Episode 64. Squirm When Stepped On
Maxim entered the study early in the morning.
"My Lady, the blueprint worker has arrived."
Martha opened a drawer and took out two blueprints. They were the ones Leon had brought back from the hot spring site. One was the blueprint submitted to the Duke of Valois, and the other was a duplicate blueprint secured by the site supervisor's quarters.
Holding them up, Martha said.
"I will escort them to the drawing room."
They ran into Edward in the hallway. Edward looked at the blueprints and said.
"The worker is here?"
"Yes. I am escorting Father, so let's go together."
Claude opened the study door and stepped out. The three of them headed side by side toward the drawing room. No one spoke as they walked down the hallway. All three knew what kind of conversation would take place here today, and within that silence lay a hope that the discussion would take a positive turn.
They opened the drawing room door. The blueprint worker, Otto Bremer, was sitting there. He was a man in his early sixties. He was short and slightly hunched over. It was a posture that reflected the passage of time. Seeing his graying hair and the worn frames of the glasses perched on his nose, one could tell he had worn them for a long time.
His hands were rough. It was the hand of a man who had spent his entire life drawing blueprints and visiting construction sites. His knuckles were thick, and calluses had settled on his palms. Those hands rested quietly on his knees; even in silence, they looked as if they were ready to work at any moment.
He was a man renowned in the Empire for his waterway designs. He was also known for being demanding. When Martha first contacted him through Maxim, she was rejected. His attitude was that he didn't care about official documents or anything of the sort.
So, Martha wrote a letter herself. It was not a long letter. There were no flowery words, nor any great persuasion. She simply described the situation exactly as it was, asking for help to avoid being blindsided. And then Otto Bremer arrived.
"Are you the Princess who sent the letter?"
"Yes. Thank you for coming."
"I came because I found the letter interesting. I don't have much time, so please show it to me right away."
The greeting was brief. Martha actually liked that aspect. He was a man for whom work came before greetings. As she sat down, she spread the two blueprints on the table. Side by side. As the two blueprints were placed side by side, it was immediately clear that they belonged to the same site, yet equally clear that they were different.
Otto leaned forward and adjusted his glasses. Then, he fixed his gaze on the blueprints. There was silence for a while. Martha stood leaning against one side of the table, watching Otto examine the drawings.
Otto's fingers moved slowly across the blueprints. Following a line, stopping, following another line, stopping. Looking at the first drawing, moving to the second, and returning to the first. Watching his fingers move, one could sense that he was reading something within the blueprints. He wasn't just seeing with his eyes; he was reading with decades of experience. After quite some time had passed, Otto spoke.
"To think these are the same site blueprints."
"Yes."
"Did different people draw the two?"
"One was submitted to our construction company, and the other is an internal blueprint for the contractor."
"Do you know why they drew them this way?"
"I don't know exactly, but I do know that the contractor is eyeing our hot spring development."
"Aha."
Otto scanned the two blueprints alternately once again. His eyes narrowed and widened repeatedly. They were the eyes of a thoughtful man.
"The waterway locations are different."
"Please take a look at how different they are."
Otto lowered his gaze back to the blueprint. This time, he looked at it more slowly than before. His finger traced the waterway on the interior blueprint and stopped at a specific point. Otto's hand remained still at that spot, as if his thoughts had stopped there.
"Look here."
Claude, Edward, and Martha leaned forward simultaneously. It was a movement to verify where Otto's finger had pointed. Otto spoke as he slowly traced the waterway location on the interior blueprint. He pointed to the same section on both plans, then moved his hand to the double blueprint and pinpointed two spots.
"This waterway is designed to exit this way. Here and here."
There were two points. They were not far apart, yet the direction in which they connected was completely different from the blueprint submitted by the Duke of Valois.
"Do you know where these two points meet?"
Martha asked.
"Where?"
Otto's finger glided across the blueprint. It followed the waterway and stopped at a certain point. It was the branching point where the main stream of the hot spring diverged.
"Right here. It is the branching point where it splits off from the main stream. If we block this spot..."
Otto paused for a moment. The drawing room fell silent. The sound of birds could be heard from outside. Otto spoke again.
"The water flowing into the hot spring will be completely cut off."
Those words settled into the room. Claude crossed his arms more tightly. Edward leaned further forward, placing his hand on the edge of the table. Martha looked at that spot and thought. Even if the hot spring is completed, it won't be mine. They hold the water flow. From the moment it is completed, they can shut it off at any time.
Edward cleared his throat and said.
"If we block just one point?"
"If it is just one point, blocking the central section in front of it will suffice. The design is set that way. Intentionally."
Otto looked at Martha as he took off his glasses to wipe them. The motion of wiping his glasses was slow. It was the slow motion of someone carefully choosing their words.
"The person who designed this intended to do it this way from the beginning. So that the water could be cut off at any time after the hot spring was completed. This branching point is not in the blueprints submitted to the Duke of Valois. It is an invisible branching point."
As Martha heard these words, she glanced out the window for a moment. The garden came into view. The lavender was swaying in the breeze. It was a peaceful scene. Looking at that peaceful scene, Martha thought, "So this is what he was thinking the whole time he was building that hot spring. Smiling and talking about how our workers were working hard. But deep down, he was already preparing to shut it off."
Claude looked at Otto.
"Could you point out exactly where it is?"
"I will point it out for you. But before that..."
Otto picked up the second blueprint again. This time, he looked at the part that deviated from the waterway. It was a corner of the blueprint. It was a spot without a star mark. Otto's finger slowly rested on that spot.
"Something is strange here."
Martha said, leaning closer.
"What do you mean?"
"The topography."
Otto said, tracing a circle with his finger over the area.
"This terrain here, there is supposed to be another water source. Beneath the surface."
Edward raised his eyebrows and said.
"A water source? Another one?"
"There are cases with hot spring terrain like this. Cases where there is another source beneath the surface in addition to the one visible above ground. When the terrain is shaped like this, there is usually another underground water vein underneath."
Otto continued speaking without lifting his eyes from the blueprint.
"The person who drew this must have known. Anyone who has spent decades in the field couldn't possibly be unaware of this terrain. They knew, yet simply chose not to include it in the blueprint."
The reception room fell silent again. Martha looked at that section and asked.
"What happens if we connect that water source separately?"
Otto adjusted his glasses and looked at Martha. His eyes were different. They were different from when she first entered. At first, it was the look of someone who had come simply to check if there was anything worth seeing. Now, it was the look of someone who had already confirmed there was something worth seeing and had discovered something new.
"We can draw water independently, regardless of the waterway at the top of the Golden Lion. Even if they block the branching point over there, as long as water rises from this source, the hot spring will function."
Edward said, half-standing from his seat.
"Is that possible? Really?"
"I have never once designed an impossible blueprint."
Otto said briefly, but firmly. Martha closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them. She thought to herself, "It's fine, that's a relief. Of course, I didn't intend to let it be taken away, but at least there won't be any disruptions to operations."
Otto said.
"The construction costs will be a bit high."
Then he stated the numbers. Edward looked at Claude. Claude crossed his arms and wore a thoughtful expression for a moment. Martha quickly calculated in her head. Income from the supply to the Viscount Muller household. Income from the Scent Garden. Mr. Becker's commission. Adding these up. It was tight, but possible. Being tight didn't mean it was impossible. Claude opened his mouth.
"It would be right for us to bear the cost."
It was a calm voice. A voice without any hesitation. Claude was naturally someone who spoke these things so calmly. He was someone who never hesitated to protect what belonged to the family. Martha looked at Otto and said.
"Can you do it yourself, Otto? Without going through anyone else?"
Otto looked at Martha. It was only a brief moment, but it felt like quite a long time. Martha knew that Otto Bremer didn't accept just any commission. And she also knew that he wasn't here solely because of a single letter.
"I will do it."
He added a moment later.
"It's been a long time since I've received a commission like this."
Martha looked at Otto. He began to slowly organize the blueprints. Suddenly, as if something had occurred to her, Martha grabbed Otto's arm tightly. Otto stared at her with wide eyes.
"Please lower the price a little."
Otto spoke in a stiff, low voice.
"...What?"
"Our family is on the verge of complete ruin, so please cut down on the construction costs."
As if they had coordinated their words, Claude and Edward turned away the moment the topic came up and hurriedly began working on other tasks. Otto looked them over this way and that, but Claude and Edward avoided his gaze. Watching them, Martha said.
"You're busy; go back to your work."
And sent them out. Then, standing before Otto, Martha rested her chin on her hands, smiling sweetly as she looked at him. Claude and Edward stood outside the door, prying their ears. From inside, they could hear Otto's voice declaring that nothing more was allowed, and Martha's guttural screams shouting.
"More! More!"
Otto emerged from the drawing room, his energy completely drained. Inside, Martha, smiling contentedly, greeted Otto, and Maxim followed him out to see him off.
After confirming that Otto had left, Claude and Edward returned to the drawing room and sat down in front of Martha. Edward let out a deep breath, and Claude uncrossed his arms to look out the window. His gaze was fixed somewhere far away. He wore a satisfied expression, perhaps relieved that what belonged to the Valois family now belonged to the Valois family.
As Martha organized the blueprints, she said.
"It's done."
Edward looked at Martha and said.
"It's done."
Claude stood up and said.
"Good job."
It was just a single word. It was the maximum praise Duke Claude could offer. Martha knew it. It was a step beyond a mere pat on the shoulder. That was his way.
Claude left the drawing room. Edward quietly approached Martha.
"Serena, how much did you cut?"
"Just... about half?"
"In many ways... amazing."
"That's just how life goes."
Martha looked at Edward. Edward let out a smirk. Martha let out a soft chuckle.
As the afternoon arrived, Martha boarded a carriage and headed toward the bustling district east of the Imperial Palace. It had been a few days since the Empress had sent a letter inviting her to have tea at this teahouse today with Countess Hartmann and Marchioness Deberg.
When Matrta received that letter, her inward thought was, "Again."
She had lost count of how many times this month alone had happened. One would think she should be used to the Empress keeping her by her side like a best friend by now, yet every time a letter arrived, she couldn't help but sigh in frustration. Still, the realization crossed her mind that she had become one of the Empress's top three closest aides.
At this rate, even though it was exhausting, it wasn't a bad deal. However, another letter arrived during the day before she was to leave. It stated that the Empress had an urgent matter and would be late, asking her to start first.
As Martha read the letter, she found it strange. The Empress had never sent a letter in advance for an occasion she had arranged and then been late. She was always the very first person to arrive. But to think that something urgent had come up today... Thinking, "There must be something here," she boarded the carriage.
The teahouse was located on the main avenue east of the Imperial Palace. It was a substantial establishment. The windows were large and the ceiling high. The afternoon sunlight streamed in long streams through the windows. It was a place frequented by the nobility. Each table had silver coasters, and fresh flowers hung in vases instead of artificial ones.
When Martha entered, two people were already seated. Countess Hartmann was sitting by the window. She had been looking out the window, but nodded as she watched Martha enter. Her gaze held the impression that she had already gauged the outcome of the day.
Marchioness Deberg was sitting opposite her. She was dressed lavishly again today. Her dress appeared to be the most expensive in the teahouse. She smiled as she watched Martha enter. It was the smile of someone striving to appear as natural as possible. The Empress was not there.
As Martha took her seat, she said.
"Did you receive Her Majesty's message ?"
Marchioness Deberg raised her teacup and replied.
"A letter arrived saying something urgent has come up. That she will be late."
Countess Hartmann looked out the window without saying a word. Martha thought to herself. The Empress is not here. This gathering might be strangely interesting.
Three people sat at the table. It was a gathering where the common denominator of the Empress had vanished. It was a gathering where the reason for their gathering had vanished. Yet, the three of them were sitting there.
Tea was served. Everyone picked up their teacups. Marchioness Deberg spoke first.
"Countess Hartmann, you have served Her Majesty the Empress for a very long time. That is remarkable. I do not have the confidence to stay in one place for that long. It has been so long that everyone knows you from my mother's generation to my children's."
Her voice was soft. As soft as the atmosphere of the teahouse. However, there was a sharp edge within that softness. It was a way of using praise to bring up the fact that one has been there for a long time, and that such longevity is not necessarily a good thing. A way of speaking without being direct. It was a method Marchioness Deberg was skilled at.
Countess Hartmann looked out the window while holding her teacup. Her gaze was not directed at Deberg. It was directed out the window. Deberg watched that for a moment before turning his gaze toward Martha.
"You seem quite admirable, Princess Valois, as you have been going out often with the Empress lately. Remarkably, you are so actively participating in society despite having a history of broken engagements. I think I would have found it difficult to do so in that situation, given the watchful eyes of the public. You are remarkable in many ways. You are courageous."
It sounded like another compliment. However, the mention of a broken engagement was embedded within that praise. It was Madame Deberg's way to deliberately bring up things that didn't need to be mentioned. Martha picked up her teacup and said.
"That is true. Having a history of broken engagements has given me a bit of a knack for judging people. So these days, I can tell just by exchanging a single word with someone what kind of person they are."
The Marchioness Deberg looked at Martha. It was a look of surprise, as she hadn't expected a retort. Martha took a sip of tea and looked out the window. It was a way of demonstrating with her whole body that she was not being swayed by Madame Deberg's words.
Madame Deberg composed herself for a moment, then turned back toward Madame Hartmann.
"Countess Hartmann has been by the Empress's side for so long, I think it's time for you to take it easy. You should hand over your position to the younger ones."
This time, it was a bit more direct. It was an attempt to push Countess Hartmann out by including herself within the phrase 'younger ones.' The motion of Countess Hartmann setting down her teacup was slightly slower than usual. Then she spoke.
"Old things are more durable. New things haven't been tested yet. Whether they are finished products or defective ones."
Her voice was calm. It was an unwavering voice. It was the first time someone who had endured so much was speaking even a little. Madame Deberg accepted her words while maintaining her smile.
"Of course. But new things are also more splendid, aren't they?"
"Splendid things fade quickly. Subtle things last longer, Marchioness."
Seeing Marchioness Deberg, who exuded more splendor than anyone else in the shop, Martha let out a small chuckle without realizing it. Countess Hartmann picked up her teacup again and finished speaking. There was no further explanation. That was the end of it. The tip was firm.
Madame Deberg's smile wavered ever so slightly. Then it straightened again. Martha saw that 0.5-second tremor. It was an eye hardened by sixty years of life as a lady-in-waiting. That woman, she's certainly been through it all, judging by how she's holding on.
This time, Madame Deberg turned her gaze toward Martha again.
"Princess Valois, I've heard the Fragrance Garden is doing well these days. It is quite unusual for a noble lady to run a business herself. I suppose you are doing it out of necessity."
Out of necessity. That phrase implied that she was doing it out of necessity because her family was in decline. It took the form of praise, but in reality, it pointed in a completely different direction.
Martha looked at Madame Deberg. Martha had known what this woman was doing here today from the moment she first entered. In the absence of Her Majesty the Empress, she intended to disparage Madame Hartmann and shake Martha to elevate her own position. Her method was cunning. She did not speak directly. She packaged it as praise. However, what lay within that wrapper was not praise.
"It is out of necessity. But that necessity is not about money."
Marchioness Deberg's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Then what?"
"It is fun. The work."
Madame Deberg looked at Martha. She could read from her expression that the answer was different from what she had expected. She had anticipated one of those three things: shaking, explaining, or apologizing, but what Martha had done was none of them.
Picking up a cookie, Martha said to Madame Deberg.
"Don't you have anything fun in your life, Marchioness?"
Madame Deberg paused for a moment.
"Of course I do."
"What do you find fun?"
Madame Deberg looked as if she were searching for an answer. An awkward silence settled over her face. She could not say that being by Her Majesty the Empress's side was fun. Nor could she say that holding the upper hand over the other nobles was fun.
While Madame Deberg was unable to find an answer, Martha looked at Hartmann.
"What about the Countess?"
Madame Hartmann looked at Martha. Something passed through her eyes. It was the look of someone who had received an unexpected question.
"I enjoy gardening these days."
"What kind of flowers?"
"Peonies. They bloomed for the first time this year."
Her voice changed. It was a little lower and a little softer than before. It was not the voice she used in front of Her Majesty the Empress. Nor was it the voice she used in front of Madame Deberg. It was simply the voice of someone who liked flowers. It was the voice of someone who simply loved gardens, excitedly bringing up the topic of gardening.
Martha said with a smile.
"Peonies are pretty, aren't they? They are flowers that take a long time to bloom."
Madame Hartmann's eyes opened a little more. They were slightly more open than before. Hartmann seemed to have realized that the saying 'a flower that takes a long time to bloom' wasn't just about flowers.
Madame Deberg picked up her teacup while watching the conversation. Her face showed she sensed that the direction of the conversation she had been leading had shifted. As she readjusted her position, Madame Deberg spoke.
"Princess Valois, come to think of it, I hear you've been getting close to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince lately. There's been all sorts of talk going around in society."
The fact that there was talk implied that rumors existed. It was a method of amplifying rumors by mentioning their existence without spreading them directly. Martha looked at Madame Deberg.
"What kind of talk?"
"Well, the talk that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince seems to be interested in you, Princess Valois. But you have a history of broken engagements, and you run a business."
Madame Deberg said as she set down her teacup.
"There is also talk about whether you are fit for the position of Crown Princess."
Whether you are fit for the position of Crown Princess. Those words lingered in the teahouse. The atmosphere changed. Madame Hartmann looked at Madame Deberg. There was something in her gaze. It was a look that recognized that everything she had endured until now had crossed a line.
Martha set down her teacup quietly. She placed it down without a sound. Then she looked at Madame Deberg.
"People seem to really love talking about whether someone is a good fit or not. Often, while that talk is going on, the person who actually fits the role ends up being someone else. Should I try becoming the Crown Princess just out of sheer stubbornness? What do you think, Marchioness?"
Madame Deberg looked at Martha. Her expression read that she had realized which direction those words were pointing. It was a smile she was trying to maintain, but one that required effort to keep up. Countess Hartmann raised her teacup and said.
"You are right, Princess."
Madame Deberg looked at Martha, then at Madame Hartmann. Madame Hartmann took a sip of tea, looked out the window, and spoke.
"Those who judge whether something fits or not are often the ones who actually find themselves in the most unsuitable positions. People who consider whether they fit in the spot first have no room to judge others."
The Marchioness Deberg's laughter vanished completely. The teahouse fell silent. The sound of carriage wheels passed by outside the window. The voice of a merchant shouting something at the top of his lungs could be heard in the distance. These sounds made the silence between the three of them even more distinct.
Madame Deberg picked up her teacup, then set it down and said.
"I apologize, but I just remembered something urgent. May I leave first?"
Her voice was different from before. It was a voice devoid of softness. Martha nodded and said.
"Go ahead."
Madam Hartmann nodded as well. Madam Deberg rose from her seat and bowed. It was a polite bow, but a quick one.
The teahouse door opened and closed. Silence settled in the place where Madam Deberg had left. Only Martha and Madam Hartmann remained. There was silence for a moment. The sound of Marchioness Deberg's carriage departing could be heard outside the window. It seemed the teahouse truly fell silent only after the sound faded away.
Madame Hartmann spoke first.
"It is refreshing."
There was nothing in her voice. There was no pretense or exaggeration. She simply said it was refreshing. Yet, that single word, "refreshing,' encapsulated everything of this gathering today.
Martha poured Madame Hartmann another cup of tea. The sound of the tea filling the cup was quiet. As Madame Hartmann accepted the cup, she looked at Martha.
"The Princess is a truly strange person."
"I hear that often."
Countess Hartmann let out a soft chuckle. It was a brief laugh. A laugh that was not hidden behind her title. It was the kind of laugh that a person who had lived by the Empress's side for nearly fifty years would offer for the first time when stepping away from that position.
Watching that laugh, Martha thought to herself. Enough. I'm done with this person.
The two of them drank tea side by side, looking out the window. People passed by on the busy main street. A carriage went by. A flower vendor pulled a cart. It was an ordinary afternoon.
Just as Martha was thinking how comfortable an ordinary afternoon could feel, Countess Hartmann spoke.
"Princess Serena, I have a question."
"Please speak, Countess."
"Do you really intend to become the Crown Princess?"
At Countess Hartmann's words, Martha almost dropped the teacup she was holding. She gripped the swaying cup tightly again, set it down, and looked at Countess Hartmann.
"Oh, come on. Is marriage child's play? Especially since the Crown Princess position is practically a state marriage."
"I may not have power within the Imperial Household, but if you, Princess, set your mind on becoming the Crown Princess, I could lend you some support."
"Oh, come on. No matter what you say. I have no intention of getting married yet. It seems our family is finally settling down."
"Marriage, too. You know it is one of the ways to rescue our family from crisis, don't you?"
Scanning Martha's upper body from head to toe.
"Now is the perfect time to get married."
"Countess, you have a mischievous side."
Madame Hartmann cracked a joke and laughed loudly at the flustered Martha.
"Princess, can you come for tea again next time? Not with the Empress. Just the two of us."
Martha looked at Madame Hartmann for a moment before speaking.
"Anytime."
"I will invite you to my house next time. It will be very beautiful when the peonies bloom."
Madame Hartmann raised her teacup, the corners of her mouth turning up ever so slightly. And the Empress ultimately did not attend this gathering.
[Lucy's Secret Shock Journal Episode 64]
Those scoundrels at the Golden Lion Merchant Guild.
They were caught red-handed trying to pull a fast one on our Duke's hot springs. The Princess has decided to build a new waterway with a waterway expert. By cutting the construction price.
Our Princess is amazing in so many ways.
She also attended the Empress's tea time in the Empress's absence, but the Marchioness Deberg attacked the Princess with strange provocations. When I asked her about it in the carriage, she described the Marchioness as 'not even worthy of a full knockout, but a half-kick.'
I saw the Madam earlier as she hurriedly boarded the carriage to return, and she was on the verge of tears.
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