A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night-Chapter 69: Melissa-the negotiator (2/2)
"No. The statue will sell for at least 2.5 million at auction, and I won’t settle for anything less than that." She turned her attention back to Bertha. "1.6 million is the absolute lowest I will accept for it. If you can’t match that, I’ll be taking the statue elsewhere, and you won’t have the chance to sell it."
Bertha paused for a long moment, clearly weighing her options. She knew that if she pushed too hard, she might lose out on a sale entirely. Yet, she was also running a business, and she didn’t want to make a bad deal that could hurt her bottom line.
"Your Highness, can you give us a moment to discuss?" Kaiser interrupted their conversation, dragging the manager with him.
As Bertha took the statue into the back room, Kael’s senses went into overdrive. His enhanced hearing allowed him to eavesdrop on the conversation between the auction house manager and the master appraiser, Kaiser. Though he couldn’t see them, he could pick up every word they spoke.
Kaiser’s voice, low but filled with conviction, reached Kael’s ears: "You should take the offer, Miss Bertha. I’m confident the statue can fetch at least 3 million gold coins if we sell it directly to our special clients. We have collectors who would pay that for such a rare piece. Moonstone House might look this way right now, but its history is rich. And besides, this is clearly the work only Master Blacksmith Orren can pull off. His reputation alone could drive the price higher."
Kael’s eyes narrowed, hearing the mention of Orren. The master blacksmith was well-known, a craftsman of legendary skill. The appraisal by Kaiser made sense; Kael didn’t consider his reputation. He could only inwardly sigh as he thought. "To become the richest man, I need to learn how to be as blackhearted as these fellows."
After a brief silence, Bertha returned to the front room with a new offer on the table. She looked at Melissa and Kael, her expression guarded but professional.
"I’ve discussed it with the appraiser," Bertha said, placing the new terms on the table. "Here’s what we can do: 1.2 million gold coins in direct payment and another 400,000 gold coins in Auction House credits. These credits can be used to bid on anything in our auctions in the future."
Melissa’s brow furrowed as she considered the proposal. She didn’t like the idea of being forced to buy items from the Auction House instead of making direct sales. "That’s not a fair deal," she said firmly. "You’re asking us to purchase from you when we came to sell. If you’re offering Auction House credits, the payment should be higher. 1.2 million gold coins direct payment, and 800 thousand in credits, or there’s no deal."
Kael watched as Bertha glanced at the appraiser for confirmation.
After a brief exchange of silent looks with the appraiser, Bertha sighed, clearly reluctant but resigned. She nodded and then turned to face Kael and Melissa. "Alright," she said with a tight smile. "1.2 million gold coins in direct payment, and 800,000 gold coins worth in Auction House credits. We have a deal."
A contract was swiftly drawn up, and the terms were finalized. The statue was handed over, and the agreed payment was made readily. The Auction House credits were given in the form of bonds, which not only have an unlimited expiry date, but their value would also increase by 10% on the first of every financial year (Rainmoon/Fourth month). Kael couldn’t help but be impressed by Melissa’s negotiating skills.
He turned to her with a smile and a hint of admiration in his voice. "You’re born to be a negotiator, aren’t you? I’m lucky to have you on my side."
Melissa blushed slightly at his praise, looking away for a moment before smiling shyly. "I just know what’s fair. And I always try to make sure we don’t get taken advantage of."
Kael chuckled softly, his admiration for her growing. It wasn’t just her business acumen that impressed him—it was the way she handled herself with quiet confidence and poise. "I’m lucky," he repeated, his voice full of genuine appreciation.
With the 1.2 million gold coins from the auction deal in hand, Kael and Melissa made their way to the shipyard just to take a look. And they had a lot of time in their hand.
By the time they got there, it was almost dusk.
The site itself was sprawling, with various wooden docks stretching along the river. Ships, some half-built and others already completed, were lined up on the water, their sails fluttering in the breeze. The smell of fresh timber and the sounds of workers hammering and sawing filled the air.
Melissa quickly got to work, inspecting the shipyard’s financials and past accounts, ensuring everything was in order. She scanned over the records with a sharp eye, noting the shipyard’s history and its current profit margins.
Meanwhile, Kael examined the ships and vehicles in production—his mind sharp, evaluating the quality of the craftsmanship, checking for any defects or signs of poor maintenance.
Once both were satisfied, Kael confirmed the authenticity of the deed, and Melissa nodded, handing over 500,000 gold coins to the shipyard owner. No haggling took place—Melissa had decided that the price was fair, and she believed it would be an investment worth making. The deal was finalized smoothly, right there and then.
Kael wanted to wait for Amanda’s investigation reports, but as Melissa urged him, he purchased it without thinking much.
With the transaction complete, Kael felt a surge of excitement for the future. The shipyard was theirs now, a new venture to manage and grow. Melissa, too, seemed pleased with the outcome.
They took a moment to meet with the existing workers, some of whom seemed nervous about the change in ownership. The workers’ faces were a mix of fear and uncertainty as they wondered if they’d be kept on.
Seeing their worry, Melissa addressed them calmly. "You’ll continue your work as you always have," she assured them, her voice confident. "Your wages will remain the same for the next two months. After that, we’ll reevaluate based on your capabilities. We believe in rewarding those who put in effort and show results."
Her words brought some relief to the workers, though there was still a lingering tension in the air. Kael nodded approvingly at Melissa’s approach. She was fair but also pragmatic, knowing how to balance kindness with a sense of discipline.
Wanting to ensure that everything was secured, Melissa didn’t hesitate to make use of her imperial status. She ordered a group of soldiers stationed nearby to protect the shipyard’s inventory—the completed boats and ships. This added layer of security gave her peace of mind and showed her decisiveness in safeguarding her investment.
Kael watched her with admiration. She wasn’t just acting as a princess; she was a woman with sharp business instincts, and that made her even more impressive in his eyes. She wasn’t afraid to take charge and make tough decisions.
By late evening and close to midnight, Kael and Melissa returned home, the deal done, and their new acquisition secured. The house was quiet—everyone else probably slept in their rooms. Usually, he expected Laura to welcome him, but she didn’t this time. Perhaps it is because he was with Melissa? He could only wonder. As for Amanda, he already communicated with her through the communication scroll on the way, and she was very understanding. There was no fuss about why both of them went without proper escort or anything like that. Seraphina, as usual, didn’t communicate with him as the other two did.
While there was mental exhaustion of traveling, the new venture brought excitement to Kael, and he just didn’t want to go to his room and sleep. "Let’s celebrate just the two of us for now," Kael suggested. "You made this happen, Melissa. You’ve earned this small celebration."
To his surprise, Melissa complied without trying to be considerate to her sisters as she usually does. "It was a team effort," she replied, though her cheeks flushed a little. "But alright, just this once. A small celebration, just the two of us."
The two of them retreated to a private chamber, away from the rest of the house.
The room was dimly lit by the soft glow of candles, and the air was thick with the scent of the wine they shared. They sat together, toasting to the success of the day, their glasses clinking softly.
As they sipped the wine, Kael couldn’t stop praising her. "You truly have an eye for business, Melissa. You negotiated better than I ever could have. To be honest, if I had gone there alone, I would have probably negotiated for a while and settled down at 800,000. You came along and changed everything."
New n𝙤vel chapters are published on freeweɓnøvel.com.
Melissa’s face turned a shade of pink as she bashfully looked away. "I’m just doing what feels right," she said, her voice soft. "But thank you."
Kael smiled warmly, a genuine admiration in his eyes. He leaned closer, his voice lowering. "You’re incredible, Melissa. I don’t know what you gained from marrying me, but my misfortune turned into a heavenly blessing from marrying you."
Melissa blushed again, looking down at her feet as her toes fidgeted.
