The Reason I Got Engaged to My Ex-Boyfriend - Chapter 58
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 58
At that moment, Seria was looking at the two men with a pathetic expression.
“Come on, just trust me once, will you? Geez, do I look like someone who would scam you over something like this?”
“Fine, but tell me more details.”
Louis and Chris were sitting at the boutique table having an absurd conversation.
Chris Moore. That talented individual with natural marketing genius was someone Seria herself had hired, so that was understandable.
‘But why the hell is Louis here…’
Seria glared fiercely at her embarrassing older brother, shameful for the mere fact that they were blood siblings.
Louis, who had gone into exile to Semaphelaz in place of his younger sister, should have been helping with the port city construction at this time.
However, the day after the Founding Festival, Louis, who had been on the first floor of the observation tower, took leave claiming he needed mental stability due to the lighting accident that occurred on the third floor.
Of course, Seria understood why Louis wasn’t holed up at home.
‘That stupid fool.’
Even though Semaphelaz was outside the capital, it was only on the outskirts, and with the port city project underway, land prices had risen considerably.
The building he bought for 3,000 gold… that idiot sold it for a mere 1,000 gold.
The enraged father, Viscount Chartinez, cut Louis’s maintenance allowance in half with the contradictory words, “Does this crazy bastard have any sense?”
Thus, Louis, with nowhere else to go, chose Seria’s boutique.
“Hahaha! Is that really true?”
Moreover, the two men’s voices were getting louder, making it obvious that the already few customers were becoming uncomfortable.
Seria cleared her throat and approached the self-proclaimed sworn brothers.
“What are you two talking about? Either go outside to talk or something. Everyone’s saying it’s too noisy…”
“Hey now, Seria. Men have important things to discuss among themselves, so don’t butt in.”
Louis cut off Seria’s words with a deliberately deepened voice.
‘Why is he acting like that…’
Seria’s expression soured at his untimely show-off behavior, and she eventually gave up and stepped away.
Meanwhile, Chris continued the conversation with a bright smile, whether Seria was there or not.
“So, if you follow that river all the way, there’s a mine, you know? Ha… well, since you’re my big brother, I’m telling you this specially…”
At the tantalizingly drawn-out voice, Louis gulped.
Chris whispered softly in Louis’s ear.
“It’s called Dallas Mine, and if you invest, you’ll definitely profit. I honestly can’t go as far as saying it’ll completely turn your life around, but I guarantee you won’t lose money.”
Louis’s lips curved upward.
To think he would obtain such incredible information.
“And there’s a seafood restaurant nearby that you’d love, big brother. You can come with me to apply for the mine auction, stamp the contract, and have a delicious meal.”
“Sounds good, sounds great.”
Louis replied with a satisfied tone.
Actually, there was a reason he had no choice but to jump at Chris’s investment proposal.
His maintenance allowance that had been cut in half.
Since this was punishment for losing 2,000 gold out of 3,000, if he could make a fortune through mine investment, he could easily be forgiven.
No, maybe father would even praise him as an outstanding eldest son and fully support him…
“Well then, to men’s friendship.”
Chris grinned and raised his water glass.
***
After showcasing perfume at the Founding Festival booth, more people came looking for me.
This was because perfumes other than the inventory sold at the booth could only be purchased by reservation.
Actually, when I proposed that perfume should only be sold by reservation, Frill was puzzled.
“There aren’t any hard-to-obtain ingredients, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to make, right? Riniel also said not to worry about the bottle production speed.”
My answer to that was simple.
“I know that too. This is purely a strategy for scarcity.”
Frill’s expression became similar to when she heard about the perfume’s tremendous sales figures.
Anyway, so more people came looking for me to make perfume reservations.
Frill gladly gave me one of the rooms on the first floor of the estate as an office. She would even meet customers on my behalf when I wasn’t in Semaphelaz.
‘And most of those customers didn’t come in person but sent servants instead…’
I looked at the customer in front of me with some nervousness.
“Please be comfortable, um, Miss Berry.”
The Grand Duchess, Relini Obern, spoke calmly.
‘The Grand Duchess. The Grand Duchess came in person.’
How could I be comfortable in this situation?
Earlier, I had felt something was strange seeing all the people crowded in front of the estate.
‘No matter how well the perfume was doing… it wasn’t that popular.’
And before I could even ask what was going on, Frill grabbed me with a bewildered expression.
Saying that a very, very precious guest had arrived.
‘But I never thought it would be… a member of the quasi-royal family.’
In front of me was a member of the quasi-royal family, and outside the estate was Frill, dealing with the bustling customers in my place.
Every time I recalled that fact, my mouth went dry.
Actually, I had desperately wanted to meet Relini in this form for a long time.
Because her eldest daughter, Isephina, was the first victim of the eagle incident.
‘Moreover…’
Isephina was also Sister Marie’s best friend.
So I had so many things I wanted to ask Relini.
How the Grand Princess’s death was, whether there was anyone particularly involved, whether there was anything special between our sister and the Grand Princess…
Of course, these weren’t questions a commoner could ask a Grand Duchess they’d just met.
I cautiously brought up something else.
“Um, Your Grace. Perhaps you were thinking of sending a servant instead…? I feel so sorry for making you come all the way here in person.”
The Grand Duchess was someone far above even Mary Blin in status, someone a commoner couldn’t even make eye contact with. It was puzzling that such a person had come in person to make a perfume reservation.
Relini smiled and said.
“I’ve been secluded for quite a while due to circumstances, and my physician keeps recommending I go out. I also want to order quite a lot of perfume.”
Hearing those words, I noticed Relini’s pale complexion.
‘Grand Duke Grey’s side didn’t participate in the Founding Festival either.’
Just as I was thinking that, Relini continued.
“My husband seems very tired lately, so I’m thinking of giving him one as a gift. Do you also do special gift wrapping?”
“Um, everything’s possible, but our perfumes are for women. It might be a bit burdensome for your husband to use. Would that be alright?”
Then Relini’s eyes widened as if she didn’t know.
“For women? But considering that… many gentlemen use it too.”
“…?”
I blinked. What was that supposed to mean?
“I mean, from what I’ve heard, that perfume has quite miraculous effects…”
***
Could that really be human?
Adnet, an official of the Imperial Palace, looked at Chad with a troubled expression.
It started three days ago, when he was staring at the wall clock, aiming for on-time departure.
Chad returned from the Emperor’s office exactly 2 minutes before quitting time.
“Thank you all for your hard work. His Majesty said it’s fine to proceed as is. Oh, right. And also….”
At the opening that seemed to promise a long night of overtime ahead, the officials tensely waited for Chad’s words to continue.
“Among the cases the Security Bureau responded to yesterday, there’s one suspicious case that His Majesty said will be transferred here. It seems we’ll need to stay in contact with the Security Bureau for a while and investigate it thoroughly.”
…As expected.
Though they had tried to deny it, when the anticipated words followed, all the officials looked dejected.
Listening quietly to their groans of “Haaa…”, Chad soon smiled mischievously.
“That’s the work I’ll be handling. Our officials just need to do well with the remaining tasks.”
No, this guy really.
At their superior’s not-quite-joke of a joke, the officials momentarily welled up with emotion before relaxing their expressions.
After all, wasn’t he saying there would be no overtime for a while? Cheers erupted one after another.
“As expected! We believed in you!”
“Long live His Majesty the Emperor!”
“This is what life’s about!”
Chad listened to the flowing praise with a strange expression before speaking.
“Wow, you’re all so openly happy that I’m tempted to add something. Like, ‘You’re not really going to leave just because I said you could go first, are you?'”
“…Haha, Count Chad. What a joke.”
At the subtly barbed remark, the officials belatedly read the room.
Fortunately, Chad wasn’t one to abuse his superior’s authority in such ways, and Adnet spent quite leisurely days recently.
‘It was so nice because of that….’
The problem lay elsewhere.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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