Aunt Denise, Let Me Compensate You a Little

Swish.

The heavy gown fell to the floor. Then, a foot wrapped in flesh-colored stockings hooked it up, placed it in a hand, and hung it on the coat rack by the wall.

Denise sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers resting at her waist. As her slender body rose and fell gently, the flesh-colored stockings were peeled down bit by bit, like the shell being removed from an egg, exposing soft, fair flesh full of elasticity to the humid summer air.

Her feet were long and shapely, their lines clear and bones distinct. The curve of her arches was nearly perfect. Though no one was there to admire them, all ten jade-like toes were adorned with purple balsam dye.

Rising onto her toes, Denise stood up and stretched her hands behind her back. After a rustling sound, accompanied by a relaxed, drawn-out hum, a corset was tossed into the wardrobe.

The standing bronze mirror had cost a pretty sum, but it was far from clear under the dim nighttime lamplight. Denise walked up to it, her fingertips brushing over her sexy reflection, and an irritated breath escaped her lips.

She took another step forward, pressing her heated body against the cold bronze mirror, yet it did nothing to suppress the restlessness in her heart.

She was a mature, voluptuous woman, yet she had not touched a man in over a decade.

Men...

Her fingers brushed the lips of her reflection. For no apparent reason, Raven's face suddenly appeared in her mind, instantly extinguishing all desire.

She took a gauzy nightgown from the wardrobe and slipped it on, then sat before the dressing table.

With a click, she removed the enamel hairpin and set it on the table. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders like black clouds. Crossing her legs, she leaned closer to the bronze mirror and lightly tapped the corner of her eye. "That damned bastard."

Whenever she thought of that thug, anger rose within her.

He had actually used her own son as a prop in his little performance to gather people's support, without the slightest concern for how she felt as his aunt!

At the thought of the wound on her son's head, her heart nearly bled, and her chest heaved violently.

But a thug was still a thug. If he wanted financial support, he would definitely come looking for her.

By now, Denise had formed a fairly clear impression of Raven—shameless, vile, despicable, greedy, and especially possessed by an almost pathological craving for power and a Nobility Title.

Well, it was hardly surprising that a rat from the gutter dreamed of becoming a glamorous noble.

Therefore, Denise judged that Raven would definitely come begging her if he wanted to enter noble circles.

Knock, knock, knock.

The clear, rhythmic knocking made Denise pleased with her own judgment, though also somewhat irritated.

Though Raven came from humble origins, his manners were nearly beyond reproach. In all of Eagle Fortress, aside from Old Gordon, only he knocked with such courtesy. And Old Gordon would never visit her at this hour.

But how dare he come? Did he think that a few flattering words and a humble attitude would make her loosen up and give him money?

Denise admitted that she had lost the upper hand in their last clash, but this time she was fully prepared.

She had to make Raven understand that the world did not turn according to his wishes!

Draping a dark outer robe over herself, Denise asked, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Aunt Denise." Just as she had expected, Raven's voice sounded from outside.

Denise lowered her voice. "It's already late. You should not be here."

"This is my castle," Raven said. "And you do not want Weston to know, do you?"

At the mention of her son, Denise's brows drew together slightly.

Weston had been spoiled rotten by her. If he saw her discussing business with Raven, who knew what kind of fuss he would make.

With a creak, the door opened. Denise returned to the dressing table and sat down, speaking coldly. "What do you want?"

There were no slippers in this world, and the floor of this room was covered in soft felt carpet. Though she wore a dark purple robe, her calves and jade-like feet were both exposed.

Looking at those ten alluring spots of purple, Raven clicked his tongue. "Aunt Denise, did you prepare this especially for me?"

Denise rolled her eyes and changed positions. Leaning her upper body forward slightly, she hid her feet while exposing the most proud curves of her body.

She realized it as well and reached up to cover her chest. "Raven, do you really have nothing better to do?"

Raven withdrew his gaze. "Of course not. But when I have the chance to be alone with a beautiful lady like you, any matter can be set aside."

"Flattery is meaningless." Denise crossed her arms over her chest. "You know what I want to hear. If you are not here for that matter, then leave."

Raven raised a brow and smiled. "What happened to Weston also took me by surprise, but at the time, it was the best way to handle things."

"I know it hurt you deeply, Aunt Denise, so I came specially to offer you some tangible compensation."

"Compensation?" Denise sneered. "Raven, what can you possibly use to compensate me? I know Eagle Territory's finances far better than you do. Are you going to rent the only remaining Eagle Town to me?"

Raven did not answer. Instead, he brought out the hand hidden behind his back, revealing a bottle of Red Wine. "Why don't we talk over a drink?"

Denise raised a brow and recited from memory, "Era of Light 1176, 'Amethyst' wine produced by Pange Winery. Since it was the first wine to use glass bottles, it had quite the gimmick and once sold for the high price of seventy Silver Coins a bottle. But its taste and quality were quite ordinary, and it has now fallen to forty Silver Coins."

"The bottle in your hand has clearly already been opened, and the wine inside is also lighter in color than Amethyst."

She looked at Raven, her gaze carrying a hint of disdain and anger. "Baron Raven, are you trying to use the tricks you often employed in Monen City on me with this wine?"

"Aunt Denise, your eye is indeed sharp." Raven smiled. "This is not original Amethyst, but you have underestimated me."

"If I, Raven, want to sleep with a woman, I will never resort to underhanded methods."

Denise wanted to retort, but the words would not come out.

Because Raven really was handsome.

His thick, short black hair made him look spirited and capable. His dark eyes, paired with sharply defined features, seemed capable of drawing a person's gaze straight into them.

Especially at this moment, Raven wore light-brown Leather Armor and a blue-gray cloak over his shoulders, giving him an air of crispness and rugged strength.

With such a handsome face, coupled with his usual silver tongue, he indeed would not lack women.

No wonder he had a nickname like Little Bee.

"Have a drink, Aunt Denise." Raven wore an ambiguous smile. "Otherwise, the nights at Eagle Fortress are bound to be too dull."

Without waiting for Denise to refuse, Raven picked up a silver cup, uncorked the bottle, poured some wine into it, and drained it in one gulp. He then took out another silver cup, gently poured it half full, and pushed it before Denise. "If you have nothing to say after finishing it, I'll leave immediately."

The corner of Denise's lips curled in mockery. "Fine, if that is your purpose. But let me remind you, this level of effort is not enough to erase the harm you caused Weston and me. I still will not give you a single Copper Coin."

Raven neither agreed nor disagreed, merely making a gentle inviting gesture.

Denise elegantly raised the cup and took a light sip. The instant the wine touched her tongue, her eyes lit up.

As a merchant, she often attended all kinds of events and had naturally tasted many kinds of Red Wine, but never had any wine brought her such enjoyment.

It completely lacked the sour, astringent flavor common to grape wine. Its texture was soft and smooth, almost like milk. It was sweet as honey without being cloying, while its acidity and unique flavor made it exceptionally delightful.

Despite trying her best to restrain herself, she drained the cup without leaving a drop. A rosy flush immediately crept across her cheeks. "Where did this wine come from?"

"I made it myself," Raven said with a smile.

"You?" Denise looked Raven over in disbelief. "Impossible. You have only been at Eagle Fortress for half a month."

Raven smiled. "More precisely, I carried out a small, insignificant bit of processing on existing Red Wine."

Understanding dawned on Denise's face. That made much more sense. She immediately asked, "What is the cost?"

"Oh, that would be a trade secret." Raven smiled. "But there is one thing I can tell you, Aunt Denise. It was made using Flowing Amber from Magnus Winery."

Denise froze, then walked to a corner of the room and opened a cabinet, carrying out one of the wine jars within. "This kind?"

Five Silver Coins and seventy Copper Coins per jar, with roughly one kilogram of Red Wine in each jar.

Raven nodded. "Of course."

Denise opened the jar, poured some into a cup, and took a light sip. Her brows immediately furrowed tightly.

In her eyes, Flowing Amber was not some premium Red Wine, but it was more than sufficient for everyday meals and casual drinking.

But everything feared comparison. Now that she had tasted Raven's improved wine, this Flowing Amber was as hard to swallow as swill.

Did Raven really possess such an ability?

Denise still could not quite believe it. "How can I know you are not deceiving me?"

"Very simple." Since Raven had dared to come, he had naturally prepared everything in advance.

He pulled the wine jar over, took a sealed test tube from his clothes, poured its liquid inside, then gently swirled the jar.

A few minutes later, he pushed the jar back before Denise. "Please."

Half-convinced and half-doubtful, Denise poured herself another cup and cautiously lifted it, touching a little to her tongue with the tip.

That was right. This was the taste of the wine Raven had brought!

As a qualified merchant, Denise instinctively began calculating the costs and profits.

A jar of Flowing Amber sold for five Silver Coins plus seventy Copper Coins and weighed one kilogram. If purchased in bulk, the price could likely be reduced to five Silver Coins.

The improved Red Wine surpassed the vast majority of similar products on the market in quality. Only a few top-tier products could compete due to their unique flavors, but this improved Red Wine was still enough to join their ranks.

If repackaged in premium glass bottles, each bottle would cost fifteen Silver Coins. One jar of Flowing Amber could fill two bottles of the new wine, meaning each bottle would cost seventeen Silver Coins and fifty Copper Coins.

As for premium Red Wine, the best currently on the market was Red Maple Dew from the Insa Empire, selling for eight Gold Coins and sixty Silver Coins per bottle.

As a new product, it could not possibly be priced against such a luxury good, but neither could it be too cheap. A standard price of one Gold Coin and fifty Silver Coins would work.

With that, Monen City's market alone should be able to sell over one thousand bottles per year, amounting to sales of one thousand five hundred Gold Coins.

After deducting transportation, storage, and labor costs, the annual income would likely be around one thousand three hundred Gold Coins.

The only unknown was the cost of the wondrous liquid in Raven's hands. One tube could improve two jars of Flowing Amber. To produce one thousand bottles, five hundred tubes would be needed.

Even if each tube cost as much as two Gold Coins, she would still have a twenty percent profit margin!

"One Thousand Gold Coins." Denise raised her head, staring at Raven with blazing eyes as if she wanted to devour him whole. She had even forgotten to conceal her exquisite body. "I am willing to pay one thousand Gold Coins for the formula of that miraculous liquid!"

Raven immediately got to admire the wonderful scenery revealed after the clouds parted. Stimulated by alcohol, her skin was flushed with precisely the right kind of sensuality.

Appreciation aside, reason prevailed. "Sorry, Aunt Denise. I can sell you eggs, but I will never sell you the hen along with them."

Denise also noticed her loss of composure. Covering herself, she said unhurriedly, "Raven, you need to understand that business is not so simple. No matter how good your product is, without sales channels and sufficient manpower, you cannot make real money."

"If you think One Thousand Gold Coins is not enough, I can make another concession. For every bottle sold, I will give you ten Silver Coins as a share."

"Or exclusive sales rights." Denise proposed another arrangement. "For each tube of that miraculous liquid, I can pay one Gold Coin!"

One Gold Coin!

The price startled Raven.

A live pig weighing around eighty kilograms cost roughly twenty Silver Coins, and the fat from that pig could yield at least one kilogram of impure Glycerin.

And if this Glycerin were packed into test tubes like these, it could fill at least a hundred bottles!

One hundred Gold Coins!

Compared to twenty Silver Coins, that was a fiftyfold profit!

But Raven was not after quick money. He wanted a lasting industry.

Though Glycerin had yet to be discovered in this world, there was already a Soap industry.

At present, Raven could not completely remove the pig stench from the Glycerin. If he sold it directly, with Denise's shrewdness, she might unravel its secret within a few years.

Raven shook his head. "Exclusive sales rights are possible, but not for this liquid. For the new wine itself."

"We will use this kind of bottle." Raven tapped the glass bottle. "You will be responsible for raw material procurement, labor, and storage costs. You will control the pricing, but I want seventy percent of the profits as dividends."

"Seventy percent?" Denise's brows knitted tightly as she shouted, "That condition is outrageous! You need to understand that not only must I bear a whole series of costs, I also have to open up the market..."

"Oh, oh, oh, don't get worked up, Aunt Denise." Raven wagged a finger. "You should know that Fedro Commerce's main business is bulk grain trading, not Red Wine distribution."

"I came to you only because you are my aunt. If you do not accept this condition, I can easily cooperate with someone else."

Looking at Raven's unconcerned expression, Denise's breathing caught. Her pearly teeth rubbed against her plump lower lip, and resentment and anger flashed in her eyes.

Too hateful.

Raven looked as though he had already decided she was powerless to refuse!

What made her feel worse was that she could not refute it.

She had never heard of this technique for improving Red Wine. The miraculous liquid had also been hidden well by Raven, leaving no trace whatsoever.

She then recalled how Raven had kept himself buried in the kitchen over the past few days, and surprise flickered in her eyes.

Could that have been what he was doing?

Then perhaps she could...

"Aunt Denise, I advise you to abandon those unrealistic thoughts." Raven said. "Bolo does know the formula for this liquid, but I would wager you will never pry it from his mouth."

Denise's thoughts immediately died away.

Bolo was Raven's subject. His life, property, family, and loved ones were all tightly in Raven's grip. Unless Raven could be brought down, there truly was no way to obtain the formula.

Raven leaned forward, staring directly into Denise's eyes from close enough to feel her breath. "Time is almost up. Have you not made up your mind yet?"

The rich scent of a man washed over her. Under the influence of alcohol, Denise's heart began pounding.

With her temperament, she should have glared right back, but damn it, Raven's face was simply too handsome!

Why did such a wonderful face have to belong to a thug!?

"Sixty percent." Denise leaned back against her chair. "As a member of the Griffith Family, cooperating with me can guarantee the safety of your secret formula to the greatest extent. And as a merchant, I am more suited than you to appear in the business world."

"Sixty-five." Raven stared into Denise's eyes, one hand reaching toward her collar. "Of course, if you are willing to make a small concession..."

"Sixty-five percent, deal!" Denise stood up, making Raven's fingers miss. "But I require that all future marketing for this new wine be planned by me."

Raven regretfully rubbed his nose and inhaled the lingering fragrance wrapped around his fingers. "You can handle it afterward, but the first marketing campaign must use my plan."

Denise asked, "What method do you intend to use?"

Raven smiled and raised his index finger to his lips. "Secret."

Denise laughed in exasperation. With unmistakable pride, she said, "Raven, perhaps you really do have some clever tricks, but I am the professional when it comes to selling things at a good price!"

"No. Judging by that example just now, I am clearly more professional." Raven rose and walked toward the door. "Within ten days, I want to see Three Hundred Gold Coins as a deposit, along with the first batch of raw materials in the warehouse. Otherwise, I would not mind finding a more generous partner."

The door slammed shut, and Denise slapped the table bitterly.

This clash had ended in failure again!

Raven had undoubtedly achieved his goal, easing the territory's economic crisis. And the bait he had thrown out made it impossible for her, as a merchant, to refuse.

"Raven, just you wait." Denise bit her vivid red lips. "When your marketing fails, there will come a day when you have to beg me!"

But at the same time, she could not help beginning to think.

What method was Raven planning to use to open up the market for this new wine?

"Oh, right, Aunt Denise." Raven suddenly pushed the door open and poked his head in, blinking. "Let me remind you, remember to wear underwear next time. I hope it will be lace."

Having said that, he shut the door again.

Denise froze. Looking down at the conspicuous buttons beneath her thin nightgown, her face turned crimson as she gritted her teeth and shouted:

"Raven!!"