Caesar had left for the Southern Continent, saying he had matters to discuss with other nobles regarding the business. He would be away for three or four days, so I decided to take the opportunity to visit our family’s new home in the capital.
Caesar’s promise to strengthen our family had proven true. My father had been appointed the chief administrator of the expanding lottery business, and a small estate for our family had been established in the capital.
The estate was smaller than our home in Summerhill, but it was more than adequate. Most importantly, it was close to the palace, making it convenient to visit frequently. Whether it was intentional or not, Caesar had even had the interior designed to resemble our original home.
“Evelyn, aren’t you hungry?”
As I stepped out of my room, now dressed in comfortable clothes, my father, who had been waiting in the hall, asked me.
“Hmm… Did you eat yet, father?”
“I’ve been waiting to eat with my daughter, of course.”
Smiling playfully, he set down the papers he was holding on the table. My mother, who had been reading nearby, shook her head and said, “Waiting, my foot. Your father’s been so busy with work lately he barely has time to eat.”
“What? Is it because of the business?”
As I sat across from him and glanced at the documents he had been reading, I could see they were indeed related to the lottery business.
Was he so busy that he had to work outside his office as well? Now that I looked closely, my father did seem a bit tired.
“Yes. He’s been determined to do an excellent job since His Majesty entrusted him with this, so he’s been relentless. Thanks to that, I’ve been busier too.”
My mother, who often traveled back and forth to Summerhill several times a week to manage the estate, looked visibly weary.
“But the pilot project went well, didn’t it? Isn’t it just a matter of expanding it to the rest of the empire?”
“If we expand recklessly, problems might arise. His Majesty also wants to address some issues before the expansion.”
“Issues?”
Father handed me a few pages and continued, “The key strength of the lottery business is that it’s accessible to all imperial citizens, regardless of rank. But the distribution of buyers isn’t as balanced as we expected.”
As I reviewed the documents, I noticed clear disparities. Merchants were purchasing significantly more tickets than farmers, and higher-income groups were buying fewer tickets overall.
“But isn’t this kind of difference inevitable? Each social class has its own habits and preferences.”
“His Majesty is concerned that these disparities will become even more pronounced once the business expands empire-wide. The fact that higher-income groups buy fewer tickets is particularly troubling. In Summerhill, the region is small enough that it wasn’t a major issue, but…”
My father’s voice trailed off, and my mother chimed in.
“In short, he’s worried the nobles won’t buy them. The ultimate goal is to get the nobles to open their wallets.”
She added a playful wink, making me laugh despite her pointed words.
“Open their wallets, huh? Harsh words for a fellow noble,” I said, chuckling. Then, flipping through the documents again, I grew thoughtful.
It was indeed a problem. Nobles had far greater purchasing power than commoners, and their participation would be crucial to the business’s success. Moreover, the faction of dukes could use this disparity to stir up trouble, arguing that the project unfairly burdened the commoners.
Such rhetoric could easily discourage commoners from buying tickets, creating a vicious cycle.
“Hmm… How about this?”
“What is it?”
“Nobles have a strong sense of privilege, don’t they? We could create a separate type of lottery ticket just for them—a ‘premium’ version, if you will.”
Father’s expression grew serious as he listened.
“We could invest a bit more into making the premium tickets visually luxurious. Instead of selling them in regular shops, we could offer them in high-end boutiques or cafes. Or, if we have the resources, we could even set up entirely new stores for this purpose, though that might require more initial investment.”
“That’s a promising idea.”
“And for nobles, flashy marketing won’t work. We need to appeal to their pride.”
The current slogan for the lottery business was, “A chance to strike it rich.” It was effective but wouldn’t resonate with nobles, who were often overly conscious of appearances.
“We could promote the tickets as a way for nobles to contribute to society. Since the revenue ultimately funds national taxes, it’s not even a stretch. Nobles are few in number, so if it becomes a trend in high society, they’ll all want to join in.”
“That’s a clever approach.”
Father’s face lit up.
“My daughter, where did you get such brilliance?”
He leaned forward as if to hug me, but I dodged with a playful laugh. I was an adult now, and it felt a bit childish to be embraced like that.
As we shared a laugh, I noticed another stack of papers on the table. A quick glance revealed it was a list of agricultural products grown in the Summerhill region.
“What’s this? It doesn’t look like it’s related to the lottery…”
“Oh, that’s actually something His Majesty—”
“Enough, you two,” my mother interrupted abruptly, rising from her seat and placing her hands on her hips.
“We’re finally together as a family after so long. Let’s stop talking about work and eat already.”
At her words, father nodded with the brightest smile I’d seen all day.
****
Two days passed like that. Having gotten a vacation after a long time, I spent the entire day lounging on my bed, eating delicious food, and spending time with my family.
“This is what rest feels like.”
While strolling through the garden, I glanced back.
“…It would be perfect if it weren’t for him.”
A member of the Emperor’s guard was following me closely. It was a bodyguard Caesar had assigned to me, worried after I had been away for so long. For a mere maid like me to have a royal guard as my escort felt overly luxurious.
The problem was that his actions felt more like surveillance than protection. Wherever I went, he followed, scrutinizing my every move. It didn’t feel like a walk—it felt like I was being escorted as a prisoner.
I was just about to go back inside when a maid approached me.
“Lady, the Madam is calling for you!”
“My mother?”
“Yes, she’s waiting in your room.”
In my room? What could it be? Curious, I hurried toward my room, the guard quickly following behind me.
When I entered the room, I found not just my mom but also a man I’d never seen before. The man, dressed in luxurious clothes, had shoulder-length hair.
“Come, sit down.”
As I hesitated near the door, Mom urged me to join them. Suddenly, I was sitting at the tea table with a stranger and my mom.
“Um, Mom? What’s going on…?”
“This gentleman is the most famous tailor in the capital. He’s even made dresses for the palace.”
“What?”
“My name is Tialen.”
The man lowered his head gracefully. His confidence made it clear that he took great pride in his profession.
“Ah, yes. I’m Evelyn Chester.”
I gave a slight bow, then turned to Mom with a questioning look.
“What’s a tailor doing here?”
“He’s here for your debutante ball dress, of course.”
My mouth hung open in surprise. Oh right, the debutante ball…
I had completely forgotten about it after Katana mentioned it last time. Becoming an adult wasn’t the end; I also had to gain recognition in high society through the debutante ball. Mom, noticing my expression, shook her head knowingly.
“I knew it. You haven’t given it any thought, have you?”
“Well…”
“It’s lucky the debutante ball is right after your birthday. If it were any later, we’d have had to wait an entire year.”
“Do I really have to do it this year?”
While you could participate anytime after turning eighteen, you weren’t required to do it the year you came of age. The debutante ball was meant to mark your official entry into society.
“Of course! The sooner, the better.”
As Mom said, most nobles preferred to hold the ball as soon as possible. Delaying it could spark rumors that something was wrong.
Since debutante balls brought people of the same age together, they were also a prime opportunity for nobles to find potential marriage matches.
“Anyway, he’ll make you the perfect dress, so just cooperate.”
“Okay…”
“I’ll create the most beautiful gown that suits Lady Chester’s silhouette, colors, and personality perfectly!”
I nodded absently at Tialen’s enthusiasm. I wasn’t particularly interested in the dress, but there was no reason to refuse. After all, it was something I had to go through eventually.
“Do you have any design preferences, Miss?”
Tialen placed a massive book on the table with a loud thud and looked at me.
“No, you can handle everything.”
Somehow, my words seemed to ignite Tialen’s pride and determination.
“Then, let’s begin here.”
Tialen started explaining, showing me drawings of dresses. To me, they all looked the same, but he enthusiastically described them as A-line, mermaid-line, and more.
I had no idea how much time had passed as I listened absentmindedly. Then, there was a knock at the door.
“Um… Madam…”
It was a familiar maid’s voice.
“What is it?” Mom asked, and the maid hesitated before answering.
“Well, um, His Majesty the Emperor is here.”
“…What?”
“…Huh?”
“…Oh my!”
Mom, Tialen, and I all reacted in turn, mouths agape.
Before Mom could even respond, the door suddenly opened, and there stood Caesar.
“Your Majesty, why are you here…?”
While I was flustered, Mom and Tialen immediately stood and bowed. I hurriedly followed suit.
“I have urgent business to discuss.”
Caesar, catching his breath as if he had run, answered.
“Weren’t you supposed to be on the southern continent? I heard you’d be back tomorrow…”
“I was, but… just now…”
What could have happened to bring him back so urgently?
“Did something go wrong?” Mom asked worriedly.
Caesar quickly shook his head.
“No, nothing like that. It’s just…”
His gaze shifted past me, landing on the table scattered with fabric samples and design sketches.
Then, Caesar’s expression turned dark as he glared sharply at Tialen.
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