Reborn: The Duke's Obsession-Chapter 54 - Fifty Four

The air in the advisory council room was thick with a tense, uncomfortable silence, broken only by the rhythmic thud... thud... thud of Duke Philip’s cane on the polished wood floor. Eric stood in the doorway, a calm, commanding presence that immediately shifted the room’s entire dynamic.

An attendant, sensing the gravity of the moment, silently appeared at Eric’s side and took his coat. Eric’s gaze swept across the long table, over the anxious, seated figures of the council.

"As one of your advisors said earlier," he began, his voice calm and clear, cutting through the tension, "my company provides a quality that is unmatched in the entire kingdom. Therefore, there cannot be any mistakes or any significant issues with our quality control. We wouldn’t want to take such a foolish risk with a partner as important as the Carson Textile Establishment."

He walked with unhurried, confident strides towards the long desk. An older advisor who served their father, Duke Julian, seeing him approach, quickly stood up from the seat closest to Philip’s, offering it to him in a gesture of respect. Eric gave the man a slight bow of thanks and took the seat, a clear and deliberate power move. Another seat was quietly brought from the side of the room for the displaced advisor.

Philip didn’t say anything. His face was a mask of cold indifference, but his knuckles were white where he gripped the silver head of his cane. He just continued to stare straight ahead, pointedly ignoring his younger brother.

Now seated, Eric looked directly at Philip, though he addressed the entire room. "I do not see why this council would want to lose the loyalty of its patrons simply because there was a mistake in the information that was provided to you." His gaze became serious, challenging. "Why don’t you take another look at the reports? Be absolutely sure about this supposed quality issue, so that this establishment does not incur any significant, and entirely unnecessary, financial loss."

Philip remained silent, his jaw tight.

One of the advisors, a newcomer who clearly didn’t understand the complex dynamics at play, asked the obvious question. "Forgive me, but... who are you, sir, My Lord? I don’t know how to address you."

Eric smiled, a cool, polite expression. "I am Duke Eric Carson," he said simply. "And I am the primary business partner of the Carson Textile Establishment."

At the mention of his name and title, Philip finally stopped playing with the silver head of his cane and turned his gaze to Eric.

The silent battle had begun. Murmurs echoed through the room as the other advisors processed the situation.

" Aren’t they brothers?" freēwēbnovel.com

"I have a bad feeling about this."

"We need to do a good run down of the information that was given. It will be difficult to solve this kind of problem caused by misinformation."

This was not just a business dispute; this was a confrontation between the two Dukes and the council were in the middle of it all.

Eric continued, his voice smooth and persuasive. "As you heard from Duke Philip earlier, his intention is to ’make it make sense.’ My company is determined to help him do just that. We are committed to making sure this partnership is profitable, and the most important part of that is making sure that each and every patron gets the full value of each and every coin they spend on our collaborative products."

He could see the advisors nodding their heads, their expressions of worry turning into ones of agreement. They were businessmen. They understood the language of quality, reputation, and profit. Eric’s words were logical. Philip’s were not.

With a veiled anger simmering in his eyes, Philip watched as his brother effortlessly won the support of the room.

Eric then turned his gaze back to Philip, his tone shifting from business to personal. "And just as I felt the need to correct the misinformation about my company, I would also like to correct another rumor I have heard." He paused, letting his words hang in the air.

"Regarding my upcoming wedding. I heard that because of some personal feelings on the matter, a grave business mistake was about to be committed." He looked directly at his brother. "So, Duke Philip, what are your thoughts on that? And when are we renewing the partnership contract that was so hastily terminated? Or," he added, his voice dropping slightly, "should we simply put it to a vote?"

Philip’s hand clutched the head of his cane so tightly it seemed the silver might bend. Eric was openly defying him, questioning his authority in front of the entire council. This was an unforgivable insult.

"How about a show of hands?" Eric continued, not waiting for a reply. He was taking complete control of the meeting. "All in favor of immediately renewing the contract between the Carson Textile Establishment and my dye company, please raise your hands."

He raised his own hand first, a clear, unwavering sign.

Anxious murmurs erupted through the room again. The advisors looked at each other, then at the silent, furious Duke at the head of the table, and then at the calm, logical Duke beside him. The choice was clear. This was not about family loyalty; it was about the financial health of the company they were sworn to protect.

One by one, each advisor slowly raised their hand. A hand went up on the right, then two on the left, then another, and another, until every single hand in the room was raised in support of Eric.

The victory was absolute. The council had sided with logic over the whim of their leader. Eric looked at Philip, a mocking, triumphant look in his eyes, and gave a slight nod, a non-verbal gesture telling his brother to raise his own hand in support, to concede defeat gracefully.

Philip ignored him. He just sat there, defeated and humiliated, his only response the quiet, impotent thud... thud... thud of his cane tapping against the floor.

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