💫

 

“What?”

 

The butler of House Aestiva flinched at the Count’s voice, thick with anger. He bowed his head even deeper and continued delivering his message.

 

“Tir na Nog has announced they will be reducing the number of VIPs. So, the Baron conveyed that he finds it difficult to continue the proxy purchases any further.”

 

“Ha! So they made their money from the proxy purchases, and now that’s it, is it?”

 

Count Aestiva irritably stroked his beard.

 

If the number of VIPs decreased, it would naturally increase the chances of whoever was doing the proxy sales being discovered, so the Baron seemed to be playing it safe.

 

Unable to contain his frustration, Count Aestiva slammed his fist on the table with a bang.

 

“Since when did that damned tea become so important!”

 

He found the current British nobles, for whom tea had become a status symbol, utterly pathetic.

 

The fall of Merlin and the fading significance of the oracle had presented an opportunity.

 

There was no better timing to seat Mordred on the throne.

 

But the most crucial part was uniting the nobility. He was also aware that families with sons were scheming to push them into becoming consorts for Guinevere and Morgana.

 

To win them over, he absurdly needed that tea, which was enough to make his head throb.

 

Count Aestiva, quietly stewing in his anger, trembled the fist he had slammed on the table.

 

“It’s because Tir na Nog’s influence is so strong. So we just need to break their momentum.”

 

The Count took a deep breath in and out, then ordered his butler.

 

“Tell my advisor. We will purchase the shops near Tir na Nog and turn them all into similar tea houses.”

 

As his ragged breathing subsided and a belated sense of composure returned, he glared forward with piercing eyes.

 

As if the owner of Tir na Nog were standing right in front of him.

 

“Let’s see how far these rootless upstarts get, running a business that dares to offend my sight.”

 

💫

 

Early in the morning, a bird tapped at Morgana’s window.

 

A small white bird, holding a tiny letter in its beak, peered inside with its black eyes, urging its owner.

 

Stumbling out of bed, Morgana glanced wearily at Excalibur, still lying neatly beside her bed, before taking the letter.

 

It was from Raon.

 

“Has the owner of the bluebird been found already?”

 

But the letter turned out to contain entirely different news.

 

After reading the contents with a rather serious expression, Morgana placed the letter into her magic tool and called for Olivia.

 

“Olivia, let’s prepare to go out.”

 

“Yes, where are we going?”

 

“Bring out all the jewelry I have.”

 

“Pardon…?”

 

Knowing that Morgana usually didn’t care for excessive adornment, Olivia looked puzzled.

 

But Morgana’s purple eyes were resolute.

 

“From this moment on, I am a wealthy magnate with so much money that I’ll sweep through every store.”

 

Catching the directive for the day’s concept, Olivia also nodded with solemn determination.

 

“How wonderful. The parasol you bought yesterday is quite lavish too—it’s just perfect.”

 

A pink diamond pin adorned her half-tied hair.

 

A dense, transparent diamond necklace covering from her neck to her chest, and excessively dangling earrings.

 

On top of lace-trimmed gloves, she added large, bold rings as a finishing touch.

 

Completing the look with a fan made of high-quality lace and an elegant dress.

 

—What’s this, a banquet in the middle of the day? How very fitting for my master, I quite like it.

 

Dressed so extravagantly that even Excalibur would offer praise, her destination was none other than Raon’s shop.

 

Having sent a letter during the day, his jaw dropped the moment he saw Morgana.

 

“Ah, miss. For a second, I thought you were someone else. What’s the special occasion today?”

 

“The occasion is today.”

 

Tap, tap—

 

Lightly patting her palm with a folded fan, Morgana smiled amiably.

 

“The day I snatch away a building someone else is trying to buy.”

 

The letter delivered by Raon contained news that Count Melwas Aestiva was looking into purchasing the buildings around Tir na Nog.

 

Judging by his efforts to scout the surrounding shops, his intentions didn’t seem good.

 

Moreover, he wasn’t someone who typically made money through business dealings.

 

Either way, Morgana intended to swoop in and acquire the shops he was trying to buy before he could.

 

The Aestiva family, in particular, was an old and established house in Britain with considerable influence.

 

While Morgana now held a title within Britain herself, she was still far less known to the general public compared to the Aestivas.

 

To overcome this, the only way to win was through capital.

 

“Let’s go, Raon. Please guide me to the shop!”

 

As Morgana clenched her fist with grim determination, Raon nodded somewhat bewilderedly and led the way.

 

The area around Tir na Nog wasn’t previously considered a particularly bustling street.

 

Now that Tir na Nog has been established and there’s more foot traffic, it’s only the number of people that has increased.

 

Tea houses and salons haven’t exactly been flooded with customers.

 

Most of the people who come to buy herbs are commoners, so they have no reason to visit a salon or tea house. And the nobles who come for the VIPs have their own regular establishments.

 

They wouldn’t go out of their way to visit a place that’s neither popular nor familiar to them.

 

So, it seems the owner has finally decided to close down and put the building up for sale.

 

Morgana looked around the interior of the shop, which was nicely decorated but somewhat plain compared to Salon Lu.

 

The owner, looking a bit flustered, asked Morgana,

 

“Are you… a customer?”

 

“Ah, I heard you were putting the shop up for sale, so I came.”

 

Perhaps hoping for a customer, the owner’s expression quickly fell.

 

Suppressing her disappointment, she offered an awkward smile and replied.

 

“I’m sorry, but there’s already someone interested in purchasing it. Unfortunately.”

 

Tap, tap—

 

Lightly tapping her chin with a folded fan, Morgana casually looked around and let her words drift.

 

“But you haven’t signed a contract yet, have you?”

 

“Well, that’s true, but the buyer isn’t someone who would back out. It’s a fairly prominent family acquiring it… It would be difficult for me to cancel the deal.”

 

“Double.”

 

Morgana unfolded her fan and continued firmly.

“I’ll pay double what they’re offering.”

“Huh…? No, that, that’s—”

“If you sign the contract right now, I’ll pay triple.”

 

What better use for the money earned from Tir na Nog than this?

Now’s the time to spend it.

 

The shop owner looked dazed, seemingly overwhelmed by the sudden, enormous offer.

This was the moment to press the advantage.

Hiding a smirk behind her fan, Morgana feigned arrogance and urged her.

“You’re going to close anyway—wouldn’t it be better to sell to someone offering a higher price?”

“W-well, of course, but…”

“Decide now. There won’t be another chance.”

 

The shops in this area struggled with poor commercial prospects, making it difficult to fetch a high price.

Triple the amount was more than enough to open a store in a far better location. Tempted, the shop owner’s eyes wavered uncertainly, but she didn’t rush to answer.

Still, the way her lips twitched suggested she was already more than halfway convinced.

Morgana swiftly turned as if to leave the shop immediately and replied,

“If you refuse, there’s nothing I can do. I’ll just have to buy the building next door—”

“Ah, no! I’ll sell! Furthermore, I’ll sign the contract right now!”

 

As she tried to leave, the shopkeeper urgently called out and stopped her.

 

Morgana, wearing a faint smile, snapped her fan shut with a tap and laughed brightly, as if to ask when she had ever pressured her.

“Is that so?”

 

The contracts were all prepared by Raon.

Having already received his help when saving Tir na Nog, he familiarly placed the papers on the shop table and explained.

“You just need to sign here. You too, miss.”

 

Morgana signed her name with a quick flourish, then looked at the shopkeeper, who was glancing around the store with a hint of regret, and asked.

“It seems you were quite fond of the salon.”

“Ah, is it that obvious?”

Now that the sale was final and there was no way out, she offered an awkward smile.

“Well, it’s the first shop I opened after leaving my master’s tutelage.”

Her expression brightened as if recalling those dream-filled days when she first started the business.

“At first, I had a steady stream of customers through word of mouth, but as Salon Lu grew bigger, everyone started going there instead, and well, this is how it ended up.”

“You must resent them.”

At the words, spoken with a tone of half sympathy, the shopkeeper shook her head.

“No. They were always colleagues who stood out, even back when we were under the same master.”

“…You studied under the same master?”

Morgana asked again, seeking confirmation from the shopkeeper who spoke as if she knew about Salon Lu. She had even referred to them as colleagues.

Not just Madame Oted, but multiple people.