The Doll Has a Name Chapter 16 - Recruitment Ad

“Anyway, we need to decide quickly. Whether we take the loss and sell below market price or join the flow that the Girash bastards have created. If we’re joining, we need to send ships now to secure Pan Crystal. What should we… Hey, Leo?”

 

Leonhardt, who had been standing quietly with his arms crossed, stroked his chin and suddenly burst into laughter.

 

The sound was as heavy as steel beams hitting the floor. Though it seemed like mere laughter, the blood draining from Tristan’s face made it clear that it held great significance.

 

Kise knew it was dangerous to move at a time like this, but curiosity was too much to resist. She muffled her footsteps and shifted slightly.

 

Something immensely amusing was about to unfold, and being stuck in the back was frustrating. By the fourth step, she could barely glimpse Leonhardt’s profile. 

 

It wasn’t the best angle, but close enough to observe his expression.

 

Red hair draped over one eyelid, a sharp nose, and lips. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly—hard to tell if it was amusement or anger.

 

The veins on the man’s hand bulged as he reached up, gripping his tie and twisting it left and right. The motion exposed the smooth line of his neck.

 

‘Hmm, that somehow feels a little dangerous.’

 

A tense Kise strained her ears to catch their barely audible conversation. Leonhardt’s voice was especially quiet, requiring several times more focus.

 

“You asked what we should do!”

 

“Ah, how tedious, really.”

 

“They must be furious too! They’ve been beaten up by you all this time. I told you to go easy. This is all your fault!”

 

“Me? What did I do?” His voice was laced with clear mockery. 

 

Sweeping his red hair back, he narrowed his eyes with a cheerful glint.

 

“…”

 

Leonhardt suddenly glanced at Kise and strode toward her. His tie was loosely draped around his neck, yet his expression remained gentle.

 

“I’m afraid I’ll have to excuse myself for a moment.”

 

“It’s fine.”

 

“I wanted to introduce you to the company after the interview, but if you’re busy, you can just head back.”

 

“I’ll wait.”

 

Her instincts screamed at her that this man was dangerous, and she should leave, but her reckless sense of adventure overpowered the warning.

 

Seemingly pleased by Kise’s quick judgment and response, the corner of his lips curled up. Leonhardt replied as if reciprocating her tone.

 

“Then I’ll make sure to wrap this up as quickly as possible.”

 

With that, he turned and walked out of the room. Just before closing the door, Leonhardt subtly called out to Tristan, who was trailing behind him. 

 

Of course, Kise, who was farther away, didn’t hear it.

 

“It’s impolite to leave a guest alone.”

 

“What, what is it, huh? Why are you acting nicer than usual? It’s creepy. Did you take a liking to her? No wonder you were going easy. You’re gonna hire her, right? Huh?”

 

Truly a remark fitting an aesthete. Leonhardt gestured toward the tea table with his chin.

 

“I received flowers. So, my heart wavered a little.”

 

🦋

 

Although they had agreed to wait, it felt awkward to just sit around doing nothing.

 

With Tristan’s permission, Kise began examining the various trinkets in Leonhardt’s office one by one. 

 

Contrary to her expectations, Tristan turned out to have a surprisingly refined aesthetic sense, so the two ended up exchanging opinions on the objects—their quality, arrangement, potential improvements in composition, and even trends in style. 

 

Despite her initial concerns, the conversation remained stable.

 

The problematic crystal vase. After looking over all the decorations in the room, Kise finally tapped it lightly and casually remarked that it seemed far more exquisite than any ordinary wine glass.

 

“Your eye for quality is truly exceptional, unnie. But it lacks marketability.”

 

‘Marketability? Of course it would. Nobility is a minority.’

 

Their culture is tailored only for a select few. Words like ‘more expensive’, ‘more luxurious’, and ‘higher artistic value’ weren’t just about taste—they came from instinct.

 

“But seriously, what are we going to do?”

 

Slumped over the table as if about to collapse, Tristan let out a whimper. The higher the praise for the crystal vase, the gloomier he became.

 

And rightfully so. Right now, the hand they held was glass. But the market, though slow, was unmistakably tilting toward crystal.

 

Once the tide fully turned, no one would even glance at glass for a long time. The company’s losses would be devastating.

 

Kise stared intently at the vase, its handle even adorned with sterling silver. It was an excessively well-crafted piece—the kind that would make anyone reach for their wallet.

 

Tristan fidgeted before lifting his face from his arms. His voice was heavy with gloom.

 

“Hey, sis.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“What would you do in this situation?”

 

Are you asking for my opinion? 

 

Kise Ohara’s eyebrows lifted slightly. Yet, Tristan’s gaze remained unchanged. Kise rolled her eyes, briefly scanning the room before speaking.

 

“Have you ever heard this saying? The goddess takes the lives of good people early.”

 

Why bring that up all of a sudden? Though puzzled, Tristan obediently agreed.

 

“Yeah, I have. Good people always die young.”

 

“Yes, that’s what they say. But I think differently. That saying is widely used simply because, among those who die young, the deaths of particularly kind people leave a stronger, more painful impression on us.”

 

“W-well, that’s true.”

 

Tristan nodded like a fool. Kise offered another example.

 

“And there’s another saying like that. Bad boys are popular.”

 

“Right! That’s why leather gloves were trendy for a while. Our company made so much profit selling leather back then!”

 

“But in my opinion, that’s also a fallacy. It’s a misperception in people’s minds. A bad man is just a bad person. It’s not that bad men are popular—it’s that among popular men, the ones with terrible personalities stand out more in our memories.”

 

Good people die young. Bad boys are popular.

 

After presenting these two sayings, Kise added that one must carefully consider the cause and effect.

 

“At a glance, they might seem similar, but the interpretation changes drastically depending on which comes first.”

 

As she spoke, Kise pulled an exquisitely crafted vase and centerpiece, bearing the delicate touch of an artisan, toward the center.

 

“So, the current situation can be seen as similar to those errors. Earlier, you said there’s no marketability, right? That’s correct. Most ordinary people probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between glass and crystal with the naked eye or even by sound.”

 

“What are you implying?”

 

“Yes, it’s not that imitation crystal looks pretty and sells well as crystal vases. It’s because crystal vases look beautiful that the demand for imitation crystal rises.”

 

“So, the key is the vase?”

 

Before she knew it, Tristan had straightened his back and even gulped. The point Kise had pinpointed was that the core issue lay not in the material but in the product itself. 

 

Dealing only in raw materials had naturally led to overlooking this aspect.

 

“Then, sis, are you going all-in on glass? Not betting on crystal?”

 

“Yes, if it were me, I’d boldly go for it. I’ve decided to start investing in it recently.”

 

“Oh my~ Sis, you’re seriously amazing!”

 

Tristan giggled uncontrollably while patting Kise’s pale hand. Finding the behavior rather childish, Kise hid her hand under the table.

 

“That place, what was it called again?”

 

“Girash Merchant Company. They kept pestering us despite not even being close to our level as rivals, and then Leo crushed them—well, they got a little beaten up.”

 

“If we can find a producer and supplier comparable to the glass artisan Guild that Girash Merchant Company lured away…”

 

“Of course, we’d stand a chance.”

 

If something made of glass could take the market by storm, the stock of imitation glass might even sell out completely.

 

Tristan, noticing Kise lost in thought, leaned forward with a bright grin.

 

“Why? Do you have a good idea or something?”

 

“Vaguely.”

 

“Really? What is it?”

 

“But I’m not an employee here, so…”

 

“So what?!”

 

“That won’t do. I might have overlooked your earlier advice, but if my words directly influence the situation, the responsibility becomes unclear. If things go wrong, I might even have to pay damages. That’s unacceptable.”

‘So rigid! So cold! So thorough! What a sharp person! Ugh, how heartless!’

 

Tristan whined, mixing in tones barely audible to human ears. But once shut, those lips didn’t budge even a little.

What if you just leave it hanging and take the fishing rod away? 

 

Tristan surrendered and offered reassurance.

 

“I’ll take responsibility.”

“Verbal agreements are still contracts, you know?”

“Of course! What do you take Rikent people for?”

“Then it’s settled. Ah, let’s make this clear first.”

 

In the blink of an eye—or so it seemed—Kise picked up one of the crystal objects placed at the center of the table as she finished speaking.

Tristan absentmindedly followed it with his eyes, only to witness her suddenly releasing her grip midair.

 

And then—crash! 

 

The vase met a heroic demise, shattering spectacularly. It happened in an instant.

“Eek! What are you doing?!”

“A rational act of destruction.”

“Since we’re going all-in on glass, it’s best to cleanly remove anything that might cause trouble later. It’s symbolic, too.”

 

Kise spoke in a calm tone. Her gaze, her demeanor, her voice—nowhere in them could any hint of wrongdoing in this chaos be found.

“But this—!”

 

As the shrill scream split the air, the door quietly opened.

Leonhardt appeared between the doors. His disheveled tie remained unchanged, yet his composed demeanor was just as it had been from the start.

 

That face, that walk, that smile—everything was still the same.

 

“Leo! Oh my, this sister!”

 

Leonhardt strode toward the table with measured steps. 

 

Just as Tristan was about to point at the shattered vase, he swiftly picked up the remaining crystal stand and carelessly threw it to the ground.

 

Clang!

 

It was the second time.

 

“Leo!”

 

“Rational destruction.”

 

“What? Now you two are saying the same thing!”

 

Amid Tristan’s wails echoing like background noise, Kise looked at Leonhardt. He was looking right back at her.

 

Did you break that?

Did you break this?

 

The questions that rose to their minds were eerily identical. It made them think—

This might be a joke.

Or perhaps fate.

 

After destruction came silence, and after silence, peace.

 

A moment later, Leonhardt’s lips slowly curved into a smile. His sharp jawline and smooth cheeks instantly softened into sweetness. Kise’s face gradually mirrored his.

 

See? What did I tell you? We’re a good match, right? Her eyes crinkled victoriously.