After the Duchess Benderfelt enjoyed the fragrant black tea, she spoke.
“It seems the response is very positive.”
Having taken a sip of the black tea, Duchess Benderfelt commented.
“Fortunately.”
Renév, with her flowing hair tucked behind her ear, added a spoonful of honey to her tea and stirred it.
“I expected a good result when I saw how thoroughly the young ladies were preparing, but to be honest, the outcome exceeded my expectations.”
Recently, there had been a significant increase in demand for goods produced in Reyna and Venistan in Paradisium. Due to the difficulty of supply keeping up with demand, the prices of goods had skyrocketed.
While the production volume remained unchanged, the increased prices were beneficial for Reyna and Venistan.
Not only Reyna and Venistan were benefiting from this.
Renév, recalling memories from before her return, found items that were relatively easy to obtain in Basker but were scarce and expensive in Paradisium.
Among them, the most competitive item was undoubtedly spices.
Spices could be obtained from fruits, seeds, flowers, and roots of plants, primarily found on the Eastern Continent.
The fastest route from Paradisium to the Eastern Continent was through Paradisium’s west, passing through Basker.
However, Paradisium’s west seemed to be blocked by Basker, making it necessary to pass through several countries or take a detour to the west and south.
Transportation was challenging, and consequently, prices were high.
Renév decided to take advantage of this.
She imported spices through Paradisium’s west and supplied them at a lower price than before.
“Luck was on my side.”
Renév said, placing the teaspoon back on the saucer.
“You’re humble. So, are you planning to monopolize the spice market in Paradisium?”
The observant Duchess Benderfelt asked cautiously.
Spending a few more months like this, Renév might indeed monopolize the supply of spices to Paradisium, overshadowing Basker.
With her gaze lowered to the red tea in the cup, Renév calmly responded.
“I simply wanted to protect my family.”
Not long ago, she received a letter.
「Lord Siren will soon receive orders to march south. When considering the typical reluctance of southern nobles to seek help from others, something feels ambiguous.」
The sender was not specified, but Renév quickly figured out who the letter came from.
「P.S. Consider the family’s debt repaid with this.」
As the initial “N” was written on the letter, it was apparent that the sender was the Empress of Paradisium.
In fact, there was no surprise since Lord Siren had already known about the expedition to the south through the letter sent by the Lord. The Empress would also not be unaware of this fact. It was appropriate to assume that there might be a trap. As soon as the news of Lord Siren’s expedition reached her, Icar also sent a reliable subordinate to the west of Paradisium to assess the situation.
Even if a situation similar to the one before her return occurred, it should be safe for the time being. However, that alone didn’t provide peace of mind. Therefore, Renév decided to act differently than before. She would remain loyal to the Empire and the Emperor but aimed to change the political landscape. She would build friendships not with Paradisium’s nobility but with the nobles of Reyna and Venistan, now part of the alliance.
“There’s nothing more precious than family. Your Majesty is also paying attention to this matter, so I believe Lord Siren will return safely.”
Duchess Benderfelt consoled Renév, nodding slowly as if understanding.
“Thank you, madam.”
As Renév briefly stared at the crackling firewood inside the fireplace, she soon warmed herself with a hot tea. The warm tea streaming down her throat made her stomach feel warm.
“By the way, are you planning to attend the founding ceremony of Paradisium soon?”
“I’ll be away for a few days, but I entrust matters to you in my absence.”
“Go without worries and take your time.”
“I’ll bring gifts.”
At Renév’s words, Duchess Benderfelt showed a touched expression. To Renév, who lacked a mother, Duchess Benderfelt became a reliable figure for emotional support. She shared information about the situation of Lord Siren’s family without hesitation. Icar’s thoughtful consideration for Renév, who had no mother, was evident.
Even in this moment, Renév’s thoughts naturally flowed towards Icar. After discussing a bit more about wedding preparations, Renév looked at the empty teacup and said.
“Now, shall we attend to the remaining tasks?”
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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