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“Cosmetics?”

“Yes, yes. It was a skin care cream… from a certain baron…”

The maid stuttered, clearly flustered by Mariel’s unusual demeanor.

Growing impatient, Mariel turned to the head maid and asked what was going on.

“A few days ago, a man named Baron Fenris sent gifts to various noble families. I believe he also sent a separate gift and letter to the Count.”

“Baron Fenris? I’ve never heard of him.”

“It seems he has come to the capital for the first time.”

“So, he handed out gifts. But he sent one to my husband and not to me?”

Count Aylesbur might have considerable influence, but it was nothing compared to Mariel’s.

She was the eldest daughter of one of the few marquess families in the kingdom and had complete control over the capital’s social scene.

“He should be trying to win my favor, not my husband’s. How pathetic. Even if he’s clueless about the capital’s affairs, this is just…”

It was probably because the baron, having just arrived from the countryside, hadn’t yet grasped who held real power. But that didn’t stop her pride from being wounded.

Fanning her flushed face to cool down, she asked again, “Did he send my husband better cosmetics?”

“No. I heard he sent the Count a single mandragora root.”

Mariel let out a dry laugh.

“Just a mandragora? He must be a terribly poor nobleman. But where did he get these cosmetics? It seems he had enough to offer as gifts to all the maids.”

“I heard they were developed directly by Baron Fenris’s merchant guild.”

“Developed… directly?”

Mariel’s expression turned into a mix of admiration and mockery.

A countryside baron’s merchant guild developing cosmetics? Normally, she would have dismissed such a notion with ridicule.

But now that she’d seen the actual effects of the cosmetics, she couldn’t do that so easily.

After pondering for a moment, Mariel quickly made a decision and looked at the head maid.

“Cancel today’s gathering. Tell them I’m not feeling well. And you, come with me.”

She took the maid with the best complexion and asked in detail how she had been using the cosmetics.

After paying a reasonable amount, Mariel took the cosmetics she’d obtained and inspected them carefully.

“Hmm, should I use this or not?”

If they didn’t work, that would be a relief. But if there were any side effects, it would create endless trouble.

She would become the laughingstock of countless ladies and young women, and her hard-earned reputation would plummet.

However, her instincts kept urging her.

She couldn’t afford to let this opportunity slip.

She had to be the first to claim it.

“Well, there haven’t been any reports of side effects. Some people have even shown visible improvement. Let’s give it a try.”

Mariel washed her face thoroughly and slowly began to apply the cream.

‘Ah, this… Could this be what it feels like to apply morning dew?’

At first, it felt slightly sticky, but the cream was soon absorbed into her skin. She could feel the moisture rising from within her skin.

This was it.

Confident in her judgment, Mariel spread the cream evenly across her face and went to bed early.

There was no way to see dramatic results in just a day or two. But when Mariel woke up, she noticed subtle changes.

‘It’s certain. It works. You can’t see it outwardly, but it feels different. And there haven’t been any side effects so far, so the effect must be real.’

It would be foolish to hesitate and wait any longer. Mariel had no intention of missing out on a great opportunity.

She immediately called the head maid over and asked, “Where are Baron Fenris and his merchant guild staying?”

“They are residing in an abandoned house on the outskirts of the capital.”

“An abandoned house on the outskirts… You don’t mean that haunted place, do you? The Crow Mansion?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“They really must not have any money. Well, that works in my favor. Heh heh.”

Mariel planned to monopolize the cosmetics.

How much would a product created by a noble who had just arrived from the countryside possibly be selling? It still wasn’t well-known, and it likely wasn’t very expensive.

If she locked it down with an exclusive contract now, she could control the distribution of the product herself.

Not only would it help maintain her own beauty, but it would also aid in building wealth and power.

“Let’s go see Baron Fenris right away.”

After a brief moment of contemplation, Mariel ordered preparations for an outing.

* * *

A luxurious carriage sped through the heart of the capital. A few escort knights rode ahead, clearing the path.

People who were pushed aside grumbled, but upon noticing the noble family’s crest on the carriage, they fell silent.

Claude, who had been waiting for guests at a makeshift consultation booth near the mansion’s entrance, gaped at the sight.

“Wh-what the… Is the Queen herself making an appearance? If that were the case, we would have been notified beforehand.”

Even though he knew it wasn’t, it was hard not to feel intimidated by the grandeur of the carriage and the escorts.

The carriage stopped in front of the mansion, and the head maid stepped out.

She glanced disapprovingly at the shabby entrance, though it seemed she had made an effort to tidy it up, and then spoke.

“Countess Mariel Aylesbur. I’ve heard that Baron Fenris is residing in this mansion. Is that correct?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes. That is correct.”

Claude nodded absentmindedly, still in a daze.

The head maid, with her chin slightly raised, was dressed as elegantly as a noble. Even the number and armament of the escort knights were far from ordinary.

Claude had seen many noblewomen in Seiron, but none carried themselves with such dignity.

‘For a countess to be this impressive? It’s true what they say about the power of a great nation.’

Though even in Ritania, ladies as influential as Mariel could be counted on one hand, Claude, still unfamiliar with the capital’s affairs, had no way of knowing this.

One of the escort knights opened the carriage door and helped Mariel step out with ease.

The mercenaries guarding the mansion saw Mariel and unconsciously gaped.

‘Wow…’

Her beauty was reminiscent of a lavish rose.

She looked quite mature, but that only added to her elegant and dignified aura.

To the mercenaries, who had lived a rustic life in the northern countryside, she seemed like a presence they couldn’t dare approach.

They had seen noble ladies and aristocratic maidens from the North, but compared to Mariel, they were no different from commoners.

Mariel casually accepted their gazes and looked around.

The head maid stepped forward again, ready to state the purpose of their visit, but Mariel raised her hand to stop her and spoke directly.

“I am Mariel of the Aylesbur family. I’m here to see Baron Fenris.”

“……”

Claude and the mercenaries stood there, slack-jawed. They looked as though they might start drooling.

Belinda’s foot came flying.

“Argh!”

Only after Claude took a hit to the shin did he come to his senses.

“What are you doing? We have a guest!”

Belinda, clicking her tongue in irritation, threw out the remark and then headed back inside the mansion.

Claude, rubbing his aching shin, quickly started thinking.

There could be only one reason why a noblewoman would come to a mansion rumored to be haunted.

‘The cosmetics must have worked!’

Claude eagerly rubbed his hands together and bowed.

“Are you here to buy some cosmetics, by any chance? I can guide you—”

“I’m here to see Baron Fenris.”

“Well, if I could explain things first—”

“I’m here to see Baron Fenris.”

Mariel repeated the same phrase with a graceful smile.

It was clear she wouldn’t back down until she met with the lord.

Claude let out a sigh. She was beyond what he could handle.

“Please, come in. He should be in the garden. I’ll lead you there.”

He had wanted to handle things on his own, fearing the troublesome lord might cause a scene, but now there was no other option.

“Thank you.”

Mariel smiled slightly and entered the mansion, accompanied by a few maids and knights.

As soon as she entered the garden, she subtly furrowed her brow.

The garden, with its gray, lifeless appearance, and the crows fluttering around the mansion were rather off-putting.

No matter how poor she might be, she could never live in a place like this.

‘That must mean he’s really out of money. Negotiating should be easy.’

Feeling a bit more at ease, she followed the mansion staff’s guidance and stepped into the garden.

Ghislain was crouched in a corner of the garden, feeding the crows.

“My lord, the Countess Aylesbur is here to see you.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

Ghislain slowly got up. One of the crows casually perched on his shoulder.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Ghislain Fenris.”

Caw!

Mariel flinched at the crow’s cry, shivering slightly.

‘This man is Baron Fenris? He’s so young.’

Mariel, scanning Ghislain from head to toe, was a bit taken aback. He had a tall and handsome appearance, and he looked young.

It was rare for someone this young to have the title and fief of a baron.

It might be possible if he came from a fairly powerful family, but…

The name Fenris didn’t sound familiar to her, which likely meant it was a minor noble house without much influence extending to the central regions.

‘He probably just got lucky and ended up with a small piece of land. Maybe his father divided the estate for him.’

Still, for a rural noble, she had to commend him for maintaining his composure even after seeing her.

Mariel concealed her complex thoughts and slightly bowed her head.

“I am Mariel of the Aylesbur family. I’ll get straight to the point. I’ve come to talk about the cosmetics produced by your merchant guild, Baron.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Ghislain’s eyes lit up.

He had been worried that she might be one of those noble ladies who liked to dance around the topic, but she turned out to be more straightforward than he expected.

“Let’s go inside and talk.”

As he leisurely led the way into the mansion, a smile tugged at the corner of Ghislain’s mouth.

‘A big fish took the bait.’

Hearing the name Aylesbur jogged his memory. The lady before him was a key figure in the capital’s social scene.

The mere rumor of her using a certain cosmetic product would cause it to sell out across the entire capital in no time.

Given that such a proud noblewoman had come to see him in person, it seemed he might achieve his original goal faster than he had anticipated.

* * *

As soon as Mariel entered the drawing room and took a seat, she got straight to the point.

“You’ve just developed this cosmetic and brought it to the capital, right? I’m here because I want to secure an exclusive contract for it.”

It seemed she truly was a straightforward person.

“By exclusive contract, you mean…?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. I will purchase the entire production. You handle the development, and I’ll take care of the distribution.”

She even threw in a subtle threat.

“If you want to establish a foothold in the capital, you’ll need backing. Other nobles and merchant guilds will try to keep you in check. I can prevent that with my influence. Conversely, if you refuse, doing business in the capital won’t be easy.”

She didn’t bother with unnecessary back-and-forth.

Ghislain nodded, showing he understood.

“Well, I don’t really mind as long as I can sell a lot of cosmetics… but the price is a bit high. Are you okay with that?”

Mariel scoffed internally.

‘Does he even know who he’s talking to?’

This was why it was difficult to negotiate at length with people who didn’t understand.

“The Aylesbur family is one of the wealthiest in the capital. If I can’t do it, then no one else will. How much are we talking about?”

“One hundred gold per unit.”

“Pardon…? One hundred gold per how many units?”

Mariel tilted her head, thinking she might have misheard.

Ghislain repeated it clearly, ensuring there was no misunderstanding.

“‘One hundred gold per unit.’”

At that moment, the elegant smile on Mariel’s face cracked.