Today was an appointment with Bate.

  It was very late in the afternoon when I left Lombardy’s mansion and had arrived in front of ’Caramel Avenue’ when the sky was dark.

  Shops, which many people visit all day, have been closed and silent without anyone.

  Jingle.

  I opened the door and the bell rang at the empty shop.

  As I entered the dark shop, Bate came out from the back of the kitchen.

  "Hello, Bate."

  But there is no greeting.

  Bate just pulled my chair with a stiff face.

  Other nobles would feel pretty bad, but I sat there with a shrug.

  By the way, Bate was empty-handed.

  "You don’t have any paperwork or anything?"

  I was just asking out of curiosity.

  Bate said, frowned as if his pride was quite hurt.

  "I have the information in my head."

  "Well, that’s not what I meant…… You’re so mean."

  However, I prefer to see it.

  I like the way Bate looks without being servile even though he has researched about me and found out quite a lot.

  "Let’s get started, shall we?"

  I clapped my hands once and said.

  "Whoa……"

  Bate sighed briefly and looked straight at me.

  "Florentia Lombardy. 11 years old now. Gallahan Lombardy’s only daughter, Lulak Lombardy’s third sons."

  There was a dull voice that seemed to read information about simple subject of investigation that wasn’t me, right in front of me.

  Like the day I asked for information about Perez.

  "She doesn’t have any special history as an infant except that her mother was a wanderer who came into Lombardy one day. Rather, she belongs to the timid side, unlike other Lombardy bloodlines, but."

  Bate’s amber eyes staring directly at me seemed to flash at the moment.

  "Before and after her eighth birthday, she began to gain a reputation as Lombardy’s gifted child. Starting to stand out among the three successors and receiving personal guidance from education officer Clerivan Pellet."

  "Hmm. That’s right."

  To be honest, so far it’s not that surprising.

  This kind of information is something that anyone can say by bribe Lombardy employee’s a little bit.

  Of course, it won’t be easy because people who work in Lombardy tend to have a heavy mouth. [1]

  By the way, my blunt attitude seems to have provoked Bate.

  "And since then, Florentia Lombardy, and the surroundings began to change dramatically. Not only did she start winning Lord Lulak’s heart, but her father Gallahan Lombardy’s move is completely different from before."

  Bate’s voice became even lower.

  "Gallahan Lombardy, who has lived almost in seclusion for 30 years, suddenly successfully leads the Coroi cotton business, a huge joint venture between Lombardy and Angenas. Then, a few months later, he create a new type of clothing business called ’Ready-to-wear" and so far, Gallahan Clothing Store has been successful in everything that has never been done before. This is where you are starting suspicious."

  "So what do you think, Bate?"

  "……It sounds crazy."

  Bate bit his teeth once and replied.

  "I think it’s all the results of Lady Florentia Lombardy’s involvement."

  I asked, squeezing a smile between my lips.

  "Isn’t that too much of a leap? I’m just an 11-year-old kid."

  "I mean, that’s why I’m saying it’s crazy."

  Bate said in a row.

  "But all the information is pointing there."

  "It’s just that my dad could be a very smart guy, right? He just hasn’t had a chance."

  "No."

  Bate shook his head quite firmly.

  "If it was for the Coroi cotton business and the start of a ready-to-wear business, I would have thought so. But since then, the steps that Gallahan has taken are clearly beyond the capacity of Gallahan Lombardy."

  "For example?"

  "Women’s clothing followed by men’s and children’s clothing. Recently, he introduced the concept of ’limited edition’ to build a premium line. Gallahan Lombardy would have worked hard to strengthen the inner circle of the ready-to-wear business. Someone with common sense doesn’t seem to think about it."

  So you’re saying I’m being unreasonable?

  "It’s only people who have a very good sense, or who can read the whole flow, that take such risks and move boldly."

  I decided to poke Bate a little.

  "But there was Clerivan, doesn’t he?"

  Bate nodded at my words.

  "Yes, but it doesn’t explain the Estira Ointment that shook the medical community a few years ago, to say that it’s the work of Clerivan Pellet."

  I didn’t even know that.

  I patted my tongue, avoiding Bate’s gaze.

  "So what’s Bate’s conclusion?"

  "I think Lady Florentia Lombardy has played a shadow role in several ways, including clothing stores supervised by Clerivan Pellet. You have extraordinary potential. "

  Oh, you think Clerivan leads me.

  In fact, considering my age, it is right to think so.

  "Possibilities……"

  I reflect on what Bate said.

  Of course, it was a nice thing to hear.

  But it also meant the future was uncertain.

  And Bate is not a person who can trust and entrust the ’Information Guild’ he was trying to create for such an unspecified future possibility.

  I made a decision and said.

  "I think I won this bet."

  "What?"

  Bate asked again with a dumb face.

  He probably thought he’d won because he’d done a lot of research on me.

  "If you’re trying to force yourself out of pride……"

  "No, it’s not forced, but unfortunately, there was a limit to Bate’s investigation."

  "Sigh, what the hell is going on? That’s the breaking point."

  Bate grumbled, still completely unaware of facial control.

  "Wait a minute."

  I got up from my seat, opened the store door, and called someone who was waiting nearby.

  Just in case, I told him the time and place of the appointment today and asked him to wait in the carriage.

  I’m glad he did.

  "Sir. Clerivan."

  At my call, Clerivan came right into the store.

  "Did you call, Lady Florentia?"

  Bate does not like excessive politeness for teachers to treat their students.

  "I thought I could convince Bate if I had you here."

  "Just a moment ago, you told me that I were supervised by Sir Clerivan."

  "Yes, I did."

  Bate still looked as if he didn’t know what was wrong.

  I grabbed the skirt and greeted politely.

  "This time, I’ll introduce myself properly. I’m Florentia Lombardy, the real owner of Pellet Company."

  "Yes……?"

  Bate, who had a dumb face, scratched his ear with his fingers.

  Then he looked at Clerivan with eyes demanding clarification.

  "Lady Florentia is right."

  "Are, are you serious, then?"

  Clerivan nodded his head.

  "Ha, but the name Pellet Company……"

  "It’s just a name."

  Clerivan replied coolly.

  "But she’s only 11 years old……"

  "Amazing, isn’t it!"

  "Well, then, indeed, the Lombardy spirit……"

  "Lombardy’s light and hope!"

  "Ha, ha, ha……"

  Bate laughed desperately as if he had gone mad.1

  He took turns looking at me, and Clerivan who was standing beside me.

  And then he laughed again.

  "Then ready-to-wear……"

  "To my surprise, it was my father’s idea."

  "But yours ntervention……"

  "There was. Bate was right about that."

  "Oh, as expected……"

  Bate seemed to need some time alone.

  He thought about something with his chin on his hand and murmured to himself.

  "I see, then it all makes sense…… I didn’t know what was going on."

  Then he raised his head and asked.

  "Then the diamond mine…… What happened to Lombardy and Angenas auction? Were you lucky?"

  "If you think about how many golds the Pellet Company won the bid, you’ll get the answer."

  Angenas wrote 2000 gold and lost the mine to us who wrote 2050 gold.

  "Ah……"

  Bate curled up as if he was tearing his head apart.

  I approached Bate and patted him on the shoulder.

  "It hasn’t been that long since you entered the ’Information Business’. I think that’s a pretty good ability."

  "How did you know that I started the ’Information Business’?"

  Bate freaked out, breathing in vain.

  "Well, how did I know Angenas would write 2000 gold?"

  "Uhhhh……?"

  Bate put on an angry face.

  It seems annoying for him that I know more things than he does and sees through him more accurately.

  I once again made an offer to Bate that he can not refuse.

  "Then let’s make another bet?"

  Bate gritted his teeth and asked.

  "What is it this time?"

  "What was the hottest topic at the recent aristocratic conference?"

  "It was a remedy for the eastern drought. The decision fell to the Emperor."

  As expected, you knew.

  The internal affairs of the aristocracy would be very difficult to obtain.

  "What decision does Bate think the Emperor will make?"

  "I think this year will be difficult because they already got last year’s tax exemption. It will be a big blow for the treasury."

  "Then I’ll bet against your. I’ll bet on the store’s rent for five years."

  "Five, five year’s worth……"

  Bate gulped down his mouth.

  "So if I lose, what does Lady Florentia get?"

  "If I win……”


  I snapped as if I was putting the bait on a calm surface.

  "Give me the priority of information. The first right to access the information that Bate will be collecting in the future."

  Bate was silent for a while.

  I held my breath together.

  And finally, Bate nodded.

  "Let’s do it, that bet."

  * * *

  "Wow, Warr."

  In the quiet mansion, a coachman can be heard calming the horse.

  Lying under the deliberately opened window, I was dazed and opened my eyes.

  "He’s back."

  Belsach, who had been on a hunting trip with Astana for more than a week, is finally back.7

  [1] ’입이 무겁다 [ibi mugeobda]’ - It’s korean idiom literally ’The mouth (or lips) is heavy / Heavy-mouthed’. It means someone who can really keep other people’s secrets. From : ’입 [ib]’ : mouth, ’이 [i]’ : (consonant +) subject marker, ’무겁다 [mugeobda]’ : heavy.