Chapter 47
Danae not only took care of her own business but also gave Tanisha a lot of help.
Tanisha started working at the Duke's mansion right after her Debutante.
She wasn't very interested in high society, so she had a hard time dealing with noble ladies.
Whenever that happened, Danae would step in and give Tanisha advice.
Having been a maid of the Empress in the past, she had a natural talent for socializing.
Watching Danae meticulously examine the items that arrived one after another, Tanisha suddenly thought about what if she had been her mother.
Then she might have been a competent businesswoman instead of someone's subordinate by now.
Tanisha's parents weren't very interested in her education.
Tanisha grew up almost neglected.
Because of that, she learned everything on her own.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't lonely.
She felt self-pity and at the same time, Rebecca came to mind. If Rebecca had grown up under such a mother, she would have had considerable talent as well.
But to think that she had to live confined to the name of Countess, Tanisha found herself wanting to support Rebecca's safe divorce.
"President! Someone from the Devonshire Earl family is here."
An employee rushed into the warehouse.
At the word Devonshire, Danae and Tanisha exchanged glances.
"I'll be right there. Tell them to prepare refreshments and guide the Countess to the back door."
Tanisha brushed the dust off her skirt. And she read the letter sent by Rebecca once again carefully.
Tanisha read even the one line attached as a postscript and smiled faintly.
What a sweet instruction this was.
Tanisha's steps gained strength.
Well, it's time to make money.
* * *
"This is a generous offer."
Viscount Pablo, a vassal of the Devonshire family, arrogantly slid a card with the amount written on it in front of Tanisha.
'Things will work out easier than I thought.'
Pablo smiled quietly, looking at Tanisha's chubby cheeks, which hadn't yet shed her childishness.
The wine business, along with the art distribution business, was one of the core businesses of the Devonshire family.
The wealth and fame that would come with taking charge of that business were obvious.
He was a Viscount, but he climbed up, trampling on those much higher than him, one by one, and became the head of the wine business.
Unlike other nobles, he never neglected his work because he was intoxicated with his high position.
From the grape farm to the wine shops that distributed the wine, everything was strictly managed under his supervision.
But overnight, all the Rose Grapes in the farm withered.
After much effort, he found the cause, but the problem was the solution.
For some reason, the Tabara ladybugs across the country had disappeared. They had all been bought by this Tanisha Trading Company.
At first, he suspected that the Trading Company was the one who withered the Rose Grapes, but when he actually came here, he realized that couldn't be the case.
Unless they were crazy, there was no reason for such a shabby Trading Company in the middle of the market to provoke the Devonshire Earl family.
And the President was a young lady.
Because Tanisha looked younger than his own daughter, Pablo's guard was lowered. Maybe she just got lucky and bought the bugs.
Pablo raised one corner of his mouth, waiting for Tanisha to happily agree.
"Hmm..."
Tanisha pretended to be troubled and looked at the paper Pablo had handed her. Then she added another '0' to the end and handed it back.
"You'll have to give me at least this much."
Pablo doubted his eyes.
"Listen, miss. You must not have a good sense of money yet, but if you ask for this much for just bugs, no one will buy them."
"Is that so?"
Tanisha didn't hesitate and added another '0'.
"How about this price, mister? Weren't you in a hurry?"
"This..."
It was easily more than five times the budget Zeppelin had sent him to solve the problem.
Pablo slammed his cane on the floor.
"Mister! And such an absurd price. I am here as a representative of the Devonshire Earl family. Show some respect!"
"Oh, I thought you called me miss first, so I thought we were unifying the titles like that. And I looked into it, and you're in big trouble. I heard there's a big problem with the supply of Rose Grapes? Let's see, there's the summer festival and the Crown Prince's birthday banquet coming up soon! The peak season is just around the corner, and if I monopolize the only solution, isn't it basic business to raise the price?"
Tanisha circled the dates on the calendar and held it up in front of Pablo's eyes.
"And your boss is that Zeppelin Devonshire. If you can't solve it by today, you might die."
Not stopping there, Tanisha even made a gesture of slitting her throat with her hand.
Pablo grabbed his cane and trembled.
"You know the nature of the Devonshire Earl and still come out so arrogant? Don't you know that a collapsing Trading Company like this can disappear overnight?"
"Oh, then why don't you try it. Let's bet on whether I go bankrupt faster or you die faster."
Tanisha didn't look regretful at all.
Before he knew it, she was no longer a cute, young lady but wearing the smile of a seasoned old devil.
Cold sweat ran down Pablo's back.
The President in front of him wasn't trying to negotiate. She was unilaterally planning to fleece him.
Since there was no other alternative, Pablo had no choice but to listen to her.
He could get more budget from Zeppelin, but if he did, he would have to reveal that he bought the bugs at an exorbitant price.
That was the same as proving his incompetence.
Zeppelin couldn't stand incompetent people. This ultimately meant that he would have to fill the rest with his own money without Zeppelin's help.
'Solve it! You can expect something terrible to happen to your family every time the deadline is delayed, right?'
Zeppelin's words, filled with anger, came to mind as he looked at the vast farm stained with black leaves.
Zeppelin never made empty threats.
Pablo knew better than anyone that his words were not a joke.
'There's no choice...'
He had to put out the fire that had fallen on his feet first.
Pablo vowed to take great revenge in the future and said in a prickly tone.
"I'll make a deal."
"I knew you would. I've already prepared the contract, so just sign here."
Tanisha handed over the paper in a very friendly tone, perhaps because of the fact that a lot of money was coming into her hands.
Pablo, who was reading the contract carefully, raised his head sharply.
"Lump sum? And upfront in cash? Are you crazy!"
"Quit if you don't like it. I heard you're famous for paying late? There are more than ten businesses that have gone bankrupt because of you, Viscount, so how can I trust you?"
"Even so, it's an amount that can't be made by today."
"Can't the Devonshire Earl family spend that much money? What a disappointment. Then let's call off the contract."
Tanisha pretended to take the contract away.
Pablo put his thick hand on the contract with a thud.
'That damn bitch. I'll definitely ruin you with my own hands.'
Gritting his teeth, he signed roughly.
* * *
<Supply completed.>
Croa subtly showed Julian a palm-sized note.
Julian smiled faintly, as if he knew it would happen.
"I'm sorry for making you wait so long. Something happened in the family..."
The Pope of the Dephria Order wiped the sweat flowing down his face with a handkerchief and slumped down on the huge white sofa. The sofa sank under his heavy body.
"It's alright. I didn't realize how time was passing while watching the newly arrived sculptures."
It was natural that he could wait as long as he wanted.
Rather, Julian was enjoying his predicament.
The trouble that had arisen in the Pope's house was a work he had created.
The Pope Desrachino's fifth wife, whom he was desperately looking for, must be enjoying a voyage on the sea with Barinika by now.
Desrachino narrowed his eyes at Julian, who was being more flexible than usual.
What other scheme was he up to...?
Meow.
"Oh! Leo-nim!"
Leo intervened between the two. Julian had to bring Leo to the Great Temple every month as a duty.
"Then, excuse me for a moment."
The priest brought a staff with a huge crystal at the end. A faint light leaked from the crystal.
The Pope took the staff from the priest. And he carefully brought the crystal to Leo's head.
A bright light poured out from the surface where Leo and the crystal met.
Julian felt as if someone was pulling his feet from under him, and his body was sinking into the ground.
'It's always an unpleasant feeling.'
It was a symptom that occurred when a large amount of Divine Power was consumed.
Feeling dizzy, Julian briefly touched his forehead.
The priests didn't even pay attention to him and only looked after Leo's well-being. Pope Desrachino was the same.
"How can you become so beautiful as I look at you."
Desrachino reached out his plump hand to stroke Leo's glossy fur.
Then Leo raised his bright yellow eyes threateningly and bared his teeth. Desrachino flinched and pulled his hand back.
"I, I have committed a discourtesy."
Every Pope in history has stroked Leo at least once, but he wondered when he would be able to.
Desrachino looked at Leo, who was walking haughtily to Julian's side with a very regretful expression.
Leo gently licked the back of Julian's hand, who was closing his eyes due to dizziness, as if he was openly trying to show favoritism.
Julian smiled and opened his eyes.
"Leo, it tickles."
Desrachino narrowed his eyes.
He didn't know what the Messenger of God liked so much about that rude brat.
As the dizziness subsided a little, Julian's gaze turned to the staff shining in the priest's hand.
The crystal at the end of the staff was already shining brightly enough to be blinding.
"Ha. What's the point of doing this every month just to make that toy shine? Do you know that my lifespan is shortened every time I do this?"
Despite Julian's grumbling, Desrachino said without changing his expression, as if it always happened.
"How can someone who serves a sacred being call a sacred object a toy? This Staff of Light is a signpost for the unfortunate just by its existence. Just like Leo-nim."
Julian's brow furrowed.
