Episode 124 I came to do some business. (5)
“That’s ridiculous!”
Meriel was so shocked by the exorbitant price that she even stammered.
“100 gold! That’s too expensive. Who would buy it if it was that expensive?”
“It’s expensive. Even the famous luxury brand ‘Charnel’ costs more than 100 gold.”
“It’s a jewel! It doesn’t wear out like cosmetics.”
“But this will be a luxury item beyond that.”
Jiselle answered confidently. Meriel bit her lip slightly.
“Do you really think it will sell for that price?”
“Of course. Can’t you tell just by the fact that the Countess came here?”
“… … .”
Meriel couldn’t argue. 100 gold was a bit burdensome, but it was a price that a wealthy noblewoman could afford.
“Well, then how about you sign a contract with me just for distribution in the capital? If I help you, it will be much easier to establish yourself in the capital.”
Giselle just shrugged at the suggestion.
“This is something that would sell even if displayed in a cesspool.”
Mariel bit her lip. She had nothing more to say.
It was just as Jiselle said.
This was a product that would definitely sell once word of mouth started spreading.
If you want to monopolize something, you have to take away the technology and shut their mouths.
But she wasn’t that evil.
“Phew… … .”
A sigh escaped Meriel’s lips.
Even if the product was too good, there was a problem. It had to offer a price that was as attractive as cosmetics, but there was nothing that could do that.
Claude was entranced by the sad atmosphere she gave off and poked Giselle in the back, telling her to just give him what he wanted.
But Giselle didn’t even blink an eye.
‘I can’t be a fool.’
Still, it’s better to continue your relationship with Meriel.
After some thought, Giselle decided to give something else instead of the distribution rights.
“I think the Countess has a good sense. She was the first to come to me. It may be difficult to get an exclusive contract, but I will give you a reputation in high society.”
“What about fame?”
Jiselle pushed a large box that she had prepared separately in one corner of the living room toward Meriel.
Maryel opened the box with a puzzled look. There were about 50 cosmetics inside.
“This is… … ?”
“Why don’t you set the trend before the rumor spreads? Your reputation will last a long time. The more expensive the gift, the more valuable it will be.”
Meriel nodded and smiled.
“Are you saying you want to use me to promote cosmetics?”
“If word of mouth is going to spread anyway, wouldn’t it be better for both of us? I save time, and you build a reputation. This is a token of our appreciation for being the first to know about our product.”
It’s not a bad suggestion for her either. In social circles, whoever sets trends first has a huge impact on their reputation.
Just being the first to discover this cosmetic and recommending it to those around you will earn you a reputation for having good taste.
In this case, the high price can also be an advantage. Since it is a cosmetic product that not everyone can easily use, the status of the person using it will be elevated.
“Okay, I’ll take that offer.”
She readily accepted and took the box, hoping to gain some fame if she couldn’t secure an exclusive contract.
“I’m going to go now. Don’t worry about publicity.”
Maryelle stood up from her seat without hesitation.
You must quickly attend the banquet and strike first before more rumors spread.
As soon as I got back, I went through all the invitations and planned to attend the ones with the earliest dates.
Jiselle bowed her head slightly in greeting.
“Please take a look.”
The crow sitting on his shoulder also bowed its head following Giselle.
Caw!
* * *
Soon after Meriel came out, word of her cosmetics spread far and wide.
There were also people who came to her just because she guaranteed the cosmetics, without even checking their effectiveness.
Despite the extremely high prices, the aristocrats bought the cosmetics without hesitation.
Even though it is expensive and difficult to continue using, I thought it was worth buying and trying at least once since it is a product that Meriel uses.
Claude and Belinda cheered at the influx of orders.
“This is awesome! This is awesome!”
The mansion was filled with mountains of gold coins. This money alone was enough to support the estate for a year.
“Hahahaha! My lord, how about we just throw everything away and do business here? That would be the easiest!”
Claude was so absorbed in the fun of counting money that he even started talking nonsense.
“It’s so expensive, but it’s selling so well! Shouldn’t we make more?”
You have to row when the water comes in.
Before the rumor spread throughout the kingdom, they had to move quickly to properly establish a branch in the capital and prepare to send out the goods ordered from the territories to each region.
Claude and everyone around him were urging her to do it, but Giselle didn’t move an inch.
“Wait. There’s still more to do.”
“What is left! We need to quickly return to the territory and gather supplies?”
Even though Claude kept pressuring her, Giselle remained steadfast.
“Hmm… … It’s about time we started hearing news. Haven’t you heard the rumors yet?”
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Thanks to Meriel, word of mouth spread faster than expected and the items started selling quickly.
But the person he’s really after has yet to appear.
A few more days passed, and when the first batch of supplies had almost run out, a neatly dressed gentleman came to the mansion.
“I am a butler to the Marquis of Branford. Are you Baron Fenris?”
Jiselle’s eyes sparkled.
The long-awaited fish finally got caught on the fishing line.
* * *
Giselle deliberately did not send a gift to the Marquis of Branford, so that he would come to her directly.
The Marquis of Branford is the Minister of the Royal Household, the leader of the royalist faction opposing the Duke of Delphine, and the most powerful figure in the kingdom.
There was even an assessment that all royal affairs, big or small, passed through his hands.
As a great lord in the East, his foundation was solid, and thanks to his service as a military commander before entering the palace, he also had influence in the military.
For a butler from such a family to come to Giselle just to buy a few cosmetics. If the other nobles knew, they would be horrified.
As soon as the formal greetings were over, the butler got straight to the point.
“Is it true that if I use this cosmetic product, my skin will become clearer?”
“That’s a tricky question. It does have the effect of improving skin condition. You already know that by hearsay, right? What do you want to know?”
“Is it possible that if I use this, my skin will temporarily get better and then get worse again?”
“Well. Your skin is something that you can take care of, so the more consistently you use it, the more effective it will be. It’s probably a little different for everyone.”
The butler asked me a lot of questions, to the point of being persistent. What the ingredients were, if there were any side effects, etc.
Jiselle waved her hand with an annoyed expression and asked directly.
“You said you came from the Marquis of Branford. Is this something the Marquis would like to try?”
“that…….”
The butler trailed off, looking embarrassed. Jiselle looked down at him as if she was looking at him with insignificance and smiled.
“What are you hiding? I’ve already heard that the Marquis Youngae is wearing a mask and staying at home. Everyone is keeping quiet, but how can that be hidden? Do you think I wouldn’t know that much since I’ve only been here for a short time?”
“… … Yes. The young lady is planning to use it.”
“Yeah, honestly speaking, it’s so nice.”
Jiselle giggled and took out her cosmetics.
“Take a couple and try them out. I poured all my knowledge into making these. I have some knowledge of herbal medicine.”
It’s not a complete lie. Anyway, I know a lot of cutting-edge knowledge that no one but Jiselle knows right now.
The problem is that we only know the results and not the principles.
Jiselle continued shamelessly.
“If this doesn’t work, then we need to try another method, so let’s talk about it again then.”
“……All right.”
“Gisselle added, following the butler’s return.
“By the way, I also know how to fix ‘Eternal Punishment’.”
The butler pretended not to hear that and didn’t even respond.
Since he knew full well that ‘Eternal Punishment’ was an incurable disease, he thought that Giselle was bluffing.
At the familiar reaction, Giselle grumbled, her lips curled up.
“People are really untrustworthy. Maybe I should bring that priest over there.”
* * *
The Marquis of Branford looked through the cosmetics his butler had brought.
“Is this a famous skin care product these days?”
“Yes, it is the product that Countess Ailsburgh mentioned.”
The Marquis of Branford muttered indifferently.
“I don’t think it will be very effective.”
Although he was a powerful man who ruled the kingdom, there were two issues that were irritating him recently.
One is the Duke of Delphine.
Duke Delphine, who had been loyal to the royal family, had recently been gaining power and taking aggressive actions.
The prince’s faction was defeated day after day by the duke’s faction nobles, and their power was quickly waning.
And the other one is my daughter’s chronic skin disease.
“If this doesn’t work, are we out of options?”
If the Duke of Delphine’s affairs are a recent headache, his daughter’s affairs are an old problem.
One day, spots started appearing all over my daughter’s face and body.
If that were all, I wouldn’t know, but when exposed to sunlight, the symptoms would get worse and I would have trouble sleeping due to the itchiness. It became impossible to even go outside.
It wasn’t like I had a serious illness, and no one knew what was wrong or why.
If I receive divine treatment from a priest, I will get better for a short time, but it will only last for a short time, and I will soon relapse again.
I tried all the medicines that were said to be effective, but the symptoms remained.
“I will bring it to you myself.”
The Marquis of Branford walked slowly to his daughter’s room.
The daughter had cut off all contact with the outside world and was living alone in a dark room.
The atmosphere in the house has become gloomy as the person who took care of the housework is staying home.
I completely understand not wanting to show your ugly face to others.
Even his father frowns whenever he sees the condition getting worse.
But I couldn’t leave it like that any longer.
“We can’t delay marriage any longer.”
The Marquis of Branford pursued a political marriage with a neutral noble family in order to prevent the Duke’s faction from monopolizing power.
But the daughter kept asking for more time and putting off the wedding.
“Tsk, there’s a limit to how much consideration you can give.”
The Marquis of Branford had been postponing the wedding date out of consideration for his daughter’s feelings, but he could not postpone it forever.
It was necessary to solidify the pro-Prince faction before the power of the Delphine Dukes grew any further.
Suddenly.
When he opened the door, only a few candles greeted the Marquis.
The windows were tightly shut and covered with curtains, and the expensive magic items were nowhere to be seen.
The Marquis’ daughter, Rosaline, was reading a book by the dim candlelight.
‘I guess I’m no different from a prisoner locked in a tower.’
The Marquis of Branford glanced around the room, clicking his tongue inwardly, but he didn’t show it on the outside and handed her the cosmetics indifferently.
“Rosaline, try this. It’s a beauty cream that’s been really popular lately. They say it’s good for your skin.”
Only then did Rosalind slowly raise her head.
“Would that do any good?”
Although it was a calm tone, it was a tone that made one feel emotions boiling up from deep within his heart.
The Marquis of Branford looked at his daughter’s bloodshot eyes for a moment and then spoke again.
“It was recommended by the Countess of Ailsburgh.”
“… … .”
At those words, Rosalind closed her mouth.
Rosalind knew Meriel well. She was someone he had admired since he was little.
She has always been a trendsetter in the social world, using only proven products. There is no way she would recommend something useless.
“Leave it.”
“I understand. And I plan on getting married soon. Just know that.”
Rosalind answered those words, suppressing her emotions.
“You want me to get married in this condition? If I keep going like this, I won’t be loved for the rest of my life and I’ll be treated like a monster. Do you want me to live my life being laughed at and ignored by people?”
The Marquis of Branford cut her off coldly.
“It’s for the family.”
“Isn’t my life important?”
“Family is more important.”
Then Rosalind said something else.
“Will the other party’s prince be satisfied with my appearance? Will he not resent his father for forcing his marriage when he ascends to the throne? Do you think the alliance between the two families will be strong even then?”
The Marquis of Branford said in a laughable tone.
“What good can it do to dare to resent someone like me? That’s just how it is with all families. When you’re old enough to become a lord, you’ll be able to calculate the benefits.”
While Rosaline valued personal relationships, the Marquis of Branford viewed them from a strictly political perspective.
I can’t say that one side is right, because each person has a different type of relationship they pursue.
After speaking, the Marquis of Branford turned around and left the room.
“ha…….”
Rosalind sighed, got up slowly, and began applying makeup to her face.
It was to the point where I couldn’t even tell whether I was applying makeup or tears.
* * *
A few days after starting to apply cosmetics.
Rosalind gave up and put her cosmetics aside.
‘As expected, it’s useless.’
Applying cosmetics did improve my skin, but it didn’t make the spots go away.
It was still colorful, but the skin was shiny, so it looked even stranger.
Clang!
Rosaline, who was looking in the mirror, distorted her face and threw the glass on the table.
The sound of breaking and shattering echoed outside the room, but no one approached Rosaline’s room.
She spent her time alone in the dark room again.
I just hope that someday this suffering will end.
At that moment, someone was strolling towards the front door of the Branford mansion.
“Hey, is the Marquis here now? I checked everything out, so don’t say he’s not here.”
The guard asked the visitor in a stern tone.
“Who are you?”
“Tell them that Baron Fenris has come to see me. I want to see him now.”
It was Giselle who came to see the Marquis of Branford.
