Chapter 12
The clearance sale went very smoothly. Opesa originally thought it would take about five days to sell out all the stock, but unexpectedly, it only took three days to sell out all the powder and perfume.
Opesa was happily counting money in the shop, feeling that this was the highlight of her life. In just three days, she had paid off all the small debts owed by the original owner, and even had some left over for the future operation of the shop.
Looking at the full purse and the total amount left in the account book, Opesha tiptoed happily.
But happiness is always short-lived. She still has a huge debt to pay off from Pace Trading House, and the remaining amount is not enough. She has to think quickly about what she will do to make money in the future.
The next debt collection date for the trading house is at the end of next month, but Opesha cannot guarantee whether they will come to cause trouble earlier.
She had anticipated this, so she concealed her identity to prevent the trading company or other enemies of the original owner from coming to take over the small shop.
She let Holly act as the owner of the store, while she took a back seat and pretended to be an ordinary employee with a burnt face. Because Sinderel was too beautiful, their contrast became a gimmick, and there were always people who inadvertently looked up and looked at Opesa and Sinderel who were covered tightly.
Now that all the goods have been cleared out, Opesa put up a "temporarily closed" sign at the door of the store and called several people into the store to discuss future matters.
She took off her hood, sat down at the table, and asked, "Did you find out what I asked you to investigate?"
Holly nodded and said first, "Yes, ma'am, I've checked everything you asked for. The most popular stores across the country are women's branches, perfume shops, bakeries, and clothing stores."
"It's pretty much what I expected." Opesha rested her chin on her hand. She had recently asked Holly to take a look at some of the most popular businesses in Furlan, and sure enough, it was exactly as she expected. "Anatasha, Dusula, what about you?"
"Yes..." Anastasia said quickly, "Dusula and I have secured a spot at a social ball hosted by a viscount. Many high-ranking people are attending. Although we can all go... but because the Pace Trading House is involved, they said we need to pay to attend." Anastasia rubbed her fingers awkwardly.
"How much?" asked Opesa.
"Well, maybe 100 gold coins." Dusula replied silently.
One hundred gold coins? Opesa gasped. It was a ridiculously high price. This world had three currencies: copper, silver, and gold, all based on a base of 100. A commoner's lifetime of hard work only netted a hundred gold coins, and her debt was only a thousand. And this time, the ball had only a hundred spots? It was really embarrassing.
But this was a rare opportunity that she must not let go easily. With their current reputation, it was already good enough to be able to pay to enter the ball, and she had to earn this money no matter what.
"I'll find a way." Opesa rubbed her temples. "You guys go ahead and tell the Viscount that I'll give him the money before the ball."
"Mother, why are you suddenly so insistent on attending the ball? Even if we go, no one will want to socialize with us." Anastasia didn't understand. They used to be stars in the social circle, but since their stepfather passed away, they were like rats crossing the street, and everyone disliked them. Going to this ball would be a waste of money. It would be better to save the money to pay off debts.
"Because this is my marketing strategy." Opesa smiled slightly. "The business I'm about to do will be unprecedented and will definitely shock the whole country. These nobles and celebrities are my best promotions. Everyone will follow the trend among the nobles. You should know this better than me."
Holly opened her mouth and said, "What exactly are you going to do? If what you said before is related to clothes, then we can't compare with those senior designers."
Opesa hummed twice and continued to assign tasks without further explanation. "Holly, please help me collect some things these days. Leather, chains, fabric, lace, pearls... In short, you purchase according to this order. Anastasia and Dusula, you go out and spread the news about the store. The store has gained some fame recently thanks to the public opinion. Don't let this flame of fame die out."
The three of them looked at each other, still confused about what Opesa was thinking, but they all nodded in unison.
"That's it." Opesa waved her hand. "You guys go ahead and do your work. I'm going out for a field trip later."
The three of them took their orders and left, leaving only Opesha in the shop.
There was a slight noise in the workshop, and Opesa remembered that Sinderell was still in the shop.
Opesa turned around and happened to see Sinderel walking out of the workshop with a book on perfume making. His green eyes lightly brushed across the book and fixed on her.
Opesa suddenly remembered the page of notes.
After three busy days, she had forgotten about the matter. Now that she was in the same room with Sinderel, she couldn't help feeling a little nervous.
Although the gaze was clearly without a trace of unnecessary emotion, Opesa felt a little dry in the mouth, perhaps because of her guilty conscience.
Noticing that the book in Xindrell's hand was not in a language she was familiar with, made her even more anxious.
No one told her that Sinderel knew other languages.
What if he had deciphered the words on that page? Wouldn't that mean her death was imminent?
Thinking of the scene in the alley, Opesa scratched her palms nervously, wondering how she should face Sinderel.
Ever since the incident in the alley, Xindrell looked at her as if she were a dirty thing, always staying away from her, trying to keep as much distance as possible from her and avoid any physical contact.
It was obvious that she had hit his sore spot seriously.
She should hurry up and go out. She also wants to go on a field trip to prepare for her future plans. Well, that's it.
[Reminder, quest accepted: Please take Sinderel with you and hold her hand the entire time to disgust her.]
Opesha:?
What the hell, has it changed from a physical attack to a mental blow?
Forcing someone who doesn't like physical contact to go out?
Pull him? What if he pulls out a dagger from some pocket? Will she be compensated? She doesn't have the resurrection coins for a one-click resurrection.
[Tip: If you violate the system, 100 malicious points will be deducted! ]
Opesha: 6
Her system is a template for unreasonableness.
Opesa had no other choice but to force a smile and say, "I'm going out now. I allow you, a lowly person, to go out with me."
Sinderel stood in the doorway, his eyes dim and unclear in the dividing line between light and shadow.
The stalemate lasted for quite a while, so long that Opesa's expression became stiff and the corners of her mouth felt sore. She then made a tut-tut sound and opened her mouth to say something unpleasant to provoke Sinderel.
"Where are you going?" Unexpectedly, Sinderel asked suddenly.
Opesa was so annoyed that she lost her patience: "Just follow me, why are you talking so much nonsense? Do you think you can ask about my schedule?"
Ignoring her impatience, Xindrell continued to ask, "Are you short of money?"
Opesha couldn't help but laugh out loud: "What do you think?"
He must know more about the situation at home than an outsider like me.
"..." Sinderel's eyes seemed to be a little complicated. He lowered his eyes slightly and shot his gaze at the map in Opesa's hand, "You are not allowed to sell it."
Opesa was stunned. "Huh?" Noticing Sinderel's gaze, she glanced down at the map in her hand. Suddenly realizing his misunderstanding, she waved her hands. "No, that's not right. Listen to me. I'm just going there to investigate. Don't overthink it."
"You need money." Sinderel's tone was stiff. "One hundred gold coins. Apart from this method, I can't think of anything else that empty head of yours can think of."
Opesha:?
For the first time, Opesa felt what it meant that God could not distinguish between loyalty and treachery.
She laughed out of anger, not wanting to care about anything else for a moment. She simply walked over, grabbed Sinderel's wrist, and dragged him out. "Yeah, I'll have to sell you. I'm sure I can make a lot of money from your skin."
The words came out without thinking, and the hand was held on impulse. It was not until they were on the street that Opesa calmed down. After realizing what she had done, she broke down and howled in her heart.
She really can't control this body. If she gets a little angry, she will become stupid and do things ranging from suspended death sentence to immediate execution.
But the hand had been held (although it was only the wrist), and Sinderel didn't show any particular resistance, so she just went with the flow.
She did want to go to those places of entertainment, but not just those places, there were others as well. Because she was not familiar with the local terrain, she bought a map and made a plan step by step.
What she had to do today was to find a suitable place for her layout.
Following the route, Opesa arrived at the first place she planned, the largest brothel in the city - people here called it "Flower Kiln".
She was about to move forward, but then she thought of something and pulled Sinderel back. They went to the nearest clothing store and bought a hat and scarf. Then she ordered Sinderel, "Bend down."
Sinderel stared at him for a moment, not moving. Opesa pursed her lips, her cheeks puffed with anger, and pulled Sinderel by the collar, forcing him to bend down. She stubbornly placed her hat and scarf on his head.
"Okay." Opesa continued to pull him forward, "This way you won't be stared at by others. I don't want them to think you're incredibly beautiful before they see how beautiful I am."
Sinderel's appearance will definitely attract attention, which will be very detrimental to her actions, so it is better to cover it up.
In order to protect their reputation, some guests would disguise their appearance like them, so they did not stand out and entered the venue with the crowd.
As soon as you enter the flower kiln, you will be surrounded by many beautiful men and women. They are dressed in open and gorgeous clothes, flattering the guests and leading them inside.
The air was filled with the fragrance of desire. The smell was not bad, but it was not suitable for formal occasions. When Opesa smelled it, she felt it was vulgar and strong, not at all as pleasant as the one prepared by Mr. Paul.
But this brothel was really embarrassing and heart-pounding. The usually conservative Opesha had her three views refreshed. After just watching a dancer's performance, she covered her face and coughed, her eyes wandering left and right. If she looked at it one more time, she would explode.
On the other hand, Sinderel, like a veteran who had been in the industry for many years, drank his tea with relish, his face calm and his heart steady, his emerald eyes as calm as water, as if he was watching a funny little play in his spare time.
…which made her look even more like that ancient person. For some reason, Opesa felt a surge of competitive energy and forced herself to keep watching.
Hold on! This is an inspection! This is money!
Ten minutes later, Xindrell glanced at her silently and said, "Let go."
Opesa was sweating profusely. She wiped the sweat off with her other hand while writing in her notebook, "Don't loosen up."
"..." The veins on his forehead twitched, and the dagger hidden in his pocket was about to be sharpened. "My sleeves are wet."
"Oh." Opesa turned a deaf ear to what was happening outside. When they were almost done with the first place, she immediately closed her notebook and stood up, still tugging at Sinderel's sleeve. "Let's go, let's go!"
After quickly escaping from the flower kiln, Opesa breathed a sigh of relief.
Breathing in the fresh air, Opesa unfolded the map and followed the route to the second location.
As they walked, Sindriel behind them suddenly spoke up: "I don't understand what you wrote, nor do I understand your intentions."
Opesa paused, but quickly composed herself and raised her eyebrows, saying, "You're not as smart as I thought."
It is natural that I can't understand it. Although she deliberately used English to record it, what she wrote is all things that only modern people can understand.
At the second location, Opesa brought Sindriel to the Sheriff's Department.
Opesa walked straight to the divorce office with a clear purpose.
She dragged Sinderel to sit in an inconspicuous place in the corner, spread out the notebook, and kept recording with the pen in her hand.
She was remembering that there was a middle-aged woman next to her who kept looking at her with a strange look in her eyes. While looking at her, she was whispering something to the man next to her who looked like her husband.
After being stared at for a long time, Opesa couldn't help herself and simply put down the pen in her hand and asked politely, "Excuse me, is there anything I can help you with?"
The woman hesitated for a moment, then sat closer and asked quietly, "Are you here to ask about same-sex marriage as well?"
Opesha: “Huh?”
The woman's eyes flashed with excitement. "Ah... I'm tired of this, too. Men only have a few tricks up their sleeves. My husband and I are both uninterested in the opposite sex and are bored. I heard the policy has been relaxed recently, so I came here." Unable to conceal her emotions, she glanced at Sinderel again. "Come on, don't give up so easily."
After that, the woman left and went inside to go through the divorce procedures.
Opesa looked at the woman's back in confusion: "This..."
What the hell? How could she be mistaken for a lesbian? It’s impossible for her and Sinderel to be together.
The atmosphere around her suddenly dropped to freezing point. Realizing something was amiss, she immediately turned to look at Sinderel. Although her face was covered by a mask, she could clearly sense his displeasure.
She grunted for a long time before finally uttering, "Maybe... I look younger."
Unsure if this had any effect, Opesa decided to leave. While she hadn't thoroughly researched the second location, her notes were pretty much complete. She'd better hurry to the next one.
`
As usual, she walked down the street holding Sinderel's hand, looking at the map and following the signs to several private clinics.
She paid attention to the situation in the clinics, made a few marks on the notebook, and continued walking forward.
The last location was right in front of her. Opesha put down the map and walked forward.
The person next to her stood still, and she couldn't pull him away. She could only look back in confusion.
The next second, her hand was held back by the other party with great force, and her fingers trembled unconsciously.
"Tell me—" The boy's jaw tightened, his voice cold, "Intention?"
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