Pirate: Crew of Desire and Bonds

"So... Mr. Jake. Do we have an agreement?"

Jake looked at Vivian for several long seconds.

Then he smiled.

"...We have an agreement."

Vivian smiled back as she extended her hand across the desk.

"I’m pleased to do business with you, Mr. Jake."

Jake stepped forward and shook her hand.

"The pleasure is mine, Madam Vivian."

Their deal was settled.

The Vivian Caravan would purchase the complete concept of the puzzle cube for one thousand five hundred gold coins.

In return, Jake would relinquish all rights to the design.

Vivian immediately instructed one of her attendants to prepare the contract and arrange the payment.

It seemed the process would take some time, so Vivian informed them that someone would notify them once the contract was ready and the payment had been prepared.

After exchanging a few final pleasantries, Jake and Grace excused themselves.

_

_

_

Outside the cabin.

The sea breeze washed over them as they stepped back onto the upper deck.

For a while, neither Jake nor Grace spoke.

The reality of what had just happened still hadn’t fully sunk in.

One thousand five hundred gold coins.

Just yesterday, Jake had been wondering how he was going to earn enough money to survive.

Now...

He suddenly possessed a small fortune.

Grace quietly glanced at him.

"Jake?"

He stopped walking.

Then he turned toward her.

Before Grace could ask what was wrong...

Jake suddenly placed both hands around her slender waist.

"W-Wait..."

Grace’s eyes widened.

With surprising ease, Jake lifted her off the deck.

"E-Eh?!"

She let out a small, startled yelp as her feet left the ground.

Jake raised her into the air and spun her around once.

Then a bright laugh escaped him.

"Haha! We did it! We rich!"

Grace instinctively held onto his shoulders, her golden hair fluttering in the sea breeze.

When Jake gently set her back down, his hands remained lightly resting on her waist.

He looked into her golden eyes, his expression unusually sincere.

"Thank you."

Grace blinked.

"...For what?"

Jake smiled warmly as he chuckled.

"For believing in me and for stopping me. If you hadn’t squeezed my hand back there..."

"I would’ve accepted one thousand gold coins immediately."

Grace stared at him for a moment before a gentle smile bloomed across her face.

"I’m glad I did."

She reached up and lightly brushed a strand of hair away from his forehead.

"I only wanted to help."

Jake laughed softly.

"Haha, You did more than help. You earned us another five hundred gold coins!"

Grace’s cheeks immediately turned pink.

"I-I wasn’t thinking about the money... I just didn’t want you to regret it later."

At those words, Jake’s smile softened.

He gently squeezed her waist once before finally letting go.

"You really are amazing, Grace. I am so glad to have you with me."

Hearing such straightforward praise, Grace lowered her head shyly, as a sweet smile spread across her lips.

"As long as I can help you... I’m happy."

Jake couldn’t help but smile.

For some reason, the one thousand five hundred gold coins no longer felt like the greatest thing he had gained today.

Instead... It was the woman standing before him.

Without thinking too much, Jake leaned forward.

"Mwah!"

He gave Grace a quick kiss on her soft cheek.

Grace froze.

Her golden eyes widened for an instant before her face rapidly turned bright red.

"J-Jake..."

Jake laughed.

"Haha, That’s for being the best negotiator I could’ve asked for."

Grace lowered her head, unable to hide the smile tugging at her lips.

Seeing her reaction only made Jake laugh even harder.

He gently took her hand.

"Come on."

Grace looked up.

"Hm?"

Jake grinned.

"We’ve suddenly become... well, at least by my standards, pretty rich."

He scratched his cheek as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"So today is a special day. We should celebrate something."

Grace tilted her head curiously.

"Celebrate?"

Jake nodded.

"Of course. So..."

He smiled warmly.

"What do you want as a reward? Anything within my ability."

Grace blinked several times.

"For... me?"

Jake nodded.

"You earned it. You negotiated those extra five hundred gold coins. So if there’s something you’ve always wanted, tell me."

At those words, Grace became unusually quiet.

She lowered her gaze, her fingers fidgeting nervously.

Jake waited patiently.

After several long moments, Grace slowly stepped closer.

"So... you’ll really agree?"

Jake chuckled.

"As long as it isn’t impossible."

Grace hesitated again.

Then she rose onto the tips of her toes.

Her soft golden hair brushed against Jake’s shoulder as she leaned close to his ear.

In a voice so quiet it was almost lost beneath the sound of the waves, she shyly whispered her request.

And Jake’s eyes widened when he heard that strange request.

"...Huh?"

Grace’s face instantly turned scarlet.

She hid behind his shoulder, too embarrassed to repeat herself.

Yet her eyes kept stealing nervous glances at him, waiting for his answer.

Jake looked at her for a long moment.

Then... He let out a helpless sigh before laughing softly.

"Haha... are you sure about that?"

Grace’s eyes brightened as she nodded hastily.

"Yes!"

At her enthusiasm, Jake sighed again before glancing around the deck.

The sun was already high in the sky, and the crew remained busy with their daily duties.

Jake smiled wryly before nodding.

"...Fine."

He looked at Grace with a helpless grin.

"But we should discuss it a bit more first."

The moment those words left his mouth, Grace’s golden eyes lit up.

To her, it felt as though she had just received the greatest reward imaginable.

Then a radiant smile blossomed across her face.

Without thinking, she stepped forward and wrapped both arms around him in a warm embrace.

"Thank you, Captain hehe~"

Jake let out a soft chuckle as he returned the hug, gently patting her back.

The two of them then walked side by side toward their cabin, leaving the bustling deck behind as the sea breeze carried the sound of shout and waves across the ship.

_

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_

Meanwhile, inside the meeting room...

Garrick, who had silently observed the entire negotiation from beginning to end, finally let out a low chuckle.

He folded his arms and looked at Vivian with an amused smile.

"I have to admit... I didn’t expect the infamous Devil Merchant to be so kind-hearted today."

Barbara, who was standing beside him, also burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! You’re right."

She leaned back against the wall, taking another puff from her cigar.

"If word gets out that Madam Vivian voluntarily raised her own offer by five hundred gold coins..."

"I’m afraid half the merchants who have met you before will think they’ve gone deaf."

Vivian merely smiled as she calmly poured herself a cup of tea as she lifted an eyebrow slightly.

"The Devil Merchant? I wasn’t aware my reputation had become that exaggerated."

Barbara rolled her eyes.

"Don’t pretend. You’re famous for squeezing every last copper coin out of a negotiation."

Garrick nodded in agreement.

"I’ve seen nobles leave your office looking like they’d just been robbed."

At those words, Vivian just took an elegant sip of tea before setting the cup down.

She then replied without the slightest embarrassment.

"Business is business. But this time..."

Her gaze drifted toward the closed door through which Jake and Grace had just left.

"...this was different."

Barbara’s smile gradually faded.

"You really think that highly of the brat?"

Vivian nodded.

"I do."

She gently tapped the sketch of the cube resting on her desk.

"This toy alone may or may not become a success. I won’t know until my craftsmen build a prototype and test the market. But that isn’t the important part."

Garrick looked at her curiously.

"Then what is?"

Vivian smiled faintly.

"It’s the person."

She looked down at the sketch once more.

"An ordinary young man, with no backing and no resources... managed to think of something that even I had never encountered before."

She continued calmly.

"People like that rarely have only one good idea."

Barbara’s eyes narrowed slightly as she understood what Vivian intention is.

"I see..."

Vivian nodded and continue,

"If this cube succeeds... he will begin to understand his own worth."

"And when that day comes, countless merchant houses will gladly throw money at him."

She smiled knowingly.

"I’d rather ensure that when he thinks of doing business again... the first name that comes to mind is the Vivian Caravan."

Garrick suddenly laughed.

"So that’s your real investment. It isn’t the toy."

"It’s Jake."

Vivian’s smile widened slightly.

"Precisely."

"One thousand five hundred gold coins may seem generous today. But if it earns me the goodwill of someone capable of producing more ideas like this..."

She leaned back in her chair.

"It may very well become the most profitable investment I’ve ever made."

Barbara slowly exhaled a stream of smoke before shaking her head with a grin.

"Heh... And here I thought you were simply being generous."

At those words, Vivian’s purple eyes gleamed with quiet confidence.

"A successful merchant never spends money without expecting a return. But sometimes... The greatest profit doesn’t come from a product."

"It comes from investing in the right person."

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