Aliana’s gaze was intense, calculating, as if she were weighing the benefits, and instantly a proposal ca out of her lips with cold and confident precision.
"Well, how about this? Sell the recipe to us. We’ll take care of the patent and split the profits 70/30 with 30 for you and 70 for us," she offered bluntly, her firm proposal leaving no room for argunt, as if she was already used to closing deals with the balance tipped in her favor.
I thought about it for a long ti. In business, things are rarely what they seem at first glance. Although the offer they presented to was not particularly attractive at first, and it even seed like I would lose, the reality was completely different. They would take care of the distribution, promotion, production costs, and paynts to the alchemists. All of that would be up to them, while I would just have to sit back and take my share, but more importantly, what they were offering was not just money, but rather the backing of the most important trading house in the kingdom, and in business, connections were the most important thing, I knew that very well, in my previous world I worked in a large corporation and the things that were done behind closed doors were not very pleasant, the tricks and political plots, I was tired of all that, so their offer seed very tempting to .
However, I still couldn’t let go of my instinct. In every deal, there was always a margin for negotiation, sothing else that could ensure a greater advantage. I looked Aliana in the eyes, with a slight smile that showed my decision.
"If you change it to 40/60 you have a deal," I said, my voice calm but firm. The wind seed to have stopped for a mont, if I rejected it I would simply turn around and not return.
She seed surprised. And she was willing to negotiate, but perhaps noticing my determined look. She didn’t hesitate any longer, just a slight smile ford on her lips.
"Fine," she replied quickly, her voice filled with the sa determination I had shown. "I accept."
We shook hands and closed the deal pleasantly. The tension I had felt began to dissipate. Shortly after, we sealed the deal with a contract.
***
After a few minutes, the topic returned to the pill I had refined.
"Now, allow , regarding the pill, I plan to put it as a prominent item in the next auction. Since you are already one of our partners, we will charge you a small commission of 5%. As for the date, it is scheduled for two weeks from now. I will send you the formal invitation soon."
"Ah, yes, thank you," I replied with a polite smile, although inside I felt a little heavy. The deal was already closed, but knowing that that pill would beco the center of attention made a little nervous.
– So, what do you have planned for the rest of the day? Aliana asked , her gaze was calm, but with a closer touch, a little warr than I expected.
– Well, I was thinking of getting holy water at the temple. Then, maybe, resting at a nearby hotel.
Aliana nodded, but before I could add anything, she took a step towards , got closer and whispered near my ear, which ended up surprising .
"Why don’t we go out then?" I’ll help you choose an outfit for the auction.
– Outfit? I asked, a little confused.
– Wait, don’t tell you were thinking of going like that, right? – she said, watching with a mischievous smile.
She looked up and down, and for a mont I felt like a child who had just been caught misbehaving by his mother. My gaze went from bewildernt to nervousness, my voice beca sharper, and a silly smile appeared on my face, unable to hide it.
Aliana ran a hand over her temples, as if she were going through a difficult problem, then she took my arm firmly.
– Co on, quickly, she urged . We can’t waste ti.
– Wait, I answered, trying to get away. Can you just leave like that, aren’t you the owner?
– It doesn’t matter, she said with a confident smile. I was already thinking about resting for a while, besides, I can’t let my partner make us lose face in front of our guests. Co on, there’s no ti to waste.
– B...but, wait, I have to go to the temple first. I tried to insist, I knew if I didn’t stop now, I wouldn’t be able to leave, shopping is every man’s worst nightmare.
- No, we’re not going to the temple now. This is more urgent. His tone left no room for doubt. – The temple can wait, you can do it tomorrow.
- But...
- No buts, he interrupted , lightly tugging on my arm. Hurry up!
I was montarily silent, staring at her determined face. The calmness of her expression, along with the confidence with which she spoke, made hesitate. Is it that important? I thought, although I already knew that, deep down, I didn’t have many options.
"Haah..." a long sigh escaped my mouth
– Okay, I murmured, resigned, as I began to walk beside her.– You’ve convinced . Let’s go.
Aliana smiled with satisfaction, as if she had already won the battle, and before I could say anything else, she dragged towards the exit. It was clear that, in this world, you couldn’t always win all the battles.
***
Before leaving the building, Aliana quickly tied her hair up, tying her long locks into an elegant bun. Then she put on so dark glasses, perhaps to avoid drawing too much attention. Her change of look was subtle, but effective. We walked discreetly down the hallway of the building, avoiding the curious glances of the few employees who crossed our path. The atmosphere felt lighter, more relaxed, and soon we reached the entrance doors.
The bustle of the market could be heard from outside. As we stepped out into the open air, the market crowd did not imdiately envelop us. As always, it was a hive of activity: vendors hawking their wares, custors haggling, the sound of hurried footsteps mixed with the distant music of so food stall. However, Aliana and I walked calmly, almost silently, avoiding the curious glances of passersby. In a few minutes, we arrived at a large building that rose before us: a huge shopping center.
As we entered, a soft artificial breeze greeted us, a contrast to the warm atmosphere of the market. The difference in temperature was imdiate, a refreshing respite that made relax for a mont. The interior was vast, an impressive space that stretched upwards, with several levels visible from the lobby. The walls were made of glass, allowing natural light to enter, illuminating the space in a warm and welcoming way.
Along the mall, the view that greeted was large stores lined with shops of all kinds. There were luxury clothing boutiques, but also stores specializing in weapons, more efficient combat clothing, with colors and designs that caught the eye from afar. The shop windows sparkled, displaying the latest fashion collections. Also, on the first level, there was a section dedicated to gourt food, with stalls of specialties from different parts of the world: from white shark sushi, to local dishes and tempting artisanal sweets.
We walked through the wide corridors, and my gaze wandered to a corner where there was a small seating area, with velvet armchairs and a crystal-clear water fountain that created a relaxing atmosphere. In the distance, I saw a couple of people examining jewelry in a display case, while a group of young people watched .
Instantly one of them walked towards , she was a beautiful woman, with platinum blonde hair and her erald green eyes, shining with confidence. Her clothes were modern but elegant, a simple dress but with a sophisticated touch that highlighted her figure. Her step was firm, and the air around her seed to beco lighter as she approached.
She didn’t seem to care at all that I was accompanied. Her attention was completely focused on , and Aliana, who was still holding my arm, seed to notice imdiately. However, the girl didn’t look away for a second.
– "Hello," she said with a charming smile, her voice soft but determined. – "I’m sorry to interrupt you, but I couldn’t help but notice you."
I looked up slightly, a little surprised, I wasn’t expecting sothing so direct, especially with Aliana right next to . I accidentally squeezed her arm and could feel the weight of her gaze on my side, her expression a little dark.
The girl didn’t seem to notice anything.
–"Can I ask you sothing?" She continued without waiting for an answer. – "Could you give your number?"
Beside , I felt Aliana tighten her grip on my arm a little more, but her attitude was so serene, that it must have been my imagination.
– "Oh, that’s a little... I started to think about what to say, Aliana was probably very uncomfortable."
– "Don’t worry," she interrupted with a playful smile, "I don’t bite."
She didn’t seem nervous or intimidated. Instead, her gaze was firm, almost defiant.
– "You know?" she added as she took out a pen and began to write down a phone number. – "I’m quite insistent about the things I like." she said as she finished writing, throwing a knowing look at .
When she was done, she slipped the paper into my pocket in a smooth, fluid motion, almost as if she was already sure I was going to keep it. Then, she stepped back, looking at with eyes that sparkled with a bit of lust.
– Call , she said in a lower voice, but loaded with insinuation. – We will have a great ti.
With one last look, she turned and walked away into the crowd.
Aliana didn’t say a word, but I could feel her gaze fixed on the woman, cold but calculating.
–¿ Are you going to keep the role? she asked calmly, in a rather relaxed tone.
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