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Since Aleksei had told her to come to his office after classes, Ekaterina went straight there as soon as school ended.

“Welcome, my lady.”

Aleksei wasn’t there yet; Novak and the others stood and greeted her instead.

“My lady… It may be presumptuous of us to say so, but the lunch earlier was truly delightful. To be able to celebrate His Grace’s birthday in such a warm atmosphere—it made us very happy.”
“Lord Novak, everyone, thank you always for your kind consideration toward my brother. Could it be that my brother hasn’t liked celebrating his birthday before now?”

If not only Aleksei but everyone else was acting as if nothing special had happened, maybe he’d actually instructed them not to celebrate.

At her question, Novak made a rather complicated expression.

“The late duke—your father—preferred his festivities to be… exceedingly lively. At times, perhaps too much so. For that reason, His Grace decided, upon inheriting the title, that such things would cease. Although various people still send gifts to the ducal estate, they are processed almost entirely in a formal and administrative manner.”

…The way he’s choosing his words so carefully, combined with my mental image of Father as a Genji-like playboy, makes me suspect there was *something improper* going on at those flashy parties. That’s probably what Onii-sama hated.
I bet Father started that nonsense after Grandfather passed away—when Onii-sama was around ten to seventeen. Such a sensitive age… Damn that old man.

At that moment, Aleksei entered.

“Ekaterina, you’re here.”
“Yes, Onii-sama.”
“Sorry to keep you waiting. I’d like to discuss your glass pen for a moment. Khalil, come along.”
“Yes.”

Khalil Talal, the Head of Commerce and Distribution, bowed. He had a bright, eager smile on his face.

“As it happens, I was hoping to discuss that as well. I would like to develop the glass pen into a profitable product under the Murano Workshop brand. Would you be willing to help me with that?”

When Ekaterina said this, Aleksei smiled.

“As expected of you—straight to the point. I think that pen holds great potential. It’s innovative as a writing tool and beautiful as an object. …To create something of such quality and choose to make your first one a gift for your family—only you would think of that. I was worried you might be too selfless for your own good, but it’s reassuring to see you have a clear business vision as well. You truly are a clever girl.”

Uh, sorry—it’s not like I invented it myself, so there’s no way I could be greedy about it. To the wind-chime craftsman from the Meiji era who actually came up with glass pens: I’m *really* sorry.
Wait, did that craftsman ever file a patent? Well, patents only last about twenty years, so it would’ve expired ages ago. And besides, the Jurgrahn Empire isn’t part of any international treaty like the Paris Convention for patent protection… obviously—it’s another world. Why am I even thinking about this?
Huh, I wonder if this world even has some kind of patent system…

“My lady, might I take a closer look at this glass pen?”
“Oh, of course, Lord Khalil! Please, try writing with it yourself.”

Snapping out of her thoughts, Ekaterina hurriedly offered him her own pen. Khalil dipped it in ink and began writing right away.
As expected, he started with his own name—but then proceeded to write it in several different languages. As the heir to a merchant family with branches all over the world, he was already quite the cosmopolitan man for this era.
Oh—he’s even writing from right to left!?
Wait, vertical writing too!? And are those ideograms? They’re not quite the same as kanji from my previous life, but the shapes look like they carry meaning!
While Ekaterina silently geeked out, Khalil stopped writing and murmured thoughtfully.

“…With a single dip of ink, you can write this much. And as His Grace said, it glides smoothly in any direction. Being glass, unlike quills, the tip never flattens or needs trimming, so it can last long. Once accustomed to it, even this thickness would feel comfortable in the hand. Beyond the Summit of Gods, far east of my homeland, there are countries that use soft-tipped pens made of animal hair. The shape of this pen’s tip resembles those writing instruments.”

Whoa… Khalil’s really knowledgeable. This world is surprisingly similar to my old one.
Indeed, the glass pen’s tip does look like a brush’s. Maybe the wind-chime craftsman of Meiji Japan invented it precisely because he was used to writing with brushes rather than quills.
…Wait, if that’s the case, doesn’t it make no sense for glass pens to suddenly appear here in this empire practically out of thin air…?
Whatever! Don’t overthink it, it’s too late now!

Aleksei opened a velvet-lined box containing his own glass pen and handed it to Khalil. The merchant studied the colored glass carefully.

“The one presented to His Grace is a true masterpiece—practical, yet worthy to be called an art piece. Perfectly suited for the Duke of Jurnova. The craftsman your ladyship employs is clearly very talented.”
“My, Lord Khalil, I’m impressed—you’re absolutely right. That craftsman is only twenty-two. I expect he’ll create even more wonderful things in the future.”
“Is he now…”

Khalil hummed in admiration, and Aleksei asked,

“What’s your opinion, Khalil? This, as a product.”
“It will sell.”

Khalil answered, without hesitation.

“If this doesn’t sell, it would only mean the merchant trying to sell it is a complete dimwit. I’d love to try selling it myself.”

…Hahaha, Khalil, I can see your eyes sparkling. Not glittering—*gleaming*.
Is that what they call a Merchant’s instinct? Terrifying.
Also, did he just call someone a dimwit right in front of Onii-sama?

“The only real concern, perhaps, is whether production can keep up with demand. There’s only one craftsman who can make these, correct?”

Ah, as expected of you, Khalil—sharp as ever.

“Yes, that’s right. I’ve asked that craftsman to reach out to the workers who used to work at the Murano workshop. But we don’t yet know if they’ll come back.”
“So you’ve already taken action.”

Khalil smiled.

“Now that you’ve said the glass pens will sell, Lord Khalil, I’ll guarantee them better treatment than what they’re getting at their current workshops. However, even if they return, I doubt they’ll immediately be able to make glass pens at the same level of quality as the one craftsman does now.
“In that case, I plan to have the others focus on more traditional Murano works—like glassware—and let profits from that sustain us. As for the glass pens, I intend to make them a rarity at first—available only to a select few. Meanwhile, we’ll pass the techniques on to other craftsmen, and once we have a proper production system in place, we can gradually increase sales.
“By that time, if we manage to establish the image of glass pens as an item for high-ranking nobles, we could attach a significant margin and still sell them easily. That’s what I’ve been thinking.”

“…”

After a moment of silence, Khalil let out a long, heartfelt sigh.

“I knew the young lady was an extraordinary person, but I see now there are hardly two like you in the world.”
“Oh, no! It’s only a layman’s idea. I don’t actually know whether it’s even possible to do all that.”

Sorry, it’s just that I wasn’t born a noble lady in my previous life, okay?

And honestly, this is all theoretical nonsense I picked up from watching those late-night business documentaries. I have zero confidence it’d actually work.

“It’s remarkable enough that a layman can think that far, Sage Ekaterina.”

Aleksei laughed.

“I was thinking of entrusting the glass pen business to Khalil’s management, but… since you already have a clear plan in mind, perhaps it’s best if you continue to lead the project yourself?”
“It would be presumptuous of me to call it ‘leading,’ but since I was the one who asked to purchase the workshop, I believe I should take responsibility for it.”
“That’s just like you. Always so responsible.”

Aleksei sighed.

“I’ll assign someone to handle the practical side of things, so make sure you don’t exhaust yourself or neglect your health. That’s all I ask.”
“Thank you very much, Onii-sama. I promise to do as you say. I don’t know much at all, so if anything comes up, I’ll immediately consult you and Lord Khalil.”
“Yes, please do.”
“Always feel free to reach out. But I must say, Lady Ekaterina, your earlier proposal was highly rational. I see no need to waver—proceed exactly as you see fit.”
“Your words are too kind. However, I truly have no idea how to actually establish the image of the glass pen as an item for the nobility. I only sound like I know what I’m talking about—it’s embarrassing, really.”

I did think about asking Onii-sama to act as a sort of “ambassador” for the product, but… he’s still a student, and that kind of thing doesn’t suit his personality. I’d never want him to feel uncomfortable, so that’s out. But then—what else can I do?
Then Aleksei and Khalil exchanged a glance and smiled faintly.

“Ekaterina, would it be possible to have the craftsman make a glass pen equal to—or even more splendid than the one you gifted me?”

Aleksei’s words left Ekaterina rather confused.

“Even more splendid, you say? The craftsman already poured all his skill into that one, deeming it worthy of a duke. I could have one made of equal quality, but… may I ask what you intend to do with it?”

Aleksei answered simply.

“I’ll present it to His Majesty the Emperor. I’m sure he’ll be pleased.”

Ah, of course! That would instantly cement its image as an item for the elite!
And since Onii-sama can deliver it personally at an audience—
…Wait, isn’t that basically the ultimate top-tier marketing strategy?