Ashborne and Father Rochester sat in the study, both wearing expressions of confusion as they watched Jade abruptly bury her face in her palm again. She remained frozen like that for a long moment before suddenly springing to her feet and darting out of the room.

  They exchanged glances, then chuckled lightly in unison.

  Neither of them minded Jade’s quirks. In fact, they rather enjoyed the lighthearted, lively atmosphere she brought with her - a rare spark of warmth in such a bleak time. Her words, her expressions, her gestures - she could put on an entire performance all by herself, even when she was merely working alone at her baking bench. And of course, her eccentricities made it abundantly clear to both Ashborne and Father Rochester that she came from somewhere else. If not another land, then at least a different culture - one that possessed a peculiar yet partial understanding of Floland.

  They were still trying to help her locate her relatives, though their efforts had recently shifted toward news from other countries, hoping to find even the faintest trace that matched the oddities she displayed.

  Just as Father Rochester was about to reassure Ashborne that he would be safe within the domus, Jade returned - this time, holding a small blackboard.

  She sat down across from them, bracing the board between her thigh and one hand, a stick of white chalk poised in her right. Just before she touched chalk to slate, she narrowed her eyes at Father Rochester. “Father, you do understand what’s going on here, right?”

  Father Rochester shook his head mildly. “Why would you assume that, Miss Jade?”

  “Because… well.” Jade hesitated. “This is kinda like a political war? Or maybe something you’ve come across in history books? No - no, um - it’s more like a small, invisible war between companies…”

  She gestured vaguely with her fingers, clearly struggling to locate the right terminology - words that were plainly not part of her everyday vocabulary. Fortunately, both men were accustomed to this. She often faltered like this when trying to articulate her thoughts.

  Father Rochester, being more familiar with her habits, ventured a guess. “Companies… trade? A trade war? Rivals?” He paused, then his eyes lit up. “Corporate rivalry?”

  He processed that for another second before exclaiming, “You mean Lord Ashborne was targeted because of corporate rivalry?”

  Even Ashborne looked baffled. “But I don’t trade anything. I don’t even own a company.”

  “That’s just what you think!” Jade rolled her eyes. “You really believe everyone thinks the way you do? Obviously not.”

  She leaned forward, staring straight into his widened eyes, her tone firm. “It’s very nice of you to assume everyone in the world is decent and well-meaning. But you need to understand something - bad people exist. They breathe the same air as you and me. And when things like this happen, that’s exactly when you should assume your enemy is as awful as you can possibly imagine. Got it? Good.”

  Ashborne nearly retorted - he wasn’t that naive. He knew perfectly well how cruel people could be when profits were involved, and he had never underestimated the danger of exposing the truth.

  But he also decided that provoking an already irritated Miss Jade was an unwise move.

  Jade began scribbling on the blackboard as she spoke, her gaze fixed firmly on Ashborne to ensure he was following along - a habit she had developed since becoming a teacher. Not that she particularly enjoyed locking eyes with people. As an introvert, she generally preferred to avoid both conversation and eye contact whenever possible.

  “First thing first,” she said, writing “sus.” on the board. “Someone’s following you. Mr. Trent is pretty sure the guy is tough and probably involved in some violent, illegal side business. Correct?”

  Ashborne nodded.

  Jade continued, “So here’s the question. Based on your knowledge - how much do you think it costs to hire someone like that? You’re a noble. Not some random nobody. Following you is risky. No one wants to offend a noble unless the price is high enough.”

  Ashborne froze.

  He remained silent for a long while before finally answering, “It would… required a very generous reward.”

  For someone to have the audacity to tail a nobleman like him - it pointed toward one thing.

  Corporate rivalry. It was a glaringly obvious clue, and Miss Jade had handed it right to him. The only conflict he was currently embroiled in involved the perfumeries, and the perfumery trade was a direct path to massive wealth - wealth enough to hire henchmen.

  He had always known the perfumery trade was lucrative, but perhaps he had gravely underestimated just how vast the profits were. He had deliberately avoided confronting the match factories, believing them to be a greater threat. But now it seemed he had chosen the wrong target entirely by going after perfumeries instead.

  Ashborne quickly connected his crumbling reputation due to the paper publication to the man stalking him. As Father Rochester had mentioned, he was a clever man, he simply needed a spark to light the way. However, Jade remained blissfully unaware of his mental breakthrough and continued with her explanation.

  She saw Ashborne grit his teeth and assumed he had finally caught her hint. “Exactly,” She said. “In that case, only the rich and the aristocrats are suspects.” She circled the “sus.” on the board and scrawled “rich” and “aristocrat” beside it.

  “Next - everything’s been fine all these years. Nothing went wrong. The only thing you’ve done recently that’s outside your usual routine is the animal testing report, correct?”

  Ashborne nodded.

  Jade added another note to the board. “Now, sure, there is a chance the guy following you was sent by some rival family with different political stance, for whatever reason - I don’t know, I’m just sayin’, it sounds possible and logical.” She waved a hand dismissively. “But, I think the possibility is much higher that the stalker is connected to the report. You agree?”

  Ashborne nodded again.

  “Now, Lord Ashborne,” Jade said, chalk tapping the board as she wrote: cosmetics, factories, backing, money. “You’re the noble, you’re the rich. You tell me - how much profit do cosmetic factories make? Who owns these cosmetic industries? Rich people. Aristocrats. Maybe both. And now, you’re literally pointed at their nose and yelled ‘Imma shutting down your gold mine!’”

  She studied his deeply furrowed expression. “If you owned a cosmetic business, what would you do to the jerk trying to ruin it?”

  Jade spoke in bursts - sometimes rapid, sometimes halting - while Ashborne silently replay his own actions, mentally cross-checking each step against her words.

  The study fell silent.

  If the people behind the perfumery trade are nobles with titles similar to my father’s… Ashborne mused bitterly, then assassination is unlikely - but intimidation? Absolutely.

  Stalkers would apply pressure. Rumours would spread. And since they would not dare offend his father directly, the simplest solution was to blacken his name instead. If he alone were disgraced, the family name would remain largely untarnished - aside from the inevitable whispers about poor upbringing or an unstable mind.

  It was, for all intents and purposes, a declaration of social death. In this kingdom, that was the greatest fear any nobleman could face.

  The silence lingered until Father Rochester finally spoke.

  “Miss Jade, it is indeed a convincing theory,” he said thoughtfully. “However, I fail to see how this connects to the corporate rivalry you mentioned earlier.”

  Jade released a slow breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. For some reason, she felt it would be wrong to break the quiet too abruptly - especially when the sponsor of her school was clearly still processing information that had likely shattered his worldview.

  She turned to her boss. “I suspect - well, just speculation, no proof at all - that most owners of these cosmetic industries don’t believe Lord Ashborne published the report out of concern for public safety.”

  Ashborne snapped out of his thoughts. “But that is the only reason I made it public!”

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  His sole miscalculation had been underestimating the backlash from those profiting off the trade - because he had failed to consider just how much money and who was involved.

  “Well,” Jade said calmly, “if they valued human lives more than profit, maybe they’d believe that.”

  She looked at him again and noticed his lips tightening, reluctant but not entirely dismissive. “From their perspective, it probably looks like you’re trying to ruin their business because you want to take it over.”

  Ashborne blinked. “Take it over? I never-”

  “You’ve got my recipe draft,” Jade interrupted. “You wanna help people. You probably asked your men to work on a safer alternative, right?”

  She watched his expression shift and raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. Looks like you already have a new recipe.”

  She continued without a pause. “So what’s next? Set up a factory? Start production? From the outside, that looks exactly like what they suspect.”

  She gestured sharply with the chalk. “They discredit you socially. No one buys your product because you’re ‘untrustworthy’. I wouldn’t even be surprised if someone attempted an assasination - though that’s still low probability. And politically?” She shrugged. “Pressure against your family. Questions about loyalty. Suddenly your House isn’t quite so trusted by the Queen anymore.”

  She had read enough novels and watched enough dramas to make a wild but reasonable guess, though she never imagined that one day she’d actually use the useless knowledge she’d consumed purely for entertainment.

  “But–but…” Ashborne covered his forehead, his voice strained with frustration. “I can’t just let people keep using poisonous substances! I can’t even imagine my sister’s face being corroded by those ridiculous products!”

  “I know,” Jade sighed. “Otherwide I wouldn’t have bothered figuring out substitutes for my students’ parents. But stopping people from using hazardous things takes time and the right approach.”

  Ashborne clearly disagreed. “But we already know how dangerous they are. Why wait another minute before taking action?”

  “Because women would die to be pretty.”

  The words struck both Ashborne and Father Rochester like a thunderclap.

  Father Rochester reacted at once. “Miss Jade, I do not believe anyone would pay such a price for beauty - not to the extent of risking one’s life.”

  “No,” Jade said flatly, rolling her eyes. “That’s because men don’t understand women’s desire,”

  She folded her arms. “Across cultures and throughout history, women are always recorded as pursuing beauty. Men chase power, wealth, longevity - but women? Women are expected to be beautiful. I’m not saying every woman is like that - take me, for example; I don’t care much about appearances as long as I’m clean and tidy - but the ideal of beauty is planted in almost every girl’s mind from birth.”

  She looked straight at Ashborne. “And people get furious when someone tries to take that away. Sir, now do you understand why so many women were attacking you in the newspaper? From their perspective, you’re stopping them from becoming pretty.”

  Silence followed.

  Perhaps this was the first time the two men had truly grasped how deeply cosmetics mattered to women. Jade stayed quiet, giving them space to process.

  At last, Ashborne muttered hoarsely. “So… I was wrong? I shouldn’t have exposed the dangers of perfumery goods?”

  “Sir. Lord Ashborne!” Jade snapped him out of it immediately. “You did the right thing.”

  He looked up and met her steady gaze. “But you said–”

  “Yes. It is the right thing,” she said firmly, anchoring his wavering confidence. “So stop blaming yourself. The problem is not what you did - it’s how you did it.”

  Ashborne listened intently as Jade raised her fingers, counting each point. “Like I said, this has to be done slowly. Opening your own cosmetic factory and offering safer, cheaper alternatives? That would’ve been a solid approach - before the publishing. If you had entered the industry quietly like a normal businessman, none of this backlash would’ve happened. You would’ve crushed the toxic companies with product quality over time.”

  She waved a hand dismissively. “But now that option’s gone. You’ve basically been exiled from the cosmetic region.”

  She raised another finger. “The second method is education. Like what I’m doing - teaching people what’s safe, spreading knowledge the same way rumours spread. For those with money, hosting events - like tea parties, salons - invite elites and professionals, get them to publicly support safer products.”

  Another finger. “Regulation. Push for rules that require basic testing before products hit the market.”

  She lowered her hand. “All of this takes years. And it takes many people to achieve. It’s not something you can handle alone, Sir.”

  Ashborne sat back, defeated. “So… I was inconsiderate. I thought too little and acted too fast.”

  “Poor planning, to be exact,” Jade corrected calmly with a nod. She looked at him with a complicated expression. “You know, I half expected something like this ever since I learned how you invest.”

  Ashborne looked startled. “You… foresaw the happening?”

  “No,” Jade shook her head. “But I did expect you to mess something up eventually.” She sighed. “And I thought I’d warned you during my presentation. Apparently, you didn’t really apply it.”

  “I did apply it!” Ashborne protested at once. “I have never been more cautious with my investments since your lecture, Miss Jade. In fact, the animal testing report was heavily influenced by what you’d told us.”

  “...And you never thought to investigate the market before publishing the report.” Jade narrowed her eyes at him.

  Ashborne blinked, “We… need to do market research before publishing the report?”

  Jade rubbed her face and let out a low groan. “Otherwise, how did you expect people to react to such earth-shattering information? This isn’t some minor update like a ‘new biscuit flavour’ or ‘new seasoning’; you’ve practically shattered the foundation of the cosmetic market - an industry that holds the jobs and fortunes of thousands! Shouldn’t you at least have prepared for what came after publication? You look like someone who jumped blindly into a fierce storm without even putting on a life jacket.”

  Ashborne fell quiet.

  She was right. He had acted too fast, without enough foresight - and this was the consequence.

  “Well… maybe I was wrong,” Jade said suddenly, startling both men. “My way of thinking probably isn’t suitable for you. I should’ve suggested a different approach. Not that I actually had one back then - but still. My fault. I probably should’ve kept quiet instead of babbling my half-baked thoughts at you.”

  “No,” Ashborne said at once.“Miss Jade, you’re brilliant. I’ve learned more from you than from anyone else. Please don’t think that way.”

  And Jade looked at him, her gaze unreadable.

  What Ashborne couldn’t have known was that Jade was actually thinking: A perfect example of a babe in the woods. Not a single thought of shifting blame, even when part of the mess could technically be pinned on me. Don’t you know that a kind-hearted doe like you is an easy target for a shitty hunter, Mr. Rich Sponsor?

  Father Rochester cleared his throat, breaking the tension. “Miss Jade, you mentioned that your method wasn’t suitable for Lord Ashborne. Then what would be a better approach?”

  Jade blinked, momentarily distracted. “Huh?”

  He clarified, “You said earlier that there were other methods. What would those be?”

  “Do what his father would do,” Jade replied without hesitation.

  Seeing their expectant looks, she added, directing her words mostly at Ashborne, “Your father is an experienced nobleman. His wealth and influence have shielded you for years–” (From the hail and storm of reality, Jade added mentally. And that’s exactly how you grew up so pure and innocent.) “–which means he must be a capable and powerful nobleman. Put yourself in his position. If he wanted to stop people from using toxic cosmetics, what would he do?”

  Ashborne stared into the distance, thinking.

  “My father…” he murmured. “Whenever he plans something major, he locks himself in his study for days. Write letters. Send servants to investigate things. Attends salons, talks with members of his clubs, listens more than he speaks.…”

  His eyes widened.

  “My father…” he whispered, realisation dawning, “he’s planning. He’s doing market research, through verbal interviews.”

  “Yeah, something like that,” Jade nodded. “Just in a nobleman’s way. And I’m pretty sure the first people he’d consult would be ladies.”

  She folded her arms. “Now imagine how he would clean up this mess.”

  “Huh?” Ashborne snapped back to her.

  “What?” Jade shot him a sharp look. “Don’t tell me you’re just goin’ to sit there and let them smear your name without hitting back? Come on! You’re being socially discredited. Your reputation is bleeding out. And the worst part is, the ban of toxic cosmetics failed even after you let your name be dragged through the mud. You have to do something.”

  “I just…” Ashborne lowered his gaze slightly. “I don’t know what I can do. And I don’t know what my father would do. He’s always two to three steps ahead of everyone else. I can never tell what he’s thinking.”

  “Good, then here’s option one,” Jade said, raising a finger and meeting his eyes. “Tell your father everything. Let him handle it.”

  Ashborne considered it, then shook his head. “I’m his heir. I have to deal with this myself. Asking for his help will be my last resort. Do you have any other suggestions, Miss Jade?”

  Jade rolled her eyes. “You’re awfully sure I have an idea, huh? I don’t even trust my own brain to come up with something useful for a mess this big.” Despite her sarcasm, she was already racking her brain for a solution.

  Truthfully, she wasn’t familiar with Western history or culture - at least, not the real version. Her knowledge base was limited to the isekai version of Western fantasies. Of all the history she could recall, her only solid references were historical C-webnovel. Even the legitimate Chinese history was a bit hazy; she mostly relied on the fabricated settings of historical dramas - much like how Japanese isekai stories use a “fabricated” version of the medieval fantasy.

  Of course, stories were just stories. They were made up and probably weren’t the best reference material to use as a guide, but still…patterns were patterns. Surely some of those tropes worked in real life, right?

  “...Um,” Jade asked cautiously, “how’s your relationship with Her Majesty, Queen Seraphina?”

  Ashborne blinked.

  “...What?”