I Stole The Duke - Chapter 131

“You’ll have to speak with my wife for the details.”

With that final remark, the Count was practically pushed out of the Duke’s office. It had been eight months since he last docked—this was supposed to be a formal reunion, yet he hadn’t even been offered a cup of tea.

What on earth is going on? A private meeting with Her Grace, and His Excellency isn’t even present?

To make it more baffling, the meeting wasn’t in the drawing room—it was to be held in the Duchess’s personal office. He couldn’t help but feel completely thrown off.

“Welcome, Count. I’ve been waiting since I heard you were coming today.”

Eliana greeted the Count warmly, now surprised at how refined he looked. With a clean shave and clothes that suited the occasion—finally rid of that scruffy beard—he might not have been a traditionally handsome gentleman, but his features were sharp, and his overall look was clean and confident.

“It’s an honor to see you again, Your Grace.”

“Please, have a seat, Count.”

“Ah, yes… thank you.”

“Amy, bring what I asked for earlier, please.”

Eliana and Count Terius sat across from each other on the sofa.

“……”

As soon as Amy left the room, an awkward silence fell between them.

“……”

What could a large, middle-aged man and a nineteen-year-old noblewoman possibly talk about?

“I’ve heard my son has caused Your Grace quite a bit of trouble.”

The Count wisely chose common ground. With a practiced ease, he brought up his son.

“Trouble? Not at all. If anything, I should thank Sir Joel. He’s been nothing but helpful.”

“Hahaha! If he ever makes a mistake, don’t hesitate to put him in his place. He looks a lot like his mother, but in every other way, he takes after me. He’s tougher than he seems.”

The Count’s hearty laughter quickly eased the tension in the room.

“I think I see which part of you Sir Joel inherited.”

That comforting, easygoing atmosphere—yes, he had his father’s charm.

“Haha, is that so? To be honest, when he was young, he was so cute that up until he turned six…”

With an easy smile, the Count started revealing some of Joel’s more embarrassing childhood stories.

“Oh my! Really?”

Eliana found herself drawn in, listening intently without even realizing it.

“Haha! But let’s keep this between us, shall we? He’d never forgive me if he knew I said any of this.”

The longer he spoke, the more natural it felt. It was like chatting with a friendly neighbor—warm, relaxed, and disarming.

“Your Grace, His Excellency didn’t share many details with me. May I ask—what exactly is it that I’m supposed to sell?”

Now that the air between them had completely cleared, the Count gently guided the conversation back to business.

“Let’s talk over tea, shall we?”

Right on cue, Amy returned, pushing in a trolley.

“Thank you, Amy. That’ll be all.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Oh, my… You’re preparing it yourself?”

The Count’s eyes widened when he saw the Duchess personally pouring the coffee instead of leaving it to a servant.

“Please, try it, Count.”

“Ah… yes, of course.”

He carefully took the hot cup and brought it to his lips.

“How is it?”

“This is… isn’t this that drink called coffee, brewed by one of the small tribes in the Kingdom of Kantoor?”

Since Terius Trading already dealt in fine teas from across the world, it was safe to say the Count had tasted nearly every premium tea available.

“I knew you’d recognize it, Count.”

“Hmm… This aroma is unforgettable. I remembered it because the scent was so pleasant.”

If coffee had been a viable product, Terius Trading would’ve taken it on long ago. But the tribe that processed the beans was nomadic and refused to settle, making it nearly impossible to maintain a consistent flavor and aroma. In the end, they had to give up on it.

“Is this the product I’m meant to sell?”

He couldn’t hide a slight flicker of disappointment.

Coffee is a fine product, yes—but calling it a ‘fake trade’ seems a bit much…

“No, this isn’t it.”

Eliana picked up a pair of tongs and dropped ice cubes into the Count’s glass. The hot coffee quickly transformed into an iced Americano.

“Try it again.”

“Hmm… This is much better. I never thought to drink coffee cold.”

The Count slowly nodded and continued.

“Do you plan to introduce cold coffee to the market, Your Grace?”

“Cold coffee is only the beginning…”

Eliana suddenly trailed off and stood up. The Count stopped mid-sentence and could only watch, confused, as the Duchess moved across the room.

Click.

Without a word, she opened a cabinet along one wall of her office.

The wardrobe? Why the wardrobe…?

But it wasn’t actually a wardrobe. There weren’t any clothes hanging inside—it was lined with shelves. The Count had no idea what she was doing.

Crack!

Eliana pulled out a thin wooden tray and gave it a twist.

Thud. Clatter, clatter!

From the wooden ice mold, specially crafted by a woodshop, cubes of ice tumbled out one after another. These weren’t ordinary ice cubes—each one was worth ten thousand rium. And yet, they scattered across the floor like they were nothing.

“Let me introduce you to the refrigerator.”

“The… refrigerator?”

It was a word he had never heard before. The Count, feeling a mix of confusion and tension, took a deep gulp of his iced coffee.

“It’s a magical device that produces ice.”

Pfft! “Cough, cough!”

Startled, the Count burst into a coughing fit, his eyes tearing up. The shock had made a large ice cube slip right down his throat.

“Ah—are you alright, Count?”

“I’m fine… Ha, haha! A magical device—what a world we live in.”

He quickly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his mouth, then, as if entranced, walked over to the wardrobe. If this really was a tool that made ice… it was no ordinary item. It could turn the world upside down.

“Feel free to take a closer look.”

Eliana stepped aside to give him room.

“Oh, heavens…”

When the Count opened the wardrobe doors, a wave of cold air poured out. The experience of discovering something new always thrilled him.

“Does it use mid-grade mana stones for power?”

“Yes. They need replacing once every two years or so.”

“Hmm… If even a few more magical tools like this appear, mana stone prices will go wild.”

“This device wasn’t designed just to make ice. Its primary function is to maintain a set temperature.”

“Then… why is the inside divided top and bottom?”

He finally asked something that had been on his mind. The cabinet had four handles, but only the top-right door had been opened. He wondered why the interior had been split that way.

“The top section cools—like a fridge. The bottom section freezes—like a deep freezer.”

Since she was already building one, Eliana had gone all the way: a four-door refrigerator. The top was set to 3 degrees Celsius, and the bottom to –18.

How does she come up with these things…?

The fact that she could use magic was one thing, but applying it in this way? That was something else entirely.

With a heart still pounding, the Count reached for the lower door and opened it. Inside, wooden ice molds lined every shelf.

“……”

The Count froze on the spot—just like the ice. This wasn’t just a luxury item.

It was a revolution.

“Count, I’d like you to sell this product.”

“Hahaha! Even if it weren’t an order, I would beg you to let me sell it.”

The Count, now unfrozen, burst into hearty laughter. Now he understood exactly why this had to be called a “fake trade.” This product would steal business straight from the Mage Tower.

And it was brilliant.

“The moment this hits the market, the world will flip upside down.”

Magical devices were only considered official if they carried the Mage Tower’s seal. But with Terius Trading’s prestigious reputation? That changed everything.

“Exactly. This is Sardis magic.”

“Ha! Your Grace never ceases to amaze.”

Not just any magic—ancient, long-forgotten magic.

“No one must find out that this was developed in a private workshop.”

“Haha! A confidentiality contract with the craftsmen is the foundation of luxury business. Consider it done.”

The Count was beginning to truly enjoy this whole “fake trade” scheme.

“For the first launch, I’m planning a limited release—only about a hundred units.”

“If that’s the case, how about we divide them? Five ultra-premium models made from white sandalwood, twenty high-end units in white oak, and the rest in maple for standard release?”

“That sounds like a solid plan.”

The refrigerator alone was groundbreaking—but if they added a premium lineup? The upper-class households would go mad to get their hands on one.

“If you give me half the profit, I’ll take care of the full furniture production. All I ask is that you apply the magic yourself.”

Even while smiling, the Count made sure to secure his share.

“Agreed.”

Eliana didn’t find the deal unfair. He would provide the units and handle distribution—it was only right he receive half the earnings.

Besides, since the refrigerators ran on mid-grade mana stones, and demand for those would rise, the long-term profits made the split more than reasonable.

“What nationality will the fake identity be under?”

“Zaiphon.”

“In that case, we should use Eastern wood, but do the main production work in Zaiphon. That would make the false identity much more believable.”

The Count’s business instincts were sharp as ever.

“That settles the refrigerator. Now… we need to create a sudden demand for ice.”

In the South, ice was considered a rare commodity. But outside the region, it wasn’t something people desperately needed.

Because of the common belief that “cold food is bad for your health,” even in summer, people preferred hot tea. And in winter, ice was easy to gather. Most homes just stored it in enchanted boxes—there was no reason to buy it at a high price.

“We need to make people crave iced coffee… even if they’re freezing to death.”

The Count had found the perfect angle. If ice was going to sell, cold drinks had to become a trend—something bold, refreshing, and new.

“If people start paying money for ice, they’ll begin to resent the Mage Tower. Hahaha! Things are about to get very entertaining.”

Right now, thanks to the Tower’s pressure, no merchant dared to sell ice openly. But now? With each cube priced at 10,000 rium, the weight of that ‘luxury pain’ would be shared by everyone.

“For now, I plan to introduce iced coffee through tea parties and salons.”

“At that pace, it would be hard to spread demand across the Empire by early next year.”

According to the Count’s projections, Eliana’s approach wouldn’t cause iced coffee to boom in Wespia—the Imperial Capital—until around June. Right in the middle of social season.

But what they needed now wasn’t a slow breeze.

They needed a storm.

“Then, Count—do you have a better idea?”

“As it happens… my son’s engagement party is next month.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

Now that she thought about it, Joel and Riela’s engagement was just around the corner. That was one of the reasons the Count had hurried back from his voyage.

“Give me ten tons of ice. I’ll turn my son’s engagement into a full-on ice party.”

“Ten tons?!”

Eliana’s jaw practically hit the floor.

“Hahaha! Everyone except the Emperor himself will come to that party.”

“Uh… Alright, I’ll arrange it…”

This man… His scale was no joke. Clearly, he wasn’t just wealthy—he was something far more dangerous.

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