The Ugly Wife of the Shady Duke - Chapter 91
Grace stood there with an embarrassed look, and Benjamin, who had been watching her, finally got up from his seat.
“I’ll step out then.”
“Really?”
“Yes, since you said they’re a close friend of yours.”
Benjamin glanced over at where Sireni was sitting.
“Call me anytime if there’s anything.”
“Thank you.”
This showed Sireni that behind Grace, there was always the support of Benjamin Felton, the Duke Felton.
It meant that his actions were not for Sireni, but out of consideration for his wife, Grace.
As Benjamin left, gesturing a few times, several knights stood up from their seats.
Some remained, but they were seated far away, and since Sireni had deliberately placed a small number of people at a distance too, there was no problem.
When Grace sat back down, Sireni finally began to speak.
“I was worried, having had no contact for so long. We corresponded until a year ago, but we never actually met while exchanging letters.”
“Yes, a year…”
Grace naturally began to respond and then stopped.
‘A year?’
The person sitting in front of her had been in touch even after Grace became the Duchess. That meant she had information about that one year Grace couldn’t remember.
She suppressed the urge to ask more questions. The other person was the head of a powerful faction; it wasn’t wise to arouse suspicion needlessly.
‘So, this inexplicable kindness might really stem from their personal friendship.’
Even though that closeness might not actually be hers, her heart ached at the thought.
“…There have been many events in the past year.”
She decided it was best to gloss over it for now. Sireni nodded, confirming her judgment was right.
“Yes, there have been unfortunate incidents in the Duke’s household.”
‘Unfortunate incidents.’
“But I’m just happy that Grace contacted me after a year. And especially today, your dress is so beautiful, it feels like you’ve put in effort for our meeting.”
Sireni subtly brought up Grace’s dress.
Grace had anticipated Sireni would notice the dress. Its fabric could only be made using a secret technique known exclusively to the Pescian tribe from Arsia
The Pescians, often discriminated against due to their unique skin color, believed their survival hinged on their unique skills, refusing to sell their secrets at any cost.
The cloth, appearing simple or dark at a glance, emitted a subtle glow under the light. Skilled Pescians used this feature to create patterns on plain dresses, which was a well-known fact.
‘That’s why this fabric is so expensive.’
It was ironic how the tribe was discriminated against, yet the fabric they produced was traded at high prices. In fact, the fabric she wore was made by half-breed Pescian’s she encountered in her workshop.
Their Pescian parents had taught them, likely out of guilt for their children who inherited their features too strongly, making them face discrimination despite being imperial citizens.
“Of course, I had to put in the effort. It’s not every day you meet an old friend. Besides, before being a friend, isn’t Sireni a merchant?”
“Is it that I’m a merchant before a friend or a friend before a merchant?”
“When we first met, it was as a merchant and a client, right?”
The fabric was expensive not only because it was exclusively made by Pescians but also because it could only be imported through the Kingdom of Arsia.
Arsia had a strong tradition of protecting its citizens, and it opposed countries that discriminated against Pescians. Therefore, they often raised prices for various reasons and never exported in bulk.
‘But it’s precious, so one can’t complain.’
The Pescians did have an innate talent for weaving.
“Actually, I bought this dress from a workshop in the city.”
“…!”
Sireni’s eyes widened in disbelief at Grace’s words.
“I have a workshop I do business with. You must know, Sireni, what’s happening in the city right now.”
Rumors that any guild in the trade sector would know. While the nobility might deny it out of fear, those keen on money couldn’t ignore it.
“Siren’s Song hasn’t supplied any materials to those workshops, have they?”
“Of course not.”
The two workshops planning to strike weren’t using Siren’s Song, but another merchant group. Apparently, the owner of Siren’s Song didn’t quite favor workshops operated in that manner.
‘It’s surprising they became a leading merchant group despite such operations.’
But maybe it was precisely because of their way of working that they had grown so big, earning people’s trust and following.
“So, what do you think about the upcoming strike by those two workshops?”
“Speaking of which, I heard the royal family is hosting a banquet soon.”
Going on a strike isn’t usually an easy task. Normally, one would bribe and prepare for a light punishment to get through it.
If they make a big deal out of the strike, the royal family won’t just let it pass, considering it’s happening within the empire. The empire had well-established laws, but the class system still prevailed.
If commoners caused trouble for the nobility, the consequences were severe.
However, as Sireni mentioned, there’s an upcoming royal banquet.
“Yes, because of that, the royal family can’t actively punish them.”
This banquet is meant to signal the end of the Western Contamination and reignite the social scene.
If the royal family comes down hard on the workshops during this time, it could disturb the peace they’ve barely maintained.
The strike in this situation is like a protest, saying, ‘If you want a nice banquet that matches your image, reconsider the collusion investigation results.’
‘This world is quite sensitive about public opinion…’
“So, what’s the connection between that strike and the dress Grace is wearing?”
Sireni, already suspecting, feigned ignorance and asked Grace.
“You didn’t come here just because of our friendship, did you, Sireni? So, will you help me grow this workshop?”
Sireni seemed agreeable but didn’t respond immediately, still curious.
‘But my next words will get a reaction.’
“This workshop took in Pescian half-breeds exploited by those two workshops.”
“Seems like it.”
Sireni finally smiled, as if her curiosity had been satisfied. With a contented voice, she remarked,
“You’re still the same, Grace.”
“The same?”
“From the first time we met until now.”
Grace didn’t say anything, but Sireni seemed lost in her memories.
‘Keeping quiet might be half the battle won here.’
She kept her mouth shut, intently watching Sireni, hoping she might reveal something.
“Thanks to your support over the past year, we were able to rescue people from Arsia, including the Pescian tribe.”
“…!”
Grace immediately grasped the significance of the year-long support. There were records of purchases, but the actual money was untraceable.
It had all been directed towards Sireni.
“The Pescians of Arsia are talented, but they tend to live secluded due to their appearance. Over time, this led to the younger generations developing many fantasies about the outside world.”
“People must have exploited that for unfair gains.”
“Yes, they did. Fortunately, I didn’t have to go through that.”
“…?”
Grace was momentarily puzzled, but the conversation smoothly continued. Sireni, too, was of Pescian heritage, yet, fortunately, or not, she hadn’t inherited any of their distinctive traits.
‘So that’s why she harbored such negative feelings towards the empire.’
Understanding this, Grace realized why Sireni, despite recognizing the importance of the saintess, felt no need to show more than a certain level of affinity, as long as the saintess was associated with the imperial temple.
‘Maybe the reason she used gold was to minimize the loss during currency exchange, especially considering the possibility of going to countries other than Arsia.’
But what if someone who had helped in such matters was now rescuing persecuted half-breeds from the capital, offering them legitimate employment in other workshops, and again seeking similar assistance?
‘Wouldn’t that significantly boost her favorability?’
Sireni was a merchant driven by profit, but she also had her own set of beliefs.
“Sireni, that’s why I want to start with that workshop to trade fabrics with the Kingdom of Arsia.”
“The upcoming strike is mainly because those two workshops had monopolized the supply. But isn’t it risky to rely on just one workshop for fabric imports in the long term?”
“Of course, it’s just the beginning, they’ll not be the only supplier. And I think this deal won’t be so bad for you. Wouldn’t ‘Siren’s Song’ end up being the main guild to import and sell Arsia’s fabrics to the empire’s workshops?”
Therefore, it was evident that the most significant financial benefit would ultimately go to Sireni.
