Published: August 1, 2025
“Yay, Lord Cyrus, we did it!”
I jumped up in joy and hugged Lord Cyrus.
I was practically at the starting line myself, but that didn’t matter. It’s our team, Lord Cyrus and me, and I was genuinely happy for his victory.
On the other hand, the opposing team—Ms. Kaede and Mr. Angelo—were surprisingly cheerful. Mr. Angelo lightly applauded, and Ms. Kaede shrugged and smiled.
“Well done, I must say. They say winning is a matter of luck, but a true merchant always seizes the moment when it counts. Or maybe the goddess Dilz likes young men,” she said.
“By the way, you keep calling me a youngster and a kid, but how old are you yourself?”
“You don’t ask a lady her age,” Ms. Kaede said with a serious expression.
“Well, anyway, we won. As promised, we’ll now hear your true intentions.”
“…Hmm…”
Ms. Kaede glanced briefly at Mr. Angelo. That was enough for him to understand everything, and he handed over a slender iron pipe.
They put it in their mouth, inhaled, and exhaled a puff of smoke. It seemed to be Mizuho’s tobacco pipe. Lord Cyrus frowned.
“Smoking is prohibited in the cabin. It could start a fire.”
“—But honestly, it’s not much different from what we said while in Luhab.”
Lord Cyrus’s warning was completely ignored. A vein bulged on his forehead, but Ms. Kaede paid no mind, exhaled another puff, and began speaking.
“As I mentioned in Luhab, Mizuho also has natural pearls, and I handle those. But regarding that, we’re not such carefree merchants to just leave everything to the granado trading company.”
“…In other words, you were also thinking about how to promote natural pearls.”
“Of course. The items you suggested to the island chief—like amulets and souvenirs—were originally commercialized in Mizuho. Since ancient times, even in the age of myths.”
Her words carried a hidden meaning, prompting Lord Cyrus to raise his eyebrows.
“What, are you saying my method won’t work? You agreed with me back then.”
“That’s fine, but that alone isn’t enough. You seem to have forgotten a more fundamental point—why pearls and jewels have value.”
“…What?”
“Well, it’s no surprise. No matter how good you are at appraising or bargaining, you’re still essentially a man, and a naïve boy at that.”
Ms. Kaede pulled a small leather pouch from her kimono sleeve and overturned it on the table.
We both gasped at what spilled out.
It was a single pearl. But this was—
“—Amulets and souvenirs are secondary. The true value of jewels lies in their beauty: the utterly base, greedy, and selfish desire to possess them.”
As Ms. Kaede said, this pearl was beautiful—more so than any I had seen before. It was perfectly round without a single flaw, dazzlingly pure white, with countless iridescent hues visible. Even an amateur like me could tell it was an unmatched top-grade gem.
“And there’s another value to jewels.”
Ms. Kaede said this as she held the pearl near her cheek.
At that moment, her skin seemed to glow.
The iridescent light reflected on her skin, illuminating her entire face. Her soft, plump cheeks appeared radiant and fresh.
—Beautiful. Even I, a woman, wanted to kiss her.
Her red lips moved slowly.
“Jewels adorn a woman’s body and enhance her charm. Not just pearls, but jewels have been used this way since ancient times.”
“…That’s true. But I understand that already, and I sell them as such. How does that help in the business battle?”
Lord Cyrus frowned. Without a word, Ms. Kaede tossed the pearl orb—not to him, but to me.
The pearl rolled gently into my palm. Just like with Ms. Kaede, my skin shimmered. Seeing that, she smiled brightly.
“…Yes, you really do suit it better than I do, Ms. Marie.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“—From the first day we met, no, from the moment I laid eyes on you at that inn, I’ve thought it.
Ms. Marie, I want your help. To promote natural pearls to the world, I want to use your beauty.
Please be our advertising model. Before we reach Ipsandros, I’ll win you over. That is my goal.”