TRCR 23

Danae sat in the lavish parlor, taking a small bite of a strawberry crepe.
The sweet cream melted in her mouth.
“My daughters would love this.”
She wanted to pack it all for home, but felt embarrassed by the thought.
“What am I thinking? I’d shame Rebecca, Danae Obelia.”
“Is the dessert to your liking?” Yulian asked, glancing up from Rebecca’s letter while checking Danae’s expression.
“Oh, yes. Everything’s delicious. I’m overwhelmed by your hospitality.”
“Don’t say that. You’re Rebecca’s mother, so you’re my mother too. Speak comfortably.”
“What? How could I speak casually to a duke…?”
“It’s easier for me that way.”
“Well… alright.”
Yulian smiled, satisfied, and returned to the letter with sharp eyes.
Danae watched, almost entranced.
“He’s handsome, no less than Rebecca. But looks aren’t everything. Look at Zeppelin. I can’t let her go through that again.”
Snapping out of it, she observed him warily, scrutinizing his every gesture.
If anything seemed off, she’d tell Rebecca to reconsider.
“Pretend we’re in love?”
Rebecca’s letter to Yulian mostly detailed her business plans.
But at the end, she asked him to act like they were in love to ease her mother’s worries.
Yulian was stumped.
None of Rebecca’s requests were difficult.
When she mentioned needing a research lab with a greenhouse in Montfleur, he ordered construction immediately.
He set up a trading company and hired a manager just as quickly.
Money made things happen, and he was good at spending it.
When Rebecca’s mother said she’d visit, he was briefly surprised but unfazed.
He knew basic etiquette.
He only skipped courtesies when he deemed them unnecessary.
Rebecca’s mother, however, deserved the utmost respect.
That was no hardship.
But pretending to be in love?
Yulian had never been in love, not even a crush.
His parents were too busy tearing each other down to teach him about affection.
The only male-female dynamic he knew was passionate bedroom encounters.
So, Rebecca’s request to act smitten was tougher than any other.
His pride wouldn’t let him admit he couldn’t do it.
Asking Croa for help would only earn him a lifetime of teasing.
“I’ll just steer the conversation away.”
He decided to focus solely on business, avoiding any mention of love.
“I understand the gist. You’re taking on a new business?”
“Hm? Oh, Rebecca asked me to. I’m not sure I’ll do it well…”
“I believe you’ll excel. You’ve kept the Obelia family afloat, haven’t you?”
“Thank you for saying so.”
Danae blushed slightly.
Watching her, Yulian recalled a conversation with Rebecca at the sanctuary.
“Why start a business? If it’s about debts, I could pay them off.”
“That’s only a temporary fix. My father might borrow from the count again. I want to pass the headship to my mother. She needs wealth for that.”
Despite tight finances, Danae had preserved the Obelia family.
Without her, it would’ve collapsed long ago.
Rebecca valued that highly.
Danae wasn’t meant to just manage a household. She had a knack for reading people and handling money.
Before divorcing Zeppelin, Rebecca needed to eliminate all his leverage over her.
He held two weaknesses: her family and the Liberta Sanctuary.
Rebecca aimed to free her family from his grasp first.
Yulian smiled and asked,
“Could you explain the business in detail? The letter said to hear it from you.”
“I’ll explain. It’s a rental salon.”
Danae’s gentle eyes sharpened as she spoke of business.
Yulian, caught off guard, straightened up.
“A rental salon?”
“As you know, imperial noblewomen host salons at home.”
“Yes, they’re also faction hubs.”
“But they’re costly. You have to redecorate constantly to keep up with trends. Plus, servants might report private talks to husbands.”
“That’s true.”
“So, we rent out salon spaces—entire rooms or gardens, tailored to the client’s taste. It’s cheaper than decorating their own homes, and with only our staff present, no secrets reach husbands.”
“But doesn’t that admit they’re incapable of hosting properly? Nobles hate off-the-shelf solutions. They customize everything, even pens. Will they accept this?”
“They will.”
“How are you so sure?”
“Because I wished for something like this.”
Danae cleared her throat and continued.
“Not all nobles have endless time and money. And trends can be created. They hate falling behind, so if it’s fashionable, the business will thrive. We’ll also offer private salons for special guests. That should do it.”
Rebecca had suggested the rental salon idea.
When she escaped the estate in her past life, rental salons were booming.
She’d worked at Margaret’s Lavonne Salon, a rental salon.
Rebecca needed information most now. Robert could handle estate insiders, but he couldn’t cover vassals and knights alone.
She recalled her time at Lavonne.
As a kitchen assistant, she didn’t know much about the outside world, but gossip still reached her.
Since Margaret, a commoner, ran it, mostly wealthy commoners visited, so useful information was scarce.
But a salon run by the Johannes duchy would be different.
Yulian’s name alone would draw high society’s attention.
The problem was Rebecca’s lack of familiarity with high society, having rarely participated in her past life.
So, she called on Danae, once a prominent noblewoman who dominated social circles.
She also had a businesswoman’s instincts.
She was perfect for this.
When Rebecca mentioned the salon, Danae immediately began planning.
Seeing her passion, Rebecca sent her to Yulian, believing she’d persuade him better.
Her prediction was spot-on.
Yulian listened intently to Danae’s plan, nodding unconsciously.
She was more meticulous and forward-thinking than any entrepreneur he’d met.
He admired Rebecca’s insight.
Danae was more than capable of leading a family.
Looking into her sparkling eyes, he saw Rebecca in her.
It reminded him of his mother.
What if his mother, not his father, had led the Johannes duchy?
The curse might’ve been lifted long ago.
His brilliant mother had uncovered the duchy’s curse soon after his birth.
She’d fought tirelessly to break it for him.
But his father, obsessed with hiding it, locked her away, cutting her off from action and contact.
That’s why Rebecca always caught his attention. Trapped like a trophy in Zeppelin’s hands, she reminded him of his mother.
But he was increasingly certain: Rebecca was different.
She was someone who’d break down the door herself.
“Let’s proceed with the business, then.”
Danae checked the time and stood, realizing the talk had run long.
Yulian escorted her out.
Before leaving, she asked,
“By the way, what do you like about Rebecca?”
Here it comes.
Yulian steeled himself to hide his panic. Danae wasn’t easy to fool.
He ran through romantic phrases but chose honesty instead.
It felt less suspicious than forcing ill-fitting words.
Clearing his throat, he said,
“She’s impressive.”
“Impressive?”
“Yes. Rebecca has the most striking gaze of any woman I’ve ever seen.”
Expecting praise for her beauty like other suitors, Danae’s eyes widened.
But seeing truth in his eyes, she smiled broadly.
“See you next time, Mother.”
Yulian escorted her courteously to her carriage.
A maid accompanied her in the smaller carriage, as when she arrived.
“A gift,” the maid said, offering a basket filled with desserts Danae had enjoyed in the parlor.
“It’s Johannes tradition not to send guests away empty-handed.”
Yulian had anticipated Danae might feel burdened if he gave it himself, so he sent it via the maid.
Danae smiled quietly.
Somehow, she felt Rebecca could be happy with him.