The Path of the Marquisate

I'd had this kind of déjà vu before.

"Lady Alence, I mean—"

"Yes, Arinell. Speak your mind."

Lady Alence's eyes were gleaming with sharp, expectant light.

I felt sorry for her, but I answered with a firm, clear voice.

"I'm truly grateful for all the help you've given me, but I'm afraid I have my own direction in mind. And I don't think it's the same path as yours."

It was true that becoming Lady Alence's successor would grant me enormous influence. I could make Lariel Maechert and her ilk think twice before crossing me.

"But I can't accept the role of your successor."

That would mean devoting most of my days to her affairs, and I had far too much of my own work to do.

"Oh, Arinell……"

The corners of Lady Alence's eyebrows dipped, but her eyes still burned with a cool, calculating light.

"Hong-hong-hong! So you won't fall into my trap. That cleverness of yours only whets my appetite further."

'Ugh, what is with that villainous laugh and those words.'

At least the road to becoming a graduate student in social etiquette was looking less likely.

"I imagine the path you want to walk is……"

Lady Alence asked with a wistful smile.

"Your father's path, the Marquisate's, isn't it?"

I answered with a smile.

Rebuilding the Marquisate was, right now, my most important mission.

Lady Alence murmured something under her breath.

"I'll always support you, but that road won't be easy either, Arinell. Brace yourself well."

I couldn't quite tell what she meant.

"And if you ever change your mind about the social etiquette path, do reach out. Hong-hong-hong!"

She winked, leaving the door open.

I chuckled and continued with what I'd been planning to say.

"You see, Lady Alence, I agree that my proposal to prepare for famine needs solid backing. To advocate spending that enormous budget, you'd have to risk your political life. I want to save the country, but I don't want to put you in that kind of danger."

I'd been thinking about this while looking at Lady Alence.

What's the most likely thing I could do, through her, to help prepare for famine?

"I just want you to start a trend for me."

"A trend?"

If Lady Alence picked up a peacock-feather fan, peacock-feather fans became the trend that day. If she wore red lizard-leather boots, red lizard boots flew off the shelves. The Palace Affairs Chancellor Lady Alence was admired by every noblewoman in high society, and they wanted to follow her every move.

"Ah."

Understanding what I was getting at, a smile curved her lips.

"That, I can do."

Murmur, murmur—

"She's the Crown Prince's fiancée."

"The one who caught Lady Alence's eye at the Maechert princess's birthday party last time……"

"I heard she's from the countryside, like Schiller. Look, her hands are tanned."

'I can hear every word…… you lot.'

As I passed through the tea party garden, curious young girls stared at me openly and whispered among themselves.

The host of today's tea party, Lady Eilyn Anes, stood frozen with a face so pale it was almost white, her nerves on full display at my arrival.

She'd sent the invitation, but she clearly hadn't expected me to actually come.

"It's an honor, my lady Marquise. My name is Eilyn Anes."

She wore her green hair in two braids styled like sheep's horns, paired with a yellow dress, and appeared to be about my age. Freckles dotted the center of her face, but she had a rather cute appearance.

"Yes, it's nice to meet you."

I confidently extended my hand, and she flinched for a moment.

Then she slowly reached out and took my hand, and I shook it with a vigorous pump.

Two dainty, fern-like hands clasped and shook together.

Six people had gathered for this small tea party. Some faces I recognized from the Maechert princess's birthday party, but they weren't part of the princess's usual circle.

'So these are girls on the fringes of high society, then?'

"Hello, my lady Marquise. I'm Julie, daughter of Baron Parmes."

"I'm Schiller of the Borden Viscount family. It's an honor."

None of their families were the kind of legendary great houses everyone would recognize by name.

The Anes Viscount family was smaller even compared to my own house.

Once I took my seat, they watched me with nervous, almost piercing attention.

"Actually, I…… I didn't think you'd come, my lady Marquise. This is truly…… an honor!"

Eilyn's voice came out halting and earnest.

She seemed genuinely thrilled that I'd graced her small tea party.

"I'm happy to be here."

Thankfully, unlike last time, I wasn't in the position of being unwelcome.

"Our group's name is La Violette. We…… admire Lady Alence. She's a legend in high society, after all. We don't come from glamorous backgrounds, so there's no chance of catching her eye, but we thought that by following her example, we could become more refined ladies……"

Since visiting the Maechert princess's birthday party, invitations from girls wanting to connect with me had started piling up at my house. Adam and I had spent time carefully selecting which parties to attend.

I hadn't come here today to make friends.

"If it's not too much trouble, could you tell us about Lady Alence? Even just a little bit, I'd be so grateful!"

"Well…… Lady Alence is……"

As I opened my mouth, all of them lit up and focused intently on my words.

"Please…… please come to our next tea party too!"

Eilyn urged as she saw me off, her face glowing with pride that I'd attended her gathering.

My attendance today was the result of carefully reviewing the guest list and choosing deliberately.

Well, I hadn't realized La Violette was essentially a group devoted to Lady Alence, but their families were connected to the business I wanted to pursue.

'The Anes Viscount family is in land sales, the Borden Viscount family runs underground warehouse operations, and the Parmes Baron family is in distribution.'

I'd made a good impression on the daughters of these houses, and news of my attendance at the tea party would naturally reach their parents.

In other words, the groundwork was laid so that Adam wouldn't be met with surprise when he approached them about partnerships.

The business I'd chosen for the Marquisate's continued prosperity was the Red Sugar Beet processed food business.

Crops that could grow on barren soil were extremely rare, and the sweet-tasting Red Sugar Beet belonged to that precious group of varieties.

It was also an ingredient I'd loved during my time in Galnem.

Red Sugar Beets were generally considered a low-grade vegetable that nobles didn't eat, but that was only because people processed them incorrectly!

To bring out the true fruity sweetness, you had to wash the beets in cold water twice and then meticulously remove the thin bitter outer skin and the core. People simply didn't know this process.

'After coming to the capital, I looked into it further, and it seems this is information only I have.'

So people would eat Red Sugar Beets with the bitter taste still mixed in and then discard them as a poor-quality ingredient.

When I compared the Red Sugar Beet slices I'd made in Galnem my own way to desserts here in the capital, I didn't feel that the beet snacks were inferior to the capital's confections.

'So there should be some competitive edge there.'

My plan was as follows:

First, Lady Alence would make Red Sugar Beet desserts a trend in high society, drawing everyone's attention. Then I would sell Red Sugar Beet products and generate business profits.

With that money, I could plant even more Red Sugar Beets on barren land, and they would certainly help the common people significantly during famine times.

A business that could generate revenue for the Marquisate while also preparing for famine—what a two-for-one deal.

As I stretched with a joyful expression, feeling the smooth progress of my plans, I let out a triumphant cry and threw my arms wide.