Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better? - Chapter 74

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 74
The Trading Company’s owner was undoubtedly a cunning old fox brimming with schemes. He drew customers’ attention through all manner of bizarre gimmicks, and constantly irritated Bruno with his antics.
“Armand’s skill at promoting his shop is quite extraordinary.”
“That’s exactly why I told you to copy whatever works for him!”
Bruno had been able to expand his Trading Company to such massive proportions partly due to the privileges granted by the Selig Family, but largely because he shamelessly plundered ideas from small shops.
“As you instructed, we’ve launched a new customer membership drive and created coupons just like they have, but strangely, the results aren’t materializing.”
Despite rushing to imitate Armand, Bruno couldn’t generate the explosive response that Armand achieved. Instead, his existing loyal customers cast disapproving glances, questioning why he was suddenly treating new patrons so favorably.
“I didn’t tell you to copy just anything anyone can replicate! Get me the shop’s recipes. The recipes!”
“Y-yes! Understood, sir.”
“Charm one of the kitchen staff with plenty of coin—they’ll spill the secrets soon enough. Find out about those smoothies and whatever else is selling well!”
“Ah, I heard recently that a new beverage became popular among the knights.”
“That too. Get it.”
“But the beverage is consumed outside the shop, not inside. It’s not a recipe issue—it involves magical enchantment.”
“How peculiar. It’ll fade away soon enough, no matter what he does.”
He scratched his fleshy jowls and narrowed his beady eyes.
“Come to think of it, since Armand focuses on cold beverages, he’ll take a significant hit soon enough. Hehehehe.”
“Ah yes, once autumn arrives and the weather cools, smoothies will lose their appeal.”
“How foolish—peddling a drink that only shines for one season. I may have overestimated that shop owner.”
“His customers will drop off sharply.”
“Besides, being at the East Gate limits his growth potential anyway.”
As Bruno flicked his thick fingers repeatedly, the Shop Manager quickly retrieved his tobacco pipe.
From my experience in business, location was paramount. And the people of the Empire preferred to pass through the West Gate Square, where the Fountain of the Goddess Naila stood. The real estate prices around West Gate Square weren’t inflated to double or more for no reason.
Even if the shop managed to succeed through clever tricks for now, it would ultimately crumble into nothing, he sneered, exhaling a long plume of smoke.
* * *
Just when I thought sales had skyrocketed, trouble erupted.
‘Ah, such is life.’
A recipe leak, no less.
“So the pressure begins. This is how the Bruno Guild operates—crushing competitors from the very start.”
The Master smirked and tossed a gold coin high into the air, catching it lightly in his palm. When he opened his fist, the lucky side with the first emperor appeared again. I gazed at the coin’s face for a moment, then stroked Cookie’s head as she sparkled with excitement beside me.
“Purrrr.”
Cookie, her ears perked up and rumbling contentedly, sniffed at my palm—the one that had touched the catnip pouch.
“The fact that people are circling around trying to steal our recipes means we’re that much of a threat.”
Fortunately, the Armand employee who received the recipe theft proposal from Bruno immediately reported it to the Shop Manager. This was only possible because Armand operated an “incentive system.”
The criteria for evaluating outstanding employees included their response to competing businesses, and the employee, seizing the opportunity, informed the Shop Manager and received a reward.
In truth, magical artifacts were the core of the smoothies, making recipe theft itself impossible. As for ion beverages, the Master had already prepared the drinks and instructed the kitchen to simply serve them, so the staff knew nothing anyway.
But regardless of preventing information leaks, the unprincipled Bruno Guild was deeply irritating and infuriating.
‘First the set menus, then the coupons—they copied everything outright, and now they’re attempting theft?’
If they’d imitated clumsily, I might have overlooked it, but this time they’d crossed the line.
“What should I do…”
I furrowed my brow and rubbed my temples.
“I’ll leak a fake recipe to them. One with high material costs and substantial labor expenses.”
‘As expected, destroying someone is truly my natural talent.’
I inwardly clicked my tongue, then a brilliant idea suddenly struck me to make their situation even more difficult.
“I should leverage the patent rights on Beleck Simour’s magical artifacts.”
When selling magical artifacts, thirty percent goes to my share, so I’d planned to distribute them whenever other food establishments inquired about purchasing mixers or whipping machines. In fact, Maison D was already purchasing and using automatic whipping machines.
If other trading companies all use something but I alone cannot, the damage would be substantial, wouldn’t it?
“From now on, I won’t conduct any business whatsoever with the Bruno Guild.”
The ability to exclude those I dislike. One of the formidable advantages of patents.
“I’ll compile a complete list of all shops operated by the Bruno Guild and their proprietors to create a blacklist.”
Master swallowed a light sigh and continued speaking.
“If you make an enemy of the young lady, they’ll face endless elimination from competition. Especially since you monopolize the recipe patents….”
“Master has a share in the recipe patents too, doesn’t he?”
“I’ve always considered that one step I took back then to be pure fortune.”
He chuckles softly.
‘I’m the fortunate one here.’
Honestly, the money I pay Master isn’t wasted. Thanks to Blanche’s talent pool and various distribution networks, Armand’s first branch reached operational stability at remarkable speed. It would have been absolutely impossible alone.
‘I only need to focus on planning and ideas, which makes things convenient.’
I wanted to maintain good balance with him—a proper give-and-take equilibrium. Our teamwork flows smoothly, and I had no desire to create unnecessary friction. This was also why I continued to hesitate about inquiring with other information guilds regarding Isidore.
‘If I poke around here and there and get caught, I can’t predict how Master will react.’
“Ah! Master.”
“Yes?”
“Knight Isidore is… no, never mind.”
Instead, I cautiously probed the waters.
“Why did you stop mid-sentence?”
He narrowed his brows slightly.
“It’s just nothing important….”
“Even if it’s nothing important, I’m curious.”
“If you want to know, that’ll be 9 gold 99 silver….”
Before I could even finish the wordplay, he scooped up ten gold coins stacked like a tower on the table and pushed them toward me.
‘Good heavens, that miser is actually giving me money?’
As expected! Whenever Isidore comes up, his reaction is slightly different from usual. My suspicions about the relationship between Master and Isidore deepened, but I deliberately maintained composure.
“It’s really nothing. I was just going to say that Knight Isidore’s performance in the mounted tournament was impressive. His swordsmanship is indeed exceptional, as you said.”
“….”
“I was right to ask Knight Isidore to help promote the takeout service. Everyone follows his lead, after all.”
Master silently dropped a sugar cube into his tea, and I pocketed the 10 gold while observing his reaction.
‘Let’s stop here for today.’
In any case, the recipe leak problem was resolved, but another issue remained.
“Master. How are the preparations coming along for next season’s menu?”
“An employee submitted a good idea.”
He handed me the proposal that had come up from the Armand Shop Manager.
“Hmm. That’s quite a good idea.”
While smoothies were still selling well in this heat, there would come a season when their appeal faded as the weather cooled. That’s why I was already preparing autumn menu items at Armand to draw customers’ attention with new offerings.
“At first, these seasonal menus felt like a hassle, but the more we develop them, the more enjoyable and worthwhile they become.”
“See? I told you it would work out.”
I shrugged my shoulders with a knowing air. The seasonal menu was essentially a limited-edition strategy.
‘If they can’t get this drink except during this period, it creates a sense of urgency—they’ll feel compelled to try it before the season ends.’
Since only the seasonal special menu came with two bonus stamps on the loyalty card, customers developed the pleasant illusion that they were drinking something truly exclusive.
By using abundant seasonal ingredients, I could dramatically reduce production costs while cultivating an image of a shop that thoughtfully develops diverse menus for its patrons.
‘I’ve also heard the staff morale has improved.’
Since employees received incentives for contributing good ideas, everyone was actively participating in seasonal menu development. When a menu they helped create actually launched, their sense of belonging and pride would only deepen.
“Oh, and I’m currently conceptualizing a magical tool….”
Curiosity flickered in the Master’s eyes. He’d shown tremendous interest in the blender and whipping machine as well.
“I’ll need to test it first, but something tells me I can pull it off. And conveniently, Beleck Simour—the perfect person for the job—seems to have some free time lately.”
I barely managed to suppress the sigh already rising in my throat.
‘He’s always the most difficult one.’
The second slave was constantly pretending to be busy with excuses, so I had to stay on top of him during his rare idle moments.

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