Chapter 29

“What’s got you in such a good mood?”

Evelyn realized she was still smiling at Merrilyn’s question.

A bit surprised, she soon accepted that it was because of Dyffrin.

Evelyn simply thought how wonderful it was to get along so well with someone she saw every day.

“It’s just that my husband has been quite affectionate lately.”

Evelyn didn’t particularly try to hide it. After all, she was maintaining the concept of outwardly loving Dyffrin like the original Evelyn did.

“Oh my, don’t even mention it, ma’am. I’ve kept my mouth shut because I didn’t want to seem like a gossip, but even on the nights he came home late, he would call me separately to ask about your condition.”

“Really?”

“Yes! The master has finally opened his heart to you, ma’am.”

Merrilyn immediately regretted her words, realizing she had implied that Dyffrin had been cold to Evelyn.

How could a servant dare to suggest that her mistress had not been loved by her husband?

Feeling anxious, Merrilyn lowered her head almost to the floor of the carriage.

“I’m sorry, ma’am… I misspoke.”

“It’s not entirely wrong. Just be careful with your words in front of others. They might misunderstand you.”

Merrilyn’s eyes welled up with tears at Evelyn’s compassionate response. But she subtly wiped her tears with her sleeve, not wanting to cry in front of her kind mistress.

Seeing this, Evelyn smiled contentedly.

‘She truly is well-suited for the head maid position.’

Although Evelyn personally liked Merrilyn, she also needed someone loyal and discreet to handle Amelia’s schemes in the future. Merrilyn was the perfect candidate.

Evelyn spent her time in the carriage embroidering. The laurel wreath embroidery on the handkerchief was nearly complete.

“Who are you putting so much effort into this for? Is it for the master?”

“No. It’s for someone more important.”

‘Who could be more important to the mistress than her husband?’ 

Merrilyn seemed curious, but Evelyn couldn’t reveal it yet.

She expected to hear news soon that the owner of this handkerchief would come to the capital, but she hadn’t heard anything yet.

As she finished the last laurel stem, the scent of the sea began to waft through the window.

“Ma’am, I can see the sea!”

Merrilyn exclaimed excitedly as the cries of seagulls echoed.

Evelyn put down her embroidery and looked out the window. The vast blue sea spread out before her, just as Merrilyn’s excited voice had indicated.

This place, about three hours from the capital, was not somewhere they visited unless there was a special reason, so Merrilyn seemed thrilled.

Evelyn, too, felt a rare flutter in her heart at seeing the sea for the first time in her current life.

Unlike the capital, the seaside village was filled with rugged men in casual clothing, likely shipyard workers, fishermen, or merchants from the trading company.

Everything looked so different from the capital that it drew her attention.

Soon, the carriage stopped in front of a large building. It was the headquarters of the trading company Oakley managed.

Oakley was standing at the entrance.

Evelyn grabbed her gift and got out of the carriage.

“Lady Evelyn!”

“Miss Oakley. How have you been?”

Evelyn responded with a radiant smile to Oakley’s cheerful greeting.

“Well, given how dynamic the trading business is, saying I’ve been well would be a lie. But if I go into details, it might alarm someone as delicate as you, so let’s just leave it at that for now.”

At Oakley’s cheerful joke, Evelyn burst into laughter and handed over the gift she had brought.

Oakley, saying there was no need for such a thing, couldn’t hide her delight at the mention of fine liquor.

It seemed that Rykal had chosen the gift exceptionally well.

“Shall we go inside first? Since you’ve brought such good liquor, I’ll treat you to some excellent tea. I happen to have some rare tea leaves that arrived today.”

Following Oakley’s lead, Evelyn entered the trading company’s building. The hallway was adorned with processed stones, a pride of the Loeom Trading Company.

Oakley led Evelyn to a reception room at the end of the hall. Inside, there was a large window overlooking the sea.

As Evelyn and Oakley sat on the sofa, a staff member brought in a tea set.

Oakley seemed intent on brewing the tea herself, placing the tea leaves into the teapot and pouring in hot water.

“This is green tea, which is currently popular in the eastern continent. They say it’s very good for the skin.”

‘Green tea!’ 

Evelyn’s eyes sparkled as she eagerly watched the yellow tea being brewed.

“I’m glad you like it. Skincare is a concern for both men and women, after all.”

Oakley seemed to think Evelyn’s interest in the green tea was because of its skin care benefits.

Not minding the misunderstanding, Evelyn nodded. As Oakley handed her the adequately brewed tea, she spoke.

“The building seems a bit chaotic, doesn’t it?”

It was just as Oakley said.

On their way to the reception room, staff members hurriedly passed through the hallway, excusing themselves, and items were strewn about in front of the building.

“Is it because work is busy?”

“That’s true, but it’s about to get even busier.”

Evelyn thought to herself, ‘It’s about time,’ but outwardly she tilted her head as if she knew nothing.

With a sly smile, Oakley continued.

“We’re going to expand our trade items.”

“Are you planning to export something other than processed stones?”

“No. This time, it’s not about exporting; we’re going to import. We plan to bring in goods and sell them within the empire. It’s still confidential, but I’ll tell you specially, ma’am.”

Evelyn understood that it wasn’t because she was special, but because the position of the Lady of Liwonoc was special.

Oakley had invited her here because she was the Lady of the Liwonoc household.

‘As she starts a new business, she’ll need new clients.’

Preferably wealthy clients, like the Duke of Liwonoc, whom all nobles would want to emulate. This was likely why Oakley had sent the letter first.

“What are you planning to import?”

“In the Colclough Empire, they still mainly cultivate wild species like potatoes, carrots, and beans. But across the sea, they are creating new cultivars by hybridizing seeds.”

“Oh, that’s really fascinating.”

Oakley’s voice grew louder with Evelyn’s enthusiastic response.

“Don’t even get me started. There are so many fascinating cultivars, like carrots that smell like apples, tomatoes that taste as sweet as honey. It’s bound to be a huge hit.”

Oakley was already delighted as if the success was guaranteed, but Evelyn knew roughly what would happen in the future.

As the Loeom Trading Company grew, the vigilant Marquis Pinford would plant a spy, steal the ideas, and act first.

Ultimately, the Marquis Pinford would achieve great success, while the Loeom Trading Company would be unable to handle the surplus of cultivars they had bought, leading to significant debt.

In the original story, this chapter served as a turning point for Rachel’s family,the Pinford Marquisate, to gain more power.

Given that the idea was probably stolen from the planning stages, the Pinford side might already be progressing with their work.

However, there was still a way. A method to save Oakley and also benefit herself through this ordeal.

“Since you mentioned importing seeds, could I ask the Loeom Trading Company for a special favor?”

Oakley looked puzzled. Although she had invited Evelyn here for business purposes, she hadn’t expected her to make a request so directly.

Oakley regained her composure and replied.

“Of course, just say the word. I’ll get you anything you need.”

“What I want is the seeds of the Kashiyak Bramble.”

Oakley raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“Bramble…?”

Bramble was one of the least demanded plants.

It wasn’t beautiful like flowers for garden decoration, it didn’t bear fruit, and it had no leaves to make tea.

In other words, bramble was a useless plant that no one sought after.

“Yes, bramble.”

“Is the duke’s family planning to secretly build an underground prison?”

Bramble was often planted around prisons or exile sites to prevent prisoners from escaping.

“Haha, of course not.”

“Then, why is someone like you, who doesn’t seem to match with bramble at all, looking for seeds of such a menacing plant?”

“Since you have kindly informed me about the business expansion, I’ll share a special story I’ve heard.”

As Evelyn spoke with a serious face, Oakley blinked her eyes.

“The Kashiyak bramble will be valuable in the future. Not just any bramble, but the Kashiyak variety.”

“…What’s the basis for this?”

“That’s a secret. I can’t reveal all my cards, can I?”

Evelyn spoke confidently, but in reality, she couldn’t explain that she knew the future from the original story.

“So, Miss Oakley. Trust me and buy up all the Kashiyak bramble seeds available in other countries. Sell half of what you purchase to me. They’re cheaper than other seeds anyway, right?”

Oakley pondered.

It was sudden to be told that the Kashiyak bramble would become valuable, urging her to hoard it in advance. And she couldn’t even reveal the reason.

However, the woman before her was no ordinary noblewoman. She was the daughter-in-law of the Liwonoc Duchy and the famous wife of Dyffrin. Dyffrin was also the Crown Prince’s closest confidant.

It wouldn’t be strange if she had heard high-level information from somewhere.

Besides that, there was something subtly trustworthy about Evelyn’s confident demeanor. This was probably close to a merchant’s intuition.

And she liked the gift of liquor she received.

In fact, it was the first time Oakley had been gifted liquor. Because of lingering prejudices against noblewomen, she usually received pretty flowerpots or accessories. She was surprised when Evelyn brought liquor as a gift. That surprise turned into a fondness for Evelyn.

Evelyn seemed much smarter than expected. She knew how to win hearts.

Eventually, Oakley didn’t take long to answer on the spot.

“Alright. I’ll follow your advice, ma’am.”