episode_0074

“Everyone, pay attention for a moment! I have something to say before we start working.”

After placing the advertisement and welcoming a new week, I gathered the employees before starting work.

“A new note of caution has arisen over the weekend, so I’ll just go over that.”

“Yes.”

“For those who walk to work, starting tomorrow, I will send a carriage to your house, so take that to commute.”

“Pardon?”

Without any prior notice, the employees blinked in unison and tilted their heads at the announcement of the operation of a commuting carriage.

“Why such a sudden decision?”

“D-Does it cost… extra…?”

“I can get there faster if I walk, so can I choose not to ride?”

“I like it!”

“It doesn’t cost extra, and I won’t accept refusals.”

“Why? Did something happen?”

“I placed another advertisement in the newspaper, and it seems like it will get noisy.”

“Ah…”

“Don’t we already have a lot of customers?”

“Why did you bother placing another one?”

At the word “advertisement,” the employees shuddered and trembled.

Having witnessed such a scene last week, and with people continuing to visit or letters arriving at their homes even after the first day, they could roughly imagine the future.

As a noble, I can ignore it even if it’s bothersome, but how can commoners ignore nobles?

Even if I told them to pass everything onto me, it would still be burdensome.

“Commuting is one thing, but what about when we’re at home? I think something really bad will happen to me.”

“You…”

I narrowed my eyes as I examined Katerina, who pointed to herself.

The other employees don’t have many acquaintances, so it’s not a big problem, but Katerina’s face is known throughout the country.

“Let’s move your place for a while. It’s difficult to find a new house right away, so how about staying in our servants’ quarters until things calm down?”

“Then… I’ll be in your care.”

“Okay.”

_

Although I warned the employees to be careful, I had no intention of entrusting all measures to them alone.

For commoners to withstand the oppression of nobles, they need a strong backing; otherwise, it’s impossible.

And since nobles are the kind of people who would ignore and push through unless that backing is the imperial family, it’s difficult to completely stop them, even if I’m behind the employees.

So, I’m preparing definite countermeasures that even nobles can’t ignore.

“Sir William?”

“It’s a pleasure to see you, Lady Rachel.”

So, I left Elizabeth in charge of my work for a while and went outside to visit the Knights Order.

“What brings you to the Knights Order so suddenly?”

“I came to ask the Knights Order something.”

“Is that so? Your visit is always welcome, but it seems difficult to meet someone higher-ranking than me without prior notice.”

“That’s okay, it’s not a complicated question.”

“If you’re okay with me, let’s sit down and continue our conversation.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“This way, then.”

Lady Rachel seemed a bit surprised by my sudden visit but calmly responded and led me to the interview room near the entrance of the garrison.

“I’m sorry for bringing you to such a place, but this is the only place where we can quickly have a conversation…”

Entering a small room in the interview area, Lady Rachel hastily prepared tea and refreshments and offered an apology.

I shook my head and waved my hand at Lady Rachel.

“It’s my fault for coming so suddenly, so it’s okay. How about we skip the other things and talk quickly?”

“I understand.”

Signaling me to sit in the opposite chair, Lady Rachel quietly set down the cup and sat in the opposite chair.

“So, what is it that Sir William is curious about?”

“Can I receive support from the Knights Order?”

“What do you mean?”

“Since I placed an advertisement for the atelier I run, too many people are flocking to the store. Nothing has happened yet, but if it continues like this, something might happen to the employees or the store.”

“Hmm…”

A deep frown formed on Lady Rachel’s brow.

Humming vaguely, Lady Rachel stared intently at the table for a while as she pondered.

“Is it not possible?”

“Well… I’m not sure.”

After agonizing for a long time, Lady Rachel shrugged, wearing a complex and subtle expression, as if she were troubled.

“Sir William is an honorary knight of the Knights Order, so the request itself is possible.”

“Yes.”

“However, the work you’re trying to do through the Knights Order’s support is too personal, and since an honorary knight has never made such a request before, it doesn’t seem to be an issue I can decide.”

“I see, so I can assume it’s almost impossible.”

“There’s a high probability of that.”

Ugh…

It’s a shame, but there are many difficulties in mobilizing knights for private matters, so I expected it.

“I will submit Sir William’s request to the higher-ups.”

“Yes, I appreciate even that much.”

Lady Rachel quickly added the words to my gloomy expression, but I’m not one to expect such light lip service.

“That’s all I was curious about, I’m sorry for bothering you.”

“Oh, no, I’m more sorry that I couldn’t be of much help.”

I stood up from my seat without hesitation and slightly bowed my head to Lady Rachel.

Then Lady Rachel hurriedly stood up and bowed her head as well.

“I’ll be on my way then.”

“Ah, yes, please go carefully.”

“Yes.”

With that, I left the Knights Order without any regrets.

It’s not like I have any other measures besides the Knights Order, but there wasn’t anything particularly problematic.

If it doesn’t work, I can just ask higher up.

After taking care of all the errands, I should prepare a letter to send to the higher-ups.

_

I’m the one who’s going to be in an uproar because of the newspaper, but I can’t just put down the work I’m doing, so I visited Hans’ weaving factory.

I usually don’t visit the weaving factory much and exchange stories through letters and receive fabrics through employees, but this time I had a lot to talk about with the prince, so I made a special visit myself.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Sir William.”

“It’s a pleasure to see you.”

After shaking hands with the prince and exchanging light greetings, I sat on a chair in the reception room and asked, looking at the prince’s strangely bright complexion.

“Your complexion is brighter than before, did something happen?”

“On the contrary, nothing happened, I was lucky enough to finish the deliveries quickly last week, so I was able to sleep well for the first time in a while.”

Hans, whose face was filled with color at my question, answered with a strangely boastful feeling.

“Ah, that’s a good thing.”

“On the other hand, Sir William seems to be very busy these days, I can feel the fatigue on your face.”

“Yes, it seems like I suddenly have a lot of work…”

I narrowed my eyes as if I were tired and leaned back in my chair as I replied.

Unlike the prince, who luckily had some free time, I suddenly had a lot of work, so my sleep decreased, and my personal time decreased a lot.

“Isn’t that because you put out the advertisement too well? When I saw the advertisement released by your atelier, it was so beautiful that I, even as a man, wanted to inquire about it.”

“Haha~ Thank you, but we make it without saying anything if you order regardless of gender, so you can feel free to inquire anytime if you want.”

“Puhaha!, Sir, what are you talking about? Even so, would there be a man who wears women’s underwear?”

The prince reacted as if I were joking, but unlike the prince’s thoughts, there were men’s letters among the letters that were flocking to the atelier, even if they were a minority.

Of course, most of them were letters saying that they wanted to give it as a gift to their wife or fiancee, but the word ‘most’ meant that there was a very small ‘exception’.

“Haha…”

“Oh, really…”

I awkwardly laughed and drank the tea.

Then Hans twitched his ears and his face turned slightly pale.

“Ahem! The world seems to be very wide.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“By the way, what brings you here today?”

“Why would a designer come to a weaving factory? I came to ask for new fabric.”

“Ha~ New orders are always welcome.”

The prince, who let out a long sigh close to admiration, raised his cheekbones and the corners of his mouth and put a bright smile on his face.

“So, what kind of fabric do you want?”

“I want you to make a fabric that uses silk as the yarn and gets thinner as it goes down.”

“Pardon?”

The prince frowned at my words.

“Then wouldn’t you just have to attach two kinds of fabric?”

“No, not that kind of feeling, but I want the fabric to gradually become thinner like a gradient.”

“……”

The prince’s expression rapidly distorts.

“What kind of clothes are you thinking of making?”

“I’m going to make a dress, someone wants to wear a dress I made for the National Foundation Day.”

“The quantity… should be at least 10m, right?”

“Yes, but I would like you to extract it in portions of about 2m.”

“2m…”

The prince stared at me with a serious expression, and massaged his head as if it were troublesome.

“Haa…”

Eventually, the prince, who let out a big sigh, looked at me as if he was blaming me and said.

“These days, you only bring me difficult things.”

“I don’t want to either, but doesn’t pretty clothes require pretty fabric?”

“That’s right, but you should bring something moderately difficult.”

“So, is it not possible?”

“It’s not impossible, but it takes too much work, I’m going to charge you a very, very high price, so please commission if you’re still okay with it.”

“I’ll give you whatever you want, so please.”

“Ugh…”

The prince, who burst into exclamation and grabbed his forehead, said with a subtle expression that seemed both happy and sad.

“Until when do I have to do it?”

“Until when is it possible?”

“As early as tomorrow, or generously, it will be Thursday.”

“Then please by Thursday.”

“Yes… Please write down the detailed requirements here.”

“I understand.”

The prince, who answered in a listless voice, handed me paper and a pen.

“Here it is.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Then please send it to the atelier on Thursday.”

“Yes…”

After writing down the detailed conditions there, I handed the paper and the down payment to the prince.

Even after seeing the gold coins sparkling on the paper, the prince’s expression was still complex and subtle, perhaps worried about the thought of making complex fabric.

It’s a pity, but the person who said it was possible was the prince.

It was none of my business.