Dahlia leaned back against the smooth leather of the chair, arching her body ever so slightly as she stretched her curvaceous figure. Her sharp eyes, gleaming with a mix of suspicion and curiosity, remained fixed on Lucas, who sat across from her, seemingly absorbed in his own thoughts. The room was quiet, save for the occasional creak of furniture.
She couldn't understand, no matter how many angles she tried to consider, why her father had insisted on forming an alliance with this particular nobleman. Lucas might have been charming in a detached, vaguely handsome way, but the way he handled money—recklessly, in her eyes—made her uneasy. If her father really intended to rely on him for business, she couldn't help but worry about the future of their partnership.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
The sharp rhythm of knuckles against the wooden door disrupted Lucas's reverie. He blinked, stirred from his thoughts, and turned his head toward the source of the sound.
"Come in," He called out, his tone casual but with the unmistakable edge of someone already back in control.
"Creak!"
The door to the study slowly swung open, its hinges groaning softly as Mina stepped through, her movements graceful and deliberate. Behind her followed three more familiar faces—Joe, Annie, and Freya—each entering in their own manner, each adding their own distinct presence to the room.
The fox-eared girl, Annie, wore an exaggerated pout, her lips twisted in dismay. Her shoulders slumped as she trudged in, clearly distressed. Her team had lost—again—and she had wagered not just any candy, but three rare, limited-edition lollipops from her carefully hoarded personal stash. The disappointment clung to her like a rain-soaked cloak.
In stark contrast, Freya walked in with a subtle, contented smile. Even without speaking, the difference between the two girls was evident. One had lost, the other had clearly come out on top in their little bet.
"What now? Let me guess—lost another bet?" Lucas said with a knowing smirk. His voice held a teasing lilt. He'd seen this play out many times before. Annie was bright, analytical, and resourceful, but when it came to luck-based games or random bets, she almost always came out on the losing end.
"Yeah..." Annie murmured with a dramatic sigh, lowering her gaze. She looked utterly defeated. "I didn't expect them to get overturned at the very last second. Same thing happened during that last boxing match too."
Lucas chuckled lightly, the sound warm but tinged with sympathy. "Alright, I'll make you tomato and scrambled eggs for dinner," He said, offering a small gesture of comfort. In truth, he had already planned on that dish tonight, but Annie's bad luck made the offer feel a bit more meaningful.
"Yay! Young Master is the best!" Annie instantly brightened, her entire demeanor shifting. Her eyes curved into joyful crescents, her fluffy fox ears perking up from their previously droopy state, and her bushy tail wagging with newfound energy. It was like watching a flower bloom under sunlight.
"Go sit down and get ready to report the data," Lucas said, waving a hand as he tried to keep a straight face. Beastkin girls like Annie were, in many ways, simple to please—especially when it came to food and attention.
"Mhm! Mhm!" Annie nodded energetically, grabbing Freya by the arm and dragging her along. She beamed as she dropped into her seat at the desk, her excitement radiating from every movement.
Freya blinked several times, clearly confused. She glanced between Lucas and Annie as though trying to decipher some strange foreign language. What kind of situation is this? She wondered silently. The entire exchange had caught her completely off guard, and she was still trying to understand the rhythm of this peculiar dynamic.
Off to the side, Mina's lips curled into a subtle smile, her eyes glinting with quiet amusement. She understood Annie's antics perfectly. This was the fox-girl's way of acting spoiled—a calculated, innocent sort of mischief designed to elicit even the smallest bit of care or attention from Lucas. A few kind words, a special meal—sometimes, that was all she wanted.
Graceful as ever, Mina tiptoed forward and perched herself lightly on the edge of the desk. From her pocket, she produced a small folded slip of paper and handed it to Lucas without a word. It was the latest intelligence report she had acquired from the Drunken Night Restaurant, where she had stopped on her way to fetch Joe.
Lucas took the paper and scanned it briefly. His dark eyes flashed with a sharp, momentary gleam before his expression smoothed out again. He pressed his lips into a thin, unreadable line and tucked the paper into his leather-bound notebook with practiced ease.
"Father, you've arrived."
Dahlia rose to her feet gracefully, offering Joe a polite smile. Her voice was gentle and composed, yet there was a distant formality to it. "I got caught up with a few matters earlier and couldn't come greet you sooner."
"Ah... it's nothing, nothing at all. As long as everything's fine," Joe replied with a strained smile. He could feel the frost beneath her politeness. Dahlia was clearly displeased with him, and this stiff formality of hers was proof enough.
Mina had already given him a summary of the earlier incident. He hadn't expected the Duke's daughter, Catherine, to not only be present but to suddenly fall so gravely ill. If things had taken a turn for the worse, he might've had no choice but to pack up his entire household and flee north, just to avoid the fallout.
"Greetings, Lord of the City," Joe said, shifting his focus to Lucas and giving him a respectful noble's salute.
"Take a seat."
Lucas gestured lazily toward the chair opposite him, his tone calm and unhurried. "The reason I asked you all here today is to continue the discussion on our previous cooperation."
"Understood." Joe straightened up, his casual demeanor vanishing as he became more serious. He knew what was at stake. The success or failure of this negotiation could determine whether his family's business flourished or faded away.
Dahlia returned to her seat quietly, choosing to observe the conversation for now. The letters she'd received before had provided too little context. Without enough information, the best she could do was listen and watch closely.
"Last time, I mentioned entrusting you with the transportation and sale of burlap cloth," Lucas began, his tone light but measured. "And you proposed taking only a one percent profit."
Dahlia's eyes widened slightly. Her expression shifted dramatically as her gaze snapped toward Joe.
"..." She stared at her father in disbelief. Was this truly the same man she had always admired for his sharp business acumen? How could he have agreed to such a pitiful arrangement?
"Yes," Joe said with a steady nod, his eyes gleaming faintly as he maintained a controlled smile. "Based on the quantity you mentioned last time, Lord Lucas, the annual trade volume would reach close to a thousand gold coins."
"..." Dahlia clenched her jaw. A thousand gold coins was no small figure, but with a mere one percent profit, they'd be earning little more than a transport fee. If even a single mishap occurred during shipping, they could easily end up in the red.
Was her father losing his edge? He was still in his late forties—far from old age. So why had he agreed to something that seemed so blatantly unfavorable?
"Mr. Joe, I heard that a major reform is underway in the north. Is it true?" Lucas leaned forward slightly, the casual glint in his eyes sharpening into something more inquisitive. His mind was still turning over the implications of the report Mina had given him.
"Ah… Lord Lucas? So you've heard about that too?"
Joe looked startled. He hesitated for a moment before letting out a nervous chuckle and nodding. "Yes, it's true. The new Queen of the Atheon Kingdom has recently ascended the throne and is beginning to dismantle some of the older systems."
"..."
Dahlia furrowed her brows. She'd heard vague mentions of Atheon's internal reforms—whispers that had trickled down from the capital nearly a year ago. But Atheon was so far from Siacan. With round trips taking nearly two months, it hadn't seemed particularly relevant to her at the time.
Yet now, both Lucas and her father appeared deeply interested, even surprised. Something didn't add up.
She reviewed their conversation mentally, going over every phrase, every glance. A cold realization began to form.
"Could it be…" Dahlia's expression darkened. Her eyes narrowed as she turned sharply toward Joe. Piecing together the recent intelligence from the capital and her father's strange, seemingly irrational decisions, the picture suddenly became much clearer.
"I only found out recently myself. Mr. Joe, you truly are an exceptional businessman," Lucas said softly, though there was a faint edge to his words.
"I'm ashamed, truly ashamed..." Joe muttered, scratching his cheek awkwardly. He hadn't expected that word of the reforms in the distant Atheon Kingdom would travel this far, much less that Lucas would already be aware of them. This development had effectively torpedoed his plan.
Indeed, Joe had intended to purchase the burlap cloth from Lucas—possibly even at a higher rate than the capital's market price—and then transport it north. The Atheon Kingdom, currently in the throes of reform, was suffering from severe textile shortages. Selling there could net him double the profit.
His strategy had been to resell the cloth in Atheon and use the momentum to re-establish trade routes to the north. The profit margin would have been significant—enough to breathe new life into his family's finances.
But now, someone had leaked critical information at a pivotal moment. And as the implications sank in, Joe could only brace himself for whatever Lucas decided to do next.
.
.
.
You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
pat reon.com/GreenBlue17
250 Power Stones for 1 extra chapter.
5 New reviews for 1 extra chapter.