Chapter 155 The Women Of The Settlement
"There's still something I'd like to request. However, this isn't a request for Miss Cordelia alone, but rather for the multiple women residing in this settlement..."
"Also, would it be alright if you act as a representative and discuss this with you, and then provide an answer later?"
"Yes, of course, that's fine, Ms. Sophia, Lady Orson."
Sara took a sip of the herbal tea Cordelia had brewed, paused for a moment, and then began speaking.
"Firstly, we need someone who can take on a large amount of handicraft work. Specifically, we'd like them to create satchels and small pouches. We'll provide the necessary materials, of course."
"Also, we welcome orders for handicraft work at any time. There are many women who excel at sewing, and even children can help with simple tasks."
"Actually, we need a large quantity urgently. Since we're in a rush, we'll add a premium to the fee, naturally."
Cordelia thought for a moment.
"Is this perhaps for the Hunting Festival?"
"Yes. During the Hunting Festival, we'd like to present satchels with potpourri to the ladies invited to the tea party."
"Then it's not a large quantity you're asking for. Are you planning to sell the same items separately? Are you expecting the guests to purchase them as souvenirs when they leave?"
From the conversation so far, Sara had gotten the impression that Cordelia was a sharp and perceptive person.
"Yes, just as you said."
"And, if this is for noblewomen, we may need to prepare various designs, such as lace or ribbon decorations, or embroidered items."
"We're also thinking of selling herbal tea blends made by the apothecary, as well as essential oils from flowers and herbs that are good for beauty."
"I see, so you two are putting a lot of effort into this."
After hearing Sara's story, Cordelia called out to Fran.
"Fran, it seems like we should share this story with everyone as soon as possible. Sorry to bother you, but could you please call Helen and the others?"
"Understood."
Fran quickly ran out of the door.
"It's better to tell the ladies directly rather than waiting for a response. They might also want to hear from you, Lady Sophia."
"That's possible."
Cordelia silently stood up and opened the door to the next room. Inside, there was a room with desks lined up, clearly a classroom.
"About 10 women will be coming, so let's use this room."
"This was a classroom, wasn't it?"
"Yes, it was previously a woodworking workshop. The skilled craftsman who was good at woodworking built a house for the ladies to live in on my property. That's how this settlement began."
"What about him?"
"He passed away over 20 years ago due to old age. He left this house to me before he passed away."
"I see."
After the quiet conversation, the silence was broken by the sound of the door opening, and multiple women entered the room.
"Lia, I'm here!"
The woman at the forefront was a stout middle-aged woman, but her slightly dragging feet caught Cordelia's attention.
Sara and Rebecca lightly bowed to the women, and then another woman spoke up.
"Isn't that Lady Rebecca!"
As Rebecca turned around, the woman who had raised her voice was staring at her with tears in her eyes.
"You, could it be Cass?"
"Yes, it's me. Long time no see."
The woman who was called Cass was a former maid at the Orson household, where Rebecca used to live. Her real name was Catherine, but Rebecca, who was still young at the time, couldn't pronounce it correctly, so she had always called her Cass.
When Rebecca asked her about the details, Cass told her that her husband was a bureaucrat in Grandchester who was deeply involved in the embezzlement scandal. Right after the scandal was exposed, Cass's husband had taken all their money and abandoned his wife and young daughter.
Cass was taken into custody by the Grandchester knights and questioned, but she was found not guilty since she wasn't involved in the embezzlement. However, her parents had already passed away, and she had nowhere to go.
"Why didn't you rely on me?"
"I wrote a letter to the head maid asking to be rehired, but I was rejected because of my husband's scandalous behavior and the bad reputation it brought to the Viscount's household."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know."
Sara, who was listening to their conversation, had a terrifying thought. Could there be other people in similar situations like Cass?
"Ms. Cass, I'm so sorry to ask this, but were there many people who were abandoned by their husbands or fathers during the embezzlement scandal?"
"Yes, that's correct. There are 3 people in this village, including me, and as far as I know, about 30 women and children were abandoned."
"What about those people?"
"There were also those who could rely on their families, but in cases where that wasn't possible, they worked as helpers on farms, or as apprentices in shops or workshops. Some young women even worked at brōtḥels or taverns, although there were those who took their own lives soon after starting work at a brōtḥel.... A few people's whereabouts were unknown, but I've heard rumors that they were spotted in the slums."
The situation was even more miserable than Sara had imagined.
"How terrible..."
The woman who had entered the room first let out a sarcastic laugh and said to Sara,
"You people are aristocrats, aren't you? Stories like that are a dime a dozen around here. That's why we're all helping each other out and surviving."
Cass hurriedly scolded the woman.
"No, no, Ms. Helen! This young lady is the daughter of the Viscount of Orson, she's here with her escort."
"Could it be that the good-for-nothing Sir Robert is chasing after this young lady?"
"Pfft!"
Helen's sharp remark made Sara burst out laughing.
"Is there anyone in Grandchester who doesn't know about Sir Robert's good-for-nothing ways?"
"Nope. His brothers have all gotten married already, but Sir Robert is still stuck on his first love. He's always fooling around, but when it comes to the one he really cares about, he's a total failure."
'Oh no, my father's reputation is in shambles! And it's even worse because it's true!'
"Don't worry. Sir Robert has safely become engaged to the Viscount of Orson's daughter."
"Finally, huh? So that means this young lady is finally getting married at the ripe old age of 30, right? She looks like a child, but I guess that's what they mean by 'blessed by the fairy'!"
As expected, Helen's remark was extremely rude towards a noblewoman. Rebecca, who was watching with bated breath, was frozen in place with a faint smile, her shoulders shaking slightly.
'What should I do? Even Mother would be angry about this?'
"Hahahahahaha... Ahahahahaha. I can't hold it in!"
Rebecca, who couldn't contain herself, burst out laughing, unable to maintain her ladylike demeanor.
"That's right. That clumsy person got kicked by Arthur's daughter and finally proposed me."
"You're really something, acknowledging that."
"Well, I beat him until he bled from the nose and then acknowledged it."
"Well, make me happy, then. While saying all sorts of things, the people in this territory all like Sir Robert, after all."
"Yes, that's my intention, and I also want Rob to happy."
The surrounding women, who were watching with bated breath, congratulated Rebecca with words of celebration.
"By the way, what's the reason why Lia called us here? I thought I'd hear the story later, but..."
Sara explained to Cordelia about the educational facility and the people who would quickly make sachets and pouches as a side job.
"I understand that you're hurrying to make things for the hunting tournament, but do you plan to continue producing goods?"
"That's the plan. We're also developing various other products, so we might ask for different production requests."
"That sounds interesting. Being an apprentice to craftsmen is tough work, so I wouldn't recommend it to women who aren't physically strong. But a profitable side job is always in demand, after all."
"I understand. Then, I'll quickly prepare the materials."
There, Helen thought for a moment.
"That material, you know... There's a textile workshop nearby, and they also do dyeing."
'Ah, I see. So this area is where craftsmen gather.'
"To be exact, those 2 craftsmen are sisters."
"Oh, so they're female craftsmen?"
"That's right. If possible, could you use their fabric?"
Cordelia followed up on Helen's statement.
"Ms. Sophia, their weaving and dyeing skills are extremely high. I can guarantee the quality."
"Since it's Miss Cordelia, the Baron's daughter, who's saying so, it's definitely high-quality. We haven't decided on a supplier yet, so if we can prepare the materials by the deadline, we'll purchase from them.
By the way, would it be better if I instructed them on the product design? If there's someone with a good sense of design, you could create products that bring out the unique characteristics of the fabric made by those sisters' workshop."
Helen and Cordelia exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement.
"There's a child who loves cute things, and I was wondering if you could ask them to make a prototype?"
"Let's take a look at the prototype first and then decide. However, it's a condition that they can teach others how to make it."
"That's not a problem, but..."
"Is there something?"
"It's just that the child is a boy, not a girl. Is that okay?"
Cordelia asked with concern.
"Ability is what matters, not gender or age. However, please don't make him work late into the night. ...No, I mean, please don't overwork anyone, not just him. Especially, no all-nighters are allowed."
"But isn't it urgent?"
"That's right. Even if the number of products for sale decreases, our employers' health cannot be compromised. Someone once said, 'Don't pull all-nighters, lack of sleep is the enemy of good work. And it's not good for your skin either.'"
"Haha, got it. If you want high-quality products that aren't rushed, then that's definitely true."
'I never thought I'd be told that by a pig...'
Sara suddenly remembered an anime about flying pigs she had seen in her past life.
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