Let’s shift our focus away from Lin Xingyun for a moment and turn to Hathaway, who was already in the main hall.

After seeing the bustle of the lounge, many merchants preferred the main hall, with its quiet, elegant atmosphere.

In their eyes, the proper thing to do was hold a glass of wine and chat with others over refined, gentle music.

Whether you’re a merchant or a noble, you have to follow the rules if you want to be part of their circle. That holds true everywhere. Anyone who breaks the rules is bound to be driven out by the others.

Take a business negotiation, for example. No matter how despicable or shameless one side’s tactics are, the other side can’t openly resort to violence to settle things. Those are the rules of the game, and everyone has to follow them.

So even as she watched Baron Jack chatting and laughing with someone who’d only reached a cooperation agreement with her yesterday, Hathaway did nothing. She simply sat quietly on the sofa, savoring the wine as its aroma blossomed across her palate.

Sometimes, doing business is like tasting wine. When you think you’ve experienced every flavor a fine wine has to offer, it’s often the lingering aftertaste that intoxicates you most.

That’s why you have to learn to wait patiently and let the wine mature on your tongue.

—Hathaway understood that better than anyone.

After reaching a preliminary agreement with another lumber merchant, Baron Jack smiled broadly and shook his hand. Then he made some excuse and wandered off.

Standing in the middle of the main hall, Baron Jack pretended to drink while hiding his grin. It didn’t take long for him to spot Hathaway.

“Well, well, why has our Miss Hathaway been sitting here all evening?” Baron Jack’s greasy face was alight with the smug grin of a petty man pleased with himself. He sat down across from Hathaway, who was smiling too, and drawled, “Have you finally seen the writing on the wall and given up struggling?”

Hathaway smiled but said nothing.

“Every one of them,” Baron Jack said with a haughty snort when he realized his taunts weren’t working. He gestured with his wineglass toward the merchants he’d spoken with earlier. “After I talked to them, they gave up working with you, Miss Hathaway, and chose me instead.”

“I have to say, they’re very smart. They know which path is the right one—the golden road to endless riches—and which one…”

“...is the nightmare trail leading straight to hell.” Baron Jack glanced at Hathaway, whose smile hadn’t faltered, and a mocking curve touched his lips. Putting on a show of concern, he advised her, “You understand what I’m saying, Miss Hathaway. Only the young master can take the chairman’s seat. You should stop dreaming and face reality.”

The young master Baron Jack was referring to was Joyce, the candidate running against Hathaway for the chairmanship of the Hainerna Chamber of Commerce.

He was also the one who’d sent assassins to kill more than a dozen candidates. Hathaway herself had almost become one of his victims.

Bound by nothing, and determined to stop at nothing until he got what he wanted—that was Joyce, Hathaway’s so-called good big brother.

Baron Jack was one of Joyce’s men. With Joyce backing him, he was qualified to go toe-to-toe with Hathaway in Rulvis. Without that support, a lowly baron like him wouldn’t even be worth her notice.

Baron Jack hadn’t been given any special assignment. All he had to do was report Hathaway’s actions and do his best to sabotage her business.

Those two tasks sounded simple, but Baron Jack had already lost to Hathaway several times. Hoping to turn things around and raise his standing in Joyce’s eyes, he’d naturally decided to make trouble at Hathaway’s banquet.

If Baron Jack really did snatch away those reliable business partners, all the effort Hathaway had put in over the past few months would go to waste. The consequences would be unthinkable.

“Whoever becomes chairman of the Hainerna Chamber of Commerce will be announced on the day the results are revealed. It isn’t decided by whoever claims the title,” Hathaway said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her lovely face remained calm and composed, untouched by Baron Jack’s taunts. “At the very least, Baron Jack, you’re not qualified to decide.”

Hathaway’s words made Baron Jack’s face darken at once.

But he couldn’t very well argue with her. What she’d said was the truth.

“Hmph. I hope you won’t regret this when the time comes, Miss Hathaway!”

Seeing that there was nothing more to say, Hathaway uncrossed her long, shapely legs and slowly rose to her feet. Then she swept an elegant gaze around the room.

“You’re right, Baron. Perhaps I should try ‘struggling’ a little. Who knows? It might work wonders.”

Hathaway turned to leave, but stopped just before she could go.

She looked back and raised her glass toward Baron Jack, who was still on the sofa. A strange glint flashed in her beautiful blue eyes. “Oh, right, Baron. I have one more favor to ask of you…”

“Please give my brother Joyce my regards. Tell him I received the gift he sent me. It was completely unexpected, and I love it. I’ll be sure to return the favor.”

“A gift? What gi—” Baron Jack murmured, utterly baffled. But Hathaway only gave him a long look before walking away with elegant, brisk steps, leaving him no chance to ask.

What Baron Jack didn’t realize was that his expression just then had already given Hathaway the answer she wanted.

“You’re lucky, Baron Jack. You’re not on the list of people in for a terrible time…” Hathaway murmured, now certain of what she’d wanted to know.

Seated on the sofa, Baron Jack watched Hathaway weave through the crowd like a dancing butterfly. He had no idea he’d just narrowly escaped death.

By the time Baron Jack realized what had happened, cold sweat had soaked his back.

Before attending a banquet, nobles usually ate something at home to line their stomachs rather than stuffing themselves at the event. Doing that would ruin their image.

So although the dishes in the main hall were a cut above those in the lounge, only a few plates had been touched.

After her conversation with Baron Jack fell apart, Hathaway approached the merchants, apparently hoping to reopen negotiations. Baron Jack kept glancing her way from time to time, almost as if he were keeping an eye on her.

Although he’d openly told Hathaway that he’d already stolen those business partners from her, that didn’t mean he was certain of victory. On the contrary, Baron Jack was worried she might take them back.

Still, even if those people changed their minds, Hathaway would get far less out of the deal. Baron Jack had already squeezed them once, so there wouldn’t be nearly as much left to wring out of them as before.

That meant Baron Jack had achieved his goal:

He might not make a profit, but he certainly wouldn’t lose out.

But to Baron Jack’s surprise, Hathaway didn’t sit down for serious talks with the partners he’d poached. She exchanged a few pleasantries with almost all of them, then left without trying to bargain at all.

—Something’s not right!

Even the most foolish person should know that negotiations over mutual interests are bound to be full of fierce haggling. No one would willingly hand over the share they could fight for and play the philanthropist in another world.

If Hathaway had spent a decent amount of time talking to the others, Baron Jack might have stayed calm. After all, that would’ve been expected.

But she just walked up, said hello, and left. What was that supposed to mean?

—Had she really given up?

Baron Jack’s eyes were full of suspicion.

Hathaway made her way around to every guest in the room in no time at all. Then she returned to her original seat and lounged against the sofa, looking too lazy to get up again. A composed smile lingered at the corner of her eye, as if she were waiting for a good show.

Unable to contain his curiosity and unease, Baron Jack went over to Hathaway again.

“What did you just do?”

His unease made his tone even more hostile and rude than before.

“What do you think I could’ve done in the time it takes to say hello, Baron Jack?” Hathaway dipped a small biscuit into some milk with her slender hand, then put it in her mouth and savored it. Her answer was casual. “Persuaded them to stop working with you? That’s not a very funny joke.”

“No, I’m asking what you’re really—”

Baron Jack’s irritated voice cut off abruptly. A servant had suddenly appeared beside him and whispered a few words in his ear.

—It seemed someone wanted to speak with him in private.

“I’ll be back, Hathaway.” Unable to refuse the invitation, Baron Jack stood and straightened his clothes. He didn’t forget to take a parting jab at her, either. “Don’t think you can win again this time. Keep dreaming!”

“Go ahead.” Hathaway remained calm. She didn’t even look up from the glass in her hand.

“Hmph!” Ignored by Hathaway, Baron Jack followed the servant away, fuming.

Once Baron Jack had disappeared from the main hall, Hathaway looked up and scanned the room. After counting how many people had left, she gave a mischievous smile and murmured to herself:

“There are a few too many people around. Looks like I’ll have to wait a little longer.”

Hathaway had guessed right: she really would have to wait a while. Baron Jack was already in a panic, thrown into confusion by one business partner after another coming to him to end their agreements.

“I’m very sorry, Baron. I truly hoped we could work together, but Lady Hathaway approached me first. After thinking it over carefully, I feel terrible, but I have no choice but to give up on working with you…”

Almost every merchant who came to end their deal with Baron Jack gave him the exact same explanation. He began to wonder if they’d all planned this together just to stand him up and make a fool of him.

What a joke!

Since when did business have anything to do with who came first?

—And they felt guilty, my ass!

How much was guilt worth to merchants like them? You couldn’t sell it by the pound without someone calling it cheap!

As more and more people came to break off their deals, Baron Jack finally reached the limit of his patience. A nameless rage erupted like a volcano, burning every last trace of what little “reason” he had to ashes.

“...Get out!”

“All of you, get out!”

The next moment, Baron Jack’s furious roar rang through the entire main hall. Even the refined noble music couldn’t drown it out, making the scene all the more ironic.

Baron Jack strode straight toward her, his eyes seeming to spit fire. Hathaway’s smile faded, but inside she was already delighted.

—At last, it was time for the “aftertaste.”

“Ha! Tha! Way!”

“What exactly did you do?!”