SOLIRF~27

Chapter 27

The Chaebol Family’s Strange Youngest Son

Lady Lilis’s salon tour turned out to be immensely helpful in understanding the life of the nobility. Thanks to it, we found a standard to guide this project.

Rather than chasing every fleeting trend in food, fashion, or leisure, she exuded the presence of someone who set the trends herself—a true high noble.

It was like how, in my old world, if the second son of the Sam-Song conglomerate wore something, its price didn’t matter—it became a topic of conversation either way. Being from one of the founding families of the Empire only added to that air of old prestige and quiet dominance.

That kind of presence is something you’re born with, not something you can learn.

So, we needed a different strategy.

If we tried to mimic her approach, no matter how well we did, we’d always be second place. It was better to take risks and carve our own path.

After confirming this direction with Lady Chiara, we began preparing for the Black Diamond product launch party. The process was completely different from our previous events, so I had to explain everything several times to avoid confusing the staff. Still, it gave me a valuable opportunity to experience every stage of the preparation firsthand.

Here’s the general outline:

1. Plan the party concept.
2. Choose a venue that fits the concept. (The Marquisate has several halls.)
3. Bring in experts for each specialized area.
4. Finalize the plan through multiple meetings.
5. Compile a guest list and send invitations.
6. Begin decorating the hall.
7. Order and design Lady Chiara’s dress.
8. Test and finalize Black Diamond’s new products.
9. Review and adjust the decorations.
10. Taste-test the dishes for the event.
11. Refine the garden.
12. Confirm the final movement flow.

Calling it “planning” sounded simple, but within each phase, we had to discuss everything—from curtain colors to brand selections and invitation design. Steps 1 through 4 were absolute mind-melters.

Naturally, all classified information was tightly controlled. While the butler and servants assisted, as the coordinator I had to personally check every detail.

Now I see why people say following others is the easiest route.

Lady Chiara and the butler handled the guest list and invitations. I still wasn’t familiar enough with noble families—their relationships, rivalries, and alliances—to manage that part.

This time, though, we decided to invite not only nobles but also trendsetting actors, major merchants, and artists. I’d drawn inspiration from fashion shows and celebrity galas.

They’ll make the party go viral in noble society.

We were currently working through steps six to eight simultaneously. My stress levels were self-inflicted, fueled by my ever-growing to-do list.

“You’re doing well, Cornelia.”

Now that I’d been in the Marquisate for a while, even the butler addressed me by name when Lady Chiara wasn’t around.

“This is my first time handling something like this, so I’m a little on edge.”

As I kept my eyes on the documents, I heard something placed gently on the desk.

“Please have some of this, Miss Aide.”

It was a freshly made strawberry tart.

I looked up to find Melony, one of the maids, smiling at me. Ever since the creep incident, we’d exchanged names and grown somewhat close. Thankfully, the harasser had kept quiet lately—probably because he was wary of the youngest young master watching.

“Ah, thank you.”

Melony insisted on speaking casually, saying she found it more comfortable that way despite our rank difference.

“Everyone says things are running so smoothly thanks to you, Miss Aide. So please, relax a little.”

I shook my head.

“Melony, work isn’t something that earns only praise. I’m sure there’s plenty of complaining and gossip mixed in—you’re just kind enough to tell me the nice parts.”

“No! I swear I’m not lying!”

The butler chimed in with a chuckle.

“She’s right, Cornelia. This is the first time we’ve ever had someone gather all the staff to explain exactly how the party will run. Thanks to that, everyone understands their role perfectly. You’ve been thorough with the checklists, and it’s made all the difference.”

“…”

I wanted to appreciate the compliments, but being trapped in this praise prison was oddly uncomfortable.

“Thank you for saying that. It gives me strength. I’ll head to the library to look up a few things.”

I polished off the tart in less than a minute, stretched my neck and back, and stood up.

Careful with the neck. Careful with the spine. Don’t let office diseases start at twenty.

Even on the way to the library, my mind was filled with work. This project was that important to me.

This will secure my place in the Marquisate.

And, of course, it would influence the execution of that bastard.

I wasn’t pretending to be cool—I meant it. I would follow him to the end and see justice done.

By the time those thoughts settled, I had arrived at the library.

It was enormous, fitting for a Marquis’s estate. The shelves were filled with old tomes bound in faded parchment and gold-embossed leather. Staring at them made me acutely aware once again that I’d fallen into another world.

Today, I was looking for books on noble etiquette, ballroom preparation, and conversational etiquette for high society. The head maid, Lady Chiara, and the butler had been guiding me directly, but I wanted a reference of my own.

“Hey! Isn’t that my big sis aide?”

That voice belonged to someone who could wrinkle my forehead faster than any migraine—the strange youngest son of the chaebol family.

“Hello, Young Master.”

“You’re here to read?”

Aidan walked over cheerfully and plopped his notebook down across from me.

Oh, great…

Imagine this: the chairman’s son, who barely knows you, suddenly takes an interest in your work and decides to sit across from you while you’re still on the clock. Describe that level of awkwardness.

Right. Concentration level: negative infinity.

His long, soft lavender hair shimmered like silk as he tilted his head, carefree as ever.

I mentally chanted a spell.

Just focus on your work. He’s not your boss’s son right now—he’s just another scholar here to study. A future Archmage. That’s all.

Magicians did say that research was their daily routine, so studying here wasn’t suspicious. I decided to borrow the next book and read it in my office later instead.

With a polite smile, I went back to reading. I underlined useful lines and jotted notes onto parchment. Writing helped me focus again.

But even after a long while, I could feel his gaze burning into me.

Forget it. I’m leaving.

Just as I started to close my notebook, Aidan spoke up, staring straight at my checklist.

“Whoa—how do you organize stuff like this?”

He was staring at my party planning notes in awe.

“I could never do that. Seriously.”

He flipped open his own notebook to show me pages of messy handwriting, numbers, and random symbols.

“If you just take your time, anyone can do it,” I said gently.

But Aidan shook his head so fast his hair fluttered.

“No way. I’ve never seen anything that neatly organized—not even at the Magic Tower. I tried once, but it’s hopeless.”

Hearing that, I hesitated, then offered, “If you’d like, I can make you a template. Even drawing a few guidelines in your notebook will help a lot.”

“Really? That’d be amazing! I’ll share it with those old fossils at the Tower too!”

…He just insulted his superiors, didn’t he? I decided to ignore it.

Looking through his notebook, I noticed it was full of equations. Apparently, spellcraft required a lot of math.

“25, 1173, 2050…”

“You… what?”

Aidan’s voice suddenly sharpened.

“How did you calculate that? You didn’t even write anything down.”

It hit me then—I’d been unconsciously solving the numbers aloud. My mental arithmetic skills, honed from early education, had slipped out. Aidan’s eyes sparkled far too brightly for comfort.

“To be clear, I don’t have any magical talent,” I said quickly.

But he wasn’t listening.

“Young Master?”

“Aidan.”

“…Pardon?”

“Call me Aidan!”

Oh no. I’d hit a weird switch.

“Then… Aidan, sir,” I said cautiously.

Thankfully, he accepted that compromise.

“Good! Let’s study together from now on!”

“…Sure.”

With his eyes locked on me the entire time, I couldn’t study a single word, but I nodded just to get out of there alive.

The door burst open with a bang.

Lady Chiara stormed in, followed by the butler, both looking frantic.

“Cornelia, something terrible’s happened!”

Their faces were pale, tension crackling in the air.

“Lilis—that woman—just launched a cosmetic brand! Today! And she’s opened a pop-up store for it!”

Ah. So that’s how she decided to play.

I immediately remembered what Senior Yul had told me not long ago.

‘The trading company’s business is no different from the Marquisate’s. Remember that.’

‘Why are you telling me this, sir?’

‘Your Black Diamond proposal—it’s gone missing.’

‘What?’

‘It’s classified information, but the management director thought you should know. That’s why I’m here today.’

“What should we do?” Lady Chiara asked anxiously.

In contrast to their panic, a slow smile spread across my face.

“Indeed,” I murmured. “What are we going to do with them?”