Chapter 190
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 190
“Greetings, Lady Tulia!”
“Greetings!”
“Whoa, whoa. Sit down, sit down.”
“Thank you!”
“Thank you!”
I stared at the managers of the White Tulip Salon one by one as they stood before me, breaking out in cold sweats.
Under my gaze, every single one of them bowed deeply, practically doubling over.
When did the numbers grow this much?
As the scale of the White Tulip Salon expanded, we had to hire more people, and already there were nearly ten high-level managers.
I looked down at the neatly organized documents on the desk. When I saw the figure written at the top, I was momentarily struck dumb.
Am I seeing this right? My eyes are wide open, aren't they?
“So, this amount...”
“...”
“You’re saying Prince Benjamin offered 100 billion gold?”
“Yes, my lady...”
“Yes, Merchant Head...”
“Yes, Your Excellency...”
“...Pick one title and stick to it.”
“If I may ask, which one should we use...?”
“Call me Master.”
“Yes, Master!”
I looked at the numbers again and grumbled to myself.
Adel. How on earth is this a ‘minor matter’?
The first of the "minor matters" Adel had mentioned was Prince Benjamin’s unannounced trade proposal.
“100 billion gold is equivalent to ten years of trade for our White Tulip Salon.”
“That is correct. That is why we have hurriedly hired additional residents from the territory to meet the volume.”
“As you—I mean, as Master previously instructed, we have introduced a three-shift system... However, since ‘plants’ are the primary raw material, there is a physical limit to how much we can do, no matter how hard we try.”
I rested my chin on the back of my hand and spoke.
“So, what you’re saying is there’s no way to make the plants grow faster?”
“W-we will look into it!”
No. I was just asking...
I scratched my head lightly as I watched the managers break out in more cold sweat.
Anyone watching would think I was some kind of demon threatening to rip their mouths open.
I wasn't sure if they were afraid of the reputation of the Frezier name, or if it was simply because Tulia herself was the greatest villainess of this world.
Anyway, we can’t handle this volume on our own right now. But it would be a waste to lose a massive client worth 100 billion gold.
Sophia was a big part of the problem.
Because she had caused the scandal of the century, high society was literally turned upside down.
Naturally, when a member of a family causes trouble, the entire family suffers.
The White Tulip Salon was no exception.
The number of visiting customers has dropped significantly. They say it will recover naturally, but it’s a fact that sales have fallen.
At a time like this, a massive payment of 100 billion was like rain in a drought.
Unable to let this slip away, I had invited an appropriate advisor.
And so.
“How about borrowing the power of magic?”
It was none other than Schuls Schmidt, who had once been my Pneuma.
I was meeting him again.
It had been quite a while since I had faced him so openly—a man who was now the Vice-Chairman of the White Tower and had even been appointed as the official tutor to the Crown Prince.
“The power of magic?”
When I asked back, Schuls Schmidt gave a slight nod.
His eyes were cold, and his face looked strangely worn with fatigue.
However, he was still so handsome that he could make any noblewoman’s heart flutter, to the point where I even considered paying him to be a model.
That probably wouldn't work.
No matter how I looked at it, he was the Vice-Chairman of a prestigious institution and the Crown Prince’s teacher.
“For crops to grow, they need the right temperature, sufficient light, and constant nutrients. Fortunately, the Belus territory only experiences spring and summer year-round...”
The managers had no idea that the advisor I was bringing in would be the Schuls Schmidt.
I hadn't told them on purpose. Now that they were facing him, some of them were even trembling slightly at the knees.
“Mages are excellent technicians. Let us put in a request to them.”
“What kind of request...?”
A relatively young manager sitting at the far end asked reflexively before quickly clamping his mouth shut.
It was because Schuls Schmidt had looked at him.
His gaze was so cold that the managers lowered their heads in surprise.
They were all too busy avoiding his eyes to notice.
But as his former student, I could interpret his look: ‘It is truly exhausting to have to converse with someone of such low intelligence.’
“...”
And I was the one who had to bear the brunt of Schuls Schmidt’s displeasure.
Because he didn't give an answer and simply stared at me.
There was only one meaning behind that look.
He wanted me to read his thoughts and derive a solution to the current problem myself.
Time to think? There was none. He wouldn't give me any.
He was telling me to speak right here, right now.
Good grief, does he think everyone in the world is a genius like him?
Despite my internal grumbling, I put my brain to work, acting like a diligent student.
“The temperature you mentioned earlier will be handled by the seasons of the Belus territory, and the nutrients in the soil will be handled by the vastness of the land. We can simply rotate the crops and give the soil time to rest.”
Schuls Schmidt’s eyebrow twitched upward slightly.
“Then all that’s left... is light.”
Because plants need light to grow.
“The ‘request’ you’re talking about, Teacher, must be for the creation of a brilliantly bright magic tool that can replace the sun even in the middle of the night, right?”
Schuls Schmidt, who had been gazing at me intently, slowly nodded.
“Excellent.”
He was a man born with a naturally chilling gaze. That was just how Schuls Schmidt was.
His eyes, cold as a glass filled with ice, remained the same, yet I could feel a sliver of warmth from him.
He was the kind of teacher who made me return a smile without even realizing it. That was Schuls Schmidt.
While we were staring at each other, the managers’ eyes rolled back as they dove into their own meeting.
“Then let’s put in a request to the Mages' Association immediately!”
“Tell them we’ll cover all research and production costs. And we must ensure the core technology is transferred to us. If that’s not possible, we should at least sign a special exclusivity contract.”
“Should we propose a 50-year exclusivity deal?”
“But the cost will be substantial.”
“It will definitely be worth it in the long run!”
“We should take this opportunity to resurvey the Belus territory. If we rotate the White Tulips every three years, we can grow the crops most efficiently...”
Leaving the managers to their enthusiastic meeting, I brought Schuls Schmidt to my private library.
“Are you using such a large library as your personal office?”
“Impressive, isn't it?”
Schuls laughed softly. Suddenly, I became curious.
“You’ve become the Crown Prince’s teacher.”
“Yes. Ah, I heard that his engagement to your niece was annulled. It was quite interesting.”
Interesting? Doesn't he know why Sophia was dumped?
The fact that the engagement was broken because Sophia was caught spreading scandalous rumors with an enormous number of men.
High society was already in an uproar because of this.
Furthermore, I was from the same family as Sophia.
Of course, no nobles dared to gossip openly in front of me, as I was rumored to be the apple of Grand Duke Frezier’s eye, but there was no telling how much they whispered behind my back.
As for the Crown Prince... well, that goes without saying.
I asked Schuls Schmidt.
“You don't seem to care much. Even though His Highness the Crown Prince is your student.”
“Why should I care? The annulment is something His Highness must handle himself.”
“Does His Highness not listen to you very well, Teacher?”
Schuls Schmidt tilted his teacup for a moment before answering nonchalantly.
“He has followed along diligently. Ever since I first took him on.”
Aha.
I immediately caught the underlying meaning in those short words.
Ferdinand... must have been put through the wringer...
Despite his appearance, Schuls Schmidt was an incredibly strict teacher. Ferdinand must have suffered quite a bit.
Though it’s for his own good.
Is there anything more indulgent than complaining that the protective barrier surrounding you is too thick?
The truly sad thing is when not a single layer is left to protect you.
So, Ferdinand likely appreciated the strict barrier that was Schuls Schmidt.
“Teacher.”
Actually, there was another ‘real’ reason I had called Schuls Schmidt to this private library.
I took out a few sheets of paper from a box I kept locked.
“I’m finally giving you what you requested of me a few years ago. Take a look.”
In an instant, Schuls Schmidt’s cool eyes shook violently. His hands were even trembling.
He slowly reached out and took the papers I offered.