The Villainous Noblewoman Is About to Be Forced into Love, Isn't This Wrong?-Chapter 58: A businessman’s bottom line is flexible according to interests

Tali didn’t disappoint. She returned in just ten minutes, panting as she dropped into the seat across from Liana.

“Haa... Haa...!” She downed a cup of water in one gulp, still catching her breath.

“Miss Liana, I didn’t keep you waiting too long, did I?” Tali’s ears twitched with excitement.

“I thought you’d take longer,” Liana said, biting her straw.

“How could I ever make a valued client wait?” Tali rubbed her hands together. “So, can we finally talk about the product now?”

“How much do you think one set should sell for?”

“...One gold coin,” Tali said after some thought.

One gold coin was already a solid price, but it wasn’t enough for Liana.

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“What if this can’t be mass-produced?”

“Then the price can be slightly higher.”

“What if this product can only be obtained from me and no more than ten units can be made each month?”

“Is it a manpower issue? I can help with that.”

“I doubt Venus Manor has a shortage of workers.”

Tali, being a merchant, immediately understood what Liana was implying.

She wanted to control supply, create artificial scarcity, and drive the price even higher.

“Limited supply marketing? That would definitely increase the price.”

“Three gold coins,” Tali finally said after a moment of thought. “Of course, that’s just the starting price. The goal is to spread a small amount among the nobility first, let it become a necessity, and then we can drive the price even higher.”

“That leaves one last question.” Liana looked at Tali with a sly smile. “For every unit sold, how much do you profit?”

Tali’s playful demeanor didn’t waver. “Why does Miss Liana care about that?”

“Just curious. Am I not allowed to be?”

“Well... I’m barely making anything. Just a small commission for my troubles.” Tali rubbed her hands together. “Just... two silver coins.”

Liana didn’t buy it.

“If you don’t give me an honest answer, I’ll just find someone else. You understand how desirable this product is to noblewomen, don’t you?”

“If you don’t want to work with me, I can simply take it to another merchant. I’m sure someone else will be happy to offer a better deal.”

“Alright, alright. Miss Liana, you win.” Tali sighed dramatically. “I make five silver coins per unit.”

Liana stood up.

“That’s enough. This negotiation is over.”

“Wait, wait, Miss Liana! Please sit down, don’t be so hasty!” Tali quickly tried to appease her. “Fine. One gold coin. That’s all I take.”

One gold coin?

Did she really think Liana was that gullible?

This product was worth three gold coins per unit, and she was already skimming a full gold coin from the deal.

And that was just the starting price—once the demand skyrocketed, the price would definitely increase.

“I don’t care how much you end up selling it for. Your profit from me will only be two silver coins per unit. Understood?”

Tali’s face darkened. She knew exactly how profitable this product could be, and two silver coins felt like a slap in the face.

It wasn’t too little—rather, she had been planning to take too much. The merchant guild would also take a cut, but Tali’s own personal share would shrink drastically.

“If you can’t accept it, I’ll take this deal elsewhere.”

“...Fine.”

Tali had no choice but to agree.

Whether it was the insane potential of this product or the fear of letting Liana go to a competitor, she simply couldn’t afford to lose this deal.

She needed to become the top trader of the Saus Merchant Guild.

“The guild itself will take a cut, though—one-third of the final sale price. Can you accept that?” Tali asked.

“That’s fine.” Liana had never intended to get rich from this. Still, one-third was quite the hefty fee.

But Saus Merchant Guild had an impeccable reputation. It would serve as a form of legitimacy.

"One more thing, Miss Liana," Tali said.

“Let’s hear it.”

“This product must be exclusively distributed by the Saus Merchant Guild. No other merchants should be allowed to sell it.”

Liana nodded.

“Alright.”

“If you had admitted that upfront, we wouldn’t have gone through all this back and forth,” Liana teased.

She didn’t care about money.

She only cared about using this product to make nobles depend on her.

“I don’t regret my approach. It’s just a matter of principle for merchants,” Tali said, shrugging. “Still... I have to admit, I underestimated you, Miss Liana. I never thought you’d create something like this.”

Tali had originally approached Liana because of her noble status, hoping it would bring some minor conveniences in business.

Now, she realized she hadn’t been drawn in by the daughter of House Venus—she had been drawn in by Liana herself.

“So? Want to work under me?” Liana asked, tilting her head.

“I have no interest in handling this business personally, but you do. Why not take care of it for me? I’m sure I can offer a decent salary.”

“Apologies, Miss Liana. Due to certain reasons, I can’t leave the Saus Merchant Guild just yet. But if the opportunity arises in the future, I hope you won’t reject me.”

“We’ll see.” Liana smirked. “You did say opportunities are for those who are prepared—so consider this an investment.”

Tali’s ears twitched.

"Miss Liana, you’re... not quite like the rumors say."

“Oh? How am I different?”

“...Actually, never mind. You’re exactly like the rumors. This level of price suppression is downright evil.”

Tali sighed dramatically.

“When we sell this, do we need to mention your name?”

“Not yet.”

If her name was attached from the start, some nobles might hesitate to buy it.

Instead, she would let the product gain a reputation first.

Once noblewomen became dependent on using makeup remover and lotion, then she would reveal her involvement.

By then, even if they despised her, they wouldn’t be able to cut her off.

“I see.”

“Pleasure doing business,” Liana said as she returned to the carriage, waiting for Loraviel’s results.

As the sky darkened, Loraviel’s voice came from outside.

"Your Highness Liana."

“What’s the result?”

Loraviel stepped forward and handed over two insignias.

“I didn’t disappoint you, Your Highness. I passed both the Knight’s Examination and the Mage’s Examination. I am now officially recognized as both a knight and a mage.”

Liana studied her expression.

“You look... distracted. Don’t tell me you forged these insignias because you were afraid I’d scold you for failing?”

“No, it’s not that...” Loraviel hesitated. “It’s just that... the examiners were curious about me.”

“Curious about what?”

“They said it’s extremely rare for someone my age to pass both exams. They asked if I was interested in becoming a Royal Knight.”

“And what did you say?”

“I told them that I am Her Highness Liana’s maid. After that, they didn’t press further.”

“...”

Ah.

Her name was so useful in certain situations.

“Not bad. Since you passed, we should celebrate.”

“No need, Your Highness.”

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“Wrong. We must celebrate. But you’ll have to prepare the feast yourself.”

“...Fine.”

Of course, Liana’s true goal wasn’t celebrating.