# 46
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When Evelin saw today's conversation ending like this again, she couldn't help but shake her head.
"Yes, let's go next time too. Since you want it so bad, there's no other choice."
Except for the fact that Devrin was a bit rude to the male singer, he didn't behave badly. If so, they can go out together again without much worry.
'Yes. It would be good if we get along well before getting divorced.'
Evelin, who was smiling faintly, suddenly remembered what Devrin said.
“We'll be together for the rest of our lives, right?”
Evelin couldn't stop thinking about this remark, but she tried not to be conscious of it.
* * *
A week later, Evelin's face, who was examining the newspaper, lit up with a wide smile.
"finally…!"
The newspaper, which was published as a supplementary edition, included research on the cassia bushes that Evelyn had purchased through Oakley a few months earlier.
Kashyak bushes, which people were busy getting rid of because they were unsightly, had a very strange property of absorbing salt and reducing salinity, which was discovered by a botanist by chance and published in an academic journal.
Naturally, demand increased in areas affected by salinity. The idea that such a simple plant could save lands near the sea was amazing. Especially in the areas along the eastern coast of the empire, where high tides had caused massive damage, this news was a godsend.
As a result, the seeds of kashiak bushes became very valuable. What was once considered the most uess plant has turned into gold overnight.
In the original story, the Marquis of Benford was the first to discover this news and made a fortune. He even pressured Duke Leonok to marry Rachel again using the blackberry seeds he obtained.
Evelin, who already knew this fact, was able to achieve the current result.
It was a double victory. It inflicted a loss on the Rachel family while creating an advantage for the Duchy of Leonok.
“Madam, a messenger has arrived.”
Even without meeting him, Evelin could predict who had sent him.
Maybe it was Oakley, who saw the newspaper article.
As expected, the messenger was a courier sent by Oakley, who relayed that she wanted to meet her urgently.
Evelyn asked Oakley to come to the Duke's residence.
Oakley arrived at the Duke's residence a few hours after the messenger was sent. It was so fast that one might suspect that it had teleported.
“So this is the Snowville Palace I only heard about. Is the Duke in there too?”
Oakley asked as she walked around the duchy she was visiting for the first time.
“My husband is in the imperial palace now.”
"I see. I was hoping to greet him because I'm here."
“You didn't come to meet my husband anyway.”
When Evelin said that, Oakley smiled.
“That's right. My important client is not Dyffrin, but you, Evelyn.”
Evelin also wore a willing smile.
“Let's go to the reception room and talk.”
Evelin ordered Merlin to bring high-quality tea for the guests and guided Oakley to the reception room.
Oakley apologized for not bringing any gifts because she came in a rush. Evelyn reassured her several times that it was okay.
"The important thing today isn't the gift, right? The important thing is this newspaper article."
“It's a miracle. As soon as this article came out, our headquarters was flooded with customers. They found out that our company had collected all the Kashyak seeds a month ago.”
“This is really great news.”
Evelyn said sincerely. Oakley widened her eyes.
“Not only is it great! You may not have heard, but our company has been going through some tough times lately.”
Even though she already knew, Evelin pretended to listen intently.
"What happened?"
“Marquis Benford’s company has planted a spy in our company. They stole the hybrid seed idea I mentioned before and released it to the market first, leaving us with a lot of stock.”
“I see, it must have been difficult...”
“Yes, our company was on the verge of financial collapse, but this kashiak bush became our lifeline.”
Oakley could not hide her excitement at this unexpected turn of events. Her loud, excited voice filled the room.
Evelyn smiled slightly and said to Oakley,
“But you haven't forgotten your promise to l half of your Kashyak seeds, at the previous price, have you?”
“Of course! No matter how high the price of a kashiak bush is, I’m not so shameless as to pretend otherwise now.”
Evelyn Oakley, who was jumping with excitement, watched with a smile. She realized she had overreacted, and Oakley looked embarrassed
“How did you know that the price of the kashiak bush would soar like this, Evelin? Can you really see the future?”
“Of course not. I only have a reliable source of information.”
Oakley was actually very curious about this matter, but she thought it would be impolite to ask further since Evelin didn't bring it up willingly, so she kept silent.
“By the way, Mrs. Oakley, you mentioned earlier that the Marquis of Benford planted a spy?”
Oakley belatedly realized that she had said so much because of her enthusiasm. It was just a suspicion and not something to spread.
“…That’s what I doubt. The timing of their importation of the hybrid seeds was absolutely perfect.”
“Yes, business is a war of ideas, so it is entirely possible.”
Evelin replied lightly, adding a cube of sugar to her steeped tea.
“But, Mrs. Oakley. From now on, you must be careful in every action and keep a close eye on your subordinates.”
"Sorry…?"
Evelin, who had been gentle until a moment ago, spoke seriously, leaving Oakley puzzled.
“Why do you think I provided such profitable information to Liom Trading Company instead of Marquis Benford Company?”
Oakley couldn't answer. She didn't know the correct answer.
Evelyn answered quickly.
“I want Liom Trading Company to grow significantly. Maybe more than Marquis Benford Trading Company.”
Evelyn wanted to keep Rachel under control. Or rather, she wanted to make her behave so that she wouldn't have to worry about her anymore. To do this, Evelin needed to suppress Rachel's background a little.
The reason Marquis Benford was able to flaunt his power was because of their company controlling the ports. If Evelin could build up strength to confront that company, they wouldn't be able to hold their heads as high as they did before.
This incident is likely to deal a severe blow. Big players will appreciate Oakley's foresight in recognizing the value of Kashyak's bushes early on and will focus their attention there.
On the other hand, as interest in Binford Company declines, they will have difficulty disposing of the large stock of hybrid seeds they have acquired, and will suffer financial damage.
Evelin hoped that Oakley would make the best of the current situation. She thought Oakley was smart enough to do it.
“I see what you mean, Lady Evelyn.”
As expected, Oakley, understanding her words, answered confidently. Evelin looked at her comfortingly, thinking that it was good that they became close.
Evelyn and Oakley talked about different things, pleased with how well things had gone.
The topic of conversation was about the hardships Oakley had endured. She stated that she was extremely stressed after her ideas were stolen by Benford Trading Company and seeing her company falter, to the point where she wondered if she should start a business to deal with hair loss because she had lost all of her hair.
When the teapot was almost empty, Oakley stood up and said that she should return to her company.
As she was gathering her things, she looked at Evelin.
“Oh, right, where should I send Kashyak seeds? It seems like a very large amount to keep in this palace.”
“Please send the seeds to Duke Leonok’s estate.”
Evelyn stood, following Oakley.
“Payment will be handled there as well, so please include transaction details.”
* * *
A week later, Dunswell couldn't help but widen his eyes at the sight of the huge carriage that had arrived with Evelyn's letter.
When the driver asked what they were, he received the answer that they were Kashyak seeds.
“Kashiak’s Thorn Seed? The plant that was currently treated like gold?”
Searching the empire for Thorny Kashyak seeds wasn't just someone else's problem. Once Dunswell read the special edition, he sent letters throughout the empire, but was unable to find them anywhere.
That was normal. Oakley stocked them before the value of Kashyak bushes became known, so at the moment, the only place to buy them was Loyum.
Dunswell quickly revealed Evelyn's message.
[How are you, father? I am happy to write to you after a long time with good news. The cart you sent contained Kashyak bush seeds. As you may already know from the news, it is a miracle plant that absorbs salinity, which helps alleviate the ancient fears of the duchy. Although I would love to gift these seeds to you, I don't have much gold, so I've included the transaction details for your review.]
Although Evelin felt very sorry for forcing Dunswell to pay for the seeds, he did not mind at all.
Money is no longer the issue anymore. Solving the salinity problem would allow agriculture to resume, and there would be no need to transport fresh water. They can also stop distributing relief supplies.
In other words, the economic value of Kashyak Bramble Seeds was indescribable.
Denswell revealed details of the attached deal. The numbers listed were surprisingly small.
“Is this the correct amount...?”
The listed price for Kashyak Bramble Seeds was practically a bargain.