Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better? - Chapter 24

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 24
Master fell silent at my request, then set down the empty teacup in his hand with a soft clink. Unnerved by his unusual reaction, I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry.
He parted his lips slowly, his gaze turning grave.
“…How much would you like to know about that man?”
“How much can you tell me?”
He interlaced his fingers and deliberated carefully. Being the young master of one of the Empire’s most distinguished houses, it seemed the matter carried considerable weight.
‘I suppose rejection is inevitable. Besides, I’m already investigating Louis Gazel….’
I sipped my tea with half-hearted resignation. After a prolonged silence, he finally spoke again, his words measured.
“Height and weight should be manageable. If you wish, I could even provide his shoe size….”
“What?”
“More sensitive information is rather difficult. Not that I lack the means, but….”
At his continued rambling, I nearly spat out the tea I’d been sipping.
Certainly, there must be countless young ladies at the Academy desperate to know Isidore’s shoe size, shoulder width, and thigh circumference, but I wasn’t some obsessive fan digging into private details like that.
“What do you take me for! Never mind that—I’m talking about the rumors and whispers you hear behind closed doors.”
“Behind closed doors….”
Master’s doll-like pupils trembled slightly. He seemed genuinely shocked by his misunderstanding. And honestly, I was equally taken aback that he’d mistaken me for an Isidore fanatic.
“Rumors and whispers. …So that’s what you meant.”
“That man. There’s something suspicious about him, so investigate thoroughly.”
The original work didn’t mention certain settings, and they seemed like hidden traps scattered throughout. I wanted to gather information on Isidore beforehand.
“…Suspicious, when looking at that face….”
He’d been muttering complaints under his breath since earlier.
“What did you say?”
“I’m accepting your request to investigate whether Isidore Visconti is a suspicious person.”
He responded in a rough voice, pouring tea into his empty cup with a splash. This time, he dumped in a full five spoonfuls of sugar. He clearly had a craving for sweets.
With a cold expression, he stirred the teaspoon roughly, then fixed me with an icy stare.
“Young lady. You’re finished with your business here, correct?”
“No. The tea smells wonderful, so I plan to finish it before I leave.”
“The tea costs one gold.”
“What? That’s too expensive without even a dessert.”
“I am premium labor.”
What a temperamental fellow. Sensing his mood had somehow soured, I broached the subject carefully.
“By the way, is this tea also sold at Maison D?”
I casually asked while offering him a jeweled pendant with a pearl hanging from it.
“That’s expensive for tea.”
He waved his gloved hand dismissively, as if refusing to accept it. I tucked the necklace back into my bag with a sense of resignation.
‘How strange. The novel mentioned that Master here charges a price for every question.’
“I have no intention of working during tea time.”
Ah, so he simply wasn’t accepting questions.
“That’s unfortunate. I was going to make you a good proposal during tea time.”
“If you tell me how you trained my Cookie, I’ll listen.”
“That’s enough. I’ll do the talking, so just listen. It’s a deal with no downside for you.”
“My, you’re quite stubborn.”
“You’re only just realizing what kind of person I am?”
How convenient it is to inhabit this shameless character. Whether I interrupt others, twist their words, or act unreasonably—everyone simply attributes it all to Deborah being Deborah.
I pulled out the note I’d brought in my pocket and placed it on the table without ceremony.
“What do you think?”
He pretended to ignore it at first, merely sipping his tea, but soon his interest was piqued by the drawing on the note. He folded his arms and began to examine it closely.
“What is this? A woman…?”
“That’s right.”
What I had drawn was a stylized purple logo of a woman—the emblem of my coffee brand.
I’d sketched it during my spare time whenever Academy classes grew tedious. This body’s natural aptitude for design was so exceptional that I could render it with the polish of a professional logo I’d seen in my previous life.
“It’s a refined, schematic image. Quite unique, actually. Did you draw this yourself?”
Apparently surprised that I could draw so well, he began to show genuine interest.
“Yes, I drew it. I’m planning to launch a dessert business using this seal as my mark.”
The fact that this world had the concept of a ‘seal’ was fortunate—I didn’t need to launch into a lengthy explanation about brand logos.
“Why would a dessert shop need a seal? It sounds rather grandiose.”
“A seal is absolutely essential to establish recognition. I intend to expand this purple-sealed shop to a second location, a third, and eventually up to a hundred branches. I’ll open shops bearing this seal in the Empire’s remote regions and on islands as well. Eventually, whenever people see the color purple, they’ll reflexively think of this seal.”
“How is endless expansion of branches even possible? You’d be limited by your available workforce and capital. Even the Emperor couldn’t manage such a thing.”
The moment Master took the bait, my eyes gleamed with excitement.
“I don’t need to use my own personnel. I can simply lease the business name to others.”
“Lease the business name?”
His eyes widened in shock.
“Exactly. Once the flagship location succeeds, everything becomes remarkably simple afterward. I’d grant a second location to someone who wants to minimize risk—identical menus and interior design to the main café. In return, I receive fees for the business name lease and the transfer of my expertise.”
“…That’s quite a remarkable concept.”
Astonishingly, Master seemed to grasp the concept of ‘franchising’ immediately, just as he had with ‘tax havens.’
The speed at which his mind works is truly extraordinary. Though I’m a modern person steeped in capitalism, he certainly isn’t. Concealing my inner bewilderment, I continued.
“Additionally, as the number of branches increases, I can purchase raw materials like flour and tea leaves in bulk to reduce production costs.”
“So the more locations exist, the greater the profits flowing to the one providing the business name. It’s a highly advantageous business model.”
“Precisely. However, if you expand locations too indiscriminately, you’ll face serious problems.”
“True. Overlapping market territories would cannibalize profits, and maintaining quality would become difficult. But, Miss Deborah.”
“Yes?”
“What is your reason for sharing such an innovative expansion method with me?”
‘His intuition is remarkably sharp.’
“I want to go into business with you.”
I lifted the paper with the purple logo drawn on it.
“Invest in this.”
Opening a café had been a dream of mine in my previous life, and as someone addicted to caffeine, I simply couldn’t live without iced Americanos.
‘Since I’m diving into business anyway, pursuing an interesting field is better for my mental health.’
Moreover, I’d conducted research on café business ventures three separate times as group projects during my marketing elective classes. Back then, I’d wondered why I was researching when I had no money to start a business, but now I’d actually use that knowledge in this life.
“Share with me the business expertise you possess. Personnel management, recipes, raw material procurement—all of it.”
I lacked practical experience, so partnering with him—someone who operated various establishments—would allow me to avoid countless trial-and-error pitfalls. Moreover, I could save considerable time.
“By the way, I have numerous ideas capable of making a dessert shop succeed. The concept of leasing a brand name is merely a small fraction of those ideas.”
“A fraction….”
“And I intend to pour all my creativity into this venture.”
I met his intrigued gaze directly.
“So? Are you becoming interested in my business?”
I expected him to deliberate, at least briefly, but Master’s answer came swiftly and affirmatively.
We drafted a partnership contract that very day. Thus, my café enterprise—destined to drench the entire Asteia Empire in violet—took its first tentative step into existence.
* * *
‘The more I consider it, the more ingenious it becomes. Selling a brand name rather than a product….’
Deborah Simour may have lacked experience actually operating a shop, but she possessed a uniquely original perspective on capital itself. One could genuinely call her a genius. There was no conceivable way he could dare refuse an investment proposal from someone of her caliber.
‘She’s truly captivating.’
While gazing at the violet seal she had left behind, Miguel—who had remained hidden throughout the entire commission—suddenly emerged.
His complexion was utterly haggard. He had exhausted every ounce of his strength suppressing laughter. The moment the lady had mentioned requesting an investigation into Isidore Visconti, he had bitten his thigh nearly raw to stifle his outburst.
‘I’ve discovered my limits. I nearly got caught.’
Never in all his years had he encountered such an ambush during a stakeout—the enemy of “holding back laughter.”
‘She restored my lost laughter. Her actions are subtly endearing.’
Adjusting his assessment of Deborah Simour slightly upward, Miguel opened his mouth with a meaningful gaze.
“My lord. You’ve certainly received a difficult commission. This time, you’ll need to take direct action yourself.”
“Are you finding this situation amusing?”
“Not at all! Lady Deborah is quite reckless, isn’t she? Requesting a background investigation on the heir to the great Visconti House, no less. Fearless indeed.”
“You seem far more fearless than she is….”
Watching Isidore crack his large knuckles ominously, Miguel hastily changed the subject.
“A-anyway, this was an opportunity to extract a substantial fee, so why didn’t you demand a proper price?”
“I received sufficient compensation for the commission.”
Isidore lifted the seal the lady had drawn.
“What does this lady’s seal signify? It’s certainly elegant.”
“Gold.”
“Lately, I can’t seem to understand your true intentions, my lord.”
“…Hmm.”
Observing Miguel, who possessed absolutely no comprehension of the business expansion method the lady had proposed, Isidore inwardly clicked his tongue.
‘That’s only natural, I suppose.’
Most nobility, like Miguel, remained ignorant of wealth multiplication and deemed commercial ventures ungenteel. Deborah Simour was the exception. Despite being raised in an environment more aristocratic than most, she had proposed illegal slush fund creation previously, and now a partnership arrangement.
“I simply cannot fathom what goes on inside Lady Deborah’s mind.”
Rather than resolving his curiosity about her, his wariness had only intensified, preventing him from approaching her thus far. Isidore tapped the table rhythmically before speaking with a serious expression.
“Miguel.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“In your judgment, when I adopted which styling did Lady Deborah seem most interested?”
“You typically passed by indifferently, but when you wore the black frock coat with pomaded hair, she appeared to gaze at you approximately one second longer than usual.”
“So she prefers a masculine style.”
Isidore murmured with a grave expression.
“Then let’s push forward with that.”
“But there’s something I haven’t tried yet. Let me show you.”
Isidore suddenly shed the black robe draped around him and unfastened his bracelet, then retrieved something from the drawer.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————