Chapter 17

"Immediately after sending the products to my mother, it seems she took a great liking to them and advertised them everywhere. As a result, not only among the nobility, but even among the common people, despite the somewhat high price, the products have begun to establish a popular position. ... Really, my mother is a master at advertising. Secretly, I call her the Chief of Advertising in my mind.

Of course, as the scale of the trading company expands, my workload naturally increases. I am gradually increasing the number of employees and giving them as much authority as possible, but since everything has been in operation for less than a year, I still need to be directly involved. ... I must take care of my health.

"… Miss Iris"

"Oh, Sebastian. What is it? I thought our meeting was scheduled for the afternoon?"

"However, I have received word that the lady will be returning this afternoon..."

"Eh? Mother? She didn't mention anything about that in her last letter..."

"Regardless, please give your instructions."

"R-right. First, have the servants clean the entrance, the dining room, and Mother's room. They are usually clean, but we should do it again. Then, change the flowers at the entrance. Let's use the same roses as the ones I gave you the other day. Also, for the dessert, I want to serve the new product, fondant chocolate. Please plan the menu to complement it. Since the fondant chocolate is rich, a slightly lighter dish would be better."

"Understood."

"Also, let's serve herbal tea. For the details, ask the team from the Azuta Trading Company's café line."

Incidentally, the café line is a new name. Previously, we had the noble line and the commoner line, but I thought those names weren't very good. We have also started opening cafés that can be visited by the wealthy and nobility. Therefore, we now have the chocolate line and the confectionery line.

Oh, but the noble line still exists. They love special treatment. When we made it a membership system, the requests to become members were overwhelming. It's a happy problem.

Becoming a member means gaining the right to visit the dedicated stores in the capital and the provincial capitals. There, they can see all the products handled by our trading company. This includes not only confectionery but also the beauty products we recently started selling. The best-selling beauty products are original serums with preferred fragrances. We also offer custom confectionery, and there is a separate booth for a café where customers can enjoy the products on the spot.

... But more importantly, if Mother is coming, I need to clear my schedule. I return to myself and check the schedule. Recently, Tanya has become my secretary, and I am truly grateful.

And somehow, I adjust the schedule to wait for Mother's return. To be honest, I'm sorry... everyone. I feel really bad about the extra burden on everyone, so I will handle some minor tasks until I receive the notification of her arrival. Like checking the numbers.

"The lady has arrived."

"Thank you, Sebastian."

I head to the entrance immediately. Oh, the hallway is shining even more than usual.

"Welcome back, Lady."

I greet Mother along with the main servants.

"Welcome back, Mother."

The door opens, and a woman with platinum hair, a beauty of the world, appears. Oh, my mother is truly beautiful... My mother, known as the belle of the social scene, is still an admired figure among the nobility and has significant influence in the social world. ... That's why she is the best person to be the Chief of Advertising for the Azuta Trading Company.

"I just got back. Sorry for the sudden visit, Iris."

Her personality is gentle. She talks like this to the family, but of course, she is completely different outside. After all, she is known as the belle of the social scene... a perfect noblewoman.

"No, I'm happy to see you again, Mother."

"Oh, you're so sweet. But, I couldn't talk much when you came here, so I'm really happy."

"But, is it okay? It's still the season, isn't it?"

"It's fine. All the official events are over, and I've informed my close friends... Oh, by the way, I received an invitation to a tea party from the wife of the Knight Captain, but I don't plan to go."

... I think, "Mother, you're amazing..." but I don't say it out loud. I'm sure the people at the Knight Captain's house are turning pale right now... I think.

After all, the status of an event changes depending on whether Mother attends or not. I can't help but think, "Is it really that much?" but it's true. The status of an event hosted by a family changes based on the people they can gather. The difference is significant when Mother attends or not.

Even if she attends, the organizers are on edge about when Mother will leave. If she leaves too early, it reflects poorly on the host. Social events and tea parties are a test of the hostess's ability... even royal events, if not official, are a test of the queen's ability. Just attending is not considered rude.

Truly, Mother is a cheat just by existing.

... But, I must admit, I have a bad character for thinking, "Serves them right, Drossen." But I don't feel guilty at all.

Thank you for pointing out the typos. I have corrected them immediately.

I am very grateful for your feedback.

I know I still have many areas to improve, but I hope you will continue to support me."