"So then, what kind of advice did you give that nobleman?"
At her father's question, Elise lifted her chin and went on.
"You want to hear it?
If you insist, I'll tell you."
"First, I told him to be honest about what he really felt. 'If your words caused the misunderstanding, then you have to show your sincerity through your actions'—that's what I said. So first, he needed to tell her properly that he liked her. Then he needed to bow his head before her, explain what had happened at the event, and tell her honestly how he had misunderstood things."
Gaston's eyes widened slightly in surprise, and then he gave a wry smile.
"Hmm. Yes, if he did that, she might understand that he's sincere. You really do know how to move people in the right direction."
Elise gave a small shrug, the smile on her lips deepening just a little.
"I don't just listen and comfort them. For his sake and hers, I thought up a way for both of them to end up happy. And all I got in return was a little dessert and a present."
Gaston stared at her in silence for a moment, then put a hand to his head.
"You really don't miss a trick. The way you know how to maneuver so neatly—maybe you take after your mother more than you do me."
Gaston's face held an expression that was half exasperation, half pride.
Elise's smile deepened a little more at that reaction.
"Father, this is for the sake of the company too.
Connections with the nobility are a good source of information, and they often prove useful later."
When Elise said it that firmly, Gaston lowered his gaze as though thinking it over, then answered with a sigh.
"...Hmm. That's true enough.
You understand these things well."
Gaston paused for a moment, then fixed Elise with a serious look.
"In that case, Elise.
If our company is to survive from here on, you'll enter the Baron-Consort of Reberk's harem for us, won't you?"
Elise steadied her breath, tightened her mouth, and looked back at her father.
"Father, are you serious?
You truly think entering the harem would help the company...
Do you really believe that?"
Gaston nodded quietly, but firmly.
"Yes."
At that short reply, Elise turned a sharp gaze on her father.
"Then prove it.
Prove to me that this hapless noble is really worth more than my current benefactors—and any handsome elf who might come along next."
The air in the room went still for a moment, and Gaston's eyes narrowed.
Without a word, he opened the drawer of his desk and began taking out several items.
Curiosity piqued, Elise found her eyes dropping to his hands.
The first thing he brought out was a lustrous white bar.
It looked like soap, but it was nothing like the rough tallow soap Elise knew.
Its smooth, refined texture was so exquisite that it could have rivaled even the Empire's luxury soaps, and she involuntarily caught her breath.
"Want to try it today?"
Gaston grinned as he offered it to her.
"Well... the product itself isn't to blame, right?"
Elise hesitated for a moment, but she could not tear her eyes away from the gleaming white bar.
Gaston narrowed his eyes in satisfaction.
"So you really are at that age, aren't you."
Stung, Elise clenched her fist.
"Heh-heh-heh. You haven't seen anything yet."
At Gaston's loaded chuckle, Elise tilted her head, and he smugly began lining item after item across the desk.
When he had finished laying them all out, Gaston threw back his head and laughed in satisfaction.
Damn it...
Each time he had set another item down, she had found herself widening her eyes at a beauty she had never seen before.
Remembering that, Elise bit her lip inwardly.
"More to the point, why are things here that even our company struggles to obtain?!"
Half excited despite herself, Elise snatched up the glasswork and the silk thread and shouted at Gaston.
Seeing that, Gaston shook with amused laughter.
"Now then, why do you suppose?"
As Elise stared at his meaningful smile, her thoughts began to race.
"Could it be... the Baron-Consort of Reberk brought them?"
"That's right.
And perhaps... the Merchant Gift may really be a kind of appraiser's eye."
Gaston picked up the soap and murmured the thought as he narrowed his eyes at its intricate craftsmanship.
"What do you mean?"
A slight furrow formed between Elise's brows as she stared at him.
"I once heard that an appraiser's eye can judge materials...
and even see what they can be used for."
Gaston murmured the words while looking down at the soap in his hand.
"That sounds profitable..."
The words slipped out before Elise even realized it, and she herself blinked in surprise.
"Hah?
What on earth are you talking about, girl?"
Gaston stared at her, dumbfounded, then raised his voice in exasperation.
But in that opening, Elise's face lit up as if an idea had struck.
"Father, I've got it!
I just have to make the Baron-Consort of Reberk one of my benefactors!"
"Have you lost your mind?!
The Baron-Consort is married to the Baroness Regnant of Reberk!"
Gaston went speechless for a moment, then frowned at her.
Elise muttered, thinking it over.
"Now that you mention it... he is married to Lady Celine..."
The man Lady Celine chose... Does he really have an appraiser's eye?
That thought naturally sharpened Elise's resolve.
"So, do you understand now why you need to enter the harem?"
Asked that, Elise gave a quiet nod.
By entering the harem, she would also have a chance to learn the secret of how these goods had been obtained.
She understood that.
But—
"If we could source goods like these, then yes... I understand that much.
But is it really worth entering the harem if it means giving up the ties I've built with other nobles?"
At Elise's serious question, Gaston lowered his gaze for a while and let out a quiet breath as though weighed down by something difficult to say.
There was a heaviness on his face, as though the matter were not an easy one to put into words.
What? What is it? Is this really that serious?
Though impatience pricked at her, Elise waited in silence for her father's answer.
After a while, Gaston let out a deep breath, gave a small nod, and began choosing his words with care.
"...Elise, the Baron-Consort of Reberk's plans go far beyond simple sourcing.
I was shocked too, but his aim is to turn the Reberk Barony into a major trade hub."
For a moment, Elise could only stare blankly at Gaston's words.
Then she burst out laughing.
"Father, what on earth are you talking about?
The Reberk Barony lies at the very edge of the kingdom, with the Araratos Mountains to the east and the Demon Forest to the south.
A trade hub? What, does he plan to trade with dragons and monsters?"
At Elise's words, Gaston only smiled back and gently shook his head.
"Yes, I reacted much the same way.
And yet when I look at him, it feels like there is something more than mere business in his eyes...
some great dream.
That young man is serious about rebuilding his territory.
And I find myself wanting to dream that dream with him."
At that moment, Gaston's eyes looked less like a merchant's and more like a boy's—alive with excitement.
Elise felt, perhaps for the first time, that she was seeing an expression she had never seen on her father before.
"Y-you feel that strongly about him...?"
Elise had never once seen Gaston so taken with someone, and the question slipped from her lips before she could stop it.
"Yes.
I don't know how realistic it all is, but he has already built the Passage Arcade and started devising ways to gather merchants there.
On top of that, I hear he intends to establish a beauty salon and even set up a beauty firm."
Gaston rubbed his chin as though recalling the details.
"A beauty... company?
What is that supposed to be...?"
Seeing Elise's eyes brighten in astonishment, Gaston murmured as though impressed.
"For you to take that much interest...
Yes, the Baron-Consort of Reberk's plan may truly succeed."
Elise thought for a moment, then nodded as though she had made up her mind.
With a serious look on her face, she fixed her father with a steady gaze.
"I understand.
I am a merchant's daughter, after all.
First, I'll serve at his side as an aide and judge for myself whether he can truly bring value to this company.
After that... I'll decide again whether entering the harem is really the right course."
As she said that, Elise laid a hand over her chest and smiled at her father.