TTPD 26

Chapter 26

A Ruined Face (4)

The man sitting across from Edith with an anxious expression was Count Milo Heston, the general manager of the department store.

The owner of Argo Department Store was Grayson, but its actual operation was almost entirely handled by Count Heston.

It had been eight years since Argo Department Store opened.

Count Heston had worked there all along, assisting Grayson—but this was the first time Grayson had ever brought a woman with him.

And on top of that, it was right before an important appointment involving foreign royalty.

‘“Make sure Miss Edith lacks for nothing while she looks around the department store.”’

Grayson hadn’t even forgotten to give that instruction.

He hadn’t said anything like that when Mallory, the eldest daughter of the royal family of Laila, visited.

Nor when his own daughter, Roselyn, came by.

‘So the newspaper articles were true after all?’

The newspapers published in Papord City had been running headlines all day long:

“The prince has truly fallen under the witch’s spell!”

Knowing Grayson as well as he did, Count Heston had always snorted at those articles—but seeing things today, it seemed they weren’t entirely wrong.

‘But still… why hasn’t this young lady taken off her hat even after coming inside?’

It was Count Heston’s first time seeing Edith in person, but he already knew by reputation that she possessed beauty great enough to “ensnare a prince.”

Even Countess Heston had once returned from a tea party saying,

“She really is incredibly beautiful. If she were the marquis’s legitimate daughter, we would have matched her with our son,” unable to hide her admiration.

He wanted to see the face that had captivated even his wife, but he couldn’t very well demand that a lady remove her hat first.

“Um, Count Heston.”

A lovely voice flowed out from behind the veil.

As expected—perhaps those with beautiful faces also had beautiful voices.

“The duke told me to feel free to look around the department store.”

“Ah, of course! My apologies. I was so flustered, I—”

“No, it’s alright. You must have been surprised by the sudden visit.”

Contrary to the rumors of her being a madwoman, Edith’s demeanor was polite and elegant.

Heston stood up, left the office, and headed toward the stairs leading down to the fourth floor.

“Argo Department Store opened eight years ago, and for the past five years, it has boasted the highest sales volume in the world.”

“I see. I heard the duke was the one who founded the department store. Eight years ago—wouldn’t that have been just after the duke came of age?”

“Not at all. He was only fourteen when he first conceived the department store. He met with me and held long discussions, and only after completing a perfectly structured plan did he move forward with construction. At that time, the duke was sixteen. After a year of construction, the department store finally opened.”

“That’s impressive.”

She meant it sincerely.

Edith tried to recall what she herself had been doing at fourteen, but only depressing memories surfaced, so she stopped.

“What makes our Argo Department Store truly exceptional is that every product we carry comes with a certificate issued by the royal family.”

A royal-issued certificate wasn’t something one could obtain simply by being royalty.

It was only granted after the product’s quality and numerous expert reviews were thoroughly examined.

The reason royal certificates were considered so important in each country was because they were directly tied to the honor of the royal family itself.

With a royal certificate, prices soared without limit—but the process was so strict and time-consuming that most shops sold their goods without one.

That didn’t mean the quality was poor.

However, Argo Department Store aimed to obtain royal certification no matter how complicated the process, and as a result, excluding food items, there wasn’t a single product in Argo Department Store priced under two gold.

When they descended to the fourth floor, an extravagantly luxurious space unfolded before them.

Edith had seen it earlier when she came up with Grayson, but standing in the center now felt entirely different.

“Wow, it’s incredible.”

This was Edith’s first time visiting Argo Department Store.

Count Heston said with a proud expression,

“Of course. We even arranged the clothing displays to please the eye. As you can see, even a single dress comes with a certificate.”

The fourth floor was filled with all kinds of clothing—women’s, men’s, and children’s alike.

Even without examining them closely, it was obvious they were meticulously made from the finest fabrics.

Count Heston quietly waited as Edith looked around the fourth floor.

A few dresses caught Edith’s eye, but when she saw the prices, she recoiled in shock and pulled her hand back.

Eight gold for a simple dress that isn’t even a formal gown?

She knew that dresses nobles wore casually were usually around five gold, and dresses carefully chosen for important parties typically cost about ten gold.

Most of the dresses and gowns Edith owned were cheap items priced around one gold.

Recently, since she had begun dating Grayson, Wyatt had bought her a few outfits—but most of them didn’t exceed five gold.

And yet a simple dress cost eight gold.

When she touched it lightly, the fabric did feel exceptionally soft in her hand, but it wasn’t enough to justify spending eight gold.

No matter if Grayson was paying, eight gold was excessive.

After checking the price tag several more times, Edith swallowed a sigh and said to Count Heston,

“I’d like to go down to the next floor.”

The third floor sold various goods—hats, shoes, handkerchiefs, gloves, bags, and even children’s toys.

Since those too were priced beyond comprehension, Edith moved down to the second floor.

The second floor was the food section.

Fruits and vegetables with perfect shapes and colors, along with processed goods like flour, were on display.

Edith stared at a basket of oranges that cost one gold.

“One gold for oranges. Do people actually buy these?”

“Yes. Nobles often purchase them as gifts for important people. As you can see, their shape and color are flawless.

They’re sourced from farms that win annual awards for the most beautiful produce. And the basket itself is carved from Cabette mountain wood.”

She thought it was an absurd waste of money, but Edith still had enough sense not to say it out loud.

The first floor was the most entertaining space.

Of course, thinking about the prices made it less enjoyable, but if she ignored that, there was no finer place.

Specialty goods from various countries that were hard to find in the Kingdom of Centard.

From luxury items like sculptures and paintings to weap*ns such as swords and helmets, there was an abundance of things to delight the eye.

Half of the floor was devoted to those, while the other half glittered with accessories.

Edith looked down at a necklace whose price she didn’t even want to ask about, then asked Heston,

“Is there a reason the shops are arranged by floor like this?”

At Edith’s question, Count Heston clicked his tongue inwardly.

He had dealt with countless nobles, but this was the first time anyone had asked about the store’s layout.

This beautiful, perfectly structured arrangement was something Grayson and Count Heston had developed through long discussions. It was a point of pride for both of them—but no one had ever shown curiosity, so they’d never had the chance to boast about it.

Because of that, Count Heston replied with a noticeably brighter expression,

“Of course. The reason the first floor is made so lavish and dazzling is to draw in people’s curiosity.

Even passersby, when they see something glittering and unusual, will come in at least once just to take a look.”

“That makes sense. And then they’d grow curious about the second floor.”

“Exactly. The moment they reach the second floor, what greets them are fresh, vibrant fruits. Customers will feel their mouths water as they browse. If their legs get tired, they can rest for a bit at the tea shop tucked away in the corner.”

“While sitting there, they’d talk about what might be on the third floor.”

Count Heston’s expression brightened even more.

“Yes, exactly. After buying a few kinds of miscellaneous goods there, people will want to buy clothes that go with them.”

“Indeed. Nothing here has been made carelessly. That must be why Argo Department Store has grown so quickly.”

At last, someone truly understood.

Count Heston felt his chest swell with pride.

He thought that Grayson absolutely had to marry this lady.

***

After spending a rather dull time, he headed to the office, where lively laughter—“Haha, hoho”—leaked through the crack in the door.

Grayson gave a light knock and opened it.

He was a little surprised to see Count Heston smiling so brightly.

Count Heston usually wore nothing more than a professional smile for customers; he wasn’t someone who laughed so freely.

“Duke, did you have a pleasant conversation?”

“Reasonably so. But have you already finished shopping?”

“I’ve already made a full round of the store. Ah, then I’ll excuse myself.”

After Count Heston left, Grayson sat down in the seat the count had occupied and looked at Edith.

Edith was still wearing her veiled hat, pulled low.