***
"Why? Why do you think so?"
Seok Duwon's tone grew a bit sharper. I had expected harsh criticism or frank advice, but what I heard was closer to a curse—so that was likely why.
"I shall continue. It is because Seokhoru lacks certain things."
"Lacks? What?"
Nothing much had changed. Only, his words seemed to have grown somewhat flat.
Still, I knew it was all for my sake.
Had Seok Duwon not stepped forward to express displeasure, the other retainers might have tried to tear into me first.
*'He wants me to answer properly.'*
"First, the guests on the lower floors."
"The lower floors—you mean the first and second floors?"
"Yes. As I came up, I noticed quite a few empty seats."
"Hmm. As you say, Seokhoru does not fill every seat. However, the majority of Seokhoru's income must come from the third floor. Therefore, I do not see how your answer explains why Seokhoru cannot last long."
Seok Duwon refuted my words point by point, as though dismantling another's logic in a debate.
Had his rebuttal not been there, those retainers glaring at me with fire in their eyes would have lunged at me first.
This time too, I did not back down and continued.
"Soon, even the guests on the third floor and above will stop coming."
!!
—*Bang!!*
Somewhere, the sound of a table being struck. Someone briefly expressed anger, calling it a curse, but Seok Duwon quickly raised his hand to dissuade them.
"Continue, Second Young Master. You must have clear grounds for saying so."
"Of course, Master. First, to resolve this issue, we must examine the fundamental principles."
"Fundamental principles? Are you speaking of the alcohol? Surely you are not saying the liquor tastes bad...?"
"It is not yet related to the alcohol. The taste of the liquor is a matter for after the establishment has stabilized."
"...Not even the alcohol. Then it is more serious. What in the world are you talking about?"
"What is the ratio of Hangzhou natives among those who visit Seokhoru?"
"......"
At the question of the ratio of Hangzhou natives among all guests, Seok Duwon briefly showed a blank expression.
Something seemed to flicker across his mind. He could not answer for a while and looked into my eyes with trembling gaze.
A gaze that seemed deep in thought.
"If it is difficult to say, I shall move on."
"Ah, no. It likely does not reach twenty percent. If you exclude the wealthy patrons who use the third floor and above, it would be around ten percent. However, is Hangzhou not such a place? There are so many travelers coming and going that if they merely set foot here..."
...They would avoid losses. Seok Duwon answered rather specifically, but the underlying sentiment still seemed somewhat complacent.
"It will not do as things stand. The ratio of Hangzhou natives using the first and second floors must be raised to thirty percent."
"Why? What is the reason for distinguishing between outsiders and Hangzhou natives?"
"The reason is simple. When Hangzhou natives go to other regions, it is more profitable for them to introduce Seokhoru as a famous product of Hangzhou. Those living in Hangzhou are also engaged in commerce and shipping. The places they travel to are not insignificant either. Moreover, would not the word of a Hangzhou native carry far more trust than the rumors of an outsider?"
"Hmm. Then why limit it to the first and second floors? Could not those using the third floor and above also spread word of mouth?"
Seok Duwon nodded, as though gradually being drawn into the conversation, and asked.
Unlike before, his question was not aimed at refutation but at resolving a doubt.
"Just now, what did Master call those who use the third floor and above?"
"I called them wealthy patrons."
"That is precisely why."
"......?"
"People called wealthy patrons do not boast of which high-class tavern they visited. Is that not only natural?"
!
Once the answer was fully delivered, Seok Duwon stirred in his seat with an expression of realization.
Among those gathered here, no one fit the term "wealthy patron" better than Seok Duwon. And the people around him were likely wealthy patrons as well.
He briefly recollected days past.
"...Indeed, there is that aspect. Rather than praising a famous place, they would belittle it to flaunt their own refined taste. Boasting of having visited a place is something only nouveau riche do. Indeed."
Whether here or where I came from. The psychology of the rich was the same everywhere.
"Also, Master, when you are in a city with no connections, how do you find a tavern for a drink?"
"Why, I would naturally call my servant, Chobok... Good heavens! Was that what you meant?"
Hearing the following words, Seok Duwon's eyes grew sharp with an unusual gleam, and he even wore an expression of chagrin that he had not thought of this.
"Indeed, that's right! One would call a servant and ask if there is a famous place!"
"Exactly. And those who converse with servants are likely not the affluent. By Seokhoru's standards, they would be people who could barely afford a drink on the first or second floors at best."
"Indeed. Precisely."
"Furthermore, guests heading to the third floor and above must pass through the first and second floors. If they see empty seats in Seokhoru even from their perspective, it would clearly be unfavorable."
"You speak rightly. If one secures a private room in a place so packed that not just anyone can enter, the money would feel even better spent. Good. Very good. Then, what should be done? I am asking how we might raise the ratio of Hangzhou natives to thirty percent."
Now he openly asked me for the answer. Anticipation that had been absent returned to his face.
"As Miss Mae said earlier: the splendid exterior. We must reduce the alienation that comes from it."
"Hehe. You are flattering my daughter. So what do you mean?"
"How about selecting representative dishes and drawing up a price list? Then placing that price sign in front of the establishment."
"A price list?"
"Seokhoru's exterior is splendid and alluring. Hangzhou residents may not dare step inside, but they would likely linger nearby at least once, even if they turn away because the exterior looks expensive."
"The first and second floors of Seokhoru are not especially expensive. I cannot say the same for the third floor and above, but at least the table rates on the first and second floors are so. Perhaps they are cheaper than other taverns near West Lake... Indeed."
"Then we must make that widely known. Select a few inexpensive side dishes, including thin noodles, and make a price list. Then stand it proudly in front of Seokhoru where passersby can see it."
"Hmm. A price list."
Over three months, I had observed many shops in Hangzhou city and felt something.
None of them displayed fixed prices. This was the same not only for shops but also for inns and taverns.
I had heard that hanging up menus was considered poison for inns and taverns.
A skilled chef was one who could make anything requested by guests as long as ingredients were available, or so they said.
So I used the term "price list" instead of "menu" to lessen the listeners' aversion.
This was the moment when my efforts over three months of wandering the city to find the cheapest noodle shop bore fruit.
"As an expression of trust, we need only show the prices of dishes anyone would know. Just a few representative items are enough."
The phrase "expression of trust" was not actually used in places like this. It was used in bars. In bars, the menu was called such an expression of trust.
In bars—especially authentic bars that considered classic aesthetics their charm—there were often people who found it difficult to enter.
Or even if they mustered the courage to open the door, they would hunch their shoulders and show uneasy eyes, fearing prices that might be high.
At such times, what the bar provided was the menu.
Actually, bars were the same as taverns or inns. An authentic bar was a place where having no menu was better.
Because in a bar too, they had to be able to make any cocktail the customer wanted.
Therefore, the menus provided at such times listed an extremely sparse selection.
Yet with that alone, a small sense of trust formed between the guest and the establishment.
*"We sell cocktails at these prices."* It was that kind of trust.
That is why bars called the menu an expression of trust.
"An expression of trust..."
Seok Duwon seemed pleased by the last words, put on an expression of conviction, and looked around.
"What do you all think?"
"Hmm. If it is not a method requiring significant funds, I do not think trying it would be bad."
"This one concurs."
The first to answer were Gu Donghae of the merchant group and Chief Manager Gong Seokyong. The two gave their opinions immediately, as though stating their personal views.
Then, the others also agreed, and the direction soon settled toward approval.
"Second Young Master. Truly remarkable insight. I humbly request permission to operate Seokhoru according to your advice. Will you permit it?"
Once the direction was set, Seok Duwon moved at once. How could I answer no here?
My stay at the Seok Estate would simply be extended by another three months. Thinking so, I nodded.
And.
*'A little more...'*
Shall I try? The thought crept up. Until now, I had merely earned my keep; from now on, it would be something on another level.
I could not freeload here forever. Opportunities to display my talents like this would not always come.
Perhaps if the merchant group or others took a favorable view, I might even find employment. At that thought, a little greed arose.
I fiddled with my cup for a moment. Having made up my mind, I opened my mouth again.
"Master, if you would grant me the opportunity, may I elaborate a little further?"
"Is there still more?"
At the mention of more advice for Seokhoru, Chief Manager Gong was the first to react.
He had regarded me with a somewhat neutral attitude, but this time his expression said it was too much.
"Truthfully, this is something good to do, yet not doing it would not pose a significant problem. Therefore, if it is excessive, I shall curb my words today."
Having taken the hint, I assumed a posture of quietly pulling back. However, if I left it at that...
"Does that not mean there is no harm in hearing it?"
I knew that Seok Duwon, fully fired up, would quickly seize upon it.
"That is so."
"Then we must hear it. Of course, I do not wish to burden you further, Young Master. You have already done enough, so speak comfortably this time. I humbly ask you."
In high spirits, Seok Duwon finished speaking and tossed back his cup.
It was not how the master of a prestigious family should appear, but that was precisely how good his mood was.
"How about closing the windows on the first and second floors of Seokhoru?"
—*Pffft!*
For an instant—just a fleeting moment—something nearly sprayed from Seok Duwon's mouth.
Chief Manager Gong, seated beside him, had already spat out his drink. The spray flew straight toward my face.
"D-did I mishear? This young lord believes Seokhoru's merit lies in its scenery, does he not?"
"I do not mean to close them always."
"If not?"
"Just one hour before sunset. And one hour after the moon appears. That is sufficient."
"Hmm. If it is just one hour each, it is not impossible, but what is the reason?"
"Because it becomes too common."
"Too common? This fine scenery?"
"Yes. Can you see the scenery outside right now?"
Chief Manager Gong tilted his head as if wondering what I was talking about, then turned to look at the window.
And at the same time, everyone in the room turned to look. The full moon, positioned behind the mountain, showed off its light, creating a path of moonlight on West Lake.
A charm different from the sunset was revealing its light.
"Beautiful."
"Wonderful."
"Of course it is."
"Then, is there anyone who saw West Lake when the moon was passing beside that mountain, rather than behind the peak, moments ago?"
"......"
"......"
"......"
No one could answer confidently. With confidence, I put force into my next words.
"If you continue to watch one scenery like this, you will miss the grand view at the crucial moment. Moreover, later you will think of other things rather than the scenery and easily undervalue the landscape here. Thus, I recommend closing the windows briefly one hour before the grand view unfolds."
These words were not without basis either. What flashed through my mind then was the lounge bar of a hotel located in central Paris.
That hotel, where the Eiffel Tower could be seen at a glance from the top floor, always kept the windows covered with curtains for one hour before sunset and one hour before moonrise.
And when the appointed time came, they would open the curtains gradually. When the scenery slowly appeared, far more dramatic emotions would rush in.
They had turned a scenery that might become ordinary into an event by adding the opening and closing of curtains.
This was something that could easily be applied to taverns in the Central Plains as well.
"Certainly. If the closed windows open to reveal a scenery different from what was seen before, it would indeed be dramatic."
"And I did not say to keep them closed all the time, did I?"
The other retainers pondered my previous and current words, then soon expressed agreement.
There was no small amount of gauging the atmosphere and watching Seok Duwon's mood, but at least these were not people who would unconditionally reject opinions that benefited the Seok Estate.
"Do you all think so? I do as well. I have not yet experienced what the young master just spoke of."
"We share that view."
"Then shall we try operating Seokhoru according to this young master's prescription starting tomorrow?"
"I believe it is a wise thought."
"Hehe. What do the two scholars think?"
When talk of commerce arose, Du Yeonghae, who had been extremely careful with his gaze. Seok Duwon seemed to have been watching him and directed his question at him.
Du Yeonghae feigned slight surprise before immediately putting on airs.
"There is a saying that a gentleman must put what he believes is right into action. If you believe Second Young Master's opinion is valid, then I believe it is only right to act upon it."
"And Miss Mae?"
"This humble young lady does not know well, but I do not think there is anything wrong with Second Young Master's words."
Mae Chohyeon answered with slightly reddened cheeks, bowing her head a little. What was somewhat strange was that the moment I looked at her in response to the Master's question, her head went down.
For an instant, it felt like our eyes met, but that would mean she had been staring at me, so I decided not to think about it, deeming it impossible.
"Well, well. Today, thanks to Young Master Yi Jeonghwan, I have gained excellent advice. It is a bonus that I feel refreshed. Then, should we not loosen up at this gathering? Is anyone there?"
"Yes, Master."
"Bring new wine, not the ten-year-aged wine we are drinking now."
"Will fifteen-year-aged wine do?"
"No."
—*Gulp.*
The retainers could not hide the sound of swallowing at the brief exchange.
Seok Duwon looked around at them as if amused, then spoke boldly.
"I am in a fine mood today! Bring the twenty-year-aged one!"
Everyone's expressions brightened at once, and soon some even expressed gratitude to me.
A precious wine brought out by a few simple words. As expected, it was an era of romance.