Arad’s praise for Arina continued without pause.

“She isn’t just good—she’s the best. If she had been born in any kingdom other than the North, she would have unified the continent already.”

“Is it that much?”

“Of course.”

“Is there more? Other good things about Her Grace?”

“During the recent rebellion of the Northern nobles, she minimized the collateral punishment through yeonjojae (guilt-by-association). I think that was another brilliant decision.”

“...?!”

“Others might say the punishments were too lenient, but I think differently. The North has a small population and lacks talent. If you purge too indiscriminately, it only makes things more dangerous.”

“But do you think those spared by the yeonjojae are truly grateful? What if they’re sharpening their knives for revenge instead?”

“That’s possible. But the majority would do the opposite.”

“Opposite?”

“They’d be desperate to prove their loyalty more than anyone else. I’m sure Her Grace made that decision with this in mind.”

“……”

I didn’t think that far ahead?!

Arina had never considered such a long-term view.

She had minimized the yeonjojae simply because there were too many implicated to handle. She had agonized over the decision, blaming herself while reducing its scope.

That decision had sowed seeds of distrust and cynicism in her heart.

But hearing this… it’s oddly comforting.

Memories of her struggles and the wounds from that time seemed to ease just a little.

“Is there… more? More good things about Her Grace?”

“There’s too much to list. I’d have to write a book.”

“If that book comes out, it will sell extremely well! It’d even boost company revenue!”

More! More! Keep praising!

Dopamine-fueled, Arina trembled with excitement.

“Writing a book… That’s not a bad idea.”

“I’ll help you if you decide to write it.”

“Will you? That’d be helpful. Let’s draft it little by little during our evening lessons.”

“Yes!”

The lingering disappointment from earlier—when nothing “eventful” had happened during their study session—vanished in an instant. Even her concerns about Arad’s employee management seemed forgotten.

Arina seems to enjoy hearing praise about her sister even more than receiving it herself, Arad thought, smirking to himself.

To him, Mary’s reaction was adorable—like a younger sibling basking in pride for her older sister.

Of course, much of what he said had been exaggerated.

I felt bad for possibly insulting her earlier, he admitted internally, recalling his earlier comment about leadership failures. Doing so in front of the Grand Duchess’s illegitimate sibling had been tactless, to say the least.

“On top of everything, Her Grace is frugal as well. I heard the Empire has been exporting baekja (white porcelain) to the North at low prices recently?”

“Yes, that’s true. But it’s still not that cheap.”

“Still, some Northerners are starting to buy baekja, aren’t they? Probably because they have a little more leeway these days.”

“That’s precisely what worries me. We’ve only just escaped trade deficits, and now it looks like we’re heading back there.”

“Exactly. Think about it. The Empire, which barely has enough baekja for themselves, is suddenly selling it to us at low prices? There’s always a reason.”

“They’re likely keeping the price low to establish a trend first. Then they’ll hike it up.”

“Exactly.”

“They’ve done the same with spices and silk in the past.”

“And how did Her Grace respond back then?”

“There wasn’t much of a response… She just managed with whatever was available.”

Arina paused to reflect.

Indeed, silk garments were reserved only for official meetings and court ceremonies. On ordinary days, she wore simple clothes made of li’an fabric.

The same went for spices. When their prices soared, she didn’t insist on having them, instead forcing down bland, foul-smelling food with a sullen face.

Had it not been for Arad’s salt revolutionizing their trade, she would probably still be eating that way.

“Yes, that self-restraint and realism. I admire that about Her Grace.”

Arad used this as another excuse to praise her, fully embracing his “Arina fan mode.”

Huh… what’s happening?

Hearing praise for something she had always considered a point of embarrassment, Arina was dumbfounded.

Those frugal habits had often been criticized as “unbefitting of a noble,” something she had always been self-conscious about.

“Wearing expensive clothes and eating luxurious food doesn’t create dignity. A leader must lead by example—that’s the true mark of leadership.”

“Is that so?”

“Absolutely. In that sense, Her Grace’s handling of the baekja situation is commendable.”

“Handling? What do you mean…?”

“Refusing to allow baekja into High Castle at all.”

“Ah… that…”

“Trends always flow from the top down. If baekja doesn’t appear at the very peak of Northern society, the nobles and officials just below will think twice before using it.”

It wasn’t some grand decision… I just wasn’t interested in baekja at all.

To her, the money spent on porcelain was better used for high-quality swords.

“But even if High Castle doesn’t use baekja, there’s a limit.”

The pleasant feeling from Arad’s praise faded slightly as Arina expressed her concern.

Could it be…?

She turned toward him, silently hoping.

“True. Eventually, even High Castle will be forced to accept baekja. When every wealthy Northerner is using it, the duchy can’t remain the only exception.”

“That’s exactly it. It’s a serious problem.”

“In other words, it’s finally time to start the first business I’ve been putting off.”

“Oh!!”

Her hope was answered.

“To be honest, calling it the ‘first’ business is a bit of an exaggeration.”

Arad wore a confident expression.

“The first business?”

“Yes. Originally, this was supposed to be the very first item launched by Arad Company.”

“...?!”

Arina tilted her head in confusion, then suddenly remembered.

“Oh! That’s right!”

She vaguely recalled Arad mentioning something about a first business item.

We were talking about it once before, but we got sidetracked with all those incidents.

“Could it be… the first business item is porcelain, like baekja?”

“Something similar, yes. But I need you to do me a favor.”

“Anything—just tell me.”

“Deliver a letter to Her Grace directly.”

“…What?”

 

 

 

Arad handed Arina a letter he had pulled from his pocket, leaning forward as he passed it to her.

Originally, he had intended to deliver the proposal himself soon, but after their conversation, he changed his mind.

“I’d like you to deliver this in person.”

“Why me specifically…? My status isn’t even high!”

“If you say you’re acting as a representative of the Arad Company, Her Grace will understand.”

“But why… why me?”

“I’ll be busy designing the new product for a while. Chief Director Te will also be swamped setting up the workforce and production lines for the new release.”

“So… this is… I mean…”

“You’ll be fine. You can do it.”

“Whaaat?”

It was an absurd excuse, but Arad stood firm without missing a beat.

If I say I sent her, neither Arina nor the officials around her will have any complaints.

Arad hoped this would also serve as a chance for Mary and Arina to grow closer.

She may be illegitimate, but this girl before me holds such admiration for her half-sister and pride for their family—it’s truly admirable.

Seeing how much happier Mary looked when hearing praise for her sister, even more so than when being praised herself, warmed Arad’s heart as both her employer and a loyal supporter of the duchy.

Don’t worry, Mary. I’ll make sure you and your sister form a genuine bond. This is what a family-like company is all about.

This was the main reason behind Arad’s overly meddlesome decision.

And while I’m at it, I’ll score some points with the future Great Witch.

Of course, there was an additional objective, but Arad was certain that this was merely a side quest.

***

The next day.

As usual, Arad arrived at the bustling construction site of the second factory.

“From here to there, follow this diagram, please.”

Without hesitation, Arad handed over the plans to the witches assisting with the construction through earth spirits.

“Hm? This looks like… a kiln? Are you planning to make bricks for sale? Or jars?”

“Something similar.”

The request came from none other than Arad Jin himself—a man who held as much sway over the High Castle’s witches as the Northern Grand Duchess or even the Great Witch Isabelle.

“No, wait. The structure’s a bit different from a regular kiln.”

“Oh, you’re right! This one looks unique!”

Perhaps, in some ways, his influence was even greater.

After all, Arad always came with fascinating, unknown knowledge, was pleasant to deal with, and—to top it off—was quite handsome.

“Let me see! Oh-ho….”

“So, we’re building this inside the factory?”

“Wow. I want in, too!”

The witches abandoned what they were doing and swarmed around the blueprint Arad had shown them, fascinated.

“Wow! Our boss can’t do anything wrong, huh? And look at this drawing! You’re an artist, too?”

“Will you draw portraits for us someday?”

The blueprint had no obvious connection to magic, making it all the more interesting for the witches to analyze, admire, and dissect without reserve.

“Portraits? If you build this according to the plan, I’ll think about it.”

“Oh my, really?”

“A portrait drawn by Count Jin himself! I’ll start dieting now! Hahaha!”

“Alright, let’s focus on the task at hand. We need this done before the factory walls go up.”

While Arad rallied the witches with his playful carrot-and-stick approach, a voice spoke up from behind him.

“Sir.”

Mary was standing there, having just arrived.

“Ah!”

“Hm!”

“…..!”

The witches, who had been laughing moments ago, fell silent in an instant.

“W-We’re going to get back to work now!”

“Good luck, sir! You too, Mary!”

With that, they quickly scattered, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and Mary.

Arina watched them flee, suspicion flaring in her mind.

What on earth has that old woman told them about Mary?

“Mary, you’re a little late today,” Arad said, greeting her warmly.

“Well, I’m used to your flexible work hours now, so it’s fine.”

“I was late because of the task you assigned me yesterday,” Arina replied smoothly, recalling the meeting she’d held that morning with her advisors.

“Oh! That was quicker than I expected! So, what did they say?”

“They’ve agreed to proceed through the Sorian (Frostshade Guards). A representative will come to meet with you soon. Just make sure you’re prepared for the briefing.”

Technically, she was reporting back to herself, but she maintained her calm, professional facade.

“Excellent.”

Unaware of the truth, Arad grinned in satisfaction.

“I, uh… overheard your conversation with the witches earlier,” Arina said cautiously, staring at him.

“What conversation?”

“You mentioned drawing portraits…”

“Oh, that? Yes.”

“That portrait… I’m sure Her Grace would like one, too.”

“Hmm?!”

Mary’s sudden suggestion made Arad scratch his chin in thought for a moment.

“That’s a good idea. Let’s set aside time for that later. You can deliver the message to Her Grace as well.”

He agreed with a smile, seemingly pleased.

“Thank you! I’m sure Her Grace will be delighted,” Arina said, genuinely thrilled.

Her happiness, however, was short-lived.

“Oh, by the way, when I draw Her Grace’s portrait, I’d like to include another one—of you and Her Grace together. Could you pass that on as well?”

“…What?”

“If Her Grace agrees, let me know. I’ll come right away.”

Something felt very off to Arina now.

“Why are you suddenly adding such a strange condition?”

“It’s the artist’s inspiration,” Arad replied nonchalantly. “I feel like a historic masterpiece could be born if I paint the two of you together.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Think about it—our descendants could inherit a cultural treasure that’s priceless in monetary terms.”

“??”

Mary—Arina—stared at Arad with a look of complete bewilderment.

“Anyway, let’s focus on the task at hand for now.”

Ignoring the confusion in her expression, Arad turned his attention back to the factory plans.

Arina, meanwhile, stood frozen, unsure whether she should be amused, flattered, or deeply concerned.