Chapter 263: Develop Everfort Granary

When Oliver turned around, Prudence let out an angry roar. The roar was muddled, but the venom in her voice was unmistakable. The butler closed the door and hid everything in the house. Neither Geoffrey nor Isolde had ever provoked such a violent reaction from her. He hadn't expected Oliver's visit to elicit such a strong response, but upon reflection, it made sense. Isolde was now a Princess, a fact Prudence was well aware of. Her only hope had been that Isolde would marry poorly, be looked down upon by her husband, and despised by his family. However, Oliver had personally come to assure her that he would remain devoted to Isolde for life, promising never to abandon her. This shattered her last hope. How could she not be furious?

She had clung to life, desperate to see Isolde's downfall. Yet, despite her own suffering, she watched as Isolde thrived. How could she not feel despair? The butler only guessed part of the reason, unaware of the depth of Prudence's rage. There was no familial bond between her and Isolde. She had harbored hatred for Isolde's mother for years, and that resentment had festered into madness. From the beginning, she had been the matriarch of this household, controlling everything. To have her authority and dignity challenged by Isolde and her mother was more than just hatred—it was jealousy. She was jealous and driven to madness because both Prunella and Isolde had so easily obtained what she could never have. Both women had risen above her, a woman of humble origins who had spent her life battling concubines for a semblance of a good life. Jealousy would drive one completely crazy. She believed a woman's true happiness lay in how well her husband treated her after marriage, and this treatment was measured by how many concubines he took. She could not tolerate concubines and had fought with them her entire life. Yet, she had worked tirelessly to fill her sons' lives with concubines—both her biological son and her stepson. She wanted all women to suffer as she had, to soothe her own scarred heart.

So, when Oliver declared that he would never take a concubine and would remain devoted to Isolde for life, she truly lost her mind. Geoffrey had said the same thing to her back then. If not for her schemes, Matilda would never have married Geoffrey. What was so special about these two women that they could inspire such lifelong devotion from their husbands? Why could they so easily obtain what she had never been able to? So, she broke down.

However, Oliver knew that his words were a killer blow to Prudence. This was why he had insisted on visiting her. He had seen this kind of jealousy before, in his adoptive mother, Margaret.

Margaret, the wife of Pablo, appeared to live a life of glory. Even now, Pablo had never taken a concubine. But she had always been jealous of one person—Prunella, the woman Pablo could never forget. Oliver had witnessed it several times. When female visitors to the household spoke of the tragedies in the Langley family, particularly Prunella's misfortunes, a flicker of satisfaction would cross Margaret's eyes. That flicker was something she couldn't hide, revealing the depths of her jealousy. He knew about Prudence's life. He knew how she battled concubines in her youth, what she had done to Prunella. It wasn't hard to guess the jealousy that fueled her.

The butler later secretly informed Isolde of what Oliver had said to Prudence. When Isolde heard it, she was first surprised, then understood his intentions. A warm feeling spread through her heart. She truly hadn't chosen the wrong person. She reminded the butler that Prudence must not die before she got married. This was not because she wanted Prudence to watch her get married and see her happy, but because Prudence was her grandmother in name. If Prudence died, her marriage would be delayed. She didn't want any complications. She had completely let go of her hatred for Prudence after leaving the Langley family that day. Letting go didn't mean that she didn't hate him. She just didn't have to torture herself with this hatred. Prudence was, in her mind, a closed chapter.

Oliver had a seven-day break. After seven days, he had to return to Southern Watch. However, because Doug was not around and Southern Watch was busy, Oliver still went back. This was mainly because he would have about half a month off for his wedding. Therefore, he decided not to take the seven days of leave granted by the King.

Isolde did not stop either. She took Anthony, Hattie, and Hazel to visit the families of the fallen soldiers. Because she had previously distributed her rewards to the families, Isolde was particularly respected. Death always brought sorrow, but the sacrifice of soldiers, after the initial grief, brought pride and honor. Their sons or husbands had died defending the country. Though the families grieved, they also felt a sense of pride. Everyone was curious about this female general. They had heard of her deeds and the decisions she made in Zlomond. Thus, they held Isolde in high esteem. There were only twenty families of fallen soldiers in Argentum, so Isolde finished her visits in three days.

For the rest, she couldn't leave Argentum to visit them personally, but she still arranged for the compensation to be delivered. She didn’t say it came from her own pocket, but the soldiers knew that the court’s compensation had a fixed amount. Even if it was doubled this time, it wouldn’t be this much. Isolde’s reputation was firmly established at this time. Humans were very real animals. They would always remember this kindness for the rest of their lives.

After comforting the family members, Isolde went to inspect the shops. Everfort Granary had gained great fame during the relief efforts, even earning praise from the King. With the King’s praise, the High Magistracy of Argentum had to come to present a plaque. Everfort Granary’s reputation spread rapidly in Argentum. Therefore, today, Collin had something to tell Isolde.

Isolde knew what he was going to say. Before he could speak, Isolde said, “Everfort Granary will be the flagship store, and all other shops will become its branches. You will continue to manage them. From now on, I will only take 30% of Everfort Granary’s profits. As for the original shops, you will take 30%. How does that sound?”

Collin looked at her in a daze. “Miss Langley, this is practically giving it to me for free.”

“It’s not for free. Everfort Granary’s branches will spread throughout the entire country. My profits will be much, much, much greater than they are now,” Isolde said with a smile.

Collin was confident in his business skills, but no business was without risk. If all the shops were merged under Everfort Granary, his ambitions would grow. With greater ambitions, it would be harder to restrain himself. He was afraid of losing Isolde’s fortune.

After careful consideration, he said, “If we follow your plan, the profit split isn’t an issue. Even if I only take 10%, it’s fine. After all, Everfort Granary’s fame is thanks to you.”

“What are you worried about?” Isolde could tell that he was worried.

Collin looked at Isolde and said honestly, “Miss Langley, you might not have calculated how much all these shops are worth, but I have an idea. These assets could allow us to accomplish many great things. But business is risky—very risky. I’m afraid that if I can’t control myself and invest everything, even if I were to give my life, I wouldn’t be able to repay you.”