Chapter 56: The Baron’s Proposal

It was then that Camilla’s gaze fell upon the young man who had previously been conversing with Alice.

He remained a discreet distance away, a gentle smile playing on his lips, patiently observing them. It appeared he was awaiting the opportune moment to re-enter their conversation once the two maidens had concluded their private talk.

A prickle of curiosity about the man’s identity stirred within Camilla. She leaned in, whispering to Alice, “Alice, who is that gentleman?”

“Which gentleman?” Alice replied, a hint of feigned confusion in her tone.

Since the young man was still looking their way, Camilla dared not point directly, deeming such an act impolite. Instead, she subtly gestured with her eyes. “The one over there—”

Before she could finish, the Duchess Liddell’s voice suddenly rang out from nearby: “Alice!”

Alice’s attention was immediately diverted. She turned her head to look.

“Come quickly and greet the mayor and his party,” the Duchess Liddell called, waving with a smile.

“Coming, Mother,” Alice responded, rising at once. She cast an apologetic glance at Camilla. “I’m so sorry, Camilla, but I must excuse myself for a moment. Please enjoy the ball; I’ll come find you later.”

“Oh, it’s quite alright,” Camilla conceded, seeing there was no other option.

She understood the situation. Her own standing naturally couldn’t compare to the city’s prominent figures. Alice had to entertain the main guests first; only then would it be her turn to receive Camilla, a future baroness who, for now, held only a title.

Her best course of action was to cultivate their personal friendship. For now, patiently awaiting Alice’s return seemed the wisest choice.

Just then, she noticed the young man approaching.

“My beautiful lady, you are Alice’s friend, are you not? May I have the honor of inviting you to dance?” The young man bowed with impeccable politeness.

Camilla glanced in Alice’s direction, estimating she would be occupied for a while longer. She accepted the invitation. “Of course.”

Dancing at a ball was a common social interaction. Camilla, proud of her noble status, naturally wouldn’t neglect proper etiquette in such a setting, especially since the man seemed to be acquainted with Alice.

They entered the dance floor hand-in-hand, quickly falling into rhythm with the other dancers, circling gracefully amidst the crowd.

“I apologize for the belated introduction. I am Baron Charles Ponzi, from the province of Reedspear,” the young man introduced himself softly.

‘Only a baron, then,’ Camilla mused.

In her eyes, people were always categorized by rank. An insurmountable chasm separated nobles from commoners, and even within the nobility, subtle distinctions existed.

However, after a closer inspection of the baron’s attire, Camilla’s perception began to shift slightly.

The baron’s formal wear bore the emblem of a renowned capital tailor. While not a coveted, top-tier garment like those from ‘Lady of Roses,’ it was undoubtedly an expensive piece.

He wore few ornaments, but the massive ruby ring on his finger was clearly a rare masterpiece, the kind that could serve as a family heirloom in most noble households.

In other words, the baron exuded an aura of wealth.

A noble title itself couldn’t be directly monetized. For a noble to be rich, they either needed a fiefdom, like the Liddell family, or they had to hold a lucrative public office, much like Camilla’s father.

If the baron possessed either of these, Camilla couldn’t help but view him in a new light.

“I am Camilla Dumpty…” Camilla offered with a smile.

“Ah, I know! The youngest and most beautiful baroness in this city,” Charles chuckled heartily. “Alice has spoken of you often. Seeing you in person truly surpasses hearing tales; you indeed possess captivating eyes.”

“What is your relationship with Alice? I saw you two chatting earlier,” Camilla asked, intrigued.

“This is actually our first meeting. My father and Duke Liddell shared a slight acquaintance, and the Duke was a client of mine in business before his passing. So, I suppose the Liddell family and I are business partners, of sorts. Now, the Duchess handles all the dealings with me. Regardless, for the sake of my future fortunes, I felt it necessary to introduce myself to the future Duchess Liddell in advance,” Charles explained.

“Business?” Camilla instinctively inquired.

“I am an investor,” Charles clarified. “Miss Dumpty, are you familiar with investments?”

“Not really…” Camilla admitted.

Truthfully, she wasn’t particularly interested, yet Charles Ponzi’s subsequent words immediately piqued her curiosity.

“I’ve established an investment club in the capital, inviting the heads of several prominent imperial families, such as Duke Dune, Duke Faberlio, and Marquis Roman… And, of course, Duke Liddell was always a major client of mine.”

“These are all highly influential figures in the Empire! You actually have such powerful connections?” Camilla exclaimed, astonished.

She truly hadn’t expected this relatively unknown baron to associate with so many important people simultaneously!

“Alas, to put it plainly, I’m merely a handyman, managing investment funds for these great families, helping them turn money into more money,” Charles said with a self-deprecating chuckle.

“Could you tell me more about this club?” Camilla asked earnestly.

Her primary goal was to understand the network of contacts within the club. However, after Charles spoke animatedly for a few minutes, she found herself developing a profound interest in the club itself.

According to Charles, the investment club he managed was nothing short of a treasure trove. They pooled vast sums of capital to engage in lending and invest in “integrated industries” across various regions of the Empire, encompassing sectors like agriculture, mining, real estate, fashion, and luxury goods. The sheer breadth and complexity of these integrated ventures meant Camilla didn’t fully grasp the details.

Nevertheless, Charles successfully conveyed a fundamental impression to Camilla: the club was incredibly profitable, yielding a two-fold return for every coin invested. The profits were so substantial that even great nobles with fiefdoms were willing to inject enormous sums into the club over the long term, readily leveraging their territorial resources to facilitate the club’s investments.

“After all, even the great lordly houses need money to operate,” Charles continued, suddenly lowering his voice. “Simply collecting taxes isn’t always enough; one can never have too much money. And, I’ll tell you this in confidence, some influential figures occasionally have unofficial income that isn’t quite presentable. Through investment, if I make a few minor adjustments to the financial procedures, this ‘black money’ can be thoroughly laundered.”

These words truly resonated with Camilla.

Indeed, when Viscount Dumpty passed away, he left behind a considerable sum of money and valuable assets for his family. Viscount Dumpty had no fiefdom or particularly large private enterprises, and his salary as Chief of Public Security alone couldn’t account for such an illicit fortune.

Yet, the explanation was simple enough: Chief of Public Security was a lucrative position. An official willing to accept bribes and embezzle stolen goods could always accumulate substantial wealth.

However, without proper channels to convert these assets into legitimate funds, they were difficult to spend directly, as it could easily expose one to blackmail. Viscount Dumpty had his own money-laundering methods during his lifetime, but this remained a secret from his family, leaving Camilla unable to easily access that large sum.

If only she could use this so-called investment club to clean those funds…

With its rich network of contacts and efficient means of accumulating wealth, Camilla suddenly felt a strong desire to join the club.

It was precisely then that Charles, with a look of regret, suddenly remarked, “I’ve recently been considering expanding the club to regions beyond the capital. Maplewood City is an excellent city, and I’ve actually thought about establishing a branch here. I initially wanted to ask the Duchess for help, but unfortunately, she wasn’t interested, and Alice knows nothing about such matters. My attendance at this ball is also to seek potential partners in this regard, as having local collaborators makes things much smoother. Miss Dumpty, you must be very familiar with this area, aren’t you? Do you have any suitable candidates to recommend?”

His seemingly casual question immediately struck Camilla as an opportunity delivered right to her doorstep!

“Yes, I do,” Camilla replied.

“Really?” Charles feigned surprise.

“Indeed, what do you think…” A smile played on Camilla’s lips. “…of me?”