“You asked me to think about it, so I did… What do you think?”
I had shared all of my ideas, yet Sasha remained silent. Naturally, I found myself gauging his and Armin’s reactions.
After a brief pause, Sasha silently began organizing the stack of documents he had placed on the table.
“Why?”
“I don’t think my ideas will be useful. Just in case, I came up with a few things myself, but yours are much better.”
Sasha’s compliment was simple, but it carried great weight.
I had always thought this life was just about being born with a silver spoon and living in luxury. I believed that alone would be enough. But perhaps I was wrong.
‘So this is why people want to be recognized by others.’
Receiving acknowledgment from none other than Sasha made my face grow warm. Seeing me like that, Armin also nodded in agreement.
“Sasha is right. The idea that a newspaper could have such an impact is truly refreshing. I’ve never considered it before.”
“Well, as nobles, we’ve never had to put ourselves in the shoes of commoners. This just proves how remarkable our Vivi is.”
A small, proud smile appeared at the corners of Sasha’s lips. It felt strange but also nice to see such a warm expression from him.
“Moreover, this could lead to an exclusivity effect for the newspaper. We’ve gained another bargaining chip in negotiations.”
For the newspaper to serve as a messenger, many people would need to rely on it. Once this service began, its influence in the industry would undoubtedly grow.
Unable to contain my excitement, I quickly turned my head away. It had been a while since I felt this productive, and the feeling was refreshing. I was a bit embarrassed, yet grateful to Sasha and Armin for saying my ideas were valuable.
Sasha stood up, gathering his neatly stacked documents.
“The work the Duke assigned me still isn’t finished, so I’ll be heading back. I’ll leave the negotiations with the newspapers to you two.”
Sasha already had more work than he could handle, managing the tasks given to him by the Duke. He was giving his all, taking full advantage of the opportunity before him. I didn’t want to burden him any further, so I quickly nodded.
Now, only Armin and I remained in the room. With a gentle smile, he asked me,
“Well then, where do you want to go first?”
I answered as I had originally planned.
“Let’s start with the Harold Newspaper.”
At my words, Armin’s smile deepened.
“As you wish, my lady.”
* * *
The Harold Newspaper was a large operation. It seemed to have amassed quite a fortune through its newspaper business, as it was located in the heart of the capital, where land prices were notoriously high. Given that it controlled more than half of the newspapers circulated in the capital, this was hardly surprising. Strictly speaking, it was a monopoly.
Seeing the grand exterior of the newspaper office almost made me feel intimidated, but I quickly pulled myself together.
Despite its size, the quality of Harold Newspaper’s articles wasn’t particularly high. Nobles, who could actually read, had little to no expectations from newspapers, as truly important information was exchanged through private correspondences between families.
The vast majority of newspaper consumers were commoners, most of whom were illiterate. This meant that the quality and credibility of the articles didn’t matter much.
The Harold Newspaper also ran a lumber business on the side, allowing them to produce newspapers at a lower cost than competitors. This pricing advantage was the key to their monopoly.
Sasha and Armin had warned me that persuading the Harold Newspaper wouldn’t be easy, but I remained optimistic as I pushed open the door to the office.
However, that optimism shattered the moment I took my first step inside.
“Ah… W-Welcome, Lord Armin Grey. And…”
Recognizing Armin immediately, the staff quickly called for the owner of the Harold Newspaper. Armin’s presence was unmistakable, but as for me—an obscure noble lady who rarely ventured outside—I wasn’t within their realm of recognition. Bernard Harold, the owner, wiped the sweat from his brow repeatedly as he looked at me.
I greeted him with a warm smile.
“I am Vivian of the Roha family.”
“Ah… Yes, Lady Roha. Please, this way.”
The owner personally led us to his office.
The Harold family had been granted the title of baronet after their predecessor, a knight, achieved military honors. Bernard Harold, caught off guard by our unannounced visit, was struggling to conceal his unease. I could practically hear the gears turning in his head as he wondered if we had come to expose some wrongdoing of his.
“So, what brings you here…?” he asked cautiously.
It was Armin who answered.
“We’re here to propose a new business venture.”
“Does the Grey Dukedom want to do business with our newspaper?”
Bernard’s expression immediately brightened. However, Armin was quick to correct his mistake.
“Not me. The proposal comes from Lady Roha.”
“That’s right. It’s an idea I came up with,” I said cheerfully, encouraged by Bernard’s delighted reaction, thinking we had a good chance.
But the moment I finished speaking, Bernard Harold burst into laughter as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke of his life. Gone was the flustered man from before—now he was laughing uncontrollably, like a man who had just heard sheer nonsense.
Armin frowned at his reaction. Only when he noticed Armin’s expression hardening did Bernard flinch, realizing his mistake. Yet, he still struggled to suppress his laughter.
“Baronet Harold.”
“Hmph… Yes, Lord Grey?”
“There was nothing amusing about what the lady said.”
“Khmm… Ah, yes, my apologies.”
Though he continued to dab his sweaty forehead with a handkerchief, his gestures had become much more relaxed than before.
His gaze was blatant, leaving no room for misinterpretation. Even without words, I knew exactly what he was thinking.
The very idea of a woman running a business was laughable to him. He just didn’t say it out loud because my status was higher than his.
My mood sank instantly. The duchess, Armin, and Sasha had all told me that my idea was brilliant and impressive. I had foolishly assumed that others would think the same. But that was just my own delusion. I had momentarily forgotten that in this world, there was hardly anything a woman was allowed to do.
“Well then, might I hear about this… Khm! Cough, this business venture of yours, my lady?”
Bernard Harold now spoke as if he were an uncle humoring a young niece—his tone was patronizing, making it clear that he wasn’t taking me seriously. He was only pretending to be polite, trying to avoid offending me or Armin.
Seeing his transparent attempt to placate us, I felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over my head. If I were Sasha, would he have treated me like this?
I didn’t bother answering. Instead, I stood up.
“No. I don’t believe I have anything worth telling you.”
At my words, Armin also rose from his seat without a word. Bernard Harold, flustered, reached out in a hasty attempt to stop me, but I turned my back on him and walked out of the office without so much as a farewell.
For a brief moment, my eyes stung with tears of frustration, but thankfully, they didn’t fall.
“My lady! My lady! This is a misunderstanding! Did I do something wrong—?”
“Baronet.”
A chilling voice rang out from behind me.
“…Hrk! Y-Yes, Lord Armin?”
“You’re going to regret today very much. And it won’t take long for that to happen.”
Armin had stayed behind to speak with Harold, but I climbed into the carriage without waiting for him. Through the window, I could see Harold’s expression shifting rapidly, but I had no interest in whatever conversation they were having. My mood was too sour for that. I simply sat in the carriage, staring at the empty seat across from me.
A short while later, Armin joined me inside. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t even ask where I wanted to go next. He just sat there quietly, waiting for me.
“…Was my idea really that foolish?”
I already knew the answer, but the words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them.
“No.”
His response was immediate.
“…Be honest with me. Aside from the duchess, you were the first person to hear my idea.”
“I’m always on your side, so that question is meaningless.”
Armin gently tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear and spoke softly.
“But if your idea was foolish, Sasha would’ve said so immediately. The only fool here is that idiotic baronet. So cheer up.”
His reassurance was exactly what I expected, yet it still comforted me. I nodded.
“Just wait and see. I’ll make him regret this.”
At my words, Armin gave a quiet smile.
“I plan to do the same. Vivian, shall we head back for today?”
“No. Since we’re already out, let’s visit another place.”
Aside from the Harold Newspaper, there were two more options left.
“Let’s go to the Poster Newspaper.”
From those two choices, I had made my next decision.
* * *
The Poster Newspaper was located on the outskirts, quite a distance from the capital’s center, unlike the centrally positioned Harold Newspaper.
After passing through the bustling city, the scenery gradually changed to a peaceful countryside road. That was where the Poster Newspaper stood.
“We’ve arrived.”
At the coachman’s words, I stepped down from the carriage and found myself in a place quite different from the city. Instead of neatly paved stone roads, there was packed dirt beneath my feet. The atmosphere was unmistakably rural, and somehow, the frustration that had been weighing on me began to ease.
The building was so unremarkable that without the signboard, we might have passed right by it without realizing it was a newspaper office.
As I pushed the door open, a small bell above the entrance jingled.
Unlike the grand and imposing Harold Newspaper, this place was a cozy space where I could see from one end of the building to the other in a single glance—though my view was partially obstructed by stacks of papers piled high in various spots.
Soon, I sensed movement from inside. Someone was approaching the door to greet us.
A middle-aged man with an imposing build emerged.
