Chapter 46

When it was announced that the merchant had arrived, the man who had been kneeling down followed the maid's announcement.

This man was someone I recognized, and I wanted to greet him, but I would do so later.

Even if it was an informal and frank setting, it was a place where royalty was present, so I couldn't be too casual! After all, I was at work!

"Here, Princess. This is Roberto, a merchant I am acquainted with. He is quite good at introducing fine goods."

"Oh, Marquis? That's reassuring! I can rely on you!"

Perhaps she perceived this as a semi-official setting because the Marquis called her "Princess."

"Roberto Jenda. That is his name, and he is the head of the Jenda Trading Company."

"…Eh…?"

Princess Primera, who was introduced to the merchant, turned around to look at me, still in shock.

Hmm, it was worth it to think with the Marquis. So, I just stood there with a cool expression.

It wouldn't be appropriate to make a grand scene of a grandfather and granddaughter meeting, even if it was the Marquis. There are lines that shouldn't be crossed.

However, introducing a merchant he was acquainted with to a guest was not a problem.

After all, if a guest wanted something and consulted the host, the host would call a merchant for the guest. That's all there was to it.

"Huh, but, um, Yuria? This person… this person is my uncle."

"Princess, thanks to the Marquis's kindness, I have brought several samples of pen holders. Would you like to take a look?"

"Yuria…?"

"Head of the Jenda Trading Company, may I see the items?"

"Yes."

The old man, still with his head bowed, responded clearly.

I didn't know how the Marquis had explained to the head of the Jenda Trading Company to get him here, but I could tell that he was unusually tense, kneeling before them with his head down.

I think this was probably just my selfish whim.

An old man who wanted to meet his granddaughter and a girl who was a little curious about her real grandfather.

I wanted them to meet at least once.

In the end, they couldn't really connect as grandfather and granddaughter, so it might have been an incomplete meeting.

I thought that might be the case, but there was no right answer, and it was my own decision.

"…May I bring them to you?"

"Um, yes, please, Yuria. …And, Head, please raise your head, …"

"Yes. The Princess has given her permission, so please raise your head."

"Thank you, I am honored…"

The atmosphere was a bit heavy.

However, when the head raised his head, I felt relieved inside.

His eyes were a bit moist, and his expression was calm. The way he looked at Princess Primera… perhaps he was remembering the young concubine from long ago.

I opened the box of goods I received from the head and placed it in front of them.

I had never seen a trunk like this before… it must be a custom-made item.

It must be good for displaying goods this way.

He must have only brought high-quality pen holders. In the velvet-lined drawers, the top drawer was wood, the middle drawer was stone, and the bottom drawer was glass pens.

I usually use a metal dip pen, but I use a type where the shaft is metal and the quill is a decorative attachment (the quill part can be changed, so you can use different colors depending on your mood, a stylish item!).

But these glass pens! I thought they were really nice. But they must be expensive, right?

Of course, the price wouldn't be mentioned in this setting.

"This is nice, I'll have this delivered. Hehehe."

That's how it works in the upper class.

Of course, payment would be made without any issues. Knowing the price is the duty of the servants, and the financial officers would consult the contents of the household's wallet and figure out how to manage it in the future.

In Princess Primera's case, it would be within the budget allocated to the Princess's palace from the national treasury.

She doesn't spend too much, so there should be enough money.

Actually, the current queen favors frugality, so the financial officers are stricter than in the previous generation.

But these glass pens are really nice… they come in various colors…

Oh, the blue one is beautiful. The green one is also hard to pass up… the standard ones are nice too, but wow, the designs on the ends of the shafts are intricate… the gemstone shafts are also amazing… this one is captivating! Is it gold leaf? How do they do it…

"How about it, Princess? I also use glass pens. Roberto has a skilled glassmaker among his acquaintances who can make such items. If you have any requests, custom orders are of course possible, and you can choose the color."

"Beautiful… don't you think so, Yuria?"

"Yes, very much so."

Princess Primera's eyes were sparkling.

Right, they are really beautiful. Glass pens can be used for a long time unlike dip pens that wear out and need to be thrown away. The head explained this to the Marquis.

Moreover, they can be cleaned with just water. Amazing…

"I want a more vivid blue color. A color like a clear summer sky. It's a gift. Is it possible?"

"Of course, I will instruct the craftsman to make it quickly."

"Thank you, Head of the Jenda Trading Company, Roberto…"

"You are too kind."

I don't know what this encounter meant to the two of them.

But it seems it didn't turn out badly.

Princess Primera's expression was a bit stiff, but I think she was unsure of what to do.

I didn't expect her to be overjoyed, but I thought she might be happy, and the Marquis also seemed a bit puzzled.

No, Princess Primera, I think you are probably happy.

Happy, but you can't acknowledge him as your grandfather due to your status, and you feel the loneliness of not being called a granddaughter. Various emotions must have mixed together.

But as a wise princess who thinks ahead, you did well, Princess Primera!!

"Then, I will have the items delivered to the Princess's palace."

"…Yes, have the head deliver them himself. Understood, Yuria?"

"Of course."

Princess Primera's words meant she wanted to see him again.

She had said she wanted to meet him before… the head just bowed silently.

The head of the Jenda Trading Company lives a bit far from this domain, so I wanted to thank him for coming, but I couldn't leave Princess Primera's side.

As I saw him off from the room, I whispered, "Thank you for coming today," and he smiled with his usual kind face and said, "It's all good, the relationship between me, the young lady, and that man. …Rather, thank you," and left.

…It was my whim, but I felt it wasn't a bad result.

Actually, I just realized that his name was Roberto.

I had always called him "head" and had completely forgotten!

Thus, Princess Primera's and our summer retreat came to an end.

This concludes the summer retreat chapter!

Next, I want to return to the royal castle life, including some other perspectives!

And I want to update every 3 to 4 days.