This is an emergency.
Although the exact details are unclear, it seems that Yenika Faelover has made 'considerable' progress with Ed Rothtaylor.
For Lortelle Keheln, there is no way to know the extent of this, but it is clear that she cannot just stand by and do nothing.
Then, some drastic measures must be considered… though there was no particularly impressive method at hand.
Not that it's her place to say, but Ed Rothtaylor is a terrible worry.
He never procrastinates, always handles matters smoothly, and because he always designs his life proactively, he never falls for flattery or trickery.
If Ed Rothtaylor fell for Yenika Faelover so easily, what kind of tactics did she use?
Pressing her eyebrows together in thought, Lortelle eventually sharpened her gaze with determination.
After the break, Ed would leave to teach the students on Acken. Now was the time to play her hand before then.
Moreover, Ed's help was urgently needed.
* * *
"Slog Keldrux?"
Ed Rothtaylor and Yenika Faelover had returned from a long journey, and a notable guest, Lortelle, was visiting.
Tanya had prepared a luxurious banquet. Alongside the opulent banquet table, the retainers of the Rothtaylor family and the company employees who came with Lortelle were enjoying sumptuous dishes.
Meanwhile, Lortelle came next to Ed and spoke earnestly.
"Yes, he's my father's loyal servant, the Golden King Elte Keheln, who has been by his side for over 20 years, and is now the current president of Elte Commerce."
"When it's time to take over the presidency, I'll need to tell him to prepare to step down."
"Yes, correct. But this old man is more ambitious than you think. Although the original agreement was for me to reclaim the president's position, it's obvious he's not too keen on following through."
With that, Lortelle lightly added as if it was no big deal,
"He'll betray me sooner or later."
In the complex world of commerce, betrayal is as natural as breathing.
Even the betrayal of a close confidant, who worked together for decades, barely scratches Lortelle's heart.
"When I step up to the presidential position, I'll practically have to stop handling the daily operations. It's physically impossible. That's why I was planning to finish all the work at hand, but he couldn't wait and has already started making other plans."
…
"You know what I told you when Durin betrayed me. If every time a decades-old employee stabs me in the back, and I let it affect me emotionally, I wouldn't survive here."
Her splendid dress and neatly combed reddish-brown hair showed a life of radiance that many envied; yet there was an impenetrable darkness lurking beneath.
"Colleague merchants are just stepping stones to be crossed over. If they think that way about me, I have no reason to treat them differently."
"If that's what you believe, I have nothing else to say."
"I just need you not to betray me. That won't happen, of course."
The words, offered with a light smile, contained a peculiar weight.
"The psychology of those who seize positions through betrayal is predictable. They can't trust others, so they betray again, always suspicious, and slowly wear themselves down, consumed by doubt."
Setting down her glass on the table and continuing with a demure smile, Lortelle added quietly,
"To answer before you ask, it's from experience."
"I didn't even plan to ask."
"Your consideration is touching, but I'm past the point of getting hurt by such things. So, senior Ed, to get to the point… This fellow named Slog is quite difficult to deal with due to his extensive experience."
An old fox. The fact that Lortelle personally referred to him in such a way said a lot about his cunning and perceptiveness.
To have survived over 20 years in the vicious world of Oldec meant a lot.
"I'm still holding back from stepping up as president to deal with the current affairs, but as soon as I start moving in earnest, he'll try to overthrow me."
"How exactly?"
"Legitimacy."
Lortelle then showed a slight tilt of her palms and spoke with a sly tone,
"The balance scales of Elte Commerce always maintain equilibrium."
That phrase, always said whenever she brazenly exposed her own hypocrisy, was perhaps a catchphrase of Elte Commerce.
"If the downfall of Deputy President Lortelle Keheln is orchestrated, then they'll need to find a legitimate reason for it."
"Like when Elte Keheln was forced out?"
The previous president, who had wiped the slate clean by throwing out a jumble of responsibility accusations for poor sales of drum fish species, under-performance, and even suspicions of accounting fraud.
Now the metaphorical dagger was heading towards Lortelle.
"But… almost 20 years as colleague merchants. We both somewhat understand the scheming and collusion that goes on."
"Even after knowing each other for so long, to lack trust… Merchants really do live tiring lives."
"Really, exactly that. The longer you know each other, the scarier it is. Being internal foes, they understand my tactics too well."
Lortelle glanced around to ensure no eavesdroppers before continuing in a lower voice,
"So, they'll try to hit me where I'm unprepared. They'll check every aspect, but they'll find something unexpected. He's no easy opponent."
"I've never seen you so wary before. You're usually so composed, even in front of princesses."
"If you fall into the illusion that you've thoroughly controlled every variable, you're done for. To survive in this field, one must always be cautious."
As Lortelle's trusted deputy, Slog had always been reliable.
"It's possible he's aiming for such a role."
"Why don't you find something on Slog first and fire him?"
Even as he said that, he somewhat realized it was a futile suggestion.
"He's really good at his job. With strong performance and management skills, he leaves no grounds to be caught. If I force him out without good reason…"
"… Then that becomes a just cause for Slog to legitimately retaliate."
"Yes. In this fight for legitimacy, the one who forces the issue first tends to lose. It's not as simple as when I ousted Durin – Slog is a bigger player."
Slog on the offensive, Lortelle on defense.
That was what it meant to hold the position.
"The best strategy would be to intentionally give him an opportunity and then counterattack."
In the battle of legitimacy, the loser is the first to make a 'mistake.'
"Right now, Slog is not giving any reason and playing the role of a diligent mid-class manager, but I am preparing for the moment his true colors show, to strike back."
"Slog showing his true colors would mean he's already secured victory, isn't it? An old fox, you said."
"Yes. So, it's better to be fully prepared to uncover a vulnerability."
Ed pondered for a moment as he ate some perfectly grilled steak.
The murky power struggle of merchants wasn't something he particularly enjoyed, but since Lortelle seemed to be in trouble, he felt the need to help.
"Senior Ed… I hope you can be the 'final blow' for when the time comes."
"The final blow?"
"When Slog reveals his weakness, be the witness who observed it together with me. Senior Ed, you have power connections in the capital, and even directly to the royal family. The network extends to saints and princesses – there's hardly anyone else in this empire with such reach."
It was a request from Lortelle to have Ed be the witness when he had solid grounds to dismiss Slog.
"That's not too troublesome… but I'm a bit wary of the relationship with the royal family nowadays."
"What? Didn't you have regular contact with the princesses?"
"The Princess of Penny, the heir-apparent…
After the decision was made, I was too busy to contact anyone, and with Princess Sella… there was a bit of an unfortunate entanglement."
"Why? Is it… a bit personal to ask?"
"It's not necessarily just that… It's a bit of a troublesome matter from my perspective. She came uninvited into the Rothtaylor Estate, created some embarrassing history, then just disassembled and ran off to the royal family… And yet she always responds to Tanya's tea party invitations…"
"…I won't ask for details."
"Thank you. Anyway, the point is that there's some unease involved."
Lortelle, with her chin resting on her hand, pondered for a moment before ultimately declaring that the variable wasn't significant enough to worry about.
"Regardless, what I wanted to say is that we need to get rid of Slog. I'm not sure when he'll show his true colors, but I'm sure he'll react when I start taking steps to officially become the company leader."
"When will that be?"
"Sooner than you think."
Ed tilted his head in puzzlement as Lortelle gave a fox-like smile.
"You'll be busy when school starts, so let's strike while the iron is hot."
"If that's the case…"
"When I return to Olldeck, I'll announce my claim to the company leader's position. Slog will start to move as well."
The implications were clear.
"Senior Ed, will you accompany me to Olldeck when the time comes?"
It was an attempt to bring Ed to Olldeck, while putting an end to Slog.
Lortelle's request, which aimed to secure both justification and advantage, was simply met with Ed's nod.
Ed and Lortelle's trust was thicker than expected, unshaken by self-interest.
Magnificent amounts of gold and treasure, the massive Elte conglomerate's buildings and influence, connections with all sorts of famous individuals.
All of these paled in comparison to the reassurance Lortelle felt with Ed's sturdy nod, leading Lortelle to muse to herself.
In any case, I want to hold on to this man for life… She thought unintentionally.
* * *
"Master Ed, I hear you'll soon be going to Olldeck to assist Lady Lortelle."
– Crunch.
Yenika, who had been casually eating her salad, suddenly froze.
However, that moment was brief… soon she began nibbling on the edge of a cabbage leaf like a rabbit and nodded.
"Uh-huh~ Oh right, it's about time to renew the supply contract for school materials with Elte. It's tough for Ed, having to represent the academy and all~."
"Well, though it seems like Ed will handle all academy affairs in one go, the core intention seems to be to assist Lady Lortelle with her business."
"Yeah, that's right~. Ed must be very busy~. As expected, responsible and capable people are always busy and exhausted~. I hope you hang in there. Is there anything I can help with~?"
Yenika continued to sing to herself, fiddling with her food. Since returning from Phulanshan, she had a distant, dreamy expression, so it wasn't difficult for Belle to surmise something had happened.
Belle approached Yenika, who was in the middle of breakfast, and whispered earnestly in her ear, out of earshot of the other maids.
"Miss, did you share your bed with Ed last night?"
"Pffft! Cough!"
No answer was necessary; her reaction said it all.
"Be-Belle, what indelicate talk!"
"I just wanted to say something for Miss Yenika's sake. Like, you shouldn't relax just because you have a sure thing."
Belle's words always hit the nail on the head. Yenika was both embarrassed and strangely attentive to Belle's advice.
"What, what does that mean…?"
"You know the saying that all men are wolves, right? Of course, Ed is always a solid and diligent man, but if the other party plays dirty, who knows how things will turn out? Especially with Lady Lortelle, she surely won't just sit idly by."
Though Belle wasn't comfortable taking someone's side to show off, she didn't want to see innocent Yenika left helpless and Ed snatched away by someone else.
"No need to worry about that!"
Yet Yenika was surprisingly assertive.
"Ed whispered to me! He said he could gather strength because I'm with him…"
"Miss Yenika, your voice is loud."
Yenika quickly scanned the surrounding area, as a few maids, blushing, hurriedly grabbed their cleaning tools and walked away. Yenika fanned herself with her hands, trying to cool off the heat.
"Any-anyway… Ed promised me a future…"
"Is that so…"
Belle felt an odd sensation of pride, as if witnessing a child's growth. But the matter wasn't yet settled.
"That… Are you certain of what you're saying?"
"What, what?"
"If he explicitly promised that he would draw a line with other women… no need to doubt his word, since he's one to keep it…"
Recalling her conversation with Ed, Yenika felt swept away by the overwhelming bliss and intimacy of their time sharing a bed, too lost in the moment to think clearly.
But upon reflection…
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"… Miss Yenika… why have you…fallen silent…?"
Engrossed in the thrill and joy of their connection, she and Ed had interchanged many words… and the conclusion was…
"That… maybe… Belle…"
Yenika hesitantly spoke.
"I may have… given Ed permission… for infidelity… It kind of… happened…"
A brief silence followed.
Yenika's words were linguistically comprehensible, but their meaning was utterly baffling.
Briefly petrified as if turned to stone, Belle looked down at Yenika with a meaningful expression, needing to ask,
"What exactly… do you mean…?"
* * *
"Well then, I'll contact you again, senior Ed."
The next day, after the discussions concerning the prosperity of the Holy Capital were concluded, Lortelle boarded the coach back to Olldeck.
Speaking from the lowered window, Lortelle's expression was rather composed.
"We'll meet in Olldeck soon."
"Yes, Lortelle. Take care of yourself. It looks like you might get involved in something risky."
"Haha… You don't need to worry so much. After all, from Slug's standpoint, it would be difficult to harm me directly. As I said, it will ultimately be a battle for justification."
One who crosses the line first loses justification. When forces are matched, the winner is often decided by who holds legitimacy.
"I know it won't be easy, but I hope when you come to Olldeck next time, we can celebrate victory together."
I bid farewell to Lortelle, wishing her this.
Lortelle was a person who knew how to fend for herself. As much as Slug was a war-hardened veteran, it wouldn't be easy to deceive or trick such a cunning person like Lortelle.
With that in mind, I watched Lortelle's coach disappear into the distance.
When the situation calms, I'll be summoned to Olldeck.
And the sender of the next letter from Elte wasn't Lortelle.
It was from her most trusted secretary, Lien. Lien, completely loyal to Lortelle, was certainly trustworthy.
The lines scrawled in haste contained little detail, perhaps fearing interception.
However, one line, clear and emphatic, caused my brow to furrow.
– 'To the honorable and illustrious Ed Rothtaylor of the Rothtaylor Estate, I bow deeply with the utmost sincerity.'
It was an SOS call.
-'The acting head of the household has been gravely injured and has nowhere else to seek help. Please, I beg of you, protect her within the walls of the Rothtaylor Estate. I ask for this humbly and earnestly.'
Something was happening in Olldeck.
That much was certain.