Chapter 96

His shock didn’t matter to the woman.

“I’ll give you 600,000. And the monopoly period is…”

She spoke as if money equal to half a year’s entire budget of a small kingdom was nothing.

“The monopoly period is five years. And then if you don’t like it, you can terminate the contract with me.”

“What did you just say?” His voice rose for the first time.

“That’s actually six times the price offered by Luwan!”

Dharmayu tea had its own steady demand, but it had never been very popular. The scent was good, but it had a vague image where it was difficult to call it a precious luxury item. On the other hand, it wasn’t an ordinary item either.

He couldn’t understand how to gain profit from that price.

“If you accept the deal, I’ll pay you 100,000 gold coins right now, and 200,000 gold coins tomorrow as soon as I get the contract. If you don’t receive the payment, you can terminate the contract anytime.” She put a simple contract on his desk.

The content was short because the payment method was so clear and there were no other conditions for the payment. In short, it was a document written in the count’s favor.

“You… Who are you?”

He was extremely curious about the face beyond the black veil. Someone who was capable of proposing such a deal in a careless manner… Unless the person was extremely wealthy, no one would dare to think about it.

“I told you. Eileen Idena from Kingdom of Lamant.”

“Do you think a foreigner can get away from entering the jurisdiction of the Luwan Headquarters? Can you handle the aftermath of buying the Dharmayu at that price?”

“In the first place, Dharmayu tea was always more popular in other kingdoms than in the Empire. Even if the Imperial family despised me, it wouldn’t affect me very much.”

“But…”

“The same goes for you, Count. If the imperial family discredits you over something like this, the imperial family will lose support from all nobility across the border.”

“Are you perhaps trying to use Dharmayu tea for dangerous purposes?”

It was a reasonable doubt. What if she used Dharmayu to practice magic arts or make drugs without him knowing? If this woman used Dharmayu in such a dishonest way, the damage to the count’s image could be greater in the long run.

“Have you read the contract properly?”

His eyes went to the next page.

“It’s written there. If I use the item for illegal or dishonorable purposes, you can always break the contract. I won’t return the payment either.”

The count’s forehead beaded with perspiration. It was clearly written there.

“I can’t believe it.”

The woman sighed and gestured to the handsome man next to her. He showed the inside of the large bag.

‘No way!’

There was a blinding golden light coming from the inside. He tilted his head a little more, but the knight quickly closed the bag.

“If it’s not enough to convince you, I’ll change it a little bit.”

The woman’s tone had changed a little. She, who seemed to listen to him in a humble manner as a less-experienced businessman just a while ago, tilted her head almost like she was teaching him.

“Have you thought about what you’d lose if you made a deal with Luwan?”

There was a moment of silence between the two.

“What are you trying to say?” Sweat ran down his forehead.

“Dharmayu tea is excellent in taste, aroma and effectiveness. It’s a precious item that the nobles would love because of its rarity.”

“That’s true.”

“You’ve been working on the promotion and the sale since you learned its effect a few years ago. Nevertheless, not many people in the empire know about Dharmayu tea. What do you think is the reason?”

The count frowned. Everything she said was true. The tea was one of his failed businesses. Despite giving his all, the annual sales within the empire was small.

It was still hard to believe she mentioned it so blatantly.

“Because there was a competitor.”

“Correct. The scent and the color are beautiful, but the other special item, the Cradine tea, is dominating the market. Rumor has it that the Cradine’s effects are much better than Dharmayu’s.”

“But that’s not true.”

“That’s not all. There’s also a rumor that it ruins people’s faces. There are victims coming out.”

“That’s also not true.”

The count frowned even more. What the woman just said was a painful memory for him. After what happened, he almost closed his tea business. Fortunately, there was income from some kingdom on the border, so it could be saved.