sir Rippert here next to me.”
“Understood. I’ll be back soon.”
I watched her walk away with a grin, then shifted my gaze to the other side.
Eyes were quietly watching us from all around.
Most of them were people connected to Brilloxen.
They had been staring at Gettia and me with serious expressions, but whenever I made eye contact, they’d quickly look away.
“Sir Rippert, when Gettia brings back the information, discreetly reach out to the people on today’s list. Warn anyone who’s thinking of jumping ship from Brilloxen to reconsider. Tell them there won’t be a second chance.”
“Understood.”
I nodded at Rippert’s calm response.
The preparations for the hunting competition were moving along smoothly.
People who had gathered were subtly sizing each other up, chatting with those who might be useful to them. Meanwhile, the knights and minor nobles, who had no interest in that, seemed more focused on the hunt itself, likely hoping to catch Bozbourne’s eye. They were huddled together, looking very serious, like they were holding some kind of war meeting.
As for me, I wasn’t interested in the competition or in socializing, so I was already getting bored.
I just wanted this dull time to pass quickly.
“Lady Brilloxen.”
While I sat quietly, trying to kill time, I heard a voice call my name from behind.
I tilted my head slightly and saw a vaguely familiar face.
Who was it?
I couldn’t recognize her, and as I hesitated for a second, the woman who had called me hurriedly spoke up, looking a bit flustered.
“It’s Belle Cernie. We met before, remember? Or did you forget?”
“Sorry. I’m not great with faces.”
I gave a dismissive reply and stood up, which made her look even more surprised. She clearly wasn’t expecting that, knowing how the social world works—usually, you pretend to remember people even if you don’t and act even more excited if you do.
Belle Cernie.
Unlike the obvious and chatty Richelle, Belle was one of those quiet ladies who stuck close to Bellieta. Her family wasn’t particularly well-known, a minor noble house that had lost its influence in central politics and moved to the countryside.
As I tilted my head, wondering why she called me, she cleared her throat awkwardly and quickly tried to recover.
“Oh, I see. Well, it’d be nice if you remembered next time. I can’t introduce myself every time we meet.”
“I’ll try. Anyway, why did you call me?”
“I was just wondering if you had some time. Maybe we could have tea together? Since you and I aren’t participating in the hunt, I thought it might help pass the time. It gets boring, doesn’t it?”
“I’ll pass, Lady Cernie.”
“What…?”
Before she could finish, I cut her off with a light wave of my hand.
She looked at me, startled again, and I smiled briefly.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’ve got other things to do. I don’t have the luxury of just sitting around for tea.”
“Oh… really? But maybe just for a little while…”
“I’m sure there’ll be another opportunity. Goodbye, Lady Cernie.”
Drawing a clear line, I dismissed her, leaving her standing there, biting her lip and clearly unsure of what to say.
After she left, I sat back down, and Rippert, who had been watching the whole scene, spoke up softly.
“Are you sure about that?”
“It’s fine. Sitting here like this is more productive than joining that chat.”
“I didn’t mean that. I meant your reputation.”
Reputation?
I looked up at Rippert, who gave a short nod.
Reputation, huh?
Did I ever have one to care about in the first place?
I rested my chin in my hand, leaning slightly.
“A greedy merchant hiding behind a noble’s title, someone who uses their friends for personal gain, a woman with no real talents except copying others, an arrogant noble who looks down on people because she’s rich, a disgrace who stole her friend’s fiancé. That reputation?”
“That’s not…”
“Let’s be honest. People have never looked kindly at Brilloxen. And now, with all these rumors going around, things have gotten worse. That’s pretty much my reputation in high society. Do you really think I care about that?”
Back then, I used to care about those rumors and my reputation.
Not anymore.
I used to be confused, and unsure of what to do or what path to take.
Maybe that’s why I made some wrong choices back then.
“What I care about now is the reputation I have with the people who will be doing business with Brilloxen for the next hundred or two hundred years. A reputation for being reliable, trustworthy, and capable. That’s the kind of reputation that actually matters to me.”
“But hearing all those baseless rumors, makes my blood boil. Why don’t you ever clear things up?”
Rippert frowned, something he rarely did, and I found it interesting.
He was usually quiet, rarely expressing his own thoughts.
So this was how Rippert felt.
I looked at him for a moment and then smiled, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms.
Meeting his gaze, I thought for a second before speaking calmly.
“I didn’t know you were so emotional, Rippert. Clearing things up, huh? I do like that idea. But do you know what? There are two things in life that people should never do. Things that surprisingly a lot of people blurt out without much thought. Do you know what they are?”
“Violence? Insults?”
“No. Apologies and excuses.”
I smiled at his confused expression and picked up the drink he had prepared for me.
“When people state their beliefs or opinions, they usually think they’re right. And they’ll stick to them. Now, if they are right, it’s not much of an issue. But when they know they’re wrong, that’s when it becomes a problem. Like with rumors, for example.”
Taking a sip of the drink, the refreshing coolness washed over me, making me smile as I continued.
“If I started making excuses or explanations for every false rumor, would people believe me? Not at all. In fact, they’d just think I’m too sensitive about it and start believing the rumors even more. And if I apologize? Then it doesn’t matter if the rumors are true or not. By apologizing, I’d basically be admitting they were right. So, you should never apologize or make excuses.”
“But you can’t just sit by and watch all these nasty rumors spread.”
“Exactly. That’s why you have to be bold. You have to act cold and tough. People will poke at someone they think won’t fight back. But they won’t mess with someone they think might bite them. So, turning down an invitation to some tea party like that? It’s no big deal.”
