10. Condom (3)

Stretchy elasticity that extends smoothly and a thinness that lets you feel the warmth of fingers on the other side.

Jane gazed proudly at the completed condom after much hardship.

But to me, who remembered condoms from my past life, it seemed a bit lacking.

“It feels a bit thick…”

“…This?”

The slime condom was significantly thicker than the condoms I remembered from my past life.

Since both Jane and I were making one for the first time, it couldn’t be helped.

Still, it looked much thinner than the animal intestine versions Jane had shown me, so it seemed marketable enough.

“How should we package it? Just spread out like this for sale?”

“Hmm, how about this?”

“How were they packaged in Lily’s past life?”

Responding to Jane’s question seeking the answer key, I rolled up the condom on the test tube from the end.

Then it took the familiar shape of an unused condom fresh out of its wrapper.

“Rolling it up like this for packaging should work.”

“Then when using it, you’d unroll it the opposite way to put it on, right?”

“Exactly.”

Jane held the small rolled condom and examined it from all angles.

Seeing that, my heart suddenly skipped a beat.

“Gasp.”

An expressionless beauty inspecting a condom with curious eyes.

The eroticism that could make any man’s heart race left me unable to close my mouth.

“Lily?”

“Huff… Yes?”

“We can sell it like this, right?”

Jane asked me with a peculiar smile.

What else could we apply to it?

Adding textures to increase stimulation or varying thickness were options too.

Ah.

“Let’s sell it with love gel applied.”

“Why?”

Taking the condom back from the questioning Jane, I slowly began fitting it onto the test tube we’d used earlier.

“The rubber used in condoms has strong friction, right? So if you just try putting it on, it might tear.”

“True. But making it thicker isn’t an option either, since it’d reduce sensitivity.”

“Right. That’s why we apply lubricant. Plus, it’ll help women too, not just men.”

“But applying love gel will make packaging difficult, won’t it?”

Our plan was simply to sell them in small wooden boxes.

But if we applied the gel, it would surely get absorbed by the box.

“Uuuum…”

Metal packaging would be putting the cart before the horse, so pass.

Maybe oiled paper?

Paper is too expensive, so no.

“Let’s not apply it.”

“What?”

When I suddenly changed my stance, Jane couldn’t hide her bewildered expression.

But I calmly explained.

“Thinking about it, we can just sell the love gel separately. That way, sales will increase too.”

“Ah.”

***

Jane sent the produced samples to several merchant groups.

Daily floods of letters and merchant employees visiting unannounced.

The response was explosive.

I stayed upstairs for a while, not coming down due to employees disguised as customers.

But Jane leisurely observed their reactions before finally choosing one.

“Rosefield.”

“I’ve heard of them.”

“Where?”

“When I was minding the shop alone before. The day Jane went to the royal palace.”

“Ah.”

My first customer who wore a veil and bought a bunch of dildos.

The name Rosefield was written on the letter they left behind.

“Anyway, I decided to contact them first.”

“Are you going out?”

“No, they’re coming here. The Baroness herself.”

“Huh.”

***

The day the special guest arrived.

I chose the neat clothes I wear very occasionally when going out.

Just a white tunic with brown pants””a neighborhood boy’s outfit.

I decided to ignore the frilly dress Jane had secretly put in.

“When did she even buy that…?”

Leaving the room, I ran into Jane leaning against the wall, standing still.

Her expression brightened slightly.

“Wait, Lily.”

While changing clothes, Jane calmly smoothed my disheveled hair.

Then, in a voice full of concern, she asked me:

“Will you be okay?”

“With what?”

“Facing nobility.”

“Uh… Jane’s nobility too.”

“Last time, Lily’s expression didn’t look so good.”

At Jane’s words recalling the past, I nodded in agreement.

I’d been really shocked back then.

Because I’d firmly believed Jane’s words that no nobles would come.

“If you’re uncomfortable, you can stay in the lab or upstairs.”

“Really? Is there nothing I need to do?”

“Not really?”

Jane’s utterly nonchalant answer made me feel a bit frustrated.

In dramas and movies, servants wait on guests hand and foot.

Honestly, even beyond nobles, meeting other people is uncomfortable in itself.

Because of others’ negative reactions upon seeing my Jewel Eye and collar.

Of course, no one dared show discomfort openly in front of Jane.

Still, I was curious about how the contract would proceed.

Also, I recalled that the Baroness visiting didn’t seem to mind me at all.

“I want to stay with Master.”

I chose words Jane would like.

Seeing the corners of her mouth curl up, I think I did well.

-Clip clop

Hoofbeats sounded from outside.

Then a large carriage appeared through the window.

“Let’s go.”

Following Jane, who remained relaxed even as the guest arrived, I went downstairs.

A maid descended from the familiar-looking carriage and helped a noble lady down.

Jane opened the shop door and greeted her in a voice much softer than expected.

“It’s been a while, Baroness.”

“Yes, it has been, Lord Batory.”

The noblewoman wearing a translucent red veil slowly entered the shop.

The gentle yet dignified aura she exuded made me press my lips together tightly.

***

“Could you sign here, please?”

“Of course.”

A pen made from a pure white goose feather danced across high-quality parchment.

Jane’s full name written in elegant calligraphy.

Below it, the Baroness signed her name.

I hadn’t expected a battle of wits, but I didn’t think it’d end this quickly either.

Jane had said this meeting was just a simple introduction.

But after hearing a few conditions, they immediately signed the contract.

I looked at my master.

Surely she hadn’t been tricked?

Sensing my gaze, Jane handed me a cookie and quietly asked:

“What?”

“Ah, nothing.”

I shook my head and quickly took the offered cookie.

The Baroness had presented many conditions.

To summarize a few:

First, they agreed to establish a new trading company for condom sales.

Rosefield would handle operations while Jane retained shares.

And Rosefield would manage most tasks from production to sales.

Jane would only occasionally check on business progress.

I just blankly listened to their conversation.

Then the Baroness pointed to a blank part of the contract and spoke.

“You must have a name in mind for the company? This part is empty.”

Jane gently stroked my hair and answered.

“Maylily. Let’s go with Maylily.”

“Huh?”

Unlike me, who looked at Jane in surprise, the Baroness nodded.

“Lily of the Valley… That’s nice. Is there a special reason?”

“Because Lily was the one who made the condom.”

“Master?”

At Jane casually giving me credit, the Baroness’s eyes widened slightly.

Maintaining her calm expression, Jane continued.

“Lily came up with the product concept.”

Of course, I also designed the production equipment and drew the blueprints.

But Jane didn’t reveal those details to the Baroness.

“There’s also a bit of a warning in it.”

“Ah. I see.”

Jane said something cryptic.

The Baroness seemed to understand.

Turning her gaze to me, the Baroness’s lips curved into an arc.

She reached out and brushed off a cookie crumb at the corner of my mouth.

“Maylily, was it? We met before. Remember?”

“Yes.”

When I answered meekly, the Baroness gently stroked my cheek.

“How curious that such an ingenious idea came from this little head…”

Suddenly, her eyes behind the veil curved gently.

“Won’t you come with me?”

“Huh?”

“I can’t free you from the shackles of status, but I’ll let you live far more comfortably than most nobles.”

At the sudden recruitment offer, I instinctively looked at Jane.

My master was staring at me with an unreadable gaze.

“…I’m sorry, Baroness.”

“Think it over. My family name is Rosefield?”

The Baroness made another offer in a voice brimming with pride.

Rosefield.

The massive merchant group monopolizing Albion’s monster market.

Jane had explained this before today’s meeting.

But I shook my head again.

“I like my current Master.”

This should do, right?

As I subtly checked Jane’s reaction, the Baroness giggled and said:

“Well, Lord Batory has far more liquid assets than Rosefield, and it’s safer too.”

This was the first time since Marie from the flower garden that I’d heard someone praise Jane.

I asked the Baroness why Jane was so remarkable.

In the same tone she’d used to explain contract terms, she recited Jane Batory’s exploits.

The giant kraken that appeared in the strait between the continent and Albion three years ago, blocking maritime trade entirely.

The genius mage who single-handedly defeated the monster countless adventurers had failed to subdue.

A pioneer at the forefront of magical advancement.

“Honestly, I find Lord Batory more frightening than His Majesty the King.”

“Wow!”

Though her expression barely changed in front of others, I could tell Jane was in an extremely, extremely good mood.

***

Thanks to the Baroness’s praise relay, the atmosphere became very bright.

The contract had been finished long ago.

But the Baroness didn’t leave and continued conversing with Jane.

Playing with a sample rubber piece, the Baroness said:

“Soft, elastic… Are you only making condoms with this? It seems you could make other things too.”

Jane, who glanced at me slightly, answered:

“You could spin it very thin into thread to make stretchy fabric.”

“Ah! You’ll contract with us for the next product too, right?”

“I’ll consider it.”

“Please do.”

Her throat dry, the Baroness took a sip of tea.

Then she brought up an unexpected topic.

“Pepino distribution has increased recently.”

“Yes.”

“They look disgusting, but surprisingly many people seek them. Honestly, I’d like to try one too, but as a normal person, it’s a bit daunting…”

The image of the squirming, sea cucumber-like pepino gave me goosebumps.

I still don’t understand.

Why would anyone masturbate with that?

Why take interest in such things?

Rubbing my goosebump-covered arms or not.

The Baroness continued:

“So I was thinking, what if you used this rubber to make a toy similar to pepino?”

“Could you elaborate on what you just said?”

My master showed immediate interest in the Baroness’s lewd suggestion.

Considering she’d bought a considerable number of dildos before, the Baroness was quite the pervert herself.

Sitting between them, I tried to read the room before quietly getting up.

Then I made eye contact with the Baroness’s waiting maid.

Her exhausted yet somewhat enlightened gaze made me speak without thinking.

“Hang in there.”

“…You too, kid.”