Lady Marks was changed into a strapless dress ten minutes later and came down the stairs with two very happy assistants behind her. The reason they were happy, was because the older woman's skin looked both youthful and healthy. In fact, she looked just like her daughter, Linette.

“Good god.” Greta whispered and it carried through the spacious lobby.

Lady Marks laughed at her daughter's shocked face. “It's spectacular, isn't it?” She asked and ran her hand up one of her now smooth arms. “I look almost twenty years younger.”

“We've run diagnostic spells and checks on her, and everything checks out. There's no adverse effects, even though it's working under the skin, too.” One of the assistants said.

“We'll need to observe for another two hours at ten minute intervals to get a baseline for sustainability.” The other assistant said. “The normal cream needs to be applied once a day and...”

“By our numbers and tests, the boosted cream can be applied and lasts for a week before new spots and blemishes grow.” Greta said and went to the bags she hung up, rifled through hers, and took out several sheets of paper that she had in her pockets. “You can see for yourself.”

“A week? Are you sure?” Lady Marks asked and took the papers from her. The two assistants read them over her shoulder and they were nodding at the numbers. “I see. Yes, I agree. Six or seven days per application.” She looked at Greta with a stern face. “You cannot sell this.”

Greta glanced at me briefly and gave me a knowing smile before she looked back at her mother. “David knows about your strict product policy and we kept two crates each for our own use or as gifts. The rest we brought to you.”

Lady Marks nodded. “All right, I can agree to that, as long as you tell them where you got the recipe.”

“Of course.” Greta said.

Lady Marks looked back at the papers and frowned. “There's no data on the modified skin cream.”

“That's because we didn't test it at all.” Greta said and the two assistants took in sharp breaths. “David and I agreed to leave that honor to you and your assistants.”

Lady Marks smiled slightly, then she frowned again. “All right, what do you want?”

Greta glanced at me again and I nodded. She took a deep breath and let it out. “On behalf of the family, I formally request that you cease and desist all stringent and harmful disciplinary acts you perform on said members and their children.”

The two assistants gasped and Lady Marks looked very angry.

“You dare dictate to me how to run my family?” Lady Marks nearly shouted.

I put a hand on Greta's shoulder and pushed a bit of magic into her.

Greta jerked slightly and shuddered, then she took a deep breath and looked her mother in the eye. “Your methods only worked when I was younger because I was too afraid of you to speak up about how cruel you were to me.” She said and Lady Marks looked surprised. “It wasn't until I saw how afraid Jinelle was of you that I realized how abusive you've been to everyone in the family and not just your children.”

“What? No, you're wrong. She's not afraid of me.” Lady Marks shook her head. “She's my precious little Jinny and I love her.”

“Mother, I wouldn't lie about something this important.” Greta said. “Even when I mentioned telling you about a mistake she made, gave her trembles, because she knew your punishment would be severe.”

“I... I have to keep discipline.” Lady Marks said. “I'm strict for a reason. Any mistake could be disastrous when dealing with volatile ingredients and potions.”

“I'm not telling you to stop being strict. I'm telling you to not overdo it.” Greta said. “You've taken it as a habit to always give out harsh punishments for every single wrongdoing and every mistake, no matter the circumstances or situation. You never take into account any other factors and always assume the worst.”

Lady Marks didn't say anything in response and looked too surprised to try.

“I want you to think it over for several days and try to remember everything you've done to me, to Linette, and especially to Jinelle. Weigh it properly in your mind and ask yourself if you ever, even once, didn't give out the worst punishment.” Greta said. “I'll come back next weekend and if I like what I hear, David has agreed to hand over the recipe for the new cream for a 20% share in the sales.”

Lady Marks still looked surprised and her eyes went from her daughter to me.

“Greta gets 20% as well.” I said. “That leaves 60% for you and you can do whatever you want with it.”

Lady Marks' surprise changed to a blank face. “You know I can just not sell it and you get nothing.”

“Neither will you.” I responded. “Trading for gifts is still considered selling, because bartering is an accepted trading custom. Whatever you trade for, we get 40% of it.”

Lady Mark's face went from blank to a frown again. “I won't ask how you would get 40% of an item.”

I smiled. “You sell it and split the money. If you trade for a favor, whatever benefit you get from it, we still get 40%.”

“Oh?” Lady Marks said and smiled wickedly. “What if it's the services of a concubine?”

“The value of a concubine can be easily determined and you would need to pay us 40% of that value.” I responded and she looked surprised again. “I'm already in negotiations for one and will soon have first hand experience with it. You won't be able to cheat us by trading for something that you personally might think is cheap or worthless.”

Lady Marks didn't say anything for several moments as her face looked thoughtful, then she spoke. “You've thought this out completely, haven't you?”

“Yes.” I responded. “It's one of the downsides of being under the constant threat of imminent death.”

They all looked surprised this time, even Greta.

“You mean back in the marsh, don't you?” Greta asked.

“There, too.” I said and she fell silent as she contemplated my meaning.

Lady Marks looked at her assistants. “Go ahead and gather the offered cream.” She said and waved at the door.

I went to it and opened the door for them. “After you.”

The two assistants gave me smiles as they walked past and I unhooked the hand cart from the carriage and then filled it with the crates. They led me over to the service entrance and the large door there and we went inside.

Stolen novel; please report.

“We'll have to carry them up to the lab crate by crate.” One of the young women said.

“That won't be necessary.” I said and she gave me a look, then she stopped breathing as I walked up the stairs normally and dragged the cart behind me as if it wasn't there. “Open the door at the top, please.”

“Y-yes, of course.” The other young woman said and walked up the stairs ahead of me and held the door.

I took the cart through and down the hallway to the lab. I stood there and waited for them to tell me where else to go and they opened the door. I went inside and they pointed to a storage room that was full of crates.

“It's a good thing they're marked.” I said and unloaded the crates, making sure to pile the boosted cream in one spot and the modified cream in the one next to it.

“Thank you, my lord.” One of the assistants said.

“It was nothing.” I said and started to walk away.

“We mean making the changed creams.” They both said. “Our lady will be very happy about it.”

I knew that tone of voice and realized that they weren't covered under Greta's plea to stop the abuse of her family. “I'm sorry that Greta's request was so carefully worded.”

Both young women looked surprised for a second, then they both smiled.

“It's going to change her whole outlook, even if we aren't specifically mentioned.” One of them said. “Thank you for prompting her to say something.”

“I hope you benefit from it.” I said and they nodded, then they led me back out and down the stairs to put the hand cart back on the carriage.

We went back inside and saw Greta and her mother were in a deep whispering conversation. The three of us stood there and tried to be as unobtrusive as possible as we waited for it to be over. Lady Marks nodded slightly and Greta stepped back, gave her mother a bow, and walked over to me.

“David, let's go.” Greta said as she grabbed our two bags and we left without so much as a goodbye.

“Can I ask why we rushed out?” I asked as we sat beside each other and the carriage took off to bring us back to the academy.

“Mother was... a bit enthusiastic about... letting someone try out her replenished body. For experimental purposes, of course.” Greta said and didn't explain further. She gave me a knowing look, glanced down at my crotch, then pointedly looked out the window.

I wasn't born yesterday and knew what she meant. I gently took her hand and brought it to my mouth, then kissed the back of it and not the fingers. I pulsed my magic through her hand and she shivered.

“Thank you for looking out for my safety.” I said, sincerely.

Greta turned back to look at me. “David, I only...”

“It's easy to protect me from my enemies. It's much harder to protect me from your family and potential friends.” I said and she raised her eyebrows at me. “You know she's going to burn through that small supply fairly quickly, especially when she shows the other family matrons what it can do.”

“Not many of them are without spouses.” Greta whispered as she was starting to understand what it meant to give older women a cream that gave them bodies that were twenty years younger.

“It won't matter if they are married or not. They fulfilled their marriage contracts years ago.” I responded.

Greta nodded. “A lot of the behind the scenes affairs are probably going to become a lot more public.”

“If they aren't careful.” I said. “Then again, I know a lot of the arranged marriages are loveless and even have animosity and hatred between spouses. You know they both will have had affairs with people they like over the years.”

Greta sighed. “Mother has entertained a few guests over the years, even when father was alive.”

I held her hand for the entire ride back to the academy. Our reworked beauty cream was going to shake things up a little over the next little while.

We dropped the hand cart back at the main classroom building and then went to the teacher's apartment building. We climbed out with our bags and I walked Greta to her apartment. A few of the other teachers were there and had wide eyes as they saw our expensive outfits.

“If you want to wait for a bit, I can carefully bundle this outfit up for you.” Greta said at her door as she unlocked and opened it.

“I bought it for you.” I said and stepped inside slightly to get us out of sight. “I doubt any other woman could wear it as well.”

Greta's face flushed red and she took a deep breath. “Thank you for today. You didn't have to...”

“We only did what was necessary and important.” I interrupted.

“It didn't seem so important when we started this morning.” Greta laughed softly. “After seeing my sister's and my mother's faces after our donations, though...”

“I think they are both going to contact you very soon.” I said.

“You don't think they are both going to wait for my visit next week?” Greta asked.

I shook my head. “Maybe three days and that's only because it's the weekend.”

Greta laughed again. “Yes, I suppose you're right.”

“I'll bring your crates over later.” I said and took her hand again to kiss it. “Good day, Greta.”

Greta smiled as I made her hand tingle, then she stepped close and kissed my cheek to make it tingle. “I've had a great day so far and there's only one thing that could make it better.” She said and eased me back out through the door. “Since neither of us wants to disappoint your fiance, this is as good as the day will ever be.”

I nodded in understanding and she slowly shut the door. I left there and felt several sets of eyes on me. I stepped out of the building and the carriage was gone, so I walked across the campus to the library.

Eludora squealed loudly when she saw me and waved for me to come over to her. “David!” She exclaimed and took me into a gentle hug. “You look absolutely adorable.”

“Is it fair to call a man adorable?” I asked and she laughed.

“You're all dressed up and you came to the library to visit me.” Eludora said, teasingly. “Of course, that's adorable.”

“Is no one else here?” I asked and glanced around.

“Some students were here earlier and left for lunch. They haven't come back yet.” Eludora said and then smiled at me as her hands roamed over my expensive suit. “Now, tell me why you came here looking so adorable.”

“The king gave me the marsh and made me a full lord.” I said.

“That much I know already. It's all anyone's talking about.” Eludora said. “What else is there?”

I smiled slightly and took out the documents from my bandoleer and unrolled them, then pulled out the new map of the places that had been scouted at the relay stations and the estimated boundaries of the marsh.

“Ooo, a new map!” Eludora said and her fingers traced the trade route and she mumbled to herself as she examined the markings and the annotations for different features along the entire route. She tapped the map of the new territories and smiled. “Please tell me you can help me put this onto a full size one.”

“I'll even build the frame and enchant it for you tomorrow.” I said and her hand reached up and rubbed the side of my face.

“Thank you.” Eludora said. “Let's go to the map room and get started.”

I helped her walk there, so she wasn't supporting her entire weight on her legs, and we used up several hours making as big of a map as possible on the large sheet of thick paper she had. Using the annotations, she drew in what they described, since there was a lot of room on the much larger map now. The details she could add were amazing and she did it all from memory.

“Ah, finally.” Eludora said with a satisfied sigh when she marked the date and the source of the map. “We're finished and it's ready for mounting.”

“I'll bring the supplies to do it tomorrow.” I said and she nodded. “Are you closing the library after supper?”

“No, we always stay open late on the weekends, in case the students need anything.” Eludora said.

“May I offer to escort you to get something to eat before I go to the dorm mansion?” I asked.

“So gallant.” Eludora said and nodded, so I let her lean on me and took her to where the teacher's ate their meals. After that, I went to the dorm mansion and saw my three maid's surprised expressions at my outfit.

“I think Helena's going to love that new style.” Hope said. “Meeting and meal?”

“It was a last minute construction by Ferdinand.”

Hope smiled. “Then she is definitely going to love it.”

I nodded and went to my bedroom to change into casual clothes. After seeing Eludora, it had reminded me that I had some potion concocting to do.