Chapter 157 (2): Second Family Banquet
Study.
Megan closed the door and quietly stood watch outside. Wayne glanced at the slowly closing door. Strange, he seemed to have heard something, but it couldn’t be something outside since the soundproofing of the Lando Estate was good.
Sitting on the sofa, Auston played with his antique silver coin. He spotted Monica blending with the black leather. With a snap of his fingers, Megan came in and carried the black cat outside.
Wayne stifled a sigh of disappointment. He had been too slow and missed the chance to pet the cat.
“At the end of this month, Luzerbourg City, the capital of Luzerbourg, will hold a tender event for a new partner...”
While playing with his silver coin, Auston went into the details of the event. The full name of Luzerbourg was the Grand Duchy of Luzerbourg, a two-thousand-five-hundred-square-kilometer nation surrounded by Franc and Prussia. It was a small inland country, also known as the Miniature Kingdom.
While small, Luzerbourg had an abundance of resources, including iron mines, and over the past fifty years, its economy had seen rapid growth, establishing a foothold in iron smelting and steel forging. With its impressive manufacturing industry, Luzerbourg could be considered a world-class nation of steel.
“The Lando family has a partner in Franc that can provide us with a great amount of high-class coal. Prussia, next to Franc, also bordered coal mines. You’ll attend the tender on behalf of the Lando family. Our partner may lose, but Prussia must not win!”
Wayne’s eyebrows jumped up. He could sense the matter’s connection to the overall political climate between the major nations. On the surface, they seemed to be making compromises to appease each other, but under the table, all of them were making moves.
“Is this a test for me?”
“You’re welcome to think that way, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be one. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. One failure won’t matter much. Just consider it a learning experience.”
Auston sounded like he didn’t care, but Wayne didn’t know if it was an act. No matter how he looked at it, this had to be a mission assigned by the royal family. As one of the Tulip Families—the right and left hands of the royal family—the Landos should be doing their best.
“By the way, the Boswells are attending as well. They also have a partner in Franc...” Auston smirked at Wayne. “You don’t want them to win, do you?”
Of course I don’t! Wayne raised an eyebrow, almost swearing an oath then and there. He didn’t have to win the bid, but the Boswell family had to go bankrupt. They deserved death for daring to steal food from his plate!
Before he said something, though, he realized that he was playing right into the old man’s hands. There was no telling if the Boswell family had actually proposed marriage. Still... he wouldn’t even allow the possibility. They were dead!
“At the end of this month, I’ll go to Luzerbourg and settle the deal. Prussia won’t win, and neither will the Boswell family.” Wayne accepted the mission since someone else might get it wrong. Just thinking about the Boswell family winning made his heart burn. If it became reality, he would die from rage!
He couldn’t believe how accurately the old man had aimed for his weakness. A simple trick had taken away his option to reject the mission—no, the old man only had to look into a mirror to figure out a way to manipulate him.
“Remember, Wayne, never make claims with such certainty. Credibility can be exhausted. Whether you’re doing business or dealing with any other matters in life, you must give yourself room to fail.”
Auston snorted. “I’m not expecting you to win. The Lando family’s influence in Franc is limited. Our partner doesn’t have an advantage in this competition. I’m sending you so that you can learn—learn how to deal with failure.”
“Won’t that be a loss?”
“There is only so much to learn in doing business. As long as you pay enough tuition, you’ll learn all there is to learn sooner or later.” Auston glanced at Wayne. They had enough money for him to waste some.
At that moment, Auston seemed to be glowing!
That money power made it difficult for Wayne to breathe. It wasn’t in his nature to take a beating on his knees. He decided to do something to shift their power dynamic. At least he had to knock his boastful father-in-law down a peg.
Wayne took a deep breath. “I understand. I’ll complete the mission, making sure our enemy loses while trying to secure victory, winning as much interest for the family as I can.”
“As long as you understand. I’ll have a team of professionals go with you. They’ll provide you with the agenda and the plan.” Auston nodded in satisfaction. While Wayne resembled him, he was still young and needed more experience.
“Auston, I carefully selected a gift for you after attending the family banquet,” Wayne said seriously. “The briefcase is in my car. I’m sure you’ll like it.”
“Keep it. Don’t think that you owe me anything. As I said, I wouldn’t have picked you if I had any other choice.” Auston glanced at him derisively while continuing to play with his silver coin. He had seen everything under the sun. There was no way for Wayne to sway him.
“It’s the latest design for stockings!”
Auston’s hand stilled with the silver coin in his clutch. He fell suddenly silent.
“Do you want it, Auston? If not, I’ll take it home.”
“Um, right. Show it to me. It’s going to be a new product for Silvia’s brand. I need to confirm its quality so that she won’t lose money.” Auston lied without even batting an eye. Yes, he was only doing this out of his love for his wife. Nothing else.
“Megan, I’ve got stockings in my car. Auston said that he wanted—”
“Ahem!” Auston fake-coughed a few times and glared at Wayne. This terrible scum was too petty to achieve anything great. He huffed and said to the door, “Megan, there’s a briefcase in the young master’s car. Bring it over. Don’t let anyone know since it’s important.”
(눈_눈)
She heard. There was no legitimate reason to hide stockings.
***
Ten minutes later, Megan glanced at the two men, who were obviously cut from the same cloth. As they put on white gloves, she lowered the briefcase with a blank expression. When she closed the door behind her, she considerately set up a soundproof barrier.
Auston stood before the briefcase and rubbed his gloved hands together. When he heard laughter coming from behind him, he turned around and glared at Wayne’s deadpanned face.
Damn social scum! Damn cement barrel! Making a clown out of me today? Prepare for retaliation!
Clack!
As soon as Wayne opened the briefcase, Auston felt as if he were seeing light flooding out of the container.
“What are these?”
“Garter socks I’ve designed and made. Don’t worry. No one has worn them.”
With his gloved hands, Wayne picked up the long socks and handed them to Auston. And then he took the garters and explained how to wear them.
It wasn’t necessary. As the embodiment of high society, Auston didn’t need a manual to figure it out. But Wayne was the designer; his explanation about the product made it more appealing.
Wayne spoke, and Auston listened. They appeared so serious that it was as if they were fighting for justice.
(눈_눈)
Justice has never suffered such slander, Megan groused.
“Bastard, you give these away as gifts? I can’t use them! And they are too depraved!”
“Just tell me if you want them.”
“Since you’ve put in the effort, and this is the first time you’re giving me a gift, I can’t say no. Remember, this is an exception. Don’t ever give me something like these socks again. It’s an insult to my eyes!”
“Don’t worry. I won’t do this again.”
“Wait, these sketches...”
“Oh, these are undergarments I designed, but they won’t sell since they are too bold. I’ll burn the rejected designs once I get home.”
“Don’t. You may have misunderstood the market. I’ll judge if it’s too bold.” Auston seized the sketches. The first design stunned him. “What are these lines? Do you always sketch so abstractly?”
“This is a thong, an underwear for women,” Wayne said faintly. “Technically, the clothing is made for men, but I made changes to it.[1]”
Auston’s eyes lit up. “You’re a genius. Tell me, what changes did you make?”
“Think about it. If the underwear is paired with garter socks, how will a gentleman react?”
Auston hissed as he pictured it. He shoved all the sketches into a drawer of his office desk. “Let’s call it a day, Wayne. Make all the samples as soon as you can. Deliver them to me by the end of the month for quality check.”
“You sure?”
“Don’t underestimate me. I’ve survived to this day by staring death in the eyes!”
1. It’s believed that thongs were originally developed to support the male genitalia. ☜