Chapter 594

Debut Party (3)
○●○● Lily

“Umm… Alizée, does this look strange?”

“You’re perfectly fine. Honestly, how many times have we had this exact conversation now?”

“I… lost count.”

Alizée had just returned from the reception, and the time for my debut was drawing near.
Amira and I were both fully dressed—hair done, outfits in place.
All that was left was to step out when the time came.

And yet, for some reason, I couldn’t calm down.
The maids had done everything perfectly, but I still felt like something was off.
Maybe that kind of needless worrying was part of the social scene too.

“Big sis, there’s no point fussing about it now.”

“Really, Amira?”

“Yeah. I left the royal family before my own debut, but I heard even Princess Rodenlight was nervous at hers.
No matter how hard you try, you’ll never feel completely calm—so just accept it and hold your head high.”

“Y-you’re right! I’ll do that!”

… Hmm, that did sound like she was saying I was less composed than Princess Rodenlight,
but honestly, I couldn’t hope to compare to her anyway, so I’d let that slide.
If even she’d been nervous, that was encouraging!
Everyone goes through this and becomes a proper lady, huh…?

Would I become one, though…?

“Big sis, what’s wrong?”

“Oh, I was just wondering if I’m really gonna become a ‘lady.’”

“… It’s a bit late for that, don’t you think? Just be yourself—that’s more than enough.”

Yeah, there’s no way I could ever be some refined society lady.
My little sister said it flat-out, but she’s not wrong—so I’ll take it as truth and move on!
Good, no more doubts!

“Lily, it’s about time… Hm? You look rather cheerful all of a sudden.”

“Oh, Plum! I’ve decided to just be myself!”

“At least try to act refined for today—hmm, no, forget that. Be as you are.
Any sparks that fly your way, we’ll sweep aside. Right, Talat?”

(Yep! Leave it to me!)

That firm promise from my dear partner gave me a good dose of courage. Time to—

“Ah, before I forget. Lily, Father says he’d like a branch of the Saltas Company opened in Darshe. What do you think?”

“Eh? In Darshe?”

“To be blunt, you won’t see much profit from it.
But now that you’re a Platinum-rank merchant, it’s your duty to make your name known abroad.
Even if all you sell there are your dresses, the Duke seems keen on agricultural guidance too.”

Hmm… Darshe, huh.
They’ve treated me well, and they’re the ones who get us our green tea—but a whole branch office feels a bit much.
What should I do?

“What’s your take, Alizée?”

“Mine? I’d say we should go for it.
Even if profits are thin, it’s a good move to secure an overseas base—somewhere safe to relocate if, say, things go south in McFarlane.”

“‘If things go south’? Have you heard some troubling rumors, Alizée?”

“I’ve heard that the crown prince will soon be dismissed—and quite nearby, at that.”

Ah.
So she knew.
But no one should’ve overheard that conversation with Princess Rodenlight, and I certainly hadn’t told anyone.
That meant the Trade Guild’s information network had already caught wind of Prince Sharon’s downfall.
Impressive as ever.
Still, that meant I could get dragged into the aftermath.

If that happened, Alizée suggested we could simply cut off the Saltas Company’s supply chain—crippling the troublemakers without a fight.
Safer still, though, would be to retreat abroad before any embers could flare up again.

Even so… I’ve grown fond of Vardmoi. It’d be hard to leave.

“All right then. Let’s prepare a branch and a small manor in Darshe.
Any idea what kind of budget we’re looking at?”

“I’ll calculate that later.
If Lady Plum brought this up now, Grand Duke Sazaby must have some interest in it too.
I’ll negotiate for the best deal possible.”

“Don’t push it too hard, okay? I’d rather not make enemies over it.”

“Of course. Leave it to me.”

Well, if it’s in Alizée’s hands, I don’t have to worry.
We’ve worked together for years; she knows when to stop pressing.

Still, a Darshe branch… what should we sell?
Maybe foods unique to McFarlane?
There are new crops being developed in the Galette domain—still need a bit of cultivation before they’re ready to eat, but they could be promising exports.
And I’d love to include products made with Parfe milk, too.
Raw milk would spoil in transit, though, so we’ll need to find a way to preserve it…

Man, international trade sure takes a lot of planning.

“Lily, what are you muttering about?”

“Oh, um—I was just thinking about what we could sell in the Darshe branch.”

“I see. Well, I’m the one who brought it up, but for now, focus on making this debut a success.
You can think business later. My father won’t be leaving right away—you’ll have time to talk then.”

“You’re right. One thing at a time.”

Yeah… first, the debut party in front of me.
… Oh no. Now I’m nervous all over again.

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