episode_0084

“Ugh, why is this old man so strong?”

“Young master, watch your language.”

“No, I thought my neck was going to break?”

“Ugh, young master, aren’t you being a bit dramatic over a simple collar grab?”

“It really hurts, what can I do? What if I’m bruised?”

“I’ll take a look, loosen your collar a bit.”

“Okay.”

I unbuttoned and loosened my collar, revealing the part that had been throbbing a little while ago.

Then, Emily narrowed her eyes and crouched down in front of me.

“Where does it hur… Kyaa!”

As soon as her gaze went to my collarbone, Emily’s eyes widened and she was horrified, reaching out to my chest in a flurry.

“Why wha… Aagh!”

As Emily’s hand brushed against my collarbone, a pain like being stabbed with a needle rushed through me.

“Ugh… what?”

“Y-young master, you have huge bruises on your neck and chest? They’re bright red?”

“What?”

Seeing Emily stuttering with a pale face, I immediately picked up the mirror on the table.

I framed my neck and chest in the mirror and pulled the shirt down, and I saw dark red bruises the size of my palm clearly marked on my collarbone and upper chest.

“Huh? No, what is this…”

“I was behind you so I didn’t see properly, but you weren’t hit by him, were you? You were only grabbed by the collar, right?”

“Yeah, I was really only grabbed by the collar…?”

That old man grabbed me roughly, but to get bruises this bad from just a collar grab?

“That was almost a disaster…”

“I know, I almost died, didn’t I?”

I vaguely thought that if I just protected my head and neck well, I could withstand one hit, so I was being cocky, but a collar grab almost left me in a dying state, let alone a punch.

Feeling a much stronger power than I had imagined, a chilling feeling ran down my spine.

“Hoo…”

From now on, I should refrain from provoking and be politely cocky.

“Shouldn’t we go to the cathedral quickly? Or at least have Pani check it out…”

As I wiped the cold sweat beading on my forehead and my hands trembled, Emily looked at me with a worried expression and gently grabbed my arm.

“Hmm…”

With bruises this bad, I do need treatment, but it’s a shame to just let this go.

“Let’s get treatment later, call some imperial knights outside.”

“Yes? No, what do you mean…”

Emily’s expression twisted fiercely at my words that I wouldn’t go to the hospital even though I was hurt.

“I need to leave evidence that I was hit, it’s a violent crime, right?”

“Ah…!”

The process is a bit strange, and neither I nor that old man expected it, but anyway, I was hurt badly enough to get bruises.

If I keep it well, it will be enough to make things difficult for him.

I doubt a high-ranking noble would be troubled by something like this, but you can understand if I put what happened to me into words.

‘In a room alone, he laid hands on someone the age of his grandson until he was bruised.’

If you add ‘a commoner who can’t handle mana’ and ‘a knight by training’ to this, it completes a devastating combination that makes your chest swell and makes it impossible to explain.

“Then I’ll bring both of them.”

“Okay, please.”

I’ll get the evidence collected, get a diagnosis, inform my father and mother, and then blow it up spectacularly on National Foundation Day.

_

The day after my tofu-like body was injured by the late Duke of Devonshire.

Whether his declaration to mess me up was a declaration of war filled with sincerity, that old man immediately took action.

The first thing he did was to attack the businesses that traded with the atelier, trying to ruin our atelier.

It would have been a really effective and fatal attack for anyone else, but.

“This is this week’s delivery.”

“Thank you as always, is everything alright these days?”

“Yes, some strange people came a few times, but they just left.”

“That’s a relief.”

It didn’t really mean anything to us.

The reason is that the people I trade with are so unique.

The magicians and witches I meet because of machines or materials were immediately taken care of by my father.

My father is the one who issues patents, there’s no way the magicians could betray him.

And the most important partner, Prince Hans, is a demi-human.

The fact that his business base is in the demi-human autonomous region is a really troublesome thing for those who try to interfere, but the most important thing is that if you mess with Prince Hans even a little bit, it’s racism.

Demi-humans were treated like luxury pets or livestock, and some long-lived species are still alive with their eyes wide open, so racism?

Things would get really interesting if that happened.

There are many demi-humans in our atelier, so if I had made a big fuss when that old man came, I would have immediately made Katerina or Marie load up on tears, but I was a little disappointed that only I got hurt.

If that had happened, I wouldn’t have had to fight in such a petty, headache-inducing, and annoying way.

But since it’s already a mud fight, I have to calmly prepare for the next attack.

Since I, who runs the atelier, got beaten up all I wanted on weekdays, the weekend is my turn.

“This one came out really pretty this time too.”

I smiled with satisfaction as I looked at the poster that had just been printed and flown in from the County of Hume.

I was happy that it came out so pretty this time too.

Black linen with thick thread embroidery for a simple but elegant and sophisticated feel.

There were some differing opinions between white, ivory, and black, but I’m glad I went with black.

Black is the truth in panties and bras, if nothing else.

It looks pretty even if you just add a little embroidery.

“Is that the poster you’re going to put up this time?”

“It’s out again? Can I take a look?”

“Yeah, feel free to look.”

As I was smiling and looking at the poster, the employees who were taking a break took an interest one by one and gathered around me.

It was too crowded for them to gather behind me, so I spread the poster on the table so everyone could see it together.

“It’s printed out nicely.”

“Black is definitely prettier.”

“Hmm… No matter how I think about it, isn’t white prettier?”

“Do you remember that only Prince Herbert insisted on white?”

“Sir William was the only one who insisted on black at first.”

“Then you should have convinced him well.”

“No, isn’t practicality a foul when deciding what’s pretty?”

“But it was convincing.”

“Keuk…!”

I think I won in a bit of a petty way.

White was more popular in the design, but I brought out the cowardly logic that bright fabric is more easily stained if something gets on it.

But the important thing is that I won.

“But Sir William.”

“Yeah?”

As I was smiling and watching Prince Herbert tremble as he glared at the poster, Princess Elizabeth, who had been quiet, poked at the poster with a serious expression and said.

“Can we even post this? It seems like the people from the Duke’s family are constantly checking around the bulletin board.”

“Well… It’s hard to go to the West Plaza now.”

I’m not 100% sure, but there are a lot of suspicious people around the bulletin board.

It’s always crowded, but it’s not normal for people to stare at the bulletin board for hours.

It’s not a racetrack or a gambling den, so there’s no reason to look at the bulletin board for hours.

“The newspaper is already out of the question, and even if we try to break through, Sir William’s body, which is weaker than a doll, won’t be able to get close to the bulletin board.”

“That’s true too.”

“Then there’s no suitable place, are you going to put it on the door of our atelier?”

“No? Why isn’t there a place? There are at least three plazas in the Imperial Capital.”

“……”

As the best city in the Empire, and the largest city in the Empire, there are several plazas in the Imperial Capital.

Among them, there are three plazas large enough for thousands or tens of thousands of people to gather at once.

Central Plaza in the center of the Imperial Capital, Eastern Plaza next to the forest, which is often called a park rather than a plaza.

The only place with a legal bulletin board is the West, but since I’m going to put it up illegally anyway, what does it matter which plaza I put it up in?

Anyway, I just need to stick it in a place where a lot of people pass by.

“Central Plaza is absolutely not allowed.”

“Even His Majesty the Emperor can’t cover for you there, of course.”

The nickname of Central Plaza is Imperial Palace Plaza.

That’s because it’s right in front of the entrance to the Imperial Palace.

It would be crazy to do something stupid there.

In other words, as long as you’re careful about Central Plaza, it’s the same 12 silver no matter where you put it.

“The weather will be cooler from October, so more people will go on picnics.”

“That’s right, the leaves are starting to turn, so the scenery is beautiful.”

“It’s still the end of September, but the weather isn’t bad for a picnic, so I’m thinking of putting it up in Eastern Plaza.”

“Hmm… It’s a place where a lot of nobles gather, but is there a place to put anything there?”

“There’s one place.”

“Where is it?”

“The entrance, carriages are prohibited inside the plaza, so there are various structures at the entrance, you can put it there.”

“Ah.”

Unlike the West Plaza, where you might not pass by the bulletin board, you have to pass through the entrance to get to the East Plaza, so the effect is better.

It’s even a place only nobles visit unless they’re incredibly wealthy, so you can perfectly target the customer base.

“It’s not bad, some people will hate it, but it’s too late anyway.”

“That’s right, it’s impossible to take care of everyone, so you just need to take care of the people you’re sure you want to take care of.”

All I need to do is maintain the interest of the younger generation.

Anyway, generations will change over time.

It’s best to protect the people who will watch for a longer time.

It’s really nice that the class that hates us is clear in times like these.

That’s why I’m doing this troublesome thing.

“Are you going to sneak out at night to put it up this time too?”

“No, this time it’s at dawn, Sir Rachel’s shift is at 4 a.m.”

“Hmm~ That person is having a hard time too.”

“Haha…”

I’m sorry, but I have to bring in everything I can if I’m going to compete with the Duke’s family, so I can’t help it.

Well, Sir Rachel has definitely made an impression on His Majesty the Emperor thanks to me, so I guess he’s getting something out of it too…?

Hmm, that was a bit of a trashy thought.

“……”

A little bit of conscience is rising.

He’s having a hard time because of me… There’s not much I can do, but I should take care of him somehow later.