In that voice, rather than desperation, a sense of bewilderment, anger, and wounded pride was revealed.

Usually, the reason for wounded pride was simple.

When you know you’re excellent, but others don’t acknowledge it.

This can be divided into two categories.

One is a fool who can’t even properly grasp the situation.

The other is someone who is truly confident in their own abilities.

Bartolin pondered.

In fact, if you just listened to the rumors, Serena was undoubtedly the former without even having to think about it.

Because if she knew her place, she wouldn’t be going around doing such undignified things.

But Bartolin’s intuition was the problem.

His intuition wasn’t so negative about it.

Rather, it seemed to be telling him to give it a try.

‘But can such a product really exist in this world?’

He doubted again.

The strength had long since left his hands that had been pushing. Serena, who noticed this, also sighed.

“It’s troublesome to go to the third candidate…”

Serena muttered softly.

If possible, she wanted to stop this tour of the capital.

Her mental state for today was already in pieces, unable to handle her rising infamy everywhere she went.

It was because she was a bit stressed that the plan went awry at the first place.

Serena, being a planning type of person, tended to get stressed when plans went awry, whether she had a backup plan or not.

“Just a moment.”

Bartolin heard that small voice too.

“Then are you saying I’m the second?”

“So what?”

“…Am I really the second?”

Bartolin asked again.

“Yes, is there a problem?”

“…Am I really the second?”

“……”

When Bartolin asked the same question three times, even Serena became suspicious.

Could this person be trusted as a business partner who would let her live an easy life?

Because he was being extremely annoying right now.

“…Yes.”

Serena answered briefly.

If he was going to be annoying again this time, she was planning to just go to the third candidate, although it would be very irritating and troublesome.

“Who was the first?”

Fortunately, he seemed to have decided to continue the question and answer session, but the content of the question had changed.

“The information guild.”

“…The information guild?”

“Yes.”

“Why the information guild?”

“Well, they seemed the most trustworthy.”

After all, she knew them best since she had been watching them for a long time.

“……”

Bartolin felt offended.

He is a merchant! He has never lived shamefully as a merchant.

Except for the deceiving and being deceived on the negotiation table!

Except for occasionally pulling the rug out from under with fancy words in deals!

Except for sometimes backstabbing stupid business partners a little!

He could confidently say he was living very honestly and uprightly.

It was the level of honesty and conscience where he might beat down prices, but he wouldn’t run off without paying.

“Why did you come here from there…?”

“Oh, they told me not to tell them but to go tell the du… I mean, my husband.”

“Your husband… you mean the Duke?”

“Yes.”

Bartolin thought about the nature of the information guild master. A blunt man who even wears a mask, a mysterious fellow.

Very few people knew that information.

Because, befitting the master of the information guild, the information was tightly hidden.

‘As the information guild, does it mean they won’t engage in money-making activities other than information? He’s quite a man of principle.’

Bartolin thought very satisfactorily.

He didn’t like them much because he only heard ominous rumors about them, but it seemed he had seen an unexpected side.

But Bartolin didn’t know.

That it was just a recommendation made because he couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t tell her husband.

“Alright.”

Bartolin finally escorted her back to the sofa.

“I apologize. Please forgive my rudeness until now.”

“You’re apologizing a lot today.”

She said, thinking about how he had asked for forgiveness twice today.

Bartolin flinched.

He cleared his throat with a “Ahem,” then slightly averted his gaze and nodded his head.

“I’ll make sure there isn’t a third time.”

But somehow, Serena thought there would probably be a third time.

Of course, she didn’t show it.

“However, since this is also a type of product I’ve never seen before, I’d like to see a sample before finally sealing the deal.”

“That’s only natural.”

Serena asked, seemingly wondering why he’s stating such an obvious thing.

“Ahem, I apologize.”

“Ah, that’s the third time.”

“……”

Bartolin was at a loss for words.

Serena, who had brilliantly shut him up, tilted the cup of cold tea.

“Well, anyway, what I want to say is……”

“Yes.”

“Let’s first adjust the conditions and roughly draft the contract terms.”

“Yes.”

“Do you have any conditions you want?”

“Yes, first of all, I won’t participate in it at all so I’d like you to handle everything except for the drug production. Because my life motto is to live an easy life.”

She revealed her desires a bit more blatantly than when she spoke to Magnus, who was the information guild master.

“…Pardon?”

“So as long as you promise not to skim money in between, an 8:2 ratio would be fine.”

“…Pardon??”

What kind of crazy ratio is that?

‘Isn’t it too much to take 8 for herself in exchange for doing nothing? It should at least be 5:5, or if not, 6:4 where we take 1 more.’

Bartolin was at a loss for words at the shamelessly bold demand.

“Of course, I’ll handle the procurement of materials and manufacturing, and I’m thinking of somehow finding a manufacturing facility too.”

“No, even so, the ratio seems a bit too much, Miss Serena.”

Bartolin shook his head.

No matter how you calculate it, it becomes an unprofitable deal. Unless it becomes a huge hit, that is.

In other words, it means it will have to take the form of high volume, low margin sales.

You can’t include high volume, low margin sales in the plan when the success is uncertain.

“The ratio can of course be adjusted later after looking at what each party does and the actual costs involved. If it seems my work is too little compared to other tasks… 1.5 or 1 would be fine too.”

“…Pardon?”

Why is the number getting smaller?

Bartolin opened his mouth.

‘…Is this a threat that she won’t even give 2 if we don’t follow her opinion unconditionally?’

What a terrifying woman.

He was now finding it difficult to recover from such a big shock.

“Anything below that would be hard for me too.”

Serena said firmly.

Bartolin’s eyes widened at her additional words.

It sounded as if she was allowing him to take 1 for himself.

‘No way, unless she’s a pushover…’

But when he thought that and chewed over the conversation content once more, somehow…

It seemed to fit perfectly.

Even the reason for her confidence.

“You don’t mean you’re giving us 8, do you?”

“Huh? Yes. Of course you should take that much since you’re handling most of the work. For reference, I’m saying I won’t touch the accounting books either.”

She waved her hand dismissively.

It’s a bit awkward to say this, but she really looked annoyed.

‘Is she a pushover…? Or is it a high-level strategy? Or else… is she actually a sage?’

He failed to even manage his expression.

Moreover, if she’s entrusting even the accounting management to this side, he understood how much great trust was needed.

‘There was a reason she went to the information guild first.’

After all, unlike the ominous rumors circulating in the world, the public trust in the information guild and its master was the highest.

It means they’re that tight-lipped and clean in their work.

“Aren’t you allocating too much…?”

“Is that so? I just need to be able to live well, eat well, and play around doing nothing for the rest of my life. I just want the product to be released under joint names when it’s released.”

“That’s usually a given.”

Bartolin nodded.

The conversation that followed flowed very smoothly like water.

‘Is this right?’

Bartolin thought even while they were having a conversation.

‘Is this really right?’

Bartolin thought even when the outline of the contract was being formed.

‘Is this really all okay?!’

He only felt astonishment while looking at the completed preliminary contract.

Because she accepted most of what he proposed without negotiation or discussion.

‘…It feels like I’m going to get backstabbed somewhere.’

Bartolin now came to pity her a little.