Chapter 99: The Porcelain Factory Conspiracy
Inside Castle Edd's main keep, Saelen had just returned to his study when a knock sounded at the door.
"Enter."
The door opened, and Juan stepped inside.
"My lord."
Saelen nodded and gestured to the chair opposite him. "Sit."
Once Juan had taken his seat, Saelen got straight to the point.
"Well? What's going on at the porcelain factory?"
Juan bowed respectfully before speaking. "My lord, that is exactly why I've come."
"Then speak."
Juan lowered his voice slightly, choosing his words with care. "My lord… I suspect that steward Gene is inflating numbers and embezzling funds."
Saelen's brow lifted slightly. "Inflating numbers?" He leaned forward. "Explain in detail."
Juan nodded. "Over the past six months, I've had people secretly investigate every stage of the porcelain operation. Based on our calculations, a single large kiln—from raw material extraction and fuel transport to final production—requires about three hundred workers."
"With fifteen kilns, the total should be around four thousand five hundred. Even rounding up, it shouldn't exceed five thousand."
He paused, then emphasized, "But steward Gene reports eight thousand workers. That's an excess of three thousand."
"Three thousand extra?" Saelen's voice rose slightly in disbelief. "Where did they go?"
Juan swallowed, clearly prepared for the question.
"My lord, when I first reached this conclusion, I was also shocked. To avoid any mistakes, I sought out Maester Rosmund and borrowed several clerks skilled in arithmetic. Together, we conducted a secret count of the workers."
"The result matched our estimates closely."
Saelen frowned. "So how many workers are actually there?"
Juan raised five fingers. "Just over five thousand. Among them, more than a thousand are elderly or children—unable to handle heavy labor. They only do minor tasks, and their wages are half that of regular workers."
He hesitated briefly, then continued, "The remaining half of their wages… goes straight into steward Gene's pocket."
Saelen's expression darkened.
"So you're telling me… the wages of three thousand nonexistent workers are being paid out every month—and all of it ends up with him?"
Juan nodded. "Yes, my lord."
A cold fury rose in Saelen's chest. To think such a parasite had grown right under his nose…
His gray eyes turned icy.
Seeing Juan hesitate, Saelen asked, "What else? Speak."
Juan steeled himself and continued, "There's more. Officially, Gene claims to recruit workers fairly. But in truth, he coerces them—forcing them to hand over half their wages each month if they want to remain as full-time workers."
"Bang!"
Saelen slammed his fist onto the table. The wood cracked instantly, spiderweb fractures spreading across its surface with a sharp crack.
Juan flinched, his throat going dry as he stared at the shattered tabletop.
After venting his anger, Saelen quickly regained control. He rested his hand on the table, fingers tapping rhythmically.
Tap. Tap. Tap…
The room fell into a heavy silence that lasted for over ten minutes.
Finally, Saelen spoke again, his voice calm but cold.
"You may go. Keep a close eye on steward Gene."
Juan exhaled in relief, bowed, and withdrew.
…
Gene returned to the porcelain factory, his mind restless.
He wound his way through the complex until he reached a kiln area where workers bustled about in full swing.
Nearby, four or five workers sat resting on an open patch of ground.
Gene deliberately coughed, drawing attention. Then he gave a subtle signal to a scar-faced middle-aged man among them.
The man glanced up and gave a slight nod in response.
Gene didn't linger. After making a casual round, he quickly left and returned to his office.
Moments later, the scar-faced man slipped inside.
Gene cast a wary glance outside before shutting the door.
"You usually avoid me," he said coldly. "So why come looking for me today?"
Gene's expression darkened as he got straight to the point.
"We may be in serious trouble."
The scar-faced man was taken aback, his casual demeanor instantly gone. "What do you mean? How are we suddenly in trouble?"
"Saelen returned to Castle Edd this morning," Gene said grimly. "At a time like this… it makes me uneasy."
The scar-faced man let out a breath of relief. "I thought something had been exposed. It's just the lord coming back—look how scared you are."
Gene's face twisted with anger. He pointed at him and cursed in a low voice, "You damn fool! Do you even realize what will happen if we're exposed?"
The man sneered. "You're too timid."
Seeing Gene's expression remain grim, he softened slightly, knowing he still needed his cooperation.
"Relax. We've been operating in secret for half a year without a single mistake. There's no reason he'd uncover anything the moment he returns."
"You know nothing!" Gene suddenly lunged forward, grabbing him by the collar. "I've followed Saelen for four or five years—do you think I understand him less than you do?"
A flicker of fear crossed his face.
"You have no idea what he's capable of."
"It was one thing when he wasn't here. But now that he's back, if we keep operating under his nose… we're as good as dead."
The scar-faced man laughed mockingly. "And yet, after all those years, you still betrayed him."
"Ptoo!"
Gene spat directly in his face. "You bastard—this is all your doing!"
The man didn't get angry. He calmly wiped the spit off his face and flicked it back onto Gene.
"If your hands were clean, could I have threatened you?"
He leaned closer, voice low and cold.
"Understand this—we're in the same boat now. Help me finish this job, and we part ways. You stay as steward of the porcelain factory, and I'll never trouble you again."
Gene staggered back slightly, his expression hollow.
"After something this big… do you really think I can keep my position?"
The scar-faced man adjusted his collar, unconcerned. "That's not my problem."
Gene let out a cold laugh. "I underestimated things before. Now I want an additional condition. Otherwise, I won't cooperate any further."
The man's face darkened. After a brief silence, he said, "Fine. Let's hear it."
"Once this is done, you must ensure my family and I are sent somewhere safe. And we act sooner rather than later—the longer we wait, the greater the risk."
The scar-faced man thought it over, then nodded. It was an easy promise. Once Gene boarded his ship, whether he honored it or not would be entirely his decision.
As for acting early—it made little difference. Preparations were already complete. All that remained was timing.
Seeing him agree, Gene's expression eased.
"Then we act three nights from now?"
"Agreed."
The scar-faced man pulled out a map and pointed to a stretch along the White Knife River.
"Our ships will be waiting here that night."
"I'll lead men to set fires across the area, creating chaos and drawing away the guards."
"You'll use the confusion to gather the workers from the porcelain factory and bring them here to board the ships."
Gene studied the map. The boarding point wasn't far from Castle Edd's docks—if they moved quickly, they could reach it in no time.
He nodded.
The two lowered their voices, discussing the finer details of the plan.
Unseen in the shadows, a small rat peeked out from a corner—its tiny eyes silently witnessing everything that transpired.