BXBX NOVEL Chapter 139 139. Manny, Part II
Editor: Aelryinth
Killian gratifyingly stared at Julietta who, unlike other ladies, ate a delicious sandwich without pretending innocence or being conscious of him. He talked kindly to her as she was drinking the tea that Ian had prepared, her face full and satisfied after eating the sandwich.
"So it’s the first time I ate with the princess. I am so happy to see you eat so well. I think you’re really healthy now."
At the words of Killian, Julietta replied with a regretful look. This sickly girl cosplay really seemed to be the hardest thing in the world...
"I’m sorry, Your Highness. I ate breakfast badly and I was a little hungry, so I acted rudely in front of you."
"No. Seeing you eating and enjoy it made me feel better. Smith will be happy, too."
Julietta looked back and thanked the chef, Smith, who was waiting by the dining room. Thinking that she showed all the good manners needed, she went back to the point. "Your Highness, you can work in the Imperial Castle; why are you taking so many people and doing this in a small annex?"
Julietta sighed as she looked back at the annex, which was crowded with chef and escort knights.
"There’s still a bit less staff today."
Julietta realized that she could not see his usual companion, the Marquis of Oswald. "That’s right. I can’t see the Marquis of Oswald. I can’t even see Count Valerian."
She understood that Adam was not here since she had never heard of Adam except when he had visited the dressing shop once before; however, Oswald and Valerian were so close together that she had no choice but to question about them.
Killian answered her question with a smile. "Oswald went today to sign a new jewelry store, and Valerian is in the Imperial Castle."
It was because Francis was back today. Francis, who usually stayed in Diaby for more than a month, had returned earlier than expected, so Valerian had stayed in the Imperial Castle to try to figure out their movements.
Now Francis would reach out his dirty hands to Julietta. Killian was trying to figure out how to stop it.
"Whatever it is that the two are absent... why do you keep working in a separate house?"
Killian grinned as Julietta’s expression went into a sulk, looking down at the papers scattered on the table.
"There’s been a lot of gossip about my new girl these days. So I’m here to not disappoint them."
Julietta, who couldn’t grasp Killian’s meaning and believed everything just as told, got angry.
"Did you bring your new woman here? That’s an excuse. This is the home of Amelie and Sophie, you can’t go that far."
Killian raised both hands as if he was offended. "The princess, what are you thinking? What do you mean, ’that far?’"
"You told me you have a new woman, and you’re here to keep people from being disappointed. Even before, you said "a secret place, a private place," and I never thought you’d really use this place for that purpose. This is really big harm and excuse."
"The princess, that’s a misunderstanding. I don’t have a woman. I just used the Harrods’ mansion to hide my comings and goings here; that’s just a rumor."
Killian’s excuse softened Julietta’s expression. "Then why are you using Harrods’ mansion to come to this dressing shop?"
Killian breathed a sigh of relief and settled himself comfortably on the sofa again.
"I’m comfortable. I don’t have to be conscious of the eyes of people around me here. It’s also fun to come and see the princess getting into a tizzy."
Julietta shrugged her shoulders in embarrassment and looked askance at him. When Killian saw her habit, which he had not seen for a long time after she turned into a princess, he even got the giggles.
Julietta, who had never seen such a sight, was speechless for the first time. The Prince certainly looked more comfortable here than anywhere else.
Now that she had become a princess, she thought his status as a Prince must be very hard. She was so nervous that she couldn’t even eat properly in the mansion of the Duke.
Julietta had never seen the Prince crunching his sandwich in a comfortable way like before. If Albert had seen it, he would have fainted.
Seeing his legs crossed over the table and his relaxed appearance while looking at the documents, she suddenly felt sorry for him. If Killian had known what she thought of him, someone who had nothing to lack and nothing to fear in the world, he would have jumped to his feet.
"Construction will begin today, as soon as Oswald signs for the commercial building. He said he would go ahead with the plans drawn by the princess."
"He must have persuaded the club owner faster than expected. He would have needed more time to move the merchant association."
"I heard that Oswald had the virtuous old ladies put their letters into the government office. The contents were that they didn’t know there was such a shop in the middle of downtown, and they are wondering how the evil den could operate in the middle of the main street. If they didn’t leave, at the next political meeting they would be put on the agenda. The club would have been in a lot of trouble if an investigation was conducted by the government, given the fact that they put the store up for sale."
"The Marquis did a good job, as expected. He used a more solid pressure than the merchant association. Did you name the store?"
"Name? Usually, a shop is named after the owner’s name, but I can’t use my name in such a jewelry store, so I’m thinking of using the manager’s name for each store, or unifying it into Bertino Store."
Julietta remembered she had forgotten something at Killian’s words.
She briefly forgot that it was common here to use the owner’s name in this way: the Bertino Business Group, the Kiellini Tea Shop, the Dressing Shop of Madame Louai, the Grocery Store of Ramiz.
It seemed to him that because his name could not be used, he would use a naming method that would not help run the store.
"Your Highness, don’t get me wrong. The people of the Empire have great pride in the fact that Austern is the greatest Empire on the continent. They look down on the other Empire, Vicern, regarding them to be a lower grade."
"That’s right."
It was quite natural for the snobbish people of Vicern to come to Dublin to enjoy shopping or opera, as they showed a great improvement over other countries in terms of culture and entertainment.
That was why Killian’s own jewelry store would be set up in each country. He thought they would have an advantage in competition with other stores if foreigners could easily get Austern’s products in their own country.
"Those people of Austern will not feel the best in a store named Bertino, which is a province of the Empire."
When Killian’s eyebrows frowned, Julietta hurried on.
"Of course, it doesn’t matter if the shop you are going to open is just a regular grocery store or a blacksmith’s. But you’re opening a jewelry store for the top tier. In order to stimulate their consumer sentiment, you have to compete with better, more expensive, more beautiful things than others. But you can’t ignore the name of the jewelry store, either. It’s because there’s a brand value."
"A brand value?"
"Yes. The best costume shop in Austern is now Madame Louai’s. The name ’Madame Louai’ has value after proving itself to be the best."
Killian got stars in his eyes. He felt so clearly what Julietta was trying to say.
"Are you saying that the arrogant Austerian aristocrats or the wealthy are not going to use a shop named after Bertino or a manager who they think is inferior to them?"
"You’re quick to understand. That’s what I wanted to say."
"Then what should I do?" Killian nodded for her to tell him what she thought.
"I think you can name it some way that doesn’t have any connection to anyone or anywhere. It’s like the Chartreu Dressing Shop."
"Wasn’t Chartreu the name of that faceless Madame?"
Julietta glared at him at his sarcastic words. "No." In fact, it was named without deep thought, but that could not be said.
"I’m just saying so, why are you so angry? So, what name would you want my jewelry store to be?"
"I don’t think you need a meaning for it. I think a feminine name would be remembered more easily."
"I understand easy to remember, but does it need to be feminine?"