"The price?" Count Hodge revealed a gentle smile. "Since this is a cooperation, Your Highness Ron should naturally offer a certain share of benefits as well. Only through mutual gain can we create a larger cake together."
"Using the word 'price' might be somewhat inappropriate."
"If possible, I would prefer the word 'sharing.'"
"Heh, my oversight." Ron fished out the cooked slices of fatty beef and dipped them into the rather ordinary-tasting sauce. "Then what would the count like me to share?"
Count Hodge smiled in satisfaction and slowly raised four fingers.
"Forty percent."
"The Christine family requires only forty percent of the flower shop's profits, along with the decision-making authority over the recipients of its plants."
"As long as Your Highness cedes forty percent of the profits, all the resources I mentioned earlier will be fully open to you."
"I give you my word."
Ron placed the fatty beef into his mouth and chewed slowly. With the plain sauce, the flavor was mediocre at best.
Perhaps he hadn't timed it well either—the slice was slightly chewy.
Only after swallowing did he lift his head and smile at Count Hodge. "Your proposal is quite interesting. However, this is an important matter. May I take some time to consider it?"
"Of course. That is only proper." Count Hodge did not press further, appearing like an affable elder.
But in Ron's eyes, the man resembled an overbearing parent—
One who claimed you were free to choose your future, while crossing out most of the options beforehand, leaving you to "freely select" the one path he had already chosen for you.
It reminded Ron of a story.
There were many bridges leading to the opposite cliff, and travelers were free to choose which one to cross.
Later, one man destroyed all the bridges except a single one and claimed it as his own.
Then he told those wishing to cross, "This bridge is my property. If you want to cross, we can make an exchange."
"Leave half your money, and I'll let you use the bridge once."
The traveler protested, "Why should crossing the bridge require a mandatory fee?"
The bridge-destroyer replied, "I'm not forcing you to cross. I've given you freedom of choice. You may cross or not—I won't interfere with your freedom."
Looking at Count Hodge's smiling face, Ron felt the man was no different from that bridge-destroyer.
The only difference was that the bridge-destroyer had destroyed the bridges himself, whereas Count Hodge was leveraging others' preemptive shop purchases to profit for himself.
What a headache.
After dinner, Count Hodge escorted Ron out of the dining hall and said meaningfully,
"If Your Highness still feels uneasy, we could establish an even deeper connection between us."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward Eileen. His intention was obvious.
Ron deflected again. "Please allow me some time to consider."
"Then I shall await Your Highness's good news."
Count Hodge bid Ron farewell and instructed Eileen to escort him out.
Ron followed Eileen along a quiet nighttime path. Beneath the moonlight, he admired her graceful figure, letting his tightly wound nerves relax somewhat.
The two walked in silence until they reached the main gate, and Ron boarded the carriage.
Through the window, he looked at Eileen and said goodbye.
Eileen gave a slight bow, offering him an apologetic expression.
Ron waved it off, and the carriage departed.
…
After returning to the convent in the eastern region of the Human Empire, Ron took a bath and lay on his bed, letting out a long breath. Then he projected his consciousness into the puppet in the City of Chaos.
The sound of running water reached his ears.
What followed was a glimpse of pale, creamy skin.
Ron swore he had merely been stunned by the beautiful scenery before him and forgot to close his eyes—not because he was lustful.
When the water sound gradually ceased, some time later, the puppet was gathered into a gentle embrace and carried to the guest bedroom.
"Ahem… Nora?"
"Ah! B-Boss?" Nora happily pounced onto the bed, lifting the chibi puppet in front of her. Tiny droplets of water still clung to the tip of her small nose.
"Anything happen at the shop today?"
"Nothing much. Just the same as usual."
"Mm. I do have one piece of good news and one piece of bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"
"Ah? What's the bad news? Did something happen to you, Boss?" Nora asked worriedly.
Feeling her concern, Ron paused before teasing, "The bad news is… a powerful noble wants to marry his beautiful daughter to me. Quite troublesome, really."
"Umm…" Nora's heart tightened, but she bit her lip and suppressed her emotions. "I-If you like her, Boss… then that's good too…"
Ron saw her reaction clearly and scratched his head helplessly, wondering if he had gone a bit too far.
"Don't worry yet. Isn't there still the good news?"
"Then what's the good news?"
"The good news is… although that young lady is quite nice, she's not my favorite type. So I didn't agree."
"Ah?" Instead of relief, Nora looked even more worried. "If you rejected him, won't that noble be angry?"
This silly girl…
Ron was momentarily speechless.
"It'd be good enough if I didn't get angry at him," Ron huffed. "If I didn't have such self-restraint, I would've flipped the hotpot over his head and—well, never mind!"
Nora blinked in confusion. "Why flip the hotpot?"
"You don't need to understand. Just know that I was very angry." Venting his pent-up frustration to Nora, Ron felt much lighter.
"Th-Then don't be angry anymore, okay?"
"How can I just stop being angry like that?"
"Then what would make you stop being angry?"
"Give me a kiss."
"Ah?"
"Not a real one. Just kiss the puppet so I can hear the sound."
"Um… isn't that a bit inappropriate…"
"What's inappropriate about it? One kiss and I won't be angry anymore."
Nora's face flushed bright red as she whispered, "Th-Then… just one…"
"Mm-hmm. Make a sound, okay? Otherwise, how would I know you did it?"
"Ugh… I know…"
Covering her burning cheeks, Nora took several deep breaths before reaching out to hug the chibi puppet. She squeezed her eyes shut and puckered her lips as she leaned forward.
In her mind, the Boss could only speak and hear through the puppet. If it were just this, it shouldn't count for much.
As long as it made him feel better.
What she didn't know was that Ron, having projected his consciousness into the puppet, had already connected all five senses—simply waiting for the girl's voluntary kiss.
"Chu."
"B-Boss, I'm done."
"Mm. So am I."