Lianel cast a brief glance at Ahwin, who was still seated as if it were only natural.

“If it’s not an imposition, would it be all right if I exchanged greetings with him? I know Pablo from before,” Lianel said.

Penelope was slightly surprised. She hadn’t expected Lianel to know Pablo.

Then again, if he stayed close to the heroine in the original story, he must have crossed paths with Pablo at some point.

Ahwin’s eyes sharpened immediately.

“You… always…”

“A-a-choo!”

A loud sneeze suddenly echoed from the hallway outside the reception room.

Penelope frowned and said, “At this rate, he’ll catch his death of cold. Please, let Pablo in at once.”

“Yes, my lady.”

The steward quickly exited the room, and moments later, Pablo entered the reception room, his hood pulled tightly over his head.

“Baroness! It’s been so long! A-a-choo!”

“Pablo, what on earth happened to you?”

Penelope was startled. Pablo looked utterly disheveled. His leather boots were soaked, his hair was a mess, and his robe was damp and wrinkled. On top of that, his legs were trembling so much that he couldn’t stand still.

Sniffling, Pablo explained, “The wagon wheels broke as we were cutting through the snow, so I had to walk the rest of the way here.”

“You’re going to catch a cold. Go warm yourself in the bath right away.”

“Thank you, thank you, a-a-choo!”

Penelope frowned and gestured to the maids. Giselle stepped forward.

“Please follow me this way.”

Pablo was escorted to the communal bath used by the servants.

Penelope sighed and muttered to herself, “He came all this way through the snow. Truly a remarkable man. I suppose you need that kind of tenacity to make money.”

“Well, yes. There aren’t many merchants as shrewd and persistent as he is,” Ahwin added.

“I figured you’d know him well.”

“I told you, I don’t know him at all.”

Penelope stifled a laugh but glanced at Lianel out of the corner of her eye. She felt she might have been too casual in her conversation with Ahwin.

Lianel, however, simply smiled warmly.

“Please, feel free to speak as you like. There’s no need to mind me.”

“….”

Penelope cleared her throat and averted her gaze. She hadn’t realized she had let her guard down.

It seems Lianel is curious about my relationship with the Mage Tower Master. Am I feeding into his curiosity?

Still, Penelope had no intention of distancing herself from Ahwin just to appease the Grand Duke.

After all, Lianel was merely a guest, while Ahwin was something akin to a friend—a grumpy, begrudgingly helpful friend who always looked out for her, whether he admitted it or not.

Whatever anyone says, Ahwin is on my side.

Penelope had a quiet confidence in that.

Even so, she wanted no part in their ongoing rivalry.

Getting caught between the Grand Duke and the Mage Tower Master would be far too… tiresome.

After organizing her thoughts, Penelope cleared her throat and said, “Come to think of it, I didn’t properly greet Pablo. I must have been distracted.”

“Yes, it’s a shame. I was hoping to exchange greetings with him myself,” Lianel replied, his tone laced with disappointment.

After a moment of consideration, Penelope offered a suggestion.

“I was thinking of inviting Pablo to dinner. Would you care to join us, Lianel?”

“If you would allow me, I would be most grateful.”

“What’s this? You’re inviting a merchant to your dinner?” Ahwin interjected, clearly displeased.

Penelope shrugged and replied, “It’s been a while since we last met. Why don’t you join us for dinner too, Ahwin?”

Ahwin frowned slightly, then raised his voice as if deliberately directing his words toward Lianel.

“Oh, so this is some kind of farewell feast? Now that the snow has stopped, those who need to leave should be on their way.”

“Don’t be rude in front of me,” Penelope said sternly.

Ahwin clamped his mouth shut like a child caught misbehaving. Lianel, observing this, chuckled softly.

***

After warming himself thoroughly in the bath and downing a steaming cup of herbal tea, Pablo sought out Penelope in the late afternoon.

“I must apologize for causing so much trouble.”

“No need for that. But why not wait until the snow stopped before coming?”

“There was no telling when the snow would clear. I brought along the workers I promised, including the dwarves. It wouldn’t do if the heating project was finished before we arrived.”

Pablo had brought specialized builders this time. Unfortunately, the thick snow had stranded their carriage in the middle of the main road, forcing him to trek through the snow all night to reach Halo.

“I’ve handpicked experienced builders with a lifetime of expertise. My lady, you can trust them completely.”

“You’ve worked hard,” Penelope replied warmly.

For a moment, she thought about telling him to stop calling her my lady, but she decided against it, as it might derail the conversation.

“The dwarves have already started working on the servants’ quarters. Once that’s finished, they’ll move on to the guest rooms and the council hall.”

“Understood! I’ll make it my priority to learn as much as possible from the dwarves so we can launch full-scale operations soon. That will significantly speed up construction projects in the future.”

This was good news indeed. Pablo continued his report.

“I’ve also sent samples of the Green Herb Soap as gifts to noble families. Through Countess Hinas, who is a queen of the social circles, the gifts were distributed. I’m certain there will be a response.”

“You’re acquainted with Countess Hinas?”

“Well… I had some dealings with her back when I was working in the capital. Thankfully, she remembered me favorably.”

Countess Hinas had been a key ally when Pablo was making his name as a merchant in the capital. If she hadn’t viewed him positively, distributing gifts to high-ranking nobles would have been out of the question.

“You’ve done very well,” Penelope said with a bright smile, genuinely pleased with Pablo’s results. Her praise made his face light up with pride.

“It’s late, so you should rest. Will you be dining at the castle?”

“Dinner, you say?”

“It will soon be nightfall, and it will be bitterly cold outside. Why not have dinner here and spend the night in the castle? Tomorrow morning, I’ll send someone to the inn to bring the builders to the castle.”

“…If that’s the case, I would gratefully accept.”

Relieved at not having to venture out into the freezing weather, Pablo nodded enthusiastically.

Penelope turned to the steward.

“Assign him one of the empty rooms in the retainers’ quarters.”

“Yes, my lady,” the steward replied with a bow.

Pablo’s face lit up like a full moon. The thought of sleeping in a warm room with heated floors made him giddy with excitement.

“Thank you so much for your generosity.”

“The steward will show you to your room. Please don’t be late for dinner, as we’ll be dining here.”

“D-dinner here?” Pablo’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Penelope was a noblewoman and the acting lord of a territory. For her to dine with someone of his common status was unthinkable.

“Well, since we’ll be seeing a lot of each other, we might as well share a meal. Also, someone who knows you is currently a guest at the castle. They’ll be joining us for dinner.”

“Someone who knows me? Are they a noble?”

“Lianel Leovant.”

“Ah…”

Pablo furrowed his brow, as if trying to place the name.

Who could that be?

The name Lianel sounded familiar, but the surname Leovant was less so.

“Doesn’t ring a bell?”

“I think he might be one of the noble clients I’ve worked with in the past. I’ve met so many over the years that I’d need to see him in person to be sure.”

“Then I’ll take that to mean you won’t feel uncomfortable dining with him. Now, go get some rest.”

“Ah, yes.”

Pablo stood up, trying not to appear flustered.

Although it wasn’t his first time being invited to dine with nobles, this was the first time he had been asked in such a disheveled state. No other noble, especially someone of Penelope’s status, had extended such kindness.

Not knowing how to process the situation, Pablo left the room silently, his eyes growing unexpectedly warm.

***

Overly nervous about the rare dinner invitation, Pablo arrived far too early, finding himself seated alone as the servants prepared the table and arranged the meal.

As he sat awkwardly in the empty dining room, Giselle approached him with a pitcher of water and poured him a glass.

“Ah, thank you,” Pablo said gratefully.

He had been feeling quite parched, so he eagerly gulped down the water.

“Pfft!”

The water sprayed from his mouth as he coughed in shock.

At that moment, the door to the reception room opened, and Lianel entered.