Two negatives of the same scene are developed for different times, so their curves have different slopes. How does that slope translate into what the print eventually looks like?

D. A steeper slope yields greater density range per subject luminance, increasing print contrast

Slope is contrast, in the literal sense: it is how much density the negative gains per stop of subject brightness. A steep curve turns a small brightness difference into a large density difference, which the paper turns into a large tonal separation. Nothing at the printing stage corrects it; the paper grade only decides how much of it fits.