Chapter 15
The moment I arrived, the general store owner put on an elaborate performance.
"Young Lady, you’re extraordinarily fortunate. I’ve pulled every string—even contacting a friend’s cousin’s relatives—to secure the last remaining stock."
"Enough. Just show me the item."
"Of course. Allow me to escort you upstairs."
The second floor appeared reserved for nobles like me who placed special orders. The owner lifted the lid of a velvet-lined box to reveal an old liquor bottle that clashed with its opulent packaging. Yet the amber liquid inside glowed mesmerizingly.
"This is the legendary Legend 25 Years—discontinued due to false rumors of poor taste, now coveted by obsessive collectors more than their own spouses."
A pitch-perfect sales pitch designed to make me nitpick.
"Fine. How much?"
"Since it’s for Young Lady Ophensa, I’ll charge only this much." He raised three fingers.
"3 gold?"
"Hahaha! You’ve quite the sense of humor."
"...Hah! Obviously a joke. It’s 30 gold, right?"
"......"
Still wrong?
In this world, 1 gold ≈ ₩100,000 (~$100). If not 30 gold...
"300 gold, Young Lady."
This palm-sized bottle costs that much? Is he scamming me because I’m clueless about liquor?
When I glared, the owner stammered, "It’s niche, b-but not a scam! Some wait months to acquire it!"
"You’re certain?"
"Would I lie to you? Buyers are already lining up to purchase it!"
Cold dread shot through me. Only one person would seek this item now:
The silver-haired man!
I needed to secure it before he arrived—be his supplier, not his rival.
The owner’s indifference suggested honesty, but 300 gold was catastrophic. Such a sum would alert the family—and Marquis Kaiman—instantly.
Ding!
[Quest: Secretly purchase Legend 25 Years without Marquis Kaiman’s knowledge.]
[Failure: Silver-haired man route LOCKED. Drastically increased odds of ‘settling for less’ in romance.]
Settling for less? Lowering my standards? Unthinkable.
"Our heir, slumming in a place like this?" A mocking voice cut through my panic. "Stick to boutiques, hm?"
I turned to see Dietrich Rothen—infamous red-haired nuisance—grinning, hands in pockets. Too handsome for his thuggish demeanor, but today, he was a golden opportunity.
"My, what a coincidence!" I beamed.
"Lost your mind? Take a head injury?" Brat.
I feigned aloofness. "Ah, my mistake. You resembled someone else."
"This face isn’t easily confused," he preened. "Buying poison, heir?"
"None of your business."
"Poison? Share some! Don’t be stingy."
As he loomed closer, Noah—my timid attendant—stepped between us. "...No."
"Ha! You’ve adopted a stray?" Dietrich jabbed Noah’s head tauntingly.
Thwack! My fan smacked his hand. "Act your status, Dietrich. You reek of back alleys."
His smirk faltered. "You always know what to say, heir." He leaned in, menace dripping. "Forgotten I can report your ‘charity’ as extortion?"
I seethed silently. The original Calyphe had done good deeds—to impress her grandfather—but Dietrich twisted every act into scandal. Marquis Kaiman, her sole "ally," blindly believed his lies.
"Behave, yes?" He tapped my cheek with his knuckles.
Laughing would ruin everything.
"You’ve had fun exploiting her weaknesses," I mused. But I know yours too.
"Noah. Wait downstairs."
Reluctantly, he left. Dietrich snorted. "Feisty kid. Ditch him before our wedding."
Smack! My fan struck his face. "A mongrel like you—reeking of gutter trash—dare speak of marriage?"
"You—!"
Slap! "Address me as Noona. You’re younger, after all."
——
Noah lingered downstairs, clutching a sinister black gem he’d stolen from the Marquis’s fireplace. I must confess to Lady Calyphe...
Snap! A hunting dog lunged for the gem!
"No! That’s Lady Calyphe’s—!" The stone rolled away as Noah wrestled the beast.
"Are you a redhead too?!" he shouted, slapping the dog’s snout.
Startled, the dog froze—long enough for Noah to grab the gem.
Grrrl... The dog bared its teeth, outraged.
Uh-oh.
——
