Chapter 348

Carissa smiled, though she was nearly grinding her teeth. She maintained a gentle tone as she agreed with her mother-in-law.

“You’re right, Mother. Business does have its ups and downs. Oh, by the way… Do you and Grand Princess Eleanor split the profits of the jewelry shop evenly? Did you sign a contract? And since it opened, have you reviewed the account books?”

Helen puffed up with pride, like a peacock. “Of course we signed a contract! Do you take me for a fool? It’s not an even split—I’ve taken seventy percent. Naturally, I’ve looked at the account books. They send them every season, and I’ve checked them thoroughly. We’ve indeed been running at a loss.”

“Oh? So you hold the majority share? That means when there’s a loss, you have to contribute more money to cover it. How much money have you put in over the years? Have you been keeping track?” Carissa pressed.

“Of course I’ve kept track. Every time I put in money, I note it down,” Helen said.

“Good, that’s a start. Then, do you remember how much money you’ve given in total?”

“Who remembers that in their head? You’d have to check the account books. It’s probably in the tens of thousands of silver coins,” Helen replied, slightly annoyed.

“I see.” Carissa glanced at Rafael, whose face had turned as dark as a storm cloud, and continued, “Mother, have you ever actually visited The Gilded Tower?”

Helen responded coldly, “How could I? I live deep in the palace. Do you think I can just go out as I please? When I did leave the palace, it was to help prepare for your wedding, so I haven’t had the time. Besides, what difference does it make whether I go or not? The shop is managed by Eric. Grand Princess Eleanor and I hold esteemed positions—how could we show our faces in public? Anyway, I review the account books every season. I’m not worried about Eric deceiving us.”

Carissa knew that many noble families in the capital owned businesses, but they didn’t manage them personally. They left that to their managers. The managers would report back, and trusted servants or confidants would occasionally inspect the shops. The nobles themselves might also drop by from time to time. It was unheard of for them to personally manage the shops.

Helen wasn’t wrong in her reasoning—except for her use of the word “we.” She and Eleanor could hardly be considered a “we.”

Rafael was furious. Tens of thousands of silver coins invested, and nothing to show for it! While organizing the wedding, he had personally visited the well-known gold jewelry shops in the capital with Jacob and Luke. The most successful was The Golden Tower, and while The Gilded Tower—Helen’s shop—wasn’t doing badly, it was notorious for copying designs from The Golden Tower, which hurt its reputation. But reputation was one thing, and business success was another.

Despite its reputation issues, The Gilded Tower managed to attract customers who were looking for cheaper alternatives to The Golden Tower’s designs. As a result, the shop did decent business—enough to avoid losses, let alone require any financial assistance.

Carissa was aware of this, though it was clear Helen wasn’t. Now wasn’t the time to inform her, though. The priority was to retrieve the Mystic Pearls.

Rafael ordered the carriages to be prepared. He and Carissa would head to the palace first. To prevent his mother from rushing off to Eleanor’s palace to brag, he decided to bring her along as well.

Three carriages were prepared. Rafael and Carissa shared one; Helen and Gillian another; and Lily, Lulu, and Pearl occupied the third. As a married woman, Carissa’s status had changed. She needed attendants by her side at all times, even if it was just for appearances.

Upon arriving at the palace, they first paid their respects to the Queen Dowager. Victoria was delighted to see Carissa. After the customary toast and bestowal of gifts, she held Carissa’s hand, asking the latter all sorts of questions. She even sternly warned Rafael to treat Carissa well.

Rafael had no choice but to reassure Victoria, promising to take good care of his wife, which seemed to put the older woman at ease.

However, Helen was less than pleased. Was her elder sister serious? Shouldn’t Victoria be reminding Carissa to serve her husband well? Did Victoria think that, as a wife, Carissa held a higher position than her husband?