TOML CH 10

I wondered if she was trying to intimidate me because I had dared to refuse the Duchess’s proposal, but then I heard someone approaching from outside the door and realized that the signal meant my allotted time was over.

Thank goodness.

The high-level meeting, much like an interview at a major corporation, was over. Whether I passed or not, the result would arrive in an expensive, high-quality letter along with a lengthy explanation.

In other words, my job here was done.

I felt completely drained and just wanted to hurry home, wash my feet, and lie down.

“Goodness, it’s already gotten this late. In that case, I suppose it can’t be helped. Still, do come visit from time to time.”

The Duchess seemed genuinely disappointed.

“Thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I shall take my leave now.”

But since I had no intention of changing jobs, I simply stood up and gave the standard farewell like a robot.

I probably look like a dead fish right now.

I was about to turn around and leave with an obviously exhausted expression when the Duchess’s voice followed me.

“You said your name was Rebecca Felice, correct? Viscount Felice, when you return, have your steward send me your trading company’s catalog. Ah, and you may discuss the details regarding the return gifts with him as well.”

Those words made my dead-fish eyes suddenly light up.

Lady Sara herself had just given our trading company’s blended tea her stamp of approval.

It was basically the same as being told at a major corporation interview, “You’re hired. Come to work tomorrow.”

But even more incredible was what she had said before that.

Asking the steward to send over our trading company’s catalog meant that she was giving us the opportunity to become a regular supplier to the ducal household.

Normally, when a noble family chose a trading company for regular business, the steward would select several companies that dealt in the goods they needed and contact them.

Once a merchant formed a business relationship with a noble household, however, the conservative nature of the nobility meant that they rarely changed suppliers without a very good reason. And since noble families purchased goods in large quantities every time, such households were considered a stable and reliable source of income among merchants.

Moreover, in a case like this, where the lady of the house hadn’t even specified what products she wanted and had instead singled out our trading company and requested its catalog, it essentially meant:

“I like you, so I’m going to buy some things from your company.”

Lady Sara, please take me as your return gift.

As expected, financial therapy was a cure-all.

The energy and enthusiasm that had vanished from me just moments ago came rushing back.

I smiled brightly, as if I had never been exhausted in the first place, and bowed with the utmost courtesy.

“Then, Your Grace, I sincerely wish you a long and peaceful life without a single mishap. May you inhale wealth and exhale good health.”

When Lady Sara had told me to come visit sometime, I answered with all the determination I could muster to make sure she invited me again.

“If you would only call for me, I shall certainly come. I’m not quite sure what makes the Duchess laugh, but I will do my very best to entertain you.”

From today onward, I shall study every joke book I can find.

Lady Sara burst out laughing again at my solemn determination.

Honestly, what on earth was her sense of humor?

“Hehehe.”

Every time I looked at the ledger, a laugh escaped me.

The income we had earned from our business with the ducal family was equivalent to our trading company’s entire sales from the previous year.

This was my first real experience with the spending habits of a high-ranking noble, and they were beyond anything I could have imagined.

I had already counted the numbers in the ledger at least twenty times, but I counted them for the twenty-first time, reveling in my happiness.

At this rate, am I going to become the richest merchant in the entire empire?

I couldn’t possibly enjoy this happiness alone!

“Everyone, just wait. Financial therapy is coming.”

With a delighted smile, I stamped the trading company owner’s seal onto the documents authorizing the incentive payments for all the employees.

Thump.

“The stamp is going on especially well today.”

The seal had come out perfectly clear, without even the slightest smudge.

I gazed proudly at the incentive payment documents.

“Oh, right. I should head home.”

Starting today, we had decided to give everyone special leave in turns as a reward for all their hard work, and I was one of the first to take it.

After all, the boss was supposed to lead by example.

To my former boss, who used to insist on working overtime and coming in on weekends whenever an entire company project was successfully completed, saying things like, “You’ve all worked so hard, so go enjoy your vacation. Me? I don’t really have anything to do at home anyway, so I’m more comfortable coming into the office.”

Are you watching?

I’m talking about you—the one who would say, “It’s been so long since you came to work, I was starting to wonder if you’d forgotten the way to the office, Ttang-ttang.” after I took four days off, including the weekend, using my own paid leave.

You gave me that look every single time I used my vacation days, and then at the end of the year, you refused to pay us unused-leave compensation, claiming our company was subject to the system encouraging employees to use their annual leave.

Once again, I prayed that my former boss would go bankrupt as I hurriedly prepared to leave work.

Even if I was the boss, leaving work and going on vacation still made me happy.

Goodbye, everyone.

I’m throwing off the shackles of worldly life and heading out.

And so, I walked out of the trading company’s doors exactly one minute before closing time.

“Everyone, enjoy your vacation.”

I gave my farewell in a concise, walk-through manner.

“Vacation. Vacation!”

The moment I stepped outside the trading company, I stopped pretending to be dignified and headed toward the carriage with a jaunty two-step rhythm.

Bill, who hadn’t seen my usual little post-work dance in a while, opened the carriage door and told me to hurry up and get in because I was embarrassing him in public.

“Yep, yep. I’m getting in.”

As I climbed into the carriage, I slipped a bonus pouch I had specially prepared for Bill into his pocket.

This is what you call a stealth pocket bonus.

I chuckled to myself, imagining how happy Bill would be when he discovered it later.

What should I do during my vacation?

Naturally, my vacation schedule was completely packed with dates with Theo.

First, we should see the opera, and maybe do some shopping together for the first time in a while?

Come to think of it, I still hadn’t planned a shopping trip for Theo.

I smiled contentedly at the thought of dressing him up in this outfit and that outfit.

No matter what he wore, the clothes would surely be the ones getting the better end of the deal by being worn by Theo, but it was only natural for a lover to want to give their partner something better and something that suited them even more.

Thinking about Theo’s slightly outdated shirts, his bare wrists, and all the other little things, I added shopping to our date itinerary.

With the numbers from the ledger still lingering vividly in my mind, I could plan an ultra-luxurious date without worrying about the budget at all.

While I busily planned our date in my head, we had already arrived in front of the theater.

I gazed at the enormous poster for the opera visible through the carriage window, becoming lost in anticipation.

I’m finally going to see an opera.

It really was finally.

I had no idea how much preparation I had done for the perfect opera experience.

Since we had unexpectedly come into some extra income, I splurged on the most expensive seats for the most popular performance.

I had left early in case we got caught in traffic or were delayed by some other unexpected accident.

As soon as I arrived, I even asked one of the theater attendants to confirm that my reservation had been properly made.

I had also repeatedly warned everyone at the trading company not to contact me today under any circumstances unless the entire company was about to collapse.

Everything was perfect.

Now all I had to do was wait for Theo.

There should be about thirty minutes until the performance starts.

There was a waiting room inside the theater for guests, but it was bound to be packed with high-and-mighty nobles, and I didn’t particularly want to go there.

I instructed Bill to move the carriage to a spot that wouldn’t obstruct traffic but would still be easily visible to people arriving at the theater.

I planned to wait in the carriage until Theo arrived.

Since Theo’s coachman already knew Bill, there was no chance of us missing each other.

I waited for Theo with a happy heart.

About fifteen minutes later, I heard Bill calling out to someone.

He was probably telling Theo’s coachman where we were.

I picked up the wide-brimmed hat I had placed beside me.

No one is going to fail to recognize me just because I’m wearing a hat, but I want to reduce the odds by even one percent.

I straightened my clothes, which had become slightly disheveled from sitting in the carriage for so long.

Right on cue, the carriage door opened.

And there stood Theo, looking even more dazzling than usual.

Unlike his usual appearance, he had dressed formally in a suit.

Wow. Seriously.

I slowly looked him up and down with enchanted eyes.

His gentleman’s suit was a shade of blue that seemed to match the color of his eyes. It wasn’t the latest fashion, but it was an elegant style that had remained steadily popular.

At the same time, it seemed he had put extra effort into his accessories so that the calm colors of his clothes wouldn’t make him look too plain.

Theo usually disliked wearing accessories because he found them uncomfortable, but today he was wearing an elaborate silk cravat, along with a brooch that matched the decorative embroidery on his frock coat.

Even his hair, which he normally wore down, had been slicked back with pomade, revealing his handsome forehead.

He really seemed to have gone out of his way to dress up today.

The gentleman version of Theo smiled at me and held out his hand.

“Lady, may I escort you?”

His manner was so polite and elegant that it could have been taken straight from a book on etiquette.

“Of course, handsome gentleman.”

Like a proud noble lady, I placed my hand delicately on his.

Theo skillfully helped me down from the carriage.

“Did you wait long?”

“No, I just got here too.”

I answered Theo and discreetly checked the time.

The performance was about to begin.

Carriages were beginning to crowd the area around the theater. Fortunately, the private room I had reserved had a separate entrance, so even if we went in now, there was no chance of running into other people.

“Shall we go in now?”

I headed toward our seats together with Theo.

The opera we were going to watch was a romance titled The Rose That Held the Flames of the Sun, a somewhat cheesy name.

Wasn’t the protagonist’s name Ethan and Rosemary, names that were basically modified versions of the Emperor and Empress’s names, Aiden and Rosaline?

As could be guessed from the protagonists’ names, the play was based on the love story of the imperial couple.

The imperial couple’s popularity was certainly one reason for the opera’s success, but the pieces composing the performance were particularly beautiful. I had read in the Capital’s Encyclopedia of Dating Spots that it was practically a mandatory destination for couples looking for a romantic date.

The fact that it was a work of fanfiction based on a story I liked enough to read several times was interesting enough, but if it was also a must-visit dating spot for couples in the capital, there was no way I could miss it.

I believe in you, self-proclaimed master of romance.

I sat down leisurely as though I had seen countless operas in my life.

The chair was wonderfully soft, making all the money I had spent feel worthwhile.

The staff member assigned to our seats brought us non-alcoholic wine and opera glasses, attending to our every need.

“If you require anything else, please ring the bell on the table beside your seats.”

With that, the staff member disappeared into the space prepared at the back of the private room.

There was probably a waiting area there for the staff assigned to the private rooms.

After quietly chatting with Theo and taking small sips of wine, the performance finally began.

All the lights inside the theater went out, and a lyrical melody announcing the beginning of the performance started to play.