Chapter 24

Chapter 24

A long moment passed following my request before the guild master put down his empty teacup. I tensed and swallowed nervously, sensing there was something strange about his reaction.

He leveled a serious stare at me, speaking slowly. “And how much do you want to know about this man?”

“How much can you tell me?”

He intertwined his fingers, considering deeply. It seems like I might have given him quite a difficult task since Isidor was the heir to such a prestigious house.

If he refuses, I’ll just have to give up on it. He’s already looking into Louie Gazelle for me, anyway... Resigning myself to my request being possibly rejected, I sipped at my tea. After some deep thought, he said, “I guess I can acquire details such as his height or body weight if you wish. Perhaps even his shoe size...”

“Huh?”

“I don’t think I can go much further than that, though... It might not be appropriate. Not that I’m incapable of finding more personal measurements.”

I nearly spit out my tea. I supposed there were plenty of ladies at the Academy who were hungry for details like the size of his feet, the width of his shoulders, or the circumference of his thighs, but I wasn’t one of his fangirls thirsting after such private details.

“What do you take me for?” I exclaimed indignantly. “I’m not interested in those pathetic details. I want to know what people are saying about him in secret and the rumors about him.”

“Pathetic details...” The guild master’s glassy eyes seemed to twitch ever so slightly. He seemed stunned that he’d guessed what I wanted incorrectly.

I was shocked as well, that he’d consider me one of Isidor’s desperate admirers.

“His reputation and any rumors about him... That’s what you’re curious about.”

“There’s something suspicious about that man. Investigate him closely.” There could be things about him that hadn’t been in the novel that had the potential to trip me up. I planned to find out all I could about Isidor before he became a problem.

“Suspicious? A man with his good looks?” the guild master muttered under his breath.

“What did you say?” I asked.

“I said I will look into this suspicious Isidor Bisconti,” he said gruffly, refilling his empty cup. This time he spooned five scoops of sugar into his tea. He seemed to have a huge craving for sweets today. He stirred the tea violently with a cold look on his face, then turned to me. “My lady. Are we done?”

“No. This tea smells wonderful. I want to finish my cup before I leave.”

“The tea will cost you one gold.”

“What? That’s too expensive. You haven’t even served me any dessert.”

“My time is valuable.”

Well, aren’t you fickle? I stared at the guild master, who seemed inexplicably peeved.

“But tell me, do you sell this tea at Maison as well?” I asked gently. I handed him an accessory adorned with a pearl.

“That’s too much for a cup of tea,” he said lazily, waving me away with a black-gloved hand.

I put the necklace back in my bag, glad to have saved some money. Well, what do you know? According to the novel, he’s supposed to demand a price for every single question asked.

“I refuse to work while we’re drinking our tea.”

Oh, so he just doesn’t want any more questions. “That’s too bad. I had an attractive proposition I wanted to bring to you during our afternoon tea.”

“I’ll listen, but only if you tell me how you tamed my Cookie.”

“Forget it. I’ll just tell you my idea, no need to say anything. You’ve got nothing to lose.”

“Well, aren’t you stubborn?”

“Don’t tell me you only just realized?” Life was such a breeze living in the body of a scumbag like Deborah. I could ignore people and be as shameless as I wanted, and everyone just took it in stride simply because of her reputation. I pulled a slip of paper from my pocket and slapped it on the table. “What do you think?”

He pretended not to be interested, sipping at his tea. Then he noticed the drawing on the little piece of paper and crossed his arms, staring at it more closely.

“What’s this? A drawing of... a woman?”

“That’s right.”

It was a simplified design incorporating a woman in purple which I planned to use for my coffee brand. I’d worked on it whenever I got bored during my classes at the Academy. The body I found myself in was especially gifted with its hands, and I’d been able to create a professional logo similar to the ones I’d seen in my previous life.

“It’s quite sophisticated and geometric. Unique, too. Don’t tell me you drew it yourself?” He seemed surprised that I was such a good artist, and I could see the beginnings of interest in his expression.

“Yes, I drew it. I plan to use it as a coat of arms, if you will, to start a dessert business.” Since coats of arms were commonplace in this world, I could skip the tedious explanations of what a logo was.

“Why have such a thing for a dessert shop? It seems pompous.”

“It’s essential if I want my shop to stand out among the rest. I’m going to have many shops featuring this same symbol—perhaps up to a hundred of them. There will be shops bearing this coat of arms as far as the outskirts of the empire, as well as on remote islands. I’m going to ensure that people are reminded of this image whenever they see the color purple.”

“How could you possibly expand so aggressively? There’s a limit to the amount of manpower and capital you can accrue. Not even the emperor could accomplish such a thing.”

He had taken the bait. My eyes gleamed.

“I won’t need to gather the necessary manpower myself. I’ll lend my trademark to others.”

“Lend it?” he parroted, his eyes widening in shock.

“Yes. Once the first shop is a success, the rest will be easy. I will let a third party operate the exact same shop somewhere else, using the same menu and interior furnishings as my shop. They’ll be able to operate at a reduced risk and I’ll take a fee for sharing my trademark and know-how.”

“That... is a stunning idea.”

To my astonishment, not only had the guild master immediately grasped what I was saying regarding tax evasion, but also my description of operating a franchise. The speed at which his brain operated was nothing short of phenomenal. I had been born and raised in a capitalist society, but he had not.

Hiding my astonishment, I continued to speak. “Also, once you have enough of these shops running, you can purchase ingredients such as flour and tea leaves in bulk, reducing costs.”

“So the greater the number of establishments, the greater the gains will be for the lender of the trademark.”

“That’s right. But of course, it’s never a good idea to expand indiscriminately.”

“I suppose you’re right. If the shops encroach on each other’s markets, it will reduce the overall profits. And managing the quality of each shop will become more difficult as well. But tell me, my lady.”

“Huh?”

“Why is it that you are sharing such an original idea with me?”

He’s so quick to catch on. “I want to propose a partnership.” I picked up the note with the purple logo. “I want you to invest in this venture.” I’d always wanted to run my own cafe in my previous life. And as a caffeine addict, I could not live without my daily fix of iced americano.

And if I’m going to get involved in business, choosing a field I’m interested in will help me stay sane. In addition, I’d researched the cafe industry in no less than three separate group projects thanks to my marketing classes. I’d wondered why I was doing it at the time since I had no capital to start my own business, but apparently all that work was going to come in handy in this life.

“Teach me your business know-how, including manpower management, recipes, procurement of raw ingredients, and so forth.”

I had no actual business experience, so by working with him I could cut down on trial and error—he operated a variety of different shops, after all. What was more, we’d save a lot of time.

“By the way, I have many ideas on how to launch a dessert shop into success. Lending out a trademark is really only the tip—I really must emphasize this, the tip—of the iceberg.”

“The tip of the iceberg...” he muttered.

“And I plan to use my creativity to the fullest in this undertaking.” I stared directly into his eyes as he looked back at me with interest. “What do you say? Are you interested in my proposition?”

I’d expected him to hesitate at least a little, but he did no such thing. We wrote out the contract that very day, and so began my cafe business, which would soon inundate the streets of the Asteia Empire with purple signs.

* * *

The more I think about it, the more goddamned smart I realize it is. Selling a trademark, rather than a product...

Lady Deborah might have no experience running an actual business, but she had a unique point of view regarding it. In a word, she was a genius. And there was no way he could refuse her request for him to invest.

She’s so fascinating. He was staring at the purple image she’d left behind when Miguel, who’d been hiding behind his chair the entire time, suddenly came into view.

He looked exhausted since he’d had to employ every iota of self-control he had not to laugh. He’d come dangerously close to cackling uncontrollably ever since she had requested that the guild master investigate Lord Isidor—he’d been forced to pinch his thigh to resist the impulse.

I reached my limit today. I nearly exposed myself. Who would have thought his position would be endangered by the irresistible urge to laugh, of all things, while on the job? I haven’t been so amused in years. She’s a real charmer in actuality.

Revising his opinion of Lady Deborah to be more favorable, Miguel stared pointedly at the guild master. “My lord. The task you’ve been assigned this time is a truly difficult one, it seems. You’ll have to take the reins on this one.”

“Tell me, do you find this situation amusing?” Isidor asked.

“Of course not! Lady Deborah is quite bold, to request a secret investigation into the heir of the great House of Bisconti, of all people. What a daring woman.”

“You’re the more daring between the two of you, right now…” Isidor said, cracking his knuckles.

Miguel quickly changed the subject. “I-In any case, that was a perfect opportunity to demand a substantial fee from her. Why didn’t you do so?”

“She’s paid me more than enough,” Isidor replied, holding up Deborah’s drawing.

“What does that image symbolize, exactly? It’s certainly very pretty.”

“Gold.”

“I find it harder and harder to understand you these days.”

“Hmm...” It seemed as though Miguel hadn’t understood the business tactic Deborah had proposed. Isidor repressed the urge to tut at him judgmentally.

I suppose that’s to be expected, though. Most nobles were like Miguel, unaware of how to expand their capital. They believed commercial activities were beneath them. Lady Deborah was the exception, rather than the rule. She had been raised in the most archetypal of aristocratic environments, but she’d given him that brilliant idea regarding managing illegal funds the last time they’d met. And this time, she’d suggested a business partnership.

“I can’t figure her out.” His curiosity about her hadn’t been sated at all. In fact, she was so guarded that he hadn’t even been successful in approaching her as himself yet. Isidor tapped at the table with his finger for several long moments, then spoke in a serious tone. “Miguel.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“What look do you think caught Lady Deborah’s attention the most?”

“She always seemed uninterested, but she did stare at you a second longer when you wore your hair styled up with the pomade, and you were wearing the black frock coat.”

“So she likes a more masculine style,” Isidor muttered gravely.

“Why don’t we press on with that, then?”

“But there is one style I haven’t tried yet. Take a look.”

Isidor took off his black robe and removed the bracelet spelled to disguise his real face, reaching into a drawer.