I entered the villa and found Rose, standing in the doorway refreshed and wearing a new dress.
She simply bowed to but said nothing. "Did you rest well?" I asked.
"Thanks to you, Your Highness." She replied. I nodded and said, "Take two days off. No training."
Although a little dissatisfied, she didn't say anything about it and simply replied with a, "Yes, Your Highness."
[Why waste your breath?]
'Yeah, I know she is gonna sneak out anyway. But it is still my responsibility to allow her so leeway in case she wants it.'
Whether she wants the break or not doesn't matter. It is my obligation to allow her one.
"Are the guests here?" I asked.
"Yes. They have been waiting for a very long ti now." She replied.
I reciprocated with a nod and headed straight for the guest room. Entering, I saw the usual mbers of the Vermilion family dealing with .
Old man Vermillion, young Vermillion, beauty Vermillion, and the butler with a single 't' even though his deanor suggests there should have been two.
"So sorry to make you wait. Sothing ca up at the academy." I sincerely apologized since I was in the wrong here.
"We are aware," Cornelius replied, turning to look at Sophien who might have told him about Desmond holding us back.
"Sothing serious?" He asked, just in case. Break the ice one could say.
"Nothing major. Just a mission." I replied.
"Ah, I see. Good opportunity to make your na." He comnted. He didn't really care but like I said, breaking the ice.
"It is." I still chose to keep it up because I also wanted to do the sa. Although necessary, my actions were sowhat harsh and for that, I was willing to forgive the hand incident regarding Sophien's father, Michael.
Of course, to be a generous person, I will have to begin.
"Let begin by saying that whatever has happened so far was unnecessary from either side." I began and Cornelius who was just about to speak, halted and listened.
"Although you tried to pressure , it was also a cheap move dealing a blow to your business in return. So let's say that we are both accountable and forgive each other for it. What do you say?" I explained and then asked.
He wasn't surprised in the least. Nor was Gallagher but the sa couldn't be said about the father and daughter Vermillion. They were surprised at my generous offer.
Now, if they were the ones saying this, I would have definitely taken advantage of this since what I said can also be taken as a sign of weakness.
But given my previous move, they know I am anything but weak so even though what I said is clearly a sign of weakness, the old man won't exploit it because, in reality, it is nothing but a kind gesture.
"Very well. Let us start anew." He agreed and I smiled as well.
"Then, I have already given Miss Vermillion the recipe for the potion. I am sure that after your research you have figured out that most of the ingredients are unavailable. That is condition number one from my side, the ingredients have to co from ." I began and stated my first condition.
"Very well. But in return, what are you willing to give us?" He asked, just to be sure whether I wanted to cash out this condition by offering them sothing or do I wanted to pile it up and let them have a big condition later on.
"In return, if you think it is appropriate, you can have a twenty percent discount than the ntioned price." Since it was just a proposal, I still decided to give them a shot. If I let them have a big condition, they might ask for sothing excessive and this whole deal would again be at risk.
"Hmm." The old man contemplated for so ti and agreed. "Very well."
I gestured for him to state his point now since now it was his turn to state a condition.
"Except for us, you are not allowed to give the recipe of any kind of potion to anyone, even the empire." He stated his obvious condition.
I nodded and said, "Very well but I will have the authority to sell potions of other kinds at auctions or for other purposes. I won't do it unless necessary."
If I am in urgent need of money, I will have to sell them sohow but I doubt that will ever happen. However, I could still use them as a bargaining chip in so conditions where I would have to possess sothing unique.
"Is that it?" He asked.
After all, my demand for that condition was very little.
I shook my head and said, "I also want sothing else. A city."
"Which city?" He asked this ti because he knew that offering Castro wouldn't work since it didn't work the first ti.
"Caligulas City," I replied.
He was puzzled at my demand but he wasn't really very interested. If it had been Castro, no doubt he would have been interested. He isn't now because this city doesn't matter.
"May I ask why?" He still asked as a courtesy.
"I would like to keep that to myself," I replied simply. There was no need to disclose my motives.
"Very well." He replied and added, "I can give you the city but it will have to remain under the jurisdiction of the central governnt, not the empire."
His condition was valid. Although all of humanity was on friendly terms, the sa couldn't be said when it ca to the empire. The Lux family is a family of lunatics. They wage war first and then give reasons later.
Giving the empire a city even at the edge of the central governnt's territory would be a very wrong move. The empire could easily amass an army under the guise of training and when the timing is right, an attack is an option anyone would have to consider.
"Of course. But it will be my city and completely under my jurisdiction. You or the mbers of your family will have no right to interfere in the matters of the city." I added a condition.
"Okay. But the vice lord will have to be from the central governnt and the paynt of that official will have to co from you." Of course, to make sure I am not doing what I have agreed to like secretly raising an army, he would have to plant soone in the leadership of the city.
[At least it is better than secretly having eyes on you]
Yes. That way I could also keep an eye on that official making sure there is nothing going on in the background so I replied with a yes to that one.
Two conditions were now set. Now, it was my turn.
"Lady Vermillion has already granted a right to start a rchant company. Are you aware of this?" I asked, just to be sure.
"Yes. For the recipe which we agree without the need of a condition." He replied, being generous enough to overlook an opportunity to exploit .
I nodded and said, "My condition is that the central governnt exempts the tax deductions."
Tax deductions could be a lot of money. I couldn't afford that. I an I could but why would I when I could get myself free from this shackle?
"Very well. But in return, you would have to offer us another five percent off on the ingredients." He replied with his own condition.
I nodded since I didn't have much of a problem with that. I was already selling them sothing very cheap for a very great price. There was no need to get overly greedy when I was already making a fortune out of it.
"But in return, how much are you willing to give ?" I asked. There was still the matter of my share in the potion selling business so I figured that it would be better to make a chained demand here instead of making a separate one.
"If you grant us another fifteen percent off, we are willing to give you ten percent. But in that case, I don't have to remind you that you will be tied to the company." He replied and warned.
That's right. Warned. Being tied to the company ans that I would have to contribute to everything that goes on there.
"Of course." I still agreed because what I really wanted was a say in the company. My decisions needed to be on the board of consideration.
Now it was his turn but he shook his head since everything regarding this deal was covered. Well, I could think of a few things but he wasn't running a business for thousands of years like but only for seven or eight decades. He didn't have enough experience yet.
"Then we are done. Are you ready to make a renewed contract?" I asked and he nodded as a reply. A contract was drafted and both parties signed after I made sure there were no loopholes in the contract.
"The matter regarding the city," He said after we were done with the contract. "I will have soone co by to finalize the procedure."
I nodded since I had no problem and after a few minutes of chatting, it was ti for them to leave.
"Grandfather I will be back after discussing sothing with Mister Adrian," Sophien inford Cornelius who turned to look at her.
[He is aware of your history with Sophien]
'It seems he is.' But he has nothing to be worried about. He would have been if it was before the contract was signed. Now, no matter what Sophien does, the contract is already signed so being offended doesn't matter as well.
"Can you spare so ti privately?" She asked. When she used the word private, I instantly knew what she wanted. It was written all over her face.
[Revenge]
Beating up or in this instance, Adrian wouldn't have been enough. I know no woman would be content as long as she was in power so I had no choice but to agree with whatever she wanted.
We moved to a different bedroom. Whose? I had no idea. Just that it was on the ground floor and right next to the guest room.
"I'm sure you have been made aware of our history." She began with a smile which I will have to say looks enchanting since I am seeing it for the first ti instead of her usual cold face.
"Yes. I have been kindly made aware by Layla." I replied, staying on the point. I couldn't avoid what was coming. Anyone else, and they would have feigned ignorance but in this case, my predecessor of this body or more accurately, now is in the wrong.
Making it right is not an obligation but I will do it anyway since that is how I was raised. Although I believe in gender equality, I am not the one to disrespect won or use that fact.
"Then since mory loss has sohow made you smarter, you also know what you need to do." She wasn't asking. She was telling.
"I'm sure there is sothing I can do to correct my mistakes even though I have no idea about them," I replied.
"Well then, I am sure you won't find this unreasonable." She said while handing a paper. She had three more.
My guess is they were for every situation. Whether the contract was signed or not, she had prepared for every situation.
I took the paper and read it.
[That is unreasonable]
'But bearable.'
If I am willing to compensate Alicia by accepting her love, then compensating Sophien with money is a very small sacrifice.
[But she is asking for a freebee]
'Trust . This is way better than being actively involved with her.'
All Sophien was asking for was a thirty percent stake in my business. Whatever my inco and my plans, she will take thirty percent of that. Of course, she was wise enough to ntion that the central governnt wouldn't have anything to do with it.
"Very well." I simply signed the contract after carefully giving it a read.
"Thank you." She smiled which I will say once again, was very enchanting even though she had just ripped off.
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