I was Reincarnated in Another World with Absorb Skills

Chapter 30- The Eclipse Retreat

Nandito kami ngayong lima sa office ng shop habang sina Rita at ang iba ay abalang-abala sa baba. Biglang dumami ang customers nang malaman nilang narito ang mga Floûman.

"Hindi na ako magpapaligoy-ligoy pa dahil alam kong busy ka rin, Miss Laythildia, kaya hindi ko na sasayangin pa ang oras mo," panimula ng Duke, kalmado ngunit diretso.

"No need to worry about my time, my duke. Sa ating dalawa, ikaw ang mas lalong busy. I don't want to waste your time either," magalang kong sagot, sabay ngiti.

Nakaupo kami sa sofa ng opisina kung saa may tsaa, cookies, at handcrafted sweets mula sa shop na nakalatag sa bilog na lamesa. Napatingin ako kay Arthimenia na enjoy na enjoy pa rin sa marshmallows na kinakain niya habang si Lord Ellias ay tahimik lang na humihigop ng tsaa, walang emosyon parin ang mukha.

"I want to have a partnership with you, young lady," diretsong sabi ng Duke, na ikinatingin mo pabalik dito ng seryoso.

Napangiti ako ngunit pinanatiling seryoso ang tingin. "And why would the most powerful merchant in the Empire and the people called 'Lord of Businesses' be interested in my humble business? Care to explain?"

Humigop muna ito ng tsaa sa kanyang tasa saka umayos ng upo.

"You see," panimula niya, "in business, we don’t invest just in structures, numbers, or profit. We invest in minds. You’ve created something magnetic—something people keep coming back to. Not because it’s grand, but because it’s genuine."

"As I can see, your business is very popular among locals and tourists. Your business even reach and became a talk-around-the-whole-capital and other parts of Eavergreén Kingdom. Many popular merchants tried and wanted to become your partners but I've heard that you just pick few and most of them aren't successful or powerful enough. And that what makes me very curious as of why the popular merchants going crazy over a small business that just started." mahabang sabi niya saakin.

"Your candy shop is charming and vibrant. I truly impressed after I saw what your selling, it's my first time seeing those breads and what you called candies. But it’s your inn—the Luna Inn—that surprised me even more. The very people who wouldn’t dare walk into ordinary places now whisper about it like a hidden treasure. The Eclipse Retreat, they call it."

Napakunot ang noo ko nang banggitin niya iyon, lalo na dun yung Eclipse–what?

"Yes," pagpapatuloy niya, "I heard about you, no... truthfully I  investigated about you and know what you've been doing this whole time, like how you save the old Luna Inn, defeated that Obsidian Horse or built this place from nothing. I looked into you, Laythildia, not to intimidate—but to understand. You’re sixteen, yet your strategy, your branding, your ability to create a destination, not just a product, is something even seasoned merchants fail to grasp."

Napahinga siya bago muling nagsalita.

"The Floûman's name doesn’t simply align with profit... we align with legacy. And in you, I see a foundation that might surpass even the structure we built across generations. We want to be part of that story before the world realizes what you’re really capable of."

I was stunned for a moment.

Is he saying that I might surpass the Floûman? I don't think so.

"And I also want to see if that prediction might come true in the future." pagtatapos niya.

Napangiti ako, hindi dahil gusto kong maging mayabang, kundi dahil naramdaman ko ang sincerity sa bawat salitang binitawan niya.

"I'm touched, Duke Floûman. Thank you for seeing something in me that even something I have yet to see in myself. But I doubt I’ll ever surpass your family. I mean, you have Lord Ellias here," sabay tingin ko kay Ellias na nakatingin na rin sa akin, tahimik lang. "A new generation of brilliance that will carry your legacy."