Chapter 171 (1/2)

"But almost all the girls tighten their corset this much these days. I'll be fine soon."

Gabriel said it as if it really was nothing. Then, she saw a vase full of roses by the window and was surprised. It had the opposite gradation from Taylor Rose: white in the edge, red in the middle.

"Is that a new rose invented by Lord Sesar?"

"Oh, yes. I got it last night."

Elise had put the roses in vases to decorate the mansion, and one of them happened to be in the resting room.

"How are you going to promote it this time? Are you going to host another tea meeting?"

This could be an exclusive news, so Gabriel couldn't resist her curiosity and asked. Rubica, instead, looked at her curious brown eyes. The girl could get excited so easily and was always curious. Telling her to tighten her corset until she couldn't breathe properly was just too cruel.

"I didn't give out the rose at the meeting to promote it."

She made it clear again even though no one believed her.

"Oh."

As she had expected, Gabriel let out a sad sigh. Rubica wanted to sigh herself, but she didn't. As it was nothing to hide about, she told the girl what she was so eager to know.

"I am going to send this rose with the Taylor Rose when I present it to Her Majesty."

"Oh, the gentrifying tactic!"

Gentrifying tactic? Rubica raised her eyebrows and Gabriel quickly shut her mouth at seeing that. People said it was possible to pay back debts with words, but she rather tended to find herself in debt with words.

"I'm just sending it because the queen is curious about Taylor Rose. I'm not aiming to promote the roses."

Rubica explained as calmly as she could. The honest girl, who was as talkative as her mother, seemed to be the source of society's rumors. Therefore, Rubica didn't want her to get the impression that she was so capable.

"I think you shouldn't present it to anyone else."

However, instead of nodding, Gabriel's eyes sparkled, and she even made a suggestion.

"It must be a precious thing which no one can get from anywhere else so that everyone will open their purse. It will get Claymore even more than what Marchioness Miramont spent at the last rose auction."

However, Rubica held her breath at hearing that.

'An auction?'

She thought Carl was selling the rose at a set price. As so many people wanted it, she figured he had to be selling it on a first-come, first-serve basis or in accordance with the relationship they had with Claymore.

However, it turned out Carl was using an unfairer but fairer method. It was called, 'Those who can afford shalt get the rose!' It was a way that no other noble family could replicate as they got most of their revenue by selling crops grown in their domain.

'But… this family makes its living through weapons business.'

Weapons that were manufactured in small numbers were put on auction, or their price was set through lobbying.

Carl must have not given much thought to it. He must have just decided to put the rose on auction as the demand for it was much bigger than the supply.

Rubica could tell him he could have sold it to friends of Claymore first, but he was surely going to be surprised and say he hadn't thought of that idea.

So, the rose must have earned Claymore a huge sum of money by now. Rubica felt like fainting, but she managed to calm herself and explained it to Gabriel.

"Gabriel, as a plant's seeds tend to be spread in time and Taylor Rose is relatively easy to grow, this frenzy cannot last for long."

That was how plants were. It was hard to get the rose now and people were eager to pay as much as they could to buy it, but it was only a temporary phenomenon. Someone could steal its seed or sell it to everyone at a much lower price, blinded by money. Either way, Taylor Rose was going to become a flower that could be commonly seen by the roads.

'That is exactly why you should get as much as you can get from it now!'