The Villainess Enjoys Her Seventh Life as a Free-Spirited Bride (hostage) in a Former Enemy Country
Chapter e1.1: Extra 1.1 - A story of Rishe and Arnold joining hands

The table was lined with adorable little bottles.

Rishe mulled over as she looked at the colorful liquid that filled them.

“This is the product that sealed the deal with the Aria Trading Company?”

“Yes. I’m having a bit of trouble with this right now.”

She unfolded a piece of paper on which she had written down various ideas, telling Arnold in front of her.

He listened to Rishe’s story as he looked at it with interest.

What happened just a few moments ago…

Arnold asked Rishe to give details about the business meeting that she had concluded with the Aria Trading Company.

He was apparently on a break and had come to check on Rishe in between his duties.

She thought it was unusual, but it made sense that he wanted to know. At the same time, Rishe recalled.

She had already told Arnold how the negotiations with the Aria Trading Company had gone. But on second thought, she hadn’t shown him the key goods.

So, Rishe made him wait on the terrace in the garden of the detached palace and fetched the materials and vials from her room.

Now they were both facing each other at a white table set up on the terrace.

Rishe took one of the vials and let the light shine through it.

“We want to promote this product on a large scale to create more jobs. To that end, I’ve thought a lot about the design and color name of the vials…”

“A color name?”

Arnold responded quizzically.

“If it’s the name of the color and nothing else, it’s unmistakably red.”

“Of course it is, but just ‘red’ wouldn’t sound good, would it? These products have been dyed from flowers, so this time I decided to name them after flowers.”

She put the vial in her hand on the table, and pointed to the others one by one.

“The red color is the Rose and this vibrant yellow is the Sunflower. The blue with a little purple is Delphinium. Doesn’t it make you even more attached to a flower when it has its name on the label like this?”

What she wanted customers to associate with was the storefront of a flower shop. For example, the sight of brightly colored flowers glistening in the sun.

The same kind of glitz and glamour could be found on the shelves in somebody’s room. She wanted to deliver that kind of excitement, and that was why she decided on these names.

“Just the way of naming something makes a product more appealing.”

“Is that how it works?”

“That’s how it works.”

As she stressed, Arnold, who has his cheekbones on the armrest of his chair, muttered, “I see.”

“I’m sure naming them such is appropriate, though I don’t have other ideas. The design of the bottle suggests that this product is intended for women–”

“That’s the problem, Your Highness!”

Arnold was caught off guard when Rishe suddenly leaned forward.

“W-What’s the problem?”

“Your Highness is right. This product is expected to have a main buyer base of women, and I’m doing my best to pursue cuteness. But personally, I’d like the gentlemen to get their hands on it as well…”

It wasn’t a woman’s prerogative to dress up in ornaments. She was certain there would be a segment of men who would be interested in the product as well.

If the design was too feminine, it would be difficult for them to get a hold of it. That was what’s troubling Rishe.

It was obvious that sales would be better for products that both men and women buy compared to those that only women buy. As a merchant trained by Tully, she didn’t want to narrow down the customer base.

However, since it was expected that most of the customers were women, the line of stimulating women’s desire to buy beautiful designs couldn’t be abandoned. Half-heartedly wasn’t the best way to go about anything.

“It would be good publicity if I could at least get someone, an influential man, to paint it on.”

Suddenly, Rishe giggled as an idea occurred to her.

“For example, Your Highness Arnold. How–”

“I don’t mind.”

“Eh?”

Risce froze at the unexpected answer.

“What did you just say?”

“I said if you want to paint my nails, I don’t mind.”

“Eh~”

Her ears really weren’t playing tricks on her.

“Y-y-yeeeeah?!”