“Are you still not willing to sell me the secret recipe for incense?”
“Only 200 gold? Incense is worth more than that.”
Although she now gives all her earnings to Smith, the incense business will continue to be Judith's livelihood even after her debts are paid off.
But it's only 200 gold, so there's no need to show off your thief skills.
“Well, how about this? For every candle sold, I’ll give you ten coppers. Miss Harrington earns ten coppers without doing anything.”
“Even if you offered me half, I would refuse, so you are saying such outrageous things.”
“I do that because I feel really sorry.”
The owner sighed as if he was sincere.
“Surely someone will make scented candles. Before that happens, we need to dominate the market, but Miss Harrington is not capable of doing that. You seem to be somehow finding people to make them, but the current volume seems to be the best you can make.”
The merchant being the merchant he was, the chief was secretly well aware of Judith's business.
“Since there is no merchant to sell goods outside the capital, we cannot advance outside the capital.”
“So?”
“The potential for the incense business is great. It can be exported to the entire empire, and even to other countries. It would sell like hotcakes. But Miss Harrington can’t do that.”
His analysis was correct, but he overlooked one important fact.
“For now, I’ll just make as much as I can. And whether I export it or not, I don’t know what the Lord has to say.”
Judith also plans to expand her business someday.
Although she was still lacking in many ways, Judith had acquaintances in the Kingdom of Penco.
“If you don’t want to sell your incense recipe, come work for me. I’ll pay you the best in the business.”
“Because I’m the type of person who can’t work under someone else.”
“Oh, it’s a shame for a businessman like me to see this potentially bigger business blocked by Miss Harrington’s short-sighted thinking.”
“What does it matter to others whether they are nearsighted or farsighted? They won’t even give me glasses. Erne, let’s go.”
Huh, Judith snorted and passed him by, tapping his shoulder with her own.
It was most likely a deliberate act, as there was ample space to dodge.
How much would it hurt if someone bumped your shoulder a little? It would just make you feel a little uncomfortable.
“Ugh.”
"Uh?"
But the moment their shoulders collided, the chief staggered helplessly and fell to the ground, holding onto the hem of Judith's skirt.
What kind of joke is this? Judith, who was trying to shake it off, was startled by his reddened face which was gasping for breath and clutching his heart.
“Why, why are you like this, come to your senses. Excuse me, is this the group? Help me, ah!”
He tightened his grip on Judith's skirt. He held on so tightly that her body swayed.
“You, come here and do something.”
Erne hurriedly hugged Judith's waist with one arm. Then, trying to pull the Chief hand away from Judith's skirt, he shouted at the Ouz group.
“Wait, just a moment.”
A figure who appeared to be a secretary approached the owner and roughly ripped off his jacket.
“Damn, what kind of power is this?”
Erne succeeded in shaking off the owner's hand but was pushed back by the recoil. The chief was emitting a force that was not proportional to his body size, to the point that Erne was taken aback.
With his pupils wide open and his face red as if it were going to burst, the man let out a groan, so loud that it wouldn't have been strange if he had lost his breath at any moment.
“My Lord, please eat this.”
The secretary took out a vial as thin as a finger from inside the jacket of the chief and poured it into the chief's mouth. As the medicine was swallowed, the chief's groaning fits subsided.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, it’s okay.”
Erne and Judith, who had retreated to the other side, could not take their eyes off the upper lord. What on earth is this? Their hearts were pounding in surprise.
“...?”
At that moment, a spare vial of potion fell from the half-peeled upper garment and rolled across the dirt floor.
Judith picked up a vial of medicine near her and tried to give it to the merchant.
Even though we don't have a very good relationship, can't you at least give him some medicine? However, when Judith approached, he glared at her and quickly turned his head away.
“Sir, are you okay?”
“...Yes, let’s go.”
He answered with a hoarse voice and got into the carriage right away. He didn’t forget to glare at Judith again before getting in.
“What the heck, this is ridiculous.”
Judith was furious. He must have a chronic illness, considering he's carrying around medicine. Why are you glaring at me?
“He’s a funny guy, really.”
“This is the type of person who would be a headache if they got involved.”
Erne clicked his tongue as he watched the carriage moving away.
“That old man must have put a curse on me.”
Judith couldn't investigate because there was no evidence, but he had a strong feeling that it might be so.
He has a bad feeling that he will continue to swindle her until she sells the secret recipe for incense.
And as always, the ominous feeling never went away.
A few days later.
“Your Grace, I feel wronged.”
“I know, Miss Harrington. I know.”
Cain lowered his eyebrows in embarrassment and kept tapping the desk with his fingertips.
“There’s no way Miss Harrington could have beaten Ouz’s boss to the point where he fell to the ground. If he had been beaten, it would have been Erne. But, ha, the complaint was filed, and there were many witnesses, so I couldn’t ignore it.”
Judith was so shocked that she couldn't even curse. That day, as usual, she was working at the incense shop when suddenly someone from the police came out.
He was a man who had been under the direct command of the Marquis of Mosley and whom she had met several times. He handed Judith a piece of paper with a very embarrassed look on his face.
“What is this?”
“This is an arrest warrant.”
“Huh? An arrest warrant? Who are you here to arrest?”
“This is Ms. Judith Harrington. You have been reported for assault at the Ouz Tower.”
Thinking back, it was absurd. Who would have thought that in life, she would be sued for assault? Although she was shocked, Judith went to the police station anyway.
Erne also came, but he was not a party to the accusation and could not be with Judith. Instead, he was a witness, giving testimony about the incident in another room.
Fortunately, however, the Marquis of Mosley took charge of Judith's investigation, so Judith was able to undergo the investigation without any coercive atmosphere.
“Ouz’s top shareholder hired a lawyer, gathered all the evidence, and then reported it.”
“That old man is really funny. I didn’t commit any assault, so where’s the evidence?”
Judith felt frustrated and beat her chest. If she had really hit him, it wouldn't have been so unfair.
She just tapped him on the shoulder and he fell down on his own.
“Only 200 gold? Incense is worth more than that.”
Although she now gives all her earnings to Smith, the incense business will continue to be Judith's livelihood even after her debts are paid off.
But it's only 200 gold, so there's no need to show off your thief skills.
“Well, how about this? For every candle sold, I’ll give you ten coppers. Miss Harrington earns ten coppers without doing anything.”
“Even if you offered me half, I would refuse, so you are saying such outrageous things.”
“I do that because I feel really sorry.”
The owner sighed as if he was sincere.
“Surely someone will make scented candles. Before that happens, we need to dominate the market, but Miss Harrington is not capable of doing that. You seem to be somehow finding people to make them, but the current volume seems to be the best you can make.”
The merchant being the merchant he was, the chief was secretly well aware of Judith's business.
“Since there is no merchant to sell goods outside the capital, we cannot advance outside the capital.”
“So?”
“The potential for the incense business is great. It can be exported to the entire empire, and even to other countries. It would sell like hotcakes. But Miss Harrington can’t do that.”
His analysis was correct, but he overlooked one important fact.
“For now, I’ll just make as much as I can. And whether I export it or not, I don’t know what the Lord has to say.”
Judith also plans to expand her business someday.
Although she was still lacking in many ways, Judith had acquaintances in the Kingdom of Penco.
“If you don’t want to sell your incense recipe, come work for me. I’ll pay you the best in the business.”
“Because I’m the type of person who can’t work under someone else.”
“Oh, it’s a shame for a businessman like me to see this potentially bigger business blocked by Miss Harrington’s short-sighted thinking.”
“What does it matter to others whether they are nearsighted or farsighted? They won’t even give me glasses. Erne, let’s go.”
Huh, Judith snorted and passed him by, tapping his shoulder with her own.
It was most likely a deliberate act, as there was ample space to dodge.
How much would it hurt if someone bumped your shoulder a little? It would just make you feel a little uncomfortable.
“Ugh.”
"Uh?"
But the moment their shoulders collided, the chief staggered helplessly and fell to the ground, holding onto the hem of Judith's skirt.
What kind of joke is this? Judith, who was trying to shake it off, was startled by his reddened face which was gasping for breath and clutching his heart.
“Why, why are you like this, come to your senses. Excuse me, is this the group? Help me, ah!”
He tightened his grip on Judith's skirt. He held on so tightly that her body swayed.
“You, come here and do something.”
Erne hurriedly hugged Judith's waist with one arm. Then, trying to pull the Chief hand away from Judith's skirt, he shouted at the Ouz group.
“Wait, just a moment.”
A figure who appeared to be a secretary approached the owner and roughly ripped off his jacket.
“Damn, what kind of power is this?”
Erne succeeded in shaking off the owner's hand but was pushed back by the recoil. The chief was emitting a force that was not proportional to his body size, to the point that Erne was taken aback.
With his pupils wide open and his face red as if it were going to burst, the man let out a groan, so loud that it wouldn't have been strange if he had lost his breath at any moment.
“My Lord, please eat this.”
The secretary took out a vial as thin as a finger from inside the jacket of the chief and poured it into the chief's mouth. As the medicine was swallowed, the chief's groaning fits subsided.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, it’s okay.”
Erne and Judith, who had retreated to the other side, could not take their eyes off the upper lord. What on earth is this? Their hearts were pounding in surprise.
“...?”
At that moment, a spare vial of potion fell from the half-peeled upper garment and rolled across the dirt floor.
Judith picked up a vial of medicine near her and tried to give it to the merchant.
Even though we don't have a very good relationship, can't you at least give him some medicine? However, when Judith approached, he glared at her and quickly turned his head away.
“Sir, are you okay?”
“...Yes, let’s go.”
He answered with a hoarse voice and got into the carriage right away. He didn’t forget to glare at Judith again before getting in.
“What the heck, this is ridiculous.”
Judith was furious. He must have a chronic illness, considering he's carrying around medicine. Why are you glaring at me?
“He’s a funny guy, really.”
“This is the type of person who would be a headache if they got involved.”
Erne clicked his tongue as he watched the carriage moving away.
“That old man must have put a curse on me.”
Judith couldn't investigate because there was no evidence, but he had a strong feeling that it might be so.
He has a bad feeling that he will continue to swindle her until she sells the secret recipe for incense.
And as always, the ominous feeling never went away.
***
A few days later.
“Your Grace, I feel wronged.”
“I know, Miss Harrington. I know.”
Cain lowered his eyebrows in embarrassment and kept tapping the desk with his fingertips.
“There’s no way Miss Harrington could have beaten Ouz’s boss to the point where he fell to the ground. If he had been beaten, it would have been Erne. But, ha, the complaint was filed, and there were many witnesses, so I couldn’t ignore it.”
Judith was so shocked that she couldn't even curse. That day, as usual, she was working at the incense shop when suddenly someone from the police came out.
He was a man who had been under the direct command of the Marquis of Mosley and whom she had met several times. He handed Judith a piece of paper with a very embarrassed look on his face.
“What is this?”
“This is an arrest warrant.”
“Huh? An arrest warrant? Who are you here to arrest?”
“This is Ms. Judith Harrington. You have been reported for assault at the Ouz Tower.”
Thinking back, it was absurd. Who would have thought that in life, she would be sued for assault? Although she was shocked, Judith went to the police station anyway.
Erne also came, but he was not a party to the accusation and could not be with Judith. Instead, he was a witness, giving testimony about the incident in another room.
Fortunately, however, the Marquis of Mosley took charge of Judith's investigation, so Judith was able to undergo the investigation without any coercive atmosphere.
“Ouz’s top shareholder hired a lawyer, gathered all the evidence, and then reported it.”
“That old man is really funny. I didn’t commit any assault, so where’s the evidence?”
Judith felt frustrated and beat her chest. If she had really hit him, it wouldn't have been so unfair.
She just tapped him on the shoulder and he fell down on his own.
Are you reporting me?
“The moment Ms. Harrington was hit, the chief staggered, and then Ms. Harrington kicked it, knocking it over,” he said.
“No! The owner stumbled and fell over on his own.”
“Quite a few people saw that scene.”
“That’s ridiculous. I’ve never kicked him, so how could anyone see it?”
As Judith tried to stand up, venting her anger, Cain quickly put cold water in her hand.
“After reviewing the testimonies, it appears that they are consistent in the fact that after Ms. Harrington and the chief argued, you struck the chief with her shoulder, causing him to fall. Is that correct?”
Judith nodded weakly.
“But it seemed like the owner had a chronic illness.”
“Yes, I pointed that out too...”
“But?”
“They claimed that it was attempted murder because you assaulted a sick person. You should be severely punished.”
Judith was really, really dumbfounded. Judith sat up with a start, her nose blocked.
“Your Grace, please let me go out for a moment.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to show Ouz what attempted murder really is.”
As Judith was about to run out, the Marquis urgently stopped her.
“I would very much like to send you out, but the current situation is, uh, not very good, Miss Harrington.”
When Cain first heard of the report, he planned to conduct a cursory investigation and then send Judith away.
Let's have a cup of tea and hear what happened, and then deal with it without charges.
However.
“The owner of Ouz has quite a good network.”
The upper house mobilized its aristocratic connections.
“Marquis Howard was watching over the Ouz lords. He strongly requested a fair and objective investigation. This is a threat that he knows about my relationship with Miss Harrington.”
Not all Marquises are the same. The Marquis of Howard, who had held the title of marquess for generations, and the Marquis of Moseley, who had just become a Marquis, had many differences, from connections to assets and other things.
“First of all, he and I have a very bad relationship.”
And the biggest problem was that the powerful men and the Marquis of Mosley were enemies.
“So Miss Harrington...”
Cain hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth.
“I think you’ll have to stay here for a few days.”
“If it’s here...?”
“Yes, inside the iron bars over there.”
Damn it! I'm going to prison again?
Although it was unfair, there was nothing she could do right away, so Judith followed Cain's guidance and went into the iron cage.
“I’ll give you a nice blanket. And some food.”
Excuse me, so it really feels like you're locked me in a cell, Marquis?
While Judith was crouching inside the iron bars, Erne, who had finished giving his testimony, came to visit her.
He looked at her locked in the iron bars with complicated eyes.
“Now they’re even making me do the honors.”
“The moment Ms. Harrington was hit, the chief staggered, and then Ms. Harrington kicked it, knocking it over,” he said.
“No! The owner stumbled and fell over on his own.”
“Quite a few people saw that scene.”
“That’s ridiculous. I’ve never kicked him, so how could anyone see it?”
As Judith tried to stand up, venting her anger, Cain quickly put cold water in her hand.
“After reviewing the testimonies, it appears that they are consistent in the fact that after Ms. Harrington and the chief argued, you struck the chief with her shoulder, causing him to fall. Is that correct?”
Judith nodded weakly.
“But it seemed like the owner had a chronic illness.”
“Yes, I pointed that out too...”
“But?”
“They claimed that it was attempted murder because you assaulted a sick person. You should be severely punished.”
Judith was really, really dumbfounded. Judith sat up with a start, her nose blocked.
“Your Grace, please let me go out for a moment.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to show Ouz what attempted murder really is.”
As Judith was about to run out, the Marquis urgently stopped her.
“I would very much like to send you out, but the current situation is, uh, not very good, Miss Harrington.”
When Cain first heard of the report, he planned to conduct a cursory investigation and then send Judith away.
Let's have a cup of tea and hear what happened, and then deal with it without charges.
However.
“The owner of Ouz has quite a good network.”
The upper house mobilized its aristocratic connections.
“Marquis Howard was watching over the Ouz lords. He strongly requested a fair and objective investigation. This is a threat that he knows about my relationship with Miss Harrington.”
Not all Marquises are the same. The Marquis of Howard, who had held the title of marquess for generations, and the Marquis of Moseley, who had just become a Marquis, had many differences, from connections to assets and other things.
“First of all, he and I have a very bad relationship.”
And the biggest problem was that the powerful men and the Marquis of Mosley were enemies.
“So Miss Harrington...”
Cain hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth.
“I think you’ll have to stay here for a few days.”
“If it’s here...?”
“Yes, inside the iron bars over there.”
Damn it! I'm going to prison again?
Although it was unfair, there was nothing she could do right away, so Judith followed Cain's guidance and went into the iron cage.
“I’ll give you a nice blanket. And some food.”
Excuse me, so it really feels like you're locked me in a cell, Marquis?
While Judith was crouching inside the iron bars, Erne, who had finished giving his testimony, came to visit her.
He looked at her locked in the iron bars with complicated eyes.
“Now they’re even making me do the honors.”
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