Episode 122: I came to do some business. (3)
“You’re sending it to servants, not nobles?”
“Oh, send it with Baron Fenris written in large letters.”
“Ah… … Aha? I see.”
Claude nodded with a strange expression.
Then Belinda, who had been looking at the two with suspicious eyes, intervened.
“No, what is it? What is it? Please explain it to me. Do you understand, sir? You’re not pretending to know something when you don’t, are you?”
Claude immediately reacted angrily to the blatant remark that ignored him.
“What nonsense are you talking about! I’m the top student at Seiron Academy and I handle all the work of the Territory General, so how could I be that stupid!”
“Huh, I get beaten by the master every day.”
“That’s because the lord is a person who goes beyond common sense!”
Claude pounded his chest as if he was frustrated.
But not only Belinda, but also the other people around her were staring at Giselle regardless of whether Claude did or not.
Jiselle explained it to me in a nonchalant tone.
“Belinda was also happy when I first gave her cosmetics. She asked what product they were and if they were expensive.”
“That… was it.”
“But why did you refuse later?”
“Of course, you said you made it yourself. Even though you’ve never learned anything like that… … . Oh, I see!”
Only then did Belinda realize what Giselle meant and exclaim in admiration.
The people of Fenris Castle are well aware of his ignorance in fields such as medicine and alchemy, so they do not trust the cosmetics he claims to have created.
But people living in the capital are different.
“Among the servants, there will probably be one or two who believe it just because they have a noble name.”
“Because the people here don’t know who you are.”
“yes.”
Although not everyone who receives the cosmetics will use them, if even one person uses them and sees the effects, word will spread quickly, just like it did in the Fenris Territory.
Gillian, the top contributor to the first cosmetics test, nodded seriously.
“Indeed, you are saying that in order to capture a knight, you must first capture a horse. You are going to recruit the people around you who are easy to conquer. As expected of a lord.”
“… … It didn’t have that deep of a meaning, but in retrospect, it wasn’t wrong.”
Jiselle scratched the back of her neck as if she felt embarrassed.
“It’s obvious when you hear it, but why didn’t I think of that? I’m the one who’s most attached to the employees.”
Belinda grumbled in regret. Giselle snickered.
“That’s probably because you don’t trust me. That’s why you don’t like me explaining things in detail. Even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me anyway.”
“… … .”
People were left speechless by the words that hit the nail on the head.
Claude clicked his tongue as he looked around at the people who were just coughing in vain with embarrassed expressions.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, what if the vassals who are supposed to stay by your side until the end don’t trust your words and doubt everything you do? How can the territory run properly like this? Don’t act like Alfoy.”
“… … .”
It really pisses me off to hear such words from the most suspicious person of all.
However, since Claude was the only one who figured out Giselle’s intentions before she could explain, it was difficult to refute her.
As people stared, Claude pointed to his temple with two fingers and said,
“Can you feel the difference in intelligence…?”
Living among people blossomed.
Claude turned his head away as if he didn’t know and said.
“We will package the product nicely and send it to the noble family.”
“That’s right. There’s no need to take care of all the nobles. Just select the ones who are doing well and send them.”
“Then what kind of gifts should we send to the nobles? We can’t just not send them at all, right?”
It’s also funny how they ignore the nobles and only send gifts to their servants.
It was a law that only by giving me one thing would I have a justification.
Jiselle thought for a moment and then said as if it was no big deal.
“I’ll buy you a root and send it to you under the pretense of coming to the capital to say hello.”
“… … Is it the Mandragora root?”
“Yeah. There’s no need to send something better, right? Just let them know my name and that our top sent cosmetics. Send me the cheapest one.”
Claude scratched his head in embarrassment.
Although mandragora root was famous as a tonic, it was not something to be given as a gift to the capital’s nobles.
Even though I didn’t need to curry favor with the nobles… … I was worried about what people might say behind my back.
“Well, I guess there’s nothing I can do. Okay. Then what should I write in the letter? Is there anything you want to say?”
“This body appears in the capital.”
“… … I will write it well and send it to you.”
Jiselle clicked her tongue and answered.
“Okay, you should figure that out by now. Do you think I’ll think of every single line in the letter?”
“Okay, I understand.”
Claude grumbled but prepared the letter and gift with care.
After sending the gift, there was nothing to do but wait for the response.
While the group, unable to stand boredom, went sightseeing in the capital and looking for good restaurants, Jiselle remained alone in the mansion, lost in thought.
‘I think people are starting to see the effects.’
Other people thought that Jiselle was just here to make money by selling cosmetics.
That’s not wrong, but it wasn’t just money that Giselle was after.
‘How long will it take… … .’
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Caw! Caw!
Giselle threw the food towards the crows. The crows in the garden made a commotion, flitting about trying to eat the food Giselle threw.
* * *
The Earl of Ailsburgh is one of the most powerful men in the capital.
Although he did not hold a high position or govern a large territory, he wielded great political influence thanks to his blood ties to many noble families over generations.
The wealth, business, and connections he inherited from his ancestors also served as a strong support behind him.
There were countless people who sent him gifts to impress him. He had to set aside time to make a list.
“Next up… …Baron Fenris?”
“Yes, I sent you to say hello because it was my first time in the capital.”
“Hmm, okay.”
Count Ailsburg nodded absentmindedly and opened the letter.
But the content was not ordinary.
“oh…….”
Every single sentence caught my attention.
He praised himself so luxuriously that I felt like an emperor.
“Wow, the writing skills of the officer you’re with are extraordinary. Or did he write it himself? Either way, it’s a great piece of writing. I’m impressed, hahaha.”
This makes me excited to see what the gift will be.
Since he was treated with the same respect and courtesy as the emperor of some empire, the gift was bound to be extraordinary.
He urged his servant on with a face full of anticipation.
“Come on, open it and see what it is.”
I couldn’t open it myself because I didn’t know what was inside.
From a distance, a servant carefully opened a wooden box.
“uh?”
People around looked into the box and looked dumbfounded.
On the wooden box lay a single, dried and twisted mandragora root.
“… …Mandragora? Is that all there is to it?”
“Yes, yes. This is one.”
The Count of Ailsburgh gestured hastily, looking embarrassed.
“Bring it. Bring it.”
He picked up the mandragora root and examined it from all sides. He also shook the empty wooden box.
But no matter how much I checked, that was really all there was to it.
“Wow! He’s just a talker! Remember this kid’s name! This is why I said that poor country bumpkins won’t do!”
Count Ailsburgh threw down the mandragora root, complete with its shell, and stood up.
I was thinking of going to a banquet and having fun, talking about what happened today, and making fun of myself.
The butler quickly caught him as he was leaving.
“The Baron also sent gifts to his servants. What should we do?”
“What? What is it? Did you send even a few grass roots?”
“It is said to be a beauty cream made by the upper class run by the Baron.”
The Earl of Ailsburg snorted.
Are you saying that you can make high-end products like cosmetics on a rural topic?
Judging from the fact that they were given to the employees, they were clearly cheap products made from ground fruit peels.
“Is this cosmetics for the common people? Just hand them out as you see fit. If they want to throw them away, they can. Oh, and if they need them, tell them to take them. The butler can eat them.”
“thank you!”
The butler smiled happily. To the count, it was cheap trash, but to the commoners, even a single mandragora root was a precious commodity.
The Count of Ailsburg clicked his tongue a few times and then stormed out.
In this way, the cosmetics sent by Giselle were distributed to the servants working at the Ailsver Mansion.
The cosmetic container was engraved with Baron Fenris’ name and his coat of arms on the top.
Most were suspicious and did not write for the same reasons as the Earl of Ailsburgh.
However, some people were curious about the noble names engraved on the door as large as the door and tried using them little by little.
It was just as Giselle had thought.
About ten days had passed like that.
Countess Meriel Ailsburgh, who had been diligently applying her makeup, grumbled with a sullen expression.
“My makeup isn’t working well today.”
The person who applied the product to my face felt particularly excited today.
“There’s nothing we can do about the passage of time. I don’t want to grow old.”
My skin condition is getting worse day by day.
I was trying to take care of my skin by finding and eating healthy foods and buying and using expensive beauty products, but the results were getting less and less effective.
As I entered middle age, I began to feel regretful and resentful.
“It’s still so beautiful.”
Maryelle looked in the mirror with regret.
Even now, she is still considered one of the most beautiful women in the kingdom.
In her youth, she was proposed to by many noble children. Countless knights vied to make her their lady.
Although she was now old, many still praised Meriel’s beauty. She was a fashionable lady among the ladies of the kingdom.
But, as I got older, I was very concerned about my skin losing elasticity and the wrinkles gradually increasing.
“When I was young, I had a smooth glow even without makeup. Haa… … .”
When I applied thick makeup to hide my wrinkles, my skin seemed to become stiffer.
“Should I have found an easier way to learn Mana? They say that’ll help you stay young longer.”
It’s unfortunate, but it can’t be helped. No one can avoid the passage of time.
Meriel clicked her tongue inwardly and left the room.
“Are you ready? Let’s leave now so we don’t get too late.”
Today I decided to attend the salon for the first time in a long time.
That was the reason why Meriel had been putting in so much effort in getting dressed since morning.
The social gatherings of the aristocracy were usually nothing more than a war, except that they were not without their fair share of frivolous activities.
It is comparing yourself to the other person by examining their clothes, makeup, and even their fingernail accessories.
Meriel never lost a war.
As Meriel was about to leave the mansion, escorted by the maids, she suddenly felt a strange sense of unease and stopped.
‘what?’
She glanced at the maids lining both sides of the hallway.
Soon, Meriel realized the source of the discomfort she had been feeling.
‘The skin… … .’
Most of them were no different than usual. How good could the skin of maids be if they couldn’t be managed like the nobles?
But the skin of a few people in particular looked noticeably better.
Usually, things like skin elasticity are easy to overlook if you don’t look closely, but it was impossible to avoid Meriel’s gaze.
Meriel examined their faces one by one. Their moist, hydrated skin was glowing.
She was different from the other maids who were tired and had gloomy complexions.
She approached the maid whose skin looked the most moist and spoke.
“you.”
The maid who was pointed out lowered her head with a timid expression.
“Tell me everything you’ve eaten recently, how you washed yourself, and when and how much you slept. If there’s anything else you think might have affected your skin, tell me that too.”
Meriel, who always showed the elegant and benevolent attitude of a noble lady even to those below her, had a scary expression on her face as if she had become a different person.
