Chapter 5 – Adaptation (Part 2)

At the sudden sound of Cassius’s voice, Elysia quickly hid the knife in her pocket. Ronan turned and respectfully greeted the Duke.

“Ah, Duke. It’s been a long time since I last saw you, and I wanted to ensure that everything was being handled well, as I usually send goods through workers. I sent a gift to congratulate you on your engagement last time, did you receive it? I regretted not being able to congratulate you in person.”

“I received the gift. It seems Aaron hasn’t delivered my letter of thanks yet.”

“I did receive your courteous letter. However, I wanted to meet and personally extend my greetings to such an important client as yourself.”

However, Cassius had already witnessed the contradiction of Ronan loitering around his fiancée without even requesting a meeting with the Duke, who was the supposed important client.

Moreover, Cassius noticed Elysia seemed to be hiding something when she realized he was approaching. She seemed to have received something from Ronan Hass, but if it were a normal transaction, there would be no reason to hide it.

At that moment, Cassius recalled Ronan Hass’s reputation for spreading rumors of romantic affairs with various women.

The Duke’s deep blue eyes darkened further as he glared at Ronan, who maintained a polite smile and an innocent appearance, his light green eyes twinkling.

Meanwhile, Elysia was too startled by Cassius’s appearance to notice the tension between the two men.

‘I’ve never seen him so… disheveled before. Doesn’t he realize he’s not in his usual neat state?’

Cassius was unaware that he hadn’t tidied himself after falling when he tried to touch the curtain. His normally neat hair was half-fallen over his forehead, and his clothes were disheveled, with a few buttons undone to relieve the tightness from the shock to his heart, revealing a glimpse of his straight collarbone and part of his firm chest.

Elysia was momentarily dazed by the unexpected exposure of Cassius before she quickly regained her composure. The atmosphere between Cassius and Ronan seemed strange.

“On behalf of the Haas Trading Company, I’d like to present a congratulatory gift to Lady Serenze, but since I haven’t dealt with her directly before, I’m unsure what to offer. Perhaps she could visit our special showroom and choose a gift?”

As Elysia was about to say she didn’t need a gift, Cassius responded first.

“It’s my responsibility to handle gifts for the future lady of the Ducal household. There’s no need for the head of the Haas Trading Company to be involved.”

“I understand the Duke is very busy and may not have the time to attend to such matters. Wouldn’t your fiancée feel neglected? After all, it was my brother and I who selected the proposal gift last time.”

Elysia already knew who had chosen the proposal gift, and she placed no significance on it. However, Cassius, realizing belatedly that it might upset his fiancée standing beside him, glanced at Elysia, feeling concerned. Elysia only wanted to escape this chilly atmosphere and be alone. She was merely waiting for the right moment to excuse herself after a polite farewell, but Cassius, offering his arm as if he were a caring fiancé, spoke to Elysia.

“If you have no other plans, I would like us to visit the Haas Trading Company now. As an apology for not being able to fully express my sincerity during the proposal, I would like to gift you something you choose yourself from their famous special showroom.”

Before Elysia could refuse, Ronan, with an excessively bright smile, chimed in.

“I’ll show you items that live up to the name of our trading company. I’m sure there will be something that will delight you, Miss.”

***

By the time the carriage was prepared, Cassius had tidied himself and returned to his usual neat appearance. However, as Elysia sat across from him in the carriage heading to the Haas Trading Company, her mind was in a state of chaos, unlike the composed Duke.

“Your Grace, I don’t need anything. There’s no need to go shopping for gifts…”

“There’s no need to refuse. The Ducal household won’t be troubled by purchasing a few items from the Haas Trading Company.”

Cassius’s expression remained calm as he replied, but his words sounded somewhat prideful, leaving Elysia with no choice but to remain silent.

In the carriage following the Duke’s, Aaron, who had been hurriedly called out from his work in the Duke’s office, sat facing Ronan. Ronan wore a smile as if he found the world immensely amusing.

“What on earth did you say to the Duke? Why is he suddenly going to the Haas Trading Company?”

“Why do you assume I said something?”

“The Duke isn’t the type to do something not on his schedule without reason. The butler said he decided to go to the trading company after speaking with you for a few moments!”

“Your Duke has more of a temper than I thought.”

“What do you mean?”

“I thought he was like a puppet responding only to commands, but I didn’t expect him to react to such a minor provocation. It might be easier to empty his pockets than I thought.”

“Brother!”

“Don’t worry. It’s not like I insulted him greatly. Besides, this might actually help close the distance between the two people you’re so worried about.”

Aaron sighed deeply and leaned back into the carriage sofa. Ronan, thinking about how entertaining the Duke’s unexpectedly amusing reaction was, smiled slyly.

***

The special showroom at the Haas Trading Company was a place only accessible to high-ranking nobles or foreign delegations recognized by the company. It was divided into a display area and a reception room, and currently, Elysia was sitting in the reception room, feeling restless.

While Ronan went to fetch the items, Elysia endured the silence as she sat across from the Duke. The special showroom occupied the entire second floor of the trading company’s building. Although there were various display stands, no items were pre-arranged. High-end items tailored to the visiting client’s request were prepared just before their arrival, and the client would choose from among them.

Ronan, thinking that ordinary luxury items wouldn’t satisfy the Duke, began selecting pieces comparable to royal jewels or special items crafted with alchemy from southern workshops. Wanting to return to the reception room as quickly as possible, Ronan directed other staff to arrange high-end items on several shelves he pointed out.

As the company employees arranged the items, Ronan entered the reception room to see if the Duke or Elysia needed anything. Cassius, after saying there was nothing they needed, encouraged Elysia without a hint of a smile.

“If these are the items the Haas Trading Company is proud of, you can trust them. Don’t worry about the cost and choose anything you like. If you wish, you may select everything displayed today.”

Elysia responded with a mere social smile. The idea of choosing everything was terrifying. When an employee knocked and informed them that the showroom was ready, Elysia felt as if she were walking into an exam room as she entered the display area.

The items on display were undoubtedly impressive, with all sorts of jewelry and ornaments. There was a tiara so lavish it could be considered an emperor’s crown, a necklace that seemed worth an entire kingdom, and rings that looked heavy enough to break a wrist. On another side, there were luxurious ornaments with a heavy and solemn atmosphere.

‘If I choose from this side, I’ll look like a woman blinded by luxury. But those ornaments on the other side are too similar to the current dark atmosphere of the Ducal household, and it’s suffocating.’

Choosing an item under the watchful eyes of the two men behind her was an extreme test. Trying to match aesthetic sense, appropriate cost, and family reputation made it difficult to decide what was suitable.

While Elysia was sweating over her choice, Cassius also examined the items on display. Even to the Duke of Grendel, who was accustomed to luxury and high-end goods, the items here seemed of such high quality that they could be presented anywhere without shame. The rumor that the Haas Trading Company could procure all necessary items for the royal family in a day was not an exaggeration.

In comparison, the transactions with the Ducal household, continued since the previous Duke’s time, were limited to providing food and daily necessities. Cassius momentarily wondered why the previous Duke had started dealings with Haas.

Ronan, who would usually charm customers into buying items, chose to stay quietly in the background, considering the Duke’s personality.

Elysia, feeling dizzy from the dazzling luxury items, thought that it was inappropriate to choose any of them. Deciding to just pick something and leave, she casually pointed to a brightly colored ornament not found in the Ducal household.

“I’ll choose this one.”

“Indeed, you have a discerning eye…”

Ronan opened his mouth to give a conventional compliment about Elysia’s excellent taste, but he was left speechless when he saw the item she had chosen. Hiding his perplexed expression, Ronan activated the item.

“Ribbit, wink, pop!”

Ronan demonstrated the operation of the ornament Elysia had selected once more.

“Ribbit, wink, pop!”

Watching Ronan Hass demonstrate how the ornament worked, Elysia couldn’t hide her flushed face. She regretted not examining it more carefully before choosing.