Chapter 24

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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Protagonist Buff
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"Ten billion?"

"Yes."

"Do you, by any chance, have debts?"

"No."

"Then is gambling your hobby?"

"Not at all."

Why on earth would this woman need such a vast sum, ten billion? It was an absurd amount for Roje, who held no title, to repay.

'Could she be planning some scheme, like offering to serve by my side for life if she can't repay the money?'

It seemed like an attempt to tie herself to him forever. Roje, sensing the Grand Duke Arteum's somewhat displeased reaction, scratched her innocent cheek.

In truth, the amount she truly wanted was not ten billion. This sum was a 'fake' for negotiation. The strategy was to start with a high figure, then gradually lower it, ultimately borrowing the amount she desired. The real amount she wanted was 'three billion Leres.' It was a method to make three billion feel relatively cheap by setting a higher benchmark. If she had asked for three billion Leres from the start, he might have refused, but by asking for ten billion first and then reducing it, she could pleasantly conclude the deal.

'Asking for three billion Leres from the very beginning might seem too much.'

Soon, Grand Duke Arteum would surely express his refusal, saying ten billion was excessive.

"Ten billion, you say."

The Grand Duke's voice resonated softly. Roje steeled herself for the negotiation and looked at him. However, Grand Duke Arteum displayed a reaction entirely different from what she had expected.

"Very well."

"Yes, I also thought it was an unreasonable amount... What?!"

Roje couldn't believe her ears.

'D-did Grand Duke Arteum really just accept my offer?'

She heard it but couldn't believe it. It wasn't one hundred million, or one billion, but a staggering ten billion Leres. And he was offering to lend Roje such a massive sum without asking for any conditions.

"Excuse me? You’re, you’re lending me ten billion?"

Roje's astonished voice rang out. Her eyes, wide as if they might pop out, betrayed her utter surprise.

"Did you not just ask to borrow it?"

"B-but."

I never expected you to lend it so easily...!

"Surely you don’t think my life is worth less than that, do you?"

Grand Duke Arteum sent Roje a playful look. But,

'S-scary.'

To Roje's eyes, his expression simply looked chilling. His sharp, icy gaze and threatening tone were enough to make her afraid.

"That’s not what I meant."

Roje quickly replied, shaking her head vigorously. Then, she fidgeted, trying to gauge the Grand Duke’s mood. Roje gazed at the Grand Duke with an anxious expression. Into her ears, Grand Duke Arteum’s voice clearly resonated.

"Then take it. My life's worth won't be any less."

Roje stared at Grand Duke Arteum with a bewildered expression.

'This is completely... like tripping backward into a treasure!'

Roje, who had intended to borrow a modest three billion, ended up borrowing ten billion by sheer chance. She felt as if her soul had left her body, unable to collect her thoughts.

"I have one question."

"Yes, yes. Please ask."

Roje replied, still in a daze. Her focus was completely blurred.

"What exactly do you intend to do with that vast sum, madam?"

Grand Duke Arteum was curious. What would the woman before him do? What did she wish to accomplish with such a colossal amount as ten billion Leres? Her scattered thoughts finally returned to her. She looked at the Grand Duke with clear eyes and explained softly.

"I plan to start a business."

"A business?"

"Yes. I’m thinking of opening a department store."

"What is a department store?"

It was a word he had never heard before. He frowned at Roje's words and asked again. In fact, before coming to the Grand Duke's mansion, Roje had conceptualized quite a few business ideas: women's clothing, makeup tools, and even becoming a landlord, something she had yearned for in her previous life. She figured that if she pursued other ventures, she would have to work her fingers to the bone until she established herself, but becoming a landlord meant she could eat and play for the rest of her life without working. Yes, being a landlord was the answer! The thought of fulfilling a dream she couldn't achieve in her previous life, now within a novel, filled her with uncontainable excitement. However, even this wasn't as easy as it seemed. Even if she built a mansion and rented it out, the return on investment period seemed too long. Buying land and building a house would cost about ten million Leres. The annual rent here was approximately two hundred thousand Leres. To recoup an investment of ten million, a long period of fifty years would have to pass. Moreover, there was no guarantee of having tenants for fifty years. She thought it would be better to build a commercial building and rent out shops. If she built a large building and brought in various stores, she could generate a significant monthly income. That's how the idea of a 'department store' came to her. The concept of a 'department store' didn't exist here yet. Shops were lined up individually, and there was no complex space where people could shop all at once. Roje was certain. She had a 'hunch' that if she established the first department store here, she would be rolling in money.

"A department store is a multi-purpose shopping center. It’s a place where various shops are brought together under one roof, enhancing convenience for consumers."

Initially, Roje had envisioned a department store on the scale of a local supermarket, tailored to the current reality. But with ten billion Leres, she could expand the scope a bit more.

"I will share the profits with Your Grace. And, of course, I will repay the ten billion."

The Grand Duke found it difficult to grasp the exact nature of the business she intended to start, but hearing Roje's confident voice, he nodded.

"But if you gather shops, how will you ever repay my money? If the rent is unreasonably high, no one will want to move in."

Since she was borrowing ten billion, she must be building something quite luxurious. Then, naturally, the rent would also increase. The Grand Duke posed a sharp question, digging into the flaws of Roje's plan and speaking his mind freely.

"The average annual rent for high-end shops is three million Leres. Let's say the rent for your proposed department store is double, no, triple that of existing shops. Assuming fifty stores move in, earning nine million Leres annually, even if they earned for a full ten years without spending a single penny, they wouldn't make ten billion Leres."

He continued speaking, tapping his knee with his fingers.

"But would they really pay more in monthly rent just to enter your so-called department store? There are many established merchants who don't need to be in a department store."

"They’ll want to come in. Later, they’ll be desperate to get in."

The most important thing in business is location and commercial power. No matter how well a business is doing, if a new infrastructure like a department store is established, other existing places will inevitably decline. Roje continued speaking to clarify the Grand Duke's misunderstanding.

"And I won’t be charging rent."

"?!"

What on earth was this woman talking about? Question marks filled the Grand Duke’s mind at Roje’s declaration that she wouldn’t charge rent.

"You won’t charge rent?"

He asked again, his eyes filled with disbelief. The Grand Duke felt as if he'd been struck by a hammer, his mind numb from Roje's words. 'How does she plan to repay ten billion without even charging rent? It doesn't seem like she's running a charity.' What was her ulterior motive?

"Instead of rent, I will receive a commission on sales."

A smile finally appeared on the Grand Duke’s face, which had been full of question marks. This woman was no ordinary person.

'To come up with such an idea.'

The Grand Duke couldn't help but admire Roje's ingenious plan.

"I’m thinking of a 30% commission."

"Then, even if they sell just one item worth ten million Leres, you’d get three million."

The consumption of luxury goods by nobles was quite active. This meant that Roje would receive a full three million Leres from just one item sold. The Grand Duke, who had been watching Roje with a surprised expression, slowly opened his mouth.

"That’s truly an ingenious idea."

He began with a compliment for Roje, then proceeded to express his concerns.

"However, this, too, would be unwelcome to the merchants. The annual rent for a regular shop is three million Leres. Would such people really agree to pay a 30% commission? They could work comfortably for a year by paying just three million Leres elsewhere."

The Grand Duke suggested that she might be better off finding another method, adding another point to her.

"No one would want to open a business that incurs such losses. And even if they were lured in by sweet talk, I would not tolerate the exploitation of the less fortunate."

Grand Duke Arteum found Roje's plan uncomfortable. A 30% commission. It was a figure that would undeniably earn one the reputation of a wicked employer. Roje nodded, acknowledging Grand Duke Arteum's point.

'Unexpected. I thought His Grace didn't care about the lives of his subjects.'

Indeed, he wasn't as fearsome or wicked as she had thought.

'First, I should clear up this misunderstanding.'

Roje calmly explained to the Grand Duke, who was sending her a worried look.

"To be precise, I intend to exploit the nobles, not them."

Her voice, tinged with a slight laugh, echoed clearly through the reception room.

"The prices of goods sold in the department store will be 30% higher than in other shops from the outset. That way, merchants can sell their goods without burden, and I, too, can generate enormous profits."

Grand Duke Arteum, who had been frowning, finally relaxed his expression.

"Nobles have more money than they could spend in a lifetime, so even if it’s 30% more expensive, they’ll choose a more convenient and luxurious place. Later, everyone will be clamoring to buy in."

Even upon reconsideration, it was truly a groundbreaking business idea.

'That's why she was so confident.'

The Grand Duke realized that what she was saying was not just idle talk.

"Not a bad business at all."

His sharp voice softened into a more generous tone.

'...He acknowledged my business.'

An inexplicable surge of emotion washed over her like a wave. She hadn't realized that being acknowledged by someone could bring such immense joy. Roje's cheeks flushed. Her gently curved eyes showed just how delighted she was. While she wasn't entirely without worry that the business might fail, she strangely had a good feeling about it. Even though this was a dark, despair-filled novel where the protagonist was constantly tormented, the 'protagonist buff' always existed.