Chapter 24

"Let me explain the dyeing process. You want to dye silk, right, Bell?"

"Yes. Please use this thin silk."

Meira, with practiced hands, began pounding the bark she had brought from her hometown with a wooden mallet. After pounding it thoroughly and finely, she boiled it in a large pot. Once the dark red liquid was ready, she strained out the wood chips with a sieve and further filtered it with cotton. She then placed the pre-washed silk fabric into the pot.

"Turn the heat down low, but keep it from cooling, and stir slowly. Check if it's dyed properly before taking it out to wash."

Meira repeatedly lifted the fabric with a wooden stick to check the dyeing progress, then took it out and washed the silk multiple times, changing the water each time.

"After washing, soak it in a solution of alum to prevent the color from fading."

"Where did you get the alum?"

"I crush alum stone found in the mountains, boil it, and let the solution sit. The alum crystallizes over time, and I crush and powder it again. Alum stone is found in many places in the Federation."

"The Federation is truly a wealthy country."

"We don't have money, though."

When the silk was placed in the alum solution, the fabric's color became more vivid.

"Amazing. The color really changes."

"Soaking it in alum solution makes the color more vivid. If you use a solution of vinegar and rusted iron instead, it will turn a darker red."

"I'm learning. The process isn't that difficult, is it?"

"It's not difficult, but dyeing the same color every time takes experience. The weather and temperature can affect the final color. Do you want to dye it yourself, Bell?"

"No. Selling fabric without knowing the process lacks credibility. Having basic knowledge makes it easier to sell."

Dorote wondered who the young lady intended to sell the crimson silk to.

It must be the first step in a big plan, but she was eager to know the details of the sales target.

"Meira, can you keep the secret about the bark that dyes this crimson color?"

"Everyone in the deepest part already knows."

"No, keep it a secret from the Empire. If they find out, they might take all the bark at once. It takes years for trees to grow, and I want to avoid that. They might also demand that only those trees be planted, which would be disastrous. The beauty and value of this crimson color would diminish, and the beautiful forest would be damaged."

Meira tilted her head, not understanding.

"Is the forest beautiful? I can't really see it."

"You're used to it. To people living in the Empire, especially in the north, it's undoubtedly a paradise."

Meira frowned and said, "Is that so?"

"Can the dye be concentrated by boiling it down?"

"Yes, it can."

"Then I'll bring the concentrated solution and have an expert dye it according to the sample you made, Meira."

Meira tidied up the tools and said, "Can I go shopping? I got some pocket money from my brother."

She started fidgeting.

"Are you going to buy lacy underwear? I'll buy it for you, so use the money from your brother for something else."

"Wow! Thank you, Bell!"

They dried the dyed silk in the backyard, asked Dorote to watch the house, and went shopping on the main street with Diego. After a fun shopping trip, they returned home and picked up the dried silk.

"Beautiful. My intuition was right. It's a deep crimson, but it has a golden hue in certain light. I've never seen fabric like this. Thank you, Meira."

"Really? I see it all the time, so it doesn't feel special to me."

Bertine shook her head while staring at the fabric.

"This will definitely cause a stir. It will fetch a high price. Meira, can you keep this a secret from your brother?"

"Yes, I haven't told him. I only said I came to Ibith with you."

"I want to ensure a steady flow of money to the deepest part through this fabric."

"What? You're not making money, but the deepest part is?"

"I want both the deepest part and I to make money. Business can't continue if it doesn't benefit everyone. The people who collect the bark, grow the trees, transport them, dye the fabric, make dresses, and buy and wear them—all must be happy."

She remembered her mother's words and the smile on her face when she said them.

"Dresses must make everyone involved happy. A dress woven with someone's unhappiness won't make the wearer happy. My mother taught me this, and she learned it from her mother-in-law."

Her mother's family dealt in fabrics, dresses, and men's clothing, and both her grandparents and mother valued their employees and business partners.

Her mother's family often said, "Business is about making everyone happy," and sometimes faced criticism for being too idealistic.

But Bertine's father said,

"My father's marriage to Karina was arranged by their parents, but he was happy. He fell in love with her the first time they spoke, impressed by her upbringing."

On her mother's anniversary, he shared this with a gentle smile.

In the profit-driven Kingdom of Sanlouan, Bertine was proud of her mother's family's integrity and her father's admiration for it. She wanted to run a business like that.

However, an incident made her realize that not everyone shared her views.

It happened when Bertine and Dorote visited a well-established dyeing company.

The young manager, who had just taken over, insisted on knowing the dye formula as soon as he saw the silk Meira had dyed.

"I'm sorry, but that's a secret. Just dilute the concentrated solution three times and use it."

After much insistence, the manager finally backed off, but the next night, intruders entered their house.

Midnight.

"Miss, Miss!"

"What? What's wrong?"

Dorote's hushed voice woke Bertine up.

"There were suspicious noises. Diego went downstairs."

"Understood."

Bertine quickly put on her slippers and opened a long box she had brought from home. Inside was a rifle. She loaded ten bullets quickly into the side of the barrel, pushed the lever forward, and pulled it back to chamber a round. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the hallway.

Loud noises came from downstairs. Diego was fighting the intruders.

Bertine told Dorote to stay put, closed the door, and headed for the stairs. Dorote clasped her hands and prayed for Bertine's safety.

Standing at the top of the stairs, Bertine aimed at one of the two masked men and fired. The dry sound of the shot and the recoil made her wince slightly, but the bullet hit the intruder's shoulder. She quickly worked the lever to eject the spent cartridge and chambered another round.

The hit man fell to the floor, clutching his shoulder and screaming.

The other intruder, surprised by the sudden gunfire, tried to help his companion escape while still holding a knife to Diego.

Diego prioritized protecting Bertine and didn't chase after them, fearing there might be more accomplices.

The sound of gunfire woke the neighbors, causing a commotion. Diego shouted, "Guard! Guard!" in the official language to the gathered crowd.

"Miss! Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Dorote. I hope they've learned their lesson and won't try to break in again. Diego, are you hurt?"

"I have a minor scratch. Miss, your rifle skills are still sharp."

"Yes, I never thought my shooting practice would come in handy. It's really dangerous."

After explaining the situation to the guards, Diego stayed in the shop for the night as a precaution, while Bertine apologized to the neighbors and went back to bed.

While she slept, the news of the rare rifle used in the incident reached Cécilio through the guards.