LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 30
“What is this?”
“It’s a storage room.”
I stared at Liam with a deadpan expression at his obvious answer.
Just a day after I asked the Grand Duke about Poletta leather, Liam came looking for me and led me to a small hut located in the back garden of the Grand Duke’s estate.
Calling it a hut was an understatement—it was, as he said, more of a storage space filled with miscellaneous unused items.
The problem was…
“There’s… a lot more than I expected?”
The hut was packed full of neatly processed Poletta leather.
I stared at the stacks of raw leather, organized by color, pattern, and size, with a slightly overwhelmed expression.
“Ahem, His Grace, the Grand Duke, was kind enough to order that all the Poletta leather scattered around the duchy be gathered and transported here for the princess.”
“Ah…”
T-This was a bit excessive.
Could he be doing this to get back at me for refusing to share information?
Even after Liam left, I stood outside, hesitant to step into the storage room.
That was when Bonita, who had been nearby, spoke up.
“But why do you need so much Poletta leather?”
“Well…”
I trailed off and took a step forward.
Inside the wide-open hut, the amount of leather was even greater than it first appeared.
Since it hadn’t gone through any washing or processing yet, the raw hides were covered in residues and emitted a strong, unpleasant odor.
“Ugh.”
“…I’ll prepare a handkerchief for you to cover your nose next time.”
Bonita, who had entered unprepared, grimaced and took a step back.
Ignoring the stench of animal hide, I ventured deeper inside.
From behind me, Bonita let out a startled cry.
“M-Miss?”
“Hmm.”
I pulled out one of the closest stacks of leather. The Poletta hide, far longer and heavier than an average man’s height, slid out.
Upon closer inspection, it was a bit rough due to its unprocessed state, but it somewhat resembled the blackout curtain material I had made in Salt.
I needed to properly test it to be sure.
“Bonita.”
I turned to Bonita, who had become my walking encyclopedia and my very own Speedwagon.
“Yes?”
“How would you go about turning this leather into fabric?”
It was a vague question, but Bonita, assuming I was testing her, shrugged and answered confidently.
“Of course, there are specialists for that. Madam Lainey is the best seamstress in the Blaire Duchy.”
“…Really?”
I gazed at her with admiration before dashing out of the hut.
If I stayed in that horrible stench any longer, I was afraid my nose would rot away.
“Can I meet Madam Lainey?”
“Since she supplies luxury fabrics to the Grand Duke’s household, she’ll probably visit again early tomorrow morning!”
Early morning, huh…
I pondered briefly before nodding.
I was going to wake up at the crack of dawn anyway.
* * *
The previous night, I had spent hours in the library searching for information about Poletta leather before being dragged into a painters’ meeting, which lasted until morning.
Honestly, I had planned to slip out and catch some sleep, but with Ashley sitting beside me, looking like a lifeless zombie, I didn’t have the heart to leave.
Which meant that today, too, I was running on empty.
‘S-So sleepy.’
They say sleep deprivation is the worst form of torture.
Even while facing Madam Lainey, I couldn’t hold back my yawns.
A while later, the plump woman, who had been carefully examining the leather, shook her head firmly.
“Hmm… This will be difficult.”
That was unexpected.
Seeing her troubled expression, I asked, now even more desperate than yesterday,
“Why…? What’s the issue?”
“Processing Poletta leather into fabric isn’t difficult in itself, but it’s not worth the effort. The pay doesn’t match the workload—it’s just common leather.”
So it was essentially worthless?
Having completely dismissed the leather, she wiped her hands with a damp handkerchief and continued.
“In this hot weather, light and airy fabrics like chiffon and lace are in much higher demand.”
Since she was dealing directly with the Blaire Duchy, she was sugarcoating her words, but her message was clear: a refusal.
‘No way.’
Was my dream of a cozy, sunless morning slipping away just like that?
After agonizing over my options, I decided to stall for time.
“Bonita, could you bring some cool tea for Madam?”
“Yes, of course, miss!”
As the quick-witted Bonita left the room, I started thinking fast.
Now that I considered it, all the projects I had taken on—manga printing, blackout curtains—had been driven purely by my personal wants. There was no real business structure in place.
Even now, my manga earnings and the artists’ salaries were being handled entirely by Liam.
But one thing I knew for sure was…
‘I must have a ridiculous amount of royalties saved up.’
If money was what Madam Lainey wanted, I could offer plenty.
Even if this blackout curtain project cost me a fortune, I could easily recoup the losses.
‘I mean, would only the duchy need blackout curtains?’
Even in the Salt Kingdom, countless overworked officials barely got any sleep.
“Madam Lainey.”
“…Yes?”
Startled by the shift in my tone, she set down her teacup.
“What is the most expensive fabric you work with?”
“…Unless there are special conditions, lace is usually the most high-end.”
Then Poletta leather had to be priced higher than lace.
Resolving myself, I declared,
“I will pay you more than that—far more. And if you end up working overtime, I’ll double your pay.”
“…What?”
Gasp—!
Was that Bonita? Or her assistant?
Someone’s breathing grew noticeably louder.
Madam Lainey, who had remained firm until now, visibly wavered.
I knew that look all too well.
‘That’s the face of someone torn over money.’
She knew Poletta leather was cheap, unprofitable, and tedious to process.
She wanted to refuse.
But…
‘It’s an offer too good to turn down, isn’t it?’
And, to be honest, everyone here knew that working with Poletta leather was far easier than handcrafting lace.
“Of course, we’d need to hire skilled tanners and additional workers for processing.”
Now it was my turn to leisurely sip my tea.
Slurp.
When I looked up again, Madam Lainey was gaping at me in disbelief.
Nice.
“…What exactly are you trying to make?”
“Blackout curtains.”
“Curtains?”
She was probably thinking, You’re offering extra pay just for curtains?
But I had my reasons.
‘It’s an investment.’
I would use my royalties as capital, launch a new blackout curtain business, and…
Besides, having worked my ass off in Salt Kingdom, I knew exactly how to strike deals with merchant guilds.
For example:
Buy the Poletta leather in bulk at dirt-cheap prices.
Hire affordable but skilled leatherworkers.
Once the blackout curtains are made, strike distribution deals with major trade networks.
‘There’s no way this won’t be profitable.’
Late-night workers weren’t just a thing of the 21st century.
Here, where labor laws didn’t exist, night-shift jobs were everywhere.
‘This will be my lifelong business.’
I hated standing out, but if losing sleep would literally kill me, then I had no choice.
If I was doing this, I might as well go big.
Maybe even… achieve independence.
‘Yes, independence.’
Then I wouldn’t have to live as a freeloader anymore, and I could fill my entire home with blackout curtains.
Plus, I had to stay in the Blaire Duchy to get the latest manga updates first, but still—
“Hehehe… Hehehehehe….”
Lost in delightful fantasies, I let out a sinister chuckle.
Completely oblivious to the strange looks I was receiving.