Chapter 110: An Enticing Proposal
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 110: An Enticing Proposal
Hedrick let out a small cough and vanished from sight the moment he heard those words. It seemed he found it far too awkward to remain standing there.
"After training is over, you must meet with Count Pacio and greet him properly."
"Surely His Highness the Grand Duke isn't planning to keep childishly postponing the meeting? I endured so much pain yesterday just to try and get along with the delegation, you know."
"I will accept the request for an audience immediately."
Loik answered without a moment's hesitation.
Aww, what a good boy.
When I gave him a look of approval and lightly took his hand, he quickly intertwined his fingers with mine. I was glad Hedrick wasn't around to see it.
*
Raphael watched the Grand Duke and his sister standing in the shade in the distance.
As his sister turned her head slightly toward the edge of the shade while speaking, the Grand Duke shifted his position as if to block the sunlight for her. Seeing a man of that massive stature acting so helplessly devoted in front of his sister was strange, yet not unpleasant to witness.
When the Grand Duke leaned down and whispered something, his sister burst into a peal of laughter.
I’ve never seen her laugh so freely before.
Back at the Marquis’s estate, his sister had always seemed somewhat withdrawn. Even the smiles she gave Raphael had always carried a hint of sorrow. Because of her frail health, her sickly appearance had often unintentionally invited ridicule from others.
But the sister he saw here looked brighter and healthier than ever before. And that was likely thanks to the Grand Duke.
Is this how all husbands are?
Even to the inexperienced Raphael, the way the Grand Duke treated his sister was filled with deep affection and respect. It was worlds apart from how his father treated his mother.
"Does the Grand Duke like my sister?" Raphael asked suddenly, looking at Leon, who was drinking water beside him during their brief break. For some reason, he felt this knight wouldn't tease him for asking such a thing.
"I would imagine so, wouldn't you?" Leon replied with a kind face, glancing toward the couple.
"Imagine?"
"It’s not my place to speak on the Commander’s feelings, but..." Leon whispered, as if sharing a secret between them. "You probably don't know just how much brighter the Commander has become since Her Highness the Consort arrived."
"Really?"
"Look at him. Doesn't he look incredibly happy?"
Just then, as his sister lightly took the Grand Duke's hand, the man failed to hide his expression, his lips curling upward. His sharp eyes softened in an instant, curving into a gentle arc.
"Her Highness coming to Blenheim must be a blessing from the Goddess," Leon said with a chuckle. "Thanks to her, life has become much easier for us as well."
Their conversation naturally came to an end as Demich approached.
All throughout the journey to Blenheim, his mother had talked about how terrible it was to be married off to the North. But to Raphael’s eyes, both the Grand Duke and his sister looked very happy in this marriage.
Raphael felt a weight lift off his chest regarding his sister.
*
Count Pacio let out a silent, incredulous laugh as he looked at the massive shopping district lining the lakeshore.
The delegation's schedule had been smooth so far. Upon returning to the castle, the Grand Duke hadn't hidden his discomfort regarding the delegation arriving earlier than planned, but he had granted a formal audience much sooner than the Count had expected. Perhaps because he was married now, his aura was significantly softer than before.
Considering the Princess's interests, this wasn't exactly a positive sign, but for a delegation that needed to conduct negotiations, it was a desirable direction.
Yesterday, they had toured Gold Lane under the guidance of Baron Gelfry, the president of the Merchant Association. Although the president had put quite a bit of effort into courting the delegation with a barrage of gifts, Gold Lane itself hadn't changed a bit from a few years ago.
If anything, I’d say it has regressed in the meantime.
And today was finally the day they were to see the Grand Duchess's shopping district, which the administrative officers had been praising until their throats were dry. Count Pacio finally realized why the tour of this district had been scheduled for the latter half of the trip.
No wonder the administrators were so nonchalant even though Gold Lane was in that state.
This massive shopping district was, in fact, Blenheim’s hidden ace. Seeing the Grand Duchess introduce it with such pride made him feel a twinge of envy.
The shopping district presented a unique landscape unlike anything seen in Rondoris, or even in any of the neighboring countries. The Grand Duchess kindly introduced everything from the scale of the district to its operating methods and popular shops.
"What is this place for?" one of the delegation members asked, stopping abruptly.
Inside a wide-open shop, various types of artwork were on display. Outside, several painters had set up easels and were busy painting portraits for customers or selling landscapes.
"It's a workshop for artists," the Grand Duchess said with a bright smile. "We rent out the space so that emerging artists or aspiring students can sell their paintings directly."
"Do you collect monthly rent, then?" asked one of the guild leaders, who couldn't help but associate everything with investment and profit.
"No. Instead, we take a small commission if they sell more than ten pieces," the Grand Duchess answered readily. The guild leader tilted his head, seemingly unable to understand why she would operate that way.
However, Pacio could clearly grasp the Grand Duchess's intention. Famous painters could sell their work through brokers, but those who weren't famous never even got the chance to showcase their work. The workshop wasn't intended for profit; it was a place to give opportunities to new artists.
And in the meantime, the artists can earn money for paper and supplies by painting portraits for the passersby.
There were several such places throughout the shopping district. For instance, the play area for children had very low usage fees compared to the facilities provided. It even seemed that if you brought a coupon clipped from the weekly magazine, you could get an entry pass without paying at all. It was quite a pleasant sight to see so many children running around and playing freely in the area.
Operating the circulating carriages must be in a similar vein.
When he had asked earlier after seeing a crowd of children pouring out of a carriage, Perel had added an explanation that children from a nearby orphanage came to the lakeshore for outings every day.
If she had only considered commercial viability, she wouldn't have bothered to include such unprofitable elements. The entire shopping district was filled with evidence that the Grand Duchess had put a lot of thought into ensuring the residents could enjoy a good environment, rather than just stimulating commerce.
She’s truly fulfilling her role as the Grand Duchess.
He could only feel admiration that she had taken all of that into account while planning such a vast and extensive shopping district. As if her plan had worked perfectly, the lakeside shopping district was overflowing with vitality. It was a sight never before seen in the North.
"Over on that side...!" the Grand Duchess said, pointing to the opposite side of the lake. "We plan to establish a second shopping district soon."
The delegation's gaze followed her fingertips as if entranced.
"We're thinking of making the individual shops much larger than the ones in this district."
The Grand Duchess added that while this side was a district that could be used by everyone, from commoners to nobles, the other side would carry more high-end luxury goods.
"I want to fill about thirty percent of the shop slots with Rondoris merchant guilds."
"Could it be... are you saying you will allow the guilds to operate the shops directly?"
"On the condition that the staff are hired from Blenheim," the Grand Duchess said firmly. "Of course, the specific details of the customs rates will have to be adjusted with the administrators."
At those words, the eyes of the guild leaders sparkled. To be able to open a shop directly without going through a Blenheim guild—this was wonderful news for the guild leaders who had many grievances regarding the process of supplying goods to Gold Lane.
The Grand Duchess is even smarter than I thought.
Even now, nobles and wealthy commoners endured the inconvenience of purchasing goods directly from Rondoris. If she could attract people by establishing proper shops, it would stimulate even more consumption.
Pacio's mind raced. If thirty percent was for Rondoris, she likely intended to fill the rest with shops from Arsen or the Imperial guilds. Since the scale of the shopping district was considerable, he had to secure more than thirty percent for Rondoris if possible. According to his predictions, this lakeside shopping district would surely become an incredibly popular tourist destination even in Rondoris before long.
This negotiation has become even more important than I thought.
Pacio looked at the Grand Duchess, who was explaining the illustrated shop signs to the delegation. Her blue eyes, resembling the lake, were sparkling with enthusiasm. An abundance of affection for Blenheim radiated from the Grand Duchess, who exuded an aura like sunshine.
"Will the guilds that enter be chosen by Blenheim? What are the criteria?"
"Is it possible for the guilds to provide input starting from the shop construction phase?"
The delegation members looked as if they had discovered a whole new world, their eyes completely wide. Seeing the guild leaders clamoring with questions in their excitement, Pacio swallowed a sigh.
It seemed unlikely that this delegation would be able to satisfy the Princess's expectations.