Chapter 75

Chapter 75:  Acquisition of the Factory (5)

“We, we greet the Saint…!!”

The foremen immediately recognized one of the women before them as Istina.

A benevolent face and a kind smile.

On top of that, her white attire, symbolizing a pure heart, left a strong impression.

“It's nice to meet you, everyone.”

After receiving the greeting, they instinctively turned their gaze to Helena, who was just as striking as the Saint.

Then, they were shocked by the golden lion badge pinned to the uniform jacket draped over her shoulder.

In the Empire, the golden lion was a symbol of the Imperial Family.

“We, we greet Your Highness, the Princess…!!”

“Please call me the Grand Duke’s daughter Helena. I come from the Yekaterina family.”

The Western Grand Duke’s House.

Upon hearing that she was from one of only two Grand Duke’s Houses in the Empire, the workers' faces collectively hardened.

That meant the woman before them belonged to the very highest tier of the nobility.

“We, we greet the Grand Duke’s daughter…!!”

“May we ask what business someone so noble would have with us…?”

Helena, a Grand Duke by blood, gave them a warm smile.

True to her belief that a person's ability mattered more than their birth, she was very approachable, even toward commoners.

“Actually, I was just about to visit Luton Textiles myself—”

The young entrepreneur, Helena, naturally entered the conversation with a bright voice.

At that, the middle-aged men all exchanged confused looks.

“May we ask why someone from the Western Grand Duke’s House and the Saint would want to visit a Luton family factory…?”

Foreman Wang, in particular, looked quite wary.

Even as commoners, they were well aware that the two families were not on good terms.

However.

The suspicions of a mere low-level employee—

Were meaningless to women who commanded thousands.

“Hmm? Is the factory still owned by the Luton family?”

“Right? We heard that President Roger had taken over.”

When they mentioned they knew President Roger personally, the foremen looked even more stunned.

They had never imagined the hotel owner they had just rejected was acquainted with these women.

“Ah… That’s right, President Roger has taken over now.”

“Exactly? That’s good to hear—. We were just about to pay a visit ourselves. If it’s not a bother, would you like to return together?”

The foremen couldn’t answer for a moment.

Just moments ago, they had quit the factory on the spot.

“Um, but… may we dare ask what your relationship with President Roger is?”

As silence fell, the youngest foreman cautiously spoke on behalf of the others.

Then, Saint Istina gently pulled back the hood she had been wearing and spoke.

“We’re what you might call… quite ‘close.’”

Close with the Saint.

At that, the foreman involuntarily swallowed hard.

“We hold shares in President Roger’s Erian Foundation.”

“You could call us partners—and sponsors too.”

Helena, arms crossed alone, added with the elegant voice of a queen.

“President Roger is truly a good man. He’s such a noble brother that he even hosts charity parties for the poor.”

The Saint naturally gestured toward the banners hung at the hotel.

With a clear justification now presented, the foremen nodded, as if in agreement.

“It seems he’s trying a new business venture using Rumor fabrics. I saw potential in it and thought it worth investing in.”

Next, it was Helena’s turn.

She slightly lowered the black sunglasses she had been wearing and spoke.

“Besides, the clothes from Luton Textiles were of good quality. Unlike those made with modern machines, they hardly pilled, and the fabric was excellent.”

She was the Western Grand Duke’s daughter, someone who surely had never visited Luton Textiles.

And yet, she already knew the strengths of the garments made there.

Faced with such an unusual experience, the foremen slowly began to lower their guard.

However, among them, Chief Wang alone remained sharp and alert.

He deliberately spoke in a firm voice, calmly addressing the two women.

“If you wish, we can guide you there. But the thing is, we’ve already left the factory.”

“That’s right. We’re no longer employees of Luton Textiles.”

Apparently unaware of this, both the Saint and the Grand Duke’s daughter widened their eyes in surprise.

“Oh my, why is that?”

“Well… the Grand Duke’s House ordered us to transfer elsewhere.”

The middle-aged rider foreman politely explained the situation.

Upon hearing this, Istina fell briefly into deep thought…

And then, as if she had just found the weakness of a sly man, a mischievous smile formed on her lips.

“Well, that’s unfortunate. We had planned to offer various benefits since it’s the Erian Foundation’s first business enterprise.”

“Indeed. We had hoped to provide some help as well.”

Istina immediately grasped Helena’s intent and joined in on the offensive.

“May I ask… what kind of help exactly…?”

The youngest foreman, who had already been swayed by the factory owner’s words, asked carefully.

At that moment, the two predators seized the opportunity and began to speak gently.

“You’ll always be able to use the hospital supported by the Silver Truth Church at half the cost.”

Istina spoke first.

She was willing to provide access to various facilities related to her religious order.

“Of course, if you get injured while working at the factory, treatment would be free.”

An exceptional medical benefit.

Normally, commoners were pushed to the bottom of the priority list, but now they were offering discounts.

“Such a thing…”

Having worked at the factory for decades and suffered frequent injuries, they knew just how sweet this offer was.

Even Wang, who had remained stubborn until now, felt the corner of his eye twitch.

Still, wanting to maintain his loyalty as a proud member of the Grand Duke’s House, he pressed his lips tightly together.

But the next words from Helena finally made him open his mouth.

“We don’t offer any particular benefits for employees. However—”

Helena took off her sunglasses completely.

Then, blinking her beautiful blue eyes, she said,

“I often write letters of recommendation so that employees can conveniently access various facilities.”

As if it were the most natural thing in the world.

A letter of recommendation.

That too—a handwritten letter by the eldest daughter of the Western Grand Duke’s House.

It was the very pinnacle of the sense of belonging that Wang had held so proudly.

Even as a commoner, receiving a recommendation from someone of that status…

It would allow them access not only to the academy but to many other facilities throughout the Empire.

“You all have strange expressions. In the West, we usually write those letters without even being asked.”

Even the Grand Duke’s House had never written recommendation letters before.

Honestly, Luton Textiles had been the least favored among Freya’s businesses.

Still, what allowed them to endure was the sense of loyalty to the Grand Duke’s House.

But now, hearing that they could receive a much higher level of recognition in the Western Empire…

Even Wang’s resolve began to collapse.

“Then… are you saying that all the employees who stay at Luton Textiles will receive such privileges…?”

“Well, of course. Doesn’t the Luton Grand Duke’s House do the same?”

Helena tilted her head casually.

Her attitude, as if such benefits were perfectly natural, deeply shook the foremen.

“What a shame. Everyone from our Western Grand Duke’s House attends private academies that way.”

Even if he stayed focused on factory work—

As a father, he still wanted to at least let his children pick up a pen in comfort.

Helena, clever as ever, understood that kind of fatherly heart perfectly.

“President Roger asked me to make sure his employees could receive the same treatment. It’s unfortunate.”

“Truly unfortunate.”

Wang let out a long sigh as he watched the two heavyweights speak so leisurely.

Even though they treated him kindly, he had always doubted whether nobles could truly understand the discrimination that commoners faced.

But now, seeing that they had grasped it all—and were offering access to noble facilities.

That they wouldn’t hesitate to provide medical support for injured workers, and would help them return to their jobs.

“I was wrong…”

As the most senior among the foremen, Wang felt a pang of guilt at the thought that his loyalty might cause his juniors to miss out on such generous benefits.

And the image of his children attending private academies flashed through his mind.

“You all…”

Wang turned his head and looked at the junior foremen.

Then, as if everyone had been thinking the same thing, they all nodded in unison.

“Yes, Chief…”

“It seems it’s time to change our minds.”

They exchanged glances, then swallowed hard.

Then, the ever-stubborn Wang finally opened his mouth first.

“We will…”

The moment his trembling voice came out, both predators immediately pricked up their ears.

Wang steadied his tone with effort and spoke with confidence.

“We will guide you.”

Helena smiled faintly at the change in the foremen.

But then, returning to the eyes of a cold ruler, she shook her head.

“No, it wouldn’t be right to ask for guidance from those who have decided to leave.”

“No, that’s not it…!! We haven’t accepted the transfer request yet!!”

Wang hastily added, and the Saint subtly chimed in as well.

“If it’s because of us, don’t worry. The factory’s nearby—we’ll find our way.”

“N-no! We’re staying at Luton Textiles!! That’s why we want to escort you ourselves…!!”

Seeing how compliant they had become, the two women exchanged amused, knowing glances.

As if they had finally been thanked by the very man they had set their sights on as prey.

Supporting worker benefits could require a considerable amount of money.

However, for figures of their stature in the Empire, such support was merely pocket change.

If anything, helping the factory—of which they held shares—would bring them far greater profits in return.

And gradually, they could secure the resting place of a man who would soon be nestled comfortably in their fox’s den.

“Let’s go. We’ll guide you there!!”

The foremen rushed to take the lead.

The two predators, having lured in their small prey, clasped their hands leisurely behind their backs.

“Fufu… Please ride in our carriage. It’ll be faster that way.”

「――――――」

And that was how the foremen returned to the factory.

“So… where exactly are the Saint and the Western Grand Duke’s daughter now?”

When I asked in disbelief, the middle-aged men all shook their heads at once—

Just like squirrels already tamed by predators.

“Well… they dropped us off at the factory and said something urgent had come up.”

“Yes, they said they would come again another time…”

‘So that was the goal all along.’

They left me in their debt, and then simply went back.

Probably worried I’d try to repay the favor with something subtle and evasive again.

‘Everyone’s getting better and better at scheming these days…’

Still, there’s no reason to refuse help already given.

If the foremen had returned, the work pace and adaptation to the new Rumor fabric tech would quickly fall into place.

“In any case, I’m truly grateful you came back. The benefits the two ladies offered are surely real, so I hope you can work with peace of mind.”

I responded to the returning family men with a gentle smile.

All of them bowed their heads to me in gratitude.

Among them, Wang approached on shaky legs and held my hands tightly in both of his.

“I… I truly didn’t know that the president cared this much about us workers…”

I shook hands energetically with the emotional elder.

Tears welled in his eyes as he shed the weight of the past and pledged his loyalty.

“I will dedicate myself as if starting anew from my first day as a rookie…!!”

“We will too, President!!”

I raised a hand to stop them, telling the younger ones not to bow so deeply anymore.

After that, I politely led them into the factory.

It was the moment Luton Textiles was absorbed into Erian Textiles without any loss of labor.

Thanks to that, just a few days later, I was able to receive the newly announced Rumor textile technology from the Imperial Research Institute—proudly, and without issue.

The implemented technology stabilized quickly, thanks to the foremen’s skilled hands…

And Erian Textiles, now armed with sophistication as its weapon, began rising rapidly as the dark horse of the industry.

「Erian Roger.」

It was the beginning of a business that would bring innovation to the clothing market.

“……”

However.

It’s far too early to be satisfied.

Though it helped me grow, there still remained the chain that could one day become a ticking time bomb—

The secretary position under the Grand Duke’s House.

Now, it’s time to finally break that chain for good.

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