The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Mariel stuttered, startled by the outrageous price.

“100 gold! That’s too expensive. Who would buy it at such a high price?”

“Expensive, you say? Even the famous luxury brand ‘Charnel’ charges over 100 gold, doesn’t it?”

“But that’s jewelry! It doesn’t wear out like cosmetics do.”

“However, this will become an even greater luxury.”

Ghislain replied confidently. Mariel bit her lip slightly.

“Do you really think it will sell at that price?”

“Of course. The very fact that the Countess herself has come here proves it, doesn’t it?”

“……”

Mariel couldn’t argue back. While 100 gold was certainly a bit burdensome, it wasn’t an unaffordable price for a wealthy noblewoman.

“T-then, how about at least signing a distribution contract with me just for the capital? If I help, it would be much easier to establish a foothold there.”

Ghislain merely shrugged at the proposal.

“This is a product that would sell even if it were displayed in a gutter.”

Mariel bit her lip. She had nothing more to say.

Ghislain was right.

Once word of this product began to spread, it was bound to sell no matter what.

If she wanted exclusivity, she would have to seize the technology outright and silence him.

But she wasn’t cruel enough to go that far.

“Haa…”

A sigh escaped Mariel’s lips.

The problem was that the product was just too good. She would need to offer something as attractive as the cosmetics, but there was nothing suitable she could think of.

Claude, captivated by the sorrowful aura that emanated from her, nudged Ghislain in the back, suggesting they just give in to her demands.

But Ghislain didn’t even blink.

‘I can’t afford to act like a pushover.’

Still, it would be wise to maintain a good relationship with Mariel.

After a brief moment of consideration, Ghislain decided to offer something different instead of exclusive distribution rights.

“It seems the Countess has a sharp eye. You were the first to come here, after all. A full exclusive contract might be difficult, but I can ensure that you’ll gain a prestigious reputation within the capital’s social circles.”

“Reputation?”

Ghislain pushed a large box, which had been prepared separately in a corner of the sitting room, toward Mariel.

Curious, Mariel opened the box. Inside, there were around fifty cosmetics products.

“What is this…?”

“Why not lead the trend before the rumors spread further? Your reputation will last quite some time. The more expensive the gift, the more valuable it will be.”

Mariel nodded with a smile.

“You mean to use me to promote your cosmetics?”

“Well, if word is going to spread anyway, why not make it mutually beneficial? I save time, and you build your reputation. Consider this as a token of our appreciation for recognizing our product before anyone else.”

It wasn’t a bad proposal for her either. In social circles, who takes the lead in setting trends has a significant impact on one’s reputation.

Simply being the first to discover this cosmetic and recommending it to others would earn her a reputation for having great taste.

In this way, the high price became a benefit. The more exclusive the product, the more it would elevate the status of those who used it.

“Very well. I accept your proposal.”

She agreed readily and took the box. If she couldn’t secure an exclusive contract, she would at least make sure to gain fame from it.

“I’ll be off then. Don’t worry about the promotion.”

Mariel didn’t hesitate and immediately stood up.

She needed to attend a gathering quickly, before the news spread further, so she could get ahead of the others.

As soon as she returned, she planned to sift through all the invitations and attend the earliest event possible.

Ghislain slightly bowed his head in farewell.

“Take care.”

The crow perched on his shoulder also mimicked him, bowing its head.

Caw!

* * *

Not long after Mariel took action, rumors about the cosmetics spread far and wide.

Some people came to buy it solely because she vouched for it, without even verifying the product’s effects.

Despite the exorbitant price, the nobles didn’t hesitate to purchase the cosmetics.

Even if it was too expensive to use regularly, they thought it was worth trying at least once since it was a product Mariel used.

Claude and Belinda cheered at the flood of orders.

“This is incredible! It’s a huge hit!”

Gold coins piled up like mountains in the mansion. With this amount of money, they could sustain the estate for an entire year.

“Hahaha! My Lord, how about we just quit everything and stick to doing business here? This is the easiest way!”

Claude was so absorbed in the joy of counting money that he started spouting nonsense.

“They’re selling incredibly well, even at this high price! Shouldn’t we be making more of them?”

They needed to strike while the iron was hot.

Before word spread throughout the entire kingdom, they had to properly establish a branch in the capital and prepare to send the ordered goods from the estate to various regions, which required them to act quickly.

Everyone around, including Claude, was urging him frantically, but Ghislain remained unfazed.

“Wait. There’s still more to be done.”

“What do you mean, ‘more to be done’? We need to get back to the estate and start producing right away!”

Despite Claude’s persistent nagging, Ghislain didn’t budge.

“Hmm… News should be arriving any time now. Haven’t they heard the rumors yet?”

Thanks to Mariel, the rumors had spread even faster than he had anticipated, and the products started selling quickly.

But the real target he was after hadn’t shown up yet.

A few more days passed, and when the initial stock was about to run out, a neatly dressed middle-aged gentleman visited the mansion.

“I hold the position of butler, albeit humbly, at the Marquisate of Branford. Are you Baron Fenris?”

Ghislain’s eyes gleamed.

The fish he had been waiting for had finally taken the bait.

* * *

Ghislain had deliberately refrained from sending any gifts to the Marquisate of Branford. That way, they would have to come to him directly.

The Marquis of Branford was the Royal Household Minister, the leader of the pro-royalist faction opposed to the Delfine Duchy, and the most powerful figure in the kingdom.

He was so influential that people said all matters of the royal household passed through his hands.

As a great lord in the eastern region, his foundation was solid, and since he had served as a military commander before entering the royal court, he also had sway over the military.

For a butler from such a household to visit Ghislain just to buy a few cosmetics was unheard of—something that would shock other nobles if they found out.

As soon as the formalities were over, the butler got straight to the point.

“Is it true that using this cosmetic clears the skin?”

“That’s a vague question. It does improve skin condition. You’ve already heard the rumors, haven’t you? What exactly are you trying to find out?”

“Is there a chance that using this could improve the skin temporarily, only for it to worsen later?”

“Well, who knows. Skincare requires consistent effort, and the effects depend on how regularly you use it. It varies slightly from person to person.”

The butler was persistently thorough, asking about various details, like the ingredients and whether there had been any cases of side effects.

Ghislain, with a look of irritation, waved his hand dismissively and asked directly.

“You said you’re from the Marquisate of Branford. Is it for the young lady of the marquis?”

“Well, that is…”

The butler hesitated, his words trailing off. Ghislain looked down at him, smiling as if he found the situation amusing.

“Why try to hide it? I’ve already heard that the marquis’s young lady wears a mask and stays confined at home. Everyone’s hush-hush about it, but it’s not something that can be easily concealed. Do you think just because I haven’t been here long, I wouldn’t know?”

“…Yes, it is intended for the young lady.”

“See, isn’t it better to be honest?”

Ghislain chuckled and placed a few cosmetics in front of him.

“Take a couple of these and let her try them. I poured all my knowledge into making this product. I have some expertise in herbalism and medicine, after all.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie. After all, he had knowledge of cutting-edge techniques that no one else knew about right now.

The problem was, he knew the results but not the principles behind them.

Ghislain continued speaking brazenly.

“If these don’t work, then it means we’ll need to try another approach. We can discuss that when the time comes.”

“…Understood.”

As the butler was about to leave, Ghislain added a final remark.

“By the way, I also know how to cure ‘Eternal Punishment.’”

The butler acted as if he hadn’t heard that at all, refusing to respond.

Knowing full well that ‘Eternal Punishment’ was an incurable disease, he thought Ghislain was simply boasting.

It was a familiar reaction, and Ghislain muttered with a slight pout.

“Really, they can’t afford to trust people. Should I bring that priest back?”

The Marquis of Branford inspected the cosmetics brought to him by the butler.

“Is this the popular skincare product these days?”

“Yes, it’s the one recommended by Countess Mariel Aylesbur.”

The Marquis of Branford murmured indifferently.

“It doesn’t look like it’s going to be very effective.”

Although he was a powerful figure who could sway the kingdom, there were two issues recently that had been bothering him.

One was the Delfine Duchy.

The Duke of Delfine, who had always been loyal to the royal family, had started to build up his influence and was making aggressive moves.

The royal faction had been suffering constant setbacks against the Duke’s faction, and their power had quickly waned.

The other issue was his daughter’s chronic skin condition.

“If this doesn’t work, are there no other options left?”

If the matter with the Delfine Duchy was a recent headache, his daughter’s condition had been a persistent issue for some time.

At some point, spots began to appear all over her face and body.

That alone would have been manageable, but the symptoms worsened under sunlight, causing her such intense itching that she couldn’t sleep. Going outside had become impossible.

Still, it wasn’t a serious illness. No one could figure out what the problem was.

Receiving divine healing from a priest would provide temporary relief, but it wouldn’t last, and the symptoms would soon reappear.

They had tried all sorts of so-called effective medicines, but her condition remained unchanged.

“I’ll deliver it to her myself.”

The Marquis of Branford slowly made his way to his daughter’s room.

She had cut off all contact with the outside world and was living alone in a dark room.

With the one who used to oversee the household now shutting herself away, the atmosphere in the manor had grown gloomy.

He could fully understand her reluctance to show her blemished face to others.

Even as her father, it was difficult for him to hide his grimace each time he saw her worsening condition.

But he could no longer leave things as they were.

“We can’t delay the marriage any longer.”

The Marquis of Branford had been planning a political marriage with a neutral noble family to counter the growing dominance of the Duke’s faction.

However, his daughter kept asking for more time, postponing the marriage.

“Tsk, there’s only so much patience one can have.”

The Marquis had been considerate of his daughter’s feelings and had delayed the wedding until now, but it couldn’t be postponed indefinitely.

It was essential to solidify the royal faction’s power before the influence of the Delfine Duchy grew any further.

Click.

As he opened the door, only a few candles greeted the Marquis.

The windows were tightly shut, covered by curtains, and the expensive magical lamps were nowhere to be seen.

His daughter, Rosalyn, was reading a book by the faint candlelight.

‘This is no different from a prisoner locked in a tower.’

The Marquis of Branford glanced around the room, clicking his tongue inwardly, but he maintained a nonchalant demeanor as he handed over the cosmetics.

“Rosalyn, try using this. It’s a popular beauty cream these days. I hear it’s good for the skin.”

Rosalyn finally lifted her head slowly.

“Will that be of any use?”

Her voice was calm, but it carried a feeling of emotions boiling up from deep within her chest.

The Marquis of Branford looked at his daughter’s bloodshot eyes for a moment before speaking again.

“It was recommended by Countess Aylesbur.”

“……”

At those words, Rosalyn closed her mouth.

She knew Mariel well. She had admired her ever since she was young.

Mariel was someone who always used only the finest products and set the trends in social circles. There was no way she would have recommended something useless.

“Leave it here.”

“Understood. Also, I plan to proceed with the marriage soon. Be prepared for that.”

Rosalyn suppressed her emotions and responded.

“You expect me to get married in this state? Like this, I will never be loved, and I will only be treated like a monster. Do you want me to live my life being ridiculed and ignored by people?”

The Marquis of Branford cut her off coldly.

“This is for the sake of the family.”

“Is my life not important?”

“The family is more important.”

At that, Rosalyn brought up another point.

“Do you think the young lord on the other side will be satisfied when he sees my face? Won’t he resent you later for forcing this marriage? Do you think the alliance between the two families will still be solid then?”

The Marquis of Branford responded with a derisive tone.

“What could he possibly do, even if he resents it? All marriages between families are like that. When he reaches the age to become the lord, he will surely be able to calculate the benefits.”

While Rosalyn valued personal relationships, the Marquis of Branford was making his judgments purely from a political perspective.

It was impossible to say one side was right. The nature of the relationships people pursue differs from person to person.

The Marquis of Branford finished speaking, then turned and left the room.

“Haa…”

Rosalyn let out a sigh, slowly stood up, and began applying the cosmetics to her face.

It was hard to tell whether she was applying makeup or wiping away tears.

* * *

A few days after she started using the cosmetics.

Rosalyn gave up on everything and pushed the cosmetics aside.

‘As I thought, it’s no use.’

The cosmetics improved her skin, but the blemishes did not disappear.

Her skin still had red blotches, and the shine only made it look stranger.

Clang!

Rosalyn, looking into the mirror, twisted her face and picked up a glass from the table, throwing it.

The sound of shattering glass echoed beyond her room, but no one approached Rosalyn’s room.

She returned to spending her time alone in the dark room.

She only wished for the day when this torment would finally come to an end.

At that time, someone was slowly approaching the front gate of the Branford Mansion.

“Hey, the Marquis is in, right? I checked everything, so don’t bother saying he’s not.”

The guard asked the visitor in a stern tone.

“Who are you?”

“Tell them that Baron Fenris has come. I’d like to see him now.”

The person who had come to visit the Marquis of Branford was none other than Ghislain.