Business Dinners
The huge success of the skincare cosmetics brought changes to Maryne’s daily life as well.
The number of invitations to business dinners exploded.
She’d occasionally received invitations to dinner before, too.
Back when she’d made a name for herself with macarons and pudding, a few offers had come her way.
But after the massive hit of the skincare cosmetics, the number of invitations skyrocketed all at once.
Small and mid-sized merchants.
Lower and middle-ranking nobles.
Even major merchants and high-ranking nobles.
Requests for dinners with Maryne came pouring in from every social class.
Maryne hardly declined any of them.
She packed her schedule with dinner meetings almost every day.
Whenever she attended one, she always researched the other party beforehand.
The Flamsteed family had accumulated a vast amount of information on nobles and merchants.
Family lineage.
Assets.
Connections.
Personality.
Past business dealings. Political stance.
Before every dinner, Maryne would always review the information sleeping away in the mansion’s archives.
And she thoroughly investigated the other party beforehand.
(Sitting down at a dining table without knowing your counterpart is like setting off on an adventure without a map.)
Never neglect preparation.
That was Maryne’s style.
The dinner venues were scattered throughout the secondary capital, the count’s capital, and the surrounding cities.
And the contents of the dinners varied greatly.
---
One day, it was a dinner party with the head of a middle-ranking noble house.
The topic was politics from start to finish.
“Lady Maryne, what are your thoughts on this kingdom’s tax system?”
“From a merchant’s perspective, I would say the tariffs placed on distribution are far too high. If logistics stagnate, the economy as a whole will struggle to grow.”
“Oh? To hear a discussion on tariffs come from the mouth of an eight-year-old child. Fascinating.”
The conversation even extended into the kingdom’s philosophy of governance, and before they realized it, three hours had passed.
This lord was an academic type, with deep knowledge regarding economics and governance.
For Maryne as well, it had been an immensely educational conversation.
---
Another day, it was a dinner with a major merchant from the secondary capital.
This one started talking business the instant they sat down.
“Lady Maryne, I’ve been thinking of starting a new venture. Would you mind giving me your opinion?”
A major merchant seeking advice from an eight-year-old child was absurd.
But Maryne’s achievements had made people see her as worthy of consultation.
---
Another day, it was a meal with the wife of a lower-ranking noble.
The conversation was simple small talk.
“Lady Maryne, I think I may have gained a little weight. My dresses have been feeling terribly tight lately.”
It was nothing important.
But Maryne didn’t dislike conversations like that either.
---
Business dinners were treasure troves of knowledge and connections.
Valuable stories that could only be heard from people deeply knowledgeable in specific fields.
Politics, economics, logistics, agriculture, military affairs.
Living knowledge that couldn’t be learned from books existed there.
And that wasn’t all.
The dinners themselves were fun.
For example, the restaurants chosen as meeting venues in various regions each had wonderfully distinctive cuisine.
The roast lamb served at a luxury restaurant in the secondary capital had been exquisite...
And the herb-grilled river fish she ate at a long-established restaurant in the count’s capital had left an unforgettable taste as well.
There were even times people introduced her to hidden famous restaurants tucked away in small surrounding cities.
Incidentally, when the dinners were held far away, she would usually stay at an inn...
And waking up in an unfamiliar inn in an unfamiliar town made her feel refreshed just from that alone.
(Business dinners are... ridiculously fun!)
Delicious food.
Wonderful music.
The atmosphere of unfamiliar towns.
And above all, meeting new people.
There was the noble cause of “it’s for business,” of course, but more than that, she simply couldn’t help enjoying herself.
~ Read Chapters 33-51 in Advance on Patreon ~
What do you think about this chapter?
