Luna's mansion was in a blessed silence. Translucent curtains filtered the gray light of the cloudy sky while an electronic whisper sounded beside the king-size bed.
"Good morning, madam. It is 12:50 PM."
Luna let out a hoarse groan and turned with her face half pressed into the pillow. "...kill me."
"That would be against my protocols," Ivy replied with a slightly amused voice.
Luna blinked with effort and finally sat up on the bed, her messy hair forming a nest of chaos above her head.
She brought her hand to her temple, massaging slowly. "What... what happened yesterday?"
"Objective summary? You went to a nightclub. Drank as if the planet was going to explode. Danced with... men. Women. Mostly women. Until five in the morning."
Luna narrowed her eyes. "Women?"
"Several. Including an ex-girlfriend of an influential socialite. Gossip column news in three, two..."
"Ugh, what hell." She grumbled and let her body fall back on the bed, staring at the ceiling as if wanting to go back in time and punch herself.
"Never drinking again." she declared solemnly, for the tenth time this year.
"You said that last month. And also the week before last."
"Shut up, Ivy."
Determined to rise from the depths of the alcoholic pit, Luna dragged herself to the white marble bathroom and plunged into the bathtub with hot water and restorative essences.
The smell of lavender and amber calmed her senses, but her body was so relaxed that she almost fell asleep floating like a drunk mermaid.
"Madam, if you fall asleep there and sink, it will be a tragic but aesthetically acceptable end."
"If you're trying to motivate me, you're doing it wrong," murmured Luna with closed eyes, already starting to laugh.
After a long time in the bath and brushing her teeth, Luna finally got out, still with a slight hangover stupor, but with dignity restored.
She opened the closet and chose a black sports set with gray details, tight enough to highlight her curves, but comfortable enough to work out without looking like a desperate influencer begging for likes.
She went to the personal gym. Activated the favorite workout playlist and started the exercises: push-ups, crunches, pull-ups... all with precision and focus.
It was two hours of sweat, dedication, and attempts to compensate for the sin of the previous night.
At the end, Luna walked to the wall mirror.
The reflection stared back at her: perfect skin, impeccable curves, sharp features, but... something seemed different.
"Hey..." she frowned and looked at her abdomen.
Where were the abs she had been cultivating with so much effort in recent weeks?
"Gone?!"
"Confirmed." Ivy's voice echoed behind her. "The body was recalibrated to the ideal aesthetic according to the Tycoon System database. The muscles gained, although well defined, compromised the symmetry of the maximized model."
"Wait... so you're saying that... my body 'returned' the muscles?"
"Yes. The structural maximization of your perfect genetics does not allow muscle accumulation that affects the ideal body design. You were programmed to be... perfect. The muscles were 'interfering.'"
Luna stared fixedly at the mirror, sliding her fingers over her arms and thighs—still defined, but now in a more 'sculptural' way rather than 'musclebound.' Her curves were back to the shape the world associated with the divine word.
She reflected for a few seconds.
It wasn't a matter of exaggerated vanity, it was just the Tycoon system reminding her she didn't need to make any effort to be flawless. That was the proposal from the start, right?
"Hm…" Luna shrugged with a sly smile. "Alright. I confess my hot body makes me happier than warrior abs."
"Wisdom detected."
"...And sarcasm detected."
Back in the closet, Luna chose loose and comfortable clothes: soft cotton pants and an oversized T-shirt with a neon print. Only absolute comfort.
With calm steps, she walked to the gourmet kitchen. Coffee, whole wheat toast, and an energy smoothie appeared on the counter via the automated system.
"Today, only light things..." she said to herself, grabbing the smoothie cup.
She was ready for a new day.
Luna calmly chewed a whole wheat toast, her eyes still a little sleepy from the emotional hangover of the previous night.
In front of her, the lilac smoothie slowly spun in the transparent cup, hypnotizing, as if saying "today is a good day to do nothing."
But doing nothing wasn't exactly an option for someone who was one of the founders of the most powerful company on the planet.
"Internal report from Diamante Tycoon, madam. Do you want to hear now or after finishing your coffee?"
"Go ahead, Ivy. If it's tragic, at least I have food in my mouth."
"Understood. Starting updates."
The translucent hologram of Ivy floated beside the counter, her virtual eyes turning slightly blue.
"First update: Victoria."
"Ah..." Luna rolled her eyes even before the AI finished the sentence. "I bet she's freaking out with the nerds from development, huh?"
"Correct. Victoria is annoyed with the increasing flow of absurd proposals coming from the Research and Development department. Examples include: a coffee maker that connects to the user's mood through neural reading, pants that emit motivational phrases, and a water bottle that yells 'hydrate yourself!' every time it detects dehydration."
Luna almost spat out the smoothie. "Who is hiring these people, huh?! That's what happens when you open positions for genius interns without filters."
"Most proposals came from employees fresh out of university. According to Victoria's assistant, the prototypes are not real but serve as orientation exercises and to receive professional feedback from the CEO."
"Ah... well, maybe there's hope." Luna took another bite and murmured: "Good thing Victoria is patient. Or almost."
"Second update: Lumine."
"Hm?" Luna raised her eyebrows with interest. "Did the goddess solve some bomb?"
"Actually, yes. Lumine received a proposal from an intern named Nayara Klemens about creating a new luxury fashion brand inspired by Chanel. The proposal was considered promising."
"Chanel? Wow... that's playing high." Luna tilted her head, thoughtful. "But if she gave the green light, maybe the girl is really talented."
"Lumine also researched the current state of the Chanel brand and found that its millennial glory is... let's say, a little dusty in the 31st century."
"So it's going to happen? Tycoon entering the fashion market?"
"Still in the embryonic stage, but yes. Lumine decided to incubate the project under her supervision."
Luna smiled. She already imagined holographic fashion shows dominating New Paris, AI models wearing pieces that changed color according to mood... And of course, the Tycoon name stamped everywhere as a seal of supremacy.
"Third update: Nikoly."
"Ah, our favorite wild hacker."
"Nikoly remains in Japan, working compulsively on her mobile game project, titled 'Mystic: The Crown.'"
"Hah! She's still trying to run that MOBA in holograms?"
"Exactly. Progress is slow by her standards, but still moving forward. She contacted you yesterday asking for ideas, and apparently was inspired by some suggestions to create new battle modes."
Luna laughed remembering the random message exchanges between the two about characters with explosive hair and absurd abilities.
"I bet she's going to create some champion based on 'The Empress of Capitalism. Passive: each defeated enemy generates dividends.'"
"Suggestion noted. I can send it to her now, if you wish."
"Send it! And put it as my 'creative fee.'"
"Agreed."
Luna finished the smoothie in one gulp, slid the glass aside, and stretched on the kitchen bench like a satisfied cat.
The cloudy day outside seemed as lazy as she was, but the gears of Tycoon never stopped.
"Ivy..." she said looking at the ceiling. "Remind me later to send a gift to Victoria. Maybe an anti-stress kit with aromatherapy and a T-shirt with the phrase 'no means no, nerds.'"
"Scheduled. Shall I also include a bottle of white wine from the 3091 vintage?"
"Perfect. You understand me like no one else."
"It's part of my programming, madam."
The updates were over.
Luna sighed, stretched, and while the AI withdrew, she glanced sideways at the sofa... tempted to lie down a little more.
But she walked through the mansion's halls with the calm of an empress. Bare feet, loose sweater, and hair tied up in any way—and yet, she looked ready for a magazine cover photo shoot.
Upon entering the computer room, she threw herself into the gamer chair. The chair spun lightly with the push, making Luna smile. The AI knew exactly the level of comfort she wanted.
"System turning on. Connecting to social channels and integrated platforms, Luna," announced Ivy.
"Send everything. I want to see the chaos."
The screens lit up in front of her, a cascade of windows jumping in the air. TikTok, Instagram, X (the new Twitter), elite consumer forums, global gossip columns... Everything boiling.
The word LUX shone among hashtags, memes, protests, and comments.
People from the ten continents were freaking out because the most desired product—the LUX facial mask—was only available in the Phoenix Empire.
An influencer crying on TikTok: "Why does the Phoenix Empire have everything?! I want to be beautiful by osmosis too, damn it!"
A viral meme showed a medieval peasant holding a spoon saying: "Me when I find out Tycoon only sells in Phoenix: 'Please, madam tycoon, can you sell to me too?'"
Another user commented: "Never wanted to become an imperial citizen so much. Tycoon can colonize me."
Luna sighed, rubbing her face with some laziness. "Humans and their digital neediness..."
"The commotion is growing. Global media is pressing. Some newspapers are questioning Tycoon's 'ethics' for doing worldwide advertising and selling exclusively in the Phoenix Empire."
"That's marketing, Ivy. Exclusivity generates hysteria. They should be thankful we're not selling the premium version for 500 dollars a unit."
"Apparently, the Lancaster clan is helping to fuel the fire. They are financing journalists, influencers, and even smaller media to accuse Tycoon of imperial elitism."
Luna snorted scornfully.
"Of course they are. The decadent elite trying to pretend to be moral now..." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "They lost the legal arm when we were internationally legitimized. Now they're playing dirty."
"Confirmed. There are also records of suspicious financial movements between the Lancaster family and the True Beauty corporation. It seems they intend to act as allies against us."
Luna made a thoughtful pout. "Two desperate people holding a wet torch. So predictable."
She took a deep breath, crossed her legs, and then snapped her fingers. "Ivy... send a message to Nikoly. Tell her it's time to do our favorite hobby: keep small minds busy."
"Message to Nikoly drafted: 'Release ZERØPHAGE on True Beauty's servers. Nothing destructive. Just enough to make them sweat blood. Prioritize connection saturation, data blocking, and uploading files with infinite meme loops.' Would you like to add anything?"
Luna smiled mischievously. "Add a package of 'dubious but harmless' viruses with the file name: 'lux_inferior.exe.' If they open it, just play my voice saying 'You're so 1999...' with echo."
"Message updated and sent."
She reclined the chair and put her legs on the console. Her gaze fixed on the floating screens pulsing with information from a world desperately trying to catch up with Tycoon.
"They can try to block us..." she murmured, looking at the ceiling with a half smile. "But they're playing chess against quantum AI. And they think they'll win with paper data."
"Do you want me to start a feasibility study for controlled global LUX launch?"
Luna shook her head slowly. "Not yet. I want them to sweat more. When everyone is crying and offering their soul for a mask... Then we launch. With a waiting list."
"Cruel. Efficient. Profitable."
"Exactly what we are."
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