After Baron and Baroness Bavron have reconciled with the Marquis and Marchioness Ambrose, they now live at the Ambrose estate just like the rest of the siblings.
According to the last letter we exchanged, Baroness Bavron has even set up her own workshop within the estate, thanks to the active support of the Marchioness.
After my meeting with the Empress, I left the Imperial Palace and went directly to the Ambrose Manor, located within the Imperial Capital, to meet the Bavron couple.
Being stuck in the distant Grand Duchy of Blair, I needed to see someone who could keep up with the latest news in the capital.
There must be a way to solve this problem.
They say that haste leads to regret, in the end.
Although the Empress's warning was severe, in the end it was just another problem to solve, right?
“You can wait here.”
"Thank you."
As I was led into the drawing room, I couldn't help but feel impressed again.
Was it because they were now earning huge amounts of money? Even the smallest piece of decoration was of the finest quality.
Could those gold patterns on the wallpaper be real gold leaf?
If I had just scraped the wall pretending not to know, I would be rich.
I was deep in such ridiculous thoughts when I heard footsteps, so I looked up.
“Have you waited too long?”
It was Baroness Bavron who walked through the door.
Her cheeks were rosy with health, indicating that she had completely recovered. The constant slight cough she had seemed to have disappeared, and most of all, her clothes were eye-catching.
I remember the frayed sleeves that I pretended not to notice before.
Now, she was wearing a luxurious dress that could easily rival the dresses of high-ranking nobles in the capital.
The reconciliation with the Ambrose family seems to have worked out well for them.
When I saw the Baroness looking healthy, I felt all the fears in my heart completely disappear.
I wondered if I had done something unnecessary, and if my actions had caused some kind of negative ripple effect.
I was worried about things that had not yet happened, but from the atmosphere of the house and the look in the Baroness's eyes, I knew that those fears were unfounded.
I regained consciousness from my thoughts and smiled gently, shaking my head.
“No, not at all. I was so busy admiring the place that time flew by.”
Hearing my astonished comment, Baroness Bavron's face brightened even more.
“Oh, my mother-in-law decorated this room herself. Before my father-in-law inherited the title of Marchioness, this was her usual space.”
“So this place was decorated a long time ago? It doesn’t look old at all...”
The interior design was so upscale, I wondered if they had recently hired a very talented designer. I nodded in agreement with her next words.
“Yes, I was surprised too. Apparently, she decorated the entire study room with luxurious pieces that she personally obtained through the Marchioness Stefan.”
Ah, Stefan's house?
The familiar name rang in my ears, and I tilted my head.
Where have I heard this before?
Then, in a fleeting moment, a memory from long ago swept into my mind.
Ah, these annoying nobles!
At that time I was working as a slave under Limia...
Even then, I would stay in the office late with other administrators, struggling with logistical problems.
All thanks to the goods distributed by Stefan's family!
“Ugh…”
As the memory became clearer, a strange groan escaped my lips.
Stefan's family was the type of family that imported ridiculously expensive goods through SALT, yet sent ten complaint letters a day in an attempt to evade import taxes.
They claimed that SALT was just a road, so why should they pay taxes? Their strange stubbornness was nothing new.
However, they requested military cooperation to ensure that their goods were not damaged.
Crazy people. Sometimes their nonsense was so ridiculous that it didn't even make you laugh.
They were the worst of the worst.
I worked a lot of overtime because of them, and at one point I seriously wished they would go bankrupt. I never expected to hear that name again here.
What was even more shocking was that these annoying people were not just small vendors, but were actually a prestigious house capable of supplying the Ambrose family?
"my lady?"
“So, do Stephane luxury goods really have a good reputation?”
“Oh, sure. Everyone knows that if you want high-end or rare items, you have to go through them.”
“Haha. I see...”
I avoided looking at the eye-catching porcelain that must have cost a fortune, and had to laugh.
“So what brings you to the capital? Did His Highness the Grand Duke accompany you?”
“No, I came alone this time.”
He may have returned to the duchy to quell the unrest and track down the source of those rumours.
“And… Her Majesty the Empress summoned me.”
Baroness Bavron's eyes widened when she heard my sudden statement.
“Her Majesty? Don’t tell me… she asked you to reveal what will happen next in the story?”
“Oh, no. It was about the ridiculous rumors going around about thermal mugs and thermos bottles.”
"What?"
There is no longer any reason to hide it.
She let out a deep sigh and explained everything that happened.
After hearing all that, the Baroness's face turned serious as she touched her lips in deep thought.
“I heard rumors like that, but I didn’t think they were serious. There have always been ridiculous rumors because of the popularity of thermal cups and thermoses. But... this is really serious.”
She seemed more worried than me, so I quickly waved my hand.
“Ah, please don’t worry too much. I’m sure the matter will be resolved soon.”
“I hope so. But, ma’am…actually, I heard something too.”
She glanced around the empty drawing room and bowed slightly, lowering her voice.
“We were just talking about Stefan's house, but... I heard that the magazine company they're sponsoring is planning to release a comic book.”
“Comic book?”
At that moment, my intuition kicked in.
Exactly when all the junior artists leave?
Could things match so precisely by chance?
Of course, it may have been just a coincidence. But something about him kept nagging at me.
Employees' intuitions are usually right – except when it comes to estimating overtime.
While I was immersed in these thoughts, the Baroness continued her speech.
“A few days ago, the Marchioness Stefan was making a big fuss about it. The Marquis seriously inquired of Father about the distribution of the magazine.”
“Um…”
“I fear this will threaten the standing of our entire comic magazine.”
She closed her mouth with a gloomy expression, then muttered softly in a hesitant voice.
“I already feel like my role has been magnified too much, and if ends up suffering because of me...”
“No, that won't happen.”
I press hard.
"You're doing a wonderful job, Baroness. We just have to keep going the same way we always have. Stay the course."
As far as I knew, the chances of a new comic book being as good as ours were slim.
After all, comics were just beginning to gain popularity.
More importantly… if the Stefans were really behind this…
Then they will pay a heavy price for choosing this quarrel.
I'll have to ask someone to look into it.
I knew I might conclude things quickly, but I couldn't shake the feeling that my intuition was correct.