102 – Episode 101
That’s how I arrived in front of my mother’s room.
“Mama Empress Dowager. “His Majesty the Emperor has arrived.”
When the chief chamberlain informed my mother that I had arrived, she soon received an answer.
[Ask them to come in.]
-Squeak!
Soon, my mother, who was drinking tea and reading in the room with the door open, spoke with a surprised look on her face.
“Okay, Terra, didn’t you say you’re busy at this time?”
“Yes… But I have a question.”
Hearing my words, my mother gently closes the book and says with a puzzled look on her face.
“Really? “This mother doesn’t know much?”
“Well… Debian today…”
When I told her what had happened a little while ago, my mother spoke with a surprised face.
“Yes… I heard that the former Grand Duchess Fulvia cared for Debian a lot, so she would be very heartbroken if the fountain pen she gave her was broken.”
I feel a little depressed by those words.
“So… did the mother and son get along well?”
Her mother nods her head as if my words were obvious.
“That’s right… Every time Valorant gave birth to a son, he made him die before he was even a year old. “I’m sure he was a son who wouldn’t hurt even if you looked at him.”
“Yes?”
My mother was rather surprised by what I said.
“Didn’t you know? “Debian originally had two older brothers.”
I was surprised to answer those words.
“I didn’t know he had older brothers?”
Her mother’s expression looks slightly sad at my words.
“That’s it… I’m not sure because he died because of Valorant not long after he was born.”
“Bah… Are you going to die because of Valorant?”
That’s how I learned the terrible secret of the Ryan family that my mother knew.
“I… Really?”
It gives me goosebumps.
I knew Valorant was crazy… But I never thought he was that crazy…
“That’s how Grand Duchess Fulvia died and Debian was almost executed. “He came forward and saved me.”
“Your father?”
My mother nods her head slightly at my words.
“Yes, because according to imperial law, permission from the emperor is required to kill a grand duke or heir to a kingdom-level title. Instead, I remember being locked up in a prison tower for about two years.”
Shock… Shock.
I never thought something like that would happen to him when he was young.
“Why… Why is Valorant so…?”
My mother speaks with a sad face at my words.
“I don’t know… Why he became like that…”
***
The next day.
I went out to the center of Romania to buy gifts for Theodora and Mary and my own fountain pen.
Since it was the emperor’s journey…
[Huh? I see your Majesty has arrived?]
[What’s going on?]
When the emperor visits, a large number of manpower is needed.
About 100 heavily armed guards.
A cavalry guarding the carriage.
So naturally, people’s attention is drawn to this place.
It’s strange that it’s not noticeable.
[Get out of the way. This is the arrival of His Majesty the Emperor.]
Furthermore, it’s strange that you don’t know that they are yelling at you to get out of the way on the street.
I don’t like this kind of thing, but…
Theodora’s bodyguard must be fully prepared.
Because you never know when and where she will target you.
“You… Why are you looking around so much?”
“I was just wondering if there was anyone strange.”
Rather than that, should I say that I keep looking at people’s reactions?
Once we arrived at the center…
“But what Princess Mary likes are weapons and horses?”
Theodora asks with an incomprehensible expression and I nod her head.
“Yes. How much does he like that? Are you saying you’re a warrior by nature?”
Mary does not like pretty clothes, accessories, or tea that ordinary women would like, but rather likes high-quality weapons and famous horses.
You look like you’re crazy about some kind of weapon. She looked at the weapons all day in the Grand Duchy’s armory, looking at them with love, and the look in her eyes was so hard to forget…
“But, if you’re a princess, wouldn’t you have a lot of weapons?”
I nod my head at those words.
“There are many, and besides, our family has owned many famous weapons and famous horses for generations.”
He was a man crazy about weapons and horses since the first Grand Duke, so he spent money extravagantly buying famous weapons at auction houses for generations.
Theodora speaks as if she is slightly uneasy at my words.
“But… I can just buy a weapon from a weapon store?”
“Right? “Anyway, it just needs to be formal enough, right?”
Theodora shouts in a sharp voice at my words.
“Just have some form! “You indifferent person!”
I say this, surprised by the sudden shout.
“Oh… I’m surprised. “What if I suddenly scream?”
“This is the first gift I received from my sister-in-law after getting married. “What should I do if I say something so irresponsible that all you have to do is formalize it?”
I actually question those words.
“Anyway, there are a lot of expensive weapons in the Grand Duchy, right? It’s not worth the money. Wouldn’t you like it if I just engraved it on some random sword and said it was bestowed by the emperor?”
Because there is something called Emperor Premium.
Right now, all the weapons stored in the Grand Duchy are mine, but when I step down later, Mary will have them, right?
Why are you spending money to increase expensive waste?
“If it’s a sword, it’s just leather armor…”
-Thrill!
Is it my imagination that red lasers seem to come out of Theodora’s red eyes?
“I’m excited. First of all, then buy a fountain pen… Auction house? There, my sister-in-law will choose a useful weapon. If you can’t decide, you can buy it from another noble.”
“Do whatever you want.”
I won’t even care about wedding gifts because I’m getting married to Agrippa anyway.
Just like that, the carriage arrived at the department store.
A fairly large five-story building.
Considering the basement, it is a huge building.
When we got off the carriage, a dark-haired man in his fifties came out and bowed 90 degrees to us.
“His Majesty the Emperor and the Grand Duke, thank you for visiting our department store today. My name is François, and I am the manager of Marche Department Store. “It is an honor to serve you today.”
“Okay. “I ask for your guidance today.”
Let Theodora say so. She nods her head as if she understands.
The department store here is not similar to the department stores we see in modern times.
A typical department store is a place that sells everything, regardless of type, such as daily necessities, furniture, hammers, and weapons.
But here, Marche Department Store is a little different.
General department stores target everyone from the middle class to low-income customers, but…
Marche Department Store’s main customers are the wealthy.
So…
There are a lot of luxury goods, expensive cars, and other expensive items.
“But there aren’t many people.”
The rumors I heard about this department store were that it was always crowded.
“Yes. That’s because His Majesty the Emperor is visiting, so we decided not to receive any guests today.”
I was surprised by those words.
Wait a minute? If a large department store like this is closed for a day… The daily tax revenue for this department store… Will disappear, right?
I was shocked by the shock and muttered involuntarily.
“Ha… One day’s worth of tax money…”
In addition, the tax collected by places that specialize in selling luxury goods is mainly a consumption tax for the wealthy, so in a way, it can be seen as a wealth tax with little opposition from the wealthy.
It is not good to recklessly impose a wealth tax, but the taxes they pay are so large that they are like the goose that lays golden eggs.
That kind of goose… Can’t believe it’s taking a day off.
-Kwauk!
From Noble mtl dot com
“Ugh!”
Theodora lightly steps on my foot with her high heel and speaks in a whisper.
“You… Do you really have to think like that today too?”
Ugh…
Yes. I will have to tell you in advance not to do things like this the next time the Emperor visits.
We arrived at the area that mainly sells writing instruments.
Heart Hall, Mondic, Arrow, Pelicana, etc…
“By any chance, what is the brand of fountain pen you used before?”
“This is Mondic.”
Mondicque, a fountain pen brand created here, is named after Mondicque, a high mountain range between the Shardena Kingdom and the Empire.
It is probably the most expensive and famous brand among fountain pen brands.
“Then I will guide you through Mondic.”
Let’s open the door with the word ‘Mondicque’ written on it and go in.
“I meet His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Archduke.”
The clerks politely bow their heads and say hello.
“Thank you. “I came to buy his fountain pen today, so feel free to show me the pen.”
When Theodora said that, the clerk came out and took Theodora to the sofa in the center of the store.
“Is there a model in particular that His Highness the Archduke is looking for?”
I am dizzy with those words.
“There is nothing in particular. “I hope it has a capacity that can be used for a long time and a good writing experience.”
A man who appears to be in his 50s nods his head at my words.
“Hmm, then I think this would be best.”
He says as he takes out a small box from the shelf.
“This is a product made by our Mondicque craftsmen with special attention to the pen nib.”
When you open the box, you see a fountain pen with an impressive cigar-shaped black barrel.
“The nib is made of 14k gold with a gorgeous three-tone finish, and the tip is tipped with platinum, so it can literally write for 10,000 years.”
With those words, I pick up the fountain pen.
The center of gravity is slightly shifted towards the front.
“Hmm… Your fingers must be tired if you write for a long time. Wouldn’t it be nice if the center of gravity were at the back?”
The clerk nods his head at my words.
“Then please wait a moment.”
After saying that, he takes out another box and says.
“This one has brass on the back to place the center of gravity at the back, and the pen nib is the same as the pen nib mentioned above.”
With those words, I turn the tip of the fountain pen and say.
“How do you inject ink into this?”
“Just remove the pen tip and add ink using the dropper.”
“Then you don’t get all the ink on your hands?”
There are many ways to add fountain pen ink, but I do not prefer adding it with an eyedropper.
It was too cumbersome to begin with.
I sigh as I see the clerk bringing in another fountain pen, breaking into a cold sweat at my words.
“Ha… Isn’t there something like this?”
I take out the broken fountain pen from my pocket and hand it to the clerk.
“Oh…? This…? That’s unusual. We, Mondicque, have never produced a fountain pen like this before. “Where did you get it?”
Huh? What are you talking about? Is there a brand logo on the fountain pen?
“This is a gift my mother gave me when I first started studying.”
Hearing my words, the clerk put on his monocle and looked at the pen nib carefully.
“This… Is made to order.”
“Made to order?”
The clerk nods and says to me.
“Hmm… It’s a pen nib made by a now-retired craftsman. “Seeing that the platinum has been worn this much, it looks like it has been used for about 30 years. How did it break?”
When I heard about custom production, I asked with some expectation.
“I accidentally broke something on my desk a while ago. Can you possibly repair it?”
The clerk shakes his head and says at my words.
“Unfortunately, once a fountain pen barrel breaks, it cannot be repaired. “I think it would be better to make or buy a new one.”
When I felt disappointed by those words… Theodora opens her mouth.
“Is there really no way to repair it?”
The clerk says that while looking at the broken part.
“Normally, if a barrel like this breaks, it cannot be remade. Then you have to change the barrel. Currently, we do not produce barrels of this small size… First, I will inquire with the head office, but I think it would be better not to have high expectations.”
I nod my head and say those words.
“Then, please bring me a fountain pen as similar to that as possible.”
I looked at a few more and bought the one I could easily get my hands on.