Chapter 216: The Reeking Scent of a Black Cow
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 216: The Reeking Scent of a Black Cow
I had done some mental rehearsals, expecting a barrage of sexual harassment or misandry, but the conversation was flowing surprisingly smoothly.
"How surprising. You possess insights far beyond your years..."
Despite the significant age gap, the way she maintained her etiquette and used formal honorifics was a far cry from the cold evaluation I’d heard from Morian—who had called her a 'crazy, trashy bitch.'
My mental age was already that of an adult, and since I often discussed politics and business with Ophelia to learn the insights expected of a Duchess’s son, I was more than capable of demonstrating the knowledge and intuition necessary to keep up with a corporate Chairwoman.
"You flatter me. I’m quite embarrassed."
I covered my mouth with my hand and let out a light chuckle. It seemed as though the countless malicious slanders and vivid horror stories Morian had spat out were all lies.
Her sharp eyes and overall appearance gave off the vibe of a wicked female executive from a movie, but in actual conversation, she was intellectual and full of consideration.
When talking to Morian, she was often so deep in her own world that I frequently felt the urge to snap, 'What the hell are you even talking about, you geek?' But Morrigan, perhaps because she ran a major corporation instead of being part of some cancerous social cartel, was able to maintain a dialogue that even a non-expert could understand.
Of course, I wasn't interested in the slightest, but there was no reason to leave a bad impression on a beautiful woman with massive influence—and even more massive breasts. So, I simply played along, laughing and smiling.
As someone in the service industry who made a living catering to the various needs of many Big Sisters, I found listening to stories about corporate mergers quite entertaining.
"I secured a 5% stake in the logistics company through a White Knight. After blocking the hostile takeover, I planned to create a competitor to Morian’s integrated platform, and in addition to that, I acquired about three more companies of similar size. I promised shares of the consolidated company to Chairwoman Hindel Dun Vurdia—who could be considered the Empress’s closest confidant—and successfully integrated the firms early this year.
Due to various promises of interests and the distribution of stakes, I gave away 49% of the shares, but since I held 51% under my personal name, it is effectively my company. It will be a structure where it's difficult to see a profit for a few years, but the calculations showed that the loss is at a level I can tolerate when considering the various tangible and intangible secondary benefits to be gained through this platform business.
First, however, I’ll have to share the personal information of the males using the platform, as the Empress requested."
"...Personal information on males?"
"It’s similar to the Academy."
The word 'Academy' dragged up memories from the depths of my mind.
"...You mean the system that evaluates students based on their entrance scores and subsequently monitors their grades and peer relationships?"
"Ah, so you do know. There’s a limit to being starved for men; I truly don't know what she's thinking."
Morrigan shook her head with a look of pathetic disdain.
It had been two years since the Academy was established, and I couldn't even fathom how high Her Majesty the Empress’s standards must be if she still hadn't found a groom.
This was a place where the children of influential families from the United Kingdom, the Empire, the Empire's vassal states, and the Undersea Kingdom were gathered—not to mention the geniuses scouted from the common folk. To think she still hasn't found someone to 'groom' into a husband... our Empress...
Wait, 'our.' I live in the United Kingdom, so it’s more accurate to say 'your' Empress.
Anyway, it was clear that your Empress had no intention of getting married.
"Evaluating men... isn't that a bit of an archaic way of thinking?"
"I don't pay much mind to social norms or common conventions. Of course, it’s not that those perspectives aren't uncomfortable, but they aren't things I care about as long as I achieve great things myself."
Her mindset was incredibly progressive.
Compared to the toxic remarks my mother’s friends spat out when they first met me, Ms. Morrigan was practically an angel.
You probably remember the lines: 'They need to be beaten once every three days,' 'There needs to be a curfew,' 'They're incompetent,' 'They're like parasites.'
Of course, I was currently 'educating' those old maids by plowing their holes and engraving the fact that I wasn't just a man, but a male, so they couldn't spout such nonsense anymore. But the gaze that looked down on and belittled other men besides me remained unchanged!
Since continuing this conversation would just be patting myself on the back, it was better to move on to another topic.
"Could you tell me more about that first logistics company merger you mentioned earlier? The summary was good, but it sounds like such an exciting story that I'd love to hear the details."
"Of course. At the time, I added the 20% stake the company held publicly to become the de facto largest shareholder. After the successful White Knight maneuver, I took actual ownership through a double contract. During the negotiations with the board of directors, I included a toxic pill provision..."
This was actually exciting—much more so than talk about technology or new market potential.
After the meal, we had three or four cups of tea while I catered to Morrigan’s mood.
The stories weren't that interesting, but I figured it wasn't a bad trade for a day's worth of service. It wasn't hard to play the part of the 'Haha, Chairwoman~ that's so interesting! You're the best! Is there more?' for a diligent, big-chested, beautiful Big Sister who had become a major benefactor for the movie I was filming.
As the conversation wound down and my curfew approached, the atmosphere naturally shifted toward leaving.
"I hope we can have more gatherings like this. I feel like I’ve made a like-minded friend."
"I enjoyed it too, Morrigan Noona. I hope we can meet again soon."
Since she was a sponsor, I figured it wouldn't hurt to meet and talk occasionally. Plus, because she had babbled on about her future plans, I could probably make a nice nest egg by buying up a bunch of stocks in advance!
We parted ways on very friendly terms.
***
"We meet again, Morrigan Noona. Are you here to see the director?"
"Yes, among other things. I wanted to see our lead actor."
The day after the sponsorship meeting, Morrigan visited the movie set. We exchanged greetings and went our separate ways without much fuss.
The next day.
"Is there a problem with the movie?"
"No, I just had some free time and came to check in. I bought these because I thought of you."
Morrigan gave me a bouquet of flowers.
Since I was the type of person who thought flowers were a waste of money, I gave them to the sow waiting for me at home.
The day after that.
"Filming is progressing faster than I expected. I thought it would take at least several months..."
"I won't have time once school starts, so we're intensively filming only my parts. Since both Morian Noona and Morrigan Noona provided so much support, we were able to build all the sets at once!"
The director was practically in tears, saying she had never had such a plentiful budget, and was smiling every day during filming.
Well, only during my scenes. I heard that at the filming location for Luinal—the white-haired, red-eyed, busty elf who had snatched the lead female role again despite me ignoring her calls—there was constant swearing and shouting. But as long as it wasn't me, I didn't care!
Anyway, the day after that.
"Is he a natural-born actor? How are there no NGs? His crying was so natural I found myself sniffing along. You're amazing, our Yong-hwan~!"
"Did you see him wipe his tears and act like nothing happened the moment the 'OK' was called? It’s almost enough to give me goosebumps..."
"Hey! If you're going to talk about our Yong-hwan like that, get lost!"
I let the staff sisters stroke my hair while receiving snacks as offerings and listening to their praise.
"Sorry, sorry, Yong-hwan. Noona was talking nonsense. I'm sorry. Do you want this snack~?"
Since there were almost no NGs when I was filming, we were churning through the footage with eight-hour daily shoots. The director said we’d only have to work hard for about two more weeks. While I was sucking on the snacks and drinks the sisters gave me, wondering what the food truck would serve today...
"Ms. Morrigan, you're here again...?"
"Yes, I just finished my work. Have you eaten? I bought lunch boxes for the actors and staff."
Morrigan had shown up yet again.
"Ah, Director. Would it be possible to borrow the lead actor for about two hours? He’s working so hard, I’d like to feed him something delicious."
"...You can have him for three hours. Please feed him plenty of good food before sending him back!"
The director, who was utterly powerless in the face of capital, sold me off to Ms. Morrigan. I ended up having lunch at a high-end restaurant that required a ten-minute helicopter ride from the set.
The next day.
I passed the crying scene on the first try and the suffering scene on the second, so progress was flying. Meanwhile, trailers loaded with buffet food sent by Morrigan were pulling in one by one.
"Have we ever been treated like this? I heard they usually skimp on food costs because the budget for this kind of shoot is dirt cheap."
"The Chairwoman says she's a fan of our Yong-hwan. I've filmed four movies for that woman, and this is the first time the welfare has been this good. I love it."
The staff sisters began to look blissful as they moved equipment, watching the hotel buffet chefs prepare everything.
"...Because of today's filming schedule, the 'rental' is only for one hour."
"That’s a bit tight. Would it be alright if I ate here with him?"
"I'll give you two hours."
When Morrigan suggested eating together, the staff looked horrified and shook their heads, but the director promptly handed me over to Morrigan for two hours.
It was around this time that I began to detect the unmistakable, pungent scent of a 'Black Cow' wafting off Morrigan Siador.
We used a teleportation magic circle to travel to a different region of the United Kingdom just to visit a hotel that was famous for its drake steaks.
For the record, the transportation cost more than the food.
If I kept letting this 'Black Cow' sister with the villainous looks treat me every time, our relationship was going to get weird.
It was time to pull out my trump card.