Bookworld Online: Marsh Man

Bokuboy

Greta came out of the bathroom an hour later and her face was flushed and she looked both happy and embarrassed. I didn't comment as I watched her walk by me with just a towel on, then she walked back after getting her clothes. She went back into the bathroom and twenty minutes later, she was dressed in a normal outfit and mage robes.

She sat down beside me and I handed her a fresh cup of tea. ???Thank you.???

We enjoyed the tea and talked about the potions that would make the biggest impact, and we decided that the medical cleaning potion would be the first one we needed to do, with the first twelve crates being donated by the Marks and Henrietta families.

???It's the best way to get us known to the community as a whole. Once they start using them and see how well they do, they're going to want a lot of them for distribution to every city hospital and medical ward in the country.??? Greta informed me and I nodded. By giving the first batch out for free, it would create the demand that they didn't know they had.

???What about the beauty cream???? I asked.

???We'll need to stop by the classroom and we can grab a small crate of the containers. A stew pot makes about twenty containers this big.??? Greta made a circle with her fingers. ???Depending on how much we change and how powerful it becomes, my mother is going to want them all for herself.???

I smiled. ???None for sale????

Greta laughed and shook her head. ???She might give some out to her friends. Maybe. It depends.???

???I assume she uses her own cream constantly.??? I asked and she nodded. ???Then we can try to work in a stabilizing agent to prolong the effect.???

???Oh! That's a great idea.??? Greta said. ???Not for resale, though. Marketing means more sales, so making it last longer will actually hurt sales.???

???I don't deal with that side of things because I promised Helena that I wouldn't become an entrepreneur.??? I said and Greta nodded. I didn't give the reason for that, however.

After another ten minutes or so of discussion, we left her apartment and stepped outside. A few of the other teachers saw us and I put my hand on the hilt of the ceremonial sword to give it some magic. No one said anything about me being inside Greta's apartment and we left there to go to the classroom.

???I hope you know that you can't do that all the time.??? Greta said and motioned to the still slightly glowing short sword on my hip. The scabbard only blocked some of the glow.

???Why not???? I asked and she laughed softly.

???It will lose its effectiveness if overly used.??? Greta warned me.

We went into the main student classroom building and retrieved the crates of round containers and enough ingredients to work with. I also told her the replacements we might need after we worked on changing the recipe. We now had enough to make four batches, two slightly boosted ones that would use the original recipe and have my catalyst and magic, and the other two would be the modified recipe.

With a hand cart full of the things we had gathered, we left there and went to my dorm mansion to get to work. With Greta's help preparing the ingredients for the medical cleaning potion, we had twelve stew pots brewed and simmering fairly quickly. While we waited for them to be ready for the catalyst and infusions, we worked on modifying the cream recipe.

Having someone else to bounce ideas off of, especially someone with as much potions experience as Greta had, was an enjoyable time. I brought out my lists and papers with the details I had been gathering on all of the ingredients I could get access to, and her eyes lit up at all of the work I had done in such a short time.

???David, you don't know how happy it makes me that you didn't give up trying to make potions at the academy, just because you didn't understand the references and certain phrases the notes and recipes use.??? Greta said and took my hand briefly. ???Seeing all of this and knowing how much you've worked on trying to fix that lack of knowledge, well... it... it makes me proud.??? She admitted. ???I'm sorry for overreacting that first day in class.???

???It's all right. I knew you were blinded by your own lack of knowledge.??? I said.

Greta glared at me, then she sighed. ???All right, yes. I deserved that.??? She paused for a moment. ???I'm just glad we both moved past those mistakes.???

???Me too, because I wouldn't have seen you in those cute little panties this morning, otherwise.???

???David!??? Greta gasped and her hand went over her mouth. ???You...???

???I did tell you that you were beautiful at the time.??? I said.

Greta gave me another slight glare, then she chuckled. ???You're going to keep throwing that back at me, aren't you????

???When you least expect it.??? I responded.

She laughed softly. ???What am I going to do with you????

???Work with me and make tons of money???? I asked.

???I suppose that's a good enough motivation.??? Greta said and we both went back to work.

We had to stop when the potions needed the catalyst and infusions, and Greta stared at me as I did all twelve of them in a row, one after the other. She didn't comment, even when we finalized the new beauty cream recipe and started bottling up the medical cleaning potion.

???My lord, my lady. Lunch is ready.??? Hope said after she opened the door to the potion room to peek in.

???We'll be right down.??? I said and she left.

We finished bottling up that crate of vials and went downstairs to the dining room to eat. It was an amicable and entertaining lunch as we discussed the best way to brew the creams. We eventually decided to make the normal one first and finish it before collaborating on producing the new recipe. Doing them at the same time like I wanted would be too much for Greta to keep track of, especially since the new recipe hadn't been tested before.

The best thing about having her there was that she knew how to modify the brew times for the replacement ingredients a lot better than I could, since she had much more experience with them in different potions. A lot of my notes had annotations now, thanks to her impressive knowledge. Of course, I tried to thank her for that and she just blushed a little and waved my words away.

???Despite starting out as teacher and student, we're colleagues now. If we don't share the practical knowledge we have, we won't mesh as well together while working together.??? Greta said. ???Although, trying to impart everything we know all at once won't work. It takes time to get to know one another.???

???That sounds like we're building a relationship.??? I said and she laughed softly.

???We are.??? Greta said. ???It might not be an intimate one; but, it's still a relationship. It involves trust, respect, friendship, and understanding. All of which are essential components to a relationship.???

I nodded in understanding, because it brought to mind all of the interactions I've had with everyone I've known. Even all the way back to Ester's Village and the people that I knew there and could call friends, Greta was right. They were indeed relationships. That was probably why the one I had with Diane changed so easily to become an intimate one, because there was already trust, respect, understanding, and friendship.

It also made me realize that when one of those things is removed, even by accident, the relationship crumbles and can't survive. With Diane it had been trust. She trusted me with her son's safety and when that was gone, our relationship dissolved almost immediately.

Our lunch finished, we went back upstairs to finish crating up the rest of the medical cleaning potions and then started brewing the easily made normal cream recipe. When I used my catalyst and infused each of the twelve pots, the white color of the cream became pearly white and almost glittered in the light.

Greta examined it after we divided it all up into the containers and it settled enough to be used. ???Good god, David.??? She said, her voice full of amazement. ???This is...??? She chuckled. ???Watch.???

I watched as she used a bit of the cream on her hand and the two or three little freckles on her skin shimmered a little and then vanished.

???It's supposed to take ten minutes to do that.??? Greta said with a chuckle. ???I can't wait to brew the new one.???

I waved at the clean pots and she nodded enthusiastically. We made another batch of normal cream and crated it, then started to brew the modified recipe. With the two of us to work and monitor the progress of it, while also watching for any mistakes, we successfully brewed it in a single pot on the third try. We took notes of the changes and the altered procedure, fixed the original recipe, then dumped the failed ones.

We made the other eleven pots of that batch and then another twelve to fill the remaining crates, then we packed everything into the hand cart, except for two crates of each cream that we kept for ourselves. I also put the medical cleaning potions on the top for easier access.

???I'll get a carriage and we can deliver the cleaning potions to my sister.??? Greta said. ???She's going to be very grateful to have them.???

???You said before that it will make a healer's work so much easier.???

???It really will and it'll save so much precious time.??? Greta said. ???Remember when you were hurt in the dragon attack and the field healers spent so much time trying to clean your wounds before trying to heal you???? She asked and I nodded. ???With this potion, they just pour it in and it cleans the wounds for them, then they can get right to healing.???

???Then I'm glad we decided to make this one first.??? I said and she smiled.

???I am, too.??? Greta said. ???Of course, mother might kidnap you when she sees the modified recipe for her beauty cream... or kill you. It's a toss up how she'll react for how much we changed her life's work.???

I smiled and almost laughed at that. ???Different knowledge bases causes different thinking.???

???Oh, I know. You've proven that to me several times already.??? Greta said and led me back over to the main administration building while I pulled the hand cart filled with crates. It didn't take long to send a message for a carriage and her family one quickly showed up. I loaded the luggage rack with the crates of medical cleaning potions on one side and the crates of creams on the other, then hung the hand cart on the back of the carriage.

Greta and I climbed into the carriage and we both sat facing forward as the carriage took us to where her sister worked. Unlike most professions, healers didn't get the weekends off and worked odd hours. They were paid well for their time as compensation, too. The carriage came to a stop and the multi-storey building I saw was almost blindingly white.

???Before you comment, it's an enchantment.??? Greta whispered to me before the coachman opened the door for us. I stepped out first and held a hand back for her, which she took graciously and managed to not blush at me not rebuffing her publicly.

I unhooked the hand cart and filled it with the medical cleaning potions and distributed the weight of the remaining crates with the creams in them. The coachman saw what I did and nodded in approval. Now I had a problem and I leaned close to Greta to whisper.

???I can't take the hand cart and escort you properly at the same time.???

Greta looked surprised for a moment, then she smiled. ???That's easily handled.??? She said and looked at the coachman as she plucked one of the vials out of the top crate. ???Please guard the cart until we return with a worker to collect it.???

???Yes, my lady.??? The coachman said and stood at attention.

???I'll try to request a guard be sent out to help.??? Greta said and the man looked a little relieved.

I assumed the escort role and she took my arm as I led her into the building. The place seemed to have lots of people inside and a few were waiting in line. Greta guided me to a side door and no one stopped us until we went through it and a guard held a hand out to us.

???Only staff and...??? The guard started to say.

???I'm Mage Marks and I'm hear to visit my sister, Healer Mage Marks. I've brought a very expensive potion donation for the hospital and we need it handled immediately.??? Greta said.

The guard's eyes widened and he went back to his desk. He checked his list and nodded. ???Greta Marks???? He asked and she nodded. ???What's your niece's name????

???Jinelle Linette Marks, named after my mother and her mother, respectively.??? Greta responded.

The guard nodded. ???I assume you know where to go????

Greta laughed softly. ???Yes, and she's kind of expecting me.???

The guard waved for us to continue on.

???If you could send a guard out to the carriage to assist the coachman to protect the hand cart, the hospital would appreciate it.???

???Of course. If you're donating it to us, it's our responsibility to ensure its safety.??? The guard said.

???Thank you.??? Greta said and we passed through the door and walked down the hallway. ???I doubt she's in her office.??? She informed me and led me around a corner and down another hallway. We passed multiple doors and came to a stop at a large set of double doors. ???This is the long term care ward for injured people.???

I opened the door for her and it looked surprisingly like the ward at the garrison with two dozen beds. Apparently, it was a standard design and they used it all over, just so anyone going to other buildings would feel the familiarity of the place and could work much better without the distraction of getting used to a new environment.

???I'm glad you like the taste.??? A woman's voice said as the man on the bed made a gagging sound.

???You're... torturing me... on purpose.??? The man complained with tears in his eyes as the woman corked an empty vial.

The woman laughed and pat his shoulder. ???If I was going to torture you on purpose, I would be tickling your nose with a feather.???

The man looked horrified and moved his arms... or tried to. All he had were two stumps.

The woman laughed again and gently scratched the man's nose as he let out a long sigh. ???Even just the suggestion was enough to make it itch, hmm????

The man smiled and waited until she was done before he spoke. ???Thank you.???

???I'll be back to visit again tomorrow.??? The woman said and turned to see us. She took in a quick breath of surprise and then recovered quickly. ???Greta!???

???Linette.??? Greta said. ???Can I have a few words in private before you keep doing your patient visits????

???Of course.??? Linette said and walked over to us. ???We can go to my office.???

Greta nodded and we followed her out of the ward. Linette took us on a merry journey down more hallways and past many more doors to get to her office. She waved at the chairs in front of her desk and slipped off her healers robes before she sat down.

???What did you want to talk to me about???? Linette asked.

???Lord David Drake and I would like to make a significant potion donation to you and the hospital.??? Greta said and Linette's eyes widened. ???I don't want you jumping to conclusions, so I'll tell you what potion it is.???

Linette chuckled and she sounded like Greta. ???I have to assume it's not a pain reliever or a calming potion with that kind of an explanation.???

???It's a medical cleaning solution for wounds that works in seconds.??? Greta said.

???WHAT?!???? Linette gasped.

???It's true.??? Greta said. ???A few drops is all it takes.???

???No, that... there's no way...??? Linette started to mumble and Greta put the vial on her desk. She snatched it up and her mumbles became chants. The bottle glowed for about twenty seconds and she stared at it as if it was going to bite her.

???I told you.??? Greta said with satisfaction.

???Greta, this... you don't know what this means...???

???Oh, but I do. When David mentioned he could make it after he showed me a much more powerful cleaning solution that actually decontaminates water...???

???WHAT?!???? Linette gasped.

???We didn't make any of that. It's a bit too time consuming and we couldn't have made what we have if we tried.??? Greta said and pointed at the vial in her sister's hand. ???We have twenty crates of 36 vials of that for you.???

Linette's mouth dropped open at her words. ???No, you... are you serious????

Greta nodded. ???I told you I know how important this can be to healers and it was the very first thing we made.???

Linette hugged the vial. ???And you're giving it to the hospital.???

???And we're giving it to the hospital, free of charge.??? Greta said. ???We won't even ask you to pay the base cost of the ingredients or for the crates and vials.???

Linette stared at her and didn't know what to say.

???David already loaded the cart with them, so we just have to go out the front door and...???

???LET'S GO!??? Linette yelled and shot to her feet. The vial she had in her hand disappeared into a pocket and she ran around the desk and grabbed Greta's hand. Greta laughed as her sister pretty much dragged her out of the office.

I easily kept up with them and Linette stopped at a random door and poked her head inside a small break room. Six healers were there drinking tea.

???I need several hands to handle expensive potions!??? Linette exclaimed.

Two of the men and one woman stood up.

???It sounds important.??? The woman said.

???It's wound cleaning solution.??? Linette said, satisfaction in her voice.

The woman let out a squeal and the other people stood as well. ???LET'S GO!???

Greta laughed again as we left the room with six followers that were just as excited as Linette to get the potion. We went outside and the healers almost drooled over the hand cart full of crates. The guard and the coachman were unsure what to do about all the people running their hands over the crates.

???Don't just admire them! Get them inside!??? Linette said loudly and the healers did just that. She led them inside with the cart and they were gone for nearly ten minutes.

???Do you think they forgot about us???? I asked.

Greta gave me a pleased smile. ???Oh, no. Linette is going to come back and...???

The front door opened and a very happy Linette came out, her strides purposeful, and the healer with her brought out the hand cart. They came right over to us and Linette gave her sister a hug while I hung the cart on the back of the carriage.

???Thank you, Greta.??? Linette said, almost teary-eyed.

???You have someone else to thank, too.??? Greta reminded her. ???Just remember that you're still married.???

Linette laughed as she let her out of the hug. ???You know he hasn't touched me since Jinelle was born.???

???Oh, I know.??? Greta said with a smirk and Linette laughed again.

???If I didn't like you so much, I might hate you.??? Linette grinned at her and as she turned to me, her face became humble. ???Lord Drake, on behalf of myself, the hospital, and all of the patients that potion is going to help... thank you.???

???You're welco-mmm.??? I said as she kissed me and wrapped her arms around me.

???Linette!??? Greta gasped.

Linette broke the kiss and looked into my eyes. ???Just because I'm married, that doesn't mean I can't kiss a man that deserves it.??? She said, her voice full of seduction.

???I was trying to warn you not to do that, dammit!??? Greta said, sternly. ???He's betrothed!???

???So???? Linette asked and she slowly let me go and her hands ran across my nice suit. ???You have taste, money, and can make potions. The only way you could be more desirable is if you knew what you were doing in bed.???

???I do.??? I admitted and Greta caught her breath.

Linette laughed demurely and her hands reached up to touch my cheeks. ???Then you deserve a follow up chaste kiss for your honesty.??? She said and leaned in to lightly press her lips to mine. ???Thank you, Lord Drake.???

???Linette.??? Greta almost spat and her sister gave her a wicked smile.

???Don't be angry at me for doing something you don't have the guts to do.??? Linette said.

???That... that's beside the point! I'm not married!??? Greta responded.

???Neither is Lord Drake. Not yet, anyway.??? Linette said. ???Plus, I'm sure he knows and understands that I won't ever break my vow.???

I nodded, because I wouldn't break mine, either.

???I'm going to visit the director to let him know about this donation.??? Linette said and started to walk away.

???It's from the Marks Family and the Henrietta Longshore family.??? Greta said.

Linette turned to her with surprise. ???Henrietta Longshore????

???It's a main branch offshoot.??? Greta said. ???Helena Henrietta broke relations with her father.???

Linette gave me a searching look as if she knew it was because of me, so I nodded. She nodded back and went inside the building.

???That woman...??? Greta shook her head and sighed. ???Driver, the Marks Estate, please.???

We climbed inside and the carriage was off. It took a little while to get to the Marks Estate and it was getting close to lunch. She gave my suit a look that I recognized and I tapped on the carriage. The little window out the front opened.

???Driver! The high shopping district, please.??? I said and he nodded. The carriage changed directions at the next street.

Greta's look changed to a thoughtful one. ???We won't have time for...???

???It's all right. You'll see.??? I said and the carriage arrived at the district fairly quickly. I stepped out and held a hand back for her. She looked a little surprised at my offer, then took my hand and came with me. I walked right over to the most expensive shop and went inside.

???Ah! Lord Drake!??? Ferdinand said as soon as he saw me. ???I assume this is an emergency????

???You assume correctly. We are to meet the matriarch of the Marks Family, possibly for lunch.??? I said. ???Uninvited.??? I added, just in case.

Ferdinand chuckled. ???I certainly hope you bring her something spectacular as an apology.???

???According to Mage Marks, she could either love me or kill me for it.??? I responded.

Ferdinand laughed. ???Oh, that's highly appropriate for Lady Marks!??? He came around the counter to us. ???Shall I mix meeting and meal styles????

???Whatever you think appropriate.??? I said. ???I am in your hands.???

Ferdinand's happy smile became a grin. ???You should be careful with what you say, my lord.???

I smiled back. ???I know what I said.???

Ferdinand laughed again and waved at the back dressing area. ???Right this way, please.??? He said and clapped his hands. Two young women appeared and came with us.

Greta wasn't sure what she should do, so she let me lead her along to the area and then she stared as I was stripped down to my underwear by the two women. Ferdinand began his work and none of us were amazed when he produced an appropriate looking suit outfit in only ten minutes and the two women dressed me quickly and added the proper accessories. The suit even covered my bandoleer and the knife sheath.

???Who do you recommend to help Mage Marks???? I asked as Ferdinand rubbed his hands over the suit in several places to make sure it hung well and then a few places that he wanted to touch.

???Oh, Sally is the best for quick transformations. She's two shops over.??? Ferdinand said and stepped back. ???You look dashing, my lord. Simply dashing.???

???Thank you. You do good work.??? I said and looked myself over in the full length mirror, then I turned to the two helpers. ???Thank you, ladies.???

The two young women blushed and giggled as they handed me a nice bag with my old clothes in them.

I handed them a gold coin each and they let out little squeals of delight. ???Ferdinand, you know my account at the bank.??? I said and he nodded. ???Please, be gentle.???

Ferdinand chuckled. ???Of course, my lord.??? He said and led Greta and myself out to the front of the shop. ???Have a great day.???

I escorted a silent Greta to the shop and Sally took one look at her and rushed over.

???We need to fix you right away!??? Sally said and took a surprised Greta away. Two young women appeared at her clap and the four of them disappeared into the back.

I was tempted to go as well, then decided that Greta needed to not be distracted. It took them almost twenty minutes to finish and the results were astonishing. Greta came out and looked even better than the king's concubine had after being done up by my maids, and that was saying something. The dark blue dress that showed a bit of her cleavage made it look like her skin was almost glowing and the slight blush on her face seemed to be permanent.

???Well???? Sally prompted me. ???What do you think????

???Absolutely delightful.??? I said and admired all of the little accessories.

Greta's face went redder as her blush seemed to flow down her exposed neck. Her brown hair was done up into a complicated and simple hairdo.

I walked over to the counter to give Sally my account info at the bank.

???Lord Drake, I can pay for...???

???Nonsense.??? I waved her offer away. ???We're partnering in this venture, so consider it an investment.???

Sally beamed a smile at me. ???Such gallantry.??? She said and tucked the information into her pocket. ???Thank you for your business, Lord Drake.???

???I'll be sure to tell everyone where I found such a great outfit for a woman.??? I responded and Sally looked quite pleased. I went over to the young women, took the bag with Greta's old clothes in it, and handed each of them a gold coin. They squealed like the two women had at Ferdinand's shop and I walked over to Greta and offered her my arm. ???Shall we????

Greta nodded and we left the shop to go back to the waiting carriage. The coachman looked shocked at our altered appearance as he held the door for us. We climbed in and I put the bags under the front seat. The drive to the Marks Estate took another twenty minutes and we arrived just before lunch was to be served. I grabbed the bags and then took one of each cream container before we went to the front door.

A butler was just inside the front door of the mansion and Greta told him to send word that we were there and would like to meet with her mother, even if it meant lunch first. The man didn't even bat an eye at our outfits and left without comment.

???He's not happy.??? Greta said and hung the two bags of our clothes beside the door. ???I just hope he doesn't rile mother up before she comes to see us.???

???I'll handle it if he did.??? I said and Greta gave me a disbelieving look. ???I remember what Jinelle said.???

Greta took in a sharp breath and then closed her mouth on her response when a woman's shout cut through the air.

???She DEMANDS to see me immediately?!???? A shrill voice exclaimed.

After a few moments, loud shoes clapped against the floor as the woman approached. She was quite tall, a few inches taller than Greta and myself, and her face showed anger. When she was close enough, I let Greta go and stepped forward. The woman's face lost a bit of anger and gained some confusion.

???Lady Marks, I am Lord Drake.??? I said and her eyes widened, then she took in the very expensive suit I was wearing. ???I made a breakthrough with your beauty cream and needed to see you right away.???

The irate woman's face lost all the anger and her eyes went to Greta. ???Is this true????

???I would never show up unannounced if it wasn't important, mother.??? Greta said.

Lady Marks nodded. ???When did this happen???? She asked and looked back at me.

???Just this morning. Your daughter and I worked on it for quite some time to figure it out. Once we brewed it, we had to bring it to you.???

Her eyes went back to Greta and saw the expensive dress and accessories she wore. She looked like she understood the significance of her daughter dressing so well. ???You dressed up for me.???

???We both did.??? Greta said. ???In fact, it was Lord Drake's idea and we just came from the shopping district.???

Almost against her will, Lady Marks' hand reached out and touched the lapel of my suit. Her hand slid over to the shoulder and then over the Henrietta crest attached there. She had a little smile on her face and took her hand back.

???Ferdinand's.??? Lady Marks whispered with a small smile.

I nodded. ???I had this made especially for you.???

Lady Marks looked very pleased at that statement. ???You are taxing my staff today.???

???I apologize for that.??? I said and ducked my head slightly. ???We would like to join you at the table, at your convenience. Food is not required, since we came to talk, or we can wait in the parlour for you to finish your meal.???

Lady Marks looked thoughtful. ???Bannon, send word to the cooks. A light lunch for three and I will accept a half hour delay as appropriate.???

???Yes, my lady.??? The butler said and quickly walked away.

???He still isn't happy.??? Greta commented and her mother smiled briefly.

???You did interrupt the start of my lunch.??? Lady Marks said, a bit sternly.

???Did they serve the wine???? Greta asked and her mother didn't respond.

???May I escort you, my lady???? I asked and offered Lady Marks my arm.

Lady Marks glanced at her daughter. ???I haven't had a need to take a man's offered arm in years.???

???I'm still not going to agree to a betrothal unless the man has at least some interest in my work, mother.??? Greta said as she took my arm instead.

Lady Marks smirked and looked at me. ???I assume someone was intelligent and snapped you up at the first opportunity.???

???It was more like the sixth opportunity.??? I responded and she laughed softly.

???Please, do tell me about it.??? Lady Marks said as she walked back towards the small dining room. ???I do so love hearing about a bit of relationship drama.???

So, I told her about being involved with Diane and meeting Mage Henrietta during the mission planning for setting up the garrison in the new territories and for taking out the dragons along the way. Both she and Greta listened intensely as I did and both asked questions when appropriate and I would clarify things for them. I ended the story with Helena coming to the new garrison and rescuing me from the colonel.

Lady Marks was silent as lunch was served to her first, Greta next on her right, then myself on her left. ???She changed a medical discharge to dishonorable for cowardice in facing the enemy???? She asked when the maids stepped back from the table.

???She thought I was running away from the enemy and I was actually running away from her decisions.??? I said and took a sip of wine. It wasn't as nice as the wine at the dorm mansion.

Lady Marks smiled. ???You do know the army and the navy love her.???

???Because of me.??? I said. ???It's one of the reasons why she didn't want to let me go.???

Lady Marks nodded and our conversation paused as we ate. The silence wasn't strained, even though neither Lady Marks nor Greta mentioned the cream, which was the whole point in showing up like we had.

Lunch soon ended and the dishes were cleared, then Lady Marks stood. ???Come with me.???

Greta stood immediately and I followed suit, then escorted her behind her mother as the older woman swept through the mansion to take us to her brewing center.

When we arrived there, it was an eclectic mix of ingredient bins, work benches, preparation tools, potion stations in different spots, and two assistants. The young women looked up in surprise from their workbench and the ingredients they were preparing.

???As you can see, we're constantly working to try and improve the recipe.??? Lady Marks said and motioned towards the two workers.

???We haven't had any luck improving it.??? One of the young women said. ???In fact, the more we change, the less effective it gets, even with better ingredients.???

???As Greta knows, I don't allow just anyone in here.??? Lady Marks said and turned to me. ???None of us have heard of you before, Lord Drake.???

???Are you sure? My fiance has sold all of the general health potions and healing potions I made.??? I said.

???That was you?!???? The two young women gasped as one.

???Wait, what???? Lady Marks turned to them. ???Explain.???

It only took a few minutes for them to tell her about the miracle potions that had blasted across the capital and had all of the potion makers in an uproar, especially since they couldn't discover how to break apart the potions into components or even find any infusion of blood in them.

Lady Marks was quiet as she digested the information, then she turned back to me and held a hand out. I put the container of boosted cream into her hand and she opened it. She took in a gasp at the slight change in the color and then applied a small dab of it to the back of her hand. Several spots and a blemish dissolved and disappeared in ten seconds.

The two young women came over to her and examined her hand to check on the results, then they checked the cream itself. One pulled out the paper that Mage Marks had used and after a couple of spells and a dab of cream, nothing appeared on the blood trace paper.

???How is that possible???? Lady Marks asked.

???Mother.??? Greta said and the older woman looked at her. ???That's just your normal recipe that's been boosted by David's techniques and magic.???

???Wh-what???? Lady Marks stared at her daughter and looked confused.

???David.??? Greta said and I handed over the modified cream.

Lady Marks opened it and the glistening consistency made her own eyes sparkle. ???Oh... oh, my.???

The two assistants abandoned the boosted cream and went to work on the new one. Their movements became frantic as they fussed out a few things about it; but, it was all just from surface testing.

???Use it on your legs, mother.??? Greta prompted.

Lady Marks whirled to her. ???Excuse me? What did you say????

???Don't get angry at me revealing your secret, mother. You should trust me instead.??? Greta said, satisfaction in her voice.

???T-trust you.??? Lady Marks said, as if she didn't believe the word held any weight.

???Yes, mother. Let David see what the culmination of our combined work can do.???

Lady Marks gave me a pointed glare.

???I can't turn around to give you privacy if I have to observe.??? I responded.

She held the glare for a moment more, then she sighed with a nod. Her two assistants acted like maids and stripped her clothing to show off an aged body that had nice and tight skin on the arms, neck, face, and upper chest... and the rest was the same as any older person's body would look like after sixty years of life.

I used Sense Magic and saw that both her bra and underwear were glowing, just like Mage Ridge's had. She said it was to make herself look and feel younger and desirable, so I gave Lady Marks the same look to make her feel it as well.

Lady Marks blushed for the first time in years at my gaze and she handed the cream to her assistants. ???You, concentrate on the visible veins and the age spots. You, concentrate on the wrinkles.???

???Yes, my lady.??? The two young women said and each took a palm full of cream. They started to apply it and slathered it over the older woman's legs from the thigh down, massaging it in, then switched legs and added more cream.

???Nothing's happening.??? One of the assistants said as the two of them knelt on the floor to watch.

???You are covering up a much larger area than the back of a hand.??? Greta informed them. ???Give it time to...??? She stopped talking when Lady Marks' legs started to glow.

The legs shivered and the two assistants reached for Lady Marks to hold her steady, then they caught their breath as the woman's aged legs seemed to shrink slightly and the normal skin color returned to make them look both healthy and young. No veins, no age spots, and no wrinkles marred the smooth surface.

???By the Son's Light.??? Lady Marks whispered and her own hands roamed over her thighs and felt the soft and supple skin. She looked up at me. ???You have to feel this.???

I glanced at Greta and she shrugged, so I walked over and knelt between the two assistants. ???Please excuse the intrusion.??? I said and put my hands onto her knees. I gently and firmly rubbed my hands up both of her thighs and felt as much skin as possible. The cream was so strong that I could feel it seeping into the muscles and enhancing them like it did for the skin.

Lady Marks let out a low moan as I massaged the muscles to determine the extent of the effect and I saw her underwear grow damp and then become wet. I stopped moving my hands and slid them back down her thighs before I stood. She was breathing a little faster as she stared at my mouth.

???Are you feeling any adverse effects???? One of the assistants asked and that seemed to snap Lady Marks out of whatever fantasy she had been imagining.

???N-no, not... not from the cream.??? Lady Marks said, her face showing desire.

The assistant looked confused for a second and then noticed her lady's damp underwear. ???Oh.???

???We'll let you get dressed.??? Greta said and took my hand to lead me from the room. ???Before you ask, we have ten crates of the boosted cream and ten crates of the modified recipe on the carriage.???

???Ten crates of each?!???? Lady Marks exclaimed, shocked. ???I thought you said you had the breakthrough this morning!???

???We did.??? Greta said with a grin and closed the door before her mother could holler at her to bring me back.

???You enjoyed that.??? I said and she laughed.

???It's difficult to get anything over on my mother, so surprising her twice in one day is a rush.???

???Three times. I doubt she planned on being aroused.??? I said and Greta laughed again.

???That poor woman.??? Greta said and I refrained from reminding her that she was in the same position. We went downstairs and waited by the front door for her mother to recover and to come and get the crates. If her reaction was any indication, she was going to fall all over herself to get them.