Margaret gazed out the carriage window and complimented, "I know I've said this before, but it's truly amazing what you've managed to do in such a short amount of time, Countess." Lucina and Margaret were riding in a carriage that was making its way through the renewed streets of Solfin on a warm spring day. Fall and winter came and went with spring bringing new life and a new beginning for the city as the once worn-out cobblestone streets littered with potholes were being steadily redone, starting with the main streets before branching out into the side streets that wove through Solfin. Wooden scaffolding surrounded the various crumbling sections of the city's outer wall as it underwent repairs. And the waterway that allowed the Helker to weave through the city was getting the first proper maintenance it had received in years.
"There's still a lot to do," Lucina admitted as she too looked out at her city. Immediately after taking control of Solfin, Lucina got to work revitalizing the city by hiring up any able-bodied person who didn't have a job with her priority being those in the slums outside the walls. Money wasn't a concern since she had plenty from the work she did with Olivia years ago, the reward money for fighting in the war, and all the assets Baron Rolf had been extorting out of merchants over the years. "Thankfully, I was able to start Chimera Public Works before winter hit so a good groundwork could be made. Now, we'll need to see how things go as the weather warms up." Chimera Public Works was a business directly controlled by Lucina that she was using to not only rebuild but also invest in Solfin. All the poor and destitute she hired were given proper jobs and wages which allowed them to integrate back into the economy and help start bringing life back to Solfin.
"You're already meeting the schedule we talked about last time, so this summer should be a bright one." Using Margaret's upbringing and years of experience as a merchant, Lucina hired her as an advisor to help her navigate handling Chimera Public Works. Margaret and Jeremy's combined knowledge and guidance were able to help things run smoothly through the winter to the point that the people didn't look miserable while walking the streets. Lucina also ended the unfairly hiked taxes and fees on the merchants Baron Rolf didn't like which started to bring them back to Solfin once word spread of his death. This would cause her profits to take an immediate hit but was essential to the long-term growth Solfin needed to get back on its feet. "Food imports will still cut into the budget until the farms get back into shape but I'll be sure to apply a generous discount until they do."
"How kind." The catch for getting Margaret on board was to make Trent the sole merchant group tied to Chimera Public Works and to prioritize them for any trade deals going forward for the next five years. Even though she was only seventeen, Margaret already had the guile of a true merchant. "Even without that clause, I still would have used Trent since I'm used to working with your group."
"A guaranteed deal in writing is much better than one based on emotion," Margaret explained with a businessman's smile. "That's not to say I doubt you, Countess, it's just that I can't let my personal feelings 'guarantee' business dealings."
"I feel bad for your husband, then," Lucina joked. It was a year ago while Lucina was still at war when Margaret's father married her to the son of another rising merchant group to merge them into Trent. "Even if it's not much different for arranged noble marriages, I don't think I'd like my wife talking about me like a trade deal."
"It's just a part of being an heir," Margaret said while giving a shrug. "It's better to marry like this so that hormones don't get in the way of business later."
"Hormones?" Lucina asked while tilting her head to the side.
"…Oh." Margaret realized that Lucina had no idea what she was talking about since most noble children already knew about hormones, but Lucina was fighting a war when she normally would have learned about them. She did the best she could to recall what her tutor told her about the topic, "Hormones are cracks in our souls that make us act in ways that can be counterintuitive to what we want."
"Cracks in our souls?"
"Yes. As our bodies grow, our souls also grow to fill in the new space. But unlike our bodies, souls grow sporadically which causes cracks to form along their surface that make our emotions unstable. For merchants, this is bad since these emotions are often those of the heart and have caused people to give biased deals to those they find attractive. Arranged marriages are used as legal deterrents to remind us not to be swayed by the heart since we already have a spouse."
"Of the heart…" Lucina thought about all the times her heart ached when thinking about Olivia, and what she thought about 'doing' to her before she pushed ahead and took over Solfin. "Do those emotions become unstable to just anyone?"
"No, from what I learned they only cause trouble when dealing with someone you find attractive." Margaret thought about it for a moment before continuing, "For example: you can't stop thinking about the person, and when you do think about them you feel tingly in your stomach, and your heart flutters. Jealousy also comes in a lot if they're acting close with someone other than you, and you feel like you want to give that person your everything. Those kind of thoughts have no place at the business…table?" Margaret trailed off as she watched Lucina's face become redder and redder, and she slightly squirmed in her seat. Hesitantly, she asked, "Do you…feel that way about someone?"
"…" Lucina didn't reply, but her uncomfortable expression was all the answer Margaret needed.
"I mean, it's not always a bad thing; we merchants have different values than nobles. You only answer to the Emperor so if you work towards it, you might be able to marry out of lov-"
"It can't happen." Lucina's voice was firm with an underlying hint of pain that Margaret picked up on.
"…Ah." Even without further elaboration, Margaret had a pretty good idea of who was in Lucina's heart from having known her all these years and watching her and Olivia's interactions. An awkward silence filled the carriage that lasted until they reached their destination; a restaurant that sat just along the ocean's edge.
***
I shouldn't have snapped at Margaret like that, she was just explaining things I didn't know. She's also helped me so much with Solfin and so many other things over the years that I'm immensely grateful to her. Getting an arranged marriage would probably be the best thing for me to get over these thoughts, like Margaret said. James would never allow me to be by Olivia's side in that way, plus Olivia's never shown interest in girls. I need to give up… But I… "Hormones are dangerous."
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"Hormones?" Ah, I said that out loud. To show the close ties I have to Trent, and to show off how much their help has already paid off, I invited Margaret and her husband out to lunch at the best restaurant Solfin has. I shouldn't get distracted like this, especially since this is my first time meeting Margaret's husband. "Indeed, hormones are quite the fickle thing, if I do say." Todd Horcholf is someone I'd describe as a marble; he's quite round. Apparently, the Horcholfs are known for their large figures since they hold the largest control on food trading in the empire and it's their way of showing off that control; which was one of the reasons Margaret had to marry him. He had a few black strands of hair he kept in a comb-over, his beard is like a hedgehog's back, and I'm pretty sure he's turning thirty this year. "Are you experiencing the throngs of the heart, Countess? To be in love is one of the great joys of life! And I'm speaking from experience, here." At least he has a sunny disposition and a tolerable voice. That said, I feel a little bad for Margaret since she was forced to…?
"…" Why is she blushing? And what's with that silly smile on her face? "Please don't put weird thoughts into the Countess' head, Dear. We're here on business."
"Business can also be a pleasure when done over a meal! If anything, a meal is the perfect place to mix both together! Besides, what better way is there to show a bond than for it to be real in the first place?" He put his arm around Margaret's shoulder and she looked…happy?
"…Then let's feel free to talk more openly, Todd." Looks like Margaret managed to beat the system. To each their own, I guess.
"That's the spirit!" Todd clapped his hands together and a waiter came over and poured him and Margaret fresh glasses of wine.
"Make sure not to drink too much, we have a meeting later tonight that you need to be sober for."
"Yes, Dear," Todd reluctantly agreed. Even though she was younger, it looked like Margaret was the one in charge of things; which makes sense since technically Todd married into Trent. "But I just can't help it when the food is so easy to keep eating! Countess, you must tell me who you got the idea from for this 'sushi'! I must invest in whoever made such a brilliant yet simple idea!" He picked up another helping of sushi and ate the whole thing in one bite.
"Then you would need to invest in the imperial family since Crown Princess Olivia was the one who came up with the idea." Sushi was a dish from Olivia's original world that she would sometimes complain about not being able to eat since Urldrusk didn't natively grow rice; that was Peltaira's specialty and they weren't keen on sharing with us. And even if they did trade us rice, the Peltairans just used rice as a way to preserve fish so I didn't know why she wanted it so badly. After the war ended, however, Olivia set out to start importing rice and remake her old life's food which became a big hit among the nobility because of its novelty. But I guess the fish up the Helker aren't as good as the ones caught in the ocean since everyone who's tried some says the sushi in Solfin tastes better than the ones in the capital. This is a fact that has caused Olivia much grief since she can't visit Solfin. Well, 'can't' is the wrong word; it's more like 'won't'. It's understandable, though, since the only experience Olivia has with Solfin is it being the place where she ends up enslaved in her prophecies. I'll need to work harder to make Solfin a place Olivia wants to visit; enough to overcome her fear from the past.
"Ah, another one of Her Highness' ideas? She's such a brilliant mind for someone so young." Todd also sees Olivia's brilliance, so he gets a pass. "If only she wasn't surrounded by leeches, she could properly extend her wings!"
"…" Margaret looked a little annoyed about what Todd loudly declared but didn't move to stop him.
"Yes," I agreed with Todd, "I too wish she wasn't surrounded by…leeches." We were on a patio overlooking the ocean and I made sure to rent the whole patio so that we could have some privacy for our conversations. I looked over to Margaret and asked, "Is she still set on her decision?" I asked even though I already knew the answer.
"…Unfortunately, yes." Margaret reluctantly gave in and fully joined in on the conversation. "Augustus will remain in Gorinville a free man."
"I see." When news of me executing the Baron and Baroness hit the empire there was quite a stir in the noble world. While many wanted to denounce my actions as a child overstepping themselves, and some did behind closed doors, no one officially said anything since the Emperor let it go without retaliation. I made sure to send him his bribes to let him know they would still continue even with Solfin under new ownership. I also sent a letter asking for Augustus' return so that he could face the consequences of his family's actions, but Olivia stepped in and stopped me. "He's still pulling on her heartstrings, then." According to the rumors, Augustus threw himself to his hands and knees at Olivia's feet and pleaded for her to pardon him. He claimed he never knew of his parent's wrongdoings, but that he wished to work to right the wrongs they had committed after finishing his time at the academy and joining the government as an official. Olivia was always weak to those in need and it clouded her judgment; even though that's also why she gave me a chance in the first place.
"He's also been getting bolder, as of late," Margaret went on as she downed her glass of wine. Todd gave me a worried look, but I'm sure she'll be fine. "He's been using the loss of his family as a pretext to spend time with Her Highness and seek her counsel! Lady Cassandra tries to shoo him away whenever she can, but she isn't always in the capital and he's been making sure to visit her whenever Lady Cassandra's not there. He's also intruded on business meetings I've had with Her Highness!" She snapped her fingers and another glass was poured. "He acts like a royal concubine despite never receiving the title! It's disgusting!" Margaret was a venomous drunk.
"H-Honey? We have a meeting la-" Todd did his best to console his wife.
"And worse yet!" It didn't work. "He calls her 'Olivia' when in public! Not even I do that and I've known Her Highness since before she was even a princess! It's like he's declaring his 'place' in the imperial palace despite being a fallen baron's son! His Highness James also doesn't do anything about it!"
"He probably doesn't care." James might actually like what's happening and find a way to use Augustus against Olivia. He's making that fool into a weakness for Olivia. "Just another reason for me to get rid of him."
"But Her Highness is protecting Augustus," Todd rightfully interjected. "While I know you two go way back, I don't see how you'll be able to finish what you started against the Rolfs with Her Highness actively defending him."
"I'll think of something." I spent the entire fall and winter in Solfin, and this coming social season will be the first one where I attend as Countess Sanguine. There will definitely be a chance to 'meet' Augustus while I'm there and I doubt any noble will stop me. Anyone with a son around Olivia's age will want Augustus gone to give their sons a chance at being her 'favored' concubine which means I'll also have potential allies. He should also be on edge when it's known I'll be in the capital so I might be able to push him into doing something stupid to ruin his image in Olivia's eyes without having to openly act. It's for her own good to get rid of him now when he's still just a manageable problem. "Speaking of Her Highness, her birthday is coming up." An invitation came a few days ago which gives me some ideas.
"I'm reluctant to go since I know Augustus will be there." Margaret was also an honest drunk. "I want to not go as a protest against what she's doing, even if Trent's reputation will take a hit." Margaret annoyedly tapped her empty glass against the table and scowled at it.
"While Her Highness may be doing something you don't like, you shouldn't sour a friendship over it!" Todd took the glass from Margaret's hands since she was tapping so hard it might break it. Whether he meant that as someone who cares about his wife's friends or as a business partner worrying over an extremely important connection, I don't know.
"I agree with Todd," I said with a knowing smile on my face. "You should make sure to attend since I'll be sure to make it quite a show." Since it seemed like the three of us agreed, I wanted to make sure both Cassandra and Margaret were there to watch Augustus squirm. Hopefully, he's better at it than his father.
"…You realize you're talking about deliberately causing a scene at Her Highness' birthday party?" Margaret was right to be skeptical since under normal circumstances I would never do that to Olivia on her special day.
"Yes." But these aren't normal circumstances. Olivia is terrible when it comes to romance and even though she acknowledges that fact she still falls for it. Perhaps she's also experiencing hormones that are causing her to act in ways that are bad for her? If that's the case then I need to help her see that Augustus isn't worth it and that she should give him up to me. "My attendance will already cause a scene, so why not take things a bit further and remove one of the leeches that have latched onto her." I gave his parents quick deaths but I'm going to make sure he suffers. How dare he cling to my Olivia like that?
"If you need any help, let me know." Margaret munched on some sushi since Todd wouldn't give her the wine glass back. "I'll gladly throw in my help for free."
"While I appreciate it, I've got things covered." Margaret and Trent should stay clean since their reputation is closely tied with Olivia's. If I'm going to take care of Augustus, then I'm going to do so with my own assets. "Hellhounds are excellent hunters, after all."