Chapter 40
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 40
“Please, ask whatever you wish.”
“Forgive my curiosity, but word has it you once struggled with your complexion. Yet now, your skin is simply radiant. Might there be a secret to it…?”
At those words, every eye in the circle began to sparkle. It seemed the entire tea table shared the same burning curiosity.
“Ah, that…”
Just as Harriet was about to speak, a realization struck her like a bolt of lightning.
This is it! This is the way!
A way to secure funds for the Saint Clarissa Convent. A way for her to build both wealth and a reputation of her own.
I need to bring the convent’s soaps and medicinal herbs to the market in Genoa!
In the past, such humble goods might never have caught a noble’s eye, but the situation had changed. Harriet Listerwell, the woman currently at the center of every conversation in High Society, would be the one to spread the word.
Harriet suppressed the urge to reveal everything at once and offered a sweet, enigmatic smile.
“It is a secret.”
“I beg your pardon?”
The young ladies, who had been leaning in for a grand revelation, blinked in collective bewilderment. Harriet’s eyes crinkled playfully as her smile deepened.
“I hope to share it with you all soon. However, there are certain circumstances that make it difficult for me to speak of it just yet.”
“Now I am even more intrigued.”
“My apologies. I shall save the rest of the story for our next meeting.”
Annabelle, charmed by the natural way Harriet prompted a future engagement, leaned in with newfound familiarity.
“You will join my tea table again then, won’t you?”
“If you invite me, I would be delighted.”
By the time the party concluded, Harriet was certain she had secured several valuable connections within the capital’s social circles.
*
Upon returning to the Fellon Estate, Harriet immediately sought out Roxana.
Roxana was a woman of immense responsibility, serving as Trisha’s primary aide. While Trisha had instructed that all important matters be funneled through Roxana, the aide didn't bother hiding her irritation at the interruption.
“What is it now? I am quite busy; I have to finish auditing these ledgers by the end of the day.”
Harriet, undaunted by Roxana’s icy reception, got straight to the point.
“Teacher, I wish to know the specifics of the process required to sell provincial goods in the capital.”
“Does this truly require my attention this second?”
“Yes. It is urgent.”
Roxana let out a long, weary sigh but reached for a fresh sheet of paper and a pen regardless.
“Shall I explain this strictly from the perspective of distribution and sales?”
“Yes. The products are of excellent quality; they simply lack a proper sales channel.”
“Whether the products are ‘excellent’ or not is not for you to decide personally, Miss Harriet. Regardless, I will answer your question. To transport goods from the provinces to the capital, you must either contract with an established distribution guild or establish a new one of your own…”
The explanation that followed lasted nearly an hour, delivered with Roxana’s trademark clinical precision. In short: it takes money to make money.
“So, you are saying I must borrow the initial capital from someone?”
Roxana shrugged.
“You could take a loan from a bank or a private individual, or you could seek out an investment.”
“An investment?”
“Bringing provincial goods to the capital is a business venture. Most businesses rely on investment. Of course, you would have to guarantee a return higher than standard bank interest, but it is often preferable to being beholden to a bank.”
“Why is that?”
“If the venture succeeds and yields a healthy profit for your backers, more capital will flock to your next project.”
It was the law of the world: wealth breeds wealth, and success attracts further success.
“And if it fails…?”
“Then you are labeled a failed businesswoman. However, while bank debt—both principal and interest—must be repaid regardless of outcome, investment funds do not carry the same legal obligation for full repayment in the event of a total loss.”
“What? Truly?”
“Investment is the investor’s gamble. They provide capital in hopes of a greater reward, fully aware of the risk to their principal. Naturally, a competent person does everything in their power to mitigate those losses.”
Harriet felt her head spinning.
A bank loan might have been simpler to understand, but with her current reputation, no bank would lend her enough to launch a commercial soap enterprise. But if she sought investors, who would trust Harriet Listerwell with a significant sum of money?
But what is the worst that could happen?
Harriet gritted her teeth. She would seek out investors first. If that failed, she could look into the banks later.
“Thank you, Teacher. This was incredibly helpful.”
“It seems you are about to stir up more trouble…”
“I haven’t done anything yet to warrant the word ‘more.’”
“The fact that you haven’t done it yet is the only truth in that statement. Whatever it is, just ensure it does not reflect poorly on Lady Fellon.”
With that parting shot, Roxana returned to her ledgers. Harriet bowed politely and slipped out of the office. Now that she had a plan, the tasks ahead began to pile up in her mind.
Before I find an investor, I need to discuss the logistics with Mother Superior Catherine.
Time was of the essence. The Saint Clarissa Convent needed funds immediately, and Harriet needed to strike while her newfound notoriety was still at its peak. She went straight to Trisha.
“Great-aunt, I was hoping to visit the Saint Clarissa Convent.”
Trisha raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued, but she refrained from prying.
“Inform the staff downstairs; they will prepare a carriage for you.”
Feeling a surge of reassurance, Harriet packed a light bag and set off.
*
“Sister Harriet!”
“Mother Superior! Sister Agnes!”
Harriet ran toward Catherine and Agnes, who met her with open arms. They turned her around, inspecting her from every angle as if she were a soldier returning from a long campaign, checking for any signs of weight loss or injury.
“I am truly doing well. You needn't worry so much.”
“Are you certain? Viscount Listerwell’s behavior was quite… unsettling when you left.”
Catherine scrutinized Harriet’s face, searching for any hidden sorrow. She was relieved to find Harriet’s expression as bright and clear as a summer sky.
“It has been less than two months since we parted, yet it feels like a lifetime,” Catherine sighed.
“It does. But being back within these walls, it feels as though I only left yesterday.”
Sharing warm updates on their well-being, the three women headed toward the Mother Superior’s private study. Once inside, Harriet produced an envelope and handed it to Catherine.
“It isn’t much, but please accept this as my offering. I hope it can assist with the project you are undertaking.”
“Child, you have barely settled in the capital. How can you give us such a sum…?”
“My new guardian, Countess Fellon, provides for all my needs. I wish for the money I have to serve the convent.”
“Heavens! Do you realize the weight of this gift…?”
Catherine knew Harriet’s situation well. She knew the girl only possessed the 5,000 Dirham given to her by Baron Billay. But to Harriet, that money was a symbol of the Baron’s goodwill; she didn't need it for her daily life. She needed it for the business.
“What matters now isn't this small sum, Mother Superior. As I wrote in my letter, I cannot rely solely on the Countess’s charity forever. And for the convent, relying on sporadic donations will make it impossible to sustain the ‘Girls’ Haven’ in the long term.”
“That is true, but you know our income is meager at best, Sister.”
“Then we must change that.”
As Harriet’s eyes flashed with determination, Catherine tilted her head in confusion.
“What do you mean?”
“I shall be direct. I want to launch a soap-selling business under the name of the Saint Clarissa Convent.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“It has immense potential. I will make it a success.”
Before Catherine could even process the logistics, she recoiled at the very notion of commerce.
“It is true that we sell our goods to cover operating costs, but for those who have dedicated their lives to God to dive into a business for the sake of profit… it feels… improper.”
“Mother Superior, you and the Sisters wouldn't be doing anything new. You would simply be doing what you already do, but earning what your labor is actually worth.”
“That may be, but…”
Harriet leaned in, her voice soft but firm.
“If I may be honest, I believe that helping those in need with funds earned through the Sisters’ own devotion and hard work is more in line with God’s will than surviving on the whims of noble donations.”
Beside them, Agnes nodded slowly in agreement.
“Sister Harriet makes a fair point, Mother Superior. Of course, we must ensure our duties to the chapel are not overshadowed, but…”
“We do not produce a high volume,” Catherine countered, her voice wavering. “Would selling it in the capital even be profitable?”