TKMLTE 97

CHAPTER 97

Translator: Rae

***

“We Should Do Everything Together,” He Said

"Oh… A boat! I wanted to talk about the boat."

She hurriedly covered her lips with her hand, flustered. A deep blush spread across her cheeks, making her look even more endearing.

As if reluctant to part, Whitney absentmindedly touched her lips, her gaze wavering. He reached out with a smile and gently caught a strand of her hair between his fingers, as if refusing to let her slip away completely.

Soft, wheat-colored hair scattered between his fingers.

"You said anything."

As Whitney took a step back, her hair slid free from his grasp, leaving a lingering tickle against his fingertips. Absentmindedly, he rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, as if trying to hold onto the sensation.

“...I, I should get going now. I’ll see you at the banquet, Your Highness!”

Watching her disappear with a flushed face, Cheston’s lips curled into a smirk. He slowly ran his tongue over his lips, as if tracing the lingering imprint she had left behind.

“I told you not to turn your back on me,”

Cheston murmured, eyes fixed on Whitney’s retreating figure, who once again had chosen to turn her back on him.

***

Whitney practically ran away from the room while fanning her flushed face.

“Did something not go well in your conversation with His Highness the Prince?”

Sir Zegmon asked, seemingly concerned about her situation. It seemed he thought Whitney was upset, judging by her reddened face.

“No, it’s not like that. If Sir Aaron jumps into the water again, perhaps we should suggest a swimming poo, to His Majesty the KIng.”

She said hastily, addressing Sir Aaron, who was watching her intently.

“Even if there’s a swimming pol, His Highness would probably prefer the sea or the lake. Please give His Highness a heads-up the next time Your Grace visit the royal palace. That way, His Highness won’t have any unfortunate accidents involving water.”

“...I will.”

Whitney nodded to Sir Zegmon and cleared her throat.

“We should get back to the duke’s estate. It seems we’ve been staying here longer than expected.”

“Are you feeling hot, Your Grace?”

"It seems like it's exceptionally hot today."

Sir Zegman greeted Sir Aaron with a light bow.

“Please return safely.”

Sir Aaron grinned slyly. Whitney’s face flushed once more at his words. It seemed he knew exactly why she was feeling flustered.

***

Returning to the duke’s estate, Whitney soon received an invitation and waited for Mr. Linze to arrive.

"Are all the documents ready?"

"Yes, I have them by the desk. I also prepared a stamp Your Grace asked me to put in the cork.”

"Thank you."

Whitney changed her clothes and headed to the study. Seeing the cork, labels, and seal placed on the desk, it all suddenly felt real.

‘I hope he likes it.’

It would undoubtedly be a groundbreaking promotion. Although limited, the plan was to implement it only on special days, quarterly.

Knock, knock.

Following the knocking sound, the butler’s voice came from the other side of the door.

"Your Grace, Linze Brie has arrived."

“Let him in.”

She moved to the table. The door opened and Mr. Linze entered with the butler.

"Welcome, Mr. Linze."

"Thank you for inviting me."

Mr. Linze appeared somewhat a bit thinner than the last time they met, as if he had been through a lot. How much must she have worried, unable to even speak?

“I should have gone and looked into it myself, but I just heard about it. Has the situation improved now?”

“Thanks to your effort to have sent someone, they seem to have backed off for now. However, they’re such vicious people…”

"What's the issue? You have to tell me so I can come up with a solutipn."

In the Ninetree Village, water is drawn from the Harbes Mountains. There is a canal, but when large quantities of water are needed, like for crops, it’s drawn directly from the mountains. Recently, however, there have been frequent disruptions in the water supply.

“It’s highly likely that they’re behind it. If they tamper with the mountain’s water supply, the villagers will suffer too. I’ll look into other solutions, so don’t worry.”

"Thank you so much.”

Seeing the relieved look on Linze’s face, Whitney felt a sense of urgency. She quickly showed him the samples on the table and spoke again.

"This is the promotional method I was talking about."

“...Are you sure this will work?”

Linze seemed flustered. It was understandable, as Whitney had the idea of engraving the word ‘Winner’ on the cork of the wine with a branding iron. The reason she had even made the stamp was for this very purpose.

And for those who won, the special prize would be an opal. This plan was meant to capture the attention of the nobles. Having already presented tribute to the King, Whitney would soon have the opals polished and, in some way, presented to the nobles.

She wasn’t planning on selling those from Diorthos. Instead, she intended to export them in order to raise their price and rarity, so that the nobles of the kingdom would have a chance to receive the opal only after drinking the wine made by Linze’s Winery. It would become an exclusive privilege tied to the wine, making it all more desirable.

By giving the gift of opal to juse a few selected nobles, raising their interest in the precious stones alone would be half the success. 

Even if they had the money, the fact that they couldn’t just buy it would spark a strong desire in them to find a way to get their hands on it. 

The perception that only the selected few could possess it, something to flaunt to others, would make them act on their own, which was the perfect promotional strategy for elevating the wine’s prestige.

“Of course, the chances of winning will be low. But people will hold onto hope, won’t they? That’s why I plan to sell the wine at a higher price. However, since there will be a large harvest, I’m thinking of splitting the labels into two categories.”

One would be priced lower, aimed at commoners and those who are looking for good quality wine at an affordable rate, and the other would target the nobles and upper classes.

“This… this will definitely be a huge success!”

"Of course. Mr. Linze’s wine tastes great. We're going to have a tasting session at the upcoming royal banquet.”

Mr. Linze’s was brighter than when he just entered the room. The business discussion had gone on for a while, and it wasn’t until evening that it finally concluded.

***

A few days later, Witney unexpectedly received a reply from the King of Phaetonthra.

"Um, should I be pleased about this?”

The interest in the opal was immense. However, there was an underlying implication that he didn’t want to jeopardize the relationship with the Kingdom of Luowen just yet.

‘I suppose I’ll have to seek the King’s assistance after all.’

Perhaps, there was some sort of deal between Phaetonthra and the Kingdom of Cerulo. If everything goes smoothly without causing harm to either side, it could also work out favorably for Princess Violet.

Though things seemed to be going well, she still felt uneasy about something. The way Carl reacted to the news of Maurice’s pregnancy would determine the course of the situation.

She hadn’t seen him in the royal palace either, which suggested he was busy, not spending time with Violet, nor helping her prepare for the upcoming banquet.

Lost in thought for a while, she was snapped out of it by the sound of a knck and looked up from the letter she had been reading.

"Madam Rubenus is here, Your Grace."

"Oh! Tell her I'll be there in a minute."

Whitney put the opal necklace in the box.

The high-quality opal shimmered in various colors, shifting with the light. She had specifically ordered a necklace for her aunt, and it had turned out beautifully, with the design being especially sleek and sophisticated.

As she walked toward the parlor, her mind was filled with various thoughts. Carl, Maurice, the queen, and Princess Violet.

There was so much she had to consider that it felt overwhelming. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

When she arrived at the parlor, she was greeted with a welcoming face.

“Sister!”

"Leo, it's been a while. Did you come because you missed me?"

"Wow! That's right, I’m not being stubborn, though.”

Witney chuckled as she ruffled Leo's hair.

aving asked for a cake to be served for Leo, she greeted her aunt and sat down.

"You look like you’ve got a lot on your mind.”

“Oh… I’ve got a lot in mind. I think it’s mostly because of the upcoming marriage announcement. There’s a lot to consider.”

“Don’t overthink it. If it’s something that’s beyond your control, especially…”

She nodded, appreciating her aunt’s wisdom. After a moment, she handed over the box she had prepared.

“it’s an opal that will go with my wine business. I had a necklace made specifically for you, Aunty.”

“My goodness. It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a high-quality opal. I’m sure many women will be eyeing it.”

Her aunt tried on the opal necklace and checked herself out in the mirror, turning her head to the side several times. She didn’t say much, but her satisfied expression put Whitney at ease.

"By the way, have you heard about it? I heard it from a meeting recently, and there is a Marquis of Arroche who came to the capital for the social season, and he is on the topic everywhere these days." “By the way, have you heard the news? I was at the gathering recently and overheard some gossip. With the Marquis of Aroche’s arrival to the capital for the social season, he has become the talk of the town every where he goes lately. 

“He must be a gentleman who came to find a woman to marry.”

It seemed that most of the women who were currently the talk of the town already have their partners chosen. In such a time, a new man, one who has even become the hot topic, must possess a certain level of both looks and wealth.

“They say he’s so charming that women are desperate to get his attention. There are even ladies whose goal before the end of the social season is to have at least one dance with him.”

"Is that so?"

“I remember seeing him at one of the gatherings I attended for an investment opportunity. He left quite an impression, very gentlemanly. His looks alone were enough to captivate any women. In fact, he had such an alluring presence that just one glance was enough to get any women completely captivated.”

Whitney nodded at her aunt’s words. With the social season nearing its end, the appearance of the young and handsome Marquis was bound to catch the attention of women.

“Most importantly, he’s very interested in business and is looking for places to invest.”

"Really? So, he’s not looking for a woman to marry?”

“I heard he hasn’t met anyone who has captured his heart yet. He talks about waiting for a woman he’s destined to fall in love with, a romantic tale indeed.”

“Those words must sound like a sweet temptation to a woman waiting for love.”

Whitney chuckled as she took a sip of her tea. Leo, clearly enjoying the cake, showed no interest in the conversation between her and her aunt.

"By the way, he seemed interested in business. Would you like to meet him?"

It was undoubtedly a good suggestion, but for some reason, Whitney felt anxious and shook her head.

“It seems like I don’t need any other investments, so there’s no need to meet him. Thank you for  your consideration.”

"That's a shame. He was eager to meet you. Maybe next time when you have a chance.”

She nodded at her aunt's words.

In fact, she hoped she would never have to meet him, the man who was drawing so much attention from others.

***

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