263 - Meeting with the Merchant
"I wouldn't know about types of lumber, but..."
"In that case, the craftsmen will choose based on the intended use. If you don't have any particular preferences, just stating the purpose should be fine, but it would be good to include at least your color preferences."
Black wood, white wood, pieces with beautiful grain, ones coated with varnish or polish, not to mention the materials, but even just the colors alone come in considerable variety. Since it would be unreasonable for a layperson to place an order using only written descriptions, apparently if I write down the purpose, the craftsmen will select suitable materials on their end.
...Craftsmen really are amazing, huh.
Since the craftsmen would handle the materials, I began writing down the intended uses. I want to use it as a simple kotatsu, but essentially it's a desk. The tasks that would be done on the tabletop are already decided.
...Huh? But if I'm having them make the table part anyway, wouldn't a long-legged table type work just as well?
I feel like this started from wanting to stay warm while reading through Saint Yuuta Hiraga's research materials, but I've been getting greedier. If I could really make something close to a kotatsu, I'd want to sit at it during lessons with Hermine too.
...Should I give up on using tatami in winter and go for a table-type kotatsu?
Regardless of whether I use tatami or not, considering that I'll be handling Saint Yuuta Hiraga's research materials, it's practically certain that I'll be moving away from the hearth fire. In that case, it might be better to make it a long-legged table so Hermine can use it too.
...Alright then, I'll make it a kotatsu with slightly longer legs, so a seated chair can fit under it.
In my previous life, typical kotatsu were designed for sitting seiza, but whether due to changes in lifestyle or an aging population, there were also long-legged kotatsu you could sit at with a seated chair or regular chair. If I'm going to use it for reading, having an angled surface like a book stand would be nice. And if I'm adding features, having an angle when writing on paper would make that easier too.
...If there were some mechanism to adjust the angle of the tabletop, that might be convenient.
I know a book stand would solve the problem, but I wrote a note in the margin of the order form thinking it'd be nice if possible. A folding double-layer structure... just jotting down my own arbitrary ideas is more than a little fun. However, realizing I was ordering something too different from a standard table, Hermine furrowed her brow dubiously.
"This is... perhaps it would be better to consult with the craftsmen after all."
"The blanket and seated chair covers will definitely have to be custom-made anyway."
"It's not just the covers that are unusual. ...Covers? Not a tablecloth, but a cover?"
"Since I'm planning to make a sort of kotatsu-like thing, not a tablecloth, but a kotatsu blanket and seated chair covers."
The seated chair covers are designed with ingenuity to fill the gaps between the blanket and the chair, so the warm air inside won't escape. I set the kotatsu body aside for now and explained the kotatsu blanket to Hermine. It might be fine to make a blanket that matches the shape of the kotatsu body, but when someone sits inside, the cotton-stuffed blanket bunches up around the abdomen. If the thickness of the blanket around the abdomen creates a slight gap from the table, resulting in having to work hunched over, then maybe the blanket isn't the best option.
"You plan to do writing work too, don't you? In that case, a blanket might be better than a futon quilt so it can be washed if you spill ink."
"That's true. Carelessness can happen to anyone, so it might be good to think ahead."
If I'm going to place a table on top as the tabletop, Hermine said it might be better to avoid a futon quilt for the stability of the table part as well. Considering laundry convenience, the shape matching the kotatsu body, and the fact that a lady would be using it, the kotatsu blanket, renamed the kotatsu cover, became a luxurious specification using plenty of triple-layered fabric. For the top layer, I'd use tanned leather so it's easy to wipe off spilled drinks or ink. Since I wanted to avoid the blanket bunching around the abdomen and making movement difficult, the leather portion is short in length. The middle layer uses a blanket with slits cut at the four corners, and this one reaches down to the feet, making it fairly long. Fabric would still gather around the abdomen, but it should be thinner than using a futon or leather, so I accepted that as unavoidable. The third innermost layer uses thick fabric with plenty of frills. While the blanket and leather have slits at the four corners, this fabric is used to trap the warm air that would escape from those openings. Since plenty of fabric is used, it seems like it would pool around the abdomen, which I was concerned about, but this layer has slits on the sides that would be hidden by the blanket, so when inserting one's legs, the fabric shifts sideways. Additionally, that fabric is expected to fill the gaps with the seated chair and prevent warm air from escaping.
"...It feels like the table is wearing a dress."
For me, it was just a rough concept of wanting to trap warm air inside, but when I reflect all the results of various considerations, it becomes a table wearing a dress rather than a kotatsu. It might actually be better as furniture for a lady, but since the original image was a kotatsu, it felt rather odd.
"In that case, I believe I would like to join you as well."
"Eh? Really?"
"I do have some resistance to removing my shoes, but if I were to wear cloth shoes instead..."
"Ah, that does sound good."
In winter, it seemed cold to move around only in socks, and with leather or wooden shoes, it would be hard to feel the warmth of a hot water bottle. Thinking about it, wearing cloth shoes did seem like a good idea.
Since Hermine would join me too, I changed the leg height of the kotatsu from seated-chair height to that of a standard table. I also made sure to create an order form requesting modifications to the chair legs so they wouldn't damage the tatami.
"Summoning a craftsman to the detached palace..."
"It would be better to convey it to the craftsmen through a merchant. Tina-san, let's use this opportunity to practice placing orders through your lady's maid to a merchant."
"...Yes."
I only wanted to secure warmth for winter, but somehow I felt like I'd been given extra homework. But when I think about it, I had already been given the assignment of arranging my own winter room, so this was an extension or applied version of that. Since my tutor (Hermine) was teaching me carefully, I needed to learn properly.
The merchant came to the detached palace two days after we made the order form. Without a doubt, that was terrifyingly fast. It was probably because, with the Eighth Princess's sudden disappearance, they wanted new regular customers as soon as possible.
...The merchants from Grenore are different, even in their clothing.
The merchants of Grenore city also wore nice clothes in front of me, but when it comes to merchants of the capital, especially those permitted to enter the royal castle, their clothing was a cut above. Of course, they couldn't wear anything as high-quality as the king or nobles, as that would be disrespectful to their customers, but I could tell they put effort into style even in subtle details, decorative buttons on their jackets, lace peeking from their cuffs, belt buckles, and the like.
...It's a bit boring today.
Since conversing with the merchant was the role of the lady's maid who had prepared in advance, I was just observing. The merchant seemed eager to build a connection with me, his new source of income, but after the initial greeting, he listened to Valerier's explanations. I suppose that's to be expected of a merchant permitted entry to the royal castle. Unlike that traveling merchant who once pestered me persistently, he knew where to draw the line.
...For now, should I be learning from Valerier?
Valerier is currently serving as my lady's maid, but she's the daughter of a Staff Peerage house. It wouldn't be wrong to call her a noble young lady, and I think every aspect of her, her posture, her manners, her bearing, is that of a refined lady.
"Young lady, the merchant is requesting a trial task. What shall we do?"
"A trial task?"
Well now, what could that be? I looked between Valerier and the bowing merchant, then sought an explanation from Hermine. What was this 'trial task' the merchant was asking for?
"Young lady, since this is the first time you're entrusting work to this merchant, he says he wants to show off the skills of his craftsmen and make something exceeding your order."
...In other words, he'll make something better than the order form, so give him more work next time, right?
He wasn't causing trouble like a traveling merchant, but this was probably the trial task, an appeal within the bounds of what's not rude for a merchant. If the merchant was asking to have his brains racked with a "trial task," then I had no reason to hold back on my side either. There was something I'd briefly thought "I'd like that" but couldn't create a design for with my own head.
"...Then, please make the seat of the chair able to rotate."
Since this wasn't part of the planned discussion, I'd have to speak up myself. I tried to get down from the chair I was sitting in to receive the order form being handed to the merchant, but before I could get up, Hermine pressed down on my shoulder. It seemed a lady absolutely must not be the one to move.
"Young lady, I will handle the explanations to the merchant."
Taking the order form for the chair from the merchant, Valerier came over to me. I briefly thought how troublesome being a lady was, but Hermine seemed to have seen right through me. She whispered that we'd have a reflection session later.
"Please devise ways to prevent footprints from showing on the tatami." That was all the order form originally said, but Valerier's beautiful handwriting began filling it with my ideas one after another. I had wanted modifications to the legs so they wouldn't damage the tatami, but if the seat could rotate, the number of times I'd need to pull the chair out would decrease.
...I wonder if it'll work?
I didn't mind if they ignored my ideas if they had better methods, but when the merchant saw the order form filled with whatever came to mind about how making it rotate might work, his cheek twitched slightly. It was so slight that in the next moment, he was back to a perfect business smile.
...Huh? You're the one who said you wanted a trial task, merchant. Are you okay? Is it too difficult?
"Mmu... ggh?"
If it's impossible, that's fine. Please just make it according to the original order. I tried to withdraw the task, but that was apparently a complete mistake. When I tried to get off the chair, my shoulder was held back, but this time my mouth was covered by a hand. I could tell that the contents of the reflection session had increased, but I didn't understand why I was stopped. However, the merchant's face had turned pale, and he straightened his posture as if hiding the order form behind his back, so it seemed I had made a truly serious blunder.
"We shall certainly deliver items surpassing your order, so please look forward to it."
Rattling off a long speech at high speed, the merchant fled from the detached palace. As Valerier withdrew to see the merchant out to the entrance, the reflection session hosted by Hermine began straight away.
Regarding the matter of trying to get off the chair, it ended with a light scolding. It seemed that since I was the host in that setting, I shouldn't have approached the merchant myself. Considering that a lady's maid was placed between us precisely to avoid direct conversation, this was perhaps only natural. I understood immediately, so that was all.
The problem was the pale-faced merchant.
...I never imagined "It's okay if it's too difficult" would be a taboo phrase!
The merchant had asked for a trial task himself. So I put out a request I'd given up on, but my request was apparently far beyond what the merchant had anticipated, causing him to rack his brains. Since the merchant seemed troubled, I tried to withdraw my request, but a merchant who has asked for a trial task can't say "It's impossible, so let's forget it." Saying something like that would be admitting that they're incompetent and can't even meet a customer's demands. Furthermore, apparently it's one thing if they admit it's impossible themselves. But for the customer to withdraw a request, saying "It seems it was too difficult for you," supposedly carries the meaning of "You incompetent fool. I'll never use your shop again."
...Yeah. No wonder the merchant's face went pale as he ran away.
If they're seeking a new customer to fill the hole left by the Eighth Princess, and on their very first job they almost get written off, they'd panic and run home clutching the order form. There was a good reason Hermine silenced me using a more than slightly rude method.
...Placing orders through a lady's maid is really important.
At the very least, if I had left everything to Valerier, the merchant wouldn't have run off with a chill in his heart. As an assistant to me, who is still far from being a perfect lady, a lady's maid and a tutor are absolutely essential.
I felt bad for the merchant. So, after consulting with Hermine, I had a letter written and delivered stating that there would be no deadline set for the rotating-seat chair. At the very least, this letter should reassure him that my words were not a declaration of cutting off future business.
...Being a young lady is hard!
Will fix typos and errors at a later date.