Though she was already on the verge of total escapism, Cornelia managed to pull herself together. She began reviewing the correspondence from Magnawell, Needsveld, and Eingana in the order they had arrived.
Unsurprisingly, all of them concerned the specialized brushes. Eingana seemed far more invested than Cornelia had anticipated, even hinting at a potential bulk order depending on the terms.
This is truly beyond anything I imagined. Lady Eingana is known even among the dragon species for her obsession with beauty; her interest in the mana penetration rate must be driving this. Still, it doesn't seem like she intends to use them herself. Rather, she is acting as a liaison for her subordinates who are clamoring for them. Lord Magnawell and Lady Needsveld are the same—they aren't asking for themselves, but inquiring about the protocols for their underlings to place orders. Regardless, expanding the workshop is no longer optional.
Given these developments, the plan for the Sharon Trading Company to acquire the management rights of the Victor Trading Company was practically a foregone conclusion, with Cornelia set to serve as its representative. She stared blankly into the distance for a moment; so far, at least, events were proceeding within the realm of her predictions.
The real trouble lay in the remaining letters—the ones with utterly inscrutable contents. Cornelia picked up the one from Amel and broke the seal. Seconds later, her face took on the bewildered expression of a cat suddenly launched into the vacuum of space.
Wh-what? The phrasing is so convoluted I can hardly... A bridge? A closed gate? A new light? I recall hearing that Lady Amel favored archaic and complex speech, but this is... This "Sworn Friend" must be Kaito-sama. Is he involved? If so, as rude as it may be, I might have to ask him for clarification. Oh, wait, there was also a letter from the Winged Race's official negotiator.
Amel’s letter was so thick with dramatic, cryptic phrasing that Cornelia couldn't make heads or tails of it. However, since it explicitly mentioned hearing about the matter from a Sworn Friend, Kaito’s involvement was a certainty. She considered reaching out to him for help, but decided to try the negotiator’s letter first.
As she read the second letter from the Winged Race, Cornelia’s face turned white with shock.
...Excuse me? They want to establish trade... with the Sharon Count House? Th-that's impossible! The Winged Race never trades with anyone except the Viscounts on their borders. Rare exceptions exist, like the Duchess Albert, but those only happened after intense lobbying. Why would they reach out to the Sharon Count House—all the way out here—to propose a regular trade agreement? This is a massive diplomatic incident. I need to tell my father immediately... Wait... "wishing to negotiate for specialized brushes"... what?
The negotiator sought to open discussions regarding trade between the Winged Race and the Sharon Count House. For the isolationist Winged Race to initiate such a proposal was practically unheard of.
The Winged Race specialty products were in high demand since they couldn't be found anywhere else, making this a potentially massive contract. Cornelia wondered why such a proposal had been sent to her rather than the head of the house, but the answer was right there in the text.
They wanted to collaborate on a version specifically designed for their wings—a "Brush for Wings"—and sought to establish a relationship with the Sharon family for that purpose. In short, this was a business proposal directed at the Victor Trading Company, of which Cornelia was the presumptive head.
Cornelia looked like she was about to foam at the mouth and faint as she desperately racked her brain.
H-h-how did this happen?! No, wait. I can see it. I can see exactly how this happened... Lady Amel, the Leader of the Winged Race, is famously close with Kaito-sama. That means she must have heard about the specialized brushes from him. But for her to decide on a trade agreement with the Sharon Count House based on that alone is... D-does she trust Kaito-sama that much? I know he's her Sworn Friend, but still... Wait, Kaito-sama only received the brushes a few days ago! How did things move this fast?!
The phrase "The Flapping of a Giant Dragon," which she had heard from Elis, echoed in her mind. Cornelia thought she had already grasped the sheer weight of Kaito’s influence. She had been wrong. To think he could pry open the gates of the isolationist Winged Race with a casual recommendation... She trembled as she looked at the remaining letters.
Could it be... that the letters from Lord Bacchus and Lady Gluttony are also the result of Kaito-sama's "advertising"? No, wait! It's only been a few days!
She remembered Kaito’s innocent remark when she first explained the business to him. He had said he would be happy to see their sales grow. If he kept "promoting" the product to his friends at this pace, what would happen next? A bone-chilling dread washed over her.
Cornelia lunged for her stationery. She scribbled a frantic letter to Kaito, thanking him for his help but begging him to stop immediately, as they already had more orders than they could possibly fulfill. She handed the note to a servant, ordering them to deliver it at any cost as quickly as humanly possible. Even the veteran staff of the Count House had never seen the young lady look so utterly desperate.
Serious-senpai: "Amel is probably dozens of times more infatuated with Kaito than Cornelia realizes. She’s basically a puppy following him around. If her Sworn Friend says something is good, she treats it as divine gospel."