Episode 33. It came from me
Three days had passed since the letter from the Golden Lion Merchant Guild arrived.
During those three days, Martha kept the letter in a drawer and pondered it. She took it out once a day to read it. The content hadn't changed. It was a short letter. They expressed an intention to invest. They requested a meeting. That was all.
However, Martha thought about what lay behind that brief letter. Empress Isadora Kreuz. The House of Kreuz. The Golden Lion Merchant Guild.
What it meant was that the guild had sent a letter-directly to the House of Valois. They were trying to set foot in the House of Valois. That was clear. The funds for the hot spring development were not the objective. The funds were merely a pretext.
If the Golden Lion Merchant Guild established an official business relationship with the House of Valois, they could enter the household through that connection. Information could leak out. They could gain a justification to plant a manager in the estate.
She absolutely had to accept the funds. Yet, Martha thought to herself: she had to meet them. If she didn't know their hand, she couldn't respond. She needed to know what conditions the Golden Lion Merchant Guild was bringing to the House of Valois, how much money they intended to offer, and how they planned to approach them.
On the morning of the third day, Martha visited Claude. People gathered in Claude's study. Claude sat at the seat of honor, with Edward beside him. The Duke of Ashford sat opposite him. Leon sat next to him. Martha sat next to Claude.
Martha placed a letter on the table. The Duke of Ashford picked it up and read it. His expression was blank. After reading it, he handed it to Leon. Leon read it and then placed it back on the table. The Duke of Ashford said.
"You must not meet."
Martha looked at the Duke of Ashford. The Duke of Ashford said.
"Their intentions are obvious. They are trying to set foot in the House of Valois. The meeting itself is advantageous to them."
Claude also spoke.
"I think so too. The meeting itself could be dangerous."
Martha said.
"We must meet."
The three of them looked at Martha. Martha continued.
"We need to see for ourselves what cards they are holding to respond. If we don't meet, we are fighting without knowing their hand. How the Golden Lion Merchant Guild intends to approach the Duke of Valois, and what conditions they are proposing-we need to know that to make our next move."
Duke Ashford said.
"What can we gain from meeting them?"
Martha replied.
"How they plan to utilize the Duke of Valois. And how much funding they intend to pour into the hot spring development."
Leon said.
"What do you plan to do with that information?"
Martha looked at Leon. Then, grinning, she said.
"We can turn the tables on them."
The study fell silent for a moment. Claude looked at Martha. Martha said.
"We are meeting to extract only the information. We will absolutely not accept any funds. We are using the meeting itself to gauge how desperate they are and to figure out how they intend to use us."
Duke Ashford looked at Martha.
"Then how are you going to fund the hot spring development? If we don't accept the funds from the Golden Lion Merchant Guild, we'll have to raise them from elsewhere."
Martha said.
"I've thought about that part as well."
Martha took out some documents. She had prepared them in advance. She had been organizing these while simultaneously reading the letters for three days.
"The plan is to split the hot spring development funds among three parties."
Claude looked at the documents. Martha explained.
"First is Falken Trading Company. We are switching the contract for the Imperial Palace supply commission to a prepayment system. Falken Trading Company will pay six months' worth of commission in advance, and in return, the commission rate will be lowered by 1 percent upon the next renewal of the recommendation rights. It isn't a bad deal for Falken Trading Company either."
The Duke of Ashford nodded.
"Second is the Viscount Muller family. We are proceeding with the herb hot spring supply contract as a pre-contract. We will receive the down payment upfront on the condition that once the hot spring is completed, we will exclusively supply bath additives and fragrance products processed from Viscount Muller's herbs. It is advantageous for Viscount Muller because they gain exclusive supply rights."
Leon spoke while looking at the documents.
"Combining the two places would amount to about 70% of the development funds."
"Yes. That is why the remainder is the third."
Martha looked at the Duke of Ashford. The Duke of Ashford looked at Martha. Martha said.
"I have a favor to ask of you, Duke."
"Speak."
Martha said.
"It is the route for the hot spring construction permit."
The Duke of Ashford raised his eyebrows. Martha continued.
"To develop a hot spring in the Valois estate, you must obtain a construction permit from the Imperial Palace. It is a large-scale project. However, going through the Imperial Palace permit department takes a long time, incurs additional costs in the interim, and comes with the condition that you must use specific suppliers."
The Duke of Ashford said.
"I know that those suppliers are connected to the Golden Lion Merchant Guild."
"Yes. If you go through the Imperial Palace permit route, a structure is created where you ultimately have to use companies affiliated with the Golden Lion Merchant Guild. It costs more money, and Information flows over there. Then, even without receiving funds from the Golden Lion Merchant Guild, they can get the money through the construction companies."
Claude said.
"So?"
Martha said.
"The Ashford ducal family holds real power within the Imperial military, you know. There is a separate route for military construction permits. It is a distinct route designed to expedite construction related to military facilities. If we use this, we don't have to go through the Golden Lion Merchant Guild, and it reduces permit fees and saves time."
Duke Ashford looked at Martha.
"Are you asking me to open that route for the Valois ducal family's hot spring construction?"
"..."
"Now?"
"Yes. You are not providing the funds directly, but merely opening the route. That alone saves a significant portion of the construction costs. Because we won't have to use contractors from the Golden Lion Merchant Guild."
The study fell silent. Duke Ashford looked at the documents. He looked at them for a long time. Then he looked at Martha.
"Did you come up with this on your own? How?"
Martha asked.
"Yes, as you live your life, ideas just come to you."
Duke Ashford said.
"I can open the route."
Martha looked at Duke Ashford. Duke Ashford said.
"But there is a condition."
"Please tell me."
"Leon will accompany you to the meeting with the Golden Lion Merchant Guild."
Martha looked at Leon. Leon looked at Martha. Martha said.
"Won't they be wary? If the Ashford ducal family comes along."
Duke Ashford said.
"Leon is not coming as a representative of the ducal family, but simply as an acquaintance of the Valois ducal family."
"..."
"Since they are separated, wouldn't it actually be natural?"
Martha thought about those words for a moment. Separated. In other words, since their parents were close, it didn't seem strange for Leon to frequent the Ducal House of Valois. It could appear as though their relationship hadn't been completely severed yet.
From their perspective, however, that could be interpreted as a sign of a rift within the Ducal House of Valois. After all, there had even been news that a father and daughter had severed ties. Not bad. Martha nodded.
"I understand."
Leon remained silent. Claude spoke.
"We decide the meeting place, not the Golden Lion Merchant Guild. Both the time and the location."
Martha said.
"Of course. We have to do this on our home ground."
The Duke of Ashford nodded.
The meeting was over. Martha returned to the study and took out a piece of stationery. She was to write a reply to the Golden Lion Guild. Short. Concise.
She picked up the pen.
To the Honorables of the Golden Lion Guild, I accept your invitation. We will decide the date and location.
Valois Serena.
That was all.
As she put it in the envelope, Martha muttered to herself.
"Duke of Kreuz, I should test him."
Lucy took out her notebook and jotted it down. Edward stood at the study door, looking at Martha, and said.
"Serena, you're really scary."
Martha looked at Edward.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Edward shook his head and went out into the hallway. As everyone left and they emerged from the hallway, the Duke of Ashford spoke in a low voice beside Claude.
"Duke of Valois."
Claude looked at the Duke of Ashford. The Duke of Ashford said.
"Has that child always been like this?"
Claude thought for a moment and said.
"No."
The Duke of Ashford looked at Leon. Leon looked straight ahead. Siegfried grinned from a step behind Leon. The Duke of Ashford spoke to Claude again.
"Where did such a child come from?"
Claude said.
"I don't know."
Then, pausing briefly, he said.
"No, she came from me, indeed."
The Duke of Ashford looked at Claude. Claude walked away, looking elsewhere. The Duke of Ashford watched his retreating figure and nodded.
Evening. Martha wrapped up the day in her chambers. She had sent a reply to the Golden Lion Merchant Guild. She had written a letter to Falken Corporation proposing a switch to an advance payment method. She had scheduled a meeting with the Viscount Muller family to discuss the advance contract method. The use of the Ashford ducal family's military route had also been confirmed. Three things began to move at once.
Martha thought as she looked at the lavender garden outside the window. She wondered what hand the Golden Lion Merchant Guild would bring. What conditions they would present. What kind of face they would wear.
It was not that she wasn't afraid It was the Empress Isadora's own family taking matters into their own hands. It was something that could not be taken lightly. It was an opponent. But. Martha thought as she looked out the window.
I've lived in the Empire for eighty years. I've seen people like this until I'm sick of them.
Lucy said as she brought the tea.
"Princess, you've done a lot today."
"Yes."
"Aren't you tired?"
Martha said, holding her tea.
"I am tired."
"Then please get some sleep."
"Yes."
"..."
"But Lucy."
Lucy looked at Martha. Martha spoke.
"Did you eat?"
Lucy blinked and said.
"I did."
"Did you enjoy it?"
"Yes."
Martha took a sip of tea. Lucy watched her, then took out her notebook and wrote.
The Princess asked again today if I had eaten. Prince Leon had said the same thing. She laughed when she heard that from Prince Leon. If he heard the Princess saying that to me now, would he laugh too? I don't know.
[Lucy's Secret Shock Journal Episode 33]
There was a meeting in Duke Valois's study today.
Shock No. 1. The Princess took out a letter from the Golden Lion Merchant Guild. Duke Ashford said we shouldn't meet. The Princess said we should meet. Both seem to be right, so I'm not sure.
Shock No. 2. The Princess explained a plan to resolve the hot spring development funds by dividing them among three places. Falken Trading Company, Viscount Muller, and the Ashford Ducal Family military route. Duke Ashford said, "Did you come up with this all by yourself?" he asked. The Princess replied, "Think of it as you go through life."
Shock No. 3: Young Master Edward smirked from outside the door.
Shock No. 4: While writing a reply to the Golden Lion Merchant Guild, the Princess muttered to herself, "I'm going to test these guys." Young Master Edward said, "You're really scary." The Princess said, "I'll take that as a compliment."
Shock No. 5: Duke Ashford asked Duke Valois, "Was that child always like that?" The Duke said, "No," then added, "She came from me." Duke Ashford nodded.
What Duke Valois said today strangely weighed on my mind. She came from me. As he said that, the Duke looked elsewhere. I don't know why.
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