Chapter 30: Business Proposal, Gaining Royalty
"I wasn’t sure if you’d remember with everything else going on."
"You made it sound important. What did you want to talk about?" Draco replied, adjusting his own bag.
Instead of answering immediately, Lyra glanced around at the other students still walking out of the academy grounds.
"Let’s not do it here. I want to take you somewhere, maybe we can talk on the way there?" she said, asking for his permission rather than simply assuming he would follow.
Draco nodded without hesitation. He had already agreed to this conversation, and backing out now wouldn’t make sense. "Lead the way."
As they began walking through the city streets, Lyra remained unusually quiet for the first few minutes. Aurelius trotted beside them, occasionally glancing up at his master as if sensing her internal debate about how to begin.
[Master, she’s thinking really hard about something. I can tell from how her dog keeps looking at her.] Zephyr whispered from his position.
Finally, Lyra broke the silence with her usual directness.
"My family wants to meet you."
Draco raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment immediately, waiting for her to elaborate on what had prompted such an unusual request.
Seeing his expectant expression, Lyra continued with a slight flush of embarrassment. "I mentioned your shampoo product to my father, told him about the amazing results and how it’s completely different from anything available in the market. He was... very interested."
Ah, so that’s what this is about.
"My father has been in the merchant trade for over twenty years," Lyra explained as they walked. "He has an eye for profitable innovations, and when I described what your shampoo could do, he immediately wanted to meet you personally to discuss potential business opportunities."
Draco nodded thoughtfully.
Perfect. I was planning to initiate this kind of partnership myself, but since she’s brought it to me, I have the upper hand in negotiations.
The timing couldn’t have been better. He had been preparing to approach various merchant families about licensing his shampoo recipe, but having the Brightwind family come to him first gave him significant leverage in any potential deal.
Soon they arrived at Lyra’s family residence, and Draco couldn’t help but be impressed by the scale of the property. The house was well built, not quite as massive as the Von Ashblade noble estate, but clearly belonging to a wealthy merchant family with serious resources.
The building was well-maintained stone and timber construction, with multiple wings and what appeared to be separate areas for business operations and family living. Guards were stationed at various points around the property, and Draco was able to sense their unhidden strength levels.
Elite-rank awakeners as guards. Impressive, but this definitely isn’t the full extent of their security. Rich merchant families don’t advertise all their protection.
Walking through the main entrance, Lyra led him directly toward what was clearly the business section of the house. She didn’t waste time with unnecessary pleasantries or tours, maintaining her straightforward personality even in this formal setting.
I respect that. She’s not trying to impress me with wealth or put on airs. Just business.
"Father’s study is just ahead," Lyra said as they approached a heavy wooden door marked with brass fittings. "Fair warning, he’s going to be very direct about what he wants to know. Don’t take it personally; it’s just how he conducts business."
Draco smiled slightly. "I appreciate directness."
Knock-Knock!
A dee voice came from inside the study. "Come in."
Lyra pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside, with Draco following close behind. The study was impressive but practical, lined with bookshelves containing ledgers, trade documents, and reference materials. A large desk stood at the center of the room, covered with maps, contracts, and what appeared to be profit calculations.
Behind the desk sat a man in his forties with graying brown hair and sharp, hazelnut eyes that immediately assessed Draco from head to toe.
"Father, this is Draco," Lyra said simply, gesturing toward her companion. "Draco, this is my father, Marcus Brightwind."
Marcus stood up and extended his hand across the desk with a firm grip. "Mr. Draco. I’ve heard some very interesting things about a product you’ve developed."
"Mr. Brightwind, pleasure to meet you," Draco replied, returning the handshake with equal firmness. "Lyra mentioned you might be interested in discussing business opportunities."
"Indeed." Marcus gestured toward two chairs positioned in front of his desk. "Please, sit. Lyra, you as well, this concerns your judgment as much as the business opportunity itself."
As they settled into their seats, Marcus leaned back in his chair and fixed Draco with an intense but non-threatening stare. "My daughter tells me you’ve created something that makes hair smell pleasant and feel softer than anything currently available in the market. She also says the effects are noticeable to those around you."
He paused, tapping his fingers on the desk. "In my experience, when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. So before we discuss any business arrangements, I’d like to see a demonstration of this miraculous product."
"Of course," Draco replied calmly. "I expected you’d want to verify the claims before considering any partnership. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have accepted the proposal had you not thoroughly checked the item."
Marcus smiled slightly, clearly pleased with Draco’s response. "Good. Too many young inventors get offended when experienced merchants want proof. Shall we proceed with the demonstration?"
Draco nodded before reaching into his bag and carefully extracting one of his single-use sample bottles. The small vial contained just enough shampoo for one application, perfect for demonstrations like this.
"May I?" Marcus asked, extending his hand toward the sample.
Draco handed over the bottle without hesitation. "Of course."
Marcus uncorked the vial and brought it to his nose, inhaling carefully. His eyes immediately brightened with interest as the subtle but pleasant fragrance of rosemary and mint reached him. The scent was clean and appealing without being overwhelming, exactly what a discerning merchant would look for in a mass-market product.
"The fragrance is certainly impressive," Marcus admitted, though his tone remained cautious.
"But the other claims about softness and conditioning effects... those would need practical verification."
Lyra looked up from where she had been quietly observing the interaction. "Can I try it? I want to test it myself."
Marcus turned toward Draco with a questioning expression. "Would it be acceptable for us to use this sample for a full demonstration?"
"Of course, you can. The effects speak for themselves." Draco replied with confidence.
Marcus nodded approvingly and handed the sample to his daughter. "Go ahead, Lyra. Give it a thorough test."
Lyra left the study, presumably heading to their private washing facilities. Aurelius remained in the room, settling comfortably near his master’s chair while the two men waited.
[Master, they seem really interested. The man’s eyes got bigger when he smelled it.]
’Of course, Zephyr. This product will be our bread and butter soon, I will be able to buy you more meat if everything goes well.’ Draco said through their telepathic connection, earning a soft giggle and happy chirp from Zephyr.
[Meat!]
About five minutes passed before Lyra returned, and the transformation was noticeable to those in the room.