Chapter 6 – Change (Part 10)

Thanks to the full efforts of the Haas Trading Company and the active assistance of the Ducal household staff, the work of replacing the Ducal household’s fabrics progressed quickly. It seemed as if they had urged the weaving workshop to work overnight, as some of the completed products began arriving at the Ducal residence just days after the order was placed, and new curtains and tapestries started hanging inside the mansion.

The atmosphere inside the mansion, which was dominated by black and gray, seemed renewed with just a few changes of fabric. Elysia, having toured the entire Ducal residence several times and checked the budget with the head butler, was understandably exhausted, but seeing the changes with her own eyes made her feel a sense of pride.

“Madam, even with just a few changes, it feels as if the Duke’s house has been reborn. The other staff are pleased and are working more energetically than before.”

“I’m glad everyone likes it.”

Elysia sincerely expressed her happiness. Then, noticing the people from the trading company who had come to change the new curtains today, she asked the head butler.

“The head of the trading company didn’t come today.”

“Yes, they sent word that they couldn’t visit due to business at the Haas Trading Company. However, they insisted on personally confirming the completion of the work here, so it seems they will visit at least once more before this project is finished.”

Elysia nodded. No matter how significant a client the Duke’s house was, considering the overall business scale of the Haas Trading Company, it was merely one of many clients. It didn’t make sense for the head of the trading company to visit almost daily.

‘It’s a bit unsettling that the frequency of visits decreased after he saw my true self in the warehouse… But he seemed to understand at the time, and he’s a busy person by nature.’

Elysia briefly worried if Ronan had any ulterior motives. However, she concluded that there was nothing she could do about it at the moment and decided not to think about it further.

The staff were happily admiring the colorful fabrics under the pretense of cleaning or inspecting the rooms. But Elysia’s eyes caught the attire of the maids and servants passing in front of the bright curtains. It was all black.

‘I want to change those clothes too… No, I can’t! What am I thinking? I must stop here!’

At that moment, she noticed Millie behaving strangely in the distance. In the first-floor corridor, curtains of light sky blue and deep blue were hung, and Millie was caressing the fabric, which shone with a sheen in the sunlight, as if mesmerized. Millie’s actions resembled someone reverently touching the hem of a sacred priest’s robe.

Even though Millie had worked as a maid for a long time and was in charge of the lady of the house, she was still young. She remembered how the coachman Seti, who was around Millie’s age, was delighted when he received a scarf and hat.

The Duke’s staff were so pleased with just small items or curtains; she could easily imagine how much happier they would be if their work attire, which they wore all day, was changed. Knowing that she would end up working harder, Elysia still made up her mind.

‘Next time Ronan comes, I’ll ask if he can also mediate a place that makes uniforms in bulk.’

***

Meanwhile, that day, from early morning, Ronan was reviewing the periodic reports from the trading company. The report not only covered the income and expenses of the Haas Trading Company but also analyzed trading trends by dividing clients based on age, gender, class, and other criteria.

The secretary who brought the report stood waiting in front of the desk. While reading the file that categorized only the noble class, Ronan noticed something unusual in the transactions between noble families mediated by the Haas Trading Company.

“The order quantities from several families have noticeably decreased recently. Is there something going on?”

The secretary was startled and checked the documents they had.

“I’m sorry, I haven’t paid close attention, so I’m not sure. As far as I know, there doesn’t seem to be any issues with those families.”

“If it were just one or two, it could be attributed to their financial situation, but if it’s this many, it suggests a new competitor has appeared or there’s a problem with our company.”

The secretary quickly checked the documents.

“Recently, due to the large orders from the Duke of Grendel, the income from the entire noble class has increased. I must have missed it because I was only looking at the total income.”

Ronan thought that he, too, had missed an important part by only focusing on the Duke’s house, so he didn’t press the secretary further. The secretary asked.

“Could it be that they are trying to switch their business to the trading company run by Marquis Orga? I’ve heard that Marquis Orga’s side is expanding aggressively, almost to the point of overdoing it. And their target is entirely the nobility.”

“Even if that’s the case, if it were just one or two families, it would be understandable, but suddenly five or six is strange. They’ve never expressed dissatisfaction in their dealings with us, so it’s unlikely they would go through the trouble of establishing a new trading partner. If they’ve gone to Marquis Orga’s side, it means that side offered significantly attractive terms. Find out what’s going on as soon as possible.”

The secretary, having received Ronan’s instructions, bowed and left.

Ronan pondered the current situation. Transactions with the noble class mostly involved mediating special requests, such as exotic luxury goods or custom-made items from southern workshops. Compared to wholesale transactions with small and medium-sized trading companies, the impact of the noble class on the Haas Trading Company’s income was minimal.

Nevertheless, the reason for continuing to deal with the noble class, despite the hassle, was for the reputation and connections of the Haas Trading Company. The fact that many nobles traded with them served as a guarantee of the company’s credibility.

‘Rumors about reduced transactions with nobles or sudden breaks with some would spread quickly. And the other trading company that started new dealings with them would heavily promote that they attracted nobles who used to trade with the Haas Trading Company.’

Then people will have a negative image of the Haas Trading Company. They might think there’s a problem with the company or that it’s less capable of procuring items compared to other trading companies. If that happens, more people, not just nobles, will try to reduce their dealings with Haas, and malicious rumors and falsehoods that have always existed about the company will gain traction.

‘I need to find out why some nobles have reduced their transactions to prevent further escalation.’

Ronan pulled out several files from the bookshelf, containing previous reports and records of past transactions, to check if he had missed anything elsewhere. Looking at the pile of documents on his office desk, Ronan contemplated.

‘I won’t be able to visit the Duke’s house for a few days. I want to see the changes happening there myself.’

Ronan recalled Elysia’s nonchalant demeanor as she sat in the warehouse and her tear-filled eyes as she walked beside him, trying hard not to cry.

‘I thought I could finally break down the walls and build a connection, but the timing isn’t right.’

Sighing, Ronan sat down at his desk and opened a file.

***

After visiting Emilliano in the middle of the night to confirm that he hadn’t used any experimental potions on him, Cassius returned to the Ducal residence and went to bed late, suffering from a terrible nightmare. However, upon waking, he couldn’t remember the dream’s content, only that his body was tense and drenched in sweat from being on edge all night.

The first thing that came to mind upon opening his eyes was the embarrassing lines and actions he had performed by the lakeside the previous night. This was followed by a sense of disbelief at himself. It was absurd that someone who always maintained composure and rationality had shown such a lapse.

But at that moment, Elysia’s image, as beautiful as a moon spirit, had left him unable to think of anything else.

It wasn’t just last night. Since Elysia entered the Ducal residence, Cassius’s composure had been slightly disrupted from time to time. He had initially thought she was just someone who would serve as the lady of the house adequately. At first, it was suspicious, then strange, and now it was distorting his thoughts.

Even though he knew it couldn’t be true, he wondered if Elysia had brought some potion from the Serenze family and was feeding it to him.

He was curious about Elysia’s true nature, why she only maintained decorum in front of him, and whether she was as straightforward as the inner thoughts he had overheard when she lived with her family in the Serenze household. These thoughts frequently intruded into his mind, even during work, making him irritable.