BGFV 85

Chapter 85

After leaving the soap workshop, Hestia visited several other workshops connected to the Frost Foundation.

There were leather workshops, jewelry workshops, glass workshops, and more.

True to its reputation as an artistic city, luxury goods and artworks were everywhere.

Luciard was following Hestia, observing how the Frost family managed their business and how their enterprises operated. He soon noticed a common thread.

“Everyone seems to get along well,” he remarked.

“Huh?”

 Hestia, sipping her drink, turned to look at him. They were taking a break on a café terrace.

“I mean, whether they’re nobles or commoners, bosses or workers, everyone seems genuinely close,” Luciard clarified.

“Ah, you mean that.” Hestia smiled knowingly.

Indeed, Hestia was always polite to everyone, making jokes first so that they wouldn’t feel awkward around her.

“What do you think? Do I seem close to people?”

“Yeah, there’s no sense of distance. And people seem to really like you.”

“Really?” Her cheerful smile deepened, and Luciard found himself puzzled by her reaction.

“Actually,” Hestia said, “most of my first meetings with those artisans weren’t very pleasant.”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. When I first scouted them, most of their situations were pretty bad.”

Some had been unable to showcase their talents, others were struggling in poverty, and some were trapped in unfavorable circumstances.

“When you’re unknown, people tend to offer unfair contracts that feel more like slavery,” she explained. Many of the artisans had grown distrustful and bitter due to such experiences.

“I started scouting people when I was around eight or nine. Imagine a little kid showing up and saying she’d support them. Most thought I was joking.”

Already stressed from their struggles, many artisans reacted poorly. Some even slammed the door in her face or hurled insults.

“But they all eventually came here with you. How did you persuade them?”

“Simple—I took my time and calmly convinced them.”

Hestia hadn’t used money to bribe or pressure them. Instead, she had approached them patiently and with genuine interest.

“What do you think people who’ve been repeatedly denied their talent want most?”

“Money? Fame?”

“Recognition,” Hestia replied.

She simply met them at their pace, showering them with genuine praise for their work.

“Buying something with money is easy. But you can’t buy someone’s heart.”

In time, she won their trust, and together they built something greater.

“Many nobles overlook this,” Hestia continued. “Born into power, they take it for granted and don’t see commoners as equals. But no one can ignore human dignity forever.”

But Hestia, having lived both as a noble and as a commoner, understood both sides better than anyone else.

“They’re not tools; they’re people. Keep that in mind, and you’ll be a better lord than most nobles.”

For the first time, Luciard saw Hestia as even more impressive than his own brother.

Having been an illegitimate child, he had lived a life of scorn and denial, gradually gaining a chance to live like a human through Icarus’s recognition.

And after spending time with nobles at the academy and living with commoners as a mercenary for two years, he deeply understood Hestia’s philosophy, which was different from that of ordinary nobles.

“I still have a long way to go to catch up with you,” he admitted.

“Come on, I learned most of this from my father. You’re doing fine. Honestly, I expected you to complain at least once by now.”

“How could I complain with just this? I’ve had to endure nights of sleeping outside and spent whole days hunting monsters.”

“But you complain about studying, don’t you?”

“Well, that’s—”

“Just kidding!” Hestia laughed heartily. Seeing her cheerful smile, Luciard thought to himself,

“When did we get this close?”

When they first met, they couldn’t stand each other, but now they were joking around like friends.

Especially since Hestia had spoken to him with a formal tone at the beginning, there had been a bit of distance between them. But now…

“Alright, break’s over. Let’s get moving,” Hestia said, standing up.

“Where are we going next?” Luciard asked.

“My old workplace!”

Luciard tilted his head, wondering if Hestia had ever worked anywhere before.

“Agggaaaaain! Lady Hestia!”

“We missed you!”

“How have you been, Lady Hestia?”

“Ha, I should ask all of you. You look busy as usual,” Hestia replied with a smile.

“We’re always busy!”

Although many people had warmly greeted her before, this place felt different. The welcome was far more enthusiastic.

“Luciard, this is the Frost Foundation. It handles events and operations across Vyren and oversees all the businesses. I worked here for three years under my father’s guidance.”

Luciard finally understood why she called it her old workplace. Hestia introduced him to the foundation staff, and they quickly fell into friendly chatter.

“I’ll be away for over a week, so I’m counting on you,” Hestia told one of them.

“Rest assured, Lady Hestia. We’ll manage everything perfectly.”

“I knew I could count on you, Raven!”

A familiar face appeared with a young man.

“Father.”
“Oh, Tia! You’re here early!”

The familiar face was none other than Derrick. When Hestia arrived at the mansion earlier, he was out on business.
He greeted Hestia and Luciard warmly.

“What brings you here?”
“It’s been a while, so I thought I’d take a look around the business. I also wanted to show Luciard how things work here.”

“That’s a great idea. Sir Luciard, is Tia teaching you well?”
“Yes, she’s quite a strict teacher. There’s so much to learn that it’s sometimes a bit overwhelming.”

“Haha! I can imagine. Our Tia is quite strict in those matters.”

“Father, what do you mean by that?”

“I’m just saying my daughter is competent.”

Derrick’s playful response made it impossible for Hestia to be annoyed, so she just pouted.

“By the way, Father, who’s the person with you?”
Hestia glanced at the man who had entered with Derrick.

He had a neat and pleasant appearance.

“This is the person I hired to take over your role, Tia.”

“Ah, the one you said was doing such a great job!”

The man stepped forward slightly and bowed.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Raven. You must be Lady Hestia Frost. The baron has told me a lot about you.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you too. You’re supposed to be really good at your job?”

“Not really.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

“Not at all! My lady, I thought no one could be more passionate than you, but Raven here proves me wrong!”

“That’s right. After you left, we were in chaos, but once Raven arrived, everything got organized in no time.”

“I can’t imagine how things would’ve turned out without Raven… I don’t even want to think about it.”

“Wow, for the staff to say things like this, you must be really talented.”

“I’m just grateful for their high praise.”

Raven spoke humbly, wearing a kind smile. The four of them then entered his office to chat more.

“Wow…”

Raven’s office was the same one Hestia used before.

The way it was organized now had a slightly different feel, which caught Hestia’s attention.

“Father, where did you even find someone like this? If you have a secret, share it with me. The duchy is also desperate for skilled workers.”

“Haha! Your father has a good eye for people! And Raven applied as soon as we posted the job opening.”

“The conditions here were much better than anywhere else—free room and board, a high monthly salary. Who wouldn’t apply? Plus, fixed working hours. You don’t find that kind of jobs that often.”

“But don’t you stay late every day?”

“Haha, it’s just because there’s a lot of work right now. Still, the overtime pay is great.”

Raven joked that he was lucky to have such a great job, while Hestia seemed more intrigued by the hiring conditions.

“Hmm, maybe I should post a new job opening, too.”

“Basil would love that.”

“Right? Poor Basil’s been struggling lately.”

As Hestia asked Derrick about the hiring process, someone knocked on the door.

“Excuse me, Mr. Raven. Could you take a look at this document?”

“Ah, yes. Please, come in.”

A staff member entered timidly. Raven pulled out a pen from his pocket, checked the document, and signed it.

It was an elegant pen.

Since Hestia often worked at a desk, she had a keen eye for pens. She was curious about its brand and took a closer look.

“Wait a second…”

A sense of familiarity washed over her.

“Here you go.”

After handing the document back, Raven noticed Hestia’s gaze fixed on his pen.

“Excuse me, but…”

“Would you like to take a look?”

Raven offered the pen, and Hestia accepted it without hesitation.

The black pen had a polished finish, and its nib was finely crafted, making it look very high-end. But what stood out was a unique symbol instead of a brand logo.

“A Crow?”

“Yes, it’s a gift given to adults from the orphanage I grew up in. I believe the orphanage makes them themselves.”

“Oh, you mentioned you were from an orphanage.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“The hiring requirements here must’ve been tough, though.”

“If I were just an ordinary orphan, I wouldn’t have dared to apply. But fortunately, my orphanage was supported by the royal family.”

“The royal family?”

“Yes, we received a lot of support and lived comfortably. They even provided scholarships for top students to attend the academy.”

“You had top grades, didn’t you?”
Derrick, who had been listening quietly, interjected.

“I graduated with a GPA of 4.8 out of 5.”

“Wow…”

The academy was a place where nobles and gifted children from wealthy families went, so achieving nearly perfect scores there meant he was exceptionally talented.

‘No wonder he handles so much work so efficiently.’

Hestia glanced at Raven before looking back at the pen in her hand.

The faintly engraved golden Crow symbol caught her attention.