CH 33

The wind through the open window shook the curtains over the bed.

Odette opened her eyes under the shadow of the gently waving lace. As she listened to the calm waves and traced the patterns, sleepiness gradually faded.

A room by the shining sea.

Odette’s eyes shook slightly as she finally remembered  where this place was. It was something that happened every morning when she woke up.

Slowly getting up, Odette leaned against the head of the bed and looked at the still unfamiliar scenery of the bedroom. Cast in ivory and gold, the hostess’s room was luxurious to the point of excessive. Furniture and decorations, as well as small items. It was as if extremely beautiful and expensive things were besieging uninvited guests from all sides.

“Madam.” 

A familiar voice was heard along with a knocking sound.

“Yes, come in.”

Odette commanded and quickly tidied up the ribbon at the end of her braided hair. Soon after, the bedroom door opened and the maid who had served the morning tea entered. A young maid with a morning paper followed suit.

While Odette was quietly catching her breath, a table was placed next to the large bed. A faint bergamot aroma rose up as the thickly brewed tea was poured.

“Thank you, Dora.”

Odette expressed her gratitude kindly. The head maid answered with a short silent bow and retreated, and the young maid, who had been waiting for her turn, approached.

“Thank you, Molly. Great job.”

When her name was called, the girl’s face lit up, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

After taking a sip of tea, Odette put down the teacup and slowly unfolded the newspaper that still had the heat from the ironing.

It was an implicit signal formed based on the time of the past three weeks that she was ready to receive work and reports.

“The dinner table has been instructed to be set up on the terrace as the madam ordered. Please check the menu and seating arrangements for the last time to see if there are any changes.”

Having finished reporting on the household expenses and the servants’ vacations, the head maid presented a schedule of plans for the dinner party to be held this evening. Odette put down the newspaper for a moment and accepted the schedule.

Every day since the day of the wedding had been a series of invitations and parties, but this weekend was of particular interest.

The guests were Bastian’s classmates at the military academy. The same officers who had visited the gambling house with Bastian that fateful night.

Although they had already met at various social gatherings and weddings, only a brief greeting was exchanged. This was the first time they met face-to-face in a place where they had to fully focus on each other.

“Yes. Please proceed as it is.”

Odette returned the carefully checked schedule to the head maid. She did not forget to add a gentle smile. A classy hostess. To appear faithful to the role that was specified in her contract.

“I will prepare it right away.”

Dora finished her task and left with a polite greeting.

Since her first day’s mistake was pointed out, the head maid had not once shown her dislike of Odette. She was an impeccable servant, at least in terms of business, and Odette appreciated that. If this continued, it wouldn’t be too much trouble to maintain an amicable relationship for two years.

“Oh, ma’am.”

With her hand on the doorknob, Dora abruptly turned around.

Odette’s fingertips trembled as she was fiddling with the rim of her teacup.

“I got a call from Lutz. The butler said that the master is a little late today. But he said he would arrive at the latest before the first guests arrive at the dinner party.”

“I see…. “

Odette hastily hid her suddenly dazed eyes and nodded her head. It was already the weekend, the day her husband was coming. It was a fact she already knew, but when she was notified, she felt nervous again. It was strange.

Silence returned to the bedroom as the maids quietly closed the door and left.

Relieved, Odette read the newspaper over a cup of warm tea. After breakfast of a hard-boiled egg and some fruit served with morning tea, the bell announcing the hour was heard. It was time for the hostess to start her day.

Odette put down the carefully folded newspaper and got off the bed. The end of the garden that stretched out over the balcony led to a white sandy beach. It was a dazzling summer day, where the sky, the sea, and the greenery shimmered as one.

It was a scene she wanted to gaze at endlessly, but Odette turned around and headed for the bathroom. As she opened the window to welcome the sea breeze, the sound of the chandelier’s mother-of-pearl ornaments swaying resonated beautifully.

Odette listened to the song of the sea and approached the sink. Facing the golden faucet in the shape of a swan with outstretched wings, she laughed like it was the first day. It was a house that resembled its owner in many ways, making her feel uncomfortable and sad even when she was washing her hands.

Before turning on the water, Odette gently stroked the swan’s head. It was a ritual of her own that she had been repeating to tighten her heart.

It’s okay.

Odette turned on the golden faucet, relying on that belief even today. A cool stream of water began to pour between the golden swan’s beak.

***

Once known to be owned by the New World’s richest people, the financial company was positioned between the stock exchange and the central bank.

Bastian walked out the front door of the company with a brisk gait. It was a very different move from when he had  quietly entered and exited through the back door at a time when there were few pedestrians on the street.

Passers-by who stopped on their way glanced at the place with wide-eyed surprise. It had been quite some time since the real identity of the wealthy man who emerged as the god of the empire’s financiers was revealed, but there were still quite a few people in disbelief.

“Then, we will report the rest of the progress via phone and in writing.”

A silver-haired executive who came out to see Bastian off at the bottom of the stairs said.

“No. Matters that have already been decided can proceed at the discretion of the board.”

Bastian shook his head with a cool smile.

Thomas Müller, who was once the secretary of Bastian’s maternal grandfather, was a competent person who had taken on important responsibilities since Illis was treated as a mere moneylender, and was Bastian’s mentor. Without him, the company would not have grown so quickly and stably.

After conveying his gratitude and trust with a polite greeting, Bastian got into the car and started the engine. Thomas Müller knocked on the window just as he had just placed the jacket he had taken off on the passenger seat.

“It was your grandfather’s long-cherished wish to establish a prosperous company and be recognized by the world.”

The always strict mentor’s eyes were stained red.

“You must be very proud of yourself, Bastian. Of course I am too.”

“I’m a bit uneasy because you sound emotional. I wonder if the director is getting old.”

Bastian cracked a sly joke and smiled.

“Don’t get old.”

“No one can defy time.”

“Anyway, try your best. You have to correct me until the day comes when we can claim to be the most respectable company in this city.”

“It sounds like both a concern and a threat.”

A soft smile soon appeared on the face of Thomas Müller, who had been frowning.

As he took a step back, Bastian started the car. He drove in the opposite direction from the city center where the town house was located, to the new house where his wife was staying. It was before the full-scale evening out started, so he was able to get out of the city center faster than usual.

As the road entered a deserted outskirts, Bastian shifted his gear and increased his speed. After driving north for a long time, the familiar sea spread out before him.

It was Bastian’s decision to launch a quick all-out war.

Originally, he intended to reveal his game plan after signing the marriage contract with LaViere, but the deal and marriage proposed by the emperor changed the course of events. Of course, the company’s much higher-than-expected growth rate also contributed greatly.

In order not to waste the golden opportunity of trading with the emperor, perfect preparation was needed. The most aggressive strategy was the best to lay the foundation before leaving for his next assignment.

Duke LaViere wanted the title, but Bastian was not willing to trade it for a lifetime of good fortune. His modest nod was merely a temporary expedient to eliminate unnecessary noise.

It was an era of upheaval.

Past glories could no longer guarantee the future. The status of the aristocrats who did not jump on the bandwagon of capital was rapidly declining. The era in which people enjoyed honor based on pedigree alone would soon come to an end.

Bastian believed only in pragmatism. Understanding gain and loss. A perfect and flawless world built with its clear numbers and calculations. The power to create the king of the new era would be there. Bastian intended to grab it and stand on its heads.

Of course, class influence was still dominant, there would be no reason to reject it.

It was like surplus profit, so to speak. It’s good to have it, but it’s okay if you don’t.

Bastian drove down the road that had once led to his father’s world and headed for his new kingdom. It occurred to him that it would not be a bad idea to develop the site on the other side of the cleared bay as a resort, when his car arrived at the entrance of the mansion. Odette was waiting for him at the front door this weekend as well. Same place as last week. Same posture. Same expression. The only thing that was different was her outfit.

After handing over the wheel to the attendant, Bastian climbed the stairs with a smile befitting the role of a husband who had missed his wife for a week. Odette also greeted him with the face of a loving wife, who had been waiting for her husband. 

“Welcome. I missed you a lot.”

“I missed you too.”

Bastian held his wife’s hand in a polite reply. He also did not forget to raise his voice for the servants who were spying with bated breath.

“I’ve been thinking of you all the time. I hope you feel the same way.”

“…Of course.”

Odette lied quite skillfully, though her eyes shook slightly. Compared to the first time, when she was stiff like a piece of wood, it was quite an improvement.

Bastian ended the comical show with a light kiss on Odette’s blushing cheek. This would have been enough to make them look like a couple enjoying a sweet newlywed life.

Bastian entered the lobby with a satisfying surplus of profit. The footsteps of the young Klauswitz couple walking side by side began to resonate through the mansion, which had been immersed in the languid silence of a summer afternoon.