A Treacherous Courtier Manages the Empire Well

79 – We Decided to Call It Pure Love

Linghem had a tense expression. However, even in front of the strict noblewomen and young ladies of high society, he confidently presented his work, showing determination to push forward what he deemed necessary.

“I have various plans prepared. First, I intend to build a palace made entirely of glass in the center of the capital. The architect for this project has already been sought. The design of the glass palace is as follows.”

“Mm.”

“Furthermore, inside this glass palace, I plan to display various luxury items and transform it into a specialized store targeting the upper class. My clothes. Perfume crafted by the finest perfumer in the capital. Handkerchiefs and jewelry made from various luxurious silks imported directly from Karamba. I aim to create a real-time store reflecting the trends of the capital’s nobility.”

It didn’t seem like a spontaneous plan. The plan was meticulously detailed. The selection of the department store’s location. The design and scale of the glass palace. The various products and services to be offered there.

Linghem presented before me a highly detailed and feasible luxury department store business tailored to the tastes of the country’s elite.

“Isn’t it charming?”

It would be a great business. It would provide new jobs for various craftsmen in the capital.

Yet, something felt uneasy.

Was it because he wasn’t from a merchant background?

“As one of the main products in this glass palace department store, Linghem’s profit share was significantly lower compared to other craftsmen. Why is it set at such a ratio?” The answer to that question came to mind immediately.

“And… I would like to return a portion of my profit share to you, Lord Randor.”

“To me?”

“Yes. It may not be a substantial amount for you, Lord Randor, but I thought it was appropriate to do so.”

I’ve been around this block for a long time. There was never anyone who simply handed me money without expecting something more in return.

After taking a deep breath as if in anticipation, Linghem revealed his true intentions.

“Would you bestow a noble title upon me?”

“A noble title?”

“I heard that a Baron can directly propose matters to the Emperor. Could I not request the Emperor to grant me a title? I understand that a Baron has the authority to recommend talent.”

This was indeed an interesting situation.

I rubbed my chin and gazed at Linghem.

“In short, are you offering a bribe in exchange for my favor?”

And it was not an ordinary bribe.

It was handing me a significant portion of a high-end luxury business of staggering proportions, as lavish as the capital nobles would generously open their wallets.

Linghem was no fool. A large-scale department store so well-appointed had never existed in the capital before.

Selling dresses here would likely increase profits even more.

Nobles would willingly pay exorbitant amounts in such luxurious places not just for dresses, but to buy their own value and social reputation, making the luxury goods market a distorted one where demand rises with higher prices.

A person who had rolled around on this ground as much as I had wouldn’t have made a miscalculation. Why was the profit share set at this ratio? The answer came to me immediately.

“I wish to enter your direct line of command. Please grant me that favor.”

“Interesting.”

Linghem flinched at my remark. It was unclear whether the emotion behind “interesting” was condemnation, curiosity, or something else entirely.

“I’ve had many people try to latch onto me, but you’re the first to bring such an intelligent and irresistible bait.”

I gazed silently at Linghem.

There was something instinctive I felt.

Even in stating his desire to enter my line of command so openly.

Even in trying to bribe me so blatantly for a title.

Strangely, it didn’t feel like it was about the money.

Could it be because as the leader of the Merchant Guild, the empire’s strongest network of merchants and gold maniacs who could sell even their souls for money, I was in that position?

I found myself in a state where I had developed an eye for people.

“I will be back. I will think about it and give you an answer.”

“Definitely!… Please consider it positively.”

Ringhe bowed politely to me and left the room.

I silently watched his retreating figure.

The next day.

“Ringhe. Is there a famous artisan in the capital?”

“Yes.”

“Gather information about him.”

“Understood.”

I looked into Ringhe. I asked Chertu, the chief of the Lang tribe in the eastern region, and Seorik, the leader of the southern hunters, for information. On the western side, I called in people from the luxury goods department of the Merchant Guild to inquire about Ringhe. They were among the few who knew well about the private lives and backgrounds of the nobles.

And after gathering information from various sources.

“…This guy is quite something, isn’t he?”

I started to have a glimpse of Ringhe’s intentions.

Ringhe.

A commoner.

But not just an ordinary commoner.

Commoners working in specialized professions in the capital held a different status from regular commoners. They could be considered a step below the aristocrats.

And Ringhe was a revered figure among these capital commoners, particularly in the field of artisans, gaining significant attention recently.

Moreover, he was a craftsman who focused solely on his work, rare in ambition, greed, or lust for power.

He was almost like a clergyman.

Despite being tempted endlessly by the titled ladies and young noblewomen who offered substantial wealth and honor in exchange for becoming their personal tailor, he consistently refused, dedicating himself honestly to his craft.

Due to his noble spirit, lack of ambition or greed, rumors circulated that the value of his work had soared.

Yes.

This guy.

Why did he suddenly appear before me, presenting a splendid, immaculate proposal that would make any merchant salivate, striving to gain recognition even at the cost of sacrificing a portion of his profits? While expressing a desire to come under my wing.

As I delved deeper, stories related to the royal family emerged.

It wasn’t anything extraordinary.

Just tales of Selenne admiring Ringhe’s clothes and occasionally having the opportunity to visit the royal palace.

And from there stemmed various gossip among the ladies of the court.

Most were probably baseless rumors, but they were not entirely groundless.

After calmly investigating Ringhe for about three days, I reached a conclusion and summoned him again.

Although he seemed busy with Karla’s dressmaking, he promptly responded to my call.

“Are you secretly in love with Princess Selenne?”

I hit him with a direct question from the start.

The flower of the Aylam court.

But she wasn’t just a beautiful flower.

Ringhe was closely associated with the social circles of the capital.

Thus, he had seen many beautiful maidens.

How many times had he encountered those who, despite their appearance, had empty heads?

Women whose only goal in life was luxury goods, beautiful dresses, and perfumes.

Sometimes, Ringheim found it disgusting how his meticulously crafted dresses enveloped the bodies of women who lacked such grace.

In contrast, Selene was not just beautiful but also a flower emanating an intense fragrance.

The goddess of dragons.

Selene, blessed with beauty and insight.

She was wise.

She possessed enough knowledge to grasp the field of magic and the foresight to worry about the empire’s future.

Amidst all this, her beauty surpassed anyone in the empire.

She was Ringheim’s goddess.

He was willing to do anything for this goddess.

But his small love was something that could never be accepted by everyone. He was a commoner, and she was nobility. Moreover, she was a direct descendant of the royal family with the right to the throne.

He was just good at making clothes, but Selene was versatile.

Social status.

Position in the empire.

There was nothing he could match her in.

So, Ringheim had been planning for a long time.

How could he, as a commoner, succeed in the absurdity of marrying a princess officially?

He contemplated and contemplated, calmly turning his mind.

The result was the business plan for the Glass Palace department store that he had presented to Landor a few days ago.

A project that could make him irrefutable to everyone, despite being a commoner. Ringheim knew well that a commoner who earned great merit for the empire could even receive a noble title.

After successfully running the department store, gaining a noble title, becoming a renowned artist that no one could ignore, he planned to marry Selene with dignity.

Of course, even if he obtained a noble title, marrying someone with the status of a princess was a difficult task. But he believed that if he received support from Landor, who was regarded as having the second most power and vast wealth after the emperor, he could secure investment capital for his business and gain the protection of power.

So, he went to see Landor and asked for his support.

Gradually gaining Landor’s trust, he planned to reveal the truth next…

“Oh, how did you know?”

The naive artisan, taken aback, could only stutter out those words when caught off guard.

I looked at Ringheim.

27 years old.

A young age.

Starting from a very young age, honing his skills purely as an artisan in the workshop, he had a certain innocence.

Love.

Was it all because of love?

A sudden laugh escaped me.

“Was it all because of love?”

It felt good.

In the fictional Aylam Empire that I knew, Ringheim wouldn’t even be able to ponder such love issues right now.

He would be in the midst of a gruesome war, contemplating whether to side with the Landor faction or the Adran faction.

And regardless of which side he chose, given the nature of that psycho author, the story most likely wouldn’t end well.

There are young souls out there struggling with such dilemmas.

Feeling proud that I had uncovered so many intricate developments, I couldn’t help but smile contently, while Ringheim, tense, stared at me with clenched fists.

That pose looked so similar to a hamster gazing at sunflowers that I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Celene’s execution is slowly approaching middle age. In social circles, people are starting to wonder why she still hasn’t married. Even considering how busy she is, it’s definitely getting to the point where the term ‘spinster’ wouldn’t be unwarranted.”

In Aylam, a culture where early marriage is common, Karina, in her late twenties, and Celene, nearing her thirties, were both close to being considered spinsters.

Celene.

If not now, she might never have another chance to marry.

I was happy about the new business opportunity and the potential victim(?) to support. Celene was glad not to be considered a spinster. Everyone could be happy, but above all, Celene’s own wishes were most important.

“Let me ask you one thing. Does Princess Celene have feelings for you? If it’s just your unrequited love, even if I push you to gain status and wealth, if she ends up rejecting you, it’s game over. A grand fiasco. It won’t be more or less than that.”

“Um…”

Lingham hesitated at my words.

I interpreted that hesitation as ＜uncertainty＞.

Yes.

I could elevate Lingham’s status, make him a stable department store manager, and place him at the forefront of the luxury goods industry, holding both money and power firmly in his grasp.

If all he wanted was money and power, it wouldn’t be such a difficult problem. But if what he truly desired was love, even if I went to great lengths, if Celene flat out says no in the end, it’s all for naught.

From Noble mtl dot com

“You didn’t consider the possibility of Celene rejecting you, did you? I thought as much. You’ve been blinded by love without any reservations. Let’s make one thing clear and proceed. Even if Celene rejects you, you must continue making dresses for the department store. If you promise that, then I…”

This guy is a gem. The department store business is very attractive, and as a merchant, I was about to discuss what to do if Lingham were to court Celene, but I fell silent when I saw what Lingham had brought out.

Lingham hadn’t hesitated because he was unsure of whether Celene would accept him even after his status had been elevated.

“Please, don’t tell anyone. Lord Rendor. Celene and I are already…”

What Lingham had brought out were love letters. Apparently, he carried them with him every day, as they were smudged with fingerprints.

And they were quite explicit.

Extremely sticky love letters.

Didn’t Celene mention that she often invited Lingham to the palace because she liked his work?

Noble young ladies speculated that there was some R-rated hanky-panky going on between Lingham and Celene, and many noble young men who admired Celene would get furious, claiming that their Celene was not that kind of person.

But as it turned out, Celene didn’t just like Lingham’s work.

If there was a unicorn among the noble admirers of Celene, they would have gone berserk at the news and bled profusely.

[Lingham. After Karina’s wedding, come to my bedroom through the secret passage we always used. And personally, I would appreciate it if you scolded me more forcefully. Please strangle me a bit.]

[Lingham! I can’t believe what I did today! I was so delighted that my first experience was with you. If my father or Adran brother find out, there will be chaos… I’m very good at keeping secrets.]

[Lingham. I’m so sad not seeing you. I’m busy with Rendor’s railway business. But when we meet someday, I hope we can release the pent-up desire from not meeting. I bought some s*xy underwear for you. Hope you like it.]

[Lingham. I love you. I miss you. There’s only you for me.]

Celene was a virgin (with one s*xual experience, wanting to marry that person).