After going back and forth four times, Ophelia put down her sword.
“All right, Lilian—no, Lily.” Ophelia emphasized the name Lily, cutting straight to the point.
“You don’t need to keep pretending. You’re not really upset at all, are you?”
Honestly, how could someone get happier the more they lost?
Ophelia couldn’t understand it.
At first, her attempts to provoke Lilian’s emotions had actually worked.
But as they kept sparring, Ophelia noticed something strange: Lily was getting more and more cheerful.
The key was, Lily was now able to match her move for move!
Although it was just a few exchanges, and Ophelia’s clothing and shoes weren’t suitable for fighting, she knew very few people in the entire Dawn Empire could manage that.
So, feeling somewhat used, Ophelia immediately stopped their practice.
Lilian glanced at the system panel and pouted regretfully.
【Basic Swordsmanship】
【Lv.1: 35/100】
To be honest, Ophelia’s Read Mind (Pseudo) ability was still too unfair; otherwise, Lilian could have gained even more experience points.
“Let’s get down to business, Lily.”
Saya, showing tact, took the wooden swords from Ophelia and Lilian’s hands and led the two of them to the Captain’s Office.
“I mentioned before that we would meet again. What surprised me was that it would be you who sought me out first.”
Sipping the warm black tea, Ophelia casually placed the cup on the small tea table in front of her.
Lilian’s grip faltered, almost spilling her tea.
What do you mean by ‘I sought you out first’?
Were you planning to come to the Count Cohen Family mansion looking for me?
Ophelia was so mischievous!
Although she didn’t know what Ophelia intended to do at the Count Cohen estate, Lilian couldn’t shake the feeling that her motives weren’t good.
“Let’s get back to the main topic, Your Highness,” Lilian said, steering the conversation back on track.
“I have the Formula for Muscle Recovery Potion, which can be made without runes or spiritual materials. I propose a partnership with Your Highness: I provide the formula, and you handle everything else. We split the profits 70-30. What do you think?”
Lilian got straight to the point.
From the start, she never intended to do business with the knight order alone; after all, the market was too small.
Once the training of those junior knights ended, the demand would drop significantly.
If possible, Lilian wanted a business that could provide steady, long-term income.
Muscle Recovery Potion could be seen as a training aid on a small scale, but on a larger scale, it was military-grade equipment.
This kind of business was typically only entrusted to noble families with ties to the Military.
The Count Cohen Family was definitely out of the question.
Lilian remembered how the Cohen family was destroyed because their power and prestige within the Military made them the target of jealousy and hatred from other nobles, even the Royal Family.
Such an enterprise was a hot potato for any noble family.
They couldn’t control it.
But for Ophelia, it was different.
As long as inheritance issues weren’t involved, Ophelia’s demands and authority were basically fulfilled in full.
So when Lilian heard the knight order needed such a product, the first person she thought of partnering with was Ophelia—to expand the business empire and supply Muscle Recovery Potion across the entire empire.
The knight order alone was too small.
At the same time, Lilian wanted to test Ophelia’s attitude towards her.
Better to take the initiative than wait passively.
This was her chance to seize control.
“Seventy-thirty?” Ophelia raised an eyebrow.
“Procurement of materials, labor for potion-making, transportation, finding buyers, negotiating prices—all of that falls on me. Lilian, you’re being a bit greedy. You’re just providing the formula, yet you want that much?”
Oh, Lilian didn’t expect Ophelia to be so blunt, but she couldn’t argue.
This was almost a case of getting something for nothing, except she provided the intellectual property.
Lilian had expected to take half a share at most, so seventy-thirty was an outrage.
“Then it’s eighty-twenty. No lower.”
Ophelia said nothing else, only sipping her tea calmly and fixing her gaze on Lilian.
Lilian felt the pressure build.
She hadn’t expected Ophelia to be so hard to deal with.
Finally, when Lilian was about to give in, Ophelia spoke.
“If you were any other commoner or minor noble demanding such terms, I would have kicked you out by now. But I can’t—because you’re my Lily.”
Although her face remained expressionless, Ophelia was inwardly very pleased.
That was her Lily.
Lilian wanted to protest what ‘my Lily’ meant, but she knew deep down that she’d already been accepted.
Eighty-twenty was far more than she expected.
Lilian exhaled in relief.
“Ninety-ten,” Ophelia suddenly said. “Lily, don’t be so greedy.”
By conventional tactics, Lilian would pretend the deal was off, leave angrily to test the bottom line, and if Ophelia compromised, she could bargain up to 85-15.
But with Ophelia’s Read Mind (Pseudo) ability, that routine wouldn’t work.
Lilian could only agree.
Considering the share she was getting, she was satisfied.
“Oh, and there’s a small additional condition.”
A bad feeling rose in Lilian’s chest.
“What is it?”
Ophelia caressed her own cheek as if intoxicated by the moment, then looked at Lilian slowly and deliberately said:
“I.”
“Want.”
“You.”
Lilian felt a chill crawl up her spine.
So this was your real intention, Ophelia!
“If it’s that kind of condition, I must refuse!” Lilian responded firmly.
“Your Highness, you should know I don’t have to collaborate with you.”
Ophelia still sat there as if nothing had happened, taking a small sip of tea before continuing:
“Don’t be impatient; I haven’t finished.”
“I want you to never reject it when I call you ‘Lily’.”
Strangely, Ophelia didn’t stress whether Lilian rejected the name, but instead insisted that she was not allowed to reject it.
Lilian did feel uneasy whenever Ophelia called her ‘Lily,’ as if she belonged to her somehow.
But when she heard Ophelia say “I want you,” she suddenly found herself willing to accept it.
Besides, right now, Ophelia was the most suitable partner Lilian could find.
Otherwise, she’d have to wait until she made peace with Elenora and could move freely before going to the guild in the inner city, where more troublesome matters awaited.
Ophelia was definitely the better choice for now, as long as that “I want you” was just an act.
And from what Lilian knew, even if Ophelia knew she understood her secret, she wouldn’t genuinely feel that way inside.
Hadn’t the brave hero in the game struggled so hard to get Ophelia to open her heart?
Lilian had only met Ophelia once and spoken only a few words—how could Ophelia possibly want her?
Thinking this, Lilian relaxed.
“All right, Your Highness.”
“Happy to cooperate, Lily.”
Ophelia smiled brightly, watching Lilian, who was still a bit uncomfortable hearing the name, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards slightly.
After all, Lilian was no longer rejecting the name—a big step forward.
Ophelia had observed how people fell from grace; their bottom lines disappeared one compromise at a time.
As long as she could make Lilian keep compromising step by step,
the day she became hers wouldn’t be far off.
With that thought, Ophelia couldn’t help but smile.
Lilian looked at Ophelia’s raised eyebrows, her eyes full of laughter, and her unhidden smile—and she wondered,
Was it really enough to just call her ‘Lily’ to make her this happy?