012: Securing The Deal

Alice shared her thoughts regarding the marketing plan for her invention. She didn't mind if the House of Artisan mass-produced it in the future, as long as she received adequate royalties from each sale.

Lady Morwenna scratched her chin thoughtfully after listening to Alice's business proposal.

"So, to summarize—you want 12.5% of the gross sales revenue, including taxes?"

"Exactly," Alice replied with a wide grin. "The Love Nectar Extractor won't just be made from wood. I'm planning to use hardened wax, polished gemstones, and other luxurious materials. It'll come with exclusive features tailored for our VIP clientele. And of course, it'll be available in a variety of shapes and sizes. Those noble ladies will absolutely love it!"

"On top of that, we'll market it as a limited-edition product—available only on demand for the first year after release. That'll make its value skyrocket."

Morwenna's cheeks flushed crimson as her imagination ran wild—picturing something large, warm, and solid entering her cave of pleasure, already slick with anticipation. She could already see herself caressing its length and girth, unable to resist trying the product herself.

"Ahem!" Lisha interrupted with an exaggerated cough.

Morwenna snapped back to reality and straightened up, regaining her professional posture.

"Right. Your idea is certainly brilliant, young lady. Since this is a brand-new product with no precedent, we'll launch it with an auction to determine the starting price. Let's begin the bidding at... five gold coins. If the auction goes well, the House of Artisan will deduct 2% of the gross sale as a commission fee."

Alice's eyes widened, her pointy ears twitching with excitement. Five gold coins? With one gold coin, she could feed herself and Catharina for an entire month—grains, groceries, even fresh meat.

She was practically drooling just imagining how much steak Catharina could eat every day.

With this strategy, I can turn money into EXP at this rate!

"Mmm... okay, fair enough." Alice shrugged, pretending to stay calm—though inside, she was already celebrating.

"Very well. If you don't mind, could you provide me with a second prototype? I'll purchase it for the appraisal procedure, in private."

"You can use this one if you want to. I can make another with improved features and shape in the meantime." Alice smirked. She knew exactly what Morwenna planned to do with the first prototype.

Morwenna's eyes lit up.

"Are you sure? I mean, it feels wrong on my end to use your first prototype without proper compensation."

Alice smiled to herself. The reverse psychology worked like a charm.

"On second thought... could you lend me some allowance money? I need it to buy materials, new clothes, and training gear."

Instead of handing her money, Morwenna produced a small jade plaque engraved with her personal insignia.

She winked at Alice.

"You may use my token. With this, you can buy any materials you need from the House of Artisan's merchant network. The bills will be added to my tab."

"Eehhh?!"

Alice was completely flabbergasted. That jade plaque was essentially the equivalent of a high-limit, or even unlimited, credit card.

"I-I can't possibly use this, Lady Morwenna."

"You'll definitely need it, young lady."

Alice's hands trembled as she accepted the jade plaque. It was only then she realized Lady Morwenna's true intention. With that plaque in her hand, Alice would be under her supervision at all times.

"Tsk. So you're not going to let me sell my invention to another company that easily, huh?"

Morwenna stammered, caught off guard that Alice saw through her plan so quickly.

"Well, ermm... you're right about that part. But it's also my token of goodwill. With that plaque, no one will question your bulk purchases, and you'll be protected under my name. Besides, if something happened to you, Chieftess Andalier would go absolutely monstrous."

"Urgh... you don't have to tell me." Alice smiled wryly. It went without saying—the Chieftess could be terrifying when she was angry.

"Alright. You'll be notified when the paperwork is ready. Any questions?"

"No, that's all from me. Please do enjoy the appraisal process." Alice giggled mischievously as she tucked the jade plaque into her pocket.

Afterward, Lisha escorted Alice to the main entrance and rushed back to Morwenna's study before the Head Manager could get any funny ideas about the prototype.

But alas, Morwenna was already in heat again, her breath short and ragged as she gazed at the device with a lascivious gleam in her eyes.

"By the Goddess of Pleasure... I can't hold it any longer."

Lisha sprang into action and snatched the dingdong from Morwenna's hands.

"You meanie! Please, let me try it!"

"No can do!" Lisha pressed a firm hand to Morwenna's face. "You need to finish this pile of paperwork first. After that, I'll let you have as much fun as you want. Better yet, I'll help you get off myself."

"For real?!"

Lisha blushed faintly.

"Y-yes... the Transformation Spell cooldown has ended. Tonight, I can use it until dawn."

Morwenna jumped from her chair, throwing her arms around Lisha's neck while peppering her cheeks with kisses.

"Alright, alright! Let's get back to work. I'll inform Chieftess Andalier about this matter."

The Head Manager's mood instantly improved, especially after Lisha gave her a gentle kiss on the lips before leaving the room.

Meanwhile, Alice ran toward the Market Square to buy new clothes and a pair of leather pants. She struggled to find trousers that fit her small frame as she walked through the aisles crowded with clothing vendors.

Fortunately, at the very end of the aisle, she found a small stall selling used goods. Clothes of all sizes hung from the roof's edge, while neatly arranged handmade crafts and pottery lined the shelves below.

To her surprise, the vendor was a demi-human—and a very young one at that. She looked like a teenager. Judging by her distinctive ginger hair and long ears, Alice guessed she belonged to the Fox Spirit Clan.

As the name suggested, the Fox Spirit Clan was an ancient race from the Eastern Region.

"Excuse me, miss!" Alice raised her voice.

The fox girl stood from her wooden stool, looking around for the source of the childlike voice. She was surprisingly tall, despite her innocent, youthful appearance.

"I'm down here!" Alice raised her hand.

The girl's fluffy tail and ears twitched with excitement as she spotted her first customer.

"Oh my goddess! A loli succubus?! Awww, so cute! Ah—damn it! That's not what I meant." She slapped her own cheek and quickly composed herself. "Good afternoon, dear customer! How may I help you?"