Suspicion
"...The House of Count Dogeza?" Seldas muttered, rubbing his chin. "Indeed. If it's them, utilizing the manpower shouldn't be an issue."
"Then the request is to arrange a meeting with Count Dogeza. How long will it take to complete?"
"A single day is enough. I will send a carrier pigeon once Count Dogeza arrives."
Efficient. To think a single day would be enough. At that rate, isn't he basically just factoring in travel time? No wonder they're the Empire's top dark guild.
I wrote down the necessary materials on a piece of paper and handed it to Seldas. "We will return tomorrow, then."
Franche and I stood up from our seats and left the tavern.
Franche spoke. "Fortunately, everything seems to have gone smoothly."
"Indeed. However, My Lady."
Franche looked up at me with a soft, "Hmm?"
"It seems we need to start your lessons on negotiation."
Negotiation. A skill that anyone involved in business and management must master. Even without those two professions, negotiation is useful everywhere. For instance, when buying clothes, or haggling for side dishes at the market, and so on. Currently, Franche possessed zero negotiation skills.
"My Lady, starting today, we will temporarily pause our mathematics studies and focus on negotiation."
"Negotiation? Is that something I really need to learn?"
Of course. You're the president of France Corporation. Although it's technically structured into departments, I can't run the entire thing by myself.
And above all else... I had to keep building Franche's capabilities to prepare for when I eventually disappeared. What was the point of growing her business and making her the most powerful figure in the Empire if she couldn't sustain it? Without the proper skills, everything would crumble.
"My Lady, you are the head of France Corporation. I cannot do everything for you. We must prepare so that situations like earlier do not happen again."
"I see," Franche murmured, nodding her head.
"First, I will explain how to negotiate."
With Franche listening intently, I posed a question first. "Now, My Lady. Why do you think negotiation is necessary?"
"Hmm. Because it is an effective way to resolve conflicts or specific problems?"
"Correct. That is its most fundamental purpose."
Understanding the fundamental purpose was enough. I explained all the golden rules of negotiation that I knew—what was most important, what kind of posture to adopt, and the basic concepts she needed to grasp.
Franche nodded, murmuring, "I see."
"So, in short, it is something like this? Establish clear, objective standards, do not get bound by your position, and seek practical benefits."
Oh, yes. Exactly that.
"That is correct."
"And," Franche continued, "since there is no such thing as a perfect negotiation, one must compromise to some extent. Be firm on the issues, but gentle in interpersonal relations, correct?"
I smiled faintly and nodded. "Correct. And the most important thing?"
"To absolutely maintain the upper hand over the other party."
"And?"
"Never appear desperate for your objective."
Clap, clap. I clapped my hands together in applause.
"All correct. And do you remember the response I told you to give when we first met Seldas?"
"Of course I remember. 'If he is an information broker who loves money, we should treat him accordingly. Did you expect to buy information for free?' That was it, right?"
"Yes. That response carried a lot of weight. Do you know what it implied?"
Franche stroked her chin, lost in thought. After a brief silence, she spoke. "First, it showed him that we are not easy targets, and it piqued his curiosity, right?"
She's a straight-A student. I didn't expect her to grasp it this quickly. Well, I was just utilizing what I'd heard from my college professors and applying game knowledge, but since I would be the one feeding her information, it didn't matter. This was also why I had recruited Seldas. When I disappeared, Seldas's information network would take over my role. Thinking about it put my mind at ease.
"Correct. While that specific method only works on Seldas, you will have plenty of opportunities to use similar tactics in the future. There is no shortage of people like him."
"And," I continued, "do you remember when I said not to get bound by your position and to seek practical benefits?"
Franche nodded.
"That statement is half right and half wrong."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what it sounds like." What I had taught her was based on modern Earth knowledge. There was no need to strictly adhere to that method in a world where noble titles actually existed.
"To be precise, you should not let yourself be constrained by your position, but you must exploit your title as a lady to the fullest. That alone is enough to give you the upper hand in any negotiation."
Franche continued to listen to me intently.
"Anyway, once you have secured the upper hand, you state your business. The key here is to emphasize that even without them, you have other options."
This tied directly back to what we discussed earlier: never appearing desperate. If you showed even a hint of desperation? You would never be able to shift the dynamics of the negotiation.
"To sum it up: use your title as a lady to establish dominance, present various alternatives during the negotiation, and then explain the specific reason why you chose them out of all those options."
Franche's eyes gleamed. "By explaining why we chose them, we show respect for their honor. That falls under the category of interpersonal relations, doesn't it?"
"Correct. Spot on."
"It is surprisingly simple."
Even if it seemed simple because it was just theory, the vast majority of people failed to truly grasp it. Back in my college days, I used to sit in lectures thinking, What on earth is this professor talking about? It was only later, through grueling group projects, that I finally understood.
"Your practical test is tomorrow. You will be the one negotiating with Count Dogeza, My Lady."
"This is an important business negotiation. Is it really alright for me to handle it?"
"It is perfectly fine to make mistakes. In fact, we learn the most from our failures."
There were still plenty of real-world battles left to fight in the future. Making mistakes was fine. Humans naturally learned through a continuous cycle of trial and error. If things went south, I would step in. We had to maintain a good relationship with Count Dogeza; he was someone we absolutely needed to bring on board as a business partner.
"So there is no need to worry. Everything will turn out fine. After all, hasn't everything been improving ever since I arrived?"
Franche offered a faint smile. "That is true. Trusting you and following your lead has never steered me wrong. I will give it a try."
Yes. You need to gradually build your strength and prepare for independence. Before I am completely consumed by Jin, while I can still live as Kim Gongryak.
"A wise decision. Let us wrap up our preparations for the deal with Count Dogeza here. Since you will eventually have to lead France Corporation on your own, let us continue studying."
In an instant, Franche's expression turned ice-cold. A chilling sensation crept up the back of my neck and rapidly spread throughout my entire body.
"Lead it on my own? Where will you be?"
"Pardon?"
"Come to think of it, I have never heard it from you."
"Heard what, My Lady?"
"That you will stay by my side forever."
What? Did she notice something?
"You have been constantly evading the question. Are you planning to leave me someday?"
"Uh..." Why is she so quick-witted? How should I answer this? I have to dodge it somehow. If I just blindly say no, it'll be nothing but a deception, and I'll end up betraying her trust in the end... This was the answer I settled on:
"Since I am a slave, it is not as if I can easily leave, can I?"
I didn't say I would leave. But I didn't say I would stay, either. It was a rather ambiguous answer, but it was the best response I could give under the circumstances.
"Hmm... You still refuse to say you will never leave."
Damn. She caught on. And here I thought it was the perfect answer.
"You said it yourself, didn't you? That you were on my side."
"I did..."
"And I told you back then, didn't I? That the promise was broken."
Franche leaned her face closer to mine as she spoke. The light had completely vanished from her eyes.
"Once the promise is fulfilled, will you leave? Will you disappear once your goal is accomplished?"
What is this? This is getting genuinely terrifying. My heart began to race wildly. A cold shiver ran down my spine, and goosebumps broke out across my skin.
"In that case, I must absolutely never release your Slave Brand. I should think of a way to strengthen the brand soon."
Uh, that's a bit problematic. Well, it didn't matter too much. I had already prepared a countermeasure in case of the worst-case scenario where Franche refused to release the Slave Brand.
"No answer. I suppose it was true, then?"
"If it truly makes you uneasy, you may strengthen the Slave Brand. I do not mind."
"Really? If we strengthen it further from this state, you will never be able to break the Slave Brand, you know?"
There is a way. It was just that the conditions were incredibly demanding. Still, with Jin's body and my knowledge, it wouldn't be an issue.
"Yes, as long as the Slave Brand remains, you will never be able to leave my side. Because you will be my first ally, and my last."
"What do you mean by 'last ally'?"
"You see," Franche said, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Unless someone belongs to me completely, I do not trust them. How could I ever know when they might betray me?"
"...Is that why you purchased a slave?"
The left corner of Franche's mouth curled upward. "Indeed. But if I had simply gone to a regular slave trader, they would only have mediocre stock, wouldn't they? That is why I went to an information broker in the duchy to purchase a proper slave."
Franche pointed her index finger at me. "There, I obtained information on a man named Jin Barenberg. That the prince of a fallen kingdom, defeated in war, would soon be put up for sale as a slave."
So that's how Jin Barenberg became a slave. Come to think of it, the way to unlock the hidden ending with Jin Barenberg in the game was to play as Somire and head straight to the underground auction from the very beginning. Purchasing Jin Barenberg there was what unlocked his hidden route. But for Franche Decartes, her life had been a hidden ending from the very start.
"From the very beginning, I decided on the person who would be my sole ally, and I brought him to me. So, if you were to betray me... that would be unacceptable, wouldn't it?"
Franche kept her gaze locked onto me. Betrayal, she said. I had only acted for her sake, to save her from suffering in this story, and in the end, I was going to act to save my own life. But could that really be called betrayal? Franche, if I stay with you, I will eventually disappear. If I completely absorb Jin Barenberg's personality, can that really be considered 'me'? They say the fear of the unknown is the greatest fear a human can experience. I was terrified of that unknown. What would happen once I fully integrated Jin's personality? Would I truly vanish? Or would the core of Kim Gongryak remain intact while only my personality shifted? There was absolutely no information to go on. Thus, to escape that terror, I would fulfill the duties I had set for myself and quietly slip away.
"My Lady."
"What is it?" At my call, Franche looked up at me with clear, wide eyes.
"Actually, there is a reason for all of this."
"What is it?"
"I truly intended to keep it hidden, but..."
"I am listening, so speak."
Should I really tell her this? A wave of doubt washed over me. This body wouldn't die, but the person that was 'me' would disappear. As I hesitated with a conflicted expression, Franche tilted her head and asked, "What is the matter?"
Countless thoughts flashed through my mind in a split second. Worry over what Franche would do once I was gone. And a pang of guilt, wondering if this act itself was nothing but a deception. But I couldn't turn back on my choice. Therefore, I would explain my situation in a way she could best understand.
"I am terminally ill."