We were guided towards an open area filled with couches and tables, the small counters on either side laden with bowls of fruits and vegetables as well as some other small snacks, and the entire room was illuminated by twin fireplaces that were nestled between said counters on either side.
Heather gestured for us all to sit down, only to raise a brow as Arani gave Renna and I a bow before she asked "Would you care for anything to drink? Anything to eat?", causing the Aviankin to tilt her head as she watched the Dawn Elf walk over to one of the counters, nodding to herself as she once again took in Arani's juicy butt that was hugged tightly by her black pants.
"Is tea possible, Arani? I wouldn't mind a nice cup of tea, if that isn't too much to ask..?"
"It shall be ready in a moment, Duchess."
"Well, if that's all you need, I'll start wrangling up the rest of the list and send them on over to be interviewed, Duchess Poinset. Take your time, and if you end up finding any of them to be to your 'liking'... there's a room right there meant for getting to know one another better."
Winking at the Duchess, Heather chuckled to herself and went back to the halls of the apartments, leaving us alone with the Dawn Elf butler who was currently crouching in front of one of the fireplaces, getting a teapot hung up above the flames.
"Would you prefer if I was before you or might we speak about my employment right away? The tea should only be but a moment..."
"Now is fine, Arani. You see, I've opened up a winery, one that will be serving a myriad of customers; from someone with only a few coins to their name who need something to take the edge off to someone with a nice stable income wanting something to help make their celebration all the better. I even have a line meant for the those with deep pockets..."
"And - forgive me for being so forwards - you require someone who is familiar with dealing with all types of people in order to operate your new winery, and someone who is capable to manage a host of employees as well, correct?"
I sank into the couch and looked over at Renna, who was sitting beside me with the posture and elegance expected of a Duchess, which was currently a far cry from how she had acted before we had arrived here; back when she was sitting not on a couch, but instead on me as she bucked her hips wildly and devoured my cock like she was ravenous for sex.
Sensing that, she glanced at me and narrowed her eyes, her earlier displeasure causing me to sit up as well like a child who got scolded by their scary parent, earning myself a stiff nod before she said "That is correct, Arani. I need a skilled manager to ensure the winery is run properly whenever I am away, and I will admit that I am being rather... crass in employing only slaves to ensure loyalty to my business..."
"There is nothing wrong in that, Duchess, so long as you understand that we are still people, even if we have had to sign a piece of our lives away. And also... I wish to communicate to you that I am used to managing people, yes, but my forte lies entirely with civilized people. If you were to place criminals under my charge... I don't know if I would give you the results that you desire."
Renna looked over at the crouching Dawn Elf, studying her for a moment before turning back to me with a small smirk as she leaned over and whispered "She is rather beautiful, isn't she..?", her eyes sparkling slightly with mischief before she spoke louder for the Dawn Elf to hear, asking "I never caught it before, Arani, but are you a futanari or a woman? This is just my curiosity speaking..."
I had to raise a brow at that as I wondered if my lover was trying to cuck me like I had cucked her earlier, but even though that was slightly grating to me, when Arani idly replied "A futanari, Duchess." I couldn't help but smirk back at Renna when she turned towards me, a small smile tugging at her plump lips.
"And how adept do you feel dealing with the common people of Birchan? I don't mean to offend, Arani, but your previous dealings as a butler for a Noble House... that makes me wonder if you can understand the difference between how both groups wish to be treated?"
The sudden shifts in the conversation didn't bother the butler at all as she stood up and brought her teapot over to our table, pouring it out for Renna and I before taking her seat opposite us as she answered "The Noble House I served was a small one, Duchess. Nobles nonetheless, but they were a Barony, and as such I dealt primarily with the common people and occasionally other Baroness' or even a Viscountess."
"Very well; my next concern, Arani, is that the people we found to be desirable for a store might not mesh well with you."
That made the Dawn Elf purse her lips for a moment before she hesitantly replied "I... can work with some troublesome people, yes, but Duchess, I would like to ask if - as the manager of your winery - I have any say in who remains an employee and who doesn't..?"
"We can come together to review their actions and see if there is a chance to right their wrongs, but otherwise... yes, as the manager I would value your opinion on any and all employees or other matters of business. Does that answer your question?"
Lifting the cup of tea to her lips, the Dawn Elf took a moment before nodding her head, replying "Yes, it does; thank you very much Duchess." and then taking a sip, only to raise a brow as someone else entered the room, someone Renna and I recognized thanks to our decisions earlier.
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How do we feel about Renna getting just a little~ revenge on Astra from earlier, hm~?
Nothing serious, just a nice~ little 'prank' to let Astra experience a little bit of what Renna does; obviously since I'm asking I want to try it, but I am also the dude writing smut for fun so of course my idea of what is 'good' for the story and what is good for the 'story' is different than what you - the readers - think would be good.
Just another poll since we haven't done anything like this in awhile~!
Oh, and I'll give it a few hours before writing the next one to let everyone vote, so yeah... there should be a second chapter today, just saying~!
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