Recently, Count Bradley Somerset found himself in deep thought.

It was less of a worry and more of a conflict about whether he should be happy or concerned.

On the one hand, the improved financial state of the family was a cause for celebration.

"My lord, as of this month, three-tenths of the family's debts have been repaid."

It was an astonishing development.

They had been struggling just to pay the interest each month, yet now they were not only paying off the interest but also a portion of the principal.

Moreover, some of the merchants who had come to demand repayment had completely changed their attitude.

In the past, they wouldn’t hesitate to be rude and raise their voices to him, a nobleman.

"Ha ha, Count, surely a slight delay in repayment is no big issue, as long as you have the funds and the means."

They assured him not to worry about the interest, even offering leniency.

Of course, there was always a follow-up request.

"By the way, my lord, do you happen to have any spare books?"

Yes, the conversation always ended with a question about the fairy tale books.

“Are those books really that significant?”

His eldest son, who had insisted on going to war against his wishes and had not been heard from since, was a concern, as was his other son, who had always been timid. Yet, the younger one had started to change.

Originally, he was fond of drawing, kind to people, but shy and introverted.

"Father, what do you think about stepping back from managing the family's finances?"

His son unexpectedly urged him to retire.

What was even more shocking was that Baron Klein, his loyal vassal, agreed with the son's suggestion.

"What do you mean? We might have a silver mine in our territory! How can I ignore this?"

"There’s no mine that produces silver ingots directly, not even silver ore!"

When the family's financial situation started to improve, a mining expert had come claiming there was a silver mine on their land.

Upon seeing the silver ingot presented as evidence, the Count was considering an investment.

But his son and Baron Klein, responsible for the estate's finances, opposed the idea, leading to its immediate withdrawal.

Count Bradley had no rebuttal. He was nearly swindled by such an absurd scheme due to his fixation on mining.

Ever since the Elf Mountain Fertilizer Incident, he had struggled to maintain his composure regarding financial matters.

Thus, following his son's advice, he stepped away from the financial affairs and entrusted full authority to Baron Klein and his son.

"Even so, I can’t stand in my son’s way."

His son, who had created the new fairy tale books and revived the declining family, was impressive.

Having received a commendation from the Imperial Family recently, he was more than sufficient as an heir.

However, if things continued as they were, it was clear that even if his son inherited the title of Count, he would face challenges.

“Summon Baron Klein. I have something to discuss.”

As a father, he might not be able to offer much help, but he had to avoid being a hindrance.

"Waaaah!!! The prince is dead!! Nooo!! Little Mermaid!!"

Ada, who had naturally become my first reader.

Once again, I showed her the manuscript of The Little Mermaid before it was made into a book.

Her initial reaction was the same as always: she buried her head in the book and read intently.

As she approached the end of the book, tears began to form in her eyes.

Eventually, she burst into tears at the conclusion, where the prince fails to recognize the Little Mermaid, who then leaves him to return to the sea.

“Big brother, I hate you! Make the Little Mermaid and the prince get married!!”

Ada clenched her tiny fists and hit me.

Since I was already being hit, I turned around and exposed my back, enjoying the massage-like sensation.

I realized that I could manipulate the emotions of my readers.

Ada’s reaction was exactly what I had been aiming for.

It’s easy to scare children by making a story terrifying or gruesome.

But to move them to sadness with just the story?

That’s a highly challenging feat.

There are no beings as pure in emotion as children. They take things as they are, whether they find something funny or sad.

Children react sharply to emotions created through adults’ clumsy calculations.

In that sense, The Little Mermaid was the perfect work to introduce the emotion of sadness to children, unlike the fairy tales I had written so far.

“I will now give you sadness as well. I will give you sadness more precious than love.”

A line from a famous Korean poem came to mind.

What is the role of fairy tales?

Why do children's fairy tales sometimes have tragic endings?

It's a necessary scene when you think about it.

Children need to learn sadness correctly to understand love.

By reading The Little Mermaid, Ada would understand that not everything flows towards happiness and that the choices she makes can lead to tragedy.

In doing so, children grow.

“Big brother, I hate you!”

Realizing her tiny fists had no effect, Ada bit me on the neck.

“Ow!!”

Her teeth left a clear mark.

Even then, still upset, Ada continued to try biting me, and I barely managed to calm her down by hugging her tightly.

Watching Ada sob with tears streaming down her face, my thoughts shifted slightly.

Perhaps it really is loving discipline that helps children grow.

“No! Reservations can only be made at the main store.”

“But, branch manager, this request is from Baron Sleepy, our biggest customer.”

“It doesn’t matter! The guild leader is even rejecting requests from the Duke’s family. This is beyond our capacity.”

When news spread that the third fairy tale book was about to be published, chaos erupted at each branch of the Yuren Merchant Guild.

It was easier to deal with noble families who weren’t usually customers when they came demanding books.

We could simply ignore them.

However, it was difficult to refuse requests from client families with whom we had contracts.

Thankfully, each branch was allocated a certain number of standard editions to sell, or else many nobles, feeling slighted, might have canceled their contracts.

The deluxe hardcover editions could only be reserved at the main store, and obtaining a lottery ticket for the custom-made editions was challenging.

For the deluxe editions, reservations were only accepted if the transaction volume with the Yuren Merchant Guild exceeded a certain amount, and the same applied to the custom-made edition lottery.

“There’s never been chaos like this.”

Absinthe, the branch manager of Goldpool Valley, was troubled by the nobles' pestering from the morning.

But there was a smile on his lips.

The number of noble families entering into contracts with the Yuren Merchant Guild to purchase fairy tale books had significantly increased, leading to a surge in revenue.

“To think it would turn out exactly as the guild leader said.”

Absinthe hadn’t understood why the guild leader was investing so much effort into a mere venture like fairy tales when they first started contracting.

He had inwardly scoffed at the guild leader's prediction that the fairy tale books could become a strategic weapon to penetrate the rigid noble society.

But seeing the predictions come true, he couldn't help but be amazed.

Indeed, Absinthe thought, the legendary merchant, known for not yielding an ounce of profit, still had his keen instincts intact.

“Ahhh!! I need a wheelbarrow!! A wheelbarrow!!”

Watching Rupert Somerset roaring in front of him, Estevan felt a headache coming on.

“Here we go again.”

Suppressing a sigh, Estevan started calming Rupert down once more.

“Please, calm yourself, young master.”

“How can I remain calm when the money I earn outside with the guild leader is leaking away at home!”

This young master had always been particularly materialistic.

This time, he had exploded upon seeing the amount spent when his father, Count Bradley, decided to host a banquet.

“He doesn’t seem very noble-like at all.”

In a good sense. It was easier to communicate and come to an understanding with Rupert compared to other nobles, who often prided themselves on honor and dignity.

However, worrying about the money spent on banquets, something typical for nobles, was hard to comprehend for Estevan.

Rupert showed little interest in expensive clothes or goods but was passionately excited about the new potions from the Alchemy Guild, which Estevan found difficult to understand.

“It’s as if he’s a mining slave.”

It was like watching miners, who were considered so overworked and exhausted that only criminals or slaves worked there.

They would go crazy over vitality potions rather than food or luxury items.

“Young master, do you know why noble families host banquets?”

“I understand it’s because, without hosting banquets, they aren’t recognized as nobles in society.”

Rupert responded dismissively, showing little interest.

For some reason, the way he answered so curtly made Estevan want to give him a smack, but he pushed the thought aside and continued the conversation.

“Nobles are not solitary beings. No matter how powerful a noble may be, without those who support and guide them, they are no different from commoners.”

Seeing Rupert finally focus on the conversation, Estevan continued.

“The Somerset family currently holds the title of Count but has too little influence. It’s to the point where nearby nobles are encroaching on the estate, and we can’t respond effectively.”

“What do you mean?”

“Young master, do you know what the estate's monthly income is?”

“I believe it’s around 50 to 60 gold.”

Estevan slapped his palm against his knee and sighed at Rupert’s answer.

“Does that even make sense? For a Count's estate of this size? It should be at least twice that amount!”

“Because there’s no influence, we can’t resist when our rights are infringed upon, leading to a vicious cycle of diminishing influence.”

Estevan nodded at Rupert’s response.

“That’s exactly it. A family that doesn’t host banquets or engage in social activities isn’t recognized as a noble by its peers.”

Estevan's statement pinpointed the current situation precisely.

The Somerset family, economically struggling, had lost many vassals and didn’t have the funds to participate in social gatherings, leaving them isolated from noble society.

In this state, when nearby nobles claimed rights over Somerset's estate, the family had no allies to back them, accelerating their decline.

“That’s why Count Bradley is going out of his way to host a banquet now—to prepare for when you inherit the title.”

Not all nobles host banquets merely for wasteful extravagance.

A banquet is an announcement that their family remains strong and stable.

Seeing Rupert nod in understanding and admiration, Estevan felt a sense of pride, knowing his counsel had resonated.

Strengthening Rupert's position, who had a contract with him, was also beneficial to Estevan.

“I see. I hadn’t realized there was such a background. But, guild leader, is there any way to reduce the costs of hosting the banquet?”

Estevan was astounded at how Rupert, even more relentless than his own reputation as a cold-blooded merchant, never ceased to amaze him.