I'm Just Getting Caught Up in All of This
The daily etiquette lessons leave me exhausted, but I still make sure to secure my free time as usual.
Today, I'm in the semi-basement workshop of the mansion to meet Maria for the first time in a while.
"Young master Reinhardt, it's been a while. Thanks to you, the iron and hair dryer have been well received, and I'm very happy about it."
"I only made the suggestion. You're the amazing one for making it a reality, Maria. Keep up the good work. Do you have any new prototypes?"
"Not at the moment. The orders for irons and hair dryers are overwhelming, so I'm too busy keeping up. I'd love to work on new prototypes, but I'm happily swamped right now."
"Is there anything you've been thinking about?"
"I often get the chance to talk with the maids, and I try to think of ways to improve the inconveniences they mention to make their work easier."
The most common complaint is that washing their uniforms is hard labor and that summer makes them unbearably hot.
Since it's a dress-type uniform, it is indeed heavy, and even Mother has mentioned that summer is dreadful in them.
"Then maybe a dress that can be separated into a top and bottom? Also, our household is a treasure trove of materials. We could mix fabrics with certain materials to create something cooler to wear. If you can make a prototype, we can consult Mother about it."
"That's a wonderful idea! I'll get started right away!"
Maria seemed eager to jump into it immediately, so I reminded her to coordinate with Raziel first—to set aside development time and gather materials while keeping up with existing orders—before leaving the workshop.
Did I interfere unnecessarily again?
But it's something that will make everyone happy, so good luck, Maria.
The next day, Raziel called for me.
It's probably about Maria, but I don't think I said anything strange.
When I entered the office with Georges, Raziel was locked in battle with a mountain of paperwork at his desk.
And by "battle," I mean there were three stacks of documents, each about 30 cm high.
"Raziel, I heard you wanted to talk," I said, to which Raziel responded in a cold tone,
"Young master Reinhardt, please have a seat on the sofa first."
He sounded like he was angry.
"Well, you seem busy, so I'll come back later," I said, attempting to turn around and leave.
"Our conversation is not over yet. Please, have a seat."
With no choice, I sat down.
"Do you know why I called you here?"
"Is it about what I talked about with Maria yesterday?"
"Do you understand the current situation?" And with that, the scolding began.
Raziel thoroughly explained how the irons, hair dryers, and glass bead accessories were selling like crazy, and how orders couldn't keep up.
They couldn't even hire more workers because of the time needed for background checks.
On top of that, they were swamped with negotiations and investigations regarding requests from other workshops wanting to pay for the rights to manufacture the products.
In short, they had no breathing room.
And then there was my conversation with Maria yesterday.
I had no idea things were like that!
No one told me—not my parents, not anyone!
"If the idea you and Maria discussed is commercialized, it will undoubtedly sell well.
Since yesterday, Maria has been more focused on development, and the production speed of irons and hair dryers has dropped.
Now is simply not the right time.
So, I convinced her that as long as she meets her daily production quota without lowering quality, she can set aside two hours per day for development.
Moving forward, please consult with me before discussing anything with Maria. Understood?"
Raziel’s expression was so frightening that I could only nod before quickly leaving the office.
Behind me, George smirked ominously and asked, "So, what exactly did you do this time? Tell me everything when we get back to your room."
Then, he practically dragged me back.
When I told Georges everything honestly, my parents also ended up scolding me.
I protested, saying that I didn't know the state of the business, and that I had only responded to Maria's consultation with an idea.
But they just hit me with, "Haven't you done the same thing over and over again with different workshops? Do you seriously not realize this?"
And so, the lecture continued.
As a result, I was banned from going to the forest for a while, as well as from visiting any of the workshops I had been involved with—including Maria's.
I was told to stay home and behave.
But I love relaxing at home, so I have no objections.
Honestly, it's a welcome change!
Everyone seems to think I'm constantly causing trouble, but I'm just getting caught up in everything!
For about two weeks, I was able to enjoy peaceful days, taking it easy.
I later heard from George sthat three new employees had joined the business, reducing Raziel’s burden and allowing the merchant association to function more smoothly.
That was a relief to hear.
What do you think about this chapter?
