“My Lady, no, Your Grace!”
Felix came running up to me as I was walking down the hallway.
“Mister Felix?”
“Someone from the Black Pearl Merchant Guild has arrived.”
“A person?”
“A man named Nicholas…”
“Let’s go.” I grabbed Felix’s sleeve and led the way.
When I entered Felix’s laboratory, Nicholas was sitting in a chair, waiting for me.
“Long time no see, Mister.”
I greeted him, and Nicholas replied gruffly. “It has been a while.”
“You don’t like me, do you?”
“I neither like nor dislike you.”
“Right, got it. So, what’s up?” I sat down across from Nicholas.
The chair was so high that I had to jump up to sit on it, and the corner of Nicholas’s mouth twitched.
“Our Guild Master told me to deliver this to you.”
“What is it?” Nicholas took out an envelope and handed it to me.
My eyes widened as I opened it.
“This is a check, isn’t it?”
Even Ga-ji was startled when he saw the check. [Wow, how many zeros is that?]
‘Right?’
I held the check carefully and firmly with both hands and asked Nicholas, “Is this the money from selling the potions at the auction?”
“Yes, it is.”
I had to suppress my urge to jump up and down with excitement.
The medicine that Felix and I had made was sold at an underground auction run by Lapis. The check showed that it had sold for a very high price.
“And the Guild Master also told me to get a definite answer on when additional production would be possible, Your Grace.”
“How did you know I became a duchess?”
“That is classified information.”
“Alright. This check was issued by the Imperial Bank, right?”
“Yes. You can confirm it yourself if you’d like.”
“I will.” I looked at Felix. “Mister, when can we produce more?”
“I anticipated this, so Jasper and I made some in advance.”
I smiled at Nicholas. “How many do you need?”
“Ten bottles of each.”
“Mister, how many did we make?”
“Five bottles of each.”
“Bring those.”
Felix brought the bottles of medicine.
“Mister, how long will the rest of the supply take?”
“We estimate about half a month.”
Mass production was not yet possible. There was a lack of manpower.
“Take these for now, and come back in half a month for the rest, Mister.”
“Understood.”
Nicholas put the medicine bottles into a bag he had brought. It seemed to be a bag with space-expanding magic on it, as the fifteen bottles of medicine were sucked into it.
“And the Guild Master suggested that you should open an Imperial Bank account. He said it would be better to deposit the money into an account rather than have us deliver a check every time.”
“Don’t you know that according to imperial law, only people who have come of age can open a bank account?”
“It doesn’t have to be an account in your name, does it? Since you’ve become a duchess, you should be able to use the ducal family’s account. Why don’t you ask?”
“Ahem, I know that. I was already planning to ask the Grand Duke.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s true.”
“Understood.”
“But why does your expression look like that?”
“What about my expression?”
“You’re looking down on me because I’m a child.”
Nicholas got up and waved his hands in denial. “Me? No way. Not at all.”
“Yes you are.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“It shows on your face. I’m very observant, you see.”
Nicholas sighed. “To be honest, I’m a little bit suspicious.”
“Why? I saved Lazli for you.”
“I am grateful for that. But business is different.”
“Is the medicine I made bad?”
“…No.”
“Then?”
“We’re worried that we might be getting swindled by you, Your Grace.”
“Mister Lapis said he would repay me for my help. So why do you think you’re being swindled? Do you think I’m going to rip you off?”
“That’s…”
“Don’t worry. I know how to draw a line. Black Pearl failing would be a problem for me, too. So I won’t rip you off. Don’t worry.”
“If you say so…”
“I’m a person who knows how to be loyal, too. Don’t look at me like that.”
“There will never be another child like you, Your Grace.”
“I am pretty great, I know.”
As I grinned, Nicholas shook his head as if he didn’t know what to do with me.
“I’ll be going now.”
“Alright. Take care.”
After seeing Nicholas off, I put the check in my bag and headed to Alexis’s office.
“My Lord!”
I opened the door and walked in. Alexis, who had been looking at some documents, smiled. I ran to his desk with a proud look and put the envelope with the check inside on it.
“What is this, Elie?”
“A gift!”
“I’m excited to see.”
Alexis put his pen down and opened the envelope. Inside was a check.
“Elie, this is…”
“It’s the money from selling the medicine that Felix and I made!”
It was a check for a whopping 3,000 gold.
“This is money from selling medicine?”
“Yes, isn’t it amazing?”
“So that’s why my Elie is so excited.”
“Of course. I’m going to make even more than this in the future.”
I gazed at Alexis with sparkling eyes.
“Elie, why are you looking at me like that?”
“I have a favor to ask you.”
“A favor?”
“I need an Imperial Bank account. It’s okay if it’s in your name. Please let me use it.”
“Of course.”
Alexis smiled, opened a desk drawer, and took out a gold card.
“It’s a bank account in the family’s name.”
“It looks old.”
“I haven’t had any use for it. The balance is empty.”
I looked at Alexis with pity. A ducal family, and yet they didn’t have any money in their bank account.
The nobles in the capital, including the imperial family, all had a secret stash. It was illegal money, also known as slush funds. I used to have one of those in the past, too.
“Here, Elie. It’s old, so let’s go together tomorrow and see if it can be used.”
“Okay.”
I took the card and smiled softly.
This was the beginning. The beginning of the revival of the House of Cartelani!
The next day, Elia and Alexis headed to Count Holland’s territory. An Imperial Bank branch was located there. Count Holland’s territory was the most well-developed city in the North. It was the legacy of the successive heads of the Holland family.
“This card’s use has been temporarily suspended due to a lack of recent transactions.”
Alexis smiled awkwardly and asked, “Can you reactivate it?”
“You would have to deposit money into the account to do that.”
Elia smiled and took out the check to show the branch manager.
“The money is right here.”
The branch manager’s eyes widened when he saw the check with the Imperial Bank’s official seal on it.
“A, a three thousand gold check?”
Elia put her hands on her hips and said triumphantly, “This is enough to unfreeze the account, right?”
“O-of course. I will process it immediately.”
“Hehe.”
“Please take good care of it.”
“Please wait for a moment, Grand Duke.”
The branch manager, as if he had hit the jackpot, processed the transaction quickly.
“It’s all done. You can now use the account.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
After leaving the Imperial Bank, Elia and Alexis took the opportunity to look around the city.
“Elie, are you that happy?”
“Of course I am. I’m going to make you rich from now on, My Lord.”
“That’s reassuring.”
“Just trust me.”
“Elie, let’s go have lunch over there.”
The place Alexis pointed to was a small restaurant with a sign that said “Evergreen Pine.” When they opened the creaky wooden door, they saw that the place was bustling with people.
“Welcome.” A cute boy greeted them.
“Grand Duke!”
“How have you been, Bran?”
“Hehe, thanks to you.”
Alexis seemed to know him, as he patted Bran on the head.
“Elie, say hello. This is Bran, a boy I have a connection with.”
“Hello.”
When Elia smiled and greeted him, Bran’s face turned red.
“O-oh, hello.”
“Bran, Elie is my daughter.”
“What?!”
Bran was very surprised and looked back and forth between Alexis and Elia.
“Grand Duke, when did you get married…?”
“It’s nothing like that.”
“Bran, what are you doing? Guide our guests to their table.”
A woman with an apron on came out of the kitchen.
“Oh, Grand Duke.”
“I came here because I wanted to eat your food again after a long time.”
“Then, of course, I must make you the most delicious meal.”
“Grand Duke, I’ll guide you to your table.”
Bran smiled brightly and led them to a table.
