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The moment Ekaterina returned to the ducal estate, she went straight to Mina with a request.

“Mina, I’d like to commission a custom glass craftwork. How should I go about it? I want to arrange it without telling my brother.”
“You wish to keep it secret from His Grace?”
“Yes. It’s a gift for him, after all. I want it to be a surprise.”

When Ekaterina had asked Yvan about her brother’s birthday, she learned it was about a month and a half away. If she could recreate the idea she had thought of at the restaurant, it would make a perfect present.

“Glass, is it? Well, for something like that, we can send a messenger to a workshop and place an order. If you tell me what kind of item you want, I’ll go and handle the arrangements.”
“I think… it might be difficult. I doubt either you or the craftsmen have ever seen something like it.”

Saying so, Ekaterina drew a picture on a sheet of paper and showed it to Mina. The usually expressionless maid widened her eyes in surprise.

“What is this?”

.

After setting down a cup of tea for Ekaterina, Mina frowned thoughtfully.

“You’re right, my lady—I don’t think I could explain this properly. We could summon the master craftsman here, but that would alert His Grace. The most certain way would be for you to go to the workshop yourself, though it isn’t exactly a place for you to visit in person.”
“I’d really prefer to explain it myself. Would it be terribly improper for me to go to the workshop?”
“I wouldn’t say improper. It’s just not what one would expect of a young lady from a great house like Jurnova.”
“In that case, I’d like to go. If you’re with me, there shouldn’t be any danger, right?”
“…Understood, my lady. If that is your wish.”

Expressionless as always, Mina nodded.
By that night, as she helped Ekaterina into her nightgown, she had already made the arrangements.

“The workshop once run by Master Murano—the one famed for his skill—was shut down after his death. So I’ll take you tomorrow to another place that’s said to be the best now.”
“…Oh my, how wonderful. I’m delighted, you’re always so quick with the arrangements.”

That Time I Reincarnated and My Beautiful Maid is Just too Capable, trademarked

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And so, the next day, Ekaterina went out with Mina by carriage.
When she explained her purpose, the butler Graham smiled knowingly and agreed to help her, keeping it a secret from Aleksei. Until now, all her carriage rides had been with her brother, so even with Mina beside her, she felt a faint twinge of anxiety.

Come on, you’re a woman nearing your thirties, why are you feeling nervous? Get a grip!
You’re used to eating ramen and barbecue all alone in your past life, aren’t you?

With that pep talk to herself, Ekaterina straightened her back with renewed determination.

The carriage rolled into a different part of the capital from where she’d gone with Aleksei the day before—a livelier, more down-to-earth district brimming with signs of everyday life.
Instead of noble carriages, the streets were crowded with wagons hauling goods, children darting between them. Workshops lined the streets, and the sound of metal being hammered rang in the air.
If this were Tokyo, it’d be like Ōta Ward, where all the small manufacturing companies are clustered.
But with laundry fluttering in the narrow alleys, the atmosphere also reminded her of old Hong Kong—or perhaps Naples, Italy.

Before one of the larger workshops, the carriage came to a stop. A new and rather elaborate signboard read “Garen Workshop.”

“This is Master Garen’s place.”

Mina said as she opened the door and stepped down smoothly. Taking Mina’s offered hand, Ekaterina descended from the carriage as well.

“Please be careful, my lady.”

the coachman said politely. Ekaterina smiled back at him before stepping into the workshop.
The first thing she noticed was the heat. A furnace glowed orange in the back, molten glass shimmering within. Several other furnaces burned nearby for different purposes, and half-naked craftsmen were busily at work around them.
One of them—a young man with a kind, gentle face—noticed the two and quickly approached.

“Welcome. How may I help you?”
“We’d like to see Master Garen. We’ve already sent word that Lady Jurnova of the ducal house would be visiting.”
“From the ducal house…! I—I see! Please wait just a moment!”

The young man froze in shock, glanced nervously at Ekaterina, and hurried into the back.
Soon, a large man who could only be Garen himself appeared. He looked to be around fifty, with enormous arms and a belly to match.

“Well now, my lady! Fancy you coming all the way to this rough old place to visit the likes of me, Garen!”

He let out a coarse laugh—*heh-heh-heh*—that immediately rubbed her the wrong way.
Is this guy really okay?
And where exactly are you looking, old man?
Expressionless, Mina silently offered Ekaterina a fan. Without a word, Ekaterina accepted it and opened it lightly, concealing her mouth and chest behind it.

They sat down across from Garen on a set of sofas clearly meant for receiving clients.

“So, you’re looking to order a special glass piece, eh? Well then, you’ve come to the right man. Tell me what you’re after—big vase, decorative plate, whatever you like, I’ll make it for you.”
“What I’d like made isn’t large. My drawing is amateurish, but could you take a look?”

She handed him the sketch she had shown Mina the night before. Garen frowned.

“Huh? What’s this supposed to be?”
“A pen made of glass.”
“Huh? Pen?”
“Yes. A glass pen.”

That’s right—a glass pen, the beautiful writing instrument that had a devoted following back in my previous life.

It had apparently been invented by a Japanese wind chime craftsman during the Meiji era. It became explosively popular for a time, though it eventually fell out of common use after the invention of ballpoint pens. Even so, it still retained a loyal fanbase, admired for its beauty and smooth writing.
In this empire, quills were the standard writing tool. They looked elegant, but were incredibly inconvenient: thin shafts that were hard to hold, tiny ink capacity that barely lasted a line, tips that wore out quickly and needed to be re-sharpened with a knife… A complete hassle for anyone used to modern pens.
If I could recreate a glass pen here, it would be far more practical than a quill—and Onii-sama would surely appreciate it.

However—

“Heh,” Garen snorted through his nose dismissively.

“I don’t know what made you think of such a thing, but I’ve never heard of a glass pen before. You do realize glass doesn’t absorb ink, right? What makes you think you can write with it, eh? Heh-heh-heh.”
“You carve grooves into the tip. The ink flows into those grooves. The principle is the same as how a quill draws up ink.”

It’s called capillary action. That’s what we called it in my previous life.
And for the record, even quills don’t actually absorb ink, you know.

Suppressing her irritation, Ekaterina lightly fanned herself. As she did, she noticed someone beyond Garen watching her intently. It was the gentle-looking young man who had greeted her earlier—his eyes were fixed on the drawing of the glass pen in Garen’s hand.

Garen noticed too, turned around, and barked out angrily.

“Hey, Lev! What the hell are you staring at?!”
“S-sorry, sir!”

The young man—apparently named Lev—hurried back toward the furnace.

“My apologies, my lady. The young ones these days have no manners.”

He let out another unpleasant snicker, *heh-heh-heh*, and handed Ekaterina’s sketch back to her.

“Well, if you’re looking for fine glasswork, I can make you the best there is! Let me show you something—hey, bring it out here!”

He clearly had no intention of making what she wanted, planning instead to push one of his own specialties on her. Seeing a pair of apprentices struggling to carry out a massive, heavy vase between them, Ekaterina sighed behind her fan.

“There’s no need to trouble yourselves. I apologize for taking up your time. Mina, let’s go.”
“Yes, my lady.”

Mina stood.

“Ah, no, wait just a moment, my lady! You’ll like it once you see it!”

Flustered, Garen reached out, trying to grab Ekaterina’s delicate hand—but his thick arm was stopped cold by Mina’s pale one.
Her voice dropped low.

“Don’t touch my lady with those filthy hands.”
“What did you say, you little—ugh!”

Garen’s eyes bulged. The slender white hand gripping his arm didn’t so much as flinch, pressing down like a vice.
A sharp *crack* sounded as bone strained.

“Gyaaah!”

Garen screamed.
By the time he did, Ekaterina had already stood and moved behind Mina, out of his reach.

“Mina.”
“Yes, my lady.”

Mina released him with a flick, tossing him aside as if he weighed nothing.

“My apologies for the commotion, gentlemen. Good day.”

With a graceful smile to the pale, trembling Garen and the stunned craftsmen, Ekaterina turned and left the Garen Workshop with Mina at her side.

.

“Forgive me, my lady. I never should have brought you to meet such a man.”

Mina said once they reached the carriage. She stood outside, bowing her head apologetically as Ekaterina climbed in.

“It’s not your fault, Mina. Who could have expected the master of a well-regarded workshop to be so uncouth?”

Seriously, how has that man stayed in business this long? She thought.

“They say he’s nothing compared to his old master, Murano. But since Master Murano died, Garen’s been called the best craftsman in the country, and it has clearly gone to his head.”
“Ah, I see.”

So he’s basically drunk on fame, huh.

“He must have some skill to back that fame. There can’t be many who can craft such large vases. But because of that, perhaps he isn’t suited for delicate work.”

It made sense. His pride as the ‘best in the country’ probably wouldn’t let him admit to having weaknesses. But you know, old man, a true professional owns up to what they can’t do as well—that’s how you build trust.
And of course, being two women probably made him think he could act all high and mighty. Even back in twenty-first-century Japan, there were still guys who behaved like that—so in this male-dominated world, it’s no wonder.

“Let’s look for a workshop that specializes in fine, detailed work next.”
“You still want to make that glass pen, my lady?”
“Of course, Mina. I’ve no intention of giving up so easily.”

Giving up after one or two tries? Not a chance. Any working adult knows persistence is the key.

“In that case, my lady. May I ask that you wait here for a little while longer?”
“Right here?”
“Yes.”

Her expression didn’t change, but Ekaterina could tell she had an idea.

“Very well. I will trust you, Mina.”