My Contract Husband Resembles the Male Protagonist - Chapter 73
The woman, who was presumed to be the Lady of Lockhart, nodded her head.
‘What a stroke of luck!’
The fact that His Majesty the Emperor had brought her himself was a guarantee in itself.
Outwardly maintaining his calm demeanor, Jack studied her closely.
“How much are you asking for?”
“30 million crobats per ton. It’s higher than the usual price.”
“That’s…”
Jack rubbed his coarse beard thoughtfully. Even if it meant spending more on transportation, it might be better to import the goods from abroad, where the quality was more assured.
According to the information he’d gathered, Lady Lockhart was currently in a state of self-imposed exile.
Trusting the name of Lockhart was therefore a risky proposition.
He couldn’t be sure if she was trying to strike a deal now to take advantage of her situation or if there was another motive at play. Of course, he understood that rejecting this young woman could displease His Majesty, but investing such a hefty sum in a first-time supplier came with significant risk.
Still, he found himself intrigued.
“If you’re confidently naming that price, there must be a reason. Let’s hear it.”
“It’s cheaper than other places, isn’t it?”
“However, the Kellefelt Trading Guild tends to avoid dealing with individuals, especially without any prior transaction history.”
“You’re not dealing with me. You’re trading with the Grunwald estate.”
“Grunwald?”
He had heard of it—a remote estate.
It was likely in the southern region. Yes, the south. He’d seen it briefly while skimming through the ledgers not too long ago.
However, it was hardly significant—barely any notable trade had been conducted from that region.
“You mean the mine Grunwald supposedly reclaimed.”
Now this piqued his interest.
But Jack expertly kept his expression neutral as he probed further.
“I’ve heard the rights to the mine returned to the lord of Grunwald. But wasn’t that mine known for producing gemstones like emeralds or diamonds rather than Luminous Stones?”
“You’re well informed.”
The young woman’s smile was especially charming, but Jack focused more on the glint in her eyes than her expression.
What should I call that?
“But there were Luminous Stones too. They just weren’t sold.”
Swoosh.
A raw Luminous Stone appeared on the table.
Jack, startled, immediately reached for his magnifying glass. He needed a closer look, but even at a glance, the stone glistened with enough moisture to give it a lustrous sheen. The color was a rich blend of jade green and blue, indicating a high-quality Luminous Stone.
He noticed faint white streaks running through it, like waves, suggesting it possessed strong luminescent properties.
“…..”
It was a tempting offer.
The quality was far superior to what could be imported from abroad. Still, the price needed to be negotiated down.
“How do I know this one just happened to be of unusually good quality?”
Thud thud thud.
A pile of stones suddenly tumbled onto the table.
“And how do I know these were mined in Grunwald?”
Swoosh.
On the refined stones, a small inscription had been engraved.
[Grunwald].
Jack quickly brought the magnifying glass closer, carefully examining the letters.
“Why did you engrave this on the product?”
It was an unfamiliar practice. Engraving a name into a product was practically damaging it.
Who would buy such a thing?
But Enya smiled confidently.
“This will soon be a guarantee of quality.”
“Damaged goods won’t sell, no matter if they’re for a national event or anything else.”
“Kellefelt is famous because it consistently deals with exceptionally high-quality goods. It’s on a completely different level from other trading companies.”
Enya coaxed him. Jack’s resolute expression wavered ever so slightly.
This was the moment.
“Even if you’re holding a plain stone, if you say you bought it from Kellefelt, people will care. Isn’t that right?”
