The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 152

Chapter 152: The Barber’s Recommendation and Sweet Words

“By the way, Madam. Excuse me, but do you happen to have any plans for a barber?”

Having finished a midday break with unexpected gains, and just as Melfina was about to return to her duties after telling Lorenzo that she would buy all his cargo, she was addressed, and tilted her head slightly.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t had my hair cut in quite a while. Was it unsightly?”

“No! Absolutely not! Actually, our caravan has a barber, and if you don’t happen to have a personal barber, I wondered if you might be willing to give them some work.”

Lorenzo explained that Romana merchants, in particular, paid close attention to their appearance, so large caravans often carried barbers.

“Romana is a country with a thriving commercial sector, but we also frequently travel to the Francesca Kingdom, the Spanish Empire, and sometimes even across the sea to the Luxen Kingdom and the Britannia Kingdom. One-way journeys of a year or more are not uncommon, and in such cases, our trading partners naturally tend to be royalty and nobles.”

While they might sell goods acquired along the way to even more distant locations, the further Romana’s specialty products were transported, the higher the transportation and labor costs inevitably became.

The cost would increase even more when trading with Luxen and Britannia via sea routes, unlike the contiguous Francesca and Spanish territories.

Inevitably, the people purchasing such goods would be nobles or royalty.

“I hear Antonio has dealings with the Ducal House, related to the use of the port of Elban. You truly do transport goods to far-off places.”

Antonio, who had been introduced to Melfina because she desired connections with Romana merchants, was apparently a colleague in the same trading company as Lorenzo. Their collaboration was swift, showcasing the efficiency of Romana merchants.

“Yes, from Romana to the Britannia Kingdom, we have to take a large detour through Spanish territory. Therefore, trading companies like ours, which form caravans, often cross the Francesca Kingdom and then head west from Elban to the Britannia Kingdom, or north to the Luxen Kingdom by sea. We are greatly indebted to the Duke of Oldrand in this regard.”

The trading partners at their destinations were either large trading companies or nobles of that land. While only a few representatives from the caravan would actually conduct the trades, it was more convenient to have a dedicated barber rather than searching for one locally each time, ensuring they would always be impeccably groomed for negotiations.

“However, we don’t have that much work during travel, so the barber often finds work in hairdressing, beauty treatments, or barbering while we’re staying in a place for business. But due to this famine, everywhere is short of funds.”

“I see… My hair has indeed grown quite long, and I had been thinking of getting it trimmed.”

Since the barber was recommended as a barber and not a surgeon-barber, it was likely a woman. Seeming to have gotten a good feeling, Lorenzo said in a bright voice:

“We also offer massages and hair care using high-quality Romana oils. Our skills are reliable, so why not have both you, Madam, and your beautiful secretary treated together? We guarantee to enhance your beauty even further.”

Being involved in cross-country trade, it was quite a skillful sales pitch. It would surely pique the interest of noble ladies or wives living in the countryside.

“I’d rather have a professional do it, and I’ll have the secretary treated as well. But I still have work to do today, and if I’m having a massage, it would be better after a bath. Would it be possible to have them come tonight? Of course, I don’t mind them staying at the lord’s manor for the night.”

“You don’t have to go to that much trouble. I’ll send someone to fetch them.”

“Enkar is relatively safe, but it’s not good to be out at night, and we have spare rooms. Besides, having no time restrictions allows for a more relaxed experience.”

While some nobles might make a commoner or merchant wait at the gate even overnight, Melfina didn’t share that sentiment. Lorenzo readily agreed.

“Should I also…?”

“We’ve both let our hair grow for almost a year now. No matter how much long hair is a woman’s charm, proper care is still necessary.”

Marie, in particular, had received sufficient care as a lady-in-waiting when she was at the Duke’s house. Melfina felt it was a good opportunity to have it properly styled.

“It’s been since the day before my wedding that I’ve had my hair styled, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Marie showed a slightly complicated expression at Melfina’s words, but quickly nodded.

“Yes, I am looking forward to it as well.”

＊ ＊ ＊

Gazing at the empty cart, completely unloaded, is arguably the most joyful moment for a merchant.

Besides the warmth of their purse, the exhilaration of contemplating what to load onto this clean cart next and where to go is a blissful experience for a merchant.

We have four more days here, including today. Let’s head to tonight’s lodging first, and from tomorrow, let’s see if we can procure anything in the Enkar region. As he thought this, the boy who had been in the kitchen earlier came out of the lord’s manor with a light step.

He noticed Lorenzo and smiled gently.

“Ah, you! Um, Ed?”

It seemed he had other business and was about to go to the back, so Lorenzo called out to the boy. He seemed surprised to be stopped, but he halted and turned to face Lorenzo.

“Yes, is there something I can do for you?”

The boy, who politely replied, was carefree and seemed well-bred, unlike the children in town. He didn’t seem wary of the merchant summoned by the lord.

“If you could, could you tell me if there are any specialty products in this village? This is my first time here.”

“By specialty products, you mean things that keep well, right? I don’t know if it qualifies as a specialty product, but I heard that charcoal and pottery are cheaper in the Enkar region than other places.”

“Charcoal I understand, but pottery is a specialty product too?”

“There’s a large pottery workshop that Lady Melfina brought in, and they make all kinds of pottery. Lately, there are many varieties of plates and cups with beautiful paintings on them.”

High-quality pottery is an expensive commodity, but it’s fragile. However, if it’s available at a lower price, it’s worth checking out.

“Then, perhaps foodstuffs. If you mention you’re Lady Melfina’s customer at the market, I think you’ll get a lot of extras.”

“That’s helpful! By the way, the cheese and ale I had earlier were quite delicious. The temple in Enkar seems to have quite the skill. Is it possible to buy them personally?”

The cheese seemed a little under-aged, but its taste was comparable to the highest-grade cheese from Romana.

The ale was exceptional—no off-flavors, a smooth finish—honestly, the best I’ve ever tasted.

Neither keeps very well, but if I can procure them, I’d definitely like to establish a pipeline this time.

“Ah, the ale and cheese from the lord’s manor. The ale is made by Lady Melfina herself, and the cheese is something Lady Melfina brings from somewhere else, so I don’t think you can buy them. And there’s no temple in the Enkar region.”

“Huh? Bringing it from somewhere else means she buys it from a nearby village or town?”

“No, she really does bring it from somewhere else. I don’t know the details either.”

Lorenzo had been trained in business practices since he became a servant at the age of ten until he was entrusted with his own caravan.

He was accustomed to lies and deception, but he didn’t sense any dishonesty in the boy’s straightforward words.

—The lord is making that ale?

While making ale isn’t entirely unusual, ale is a commoner’s drink, and it’s certain that a noblewoman, a Duchess no less, wouldn’t make it herself.

Moreover, her skill in preparing the pasta earlier was impressive. Even if she were to claim it was her first time handling pasta, even the lowest-ranking boy in a trading company wouldn’t believe it.

—The Crawford family’s daughter had a reputation as a disloyal daughter.

Bright gold hair was a common trait among the royal family of the Romana Empire, the predecessor to the Romana Republic. Therefore, bright gold hair still appears frequently among the upper class of Romana.

The southern region controlled by the Crawford family largely overlaps with the Romana border, and despite setting high tariffs, travel between the two is relatively easy.

Being of high noble birth, yet skilled in a neighboring country’s cuisine and capable of brewing ale, perhaps she wasn’t treated very well in her family home.

And then, there’s her appearance. A suspicion sprouted in Lorenzo’s mind, but for now, he pushed it to the back of his thoughts.

“By the way, do you have a girl you like?”

“Eh!?”

“Romana people love love stories. At your age, you must have two or three girls you like, right?”

While speaking lightly on purpose, Lorenzo took a small box from his pocket and opened it. Inside was a brooch made of a stone carved into the shape of a rose.

It was slightly chipped, something taken from unsold stock. It wasn’t very expensive, but it could be considered a rare ornament for a commoner.

“As a token of our acquaintance, I’ll give this to you. If you give it to your crush saying, ‘I thought it would suit you’, she’ll be instantly smitten.”

“Eh, but…”

Lorenzo placed the box in the boy’s hand, and casually added a silver coin on top.

“Buy a real flower with this, and whisper that ‘Neither everlasting flowers nor transient flowers can compare to you’, and lo and behold, you’ll become her crush in no time.”

He winked, and the boy looked bewildered.

Despite his refined manner, he is a child living at the northern edge. He has probably never seen a silver coin before.

“Um, but…”

“I’m Lorenzo. Tell me if you have any interesting stories.”

If a boy of this age suddenly acquires a large sum of money, he usually doesn’t know how to use it, spends it all at once, or brags to his friends and gets it taken from him.

The next time Lorenzo meets him, he’ll expect a second silver coin and even smoother words.

It was clear, even in a short time, that the boy was dearly loved by that young lord.

The Enkar region is already attracting much attention among merchants.

Due to its rapid development, there are even rumors circulating that golden veins lie beneath Enkar.

And information is like blood flowing through a merchant’s body.

—You can never have too many connections and sources of information.

“I’ll be visiting the lord’s manor again, so treat me to something delicious next time. See you later.”

He smiled brightly at the stunned boy and drove off in his empty cart.

This is the intuition of someone who was discovered by the head of the trading company and entrusted with one of the caravans at a young age.

There are delicious things hidden in this land for merchants.

He’s looking forward to discovering what they are.

Humming a traditional Romana song, Lorenzo cheerfully made his way home.