NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 74
“The situation is turning out stranger than expected.”
Despite my intention to resolve the issue, I had no choice but to return to the Blaire Ducal Estate alongside the Duke.
His intervention had temporarily dispersed the crowd, but if someone stepped up to incite them again, the same situation could easily repeat itself.
That meant we needed to find a more fundamental solution.
Thus, an emergency countermeasure meeting was convened, attended by the Duke, myself, Lainey, and Liam, who had barely managed to step away.
“It seems like someone is deliberately trying to sabotage us.”
I finally voiced the suspicion that had been lingering in my mind.
But for what reason?
Most of our products were unique ideas we had come up with and commercialized ourselves, meaning there shouldn’t be any competitors.
As I struggled to figure out how to substantiate my vague claim, the Duke placed something on the table.
“This is…?”
Recognizing the item immediately, my eyes widened.
Why would he bring a limited edition item that was now nearly impossible to obtain?
“This is the Ghost Duke Edition tumbler we first created.”
The sleek design, the illustration printed on it, even the signature—it was exactly as I remembered.
I looked at the Duke without any doubt.
But then—
“Liam.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Without acknowledging my words, the Duke gestured to Liam.
And in Liam’s hand was… a hammer?
“Excuse me.”
Before I could stop him, the heavy head of the hammer came crashing down on the tumbler.
CRASH!
With a loud noise, the tumbler shattered into countless pieces.
Silently, I screamed in horror.
“Wh-what… huh?”
Something was off.
The hammer Liam used was just an ordinary one.
But there was no way a simple hammer could break apart Parthanium so easily.
That mineral was so tough that even crafting it required expert skills!
On top of that, among the shattered pieces of the tumbler, I noticed stains that unmistakably looked like rust.
“No way…”
That left only one possibility.
As I sat back in my chair, dumbfounded, I alternated glances between the Duke and Liam.
“This… is a counterfeit?”
“Yes. Did you know these were being circulated?”
“…No.”
I was utterly blindsided.
Because the tumbler before me was so well-made that, visually, it was indistinguishable from the ones I had crafted with great care.
Which meant… there was no way to tell them apart just by looking.
And who would even think to smash their tumbler with a hammer?
As silence settled over me, the Duke spoke with certainty.
“This is an attack directed at the ducal house.”
“…Pardon?”
“The nobles of the Imperial Capital have been sending me messages since morning.”
It seemed that while I was meeting Ashley and heading to Lainey’s workshop, the Duke had been dealing with his own troubles.
As I listened to his calm explanation, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
“Haha…”
“There are reports that people who drank from tumblers produced by the Blaire ducal business have been suffering from stomach pains.”
“Ahem… Duke Blaire. This is Duke Ludwig. I must say, there are concerning rumors that hazardous substances were found in the thermoses distributed in our territory…”
How could all of these things be happening simultaneously?
‘This doesn’t make sense.’
The Duke seemed to share my thoughts as he muttered something similar.
“This is an impossibility.”
Why was this happening?
If someone truly was targeting the ducal house, as he suggested, what was their reason?
And more than anything… this never happened in the original storyline.
Oh, the original storyline.
Suddenly, a certain realization struck me.
‘In the original work, there were no comic books, no blackout curtains, no tumblers or thermoses.’
Which meant… the very existence of these attacks was a consequence of the changes I had made.
In the original story, Duke Kayan Blaire had been little more than a background character.
Perhaps the businesses I established had inadvertently drawn attention to him.
‘And if I remember correctly, the original story mentioned that the Duke had imperial blood.’
If that was true, then even the slightest movement on his part would have made him a target of scrutiny.
Having spent a short time in Solt, I had already witnessed countless people fall victim to political schemes.
It was entirely possible.
And then…!
That face.
That body.
That overwhelming competence…
‘This is crazy.’
Before I even realized it, my gaze was trailing from the Duke’s head to his feet.
Shaking my head to dispel my stray thoughts, I pressed my flushed cheeks with my palms and steadied my voice.
“Then, do you have any idea who might be behind this, Your Grace?”
“We will find out soon enough. But one thing is certain…”
His sharp green eyes gleamed ominously as they lingered on the shattered tumbler.
“Inevitably, the tail will be caught.”
* * *
“Everything is proceeding successfully, Your Excellency!”
In the heart of the imperial capital, in the central branch of the Stefan Trading Company, operated by the Marquis of Stefan, a drinking party had begun in broad daylight.
Marquis Stefan, stroking his patchy beard, asked a question with a drunken slur.
“Yes, yes. How’s the reaction?”
As he spoke, a man with a wolfish appearance, who had been refilling his empty glass, grinned widely.
His name was Viscount Robert, the vice leader of the Stefan Trading Company.
Calculating and greedy, yet possessing an unrivaled ability to get things done in pursuit of that greed, he was the most cunning of schemers.
It was none other than Viscount Robert who had suggested creating counterfeit tumblers and thermoses and selling them at exorbitant prices when the originals gained immense popularity.
“It’s quiet for now, but no monkey stays on a burning tree. Heh heh…”
Straightening his back, which had been bent nearly ninety degrees to flatter the Marquis, Viscount Robert leaned in and whispered in his ear.
“Just as you permitted the counterfeit production, if you trust me, Your Excellency, you’ll be raking in a fortune.”
“You truly are…!”
Marquis Stefan showered Robert with praise, pleased by his sweet words.
The counterfeit business had been a massive success. Since the fakes cost only five percent of the original selling price to produce, the losses they had previously incurred were quickly wiped out.
Moreover, people who consumed food from the uncertified fake thermoses began suffering from stomach issues, eliminating the need to spend money spreading rumors.
A perfect two-for-one deal! A win-win situation!
“Unlike with the blackout curtains, we didn’t even have to spend money to spread the rumors. Excellent work, Viscount!”
“Heh heh, it was nothing, really.”
“Nothing? Nonsense. I’ll make sure you’re handsomely rewarded.”
“Khh, thank you, Your Excellency!”
Just as Marquis Stefan, his face flushed from alcohol, laughed heartily, his expression suddenly turned serious.
“By the way… how is the issue with the painters we brought from the Blaire Duchy coming along?”
“Oh, that’s proceeding smoothly as well.”
Robert’s sunken cheeks twisted into an even craftier smile.
Once you designate someone as an enemy, you must trample them until they can never rise again.
Secretly reaching out to the painters working under the Blaire Duchy had been part of that plan.
“As expected, money speaks louder than anything.”
When they offered a salary far exceeding what the painters had been receiving, they didn’t even need to persuade them—many simply packed their bags and left on their own.
Additionally, they promised to pay double whatever the Blaire Duchy might offer in negotiations, making things even easier.
Beyond that, they guaranteed the artists full creative freedom in their work and even covered relocation expenses, leading to some painters deciding to leave in groups.
“Of course, securing a lead artist or a key storyteller would be ideal… but the Duke’s strict surveillance makes it difficult to approach them. For now, we’re just watching and waiting.”
“It’s too early to make a move now. We’ll tighten the noose slowly and strike at the decisive moment.”
That arrogant Duke of Blaire.
As Marquis Stefan, too drunk to realize what he was saying, grumbled, Robert drove in the final nail.
“We’ve already secured a printing company, so it’s only a matter of time before the works are produced.”
“Excellent.”
“Additionally, we are ready to send a little ‘gift’ to the Blaire Ducal House whenever you give the order.”
“Yes, yes… that’s how it should be.”
With a dangerous gleam in his eyes, Marquis Stefan began recalling the massive losses he had suffered at the hands of the Blaire Duke.