Back To Work

"And this is definitely a trend in the making... see here, the numbers have only fluctuated upwards past this week; even though they dip here and here, they remain above this week by a large margin. That is a trend worth studying; understand, Astra? These simple, cute stuffed toys are becoming more and more popular amongst the people; both the children and those that want something adorable to decorate their room."

I nodded as I stared at the paper in front of me, before tapping the bottom of my quill against one of the lines, asking "Is this worth investing more money into though? Yes, they've seen a... what, 10% increase in sales on average, but if you look here, the stock never reaches low level, meaning that while they're being sold in abundance, you still have a large amount of them carrying over week to week, so..."

The Duchess smiled at me, her red hair pulled into a braid once more and leaving her dainty neck bare to the world, while her curvaceous body was clad in a simple red and black dress that did little to hide her abundant breasts or perky butt.

"Again, that is correct, but! Look at the numbers closely. See here? We have three versions of this toy available, and these two versions of the toy sell almost to being out of stock, right? Leaving this third one to be the 'backup' for those unlucky to have not gotten the one they want. So, what if we instead took... roughly a third of the production of this less desirable toy and split that evenly amongst the other two? A 16.5% increase in stock to give the people what they want. More supply to meet the higher demand. But..."

Her smile remained as sweet as ever, and the Duchess took another paper and began to jot down some numbers of her own, creating a hypothetical projection of this 'problem' as she said "What if we added a fourth toy? See, these two that sell a lot are far more geared towards girls and futanari children respectively; a pink fluffy ball with two adorable little 'eyes' that make it seem like some sort of gentle animal, while this other one is a blue fluffy ball with sharper 'eyes' and a crest of white hair? Meanwhile the less desirable toy was a simple grey that looks alright to me and you, but to a child doesn't really hold much appeal?"

"So you want to adapt these toys to lean further into those respective desires of the children? Something meant more for girls and something meant more for futanari?"

"Indeed. See, the rise of popularity, the cheap cost to produce, and the cheap price tag make this something lucrative to sell, and something that anyone can buy. Just a few coppers to get something to spark a child's imagination for a few weeks, maybe a few months before they grow up and it becomes a decoration instead? Sounds like a profitable venture to me."

"Then... why not try to adapt them further? Keep this initial line and create a newer line. Something that has a body, perhaps? A bit larger, but can be played with like a doll while being slept with like a pillow? Mirror them after animals too, to appeal to all age groups? A wolf, a bird, a rabbit, a deer... things like that could become sought after as well."

The Duchess stared at me for a moment before grinning, her sky blue eyes glowing with happiness as she reached for a new piece of paper and began to write that down, saying "See, now I KNOW why I wanted you as my secretary, Astra~! You're not just a beautiful woman, but an incredibly smart one as well~! Haha~!"

Laughing, she continued to write down this 'idea' I had and begin calculating the prices for making them - like the materials needed and how to go ahead and make them - all while I sat beside her stiffly, staring at her for a few moments as my mind caught on one single word...

Beautiful.

She couldn't see my features - I still wore a veil out in public, something I was unlikely to ever stop doing thanks to how it made it just a tad easier to walk around without worrying that everyone would be looking at me with extremely blatant lust - and could only see my body, which wouldn't make me 'beautiful' so much as sexy...

So... was she saying that based on my character, perhaps?

Was my personality 'beautiful' to her?

If so... that made me really, really happy, which was a bit confusing.

Rhefia called me beautiful often, as did Sari, and yet when they said it it didn't make me feel like this..?

Not to say I didn't feel like this with them, it was just... surprising that the Duchess made me feel it so easily..?

My heart skipped a beat when she turned that smile back at me, before I was forced to push all of that aside as she asked "Oh, Astra, did you still want to accompany me for the Harvest Festival? It starts in three days, and ends after the seventh day. You can take a tour of all my stores and get to see the storefront I purchased for Domus Stella~! Which, depending on your production abilities, could be open for the festival as a side stall to attract customers?"

Those sky blue eyes were unwavering and filled with a startling wit as she smiled at me, awaiting an answer all while remaining just a foot or so away from me...

Her plump lips were right there, whilst her sinful, yet elegant and sexy body was an arms reach away; paired with the sweet scent wafting from her skin, I was having issues focusing, but I had learned to control my urges somewhat these last few days, Sari beginning my 'training' on holding back for future use.

So I was able to stare at her and say "I would be honored, Duchess Poinset. Would we meet here and travel into the city together, or..?"

She shook her head, standing up and making her way over towards the fire that continued to warm a tea kettle, pouring herself some more as she replied "Sadly no. I would need to be inside Birchan to settle a few matters before hand. The duties of my position, I'm afraid. However, I can have someone waiting to meet you at the gate? There are a myriad of stores I need to visit, and during that time we can enjoy the hubbub of the Harvest Festival..."

Looking back at me, the Duchess maintained her beautiful smile as she waited for a reply once more, and now that she wasn't so dangerously close to me, I nodded and agreed to that, all while I refrained from rubbing my thighs together to assuage my dripping pussy...