TGDHC Chapter 146

Chapter 146 – The Interview

“I greet Your Grace.”

Evan quickly stood up, bowing just as Alcent had taught him.

He was glad he had practiced beforehand, making sure not to stutter.

Seeing the smiling Duchess with her light blonde hair tied up, his legs began to tremble without him realizing.

‘Don’t be nervous, stay calm.’

Alcent had told him not to overdo it with flattery or pretenses in front of the Duchess.

— “She’s got the best eyes, better than anyone. She’ll know exactly what kind of person you are without you trying.”

‘That’s what Alcent said…’ he thought with a bit of a smile.

‘Though I don’t know what he meant by that exactly.’

Still, Alcent had assured him that good intentions would create opportunities, and that it would lead to good results.

‘I shouldn’t disappoint Alcent.’

The only thing Evan knew about the Duchess was that she was preparing a new wine business.

If he were hired as one of the managers, he could probably recommend a few former colleagues from his previous job.

Even if she just needed workers, he would gladly accept.

As Evan was lost in thought, the butler entered, setting a wine glass on the table and pouring wine for both the Duchess and himself.

Golden liquid with tiny white bubbles rose in the glass.

‘Could this be…?’

“This tastes quite good. Try it,” the Duchess kindly offered.

“Thank you,” Evan said, full of curiosity as he took a sip.

The sensation of tiny bubbles popping in his mouth made his shoulders tremble.

“How is it?” the Duchess asked.

“It’s very sweet and delicious. It feels like a beer that’s been fermented strongly, but it’s much cleaner and lighter than beer,” Evan said carefully, setting the glass down.

“Is this… Snow Wine?” he asked hesitantly.

“How did you know?” The Duchess’s eyes widened in surprise.

Evan explained that several merchants from Rondoris had asked him about Snow Wine before.

“Right. This is actually a traditional fruit wine made in a village in the Pogen Mountains,” the Duchess explained, detailing the Snow Wine and her plans.

“…So, there’s a lot to prepare in a short amount of time,” she said, her blue eyes gleaming.

“If you were the merchant leader, what would you prioritize?” she asked.

‘Here comes the interview question.’

How he answered this would determine whether he was hired.

“I’m not familiar with the Pogen village situation, but…”

Evan, with his hands neatly folded, calmly shared his thoughts.

“First, since we need to transport groundwater and elf berries, we should clear a path. We also need to expand the brewery properly. Since we’ll need a lot of workers, we should hire villagers first, but if more workers are needed, we could offer a little support for moving and recruit from nearby villages.”

As he spoke, more ideas began to come to him.

“If we’re brewing, we’ll need to bottle it quickly, so the wine bottles and labels should be made at the same time. Also, it’d be good to set up a temporary base in Goldrain or by the lake for storage and distribution.”

“Great idea,” the Duchess said, smiling broadly.

“Would ten workers be enough?” she asked.

“Ten?” Evan quickly realized that the Duchess was referring to the ten workers who were fired from the Iris merchant group.

“Of course!” he said urgently, leaning forward.

“We’ll need more workers, but ten people should be enough to manage distribution.”

“Are you sure? If you end up saying there aren’t enough workers later, it’ll be on you as the merchant leader.”

Evan blinked, a little flustered.

“Aren’t you the merchant leader, Your Grace?” he asked.

The Duchess shook her head slightly.

“I’m the owner of the merchant group.”

Her radiant face looked at him intently.

“You, Evan, will be the merchant leader.”

Evan’s eyes widened in surprise.

“M-me, the merchant leader?”

“I’ll be entrusting you with full control over the operation,” the Duchess said gently.

“I’ll be involved in the major decisions, but I want you to handle the details, using your experience and judgment.”

“But Your Grace, am I really qualified for such an important role…?”

Evan’s voice trailed off as he wasn’t sure what to say.

— “Who do you think you are, giving me advice?”

— “Just because my father pampered you doesn’t mean you’re cut out to be the merchant leader.”

— “You know why I’ve let you stay this long? Because I can use you for cheap.”

Evan had heard these kinds of insults before, but he never quit. He stayed out of loyalty to the Iris merchant group, which had once been his entire life, providing food and shelter when he had nowhere to go.

‘I’ve done all I can.’

Now, he realized he was facing the opportunity of a lifetime.

But there was one thing bothering him.

“Your Grace, I was just a middle manager at the Iris merchant group,” he said.

Because he often handled things behind the scenes, some people mistook him for the merchant leader.

“Ah, I know,” the Duchess replied, causing Evan to feel both relief and slight embarrassment.

“But why specifically me for the merchant leader?”

The Duchess smiled brightly like a flower petal.

“Why? Are you wondering why I trust you with such an important position?”

Evan couldn’t bring himself to nod but quietly kept his mouth shut.

“Are you unsure about it?” the Duchess asked.

“Of course not!” Evan replied urgently.

Even if he was being hired as a worker, he was ready to give his all, so to be made a merchant leader was an even greater responsibility.

“I’m more than ready to work hard!” he declared confidently.

“Good, I believe you,” the Duchess said, her smile still glowing.

“That’s why I’m giving you the position.”

‘But what is it that you see in me…?’

At that moment, Evan remembered Alcent’s words.

— “She has the best eyes for seeing people.”

Perhaps the Duchess had recognized the deep desire and determination in his eyes.

It didn’t really matter why.

The Duchess had chosen him.

‘And I’ll be able to protect the people I worked with too.’

Many of the employees had been unable to get their wages for two months and were even kicked out of their boarding houses.

Evan imagined how happy they would be when they found out, and his eyes welled up with tears.

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

He couldn’t let himself cry in this moment, as it would make him look unreliable.

He clenched his teeth, vowing not to disappoint the Duchess.

He would make Snow Wine the most famous and excellent wine in the world.

In Loic’s secret study, a crucial meeting was taking place.

The people in front of the Duke were carefully selected by Perel. The topic was, “What gift should the Duke give the Duchess on her first consecration day in the north?”

One of the commanders raised his hand.

“I heard you’re giving a jewelry gift this time. How about a gemstone mine?”

Enolius shook his head.

“The finale is too overwhelming; it’s being saved for later.”

“Rejected,” Loic decided quickly.

“How about a villa? Maybe one near the capital…?”

Loic raised an eyebrow at the mention of the capital.

“Rejected.”

“You know, she really liked the garden last time, so how about we carve a mountain into a garden?”

Tiern said seriously.

“Who’s going to do that?”

“A magician could,” he suggested.

“Do you think magicians are gods? If idle knights dig it out with their swords, then maybe.”

Enolius shook his head in disbelief.

“How about serving the stew made by the Duke himself, along with Snow Wine?” suggested Norton.

“Isn’t that something we already do?” Loic remarked dryly.

Another knight spoke up.

“How about a private date? We could close the shopping district for the day.”

“That sounds nice!”

“That was done last time.”

As the knights continued to suggest different ideas, someone suddenly spoke up.

“What about giving the Duke himself as a gift?” Leon suggested.

Everyone stared at Leon in disbelief.

“Have you gone mad?” one knight said.

“I heard couples use ‘gift-wrapped husbands’ in inns for their ‘couple nights’…” Leon muttered awkwardly.

“Gift-wrapped? What kind of trend is that?”

Enolius’s face contorted in disgust as he realized what Leon meant.

“Did you say you wrap up a man like a present?”

The knights’ faces turned red at the thought, and they burst out laughing, or groaning.

“Are you serious, Leon?”

Loic glared at him, furious.

“Do you want to die?”

“Sorry, I just heard it’s a trend…” Leon apologized quickly.

Loic sighed, wiping his face and shouting at everyone to leave.

Just then, an urgent messenger arrived from outside the castle, announcing that Prince Lucion from Rondoris was requesting the gates be opened at the Second Wall.