Editor 41

Cleio Aser, who registered at age 17 (5)

The next afternoon, as Cleio was taking a nap after returning from his classics class, an uninvited guest woke him up.

It was a hotel page sent by Katarina, Chel’s mother and a hotel entrepreneur. The page brought a sealed envelope.

The envelope was made of thick paper and decorated with elegant patterns. The page himself was tall and wore the De Neige hotel chain’s uniform, not a wrinkle in sight.

‘She certainly is someone obsessed with formality.’

Having just woken up from his nap to accept the envelope, Cleio couldn’t help but keep yawning as he signed the receipt for the page.

The moment the page disappeared around the corner of the dormitory, Cleio tore open the envelope.

Despite its grand formality, inside was only a single card simply listing the time and place.

—Katarina Tampete de Neige

‘Today’s Monday, so that’s in five days? Good for me if she’s in a hurry.’

Rubbing his eyes to shake off his sleepiness, Cleio went straight down to the matron’s office and called Dione.

The kind operator answered first, and next came Levi, secretary of House Greyer, who transferred the call to the drawing room.

[“If it’s important enough for a phone call, it must be good news?”]

“The one with the real ‘predictive’ ability is Lady Dione, not me, I’d say?”

[“Ahahaha. Just get to the point already.”]

“There’s something for you to handle not as my guardian, but as my agent. It’s the matter we’ve been waiting for.”

[“How did the contact come?”]

“A card. Just the time and place written on it.”

There was a crashing sound over the receiver, then Dione’s voice came briskly.

[“Got it. Send the card to me via messenger right away. The terms are as we previously discussed?”]

“Yes, no intent to sell. We’re going for a rental contract.”

[“I’ll prepare the documents, so come to my house on Saturday morning. I’ll send a carriage.”]

It was a thoroughly reliable answer.

---

Five days went by quickly.

The Greyer Trading Company building was in the heart of the city, near the Royal Circus and overlooking St. Elizabeth Square.

The trading company’s second floor was the reception room for House Greyer.

Since the part facing the main road was narrow, the building looked rather small at first glance, but the lot extended far back and the inside was quite spacious.

Dione, half-reclined among cushions with exotic patterns, welcomed Cleio.

“You’re here. Sit anywhere you like.”

Dione, in a dressing gown with her hair loosely tied, was an unfamiliar sight. Still, of course, she was astonishingly beautiful. Her cheeks were flushed like fruit—apparently, talk of money had a better effect than any cosmetics.

“You must have worked hard preparing the documents these five days.”

“Why would making money tire me?”

She grabbed Katarina’s card, left haphazardly on the table, and flicked it.

“Normally, a serious contract like this can’t be settled all at once… but this time, it might unexpectedly be resolved in a single meeting.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Katarina has to attend the Continental Hospitality Industry Congress in Dernier starting next week. This year’s host is the Kingdom of Pedre. Even changing trains and ships, it’ll take at least a day and a half to get there. Once she’s back from the congress, a week will fly by.”

“Sorry to interrupt, but what’s the Hospitality Industry Congress?”

“It’s a meeting where every lodging business owner gathers, from across the continent and overseas. They exchange information and check out competitors. You know, about ten years ago, the entire Dernier continent’s railway was standardized, right? After that, passenger numbers shot up, and now hospitality is a giant industry.”

That was Dione for you. If it was a corner where money flowed, she was an expert on the news.

‘If hospitality is that profitable, maybe I can get a big payout out of Katarina.’

“Anyway, real estate prices in the Oreils district are rising by the day; if she goes away for a week on a business trip, the leading digit of the price could change. No way Lady Katarina doesn’t know that.”

Dione, perhaps feeling dry-mouthed, sipped some iced tea and continued.

“I predict she wants to lock down terms with you before someone else jumps on it. That’s why she sent such a slapdash card. Since her side tried to dominate with a rude invitation, we need to be thoroughly prepared too.”

“Ah, this is rude?”

“She set the date unilaterally without negotiations. That means she sees you as a step below her. Ugh! Why are you so naïve? You should read a society etiquette book.”

Cleio, for what it’s worth, had only now learned that “society etiquette books” even existed.

‘You can’t just understand this by knowing the language. She read a whole world of meaning from a single card like it’s a turtle shell oracle.’

“With a living, up-to-date etiquette book like you here, is there really any need for me to do it myself?”

The implied meaning: That’s what I pay you for, after all.

Dione caught on quickly.

“Well, you’re not wrong. Now, for the final check. The annual rent is at least 2.5 million dinar, maximum five years with renewal terms afterward, correct?”

“That’s correct.”

“Katarina will try for a purchase, but… I’ll do what I can. You’re the only one who’s secured land like this in the Oreils district, so don’t be shy!”

“That’s good to hear. And, we haven’t yet decided your etiquette-book teacher’s fee, have we?”

Dione’s previously calm eyes sparkled wide open. Her clear, watery blue eyes shone like gems.

Cleio took out the “Aether-engraved contract” he’d brought in his bag. It was time to add a new term.

If Dione settled the lease contract with Katarina and handled all legal and administrative issues, Cleio proposed to pay an 8% commission on the total annual rent.

‘I’ll need to maintain good ties with the Greyer Trading Company for a long time—especially for sourcing magical items. It’s worth being generous here.’

For the first year, he also agreed to pay the full commission in a lump sum after the contract, plus a 2% success fee.

At that, a glint of competitiveness flashed in Dione’s pretty eyes.

“Offering this much means you want me to do work worthy of the fee, right? Then I’ll make sure it’s worth every dinar.”

.

.

.

After finally finishing the paperwork and fixing her attire, Dione returned to the parlor.

Rather than her usual airy dresses, she wore a sharply tailored navy jacket and a fitted skirt—a new look.

As she checked her perfectly twisted updo in the mirror, she caught Cleio trying to stand up and sat him back down.

“Sit. We’ll leave a bit later.”

“It’s already two thirty. Don’t we need to go now?”

“Without me, how would you survive in this tough world? We’re going to be late on purpose. Having received such a card, if we showed up on the dot, just imagine how little they’d think of us. Sit tight and eat some chocolate.”

With that, she took a chocolate shell from a gold paper case and popped it straight into Cleio’s mouth.

She moved so naturally there was no chance for him to protest at being treated like a kid.

The brandy-filled chocolate melted in his mouth. In the end, Cleio could only focus on the treat.

Following Dione’s orders, they left 20 minutes late and arrived at Camellia Hall around 3:20.

Camellia Hall, the capital residence of House Tampete de Neige, wasn’t far from the Aser house.

Of course, the difference in scale was incomparable.

Elegant main gates, not only a main building but two additional guest wings, and footmen coming out to greet the carriage—everything was on a different level of splendor. That was because massive banquets were held year-round.

Dione Greyer, however, crossed the gallery as if it were her own home, utterly unfazed.

Rather than being led by a footman, it seemed she was about to outpace him. Cleio quietly followed behind her.

Click.

With a confident stride, Dione entered the reception room and greeted first with a radiant smile. Her voice rang out clear as a bell.

“It’s been a while since the flower banquet last spring, Lady Katarina. I sent word ahead, but I hope you’ve been well?”

Katarina, who had been standing at the centerpiece in a haughty posture, raised her eyebrows sharply.

.

.

.

Dione was a genius tactician.

She was not bested at all by the seasoned Katarina and led the Camellia Hall negotiations to a victorious conclusion.

‘Really, medicine to the pharmacist, money to Dione.’

The final land rental was set at 3 million dinar per year, five-year contract. After that, the terms could be revised for renewal.

That was possible because the land, once bought for 5.5 million dinar, had since risen in value more than ten times.

On top of that, Dione’s documents containing info on real estate prices, prospects, and construction plans clearly played a part.

‘Truly impressive. In the last draft, even Minister of Commerce Verme, who got this land, managed to negotiate only for 2.5 million dinar a year.’

Cleio looked at Dione in awe, sipping hot chocolate across the table.

She looked lovely drinking hot chocolate, but her voice was hoarse from two hours of negotiation, and the fingers inside her gloves were stained with ink smeared from the papers.

Just trying to play youth entrepreneur for a moment had been exhausting for Cleio—it was certain he couldn’t have pressed for such terms with Katarina.

‘Mr. Cleio wants to turn this into a prestigious De Neige Hotel, but as a business advisor, I don’t think it absolutely has to be one.’

When she smiled softly as she said that—even as his ally, Cleio felt a chill.

In Katarina’s case, it seemed Dione was driving her crazy, but Cleio’s guess that their side was the stronger party proved true.

Many other parties had made approaches, coveting the land in the Oreils district. One of them was Katarina’s business rival, Viscount Rayton. The moment that information was revealed, the deal was sealed.

There was no need to prove it—Katarina already knew.

With a trip to Pedre imminent, Katarina called in a notary and a lawyer to finalize the contract that very afternoon.

Having come from the Carolingian Kingdom as a royal exile after the revolution 22 years ago, Katarina handled things more boldly and swiftly than most. She’d calculated that further delays would only hurt her side.

“Do I have something on my face? Why are you staring at me so intently?”

“I was looking at you in admiration. I was wondering how you managed to do it so well.”

“Oh, is that what it was.”

“What do you mean, what. Not just getting the rent increased, but obtaining a long-term stay voucher for the De Neige Hotel chain—I can only admire your skills.”

“I plan to use that too, you know?”

“Naturally.”

Dione, who had been drinking her hot chocolate with perfect cleanliness, set her cup down with a small smile.

“That must not mean much to you, who gets hundreds of thousands of dinar as pocket money. But some years, our Greyer Trading Company’s pure profit is under a million dinar. Though some years it’s ten times that, it fluctuates a lot.”

Cleio understood the reason for such volatile profits despite dealing in lucrative goods like magical tools—it was all thanks to the capricious and moody Vasco.

“I see….”

“We can’t compare our stability or scale to Baron Junior Aser’s ventures. For example, once you become a probationary member of the Royal Capital Guard Knights, you’ll earn 1,000 dinar a month. Even just that makes lower nobles and commoners see you as a fine marriage prospect. So if I landed a 300,000 dinar commission, of course I’d go all out.”

“Still, I was impressed that you arranged to have a demolition contractor ready and secured half the first year’s rent as an upfront deposit. I never would’ve thought of that.”

“Ahaha. If you can’t imagine it, that’s why I’m here. If any more good opportunities come up, be sure to tell me. I, Dione Greyer, will maximize profits for you faithfully and sincerely.”

“Without a doubt.”