Chapter split into two(2) pages
Common Sense of a Duke’s Daughter
Chapter 94 – Outfoxing
Now then, today was the day of the meeting with that company’s chairman. Alright!…. After getting psyched up, I boarded the carriage.
The company I was headed towards was one of the companies that poached some of my employees by taking advantage of my excommunication strife. A man who had made a fuss at my store before…
The carriage stopped in front of the company building, which was located in one of the most prosperous lands in the capital. I peeked inside the store. Seems like there weren’t many customers.
Sei informed the managers that I had arrived and we were soon guided into the reception room.
….The atmosphere here felt a bit odd. That was my first thought as I looked around the reception room. A lot of furniture. There were some dignified pieces that was on par with the status of this present in the room, however, on the other hand there were also some furniture that shined garishly and looked flashy.
It almost felt like two people with misaligned tastes did whatever they pleased with this room… Looking at it as a whole, it came off as very mismatched. To top it off, there was an unnatural blank space between adornments which also gave off an odd feeling. There was probably something placed there previously. This was evident because one could the outline of painting that likely hung there before.
….Were they in the middle of remodeling? No, that couldn’t be. Surely they wouldn’t let a guest into the room during that.
…Then perhaps did they sell it? Chances of that were higher. I was deeply pondering this when the company’s president appeared.
Gaudy. That was my first impression of him. It was as if he used pure gold threads to weave his clothing. His clothing had lots of laces and as a whole seemed too heavy for a man.
“Nice to meet you. I am Vuld Rankam. The president of this company.”
“Nice to meet you as well. I am Iris, President of Azuta Conglomerate. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
We started off the conversation with a smile.
“Still, to think I would be able to meet the famous Azuta Conglomerate’s president.”
“Same here. I have quite the luck, to be able to meet the president of one of the top companies here in the capital.” ‘Hohoho’, I laughed while hiding my smile behind my folding fan. This style of laughing was that of an evil daughter’s in stories.
Seeing this, his eyebrows twitched slightly.
Oh dear… did I perhaps touch his nerves already? I was planning on unnerving him after having some peaceful conversation though.
“….What are you saying? It wouldn’t even be an exaggeration to call you the best in the capital.”
Oho? I wondered if it was okay to start prodding him already. “Oh, I am greatly obliged. However, we are simply newcomers here. It’s not like we have a legacy like your company does. Moreover, your company is also endorsed by Prince Edward-sama… Really, I am very jealous.”
The moment I said that, Vuld immediately wore his smile again. I guess he regained footing, huh? “….Thank you very much. But yes, I guess that is true. I am very grateful that Edward-sama is appointing our company to a very responsible task.”
Ah… So you’re going to use Edward-sama as your shield, huh? That is exactly this company’s lance and shield.
“….By the way, the art placed in this room is wonderful.” I changed the topic suddenly. It was slow, but only a fool would immediately state their demands. The other party would take advantage of the situation then.
Furthermore, if we held more power within the Capital, that wouldn’t matter. The other party is attempting to sway the discussion to his advantage using Edward-sama as his cover. To advance things the way I want, I could not afford to lose focus here.
“….I am happy you think so.” Seems like the other party also loosened up their offensive a bit.
“Yes. They are all very beautiful, I cannot help but be entranced. If all of them were together, however, it would have been quite the magnificent spectacle.”
And once again, he showed his surprise. Did my assumption regarding the unnatural blank space hit the target?
“…..We were in the middle of remodeling, after all. I am truly ashamed that you had to see the incomplete state of this room.” His face while he said that looked as if he was bracing himself. If he were one of the chairmen from the Armelia territory place, they would have easily softened the atmosphere without showing any agitation.
I think my skills in these situations have gotten better, thanks to my interactions with those sorts of people. I better be thankful to those people… Seriously, now that I was confronting this guy here, I truly understood how much like sly dogs the presidents in our territory were. I wish they would hold back a little.
“Oh? Is that so? I am sure it will be an excellent room when all the pieces are collected. What are you planning on decorating over there?”
“…..That is, still under consideration.”
“Is that so… sorry to ask so many questions pertaining to that. After all, you are Vuld-sama who is on good terms with Marquis Rudolf. With the help of Rudolf-sama, who has the greatest sense of elegance, I am sure you will be able to find something excellent for that spot.”
The moment I spoke those words, his mask peeled off.
P/N: Again, difficult to proofread due to the ambiguous translation and probably the use of the wrong vocabulary. I apologize again! The next few chapters may be the same.