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“Welcome home, Onii-sama.”

On a school holiday, Aleksei returned to the ducal residence in the capital after attending the Council of the Three Dukes at the imperial palace. Ekaterina greeted him in the entrance hall.

“Ah, Ekaterina.”

The Council of the Three Dukes was an audience meeting where His Majesty the Emperor and the heads of the three great ducal houses gathered. Dressed in formal attire befitting the occasion, Aleksei looked even more handsome and dignified than usual—every bit the noble prince he was. No matter how many times she saw him, Ekaterina couldn’t help but gaze dreamily at her brother in admiration.
Her brother smiled tenderly at his lovestruck little sister.

“Your glass pen, as expected, pleased His Majesty greatly. He placed an order on the spot. It seems he intends to present it as a gift to Her Majesty the Empress.”
“Oh, how wonderful! I’m so very happy!”

In truth, Ekaterina had intended to offer a glass pen to Her Majesty the Empress as well, but Aleksei had stopped her.
If it was something worthy of being given as a gift, then it should be presented to His Majesty alone—if he found it delightful enough to purchase for the Empress himself, that would be far better. Grandfather Sergei had often done the same.

So Grandfather was, in effect, recommending “husband gifts for the wife” under the guise of imperial offerings, wasn’t he?
It must have been his old matchmaking hobby showing again, cheering on marital harmony among the nobility.
Now that I think about it, His Majesty is technically Grandfather’s nephew from his wife’s side. Maybe that matchmaking impulse came from seeing the boy he’d known since childhood fall in love—“Alright, I’ll lend a hand!” That sort of feeling.
…Though, really, that attitude toward the future Emperor is something else.

“There’s more good news. Upon seeing His Majesty’s glass pen, Duke Sein expressed a strong desire for one of his own. He said that after the Empress, he must be next! He plans to use it when signing a contract with a great merchant from beyond the Summit of the Gods—he wants to show that our country possesses such beautiful and refined craftsmanship.”
“Oh my… what an honor that is.”

His Majesty the Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress. And among the three great ducal houses, the heads of Jurnova and Jursein.
That’s already a lineup dazzling enough to establish a luxury brand image!
And if Duke Sein really shows off the glass pen to foreign merchants, maybe they’ll start placing orders as gifts for their monarchs too. Wishful thinking, perhaps—but not impossible!
Yes, I’ve won this battle!

“When I mentioned it was your idea, Duke Sein said he would like to meet you. He’s very knowledgeable about business and trade—it will be a good learning opportunity for you. …By the way, you were the talk of the entire council today, which made Magna quite sulky.”

He chuckled softly, clearly in high spirits. Ah, Onii-sama, if that makes you happy, then so be it—even if the idea of being discussed in such a grand setting makes me shrink like a startled lobster.

At any rate, what I must do now is strengthen our glass pen production system. I’ll need to fully reopen the Murano Workshop, resume glassware production to secure steady income, and tomorrow, I plan to meet with the apprentices Master Murano trained—the ones Lev has contacted—to invite them back.

Oh right, I also need to decide on the price of the ultra-luxury glass pens… but I have completely no idea what an appropriate price would be! Ahhh, Khalil, help me!

.

Later that day, when Ekaterina consulted Khalil about the price, he smiled brightly and stated a figure without hesitation. She froze upon hearing it.

“Do not be surprised, my lady. Anything less would bring shame upon Their Majesties, and it wouldn’t even cover the total costs.”
“Y-you’re quite right. It is, after all, a gift for Her Majesty the Empress…”

A gift that cheap would indeed hurt the Emperor’s dignity.
And then, the costs. Remember, recall the accounting system from your previous life—balance sheets, income statements.
Was the cost of purchasing the workshop a liability or capital investment? Either way, I need to generate income that justifies it! And then there are labor costs, material costs, fuel, miscellaneous expenses… The profit column *must* outweigh them all!
Even if the glass pens are priced like jewels, as long as buyers see the value, then it’s a fair price! It’s a one-of-a-kind, high-class, luxury writing instrument—don’t lose your nerve, me!

.

The next day.
Ekaterina prepared herself and headed to the Murano Workshop. There, Lev and four former Murano artisans awaited her.
When she stepped inside, she could feel a warmth that hadn’t been there before. The furnace Lev had lit for glass pen production made the workshop seem alive again—like a creature that had regained its body heat. The white sheets that once covered everything had been cleared away, tools neatly arranged, and a quiet sense of vitality filled the air.

“Thank you for coming all the way here, my lady.”
“Lev, I bring wonderful news. And to all of you—thank you for gathering. I am Ekaterina Jurnova.”

When she smiled, the glassworkers all froze stiffly.
They moved to the sitting area at the corner of the workshop, though there weren’t enough seats for everyone. The younger Lev remained standing as well—perhaps out of modesty, despite being the only officially employed craftsman among them.
The Murano Workshop hadn’t been a seniority-based place, but rather a meritocracy. Lev’s mild personality probably made him deferential.
Then I’ll just hit them with a strong opener myself!

“First, Lev, allow me to bring you the news; The glass pen you made was presented yesterday by my brother, Duke Aleksei Jurnova, to His Majesty the Emperor. His Majesty was most pleased, and he has ordered another of equal beauty as a gift for Her Majesty the Empress.”
“!”

A ripple of shock passed through the artisans. To have their work presented to the Emperor was the highest honor. And for His Majesty himself to purchase it as a gift for the Empress would be beyond belief.

“Furthermore, Duke Jursein, upon seeing the pen presented to His Majesty, expressed great enthusiasm to purchase one himself. Therefore, Lev, I’d like to commission two sets of glass pens—the first for Her Majesty the Empress, the second for Duke Jursein.”
“It-it’s an honor. I owe it all to you, my lady. Thank you so much…”

Lev bowed deeply.

“It’s thanks to your skill, Lev. You are currently the only person in the world capable of creating a glass pen. I intend to continue fostering an environment where artisans such as yourself can freely create excellent works.”

Smiling at Lev, Ekaterina turned to the four other craftsmen.

“You are all former artisans of the Murano Workshop, correct?”
“Yes, ma’am.”

They bowed their heads.

“I’ve heard you are currently employed at other workshops. Would you consider returning to Murano? I can promise better pay and conditions than where you currently work.”

The men didn’t answer immediately, but their faces brightened with visible hope—the earlier exchange clearly impressed them.

“As you have heard, we intend to make our newly developed product, the glass pen, as one of Murano’s key lines moving forward. However, there are still many customers who seek Murano’s beautiful glasses and dishes. That’s why I would like the artisans who inherited Master Murano’s craft to return. In time, I hope you will also learn the techniques for glass pen production.”
“…May I ask one question?”

The one who spoke was a tall, thin, older-looking man among them.

“Of course, go ahead.”
“Thank you.”

Polite—just as one would expect of someone trained under Master Murano. But his question was a sharp one.

“Why is a young lady of the Jurnova ducal house personally running a glass workshop? Surely, in a few years, you’ll marry into some fine family. What will happen to this workshop then?”
“That’s rude! Forgive him, my lady!”

Lev exclaimed, uncharacteristically loud. But Ekaterina simply smiled.

“It’s quite all right, Lev. That is, in fact, an excellent question—one I wished to address myself.”

As a certain journalist in my past life would say—good question!
You’re a sharp man, sir. Even in modern Japan, women’s careers often change drastically due to life events. And in this world, women rarely get to choose their own paths. From a practical standpoint, my status could indeed change someday, and I might have to withdraw from managing the workshop.
I want to stay by Onii-sama’s side, and I believe he’ll let me—but these artisans can’t be expected to know that. If they rejoin and the workshop closes again soon after, it would be a disaster for them.

“As for the management of this workshop, I am indeed the one in charge. However, as you rightly pointed out, my position may change in the future. Therefore, the workshop will remain the property of House Jurnova, and the house will bear responsibility for it. Your employment contracts will be made with House Jurnova directly, so even if I were to leave, your terms of employment will not change. Please rest assured of that.”

Ekaterina then handed the senior craftsman a sheet of paper.

“This is the employment contract. I drew it up in consultation with our family’s legal advisor. Should we fail to provide the conditions promised here, you would be legally entitled to pursue the matter under Imperial law.
“In the capital, I’ve heard artisans are often paid fixed wages regardless of workload. In our contract, however, I’ve included a performance-based component in addition to base pay. The calculations ensure that working at a comfortable pace will already earn you more than at other workshops. Those who work hard will be rewarded accordingly. …But you must never overwork yourselves. Please promise me that.
“The contract also clearly states that no craftsman may be dismissed without just cause, and that compensation will be paid in the event of injury on the job.
“Since neither party has signed yet, please take this home, review it thoroughly, discuss it with your families, and then decide whether you wish to return.”

After distributing the contracts to the others as well, she received quite a positive response.
Lev, for his part, signed the contract right there—using a prototype glass pen.
As the four craftsmen watched with keen fascination, Ekaterina could sense their artisan spirits stirring. May they all choose to return to the Murano Workshop.