Chapter 9

“What are you saying! Duke Baldwin, I don’t think you understood me properly—!”

Baldwin calmly raised his hand and stopped Kerko from talking, as if there was no need to listen any further.

Lutherick spoke next, with a slight hint of satisfaction in his voice.

“Now that this has happened, rumors will spread in this industry. I wonder who will want to work with Germani after this.”

That was clearly a threat.

And the House of Duke Constantine had enough power to back it up.

Lutherick added firmly,

“Please leave now. The Duke does not share a table with people who are not considered guests.”

That was clearly a dismissal.

Baldwin stood up first. He didn’t say goodbye. He simply turned around and walked away with elegance.

Kerko just stared at him, looking confused.

“Then I’ll leave too.”

“W-wait! You can’t just walk away like this! The Lord of Germani will definitely file an official complaint—!”

“And what problem would that cause us? This is Estus, and the Duke is the Duke here.”

Lutherick replied coldly.

“In fact, Germani should be the one worried. We’ll be sending a formal complaint about your rudeness through the royal palace of Estus.”

Kerko stood up too fast and stumbled a bit.

He had thought they were winning, but he never imagined things would fall apart like this.

He assumed he could just pressure Baldwin, thinking he wouldn’t understand because he was deaf.

He hadn’t believed the rumors about Baldwin that had crossed the ocean.

He thought, What’s the point of fearing someone who can’t even hear?

But it wasn’t just Germani—many people in the world discriminated against those with disabilities.

In the end, that kind of prejudice had ruined everything.

“Wait, Assistant Lutherick! Please wait a moment! Lutherick!”

Kerko quickly followed, but the door was already closed and wouldn’t open.

Soon after, the head butler came and politely escorted him out.

Even at the end, Baldwin remained graceful—clearly showing they weren’t on the same level.

Meanwhile…

Baldwin had never made a move without a plan.

Lutherick, who had followed him back to the office, was out of breath as he spoke quickly.

“Your Grace! Please explain now! Just like you said, we canceled the contract. But what about all the materials we already ordered, like that man said?!”

Baldwin glanced at Lutherick, who was clearly hoping for a solution.

With elegant fingers, Baldwin wrote on paper:

[Don’t worry. It’s not like cargo ships are the only ships in the world. I’m going to build a cruise ship instead.]

Lutherick’s eyes followed the pen as it moved quickly.

“A cruise ship?!”

Baldwin nodded.

[If we use the name Constantine, there will be plenty of banks willing to invest. What’s there to worry about? While the cruise ship is being built, you should focus on preparing the second half of the year’s plans. It would be great if we could also get an order for a cargo ship.]

Lutherick swallowed hard.

So far, the Constantine family had never tried building a cruise ship before. That was because cruise ships were mostly used by the rich. To meet their expectations, every single material had to be top quality.

“…We’ve never done anything like this before. Will it really be okay?”

[We’ll need to gather investors and skilled workers. But we’re living in a time where new sea routes are being opened every year. The cruise business is sure to have a boom.]

Baldwin’s instincts had never been wrong. It was like he could see the future with those mysterious purple eyes.

Lutherick rubbed his arm.

[If we’re going to invest, we should go big.]

“Do you have a bank in mind? And where will you get the workers from?”

[There are lots of small companies that build cruise ships. Find one that has talent but no money—and buy it. That’s where we’ll start.]

“Do you already have an investor in mind?”

Baldwin blinked.

Even now, the same name kept coming to him.

No—maybe from the very beginning, when he first thought of canceling the contract, he had already been thinking of her.

Anais Barnaby.

[What about the Graham Bank?]

“Ah. The golden coin of the finance world.”

Baldwin raised an eyebrow, as if to ask what that meant.

“Well, old-fashioned nobles all think the same. There are tons of people betting on how long banks can last after breaking away from Graham’s influence. And there are just as many betting on who will be the one to pull Graham Bank into their circle.”

Baldwin smirked slightly.

That’s what people say when they don’t know Anais Barnaby. She never lets go of anything once it’s in her hands.

“Also, she’s a young woman running a business. You can imagine how many people look down on her. Businessmen keep trying to poke around, thinking she’ll be easy to deal with.”

Baldwin tapped the desk lightly with his finger.

But Anais wasn’t someone who’d fall for that.

“She’s the hottest name in the betting circles. And not just for business. People are even betting on who her next husband will be. For now, they’re still being careful because of Marquess Egbert Graham. But soon, that little house she’s staying in will catch fire—metaphorically speaking.”

Baldwin’s finger stopped tapping.

Nobles acted graceful on the outside, but they were actually crude and vulgar. They didn’t even try to hide it.

Baldwin gave a cold smile.

“Even your friends seem to have placed bets,” Lutherick said. “Anyway, that’s one of the reasons they call her the gold coin of finance.”

It meant that a lot of people were secretly working together, trying to mess with Anais.

“How pathetic,” Baldwin thought.

Until now, Baldwin had lived without thinking much about Anais. Their meeting had been brief, even if it had left an impression.

But once Anais entered his eyes and ears, she started to take over his mind—fast and intensely, like the flap of wings.

He wasn’t the only one who must’ve felt it.

[We’ll go with the Graham Bank. Set up a meeting with Anais Barnaby.]

“Ah…”

Lutherick’s eyes widened. He couldn’t understand what Baldwin was thinking.

Lately, Baldwin seemed strangely gentle and kind toward Anais.

That didn’t sound like him.

“…Are you joining in the bet too?”

Lutherick asked with a curious look.

[A bet? No, I’m simply doing business, Lutherick. Graham Bank is more than capable. Choosing the right gem to invest in—that’s what makes a good owner.]

Baldwin’s lips curved into a pleasant smile. Now he was looking forward to how Anais would respond.

“Turn right up ahead and keep going straight—that’s where the hall is.”

That was the first time Baldwin met Anais. She had been volunteering as a guide at the academy graduation.

When she finished giving directions and turned to face him, she had widened her eyes as if she recognized him.

The tragedy of Baldwin Constantine was famous in Estus. Even a new student would have known who he was.

She must have also known that he couldn’t hear.

But Anais hadn’t shown any pity or hesitation. She just smiled gently and spoke casually, like it was no big deal.

“It’s a bit tricky to find your way. If you’d like, I can guide you myself or draw you a map.”

She had more grace than anyone else he’d met. Until then, Baldwin had only faced people who pitied him, looked down on him, or tried to use him.

But Anais was different. Even in the days after, when they ran into each other from time to time.

Until she got married and was dragged into the Graham family—and disappeared from Baldwin’s view.

She had always stayed the same.