Northward Bound (5)
The carriage rolled into the grounds of a luxury hotel. Uniformed staff poured out in a rush to greet Countess Shabrilla. Dante glanced at the scene and remarked, “The staff here are quite attentive.”
Shabrilla smiled with her eyes. “I acquired this hotel not long ago. They’re still eager to prove themselves.”
Whether then or now, Countess Shabrilla loved making money. She had scattered businesses across the empire and achieved meaningful success in countless fields, with the Petakonia Trading Company at the center. In this fantasy world, one could almost call her the chairwoman of a major corporation.
They crossed a wide corridor and Shabrilla led Dante to the top-floor suite. A familiar face waited inside.
“Dante orabeoni!”
“It’s been a while, Charlotte.”
It was Charlotte, Sara’s soulmate in spirit. Dante looked at the Petakonia mother and daughter standing side by side. The resemblance was striking—like two peas in a pod.
“I thought you were in the capital.”
“Mother started a new venture, so I came to help until the initial phase is settled.”
When Charlotte spoke demurely, Shabrilla burst into cheerful laughter. “Ohohoho~ Charlotte takes after me completely! She’s so interested in making money that she follows me around everywhere!”
Dante nodded. If anyone could succeed as the next countess, it was Charlotte. She would follow in her mother’s footsteps and become an excellent corporate leader.
“So you’re here for the business?”
“Yes. Staying at the hotel is a little inconvenient, but I have to endure it if I want to work.”
Rivera, who had been standing like a folding screen, flinched at Charlotte’s words.
“…”
This place… was inconvenient?! It was obviously an absurdly expensive room!
But Rivera was the only one thinking that.
“I understand. I nearly died after eating and sleeping on the train for several days.”
“Hohoho. You must be tired, orabeoni.”
Rivera stared at Dante, her mouth falling open without her realizing it. No…! He had the largest, most comfortable room on the train all to himself…! He enjoyed gourmet meals prepared daily by skilled chefs…! And he called that tiring…?! What kind of people were these?!
“Dante is young, so he can endure it~! When I was young, I traveled so much that the train felt like my own home~!”
“As expected, you’re remarkable, Countess.”
“Well~ living in those cramped train cars did make me think about the money I’d saved sometimes~ but looking back, it’s all fond memories~”
Hahaha. The nobles laughed, sharing their own sense of camaraderie.
…If Rivera had even a shred of revolutionary spirit, she might have prepared a guillotine and execution platform right then. But she was the sort who followed nobles like these.
“Orabeoni, who is this?”
“I brought her so I could introduce her.”
Dante turned to Countess Shabrilla. “I happened to meet her on the train. Would you consider hiring her as staff?”
“This young lady?”
Shabrilla looked Rivera up and down, then nodded. “Yes, she seems suitable. She’d make a fine sales clerk.”
As someone who ran a trading company, Shabrilla had a keen eye for people. Rivera was more than qualified. For one thing, her appearance was excellent. Attractive people sold goods far better than plain ones—that was wisdom Shabrilla had gained from experience. When hiring staff for high-end shops, she placed significant weight on looks and figure. In that regard, Rivera had plenty of talent as an employee.
“But this time, I’d like to hear Charlotte’s opinion rather than mine!”
“Is that so.”
“Hohoho! The truth is~! The massive new store I’m building, the [department store], I’m planning to entrust it to Charlotte instead of running it myself~!”
Just as Dante’s father had personally traveled to the New World for trade to inherit the family, Charlotte would also need management experience to succeed her mother. That was why Shabrilla had decided to hand the new department store over to her daughter.
“Since my daughter Charlotte will be the owner~”
Countess Shabrilla smiled brightly. “I was thinking we could simply call it [Lotte Department Store]~!”
“…”
Dante was momentarily at a loss for words. The name felt strangely familiar. He was sure he’d heard it somewhere before… or was it just his imagination?
“It’s a good name.”
“Then I think this young lady would be perfect as a sales floor employee at the department store.”
When Shabrilla looked at her daughter, Charlotte smiled softly. “Would it be all right if I conducted a brief interview first?”
The two women headed to an empty room. A private conversation passed between them.
A short while later, Charlotte spoke to Dante. “I intend to hire her, but there is one condition.”
“What is it?”
“I’d like you to confirm whether she’s trustworthy and let me know.”
Dante nodded. Since he had brought her, he was responsible for vouching for her.
“I’ve already spoken to Miss Rivera. If she travels north with you and returns safely, I’ll hire her as staff.”
“That’s all?”
“Yes. That condition is sufficient.”
The terms were slightly stricter, but things had worked out well.
“Thank you, Charlotte.”
“Not at all. I should be the one thanking you. Thank you for introducing such a good person, Dante orabeoni.”
Shabrilla clapped her hands. “Now~ let’s set business aside~ I’ve prepared a light meal and tea table, so shall we move there, Dante?”
Dante spent time catching up with the Petakonia mother and daughter he hadn’t seen in a while.
#
Rivera replayed her conversation with Charlotte in her mind. The interview had been lightning-fast. The moment Dante brought her along, her hiring had essentially been decided. So Charlotte had made a request.
[While staying by orabeoni’s side, observe everything he does and where he goes, then report back to me.]
Many people worried about Dante. Sara, of course, and Charlotte and Princess Esilia—they all hoped he would return safely, even if they didn’t show it openly. That was why Charlotte had attached Rivera to him.
[If you carry out the task properly, I’ll assign you to serve the young ladies at my department store.]
Charlotte wrote a number on a piece of paper. When Rivera saw it, her mind went blank.
[This is the weekly wage I’ll pay you.]
[W-weekly wage…? Not monthly?!]
[There are four weeks in a month, so multiply this by four for your monthly salary.]
[!!!]
Rivera’s waist immediately folded in half.
[Please treat me like a slave, my lady!]
[Hohoho. Then I’ll be counting on you, Miss Rivera.]
If she just helped with Dante’s travels…! She could work at Lotte Department Store for an enormous salary!
“Ah! I’ll assist you! Young master!”
“…”
Dante stared in disbelief at the suddenly clingy Rivera. What on earth had Charlotte told her to turn her into a butler overnight?
“Do I look old enough to be called young master?”
“Then… master?”
“…”
Dante rubbed his face with one hand, but Rivera beamed and stayed glued to his side. Every moment was delightful for her right now.
“Please take good care of me until the journey ends!”
He hadn’t planned on hiring her as a servant, but somehow it seemed he’d have to bring her along for the trip.
“Well then… let’s get along, Rivera.”
“Yes! Master!”
“…Drop the ‘master.’”
“Yes! Young master!”
“…”
#
After clearing out her crew quarters, Rivera moved into the passenger servant cabin. She had changed her affiliation entirely—from train crew to Dante’s personal servant.
She followed him like a shadow, though instead of properly attending to him, she mostly pestered him.
“Ah! I’ll help you with your meal, Dante-nim!”
“Do you even know how to serve at meals?”
“Isn’t it similar to helping my drunk father?”
“…”
Why had Charlotte stuck Rivera with him? Dante grumbled inwardly, but that was as far as it went. He had been planning to find a local guide anyway. Being from the western part of the empire, he knew nothing about the north. If Rivera could show him around, it would save a lot of trouble.
“Kyaa! Dante-nim! There’s a bug in the room!”
“Oh. Just leave it. It’s one I’m raising.”
“???”
They still clashed a little, but the two were gradually growing accustomed to each other.
“I’m going for a drink tonight.”
Dante stopped lounging in the room and headed to the lounge. The bar, which sold wine, whiskey, and various other liquors, was still open.
Rivera trailed after him, asking questions. “You don’t usually go to bars, do you? I thought you didn’t like meeting the young ladies…”
Dante answered, “Meeting the young ladies isn’t the problem. I just don’t like the ones who throw themselves at me without warning.”
“…That’s quite something.”
Rivera looked slightly flustered, but Dante was sincere. Among the empire’s young noblewomen, there was a very famous saying:
[It is a universally acknowledged truth that any single man of considerable fortune must be in want of a wife.]
What did that mean? It meant that wealthy men absolutely had to marry! And marry whom? Marriageable young ladies, of course! If rich men married noble daughters and spent their money lavishly, the imperial economy would thrive~ and so on and so forth~
And Dante was exactly that “single man of considerable fortune” from the saying. The eldest son of the Aision County family, raking in money through overseas trade. As a male noble in a romance fantasy, his appearance was S-rank as well. Naturally, women flocked to him in droves.
Dante was sick of it.
“How should I put it… I hate the way they look at me like I’m an obvious romantic prospect.”
“…That sounds more like something a woman would say.”
That was why he had avoided getting deeply involved with the young ladies until now. If he was too kind, they would cling to him. But if he was unkind, rumors would spread that the Aision heir had no manners. That was troublesome in its own way.
Dante sighed without realizing it. “Living as a noble is tiring too.”
“…”
Rivera looked around for a guillotine and execution platform, but unfortunately neither could be brought aboard the train.
“So the reason you’re going for a drink now is…”
“We’re getting off the train soon. There’s no point getting close now when we won’t be together much longer.”
“…You’re thorough.”
“Of course, if they try to start a romance, I’ll chase them off.”
Dante headed to the bar with Rivera. Several baron’s daughters were gathered there, sipping drinks.
“Oh, Dante-nim.”
The young ladies spotted him and waved. Dante smiled faintly. The atmosphere was definitely much more comfortable than their first meeting. There was almost no feeling of them trying to get involved with him. Now it was simply the feeling of friends who had met on the train.
It was thanks to Dante deliberately maintaining distance and making that boundary clear. They were a man and women, but romance was impossible. It shouldn’t happen. So were they now complete strangers?
“Did you come to drink alone? If you don’t mind, would you like to join us for a glass?”
“I won’t drink much.”
“Hoho. That’s fine.”
That wasn’t quite true. When the “romantic feelings” were removed from the relationship between men and women, a new side became visible. Was friendship between men and women possible? It was—on the premise that both sides completely gave up on romance.
“You seem to like wine after all.”
“Yes. Do you drink wine too, Dante-nim?”
“I do. I’m quite interested in it. Would you like me to recommend a glass?”
“Oh my, what kind of…”
Dante and the young ladies spent the remaining days as “friends.”
“I heard Dante-nim is getting off the train soon.”
“It’s such a shame…”
“If we asked to meet one last time…”
“Do you think that would work? Have you forgotten what happened when we approached him before?”
“Right. This distance is just perfect.”
The young ladies chatted while gazing out at the sunny scenery. There were so many young ladies who dreamed of being Cinderella. They dreamed of meeting a handsome, wealthy man and living happily… but only a tiny fraction ever achieved that dream.
“I could do it! If it were me!”
“Drag that girl out and throw her off the train right now.”
Now the young ladies themselves were keeping watch to make sure no one approached Dante. They had realized it too. The distance at which they could remain on friendly terms with Dante… was exactly this much. If anyone crossed that line, Dante would turn his back. This was as far as they were allowed to go.
“Still, he’s such a kind person~!”
“He’s handsome and rich. I wonder which girl will end up taking him later?”
“That would be cute little me…!”
“Has that girl still not been thrown off?”
The young ladies knew Dante had simply been doing [family favorability work]. As a noble of a count’s house, it was natural social activity. He had met with them one last time because of the Aision name. Even so… they were happy. They might not have become lovers, but the fact that they had enjoyed a few days of train travel with a handsome, charming man remained unchanged. In time, this too would become a pleasant memory.
The train racing across the plains was already nearing its end.