“When I told him it was your idea, Lord Sein said he’d like to meet you. He knows a lot about business and trade, and I think he’ll be able to learn a lot from you. You were the main topic of conversation at the Three Council meetings today, which is why Magna was so mortified.”
Big Brother’s mood was annoyed as he laughed. He probably wasn’t good enough to be the topic of conversation at such a great event, so he told me that he squirmed like a lobster. But if that made her siscon Big Brother happy, all the better.
3rd Person POV
What Ekaterina needed to do was increase the production of glass pens so that Murano Workshop could resume full-scale production of glass pens and make a profit. To that end, she was planning to meet with Master Murano’s apprentices tomorrow, whom Rev had approached, and invite them to come back to the workshop.
Oh, and she also had an important job to decide how much to charge for the super high-end glass pens… she has no idea how much would be appropriate!
Halil-san, help me!
And later, when Ekaterina asked Halil about the price of the glass pen, she froze for a while when she heard Halil’s straightforward answer with a friendly smile.
“Young Lady, don’t be surprised. It would be an embarrassment to His Majesty if it were not this much, and it would not cover the overall cost.”
“Yes, you’re right. It’s a gift for the Empress.”
If the gift were cheap, it would disgrace the Emperor.
She was thinking about the costs. She now remembered the accounting system she had used in her previous life: balance sheet and income statement.
Was the purchase cost of the workshop a liability? Or was it capital? She needed to produce income to match that amount, whatever the case may be. And the profit that exceeds the cost of labor, materials, fuel, miscellaneous expenses, and so on must be recorded on the income statement.
Even if a glass pen costs as much like a gem, it was a fair price if the buyer was satisfied! It was the price of the world’s only celebrity luxury writing instrument, so she must not freak out!
The next day.
Ekaterina got ready and headed to Murano Workshop. Rev and four other craftsmen who used to work at Murano Workshop were waiting for her.
As she stepped into the workshop, she no longer felt the emptiness and the cold before because Rev had lit the furnace for the glass pen. It was as if the living thing in the workshop had regained its body heat. The white fabrics that used to be draped everywhere had been completely removed, and the neat rows of various tools gave a sense of calm vitality.
“Young Lady, thank you for coming all the way out here.” (Rev)
“Rev, I have some fantastic news for you. And thank you all for being here. I’m Ekaterina Yurinova.”
Ekaterina smiled, and the glassblowers froze in place.
They retreated to the reception set in the corner of the workshop, but those who couldn’t sit on the couch stood nearby. Rev stood too, the only employed craftsman in the group, but he was reserved, probably because he was the youngest of the group.
The glass workshop informed her that the Murano Workshop was a meritocracy, not a seniority system, and it was probably because of Rev’s quiet personality that he was standing.
Then, instead of Rev, she decided to give them a shot at surprise.
“First of all, Rev, let me inform you. Yesterday, Big Brother Alexei, Duke of Yurinova, presented the glass pen that you made to the Emperor. He liked it so much that he ordered an equally beautiful one for the Empress as a gift.”
“!”
The artisans were shocked. It was the highest honor to have their work presented to the Emperor. What’s more, the emperor himself would buy it as a gift for the empress.
