A Lucrative Partnership

"Ah... Nngh..."

Inside the transparent cup, Juliana's nipple was being pulled by the vacuum. Her nipple and the surrounding flesh were slowly drawn inward, swelling plumply. The breast milk was indeed real. A white liquid beaded at the tip of her nipple, then began to drip.

"Oh... It's coming out, Juliana."

"Kuh..."

Watching the milk leak out drop by drop, Juliana seemed to feel an intense sense of humiliation. Indeed, as a mother, having the very symbol of her maternity forcibly milked out must not be an easy thing to accept. However, perhaps a few drops were simply not enough to satisfy the required dosage? The amount of milk being produced was truly nothing more than a slow trickle of droplets. It felt like it would take far too long to gather even a single sip. Hmm, is there another way? Perhaps it was a matter of posture. When milking cows at a dairy farm, the udders face downward to enlist the help of gravity. Right now, Juliana's breasts were facing straight ahead. This might be the reason why the extraction was so sluggish.

"My, at this rate... we won't even have a few drops after thirty minutes. This won't do. Juliana, please stand up and place both hands on the desk."

Juliana replied in a submissive—or rather, masochistic—voice.

"...Yes..."

Juliana seemed to understand my intentions perfectly. Standing up, she didn't just rest her arms on the desk; she bent her upper body deeply, adopting a posture akin to stretching. I placed the breast pump's collection container, which had been on the desk, down on the floor. Looking up at Juliana from this lower vantage point offered a truly spectacular view. They were long. Describing breasts as "long" is the ultimate compliment. In this kingdom, only Carmel and Juliana were capable of such a feat. Furthermore, pulled downward by gravity, Juliana's breasts looked even more magnificent in both size and shape. Even the slight vibration of her breathing caused those mesmerizing breasts to sway, the amplitude of their trembling growing larger toward the tips.

Changing her posture was remarkably effective. The speed at which the milk beaded was noticeably faster than before, when I had to wait just to see a single drop form. *Drip.* A bead of breast milk fell and flowed into the tube of the pump. It was certainly better than before, but it still seemed far from enough to gather a meaningful amount. In that case, there was only one method left.

"Excuse me for a moment, Juliana."

"Yes? W-Wait... Hngh, ahhh...!"

I stepped closer to Juliana, cupping both of her breasts simultaneously and squeezing them gently. I massaged them as if coaxing the contents downward, but not too harshly. It was my first time touching Juliana's breasts directly. Compared to Carmel's, they were far softer. This, too, might have been an effect of the Lactation Potion.

"Haah, ah...! It's—it's being squeezed out..."

There was an undeniably lewd tone to Juliana's voice. To a masochist like her, even this situation probably felt like a reward. This physical intervention yielded great results. With every squeeze, white droplets fell like dripping rain—*drip, drip, drip.*

"My, the breast milk is actually... It's a success, Juliana."

"Haah, haah... Ah...! Hngh...!"

I continued to milk her, alternating between both breasts. Juliana's groans were becoming increasingly explicit. The potion's duration was thirty minutes. If I kept milking her at this pace for the full thirty minutes, we would easily gather enough to be commercially viable. *Squeeze.*

"Hngh...!"

When I squeezed a bit harder, Juliana writhed her hips and let out a wanton moan. A dark, damp stain was gradually spreading across the tight, elegant trousers of her suit.

Thirty minutes passed. Juliana sat exhausted in her chair, trying to catch her breath. I placed the vial filled with the milky-white liquid in front of the merchant. Although his face was hidden, a sense of delight radiated from his entire body.

"Hyohyohyohyo! Thank you, Princess Sera Rustier. To think I would receive such a precious item... I would love to do business with you often in the future. Of course, a lowly person like myself is hardly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fit to frequent the royal palace, but still."

The items this suspicious merchant dealt in were remarkably high-performance when it came to the lewd arts. I, too, was interested in establishing a regular trade relationship with him.

"If you ever wish to meet me, please leave a message at the headquarters of the Roberts Merchant Guild. It would also make purchasing much easier if you had a catalog."

"A catalog, you say... Our supply of goods is rather ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠irregular, so it would be difficult to prepare such a thing. However, should I acquire any items worthy of Princess Sera Rustier, I shall be sure to contact you."

Listening to the merchant, a sudden curiosity struck me. The Tentacle Patch, these special potions... The items he sold were so extraordinary that even Juliana, a brilliant mage and the Chancellor of the Academy, coveted them. Where on earth did he obtain such things?

"Excuse me, Mr. Merchant. How should I address you? I cannot simply keep calling you 'merchant' forever."

"Hyohyo! I have no name in particular. What use does a wandering merchant have for a name? However, if Princess Sera Rustier wishes to know, I shall share a name I once held. I am called Iscarade."

"Iscarade... That is not a typical Rustier name."

"Indeed, as I mentioned, I am but a wanderer."

The merchant carefully tucked the vial of Juliana's breast milk into his bag and closed his travel case. As he did, I asked him one more question.

"What is your true identity? Is there a reason you must conceal your appearance?"

"Princess Sera Rustier, you certainly have many questions. Yet, you would only be disappointed if you knew the truth. I am a nobody—merely a person who delivers what is needed to where it is needed. My role is far more important than my appearance."

I chuckled softly and spoke as if making a joke.

"A person who delivers what is needed to where it is needed... Are you even human?"

Iscarade shrugged, picked up his travel case, and stepped out of the room, leaving behind his peculiar, echoing laughter. *Hyohyohyo...*

"You did wonderful today, Juliana."

"...Yes..."

Her voice was devoid of energy. It didn't seem to be mere physical fatigue. Perhaps it was because of what had just transpired. To be fair, Juliana had done quite a lot for me so far. Developing the adult toys I requested, modifying the Earth Dragon's Gauntlet... Even if these tasks aligned with her eccentric hobbies, it was undeniable that she had poured her heart and soul into them. Because of that, Juliana might have developed a sense of partnership with me in her own way. A business partner who understood her tastes and shared the same vision. Her current reaction might stem from that trust being shaken. In the situation just now, she might have felt like she was being treated as nothing more than a useful tool.

Well, in truth, our relationship was indeed one of absolute submission. It was a bond forged entirely through her weaknesses and my blackmail. I kept her around simply because I had use for her abilities. If she were to lose her value or outlive her usefulness, I wouldn't feel even a shred of remorse in casting her aside. However, if Juliana was beginning to harbor that kind of trust, there was no reason not to exploit it.

I spoke to the dejected Juliana.

"Shall we have a little chat, Juliana?"

"...About what?"

"This was actually what I intended to bring up today, but I couldn't because the merchant arrived so suddenly. Regarding those dildos you made... have you ever thought about selling them?"

"What? Selling them?"

"Yes. You have been suffering from a chronic lack of research funds, haven't you? What if we select the prototypes that meet our quality standards and sell them through the distribution channels of the Roberts Merchant Guild?"

The items Juliana crafted possessed a level of sophistication that far surpassed the current era. There would be no shortage of wealthy, perverted nobles willing to spend fortunes on such novelties. Of course, we would have to approach this discreetly.

"...Can't you just take them and sell them as you please? After all, someone like me is just..."

My, look at this grown woman sulking like a child...

I jotted down a few words and figures on a piece of paper resting on the desk and slid it over to her.

"This is the price range I am thinking of."

Seeing the figures, Juliana's face filled with astonishment.

"T-This much...?"

"Yes. Even in my eyes, the quality of your creations is superb. They are likely among the finest in the entire kingdom—no, the entire continent. I believe they will easily sell at this price."

"...Ahem."

It wasn't mere flattery. The very fact that she had been chosen by a Grimoire proved that her skills were of the absolute highest caliber.

"Furthermore, I will give you eighty percent of the profits. How does that sound?"

"E-Eighty percent...? Are you serious...?"

"Of course. Such treatment is only natural for a genius like you."

Juliana tapped her fingers slightly, seemingly running the calculations in her head. Before long, a bright, lively color returned to her face. It's best to leave her to chew on this for a bit. I picked up the case containing the Earth Dragon's Gauntlet and stood up.

"Think it over carefully, then. I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shall look forward to a positive response the next time I visit."

"Ah, oh, yes!"

Juliana hurriedly rose to see me off. She was a completely different person from the dejected soul of moments ago. Easy. So very easy.