Knock Knock

I had adjusted my clothes and just sat down when the knock rang out on my door.

“Come in,” I said.

The door clicked open, and Margaux walked inside.

“Master Silver,” she greeted and took a seat beside Carla, who glared at her for some reason and Margaux's cheeks reddened for a moment before she composed her expressions.

“Carla told me everything went fine,” I said, and she nodded. “Yes, there were some minor problems, but we dealt with them,” she replied.

I nodded and opened the file of earnings and expenses. There is everything is written neatly in Carla's handwriting.

As I read, a smile couldn’t help but appear on my face. The establishment had earned very well.

There are many expenses that occurred, but still, a lot of money had been accumulated. It will be enough to fund the trip to Namdar, I am planning to send Carla to.

I closed the file and turned to Carla and Margaux.

“Can make-up studio room work without Eudo?” I asked. They looked at each other but didn’t speak immediately.

“They have become quite good under Eudo’s directions, but they are not Eudo. Though their work had become well enough that Eudo could take a break for a few days,” answered Carla, and I sighed in relief.

There are two people in the establishment, which have become irreplaceable. First is Eudo and the other is Drev, the chef.

Both of them are too good to replace if they are gone for more than a few days. The quality of the establishment will plummet.

“Carla, you will leave with Eudo for Namdar in a week and you can take one of the girls if you want,” I said, and a frown appeared on her face.

“You are not coming?” she asked, to which I shook my head. “No, it won’t be possible for me to come,” I replied with regret. I really wanted to go with her, but I am too busy.

Carla did not like the new plan, but there was nothing she and I could do about it.

Also, me going is kind of useless, while I have brought the stuff and it was good, thanks to Eva, but she and Eudo would be enough.

They know my vision and will buy the best better, better than I could, or even Eva.

I want the debut of the new girls would be perfect and hope, I would be able to achieve the maximum number. Though I would not chase that number; the girls who are not ready will not make a debut.

“Has Elese been delivering the dresses?” I asked. “Yes, she is ahead in her deliveries,” replied Carla.

Hearing that, a smile couldn’t help but appear on my face. I have to truly have to thank Eudo for finding me this gem; that woman is really good. If her earlier designs were good earlier, now they are great.

She is improving at an amazing speed.

To fill the constant orders from me, she shifted to a bigger warehouse and employed a lot of people.

She is now focusing on designs only while letting others bring out her vision.

The orders are going to increase further, and I hope she will continue to increase the quality of the work. She would need her goods to match the level of my establishment, or I will need to find someone else.

Though, I don’t think it will come to that.

“Master Silver, is not Ina not returning?” asked Margaux. I finished writing the note about Elese in my diary and turned to Margaux. “She will, but if things work as I am expecting, then she will be in Mirador's hold most of her time,” I replied.

I had told them about my letter; I am keeping Ina there and now with Hugo, there for her safety. I am more relieved.

“Then we will need Ina’s replacement. Currently, Margaux is doing fine, but when the girls debut; it will be hard for her to manage everything,” said Carla, while Margaux glared at her, before turning to me.

“I am fine, Master Silver. I can manage the responsibilities, even after more girl’s debuts,” Margaux assured.

“I had thought about the problem, but I did not see immediate solutions to it.”

“I did not trust the new girls enough to give them the responsibility and among the working girls, the capable ones are also the top earners; it will not be good for the establishment if we pull a single one of them out,” I said, and I sighed.

Earning of single girls didn’t affect me much, but it is clients they bring. The clients come for the top ones; their presence brings the business.

So, until a few more girls reach their level. I didn’t see any way out of this predicament unless I ask Carla to help out Margaux with some of her responsibilities when the time comes.

It is not something I want to do, but I did not have a choice.

“I have a solution to our problem,” said Carla, and I looked at her. “We will select a capable girl; she will have to handle her work and duty of assistant madam together,” she explained, but I shook my head.

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“It will put enormous pressure. It will be hard for her to do both jobs,” I said. To that, both of them smiled. “Don’t underestimate them; the girls, the girls are more than capable of handling responsibilities,” replied Carla with confidence.

I want to reject her idea, but it is very appealing, and I don’t see any choice. Most importantly, I could stop them if I didn’t see it working.

The assistant madam will not only lighten the weight of responsibilities on Margaux but will also learn from her. Like Margaux did from Carla and Ina from Margaux.

If they are capable enough and a chance comes. I might need to hand them responsibility as I had done with Ina.

“Fine. Give me a list of girls who you think can do the job and I will interview them,” I said finally.

A minute later, I had a list of eleven girls in my hand, and not a single name on the list had surprised me.

All the girls are capable.

I talked to them for a few minutes about minor things, while I read through the files, before deciding to deal with important things.

“Margaux, call Caena to my office,” I said to Margaux. She just nodded but did not get up from her chair. Instead just closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them.

“She will be here in a minute,” she said. “It is a nice skill you have got,” I said, and she smiled.

I was kind of jealous; telepathy skills are extremely rare, just as the telekinesis skill that Eudo has. It would make quite many things easy if I had a skill like that.

Knock Knock

Nearly a minute later, a knock rang out on my door. “Come in,” I said and Caena walked inside.

Her face is expressionless as always, but I could see the hidden nervousness behind her eyes. She must have already guessed why I had called her to my office.

“Ladies, give us some privacy,” I said. Margaux nodded, while Caena looked in question for a moment, before getting up.

Both of them walked out of my office and closed the door. Seeing that, some of the nervousness in her eyes disappeared.

“Caena, take the seat,” I said.

“Thank you, Master Silver,” she said and took a seat, with nervousness cracking on her face, which she was trying to hide.

I looked at her while activating the privacy enchantment at its strongest. I don’t want anyone to hear a single word of the conversation I am going to have with Caena.

“A Witch. I had tried to guess your class many times, but never in my dream, I thought, it would be a witch,” I said and the nervousness in her eyes deepened before suddenly it all disappeared and her face was resolute.

“My apologies for hiding my primary class,” she apologized. Not for her class, but for hiding it.

She seemed to have quite a pride in her class.

“You know, I don’t like your class very much,” I said, and she nodded. “I would have felt the same if I had suffered what you had,” she replied.

I am not surprised she knew about what happened to me. It is common knowledge and more than a hundred establishment clients had talked about it.

“Yes, I would have terminated your contract if I knew and had intention, when I saw the charm in the envelope, but now, things have changed,” I said, looking directly into her eyes.

“You have used the charm,” she said and seemed oddly sure about it. “Yes, it saved my life.”

“So, thank you,” I said. I don’t know if I would have been alive, if not for her charm.

“I am glad,” she replied. As she could also sense, a but in my sentence and there is a but in it.

“I am going to ask you a few questions and I hope your answers would be satisfactory,” I said, and a small smile appeared on her face.

“What will you do, if you are not satisfied with them?” she asked back.

“Nothing bad. I will terminate your contract and will give you a hefty severance since your charm saved my life,” I said, and she seemed surprised by it but soon controlled her emotions.

Though, I could see, relief appearing in her eyes.

She likely had expected I would report her to the authorities, and that would have been bad. Witch is a registered class in the empire's registry, which means those with that class will have to register with authorities.

Casting spells and doing rituals is forbidden for unregistered witches, and there is punishment.

I don’t want her to suffer any of that. So, I will pay her well and even book a ticket to the places which are friendly to witches. If her answers satisfied me, she would stay.

It will be risky, but there are no rewards without the risks.