TGDHC Chapter 74

Chapter 74 – Goldrain’s Competitor (1)

“I just came back from training, so you might find the smell of sweat unpleasant.”

“I didn’t smell any sweat at all. When I leaned against you earlier, you only smelled nice.”

It was true.

When my face touched that firm chest, along with the pleasant warmth, there was a cool earthy scent that made my heart skip a beat.

At my words, the tips of the Grand Duke’s ears turned red.

“Still… my body must be dirty from dust.”

He turned his face away, pressing down his bangs as if embarrassed.

“My face must be a mess too. It’s not polite.”

I snorted and stepped closer to him.

“Grand Duke, aren’t you being too much? If your face is ‘a mess,’ then how should the rest of us live?”

“But still…”

“Enough. Come here and sit for a bit.”

I took his hand and led him toward the table in the reception room. The Grand Duke hesitated, but let me pull him along.

“I’ve been thinking… rather than just renovating Goldrain, what if we created an entirely new shopping district?”

I carefully placed my proposal in front of him like a salesperson.

“I came up with some ideas. Would you take a look?”

“You actually organized all this just overnight, after what you said yesterday?”

The Grand Duke picked up the document titled Valpide Lake Commercial District Plan with a surprised expression.

“So you’re suggesting building a shopping area at Valpide Lake.”

While he slowly read the proposal, I nervously watched his face, feeling like a student waiting for a test to be graded.

He flipped each page without changing expression, so I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

But when he reached the last page, his brows drew together slightly.

‘The last page is about the budget… did he find something he didn’t like?’

I had realized only after almost finishing the document yesterday that it had one major flaw—Valpide Lake was private land belonging to the Blenheim family.

‘I was hoping the Grand Duke would gladly offer the land for the sake of development… maybe that was too optimistic.’

If he refused here, the plan would be headed straight for the trash bin.

Finally, he set the proposal down and looked at me with a curious expression.

“Duchess.”

“Yes?”

“Did you receive succession training at Marquis Family?”

Relieved, I let out a quiet sigh. At least he seemed impressed.

“Probably not?”

He looked down at the papers with a mix of surprise and admiration.

“You really came up with all this overnight?”

“Do you like it?”

He nodded, my hopeful gaze reflected in his eyes.

“Honestly, there’s nothing to criticize. It’s perfect.”

Yes—that was exactly what I’d been hoping to hear when I rushed here at dawn.

He gave a small laugh seeing my silly smile.

“Even if you gathered a thousand government officials, they probably couldn’t come up with something this creative.”

So… does that mean my proposal is approved?

Just as my eyes lit up, he added,

“But…”

“Is there a reason you want a new shopping district instead of improving Goldrain?”

“Well, that’s…”

I couldn’t exactly say, Because I can’t stand seeing the Merchant Guild leader benefit.

When I hesitated, he continued carefully.

“Goldrain is a symbol of Blenheim.”

“That’s true…”

“With little time left, building a new district might be less efficient than renovating Goldrain. The officials might question the decision.”

“But…!”

I quickly spoke my opposition.

“It’s missing the most important thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Competition.”

It wasn’t wrong.

The North is closed off. Aside from the Ronderis district, which has a port, even famous merchant guilds from the capital and across the empire can’t easily enter.

The territory is wealthy with money, but there aren’t many goods coming in, so naturally, the market has grown arrogant.

“Replacing a shop or two in Goldrain won’t change anything. Merchants need to feel the fear of losing their market to actually try to improve.”

I explained that a brand-new district could serve as that pressure, and his expression showed some agreement.

“So you’re saying this is also a way to save Goldrain.”

“Exactly. Later, we could even connect the two districts, which would boost Blenheim’s economy even more.”

I nodded enthusiastically, though I felt a little guilty.

“And you want to show everyone that Blenheim’s commerce can be as attractive as Ronderis, right?”

For some reason, my words were flowing so smoothly today.

“The delegation already knows Goldrain. A simple renovation won’t impress them.”

“You’re right,” he said with a nod.

“Your proposed district clearly offers something new. I’ll bring it up with the officials in today’s meeting. But…”

He sighed softly, looking at me.

“What is it?”

“Did you get any sleep at all?”

“A little…”

Actually, barely any. And now that he mentioned it, sleepiness hit me all at once.

“Rest until breakfast, at least. I’ll escort you to your room.”

“I want to sleep in your bed.”

“…What?”

His eyes shook wildly.

“You’ll have to go to your office anyway. It’s a hassle to go back and forth.”

“But…!”

“It’s fine, right?”

Before he could answer, I slipped past him and climbed onto the large bed in his room.

“I’ll nap, so go wash up. Just make sure to wake me when you get dressed.”

“W–wait…!”

‘Ah, such a nice scent.’

Ignoring his flustered voice, I pulled the blanket over myself, breathing in his familiar scent, and closed my eyes.

***

Meanwhile…

Trainee official Adem trudged weakly down the corridor on the second floor of the East Wing.

Past the vaulted ceiling lay the central conference hall—a place officials feared.

Whenever that massive hall was opened outside of regular sessions, it meant a serious issue had come up, and everyone would be stuck in the castle until it was resolved.

‘Will I be able to go home today?’

Today’s only scheduled task was the Goldrain renovation plan.

With so many problems piled up in Goldrain, there was no way they could find a proper solution in a day or two.

Adem, who had spent the night reviewing the Merchant Guild leader’s budget requests, sighed as he entered the hall.

Finding his seat, he was greeted by fellow trainee official Oswick.

“You look terrible.”

“Same to you.”

Oswick, in charge of foreign affairs, at least looked a little more rested now that the delegation’s schedule was ending.

Lowering his voice, Oswick said,

“Renovating Goldrain? Honestly, shouldn’t we start by replacing the Guild leader?”

“Careful what you say,” Adem whispered, glancing around.

“There are plenty of Count Avior’s people among the officials.”

And replacing the leader alone wouldn’t solve the problem anyway.

“Unless we completely scrap Goldrain, there’s no fixing it.”

Oswick complained that he’d already told his wife not to expect him home.

Then the Grand Duke entered the hall—

—but strangely, he wasn’t alone.

‘Huh?’

‘Isn’t that the Duchess?’

The Grand Duke carefully escorted her by the hand. When she noticed Adem, she smiled, and many trainee officials exchanged pleased glances.

“Your Grace, Your Ladyship,” everyone greeted, rising to their feet.

‘Why is the Duchess here? Just for encouragement?’

As people silently guessed, the Grand Duke’s imposing voice rang out.

“Today we were meant to discuss the refurbishment of Goldrain, but the Duchess has proposed an entirely new shopping district.”

Officials tilted their heads. Wasn’t the whole point to show Goldrain to the delegation? Why the sudden change?

Still, the idea didn’t sound bad.

“A new shopping district?” Adem murmured, glancing at Chief Aide Ferrel, who nodded as if he’d already heard and was pleased.

“The Duchess has brought her own proposal, so let’s hear it.”

To everyone’s surprise, the Duchess stood and began explaining it herself.

She was full of energy as she outlined the plan, and soon the entire hall was engrossed.

“…That’s all for now.”

With her cheeks slightly flushed, she finished.

Clap, clap, clap.

The Grand Duke began to applaud heavily, and the officials quickly joined in.

The room was filled with pleasant shock.

‘That was written by a noblewoman? Not by a veteran official?’

Adem clapped with his mouth half-open. The proposal was clear, detailed, and full of fresh ideas he’d never seen before.

“I knew she was special from the day she created ‘Today’s Menu’…” Oswick muttered, still in disbelief.

Looking around, Adem saw everyone wearing the same stunned expression.

“What do you all think?”

The Grand Duke, hiding a smile behind his hand, asked the room—looking every bit like a man proud of raising the Duchess himself.