The Herb King

156 Art of Wine

Julie gritted her teeth in anger and she almost slammed the table when she heard the absurd offer. She glared at Aethelwolf as she took a deep breath before muttering coldly. “You have a big appetite, Sir Aethelwolf. Although, the information you have is very valuable, our Urgel Household will not agree to this. You might have a more sophisticated method of making wine, but our Urgel Household has already been in the wine market for many decades and we have nurtured a lot of talents who are tirelessly researching methods to improve the flavor of our wine. I believe that we would soon discover the secret that you possess. I only came to you in hopes that we can learn the method earlier.” She really wanted to punch Aethelwolf’s face, but she held back her fury. The man was probably testing her limits and if she shows any weakness, he would use it to his advantage. The number one rule when dealing with merchants was to never display weakness.

Aethelwolf chuckled in his heart. The girl was by no means a pushover. He thought that she only became the family head of the Urgel Household because of her power, but it seems like she also possesses the wisdom of a true merchant. “Miss Julie, do you know of a few things that make a wine more delicious?” He asked as he nonchalantly stared at the veiled young lady. He could use his skill to see through her face behind the veil, but he refrained from doing so. It was because his skill [Danger Perception] was giving him a signal not to do it. Perhaps she possesses an item that can block visual techniques from seeing the face behind her veil.

Julie furrowed her eyebrows when she heard the question. She knew of two things that can enhance the flavor of a wine, but she felt hesitant to speak about them since it was a business secret.

Her eyes were not hidden by her veil so Aethelwolf immediately saw her hesitation. He chuckled as grabbed a bottle of wine that was on the table and poured some into a cup. “One factor that can enhance the flavor of a wine is its container. If one uses a normal pot to hold wine, the wine will spoil after many decades. However, there is a type of wood with the ability to preserve objects. It is normally used to make coffins, but this wood can be used to make pots for storing wine. I noticed that the wine bottle you use to store your wines is made from this wood so I believe you already know about this. Other than containers, I know of more than five things that can enhance the flavor of a wine.”

Julie stared at him with a look of surprise. This man seems to have a lot of knowledge about wine.

Aethelwolf didn’t stop and continued. “I don’t want to make things difficult for you. The Urgel Household has already established a brand when it comes to wine, so just your name alone is already precious. How about this? Give me 30% ownership of your wine shops and I’ll give you all the information I have about wine. To tell you the truth, I have already compiled all the knowledge I have about wine in a book.” He took out a book from his storage space and showed it to her.

It was a purple book with golden edges with a simple title, ‘Art of Wine’.

Julie could no longer hide her agitation when he took out the book. If what Aethelwolf said was all true, the value of their wines would increase along with the improvement of their taste.

If Aethelwolf gains 30% ownership of their wine shops, they would still be the true boss and he would be only a major shareholder.

.....

After careful deliberation, Julie stared at Aethelwolf with unblinking eyes as she said. “In that case, I will accept your offer, Sir Aethelwolf!” There wasn’t even a look of hesitation in her eyes.

‘Oh? This girl is quite decisive.’ Aethelwolf smiled and extended his hand to her. “It’s a pleasure to work with you, Miss Julie Irish.”

Julie shook his hand and said. “We will send someone to your mansion soon once we have prepared the documents. Can you tell me when will you have time for a meeting? We might have to discuss this matter thoroughly in the coming days.” She couldn’t wait to seal the deal with him.

Hearing this, Aethelwolf slowly released her hand and handed the book to her. “I will be very busy in the coming days so I will send Hyacinth to discuss with you. She is my personal assistant so there is nothing to worry about.” He said while patting Hyacinth’s shoulder.

Hyacinth felt warm in her heart. She was the newest member of the Lassiter Household, but Aethelwolf didn’t seem to mind it.

Julie stared at Hyacinth and then at Aethelwolf. The man didn’t even hesitate to give the job to her. Perhaps she was one of his most trusted subordinates. It doesn’t matter to her as long as the deal would go through. “Alright. I’ll send my people to your mansion soon. Just give me a day to prepare the documents.” Julie said as he kept the book inside her storage ring. She wanted to read it at this moment, but she might look impatient if she does that.

“Read the book first. Who knows? Maybe I lied to you earlier.” Aethelwolf laughed gently before taking a sip of wine. It tasted bland, but he maintained a calm image.

Julie nodded her head. “We will take our leave first.” She then stood up from her seat and walked away decisively without even turning back. Grace immediately followed her sister.

Raven Urgel who had remained quiet all this time suddenly slapped his thigh as he laughed joyfully. “Now, I know why she talks a lot about you. This is the first time I’ve seen her lose in a verbal discussion. I’m now more interested in you...” The old man was guffawed as he walked away.