Chapter 61 - A Man’s Preference
In the office, Ivano sat on the sofa, dressed in a blue jacket.
Opposite him sat Gabriella, who stared at the man intently with her dark blue eyes.
"Ivano, I want to know what you’re thinking."
"I’m sorry. I acted more as a guarantor for the Rossetti Company rather than prioritizing the benefit of the Merchant Guild.”
Gabriella’s question was about Ivano’s stance and words during the meeting.
Though he was supposed to prioritize the Merchant Guild, he had spoken in favor of the Rossetti Company’s interests, even going so far as to make a proposal to the Merchant Guild.
"As for the Merchant Guild, I request that priority decision-making rights for sales destinations be granted to the company."
This carried more weight than monetary considerations.
To empower the company, the right of first priority in choosing sales destinations was absolutely crucial.
The moment he made that judgment, he was speaking not as a guild member but from the perspective of the Rossetti Company.
"I’ve been indebted to you for a long time, but I must apologize. Vice Guildmaster—no, Gabriella-san—I would like to resign from the Merchant Guild."
Ivano stood up and bowed deeply.
Without raising his head, he waited for the woman’s response.
"...I suspected as much. It’s sooner than I expected, though. Raise your head."
Gabriella wasn’t surprised.
When Ivano entered the room, she already knew.
Despite the heat, he had buttoned up his jacket completely and even tied a cravat at his collar.
"...So, you anticipated this. Is that why you deliberately placed me near Carlo-san and Dahlia-san?"
"Yes. I wanted to make it clear whether you would make your own company, join one, or remain with the guild."
"I have been with you, with this guild, for sixteen years. I’ve worked here and intended to finish my career here."
"And now you’re throwing that away—for the Rossetti Trading Company, or rather, for Dahlia?"
"It’s not for Dahlia-san. It’s for myself. I prefer working at a company rather than handling guild management, after all. I love doing business."
Ivano smiled more brightly than she had ever seen before.
Gabriella found it slightly irritating.
"Before you quit, why not go ask Dahlia if she’ll hire you?"
"That wouldn’t be fair. Please allow me to write my resignation here and now."
"Won’t your wife need an explanation?"
"She’s never complained about my work. She only ever says, ‘Do what you think is best.'"
"You have a wonderful wife. Fine, write it now."
Gabriella took out a pen and resignation form from the desk and handed them to Ivano.
Without hesitation, he quickly filled out the document.
Gabriella took the completed form, nodded, and placed it in one of the desk drawers.
"This will do. I’ll hold on to it."
"You’ll hold on to it?"
"If, by any chance, you’re rejected, come back here. I’ll retrain you. Oh, and you should go to Volfred-sama first. If you get his recommendation, Dahlia won’t turn you down."
"Isn’t that making things harder for me?"
Ivano chuckled wryly.
Asking for a recommendation from Volfred, a nobleman and knight, seemed far more daunting than approaching Dahlia directly.
"Have a man-to-man talk and get through it. You might as well confirm what kind of man he is. If you’re staying with the Rossetti Company, you’ll be working with him for a long time. Also, you’re not leaving until the end of next month. There’s still the handover to complete. Since the Rossetti Company is profitable for the guild, I’ll overlook you working for both places in the meantime.”
"...I truly apologize for the trouble. I owe so much to you."
"I don’t like men who cling to the past. Go before Dahlia goes home."
Ivano stood, bowed deeply, and left the room in a hurry.
Once the door closed and his presence vanished completely, Gabriella leaned back deeply into the sofa, letting her head rest against the backrest.
Sixteen years.
It had felt both long and short.
She had taught Ivano many things when he was a fledgling merchant, letting him gain experience and nurturing him into a capable guild member.
Yet Ivano’s "roots" had never changed.
Even as a guild member, his eyes remained those of a merchant. He longed not for management but to be in the heart of commerce itself.
She had hoped he might change, but in the end, it went exactly as she had expected.
"...If only he had stayed until I retired, I might’ve adopted him and made him the next vice guildmaster."
Even as she spoke, Gabriella laughed with amusement.
"Honestly, Dahlia has taken a fine man from me."
・・・・・・・
“Scalfarotto-sama, may I borrow a bit of your time regarding the matter of acting as a guarantor for the Rossetti Company?”
"Yes, I don’t mind."
"Dahlia-san, I’ll be borrowing Scalfarotto-sama for a moment."
"...Go ahead."
In the meeting room, Dahlia lay slumped over the desk.
She must have been worn out by today’s schedule. It was quite a pitiful sight.
"Excuse me, Scalfarotto-sama. Could we move to another location?"
Ivano led Volfred to the far end of the second-floor hallway.
The usual business hours had passed, and there were few people passing through.
When Ivano suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway, Volf narrowed his eyes.
"Forgive my rudeness, but I must ask—what do you think of Dahlia-san?”
"She’s an excellent magical toolmaker. And a dear friend of mine."
"I see."
Ivano nodded lightly and gestured toward the hallway floor.
"This spot is where Carlo Rossetti-san took his last breath. He collapsed suddenly. I was the first to rush over, but there was nothing I could do. He passed on the spot."
"Here..."
Without hesitation, Volf knelt down on one knee, clasped his hands together, and murmured a prayer.
Once done, he quietly stood back up.
"Thank you for telling me."
"No, I might have just wanted to see your reaction."
Volf’s gaze turned sharp and cautious as he looked at Ivano.
It was the kind of look that could make even a man shiver. Yet Ivano met his gaze head-on, refusing to back down.
"To me, Dahlia-san looks like a goddess cloaked in gold. I’ve never seen anyone surrounded by such golden brilliance. She doesn’t seem to realize it herself, though."
"What do you mean by that?"
"The Rossetti Company has immense potential. I believe it could grow into a remarkable enterprise."
"That’s certainly possible."
"I want to stand by Dahlia-san’s side and help develop the Rossetti Company. That’s why I submitted my resignation to the Merchant Guild just now. From here on, I plan to sell myself as a candidate to join her company."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I’d like you to recommend me, Volfred-sama."
"...Why should I recommend you to Dahlia?"
Volf’s voice was laced with irritation as he responded in his natural tone.
Ivano, however, smiled as if relieved.
"I’m a married man with two daughters. In other words, I’m a 'safe man' for Dahlia-san.”
"That’s not for me to decide."
"Volfred-sama, are you a fan of chests or hips?"
The abrupt question made Volf feel a headache coming on.
Abandoning all pretense of formality, he gave Ivano an exasperated look.
"Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"
"I’m a chest man. I like short women with well-endowed figures. In other words, my wife is my absolute type. Therefore, Dahlia-san is entirely safe around me. Doesn’t that make working together more reassuring? Also, I’ve been with the guild for sixteen years, so I know the trade. Before that, I spent nineteen years as the eldest son of a company chairman in another town. I have a solid foundation in the business."
"If you were the eldest son, why didn’t you take over the family business?"
"When I was nineteen, I lost everything. The company failed, and my parents and sister committed suicide. I was in my rebellious phase, so I was staying at my girlfriend’s—who is now my wife—place overnight, and wasn’t home when it happened. Afterward, I fled to the royal capital with her, and the first job I found was doing odd jobs for the Merchant Guild."
Ivano had stayed with the guild ever since.
Gabriella, Viscount Jedda, and now the man in front of him were the only ones who knew this history of his and his wife’s.
"Have you never thought of starting your own company?"
"Dahlia-san’s company is far more appealing. Besides, a company with no merchants would become easy prey for competitors and, of course, the Merchant Guild. I can’t stand the thought of that.”
"Even though it’s not your own company?"
"Working there means I can chase golden dreams, maybe even influence the world itself. What merchant wouldn’t be fired up by such an opportunity?"
"I wouldn’t know... I’m a knight."
"I have experience, and I have confidence in my abilities. I would never be a detriment to Dahlia-san. That’s why I’m asking for your recommendation."
Volf remained silent, placing his finger on his chin.
After a moment of contemplation, he turned his golden gaze toward Ivano.
"If you promise me two things, I’ll recommend you."
"As long as it’s something I can do."
"First, go to the church and have them cast contract magic on you. Vow that you will not intentionally bring harm to Dahlia or the Rossetti Company."
"You don’t trust me. Understandable, of course. I have no objections."
Ivano nodded immediately. It was a noble-like request but something he had anticipated.
"The second is... to protect Dahlia above all else. If anything happens, please prioritize her safety above the company, profits, or anything else."
"...As a merchant—no, as a man—I promise."
This second request caught Ivano completely off guard.
It wasn’t an order. It was a plea.
What Volf wanted wasn’t profit for the trading company or convenience for the Chivalric Order. All he cared about was the safety of one woman.
At that moment, Ivano decided he could fundamentally trust Volf.
"Here, use this to prepare."
"...Huh? Wait, isn’t this an accession commemorative gold coin? How much is this worth?!"
Volf handed him the coin with surprising ease.
The coin marked the current king’s 20th anniversary on the throne. It was larger than a regular gold coin, and it had been sold in limited numbers.
There had also been inquiries at the Merchant Guild, but right after its release, the price for one coin had been set at ten gold coins, which was an absurd price. Now that some time had passed, it was unclear how much it’s now worth.
"To me, it’s just a coin. I’ve heard that changing careers can be expensive, and the company might not be able to pay you right away. Think of this as my gift to you. Don’t tell Dahlia about it and just accept it."
"...Understood. I’ll gratefully accept it. And please, just call me Ivano—no need for formalities."
"Alright, Ivano. Then call me Volf. Let's work together."
"I’ll stick to calling you Volf-sama. Looking forward to working with you."
The two nodded at each other and began heading back to the meeting room where Dahlia waited.
The sky outside the window was turning to dusk.
The stairway, illuminated by magic lamps, was devoid of people. Their conversation had gone on longer than intended.
"By the way, Volf-sama, about earlier..."
"What is it?"
Ivano stopped Volf midway up the stairs.
"On a serious note—are you a chest guy or a hips guy?"
"...Hips."
"We’ll never see eye to eye, then."
Ivano sighed, and Volf couldn’t help but chuckle.
"Most people around me are definitely in the chest camp, though. Is it the same in the Chivalric Order?"
"I’m not sure about the whole knight order, but among those around me, it’s about three chest guys to two hips guys."
Their conversation was interrupted when a shadow from the upper stairs stretched under the light of the magic lamps.
"...Um, Ivano-san, one of the second-floor clerks is looking for you."
"D-Dahlia-san! Thank you! I’ll go right away!"
Ivano, frozen in shock, quickly defrosted and sprinted past Dahlia, bowing his head in gratitude.
Left behind, Volf tried his best to compose himself before facing her.
"...Um, how much did you hear?"
"Sorry, I caught it partway. Voices tend to carry up the staircase."
"...From where exactly?"
"From the part where you said you’re a hips guy."
"...That was... just silly guy talk, nothing more..."
Volf, who didn’t even sweat in the presence of monsters, felt a cold bead trickle down his back.
He also instinctively knew that nothing he said would make this better.
"Legs guy."
"...Huh?"
The abrupt statement left him stunned, and he could only let out a strange noise in reply.
"My father was a legs guy. Once, he got carried away drinking with his friends in the tower and started passionately explaining his preferences—even when I was there. I didn’t speak to him for a week.”
"Uh... Dahlia..."
"Volf, next time, please save those kinds of conversations for private, all-male settings. Absolutely."
Her smile held no warmth, one he had never seen before.
Volf could only nod silently.
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