“Very well, my lady. Let’s do it,” he agreed, sealing the deal.
Sadie quickly pulled out a contract, eager to finalize the transaction before Eliana could change her mind. Although Eliana didn’t hand over the ruby immediately, Sadie agreed to the deal on credit, offering her an advance of one-tenth of the total sum.

A shop assistant escorted Eliana to the entrance with great courtesy. Eliana handed the heavy bag of gold coins to her maid, Mila.

“My lady, what is this? It’s so heavy!” Mila exclaimed, her arms dropping under the unexpected weight. Russell rushed over to help her carry it.

‘A nice windfall,’ Eliana thought with a lightness in her step. She had predicted this outcome, but it still brought her joy.

“Let’s head to the carriage. We have another stop to make,” she instructed.

Eliana wasn’t planning to return to her estate just yet.

‘It should be around here… Ah, there it is.’

She made her way to Gerard Durnell’s office in the heart of the city. He would later become a renowned investor, famed for his Midas touch. Though not yet famous, in the future he would be swarmed with requests from nobles eager to have him grow their fortunes.

“Thank you for visiting my office,” Gerard greeted as she entered. He was a tall, lean man with a somewhat stern expression.

“I didn’t make an appointment, but I’d like to get some investment advice.”

“Of course, you’re in luck. I have no prior engagements at the moment. Please, take a seat.”

Gerard looked slightly embarrassed as he gestured to the modest interior. His office was small, with only a desk, a few chairs, and a couple of sofas. But the mountain of paperwork spread across the desk made it clear how busy he was.

“You’re Lady Eliana Leiberte, correct?” Gerard said, recognizing her without introduction.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, my lady. May I ask what brings you to my office?” he inquired, his surprise evident. After all, he wasn’t yet the top investor he would one day become.

Gerard wondered why someone from the Leiberte family wouldn’t go to a more established expert.

“I heard this office provides excellent service, so I decided to check it out,” Eliana replied.

“Well, I’m glad you did,” Gerard said, quickly grabbing one of the many stacks of papers on his desk. They detailed a variety of investment opportunities.

‘Jewels, perfumes, land… quite a range,’ Eliana thought as she skimmed the documents. The reports were neatly organized, listing potential factors for both value increases and declines.

“If anything catches your eye, feel free to let me know. If not, I’d be happy to recommend some options with strong prospects.”

Gerard’s recommendations were typically reliable, but none of the options in his files matched what Eliana was looking for. Not that she expected them to.

“Looks like some decent options,” she remarked.

“I’ve carefully selected these for high returns on investment. You won’t regret it.”

Eliana closed the file. “Actually, I’m interested in investing in the Osar mine.”

“The Osar… mine?” Gerard’s brow furrowed at the mention of the name.

“Of course, it’s a planned development site, and has been for quite a while now. But…” Gerard trailed off, though Eliana already knew what he was going to say.

The Osar mine was in a good location, right next to the Calix estate. However, the road leading to the mine was blocked by dense brush and low hills, making access difficult. As a result, the initial investment required was high. With no certainty that the mine would be profitable, most nobles had shifted their interest elsewhere.

Sure, if someone invested heavily, they could start development, but for now, it was at a standstill.

“But what?” Eliana asked.

Gerard assumed Eliana wasn’t fully aware of the situation with the Osar mine. ‘If she knew, she wouldn’t be interested in investing there,’ he thought.

Gerard began explaining the many drawbacks of the mine, essentially listing out all its faults.

“The entrance is difficult to access, and talks of starting development have been going on for over a decade without any progress. It could remain that way for a long time. If you’re interested in mining investments, I have several other sites analyzed here that might be more promising,” Gerard suggested, trying to steer her away from Osar.
“Anyway, you’re saying that the Osar mine can start development as soon as an investor steps in? If the entry issue is resolved, that is,” Eliana said, a smile playing on her lips. Despite Gerard’s extensive explanation of the drawbacks, she seemed as interested as ever.

“Well, yes, but there could be difficulties right from the start. That’s why many consider it a risky investment and have backed away,” Gerard warned again, sensing that Eliana might not fully grasp the risks involved.

“That actually makes it more appealing,” she replied.

“Excuse me?”

Gerard was taken aback.

“It’s precisely because it’s considered risky that no one has made a move, right? Then I’ll be the first.”

“You might end up needing much more capital than anticipated.”

“The idea of starting a mine with a small investment doesn’t make sense in the first place,” Eliana said with a shrug.

“I’m ready to invest enough to get things going right away,” she declared.

Despite Gerard’s attempts to dissuade her, Eliana seemed ready to sign on the spot, with no apparent concern for the potential risks. It wasn’t uncommon for investors to only see the golden prospects at the beginning.

‘It’s human nature to focus on the positives,’ Gerard thought. Although he would earn his commission from helping her invest, he genuinely didn’t want his client to suffer a huge loss. It wouldn’t bode well for the future of his office either. He decided to offer one last piece of advice.

“Since the risks are high, I recommend proceeding cautiously.”

Gerard’s sincerity was evident, and Eliana appreciated his concern. Before coming here, she had considered visiting a few more investment experts.

Although she started with Gerard, she had planned to check out other offices as well.

‘He could have taken advantage of me, assuming I didn’t know better. He’s an honest man. I’ve come to the right place—no need to look elsewhere.’

Eliana admired Gerard’s integrity.

‘Thanks for your concern, but failure isn’t part of my plan,’ she thought.

There was no reason to hesitate.

“I’ll invest in two areas today. One is the Osar mine, and the other…” She pointed to a marked section on one of the papers Gerard had presented earlier.

“The spices imported from the Kingdom of Pifo.”

Those spices were a product Gerard himself had been keeping an eye on.

“You have a good eye, my lady. That was one of my top recommendations.”

“I’m glad we’re in agreement,” Eliana said, smiling.

“I’ll put down an advance, so please proceed immediately.”

‘The owner of the land where the Osar mine is located will be thrilled to hear this news,’ Gerard thought. The landowner had become rather disheartened after such a long period of inactivity in the mine’s development.

With that, the contract for the spice investment was drawn up. Eliana confidently signed off on a sizable amount.

‘Is she a novice, or has some insider information been circulating among the nobility?’ Gerard wondered. It was well-known that exclusive information often made the rounds through the noble’s intelligence guilds. Gerard’s job was to sift through such rumors and find the valuable ones.

However, there was no need for that now—Eliana seemed like someone who had already made up her mind long ago. Whether it was the former or the latter, Gerard’s role now was to ensure she made the most profit possible.

***

On a different day, Duke Vartica was staring out the window for an unusually long time. His butler, Lamot, found this behavior curious, as it was quite unlike Calix.

‘What could he be looking at outside?’ Lamot adjusted his round glasses, squinting to see if anything was out there. But there was nothing—just the usual garden view.

“Your Grace, is there someone outside?” Lamot asked.

Calix turned away from the window, brushing back his disheveled hair.

“Of course not.”

“Then why were you looking outside for so long?” Lamot inquired.

“Lamot.”

“Yes, My Lord?”

“I want the garden to be renovated.”

It had been a long time since the word “garden” had left Duke Calix’s lips. It was almost as if he had forgotten it existed, given how focused he was on managing his estate.

“The garden, My Lord?”

Lamot, who had served the family since the time of the previous duke, repeated the word, unsure if he had heard correctly.

“Yes. I want it to look beautiful… Put some real effort into it.”

“Beautiful, My Lord?”