Chapter 52
Chapter 52. Different Dreams in the Same Bed (7)
First-generation noble.
A noble who possesses a viscountcy title that is not inherited by descendants, granted by the royal family in recognition of meritorious service.
Though between new nobles and traditional nobles, they're called by the derogatory term 'mayfly.'
Becoming a viscount is by no means easy.
It's not something you can receive simply because your family has money.
You must contribute to the national economy or industrial development, or contribute to technological innovation, national defense, culture, arts, diplomacy, and such.
So if you've established merit, is that the end of it?
No.
From now on, you must engage in a 'kill or be killed' competition among families who have established similar merits.
What's even more terrifying is…….
To maintain that title, future generations must also make similar efforts every time.
"……."
Serena looked down blankly at the luxurious piece of paper held in her hands.
An absurdly light single document.
Some people devote their entire lives to this.
Some people devote their entire lives but still never get their hands on it.
"Jurgen negotiated with Baron Keystone and brought it back. Pretty amazing, isn't he?"
"Why…… would you give this to me……."
"I told you earlier, didn't I? Keep working with us."
"I see……. But why would you give this to me……."
Serena entered infinite loading.
Her hands trembled like aspen leaves.
And for good reason.
It was too heavy.
This thin piece of paper would be someone's entire life.
If she had this, there would be no need to marry into the Granville Viscount Family.
The decisive reason Serena had decided on marriage in the first place was because the viscount family said they would use the viscountcy recommendation right for her younger brother.
"Is this really real……? Huaaa……."
Serena's eyes spun round and round from dizziness.
Well.
It did feel unreal.
'What's that?'
'It's a viscountcy recommendation letter.'
'Hmm, I see…… what?!'
When Jurgen casually brought back a viscountcy recommendation letter as if it were some flyer.
Penelope was just as bewildered as Serena.
'With this much, wouldn't Miss Serena not need to make an engagement with the Granville Viscount Family?'
Moreover, she was even more dumbfounded when she heard him say without any hesitation that he would use it for Serena.
Of course, Penelope was inwardly happy that she wouldn't have to part with Serena.
But leaving aside whether this situation was good or bad, she couldn't help but have this question.
'Why would he go that far……?'
Jurgen was also a commoner.
For him too, the viscountcy recommendation right would be an opportunity he couldn't miss.
To this question, he answered as if making an excuse.
'It seems Miss Serena needs it more than I do, doesn't it?'
Honestly, if it were someone else's words, she wouldn't have been convinced.
She would have thought, 'He definitely has other thoughts.'
'……That's true.'
But well, it was Jurgen.
He was the person who readily extended his hand even to the shabby Penelope.
It wouldn't be strange at all for him to help Serena who was in a predicament.
While one corner of her heart warmed at his matter-of-fact goodwill, just for a very brief moment.
She felt a prickling sense of dissonance.
She wasn't quite sure how to express it.
It was an unfamiliar emotion and sensation not registered in Penelope's dictionary.
But if she had to use an analogy…….
Like someone stepping uninvited into her own well-organized study?
Well, it wasn't that important.
The ripples that spread like waves in her chest were soon washed away by the satisfaction that Serena didn't have to leave.
Anyway, what's good is good.
"Thank you…… I'll really work…… hard……!"
Serena thanked her while shedding tears until her eyes became like a rabbit's.
Both pitiful and cute.
Serena, who was already small and timid in her gestures, looked just like a real rabbit with her eyes reddened.
Like a pet.
Wouldn't this be what it feels like if you had a younger sister to take care of?
Penelope rested her chin on her hand and looked at Serena fondly.
"Sniff, Penelope…… I…… actually have something I didn't tell you. Y-you think of me this much…… so I don't think I should hide it till the end……."
"What is it?"
"I, the other day…… I proposed to Jurgen."
"……What?"
Penelope's pupils, which had held affectionate warmth, became as small as dots.
"What did you just say?"
Even the gentleness in her voice evaporated.
Serena being cute like a rabbit, my foot!
Becoming a noble lady and dribbling tears and snot everywhere!
No rabbit in the world looks that unsightly!
"Of course, it wasn't serious! Really! It's just, in my drunkenness……. Because I didn't want to get married……. I clung to him and acted spoiled. Jurgen didn't seem to mention it, but…… I thought I should apologize for this part too."
"Hmm~ Really?"
Thinking coldly, Serena probably wasn't lying.
And thinking even more coldly, there was no reason to be upset about the fact that Serena proposed to Jurgen.
What did it matter whether Serena proposed to Jurgen or not?
"You don't need to apologize to me. You said it wasn't sincere anyway."
"Yes……. It really wasn't."
But it comes again.
That sensation.
Like swallowing cola the wrong way, her solar plexus prickles.
This feeling like someone snatched away a cherished doll.
Penelope desperately suppressed it.
Like Pandora's box, she felt like it was something that shouldn't be opened.
"Phew……."
Calm down.
Let's calm down.
She must have been quite disappointed that Jurgen didn't receive the viscountcy.
After all, whenever he was looked down upon for being a commoner, it secretly upset her.
"Anyway, it's not from me, but it's a viscountcy that Jurgen yielded, you know?"
"Yes!"
"Don't even think about resting from now on. Serve Y&P Trading Company for the rest of your life."
"Yes!"
However.
Seeing Serena covered in tears and snot, yet still smiling brightly as she answered…….
The heart that was about to darken became bright again.
Something made her chuckle.
"Serena, your face is totally funny right now."
"What? R-really?"
"Tsk, how hopeless. How were you planning to get married like this?"
"I-I'm good when I try……?"
"Come here."
"Sob, sniffle……."
Penelope took out her handkerchief and gently rubbed Serena's face.
Still, it was fortunate that Serena wasn't leaving after all,
she thought.
***
After magnificently reclaiming even the viscountcy recommendation right through negotiations with Baron Keystone.
Branch Manager Belheim couldn't hide his admiration.
"Mr. Jurgen is truly an unfathomable person."
"I already explained before, so why are you being so dramatic now?"
"Because it's admirable. Anyone can set up a composition, but few painters can actually implement what's in their mind onto the canvas."
"You flatter me."
Gideon Belheim had a serious personality.
Throughout his entire life, you could count on one hand the times he made a fuss or caused a commotion over something.
"In the end, wasn't it only possible because you utilized the Devon Bank network to broker local beverage companies?"
"No, my help is trivial. What's important is Mr. Jurgen's strategy itself. Truly a business genius, a strategist, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call you the hand that crafts gold."
Lately Jurgen was starting to find Branch Manager Belheim's compliments burdensome…….
But from Belheim's perspective, it was natural.
What if Belheim had been in Jurgen's position?
He probably would have focused on the market share war for the entire North, using the bottling license as a weapon.
It wasn't that he lacked confidence, but the opponent was Keystone Company.
It would have been a very arduous war.
But Jurgen resolved this remarkably cleanly.
Rather, he turned the most troublesome enemy into a reliable ally.
"I never imagined you would even form a cooperative relationship with Baron Keystone."
Who was Baron Keystone?
A traditional noble of Golden Hill armed with a merchant's experience, absolutely not an easy man.
Jurgen even obtained the viscountcy recommendation right from such an opponent.
Seeing the situation roll to this point, Branch Manager Belheim naturally couldn't help but think this.
"Mr. Jurgen."
"Mm?"
"Would you consider working with me?"
"Aren't we already working together?"
This series of achievements wasn't simply luck.
Belheim knew where this flow originated from.
Jurgen's aspects as a technical noble weren't the only things that stood out.
If Penelope had acted as the face and was active in social circles, it was Jurgen who drew the big picture of the business behind the scenes.
He came up with the scheme of moving the Financial Supervisory Service and thoroughly destroyed Rex, then easily broke through Baron Keystone's ordinance before forming a dramatic alliance.
He likely played a major role in Blyton's downfall as well.
How could he just watch such a man?
He had to obtain him.
At the very least, he had to build a much closer relationship than now.
"You've heard about me, haven't you, Mr. Jurgen?"
Belheim, who had been flattering him profusely, now adopted a serious demeanor.
"Yes, there was much impressive content."
Since they were working together, he had naturally done an information investigation.
The person called Gideon Belheim that he learned about was quite a remarkable existence.
Seeing his gentlemanly appearance and behavior more refined than most nobles, he naturally thought he was a noble, but originally he was from the bottom.
However, at the mere age of 15, he passed the Devon Trust Bank public recruitment.
Afterward, without any backing, he proved his abilities through pure skill and accumulated devastating results while repeatedly getting promoted.
He built up the current Devon Trust Bank and made everyone agree with the opinion that 'Devon Trust cannot exist without Belheim.'
How else would Count Devon, the bank's owner, have arranged an engagement with his only daughter?
At this rate, it was a foregone conclusion that Belheim would inherit Count Devon's family business.
"But I'm still hungry. There's more I need to devour in the future than what I've eaten so far."
However, there was not even a hint of satisfaction in Belheim's eyes.
As if the work accomplished so far wasn't even an appetizer, heat filled with hunger blazed.
At this point, Jurgen also became curious.
"What do you want, Mr. Belheim? It seems to me you already have enough."
To this question, Belheim smiled and gave an unexpected answer.
"What I want is probably the same as what you want, Mr. Jurgen."
"I'm not as greedy a person as you, Mr. Belheim."
"It's okay to be honest. Neither you nor I are people without sense, are we?"
A furrow formed between Jurgen's brows.
'……He wants the same thing?'
What Jurgen wanted was a culinary revolution.
And Belheim was one of the most ambitious and capable people he'd met so far.
Even standing on his head, he didn't seem like someone who would stake everything on just a culinary revolution.
"……."
But Belheim, making eye contact with Jurgen, was somehow.
Shining sharply as if facing a rival who could understand his ideals for the first time.
"……."
Nod.
Belheim, who had been silent for a while, slowly nodded when Jurgen showed no reaction.
That signal of trust filled with empathy, saying it's okay so let's be honest with each other.
'This is extremely burdensome…….'
At the end of the waiting, it was Belheim who spoke first.
No, come to think of it, Jurgen had nothing to say first anyway.
"Very well. You're cautious as expected. I'll show my hand first."
After pausing once, Belheim murmured quietly.
"Rosemore."
"……?"
"I also want Rosemore, just like you, Mr. Jurgen."
What was this suddenly about?
Before the bewildered Jurgen, Belheim continued with skillful eloquence.
"Of course, when the Rosemore Count Family's stronghold was solid, I wouldn't have even dreamed of it. Not all count families are the same count families, after all."
As Belheim said.
The Rosemore Count Family was a family on a different level even from the Devon Count Family.
The 'Labyrinth Demon Realm,' Britannia's food storage, a wealthy prestigious family holding its control rights entirely.
Even most marquis and duke families defer to Rosemore's prestige.
"But no matter how solid a family is, there are leaks when changing blood."
It had been several years since the family head, Count Rosemore, lay bedridden in an unconscious state.
What he left behind were three children.
Eldest son Rupert Rosemore, eldest daughter Clarisse Rosemore, second daughter Penelope Rosemore.
On the surface, Rupert had secured the heir position, and Clarisse was providing support fire…….
Penelope had fallen from grace entirely and was treated like trash.
"At first, I couldn't understand it. Both why you, Mr. Jurgen, would hide your identity and proceed with business, and why you would specifically join hands with Miss Penelope."
"Is there something incomprehensible about it?"
"Don't joke around. Someone of Mr. Jurgen's caliber could have found more efficient methods. For business purposes, it would have been better to join hands with Blyton instead."
"Hmm."
Well, the culinary revolution itself was a purpose far from 'efficiency'…….
But that inefficiency seemed to be interpreted in a completely different meaning to Belheim.
"Restore the fallen Penelope. And use Miss Penelope as a key to receive Rosemore's inheritance. That's your true purpose, isn't it, Mr. Jurgen?"
Belheim drove the point home with a voice full of certainty without a hint of doubt.
Jurgen widened his eyes as if greatly surprised.
'But it's not…….'
It wasn't logically awkward, but it really wasn't.
The only regular customer of the failing general store was Penelope, that's all.
"I previously declined Mr. Jurgen's request to stand by Y&P Trading Company's side. But let me use this opportunity to say clearly. If I can get in on that game, I'll gladly help. As I said, I'm a greedy person."
Jurgen looked at Belheim, who showed passion for joining in the bet of a lifetime, with a subtle expression.
'When people are too smart, they sometimes miss the mark like this…….'
Belheim would be a bit embarrassed, but he should correct the misunderstanding.
"That's……."
Just then, one realization struck like lightning.
Wait a minute.
'Do I really need to dispel the misunderstanding here?'
In fact, it still wasn't certain whether Penelope had been receiving malicious checks from her family.
Penelope herself firmly said it wasn't like that.
However, it was certain that out of her enormous inheritance, she ended up with just the figurehead president role of The Richfield Hotel.
In the end, that meant she was being neglected by her family to that extent.
Jurgen had no interest in Rosemore's inheritance or Belheim's ambition.
But his true feelings were that he wanted to see his partner, who had been with him since the corner store, smile happily.
'If we trigger the culinary revolution through Y&P Trading Company with Belheim's support and restore Penelope's position within her family…….'
That would be best.
"I've shown you all my cards. How about it, Mr. Jurgen? Do you feel inclined to join me?"
Still, was it right to deceive Branch Manager Belheim here?
He felt a slight pang of conscience as if committing fraud…….
'I don't know anymore.'
If Y&P does well, something will fall to Belheim.
Jurgen smiled faintly.
"Good, I look forward to working with you."
"I also look forward to working with you. Ah, and let's speak comfortably. You must be older than me."
"Hmm, was it that obvious?"
"……You didn't seem to have any intention of hiding it."
At the scene of a picture-perfect case of different dreams.
The two men extended their hands and shook firmly.
Y&P Trading Company gained Belheim on the left and Keystone on the right!