Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better?

C154

"In Princesa Deborah, 'The more anxious people are, the more profitable the business is.' What does that mean?

(Generally, the more uncertain the future is, the more people appreciate and worry about it. It means they don't spend much money.)

In response to my words, Marquess Baslein said with a bewildered expression.

Marquess. In such a chaotic state, we need to change our way of thinking.

Change our way of thinking?

As a hint, the business I envision doesn't require any special resources.

Kev Blankan, who is looking for a new investment destination, seemed curious about what I said. He suddenly stopped talking to his wife and looked at me.

It's a quite tempting story. Can I hear the princess's story?

Can I make a request in its place?

Marquess Baslein licked his lips and rubbed his beard roughly.

You made me curious and set conditions. That's not normal. So, what does the princess want from me?

He asked in a hurried voice, as if he didn't have much patience.

If you use the business model I propose to make money, sign a contract to transfer 30% of the net income to me as the idea creator.

Haha! You really have a lot of confidence. Assistant!

Yes, Marquess.

I'm going to write a contract, so bring a sheet of paper and a pen.

Marquess Baslein appeared skeptical, but at the same time, he was glad that I was full of ambition.

As expected, people who like the sea are different. Yes, of course.

"Keep thinking like it's a children's joke."

Since the marquess doesn't usually go to the capital, he probably doesn't know much about Armand's scale, and it's natural for him not to take me seriously because in his eyes, I'm a girl who hasn't even debuted.

After some time, the contract was steadily completed in a form with public credibility.

Alright! Now that the contract has been written, shall we hear what the princess says about a change of thinking?

It's simple... In other words, I mean assuming and managing risks. Most contracts are signed when anxiety is amplified by the appearance of cracks like now.

What I suggested was maritime insurance.

British fire insurance was also created after the Great Fire of London.

Cracks that not only destroyed what they had without knowing the cause but also threatened their lives were a good trigger for the insurance business.

Because everyone wants to be prepared for the worst.

I heard that a maritime accident occurred due to a monster coming out of a crack near Busez County, and many people died.

Princess did a lot of research.

When the head of the family dies, the rest of the family faces a miserable situation of destitution. If they're unlucky, their son may be sold as a slave.

Yes...

To prepare for the worst-case scenario, we make our sailors pay a small amount of money every month. And it's to provide significant compensation to the families of members who have suffered a tragedy.

How would that make money for me?

Marquess Baslein seemed puzzled, as if he had no idea about insurance, while Kev looked serious and thoughtful.

Let's take a simple example. The marquess receives reports every year on both the number of ships leaving and the number of accidents at sea.

Yes.

Assuming the annual accident rate is 1%, and the annual cost to pay is 1 gold with a few hundred subscribers, if the marquess sets the compensation he gives to a person below 100 gold, he is more likely to make a profit even if he pays the compensation.

... This is incredible!

Kev, who was sitting beside him, couldn't contain his excitement and jumped, amazed.

Really, I have never been so surprised this year as today. Turning anxiety into gold is a true change of thinking!

Kev praised me with an animated expression on his face.

"Good."

It was encouraging that he liked it.

Meanwhile, Isidor was laughing heartily, as in Blanchia.

Haha! You're betting on the side where there are no accidents. I think it's similar to the principle of running a casino... As expected, Princess is a genius. I even think I can use this too.

"Isidor's mind... seemed to be working at full speed."

In the insurance business, statistics and data are important.

Having a list and information of sailors entering and leaving the port, the one who receives various reports such as the number of maritime accidents and the frequency of cracks can design an insurance business for their benefit.

In other words, Isidor, who owns an estate on the coast, can also make money from maritime insurance.

... But Princess Deborah, if accidents happen more often than expected, and I have to pay a large compensation several times, wouldn't it be a great loss for me?

Those two smart men seemed to have understood everything already, and Marquess Basilea was starting to grasp it little by little.

Marquess, even if you lose money in total compensation, if you receive gold coins from thousands of sailors every month in exchange for managing the risk, the liquidity of money increases. It will be like a small bank.

The Marquess jumped from his seat at that moment.

Right. Banks lend money deposited by others! Like a bank, I'll be able to play with other people's money!

Marquess Baslein got excited when he finally smelled money.

He even grabbed my hands and shook them up and down.

Recently, the economy has contracted, and there has been a shortage of gold coins, but this is a real business. The princess is like a blessing!

Well, it shouldn't be managed recklessly.

Isidor gently moved the Marquess's hand.

Princess Deborah. Sell me your business model too.

Wait a minute! Uncle. I was the first to sign a contract with Princess Deborah.

When Isidor intervened and acted flirtatious, Marquess Baslein's beard trembled, perhaps because his body was sweeter.

Uncle. After all, isn't that a contract for the sailors entering and leaving their respective territories? It won't matter, as our domains don't overlap.

Now that I think about it, Isidor, you're taking raw profits without giving shares to the princess!

(Literal translation: making profits on top.)

Late, the Marquess seemed to realize that he had given me too many shares in the business.

"A whopping 30 percent."

Anyway, Princess Deborah and I are a partnership, and if we do an insurance business, we plan to give top priority to the summit <Leticia>, which we manage together."

"Is that so?"

It was an idea that suddenly came to my mind, so I didn't have time to think about something so specific. Isidor is mine, so I don't mind giving ideas for free.

At that moment.

"Marquess Baslein. Princess Deborah. I'll speak without beating around the bush. I also want to invest in that insurance business."

"He finally asked."

As I watched Kev, the merchant who seemed about to kneel, I smiled.

Kev is someone who has lately been unable to find a suitable investment destination due to risks everywhere.

For him, this risk management project must be very attractive.

"Kev, you too?"

"As a condition for allowing me to invest, I'll try to find a client in Ferdin where I can sell the copper overproduced on Baslein's estate at a high price."

"Really?"

"Yes. In Ferdin, copper is used to mint coins. If you're in contact with the Royal Family, you can sell quite a bit. By the way, my wife is from the nobility of Ferdin, so I know many royal officials."

Upon hearing Kev's words, Marquess Baslein's face turned even redder.

"I'll even be able to sell the copper that was difficult to handle. Princess Deborah is truly a blessing."

"Marquess Baslein, Kev-nim. How about doing something like this?"

I told both of them quietly.

"I don't know what he'll say this time, but my heart is pounding."

As soon as he sold the copper, the eyes of Marquess Baslein, looking at me, changed so subtly as if I were an angel descending from heaven.

In front of the marquess, who is willing to hear anything, I took out the contract that I had shared with him.

"I'll hand over half of my share, the 30%, written in this contract to Kev-nim."

"Are you serious, princess?"

Marquess Baslein's eyes widened in surprise.

My proposal would have been attractive because after giving Kev a stake in the insurance business in exchange for the copper trade, the remaining stake in the marquess would be further reduced.

"If the Marquess and Kev-nim meet my requirements one by one, I'll review this contract without regrets."

"Come on, tell me."

"First, I'll prepare a new contract."

I looked at both of them and smiled.

* * *

"The person who has probably gained the most in the South today is the princess."

Isidor said with a happy smile on his face.

"Thanks to the wonderful information the duke gave me."

"I only gave some raw pieces that were not processed at all. It was the princess who created this delicious dish."

"Praises are always generous."

The marquess, Kev, and I. In this way, all three of us got what we wanted, and dinner ended very amicably.

And after that, I walked along the shore with Isidor, talking about various things.

"It was a trip where I gained a lot."

I thought again that it was good to come to the South.

In exchange for transferring a stake in a business that hadn't even started, what I received from Marquess Baslein was a monopoly on the coffee beans that would enter Baslein's territory in the future.

"I came here in the first place because I wanted to receive a stable supply of coffee beans."

For reference, Baslein has been bringing exotic spices and silk from the Principality of Ferdin.

Distributing these rare items to traders in the Azutea Empire could generate great profits, but because they were not valuable in Ferdin, there was enough space to load coffee beans in the remaining space of the ship.

As Marquess Baslein, it wasn't a bad deal because he could receive an intermediate fee for the items.

I had achieved my main goal, but there was an even bigger harvest.

I had struck a deal with a couple of merchants who had many connections in the Principality of Ferdin!

Thanks to Kev, not only could I trade with the estate that produced the best coffee beans in Ferdin, but I could also hire coffee experts.

"I finally found them."

Baristas!

"Kev-nim. Are there coffee experts in Ferdin?"

I asked with some hope.

"My wife said there are quite a few servants, serving the nobles, who prepare coffee beans well."

So, I hit the jackpot.

In the Principality of Ferdin, which is the origin of coffee beans and has been drinking coffee for a long time, there were many people who were well-versed in handling coffee beans.

"Princess. We can look for a coffee expert who wants to stay in the empire. There are quite a few people who long for the Empire in the Principality of Ferdin, so it should be easy to find."

I was thinking of buying the knowledge to make delicious coffee from a coffee expert and teaching it to Armand's employees.

If you try, it will work.

As I got closer and closer to the franchise business that I promised Isidor, I had a strange feeling.

Indeed, everything was possible because there was a limousine driver named Maestro who made my trip comfortable.

"Why are you looking at me like that? It makes me want to kiss you."

He lightly pressed his lips against my forehead and pulled away.

"It's a shame that I have to go home soon."

I hit the sand with my toe.

"The sea in front of Visconti Castle is much larger and nicer than here."

Seeing him boasting about his surname and heritage like a child made me laugh.

"When the holidays come, invite me to Visconti territory."

Ah... No, I wonder if the conservative Duke Seymour will allow it, but maybe I can cheat by saying I'm going to Baslein for business.

"For some reason, I feel like I'm using Baslein Castle too much."

"... I'd like that."

"What?"

"Nothing. Aren't you cold?"

"It's a bit cold."

He opened my shawl and slid me into his warm arms.

"It's a big problem because you're becoming more and more beautiful and lovely."

Isidor sighed and hugged me.