IHDOE Ch 26

When Satina visited Sharlan's office, he was racking his brain over the matter regarding the Gritanan extract.

Damn it.

Lately, House Radius has undercut prices, executing an aggressive marketing campaign as if determined to crush them.

Consequently, sales of the extract sold by Bersabet plummeted continuously over time, and the hysteria of their father worsened with each passing day.

Upon receiving a report that Radius' sales surpassed Bersabet's, the Duke lost all patience and struck Sharlan.

Crazy old man.

The cheek where his father had struck him throbbed with a bloody scab.

[Duke] "Don't rest easy thinking you can hold that position forever because you are my son. If I judge you useless, I am a man who will cast you aside anytime. If you fail to resolve this within a week, I shall see you in the Punishment Chamber."

Sharlan rummaged through documents nervously. His hands trembled faintly.

The Punishment Chamber? Do you think I…… do you think I will ever go to a place like that again?

Yet, how to unravel this situation remained unclear to him.

House Radius definitely sent a spy. The problem is identifying the spy and restoring the plummeted sales of Gritanan extract, but……

Amidst his contemplation, the door opened, and Satina stepped inside. Inhaling the sweet aroma of honey twisted his stomach into a chaotic mess.

[Sharlan] "What is it? Did you brew that tea again?"

Despite his sharp reaction, Satina nodded quietly.

[Satina] "Yes, since you liked it last time."

She set the tray down upon the desk and approached him carefully. The distance closed in an instant, her slender fingertips brushing his cheek gently.

[Satina] "The wound…… Did Father do this?"

Her affectionate voice brimmed with worry for Sharlan. A stranger lacking a single drop of shared blood, worrying over a wound inflicted by his biological father, struck him as laughable.

Offering a dry chuckle, he dodged his touch.

[Sharlan] "Don't concern yourself with it."

[Satina] "Sharlan."

[Sharlan] "More importantly, what happened to your offer to help me? If you intend to offer even a sliver of aid in that matter, you should be quite busy, so is it fine to idle around leisurely like this?"

[Satina] "Ah, that matter……"

She trailed off, withdrawing her hand.

Plain as day. She undoubtedly prepared nothing. Even when entrusting her with the task, he never believed she could actually provide help.

He merely anticipated seeing her realize her limits and await his punishment with a docile face as if helpless.

Yet words flowing from her lips shattered his composure for the first time.

[Satina] "Regarding that matter, I caught House Radius' spy."

[Sharlan] "……Pardon?"

A rare, dazed response slipped from his lips. Concealing his expression immediately, he spoke.

[Sharlan] "What kind of nonsense is……"

Instead of offering excuses or explanations, she extended the letter Benjamin had sent to Duke Radius.

With urgent gestures uncharacteristic of him, Sharlan read the letter. In the letter, Benjamin inquired of Duke Radius how to handle future developments. That alone proved sufficient to grasp the situation.

Benjamin—a member of House Bersabet—sending a secret letter to Duke Radius was inexcusable in any words.

At the unexpected betrayal of a trusted subordinate, Sharlan's face hardened rigidly. The letter crumpled within his grip.

Yet regaining his composure quickly, he smoothed the letter out again. It was vital evidence to interrogate Benjamin.

Taking this opportunity, he needed to demonstrate clearly what end awaited someone who betrayed House Bersabet—and by extension, betrayed him.

Summoning a knight, he commanded.

[Sharlan] "Lead the order of knights to the research facility at once."

---

Benjamin was anxious.

Why is no reply coming from the ducal house?

Damn it, should I send another letter?

How much of my identity has the Young Duke uncovered by now?

Deliberating, he resolved to flee for now, even without orders from Duke Radius.

Sharlan stormed in with knights right while Benjamin was secretly packing his belongings in the director's office.

Hurriedly concealing bags containing gold coins, he greeted the two.

[Benjamin] "W-Welcome, Young Duke. Even My Lady…… What brings you here……"

Sharlan gestured with his chin toward the knights with a cold gaze. Immediately, the knights subdued Benjamin, forcing him to his knees.

Tossing the letter at Benjamin, Sharlan spoke.

[Sharlan] "If you possess excuses, offer them."

Benjamin recoiled in horror upon seeing the letter.

Th-That is……! How did that letter fall into the Young Duke's hands……!

Yet he couldn't die like this. He shouted in a voice screaming unfairness.

[Benjamin] "T-This is a misunderstanding!"

[Sharlan] "A misunderstanding? You utter the word misunderstanding even after seeing a letter written in your own hand? Ha! Offering such absurd excuses—I must look laughable to you."

[Benjamin] "Someone definitely forged my handwriting! I am, I am innocent! Rather, I wish to ask! Who gave this letter to you, Young Duke……!"

[Sharlan] "Innocent?"

[Benjamin] "Yes! Someone is framing me to drive me out of House Bersabet! You know as well, Young Duke! How hard I labored for House Bersabet over these past few years!"

Finding some logic as he listened, Sharlan turned his gaze toward Satina standing beside him.

I expected he wouldn't surrender quietly.

[Sharlan] "He states such things. What do you think, Sister?"

[Benjamin] "Could Lady Satina have accused me? This is ridiculous! What on earth does the Lady know……!"

And I knew you wouldn't trust me completely either, Sharlan.

Which was why she held one final move in reserve. A final move from which Benjamin could never escape.

[Satina] "So you claim I framed Benjamin? For what reason?"

[Benjamin] "Th-That is……! Investigating starting now will reveal that!"

He shouted at the top of his lungs.

[Satina] "Fine. Investigate if you wish. But before that, shall we take a look at one thing?"

Satina approached the bookshelf in a corner of the director's office slowly. Seeing that, Benjamin's eyes shook frantically.

No way, no way…… No, it can't be.

How could that woman—that foolish, trashy ducal daughter—know about that?

No……!

Yet his desperate wish shattered into pieces as Satina pulled out the book titled Basic Introduction to Magical Beast Studies resting on the shelf.

Her white hand pressed firmly into the empty space left by the removed book, and at that instant, a safe popped out from the bookshelf with a rattling sound.

[Benjamin] "N-No, no. I mean……"

As she opened the safe door, a bundle of letters exchanged between Duke Radius and Benjamin poured out from within. She pulled out one of them, reading aloud.

[Satina] "'To dear Benjamin. I heard news that you succeeded in leaking the processing method. As a reward, our family shall……'"

[Benjamin] "Stop! Stooop!"

He shouted, cutting off her words. Satina offered a shrug and passed the letter to Sharlan.

[Satina] "Do you still think I framed him?"

Sharlan read the letter passed by Satina with a rigid face. The letter revealed vividly how Benjamin leaked the processing method, as well as when and through what means he delivered it to House Radius.

[Sharlan] "Ha…... How dare you deceive me?"

Gritting his teeth, he crushed Benjamin's hand resting on the floor.

[Sharlan] "How dare you……!"

Sharlan—furious to the point of bursting—regained composure rapidly. Straightening his disheveled clothes, he commanded.

[Sharlan] "Lock him in the dungeon immediately. I shall interrogate him personally, so you need not lay hands on him separately."

He glared at Benjamin as he spoke.

[Sharlan] "Monitor him strictly so he doesn't take his own life."

[Knights] "Understood!"

As the knights departed, Sharlan let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples.

Finding House Radius' spy was fortunate, yet that hardly resolved the problem.

The processing method had already fallen into Radius' hands, and sales of Gritanan extract sold by Bersabet were plummeting in real time even now.

Must we lower prices as well? Doing so will reduce our revenue, though.

Or we could lodge a formal protest with House Radius, but that can't force them to stop sales.

A solution to resolve this crisis was desperately required at this moment.

[Satina] "Sharlan."

At her call, he raised his head. Only then did he realize Satina hadn't followed the knights out, remaining beside him.

She reached her hand toward his cheek. This time, Sharlan didn't dodge her touch.

One could view it as him failing to react quickly to her touch due to pondering future matters.

Approaching his side, Satina pulled a small ointment from her pocket and applied it to his cheek.

A refreshing fragrance tickled the tip of his nose. It was the distinct aroma of Gritanan extract. As her touch landed, the throbbing pain on his cheek subsided.

[Sharlan] "This is……"

[Satina] "An ointment made from Gritanan extract."

She smiled, looking at his considerably improved cheek.

[Satina] "We caught the spy, but Father is not someone who will forgive you over mere news like that. So I pondered it as well…… and coincidentally, a friend of mine crafted this ointment. If you are fine with it, I would like to sell this ointment through our merchant guild. What do you think?"

A brilliant spark ignited within Sharlan's mind.

Experiencing the application directly, the ointment's effectiveness was indisputable.

Furthermore, perhaps because other medicinal herbs were blended in, it yielded far greater effectiveness than applying standard Gritanan extract.

Above all, the convenience.

The originally used Gritanan extract was liquid, requiring transport in a large glass bottle, and each application demanded wrapping bandages to prevent the liquid from running down the skin.

Yet transforming it into an ointment allowed carrying it far more conveniently. By any measure, it represented a product far superior to the previously sold extract.

With this, we can win back the customers stolen by Radius.

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