Chapter 55.2

Arina tilted her head in confusion, then suddenly straightened up.

“Ah! Now that you mention it?!”

She vaguely recalled Arad once talking about a “first business item” in passing.

‘We ended up not discussing it because of all the chaos afterward.’

With all the incidents and busyness since then, it had slipped her mind.

“Could it be…?! Is the first business item something like porcelain dishes?”

“It’s similar. By the way, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Anything. Please, go ahead.”

“I need you to personally deliver a letter to Her Highness the Grand Duchess.”

“…Excuse me?”

Arad, without further ado, pulled a letter from his pocket and handed it to Arina, who was sitting in front of him.

Originally, he had planned to deliver the proposal himself in the near future, but the course of their conversation had changed his mind.

“I’d like you to deliver this personally.”

“Me? Why me? Besides, I don’t have a high standing!”

“If you say you’re a representative of the Official trading company, Her Highness will understand.”

“But why me…?”

“I’ll be busy designing new products for a while. Teo will also be occupied setting up the necessary personnel and production lines for them.”

“So… this is… um…”

“Don’t worry. You can handle it.”

“W-what?!”

Though his excuse was utterly absurd, Arad pressed on with unwavering determination.

‘If I say it was my idea, neither Arina nor her advisors can object.’n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Arad genuinely hoped that this would bring Arina and Mary closer together.

After all, the girl in front of him—despite being illegitimate—adored her older sister and took pride in her family. How could such devotion not be endearing?

Especially when she was happier hearing praise for her sister than receiving any herself. As her employer and someone loyal to her, how could he not intervene to help?

‘Don’t worry, Mary. I’ll ensure the bond between you two flourishes. I’ll show you what it means to be part of a family-like company.’

This, ultimately, was the driving force behind Arad’s meddlesome behavior.

‘And while I’m at it, I might as well earn points with the future Grand Witch.’

Of course, there was an additional, secondary motive, but Arad was convinced it was merely a side quest.

***

The next morning, Arad appeared at the bustling construction site of the second factory.

“From here to here, build according to these plans,” he instructed the witches who were assisting the construction using earth spirits.

“Hmm… A kiln? Are you planning to make bricks or pottery?”

“Something similar.”

A request from Arad wasn’t something to take lightly.

To the witches of the High Tower, Arad wielded influence comparable to the Northern Grand Duchess or the Grand Witch Isabelle—perhaps even greater.

“Though the design looks different from a typical kiln.”

“Oh, you’re right. It’s got a curious structure.”

Arad’s penchant for intriguing, mysterious knowledge, coupled with his good nature and striking appearance, only added to his charm.

“Let me see. Hoo… Interesting.”

“You want us to build this inside the factory?”

“Heh… This looks fun! I want to do it too!”

The witches abandoned their current tasks to pore over Arad’s blueprint with intense interest.

“Wow! By the way, is there anything our boss can’t do? Even his drawings are amazing!”

“Can you draw our portraits later, too?”

The blueprint, devoid of any apparent magical elements, made it easier for the witches to openly marvel at and critique Arad’s work.

“Portraits? Build this according to the plans, and I’ll consider it.”

“Really?!”

“A portrait by Count Jin himself! I need to start dieting right away! Hahaha!”

“All right, everyone, let’s focus on finishing this before the factory walls go up.”

As Arad dangled the incentive and got the witches back to work, Mary—seemingly having just arrived—approached him.

“President.”

“Gah!”

“Ahem!”

“…”

The witches, who had been laughing and chatting moments earlier, fell silent in an instant.

“W-we’ll get back to work now~.”

“Good luck, President! You too, Mary!”

Muttering their goodbyes, they quickly dispersed, moving as far from Arad and Mary as possible.

‘What in the world did the old witch tell them about Mary?’

Watching them scurry away, Arina couldn’t help but wonder.

“Mary, you’re a bit late today,” Arad remarked cheerfully, turning to her.

“Well, it’s your flexible hours policy, so it’s no issue.”

“I was late because I was carrying out the task you assigned yesterday,” she replied, recalling the meeting she’d held that morning with her advisors.

“Oh! That was quick! So, what did they say?”

“They’ve agreed to proceed via the Frost Knights. Someone from their ranks will be coming to brief you soon. Just make sure you’re prepared.”

Although it was technically her reporting to herself, she maintained her composure and acted naturally.

“Excellent.”

Unaware of the truth, Arad simply smiled in satisfaction.

“By the way… I overheard your conversation with the witches earlier,” Arina said cautiously, her gaze lingering on his face.

“What about?”

“You mentioned drawing portraits…”

“Ah, yes, I did.”

“That portrait… Her Highness the Grand Duchess would surely appreciate one as well.”

“Hmm?!”

Arad scratched his chin, pondering for a moment before nodding.

“Good idea. I’ll set aside some time for that. You can deliver the message to Her Highness.”

“Thank you! She’ll be delighted,” Arina said, genuinely pleased.

But her joy was short-lived.

“Also, when you discuss the portrait with Her Highness, suggest including a composition of you and the Grand Duchess together. Think you can handle that?”

“…What?”

“If Her Highness agrees, let me know. I’ll come by right away.”

Arina felt as though things were spiraling out of control.

“Why are you suddenly adding such a strange condition?”

“Artistic inspiration,” Arad replied nonchalantly. “A portrait featuring the two of you would be a historic masterpiece.”

“…What?”

“If done well, it could become a priceless cultural treasure for our descendants.”

“??”

With Mary’s face filled with confusion and disbelief, Arina stared at Arad.

“Well, let’s focus on the task at hand for now,” he said, dismissing her bewildered expression as he turned back to the construction inside the second factory.

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