“The thing is… a while ago, I received a gift of some cosmetics…” the maid stammered.

“Cosmetics?” Marielle raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, yes. It’s supposed to be a skin beauty cream… from some baron…” The maid was flustered, stuttering as she answered under Marielle’s scrutinizing gaze.

Growing impatient, Marielle turned to her head maid for clarification. “What’s going on here?”

“The cosmetics were sent by a certain Baron Fenris,” the head maid explained. “He recently came to the capital and distributed gifts to various noble households. The Count also received a gift and a letter.”

“Baron Fenris? Never heard of him.”

“It seems he’s new to the capital,” the head maid replied.

“So, that’s why he’s sending gifts. But he sent something to my husband and not to me?” Marielle’s irritation grew.

Though Count Aylesbur was an influential man, he wasn’t more powerful than Marielle, who came from a high-ranking marquess family and was a dominant figure in the capital’s social circles.

"He should be trying to impress me, not my husband," she muttered. "Even if he doesn’t know the ways of the capital, this is ridiculous..."

Fanning her face to cool her rising temper, she asked, “Did he give my husband better cosmetics than this?”

“No, my lady. The Count received nothing but a single mandrake root,” the head maid explained, barely able to contain a chuckle.

Marielle scoffed. “A mandrake? Is he that poor of a noble? But where did he get these cosmetics? There must be a lot if he gave them to all the maids.”

“I heard that Baron Fenris’s trading company developed them.”

“He made them himself?” Marielle raised her eyebrows, a mixture of amusement and disbelief flickering across her face.

Under normal circumstances, she would’ve laughed off a backwater baron’s attempt to develop cosmetics. But now that she had seen its effects, she couldn’t dismiss it so easily.

After a brief pause, Marielle made a swift decision and turned to the head maid.

“Cancel my plans for today. Tell them I’m feeling unwell. And you—” she pointed to the maid with the glowing skin, “come with me.”

Marielle took the maid to another room and questioned her thoroughly on how she used the cosmetics.

Then, after paying the maid for the cream, she sat down to examine the jar carefully.

“Should I use this or not?” Marielle muttered to herself.

If the cream didn’t work, no harm done. But if it caused any negative effects, she would face ridicule from the noblewomen, not to mention a severe hit to her hard-earned reputation.

But her intuition screamed at her not to let this chance slip by.

She had to seize this opportunity first, before anyone else did.

“No one’s had any bad reactions so far. Some have even shown noticeable improvements. I’ll give it a try.”

With that, Marielle washed her face thoroughly and slowly applied the cream.

‘Ah, it’s like putting morning dew on my skin,’ she thought.

It felt slightly sticky at first, but the cream absorbed quickly, leaving her skin feeling hydrated from the inside out.

This is it.

Convinced, Marielle finished applying the cream evenly and went to bed early.

Of course, dramatic results couldn’t be expected in a single night. But the next morning, Marielle noticed subtle changes.

‘It’s definitely working. It’s not obvious yet, but I can feel the difference. And there’s no sign of any side effects.’

Hesitating any further would be foolish. She couldn’t afford to miss this chance. Without delay, Marielle called for the head maid again.

“Where is Baron Fenris staying?”

“He’s staying at an old mansion on the outskirts of the city,” the head maid replied.

“An old mansion on the outskirts… Is it the rumored haunted house? The one they call the Crow Mansion?”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Ha, he really must be broke. This works to my advantage, though. Hmph.”

Marielle’s thoughts began to race.

The cosmetics, made by a newly arrived country noble, wouldn’t be selling much yet. They lacked recognition and were likely not too expensive.

If she moved fast and secured an exclusive contract, she could control the distribution of the product. Not only would it help her maintain her beauty, but it could also increase her wealth and influence.

“Prepare the carriage. I’m going to meet Baron Fenris.”

A grand carriage rode through the heart of the capital, flanked by guards clearing the way.

People grumbled as they were pushed aside, only to fall silent when they saw the noble family crest on the carriage.

Standing by a makeshift booth outside the mansion, Claude gaped at the sight.

“What in the world… Is the queen herself visiting? But we would've been informed beforehand, right?”

Even though he knew it wasn’t likely, the grandeur of the carriage and its entourage made him feel nervous.

The carriage stopped in front of the mansion, and the head maid descended first.

Surveying the rundown entrance with a disdainful glance, she called out, “The Countess of Aylesbur is here to see Baron Fenris. Is this his residence?”

“Y-Yes, it is,” Claude stammered, still in shock.

The head maid, dressed as elegantly as any noblewoman, along with the finely armed knights, made it clear that they weren’t dealing with an ordinary visitor.

Even though Claude had seen many noblewomen back in Seiron, none had carried themselves with the same imposing presence.

‘The wife of a count is this powerful? The big nations really are on a different level,’ he thought.

In fact, only a few noblewomen in Ratania had influence comparable to Marielle, but Claude didn’t know enough about the capital to be aware of that.

One of the guards opened the carriage door, and Marielle gracefully stepped out.

The mercenaries watching from a distance were stunned into silence.

‘Wow…’

Her beauty was like that of a blooming rose.

Though she was clearly older, it only added to her elegance and dignity, a presence that felt completely unattainable to the rough mercenaries.

They had seen noblewomen and young noble ladies before, but none of them could compare to Marielle.

Used to such attention, Marielle nonchalantly glanced around her surroundings.

Her head maid began to announce their purpose, but Marielle raised her hand to stop her and spoke directly.

“I am Marielle, the Countess of Aylesbur. I’ve come to meet with Baron Fenris.”

“…”

Claude and the mercenaries stood frozen, mouths agape.

A sharp kick from Belinda snapped Claude back to his senses.

“Ahh!”

Rubbing his shin, Claude quickly regained his composure.

“What are you doing? We have a guest!”

Belinda grumbled, clicking her tongue as she disappeared back inside.

Claude, still nursing his bruised shin, quickly tried to make sense of the situation.

Why would a countess visit a mansion known for being haunted by ghosts? There could only be one reason.

‘The cosmetics worked!’

Claude, ever the opportunist, immediately put on his best smile and bowed.

“Are you here to purchase cosmetics? I can—”

“I came to meet Baron Fenris,” Marielle interrupted.

“I could explain—”

“I came to meet Baron Fenris,” Marielle repeated with a graceful smile, her persistence clear.

She wouldn’t back down until she met the baron in person.

Realizing he couldn’t handle the situation, Claude sighed. This wasn’t someone he could deal with.

“Please, come inside. The baron is in the garden. I’ll guide you.”

Though he preferred to resolve things himself, he had no choice now but to involve his unpredictable lord.

“Thank you,” Marielle said with a polite smile as she followed him inside with a few maids and knights in tow.

As she stepped into the garden, her brows furrowed slightly.

The gray, lifeless garden and the crows flying overhead were far from the refined surroundings she was used to.

‘I wouldn’t stay here a single day, no matter how poor I was,’ she thought.

‘He must be truly desperate for money. This will make negotiating easier.’

She composed herself and followed the servant’s lead into the garden, where she spotted Ghislain crouched by a corner, feeding the crows.

“My lord, Countess Marielle of Aylesbur is here to see you,” the servant announced.

“Hmm, is that so?” Ghislain said as he slowly stood up, a crow casually landing on his shoulder.

“Greetings, I am Ghislain Fenris,” he said with a polite nod.

Caw!

Marielle shuddered at the eerie cry of the crow, her eyes widening as she took in the sight of the young baron.

‘This is Baron Fenris? He’s so young.’

Marielle quickly sized him up. He was tall, handsome, and much younger than she had expected.

It was rare for someone his age to already hold a barony and an estate.

Perhaps he came from a powerful family, though she had never heard of the Fenris name. Still, she suspected he was from a minor noble house that hadn’t gained much influence in the capital.

‘He probably inherited a small estate from his father.’

But despite her quick assessment, she couldn’t help but admire his composure. He didn’t seem the least bit flustered by her arrival.

Marielle kept her thoughts to herself and offered a gracious nod in return.

“I am Marielle of the Aylesbur family. To be frank, I’m here to discuss the cosmetics your trading company has developed.”

“Oh, is that so?” Ghislain’s eyes gleamed.

He had been concerned that dealing with noblewomen would involve endless small talk and polite formalities, but it seemed that Marielle preferred to get straight to the point.

“Shall we discuss this inside?” he offered.

As Ghislain led the way into the mansion, a small smile played on his lips.

‘A big fish has taken the bait.’

The name “Aylesbur” sparked a memory. Marielle was one of the most influential figures in the capital’s social circles.

The fact that she had come in person boded well for his plans. Just having her use his product would cause it to sell out across the city in no time.

Once seated in the drawing room, Marielle wasted no time.

“You’ve just entered the capital with these cosmetics, correct? I’d like to offer an exclusive contract to handle your product.”

As expected, she was bold.

“And by exclusive contract, you mean?” Ghislain asked, feigning innocence.

“Exactly what it sounds like. I’ll buy all the products you produce. You focus on development, and I’ll take care of the distribution,” she said confidently.

She then added a subtle threat.

“If you’re planning to settle in the capital, you’ll need backing. The other noble families and trading companies will start to compete with you. I can protect you from that. But if you refuse, well… doing business here will be difficult.”

There was no need for pretense or games. She laid it all out on the table.

Ghislain nodded, understanding her intentions.

“I’m only interested in selling as many products as possible, but… the price might be higher than you expect. Are you prepared for that?”

Marielle almost laughed.

‘Does he really think money is an issue for me?’

She was one of the wealthiest women in the capital. If she couldn’t afford it, no one could.

“How much are we talking?”

“One hundred gold pieces per jar.”

“Excuse me? One hundred for how many jars?”

Marielle blinked, convinced she must have misheard him.

Ghislain clarified with a straight face.

“One hundred gold per jar.”

Marielle’s elegant smile faltered for the first time.