CH 231

I’ve been busy these days. As soon as school is over, I come home and fight with a pile of documents. Besides that, there are various meetings, so it is not enough to just do paperwork. Meetings aren’t just about listening to my subordinates giving presentations. I also have to think about this and that, so I feel like I’m always thinking about something every day.

Come to think of it, I feel like I’m always thinking about work even during class at school… my heart never rests. Recently, it seems that I’m having dreams of working even in my sleep.

“You look like you’re enjoying yourself, Miss Flora,” Katharina said.

“Am I enjoying myself?” I asked, shrugging my shoulders. “I don’t even have time to sleep day to day.”

It can’t be fun. I’m so busy and busy every day that I don’t even have time to play with my wives. I have a lot of work to do in my office from now on…

“Oh my~, welcome home, Lady Flora.”

“How do you do, Lady Clementine?” I asked.

And when I got home from school, Clementine was in the entrance hall wearing a bright red dress. That’s the dress I gave her a while ago.

A little while ago, Helmut and the rest of House Royce visited House Reingen and formally decided on the engagement between Helmut and Christa. At that time, I gave Helmut and Heinrich III clothes, but it was strange that Clementine had nothing, so I gave her a dress as a gift, too.

Of course, I fixed the dimensions, but it’s not a rushed product that I suddenly made. That was one of the pieces on display at Caanza Trading Firm’s Royal Capital Branch #1, in other words, it was a showpiece that had been modified for Clementine.

In this world as well as in the pre-industrial age of my world, clothes were basically made-to-order. So buying clothes was a very expensive and time-consuming process.

On Earth, ready-made clothes began to appear on the market in large quantities after the industrial revolution, when mass production by machines began to take place in factories. Until then, almost everything on Earth was made to order. Of course, even in this world, which is far less civilized than the industrial revolution of Earth, custom-made clothes are the center of attention.

However, even if it is made-to-order, even if there is a trend, there is no way to understand what kind of clothing design is available. It would be nice if the customer had a clear vision and said, “I want this kind of design.” but most customers can’t design their clothes or word what they want.

Most customers only order current mainstream designs or designs based on what someone else was wearing. If that’s the case, it’s just safe and similar designs propagating, and it’s not interesting.

Therefore, at Caanza Trading Firm, we make several clothes that incorporate new designs that we have designed as exhibits, and by actually displaying them in the store, we propose to customers, “There are also designs like this.”

During my stay in Caanburg, I had already made 2 sets of men’s formal wear for Viscount Royce, who came to the royal capital to visit House Reingen. The 2 men couldn’t just wear fancy clothes without Clementine, so I immediately went to Caanza Trading Firm after coming to the royal capital, bought the showpiece that was on display at that time, and then had the dimensions fixed to Clementine’s proportions.

I felt bad because it was not a new item made for Clementine, but a showpiece that wasn’t meant to be sold, to begin with, however, Clementine seemed to like it, and Katharina and Helmut also said, “Mother is very pleased and wishes to extend her thanks.” many times over.

“Is it really okay for me to receive such a wonderful thing?” Clementine asked.

“Yes,” I said. “My apologies because this was only supposed to be a showpiece at the store and not one made specifically for you, Lady Clementine. I’ll have a dress made to order for you this time.”

I made and prepared one full set each for Heinrich III and Helmut, but I’m sorry that only Clementine got the re-purposed store display. I had to prepare it immediately after coming to the royal capital, so I gave it to you as a makeshift gift, but this time, let’s prepare something specifically for her use and hers alone.

“Miss Flora, spoiling Mother is no good,” Katharina said as she stood behind me. “We should take back that one, too.”

“Katharina……” I said.

Why would Katharina say that to her mother?

“Welcome back, Flora dear,” Mother said as she walked in. “I was wondering if Clementine was wearing that piece again. You like it so much, huh… Flora, make one for…”

“No way,” I said, cutting her off.

She heard us talking from the entrance hall, I won’t let her say that.

“Flora dear, Mother…” Mother started.

“No way,” I said.

“…………”

“…”

I know what Mother is trying to say without even asking. She has said it many times. But again, no way.

“Flo–…”

“No way.”

“I haven’t even said anything yet!”

“I know what you’re trying to say, so…”

My mother is just trying to say that she wants a new dress too. She has asked many times already. But no way.

“Why not?” Mother whined. “Mother wants a new outfit, too! A cute one just like this!”

“No way,” I said, smacking my desk.

Mother looked shocked and staggered backward.

“You promised Clementine you’d give one specifically for her, why can’t you give Mother one, too?!” Mother complained.

“Mother, you already have dozens of clothes, don’t you?” I countered.

““…………””

It was given to Clementine and also House Royce so they can dress properly to visit House Reingen. And the fact that I’m going to prepare another one for her is also a celebratory gift for Helmut’s successful engagement.

Compared to that, my mother has no reason to ask me to give her another outfit. In the first place, she asked me for a new dress many times since the last time we were in the capital. My income alone has already reached a fairly ridiculous amount, but I can’t afford to give her a new dress every time.

“In the first place, you haven’t worn those dresses anywhere,” I said. “I would rather give a gift to someone who actually uses it than you, Mother, when you’ll just put them away and never touch them again.”

Yes……. This is also a problem. Even if I give Mother a dress as a gift, she hardly wears the said dress. It’s a pity if you don’t give it to someone who will wear it properly, and instead lets it turn into fertilizer in her wardrobe.

“Well that’s, you know!” Mother complained. “It’d be a disaster if it got caught, ripped, or dirty, wouldn’t it?”

“Still… clothes are meant to be worn,” I said. “There is nothing more pitiful than unused clothes. Mother, please make sure that you use the clothes that have been given to you. There’s no point in adding more if you never even wear them.”

Clementine seems to like that dress so much that she brings it out of the closet and wears it often. She doesn’t seem to go out very often, but she changes into those clothes, grins and giggles in front of her mirror, and then puts the dress away again. I’ve never seen it, but Katharina passed it on. My mother, on the other hand, has always kept her clothes in her closet, and I’ve never seen her wearing most of them.

“If it gets dirty or torn, I will clean it and fix it here,” I said. “So first of all, please use what you have now. Otherwise, I won’t be able to give you any more clothes, Mother,” I said.

Don’t spoil her too much. It’s all for my mother’s sake… ah! That’s right…

Is that what Katharina told me earlier? She thinks it’s not good for me to pamper her mother right now, just like I’m strict with my mother. I need to be more careful…

“Mother,” Katharina said. “Please take that off right now and give it to me.”

“I cannot,” Clementine said. “This is a gift I received specifically for me.”

“A gift from Miss Flora… a gift from Miss Flora… I want one, as well…” Katharina mumbles.

She’s scary… she even demands her mother take off her dress. I don’t think this feeling was to avoid spoiling her with useless indulgence as I assumed earlier…

“Understood, Flora dear!” Mother said. “If that’s the case, your mother will wear the dresses, too! Isn’t that alright? Now then! Clementine! I’ll change clothes, too, so let’s go out together! And Flora dear will give you a new outfit!”

“Um… I’m…” Clementine started.

It’s probably in vain. I can’t stop Mother when she becomes like that. It’s almost time for dinner, but I’m sure Mother and Clementine won’t be at the table tonight. That much I am sure of.

Due to Wilhelm and Dietrich’s tactics, the past few days have been quite hectic, but it has calmed down quite a bit. All that’s left now is to start developing the territory I was granted.

Charlottenburg, of the Caan Barony, will first be a laboratory and experiment site for House Caan. It’s a little small to call it a territory, but it’s wide enough to build a town, so I’m thinking of building various other things alongside those.

Charlottenburg also needs some development so that it can manage with its own money. In the beginning, it is necessary to invest with profits from other territories and the trading firm to some extent, but it is not possible to stay that way forever. While inspecting the site, various assignments are considered.

“I’m glad I went there in person,” I said. “The impression is quite different from when I just looked at the map and listened to the explanations from others.”

I’ve heard a lot of reports and held meetings about the Caan Barony in my office, but today was the first time I actually went there. And I think I’m glad I did.

When you think of a plateau, you probably imagine a table-like plateau with a flat top and steep sides like the Guiana Highlands. In contrast, the sides of the Tertu plateau are not so steep, and the forest spreads over the top, making it difficult to tell at a glance whether it is flat or not. It just feels like a small mountain or a small hill.

Of course, some parts are steep cliff-sides as you can imagine, but overall it feels like just a small mountain. There could be many ways to use this.

First, let’s use these cliffs to create research laboratories and experimental sites in locations that are difficult to invade by outside enemies and easy to protect. Incidentally, it would be good to integrate the fort where the soldiers guarding it would be stationed.

I don’t have to worry about other nobles or royal families suspecting me of a rebellion if I go a little too far in building a military installation. After all, the King himself gave me this fief. From the perspective of other nobles, House Caan did not receive it as a reward so much as an order to protect the royal capital on this side. That’s why no one would hesitate to set up a fortress here.

Kuh-kuh-kuh! That’s why I’ll make a secret base here without hesitation! After all, is it better to have a way out to the bottom of the cliff? It would be troublesome if they attacked from there, but the secret passage from the fortress on top of the cliff to the base of the mountain is a basic feature!

A dubious facility quietly built deep in the mountains, a short distance from the royal capital. There, night after night, secret experiments that could not be released to the world were constantly conducted. The spies who tried to infiltrate to find out the secret never returned, and those few who have successfully come back down never have the full picture of what goes on inside…

Good! Very good! Sounds like some kind of evil secret society’s lair!

Also, there is a village at the foot of the mountain as a camouflage to protect the research facility, and those who visit to explore the mysterious facility are already thoroughly marked by the residents of the village where they’re staying…

Ooh! I’m looking sharp today, aren’t I?! So let’s make a village too! And I won’t tell the villagers about the research, but I’ll make them cooperate in protecting the secret facility! Let them secretly report that someone has come to explore the research facility… uhiii! This is getting kind of fun!

“Let’s build our labs and testing grounds on some solid, defensible ground,” I said. “We’ll fortify them and put garrisons there.”

“Of course…” one of the experts following me said, “but that would take a lot of time and budget…”

“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “Rather than making something half-baked, let’s do it properly without compromising. It’s more troublesome to have to redo and reconstruct it later. Getting it right the first time will also reduce future hassles.”

While walking around the site and surveying the topography, we will work out a rough plan with the experts. Once we have a certain amount of prospects for the construction site for the fortress, it’s time to move on to the village.

“Could we clear the land around here and build a village?” I asked.

“Yes… this area floods often due to little rainfall and poor drainage, however…”

Understood……. it is also said that plateaus have a disadvantage with securing water. Besides, if it’s an odd topography, it might be difficult for accumulated water to drain out. There is something about historically uninhabited areas. The fact that people haven’t lived in this area for a long time is proof that there’s a reason people can’t live here.

“Then what about over there?” I asked. “Clear out over there and build a village, and the fields over there…”

“I think it’s possible to develop and clear the land, but we may not be able to expect a good crop harvest…” the expert replied.

Well, it’s not so easy with an amateur’s idea. However, even if self-sufficiency is difficult through growing wheat and potatoes, it would be good to make something that can be cultivated here and make a deal with the royal capital.

Ordinary pioneers and Feudal Lords may think about the economy only there, but we are different. You don’t have to cover everything within this territory. If anything, the food necessary for life should be procured from the ranch or farm where Louisa works. The important thing is whether or not you can get some kind of sustaining mechanism.

It is not impossible to completely specialize production and rely on imports for all daily necessities and foodstuffs. After all, the royal capital is right there in case of emergency. It is highly unlikely that you will starve to death due to delays in transporting your groceries.

While talking about this and that with the officials and experts, opinions gradually began to solidify. Development of the Tertu Plateau is also likely to proceed smoothly.