Chapter 158 A Bottle For Elma Brandy
The design meeting for the Elma liquor bottle had just ended, and Cindy's father, Matt, walked in. Matt was carrying a large basket, and inside, there were various decorative bottles of different shapes.
"I thought we might need some decorative bottles, so I brought some I made in the past."
Matt took out one beautiful bottle after another from the basket and lined them up on the table. The bottles of various sizes and colors were so beautiful that it was hard to get tired of just looking at them.
"Wow, these are amazing. By the way, how long does it take to make one of these?"
"It depends on the size and intricacy of the design, but I think I can make one or 2 in a day."
With only a month left until the Hunting Tournament, it seemed unlikely that they could prepare all the decorative bottles needed for the noble families participating. There were 4 Duke families and over 50 noble families attending the tournament, and even if Sara only counted the direct family members, they would need at least 100 Elmabrandy bottles.
"I don't know how many glass workshops there are, but it seems like it'll be tough to gather the necessary number of decorative bottles..."
Sara let out a despairing voice.
Then Cindy stood up and brought over a basket that was placed in the corner of the room. Inside, there were ribbons, scraps of fabric, and handmade lace. It seemed like someone's leftover craft work.
"How about decorating the bottles with these ribbons, lace, or dried flowers? It might be a nice little souvenir."
Cindy picked up a small, simply designed bottle and decorated it with the ribbons and lace.
"Ah, yeah, that does look nice."
'Well, if we decorate a simple bottle, it'll have a pretty luxurious atmosphere, won't it?'
"But won't it be too feminine? I've heard that Elma brandy is a strong liquor."
Matt said, gazing at the bottle adorned with a ribbon.
"That reminds me, the Elma brandy bottle Ms. Sara gave me had engravings on it."
""What?!!""
Cindy and Matt were both surprised at Rebecca's words.
"Which workshop did Miss Sara commission it from? Glass etching requires strong chemicals, so there are only a few workshops that can do it. I didn't think there were any workshops in Grandchester that could do etching..."
'Yeah, they didn't know about sandblasting.'
"No, it's not just a matter of applying a chemical to corrode the glass surface. And since it was an urgent job, Ms. Sara herself used magic to engrave it."
"Wow! Can I see the bottle?"
Matt leaned in, his eyes gleaming with excitement, and pressed Sara.
"Well... it was a gift for Sir Robert and Lady Orson's engagement, so if it's not suitable, I can prepare something else."
It was impossible to show off the sandblasting technique right there, so Sara decided to send it later.
"Either way, it seems like we'll need a simple bottle for the Elma brandy too. Since it's still a rare liquor, let's ask you to make a smaller bottle, and then we can discuss the decoration method."
"Can we decide on the design after looking at some samples of glass engravings? Maybe we'll get some ideas from it."
'Eh, I'm starting to feel a bit of pressure. I don't think I can do such amazing craftsmanship!'
"I'll make sure to have it delivered here by tomorrow."
Sara looked at the glass bottles lined up on the table again.
"But, I still think the gift for the royal family should be in a beautiful decorative bottle. I want to fill this beautiful bottle with amber-colored Elma brandy."
Rebecca nodded in agreement beside her, but Matt, the craftsman, was in a great panic.
"You're saying this is an order for the royal family?! Are you seriously going to have my workshop produce it?"
"Yes, that's the plan. I want about 100 bottles eventually, but for now, I just need enough to make it in time for the hunting tournament. You can introduce me to other workshops if you'd like."
Sara smiled brightly and brushed off Matt's agitation.
"I suppose it's unavoidable to ask other workshops for help with an order of that size."
"Actually, we're planning to hold a decorative bottle contest soon. The lord's orders will be sent to all the glass workshops soon. The winner will receive a prize and a title."
"A contest by the lord's orders?!"
"The lord wants to establish glass craftsmanship in Grandchester, so they want to hold it every year if possible."
"Haa, I see..."
Matt was so shocked that his mouth hung open.
'I'm sorry, it's not my grandfather's idea, but mine.'
"By the way, I thought Ms. Cindy's vase was beautiful, but the ones here are even more stunning."
"Did you see the vase I gave to Miss Sara?"
'Oh no, I was Sophia now!'
"I saw it. The color combination of blue and green was a truly beautiful work."
"I'm grateful for your praise. However, I'm still far from reaching my father's or grandfather's level, and my work is still immature. Actually, when I gave it to James, I was told not to say it was a gift. Even if he found out, I was told not to say that his fiancée was a glassworker."
When I think about it, James did give her a bouquet on the occasion of her magic manifestation, but Sara had left the vase with Maria. If Maria hadn't taught her, Sara wouldn't have even realized it was a gift.
"The number of years of experience is different, so it can't be helped that Ms. Cindy can't surpass her father, can it? I don't think it's something to hide."
Then Cindy gave a wry smile, and Matt looked troubled.
"To be honest, I'm worried about whether I should continue being a craftsman. Now that James is at the top as a bureaucrat in the territory, I wonder if it's okay for her, his wife, to remain a craftsman forever..."
Currently, Robert is the governor at the top of the bureaucracy, and James, as an accountant, and Benjamin, as a secretary, are the top 2 bureaucrats.
"But doesn't Mr. James wish for Ms. Cindy to continue being a craftsman? I heard that Ms. Cindy's father promised to let her continue being a craftsman even after marriage..."
"Yes. My father and I also intended for that to happen. However, soon after we got engaged, James became an accountant and was pursued by intense workload, making it difficult for him to return home. As his wife, I wonder if it's okay to abandon a husband who is busy with his high social status and work..."
Cindy took a sip of her cold tea, looking down. Sara, who saw this, asked Matt, sitting next to Cindy, a question.
"What do you think, Mr. Matt?"
Matt, suddenly asked, began to speak in a calm tone.
"I was against James and Cindy's marriage. I thought Cindy should marry one of my disciples and take over this workshop."
Matt picked up one of the bottles lined up in front of him.
"This is a bottle made by Cindy. The craftsmanship is delicate and beautiful. I, or my father, wouldn't have thought of this design. It might be because Cindy is a woman that she could create such a work. I thought it would be a waste for Cindy's talent to be buried as a bureaucrat's wife."
Matt and Sara put the bottle they were holding back on the table.
"James was a smart kid from the start. But he didn't look down on others, and instead taught the other kids enthusiastically. When he graduated from the Academy and became a bureaucrat, we all celebrated grandly."
'Ah, so Mr. James was a student of Ms. Cordelia, huh. Everyone around here should know that, right?'
So, James suddenly said he wanted to marry Cindy. As a parent, Matt against it, of course. If Cindy becomes the wife of a bureaucrat, she'll have to interact with nobles, and he doesn't think it's suitable for someone who's lived as a craftsman all her life. But James says he loves Cindy as a craftsman, and if he can't marry her, he'll remain single for life. He even comes to visit Matt every day, passionately begging, and he impressed, he has to admit.
Matt still looks worried, but he's also smiling ambiguously.
"But I never thought James would rise to the top of the bureaucratic ranks. Until then, only members of the lord's family or low-ranking nobles became bureaucrats in the territory, so I didn't imagine a commoner like James would get that far."
'Huh? Didn't Grandchester territory value meritocracy? I need to confirm this with Grandfather and Father.'
Rebecca suddenly interjected from the side.
"So, you're saying that since Mr. James has risen unexpectedly, Ms. Cindy should give up her life as a craftsman? Has he ever asked her to quit being a craftsman after he became an accountant?"
"No, James has never said that."
Cindy hastily replied.
"Then we should trust Mr. James' abilities and have a proper talk about it. I think Ms. Cindy giving up her life as a craftsman is unlikely to make Mr. James happy."
'Ugh... It's different when you're about to get married, huh. Or rather, I don't want to make Mr. James and Ms. Cindy unhappy, you know?'
"Ms. Cindy, I don't want to lose a talented glassworker. Can you please continue working as a glassworker?"
'Yeah, losing a valuable glassworker would be a huge loss!'
sara was supposed to be saying something good, but her expression was subtly darkening....
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)