Chapter 502: The Big Plan to Defeat the Competitors (1)

"By the way, Claire, I have a great business proposal for you. I’m sure you’ll like it," Nolan said, sipping his tea.

"A business proposal?" Claire raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, Nolan?"

Nolan picked up a chocolate biscuit, took a bite, and then explained, "As you know, I just returned from the Northern Continent. I secured several cooperation contracts with the Kingdom of Kaldarion there. The scale of these businesses is enormous, and the palace can’t possibly manage everything alone. They’ll definitely be looking for outside partners to invest capital and help manage operations. What do you think?"

He gave Claire a calm, casual glance.

Although Nolan was legally the owner of this trading house, that didn’t mean he could unilaterally decide the direction of the White Lotus House’s business.

Admittedly, if he pressed the issue, Claire would likely agree—after all, she was deeply loyal to him.

But since he had granted her full authority, Nolan stuck to the principle of respecting decisions already made.

Claire was slightly taken aback by his explanation.

A business partnership between two great powers like the Great Velmora Empire and the Kaldarion Kingdom clearly held immense value.

Being part of it would undoubtedly be very profitable.

Her eyes lit up with determination as she nodded. "I want it, Nolan! Please let me join the cooperation!"

Beyond the potential profits, she trusted Nolan implicitly.

He had surprised her countless times before, and every business idea he proposed had always turned out to be successful.

"Don’t worry. I’ll send you the contract by tomorrow afternoon at the latest. I guarantee it," Nolan said confidently.

He was sure of it—after all, he was the executor of the business.

He had signed the cooperation agreement with Glarvic himself, so the final decision remained in his hands.

His father must have realized this, and since he didn’t object, it was clear he quietly approved.

They then continued discussing the market situation and other matters.

Although Claire was a business genius, she had her limitations. Nolan’s role was to cover them.

After an hour, Nolan and Eira said their goodbyes. Claire actually still wanted to linger with Nolan.

She even invited him to stay the night—a proposition that clearly startled him.

After narrowly escaping Claire’s advances, Nolan exhaled in relief and casually walked back toward the crowd.

"Master, why do you look so scared? Didn’t Claire just invite you to spend the night with her?" Eira asked, curious.

She nibbled on a chocolate candy, looking up at Nolan with innocent eyes.

Nolan chuckled softly. Eira was still a naive little dragon who didn’t understand adult matters, so he didn’t blame her.

"You’re still young. When you’re older, I’ll explain it to you," Nolan said gently, patting her head.

Instead of losing interest, the little dragon’s curiosity grew even stronger.

Still, she knew that begging wouldn’t make her master reveal it.

So she simply nodded, savoring the chocolate in her hand.

"By the way, where are we going? Back to the palace?"

Nolan shook his head slightly. "No, we’re going somewhere else. She’s a friend too, just like Claire."

He then turned right, heading toward the Blue Moon Trading House office.

...

"Why is Master taking so long? Has he forgotten about me?" Shion muttered irritably.

Her eyes fell on the two cups of tea on the table, now cold.

With a deep sigh, she stood up to head to the toilet—when suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it? Speak up! I’m not in a good mood," she snapped sharply.

Clack!

The door slowly opened, and Nolan appeared, holding Eira in his arms.

Shion’s eyes widened in fear.

"M-Master!?"

Nolan stepped inside, a faint smile on his face. "What’s the matter? Are you angry with me? It seems you haven’t been punished in a while—now you dare to be rude, Shion."

Though his smile was calm, to Shion it looked like the grin of a demon king.

"N-No, you’ve got it all wrong!" Shion stammered. "How could I be rude to you? I thought it was someone else, and... and..."

She was so nervous that her words kept stumbling over each other.

Nolan couldn’t hold back a laugh and quickly reassured her. "Alright, don’t take it too seriously. I was just joking. Sit down."

He strolled over to the sofa and sank onto it lazily.

Shion let out a relieved sigh, patting her chest repeatedly. She had been terrified Nolan might punish her.

After all... that would have been too scary.

She sat down beside him and suddenly realized her master was holding an adorable little white dragon.

"A baby dragon?" she blinked in surprise. "Where did you get it, Master? Is it your pet?"

She reached out and poked its cheek with her index finger.

Eira glared at Shion, furious, but it didn’t scare her at all. Shion’s excitement only grew, and that was what finally made Eira cry.

"Master, this woman is really mean!" Eira buried her face in Nolan’s arms.

Shion: "..."

She had only wanted to joke around, never expecting the little dragon to be such a crybaby.

Nolan patted Eira’s head and explained, "This is Eira, a little dragon I met in the Northern Continent. By the way, she’s incredibly strong, so don’t make her angry."

Eira beamed at the compliment, then turned to Shion and bared her tiny fangs as if to intimidate her.

"Pfft!" Shion burst out laughing. "So adorable! Nice to meet you, Eira. I’m Shion—your master’s subordinate. Oh, and I have a present for you."

She got up, went to her desk, retrieved a box of chocolates, and returned to her seat.

"This is for you. I got it from a chocolate shop that’s currently trending in the capital. You’ll definitely like it."

Eira stared at the box of chocolates, swallowing eagerly.

Before, Claire had only given her a few pieces of chocolate candy.

But the woman in front of her had given her an entire box!

Without hesitation, Eira took it and whispered, "Thank you."

Nolan could only smile faintly. Eira was so easily won over by chocolate that he worried the little dragon might one day be kidnapped by someone unscrupulous.

Once Shion had befriended the little dragon, Nolan turned to business.

"I just got back from Claire’s place. By chance, I brought back a number of very profitable business contracts. Are you interested?"

Shion’s eyes lit up. Without hesitation, she nodded. "Of course. Let’s sign the contracts right away."

Seeing her straightforward nature, Nolan nodded in satisfaction. Shion had been by his side the longest, so he knew her personality well.

The two began signing the contracts, and Nolan estimated that the palace would contact her tomorrow or the day after.

Shion didn’t mind. The business Nolan offered was clearly profitable, and she trusted him completely.

"Alright, let’s move on to the main topic. I want to know how Eliza’s work progressed while I was away. Please explain."