Chapter 50

Today, Bertine is visiting the shipyard introduced to her by Cecil.

She chose a shipbuilder from the Allied States, not an imperial one, from the list of several options. This is because Bertine believes that "small accumulations can enrich a country."

The current boats are not designed with women in mind, but she thinks this is not acceptable. One day, women like herself might use boats to travel within the country. She doesn't want the design of the boats to stifle the potential of such women. Not all women in society are as tough as she is.

If the hotel business goes well, she might expand it. The river boats might not be enough with just one. It would be better to get the shipbuilder accustomed to building river boats that are easy for nobles and women to use from now.

At the shipyard she visited, all the men were working up a sweat.

A man who seemed to be the foreman approached the table, wiping his sweat, took the list, and read it, then made a pitiful face.

"A boat for nobles? You want me to build it? I can't do it, I don't know how."

"I'll teach you. First, there's a list of conditions necessary for a boat to carry nobles. Please read it."

A man in his forties named Chui read the list carefully and looked puzzled.

Chui, with his chin beard, stroked his chin and muttered.

"Do you really have to divide it into so many private rooms? It will be cramped and stuffy. And with this, you can't carry many people at once."

"That's not the point. Besides the crew, only nobles and their servants will ride. It's not a public boat."

"Really? A chartered boat? Such a luxury?"

"Luxury is part of the enjoyment of travel."

"Would a two-story boat be okay? Then the nobles can have the spacious upper deck, and the servants can have the spacious lower deck. The ventilation would be better, and it can get very hot in the south at certain times."

"Great! A two-story river boat. I'll leave it to you."

"What about the interior?"

"Please let me know when you have a rough idea. By then, I'll have selected some options for the interior and furniture."

"Alright, I got it. I'll give it a try."

The preparations are progressing steadily.

Eckart keeps in touch frequently, writing things like "The foundation of the construction site is fine," "Emu stew is delicious," and "Why do Evans' parents treat that big guy so overprotectively?" She can't help but laugh while reading them.

She once asked, "What kind of exterior will the hotel have?" but Evans replied, "It's a surprise!"

(Does an owner ever let the project proceed without knowing the exterior of their own hotel?) she thought, but (since Mr. Eckart, the expert, is involved, it's probably fine) she decided.

Bertine likes all the buildings Evans designs.

After a while, Chui contacted her, saying the design for the river boat was ready.

She was surprised when she saw it.

"Amazing! Chui, you really get it!"

"I tried to incorporate all the luxuries I could think of. I put in everything I would want if I had the money."

Proudly, the river boat in the drawing was indeed luxurious.

The second floor had two rooms, with large, open windows and ventilation windows to let in the river breeze. There was a narrow balcony that circled the second floor, and the guest rooms had shades that could be pulled down from the ceiling to block the view of the bed. The simple bathroom facilities were also well-designed and flawless.

The first floor was a large room like before, but it also had large windows and a small bar counter. The long benches along the walls looked comfortable and also served as storage.

He said they would store life jackets and hammocks for the number of passengers.

"Great! I think it's really good. It's not cluttered and looks elegant and clean."

"Clutter can cause injuries if the boat rocks."

"Ah, I see. What's that decoration on the bow?"

"It's the angel Beren. It's said to protect the safety of the boat."

The angel on the bow was looking forward, with its wings slightly spread and its arms crossed in front of its chest.

"Have you decided on the interior?"

"I'm thinking of using this fabric for the wallpaper."

Bertine showed him a white rose-patterned fabric that her mother liked.

"Are you going to cover the whole thing with such good fabric? Miss, you must be very wealthy."

"Somewhat."

She laughed, but in truth, she currently has an incredible income.

The preserves, hiri, and crimson fabric continue to generate profits like an inexhaustible spring, even after paying a share to the local and national authorities. If she didn't spend money on the hotel and boats, she could have lived a life of leisure forever.

However, Bertine's current lifestyle is much simpler than her previous luxurious one. She wears plain, easy-to-move dresses and lives without accessories that would be a bother when she sweats. Still, she finds her life more enjoyable now than when she was surrounded by luxury.

Besides, no matter how much money one earns, one can't take a single copper coin to the afterlife. Spending money for work benefits others. That's fine.

"Ah, right, Miss, can you make the furniture as rounded as possible? I don't want the guests to get hurt."

"Yes, I tried to choose such items, but could you check them? I want an expert's opinion."

Chui smiled gently.

"What? What is it?"

"I just thought, there are nobles like you. You don't mind my casual attire and speech, and you even want to hear my opinion."

"There's no difference between nobles and commoners in front of an expert, right?"

"No, most nobles just say, 'Do as I say.'"

This time, it was Bertine's turn to laugh.

"I'd want to tell such a customer, 'Wash your face and come back!'"

"You could do that if you had a mountain of gold, but I have to bow and smile to feed my wife and children and clothe them in decent clothes. And I'll do the best job I can."

Listening to him, she felt a bit like crying.

(I envy Chui's wife) she thought. Then she immediately reminded herself (No, no, I shouldn't envy others).

"Then, I'll bring the furniture samples tomorrow for you to look at."

She left the shipyard with a smile.

As she was about to get into the carriage, a young woman in her twenties ran up. She stopped and bowed, panting.

"Thank you for giving my father such good work. He's very excited and enthusiastic about building a boat for a noble."

(Oh, a good father raises a good child) she felt a warm feeling in her chest.

"I should be the one to thank you. Your father is a wonderful shipbuilder who always thinks of his customers first."

The young woman's face lit up with joy.

Even as the carriage started moving, the young woman kept waving.

That night, she wrote to her father, first about Lord Cecil's plan to bring down the Sanlois royal family and make Prince Claudius the king, and the Allied States' intention to support and assist in this. She also wrote about the hotel, Eckart, and how Evans had helped the head of the translation agency. The letter was more chatty than usual because she had seen the father and daughter that day. She thought her father, who lives with a wife he doesn't connect with, might be lonely.

Perhaps because she was drinking wine while writing, she ended up writing, "I don't think I want to get married, but I would like to have and raise a child," about the shipbuilder and his daughter.

It was a purely innocent thought, but when the marquis read it later, he felt sorry for Bertine and shed tears.

"I want to somehow make sure Bertine has a happy marriage..."

His daughter, who had given up on marriage twice because of him.

He had given her business knowledge, but he never imagined she would become such a great success. The simple wish of his successful daughter to "have and raise a child" pierced his heart.

He read the part about Sanlois several times.

"The Allied States also intended to make Prince Claudius the king, not just the empire. This is almost divine intervention."

The plan would likely succeed. But there's always a chance of something going wrong.

His role was to ensure that the plan was not discovered beforehand and to smooth the way for its success, making sure to lay the groundwork with both the elders and the young nobles. He resolved to keep this in mind.