A/n: Missed Me?
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As the carriage stopped in front of the De Clare mansion, Vivian descended, wearing an expensive, yet very reserved and demure, dress. Following her were a group of knights and her personal maid.
Branded as a troublemaker since the last incident—and the few others—Vivian could no longer move around without a heavy security detail following her on every occasion, on orders from Count Julian himself.
Yet, since she was not in a position to be locked in the house, Vivian's participation in the social life of the Elgardish Empire was vital for the success of her business brand. Count Julian understood how critical marketing efforts were to bring new innovations to light, and while Vivian was not planning to be the one doing the marketing, part of her "punishment" was to intensely do her own marketing, no longer relying on Isabella, Valentine, or the Conglomerate promoters.
So, in the spirit of promoting herself as the face of new innovations, Vivian cooperated with House De Clare one more time and featured the light pulp once again, this time to the members of high society rather than putting on a street show like last time.
And in order to achieve that, Vivian had to reach out to someone she considered very dear.
"Vivian! Oh my goodness! Look how beautiful you are!" Vivian heard a hoarse voice calling.
A tall, brunette woman, who gave off an aura of mystery and exoticness, approached Vivian as soon as she walked into the mansion's garden. She was mature yet as lean as a blade, with all the right curves in all the right places. While modest, her dress made her figure stand out even more. Add to that the jewelry that would ruin a small nation with its price and the side-swept hair, which was way ahead of its time, and no one could mistake this woman for Isabella's mother.
"Condesa." Vivian reacted immediately and bowed to the Countess of De Clare.
"Oh! So inflexible!" Countess Claudia said, and a puff of smoke escaped her red lips.
"Mama Claudia, then." Vivian said and watched the slender, yet long, pipe in the Countess' hand while her inner Nadia gulped at the feeling of nicotine deprivation. "I am so thankful you allowed ViTech to be part of tonight's event."
"Nonsense. You are like a daughter of mine! A prodigal daughter, just like that other one. We haven't seen each other or talked for almost a year. Oh, how I missed the old days!" Countess Claudia said, with emotions concealed by her low, gravelly voice roughened by years of smoke curling through her throat.
"It is my fault, Mama Claudia. Things have been… all over the place," Vivian replied with a smile of her own, one that was sad and nostalgic.
"It's okay. I have heard that you've done great for yourself, Viviana. I am proud of the woman you have grown to be… and Catelyn would be so proud as well." The Countess said while offering Vivian a light hug, as she usually did.
"Hearing about how she would feel from you… It is the most comforting thing I have heard in a long time."
"It is the people who matter, Viviana, not the things. Learn who you should put first. I find myself saying that a lot these days."
"Thank you for your advice, Mama Claudia."
"Alright now, I won't waste your time. You run along and see how many people you can coax with your investments." Countess Claudia said with a know-it-all smile.
"I've brought my marketing team with me just for that. As for me, I'll just go find Valentine and see what he wants."
"Don't give him sweets again, dear. You know he is my favorite child."
"Only you say such a thing, Condesa!"
"There is always a favorite child, my dear. Parents just don't tell."
It was the usual Claudia De Clare, if Vivian were to recall the past. Just like her daughter, who turned out to be her favorite, she is a woman who breaks the norm, an elegant dresser, and a heavy smoker. On top of all, she was the closest friend to Vivian's mother, Catelyn Moore, and the only person who would speak of what she would have thought and felt.
Vivian's last year in the academy was devastating to most of her relationships, but unlike many, Claudia De Clare was always looking out for her from a distance and was the one who rooted for her the most to become princess consort.
But as it all turned out the way it turned out, there was little those around Vivian could do to support her, eventually having to meet each other at social gatherings and reminisce about how things were and what might have been.
Vivian skipped the party after greeting a few others and witnessing the bizarre entertainment stages prepared by the lavish De Clares. From strange acrobats to exotic magical shows, it all looked too glamorous, but nothing could challenge the lamb decorations, which seemed to have been innovated by the Countess herself.
At the center of the garden, a dried tree with black branches was installed, and on them, around 60 light bulbs were installed like fruits. When lit, the tree became the spectacle of the party, and all the nobles would gather around it. The musician group even moved their instruments beside the tree, as most of the couples wanted to dance around that area.
As for Vivian, she looked around for a while before heading into the main mansion, not too far beyond the gardens. She was still observed by the guards her father sent, with Logan on top of that, since he was particularly not a fan of letting her wander alone.
"Hey there, sour face!"
In the hall of the mansion, right to the western wing, Valentine heard Vivian calling for him. He was sitting in an alcove behind a window that looked at the party from above, and seemed to have been eating a snack.
"Hey, Vivian," he replied with a dispirited tone.
"Something the matter?" Vivian said as she joined him after pushing his leg away to sit.
"Same old," Valentine replied without looking away from the party.
Vivian knew what he was talking about, so she picked a piece of his dried pastry snacks and ate it.
"Oh, God! It is like absorbing all the moisture from my mouth." Vivian ate the dry pastry and then regretted everything.
Valentine gave a short giggle and shook his head before passing Vivian a cup of water.
"It is supposed to make you feel thirsty so that you drink and don't eat a lot," he said.
"Mama Claudia makes you eat that?" Vivian asked after gulping the water in one go.
Valentine looked away, back to the party, and without saying anything, his silence said it all.
"Hey, let's go to the old playing room," Vivian nudged him before standing up to drag him after her.
"I converted it to a study last year," Valentine replied without moving a single inch.
"Let's just go, you big baby! I'll promise you something sweet if you follow me. Just not today."
"Whatever!"
Following her without much resistance, Vivian led Valentine back to the room she was familiar with in the mansion, and as she opened its door, what greeted her was a well-lit reading room with an open view of the city, as the De Clare mansion was sitting on a solitary hilltop.
"The best view, as always," Vivian said as she walked in to check how the old room had changed.
From her memories, Vivian and Isabella would invade this place and kick Valentine out, especially at the time when she was staying at the mansion. While it didn't last longer than half a year, Vivian could say that she still remembered every nook and cranny in this old place.
"I like what you've done with the place." She said and found her way behind this desk before taking the seat for herself.
Valentine was following her carefully with his eyes, and as she sat down in what was supposed to be his seat, he nonchalantly took another seat at the other side of the desk.
"I'm glad that you love it."
"It is cozy." Vivian replied and observed Valentine's neat desk and tidy writing tools.
Since he was a lefty, Vivian found it a bit hard to adjust to his reversed organizing order, but she was used to it by now.
"So?" She looked at him and gave a vague question.
Valentine shrugged his shoulders and looked away as if he were depressed about something.
"Tino, you said you wanted my help with a project. Start telling me what problem you are having."
Valentine sighed and rested his back as he looked up at the ceiling.
"A general lack of creativity," he replied.
"A common issue among those who don't do things properly," Vivian replied.
"What are you saying?" he asked.
"You know what I am saying. It is the same thing everybody is probably telling you. Why are you still here, Tino?"
Valentine shook his head and seemed even more depressed. A De Clare young master like him has different duties than any other child of a great house. As merchants, the De Clares travel the world to set up new trade routes and discover new things. Each generation of lords of that family has at least brought up something new to the Empire, and they didn't do it by sitting on their asses. They traveled to the farthest east and south and even to the depths of the earth in order to dig up new things.
On the other hand, Valentine didn't seem keen on leaving at all. The reason for that is…
"She is not going to be yours, Tino," Vivian said, and her face hardened.
Valentine looked at her with anger almost appearing on his face before turning away and avoiding eye contact with her.
"Well, I feel like we've had this conversation many times before, but since you are as stubborn as a donkey, I guess helping you not to be a total failure is a must."
Vivian gave up on pursuing the subject and leaned forward, resting her arms on the desk. She kept staring at Valentine until he sighed while rolling his eyes and turned to her with all the patience he could muster up.
"As I said…"
"And fix your attitude when you're talking to someone who is offering you help?"
"Can I speak now?"
"The stage is yours, sir."
"Alright. My father gave me funds and told me to set myself up in the world. Since I was not planning on leaving, he gave me a month to come up with something new, or I'll be shipped off to Longdi or Suran," Valentine explained his situation.
"So, do you have any ideas?" Vivian asked.
"Something new? In a month? New things require a lot of trial and error, it takes time, and a month is…"
"He's twisting your arm, huh? Classic Lord Alexander."
"You understand my situation then. What should I do?"
"Usually, you should listen to your parents. Traditions are traditions for a good reason, after all, and in your case, yours is not even a good reason," she said.
"Many thanks for the reminder. First, this conversation we just had, I had it before with my mother and sister, so let's not keep having it. Second, they say it is a tradition, but I've seen the family record, and there was another heir to the family called Damian De Clare. Instead of traveling the world, he made a good business in Elgard and founded our auction houses."
"Fine. So you need to be the second Damian De Clare so that you don't have to travel and stay around your sweetheart… who is someone else's sweetheart."
"Vivian."
"Fine! Fine! So you need ideas. Let's do some brainstorming then, like old times."
Valentine looked back at Vivian and fixed his posture. The two faced each other for a moment, and Vivian gestured with her hands in a questioning manner.
"Where is your plan?"
"It's not much of a plan. I have money, I have connections."
"How much money?"
"A million pounds. That's what I was given at the start, but I have my own side hustles, so money isn't much of an issue."
What Valentine meant was probably the money laundering operation he had running for Prince Liam's faction. He didn't know that Vivian knew that, and she kept her act together. While she still considers him a close friend, she knows that he is knees-deep in the mud, and she has to keep her distance from trouble.
"Alright. A million pounds is great. I started ViTech with a million pounds, too. Connections, on the other hand, are something I didn't have. Who are your connections?"
"Let's start with you, the V of ViTech," Valentine said with a wink.
"Damn right," Vivian smiled and tossed her hair aside.
"Aside from the great Vivian Moore, all the members of the Chamber of Commerce are all my father's friends, and I know their children, so… I can get involved with any sort of trade line. Also, I know most of the luxury merchants in the city since we are their suppliers in most cases."
"That's great. How are your connections with the big whales of real estate?" Vivian asked.
"Warehouses and vaults, I know some people."
"I'm talking about downtown real estate, the expensive buildings."
"Hmmm… not really sure, but I can just toss my name around, and I am sure I'll find people. Why are you asking?"
Vivian picked up an empty piece of paper and a pen and then started to list some things on it. She then looked at Valentine and replied.
"The real estate in downtown Archester is a damn mess. Generally speaking, everyone and their mothers are fighting for every tiny spot in order to establish a storefront for their products in the busy streets of the city. Alfred Street, for example, is such a place where the most elegant shops and restaurants are focused in one place."
"True."
"If you want, you can take a crack at the real estate problem and create a solution. Isn't it what you merchants do, after all? Find supply solutions for demanding problems."
"Nicely put. Yes, that's what we do. But real estate isn't what the De Clares do. I'd argue that the Moores have more involvement in the real estate market than we do."
"Understandably. However, here's the idea that came to me. Luxurious shops in Archester are struggling for space, yet many old buildings and palaces occupy a lot of space downtown."
"What's your point?"
"Let's say you start a new type of partnership with those luxurious brands. You provide them space for their storefronts, and you take rent and other forms of compensation."
"That's just normal renting?" Valentine said before frowning as he noticed Vivian's idea build-up. "Wait, what does that have to do with the large real estate downtown?"
"My idea is like this…" Vivian turned the paper towards Valentine and showed him a mind map that she had drawn. "You get one of the large buildings, one with large halls and big chambers; preferably, its hall has to wrap around the whole structure. After some redesigning and restructuring, each room is converted into a large store with a specific brand. You provide services, security, attractions, and promotions to the whole compound while the businesses you are associated with run their little shops, pay for the rent, and all the other services you do."
"So… some sort of a closed indoor market?"
"Touché! We call it a Galleria… or a Mall… no, Galleria sounds better."
"Galleria De Clare. I like the sound of that."
Valentine nodded with a satisfied smile, but then his face stiffened a bit.
"What's wrong?" Vivian asked.
"I don't know. It would need a strong promotion campaign and a lot of good luck to find a building with all these requirements. On top of that, downtown isn't an ideal area for new big projects. The taxes will come at a whopping 40% at the very least. While it may succeed, it won't be much of a profit."
"Taxes, huh? I don't pay that much in taxes, though, even when I am stationed downtown."
"You are an industrial entity; you don't sell luxury goods. I hear you are working on big projects, and you hire a lot of commoners, so the government doesn't tax you that much. It is a different story for us, though."
"Aha! Well… you'll need your connections at this point. Convince the city council of the importance of such a project since it will open the door to many opportunities to alleviate the pressure on certain areas. Also, state that you will hire and train staff and create multiple job opportunities. Also, if possible, you may need to contact the businesses that serve the middle class more than the upper class in order to achieve more popularity in the Galleria. Let's be real, if you focus on the upper class alone, the galleria will be empty most days."
"I see… that's very helpful, Vivian. Definitely better than most of the ideas I had so far. But will it be enough to shake off my father, though?"
Vivian shrugged at Valentine's question, fully understanding that Count Alexander De Clare is a hard man to figure out. But still, Vivian wanted Valentine to go with the idea of the Galleria now that she had given it more thought.
"Listen, my idea is somewhat bare-boned. What you really need is to acquire at least the advice of Isabella and Mama Claudia, since the two are the living goddesses of promotions. If you focus on the fine arts and do some events, I am sure Mama Claudia will be enticed to support you, even though Count Alexander said not to get support from her. Also, you can offer Isabella a storefront in the galleria, and you know how much she likes to show off in front of her friends."
Valentine thought about it and nodded with a growing smile.
"Hmmm… that's the smart Vivian I know and love."
"And you know what is even better?" Vivian added with a sly smile, she was doing her best to hide.
"What?"
"A galleria is a very new type of business. Not everyone will be able to figure out how they work just yet. So… if you have other funds aside from the million pounds you got, you can slowly circulate them in the business under countless pretexts and through many of the shops. It is basically a whole new system of bookkeeping that won't be understood very easily, since all the stores under the Galleria will also be part of your bookkeeping. I don't know how you do it; it is your thing to figure out."
"Vivian, that's…" Valentine wanted to reply positively at first, but he cleared his voice and looked at Vivian carefully. "… these are dangerous things to say."
"Well, you do you, I guess." Vivian said as she stood up and handed Valentine the paper she had scribbled the ideas on.
Her plan was actually more devious than it seemed. She just suggested that Valentine would do some innocent money laundering in order to add more outside funds to his project behind his father's back. While it was harmless, since all these funds are his money, a galleria or a mall is are perfect place to launder ungodly amounts of money while creating all manner of excuses. After all, so many stores under one roof won't be something easy to keep track of by the tax officers.
But Valentine's case is more special than that. While he is Vivian's friend, he also launders money for her enemies, namely the Prince's faction. If one day Vivian wanted to deal a large blow to the Prince's faction, having all the laundering operations focused under one such large roof would be enough for her to expose the whole operation in one big move. Valentine's ass may get caught in the fire, but he won't face real problems other than losing all the money and getting in unfriendly terms with the Prince's Faction. The De Clares can take care of any legal problem for their children, as they have always done for hundreds of years, and all that Valentine would face is a slap on the wrist or a couple of months under house arrest.
That was Vivian's current plan to deal a low blow to the largest succession faction in the Elgardish Empire.