Chapter 25.2: Business Tour - Part 2
Ely''s POV:
Surprisingly, my husband owns a lot of food-based shops.
Two cafes. Three bakeries, a sweets shop, and a restaurant in the shopping district aside from a few
jewelry stores and clothing shops in the 2nd district.
But I noticed that they are geared to attract the elite or the middle-ss merchants that can afford it.
"Pierce. Has my husband thought of opening a business that can attract the masses?" I asked him.
My husband''s secretary has somehow softened his stiff attitude towards me ever since we had them
over for lunch yesterday. He still maintains a bit of professional distance but whenever I ask him stuff,
he dly answers them with a smile.
"Well....he had ns to open two cafes in the third shopping district where a lot of the middle and
peasant sses are always doing their purchases. He says that there may be a future in catering to the
two other sses," he exined to me. "Does Mdy think the same?"
"My husband is very progressive but I believe that there wille a time when the distance between
the nobles and working sses will lessen. There is a lot of potential if we offer something affordable to
themon folks."
"I believe so as well." He gave me a warm nod. "The problem is...the funds and opportunities are at the
hands of the privileged which is why I am happy how the duke uses his capital earned from his shops
to provide jobs to the working ss. Did you know that his lordship bought the shipyard and started a
profitable shipment trade just to give jobs to the lower and middle sses who were struggling at the
lower ring?"
He must be referring to the slums or lower ring which was located on the outskirts of the city.
"That is pretty generous..." I pped my hands together.
"Yes. He is indeed a rarity amongst the lords." he nodded." because of him, the crime and poverty of
the slums have lessened in the past few years."
Wow. So my lord husband is a shrewd business person and a phnthropist.
"Then...the shopkeepers and staff at his businesses. Are they all middle ss as well?"
Pierce nodded as the carriage stopped in front of a more silent area. I looked out and saw that this was
the first district where there were bigger, more elegant shops, and the people frequenting them were all
dressed extravagantly.
"This is ourst stop mdy. In the first district, only the higher nobles and royalties frequent these
establishments. The duke owns the popr sweets shop "La Petit Creme" and the cake cafe
"Memories" although not many people are aware of this. He also has investments in about 5 of the 15
small cafes that are popr with the nobles."
I get why my husband does not scoff at the piddling cost of my suggestion to reward the knights
monthly. With his numerous businesses, he can very well afford it.
As I got out, Linda was silently by my side as Pierce gave me a tour of the popr establishments first
which was
the sweets shop.
The interior was a simple white and light blue but the way several jars of sweets were disyed
strategically made people feel like they were kids again. There was a small section where people may
sit while waiting for their order and the cute disy case had some very basic but well-wrapped sweets
and a few unique candies like caramel lollies and peppermint sticks.
When Pierce introduced me to the 4 women who were in charge of the shop, they all blushed and
curtsied in tandem. I smiled and shook each of their hands. The effect was a stunned silence followed
by a flurry of thanks from each flustered girl.
"Have you thought of offering candies by weight? It will allow for people to try out new vors without
ordering too much of each." I told Pierce after he showed me the shop.
"That is not a bad notion, Your Grace. But we usually offer the candies in very stylish jars. Do you
happen to have an affordable solution if we are going to implement this?"
"Simple. We use paper bags or washable bags that our customers can use over and over again so that
there is zero wastage and garbage. A cute branding strategy is to have the logos in our packages so
that more people will know.
The employees of the shops were stunned as I talked to Pierce more about some of my ideas. I guess
not many high-enddies who go there do not usually discuss items and ways to market them with
Pierce.
But they soon rxed in my presence when I asked them to offer me a taste of the shop''s best sweets.
Since the shop was not that busy because everyone must be eating lunch, the girls and I bonded over
which sweets do they like and somehow I managed toe up with a few more suggestions for
Pierce.
By the time I left, the girls waved to me enthusiastically.
"It seems like you put people at ease, mdy. I do not think the shop girls have ever liked ady as
much as you." Pierceughed as I waved onest time to the girl before they went back inside.
"They seem like hardworking girls. I love women who try their best." I looked at Linda who had a few
bags of sweets jars in her arms. "They even gave us some sweets."
"Well...technically your husband owns the shop so.." the secretary wrote on his notepad before his
head swiveled to the right. "Is that...?"
I also found myself looking that way until I saw a huge horned horse riding this way and on its back
Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.
was...
Ezran.
I thought he would be at court all day. Why is he here?
I asked Linda to load the bags into the jar while my cheeks reddened as I felt my heart racing the
moment I realized that I was looking forward to seeing him.
And to think he ignored me for just one night. I was reduced to wondering when will I get a glimpse of
him because of that.
Oh my god. I cannot be missing him right?
Somehow my traitorous heart just kept beating even faster when I felt him behind me.