The man looked at me with a flustered expression.
“If I’m sharing what I bought, shouldn’t you ask politely?”
I smiled sweetly, and he gritted his teeth.
“I’ll pay a fair price!”
“Then 400 gold per root.”
Han Ji-hyeok flinched.
Even after sweeping up all those tricolor plants and paying just 1 gold, I still had change overflowing in both hands.
Han Ji-hyeok looked at me as if I were the scammer, despite being one himself.
The shop owner was startled, and the man’s mouth dropped open.
“You... What nonsense are you saying...!”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t buy them?”
I shrugged with an innocent look, and the man glared at me, utterly annoyed. Follow current novels on NoveIꜰire.net
Han Ji-hyeok whispered as if wanting to applaud.
“You’re a genius at making people mad.”
I looked at the man unfazed.
“You should say ‘yes’ when an adult speaks, not talk back!”
“I said ‘yes’ because you told me to, but if you don’t like that ‘yes’, maybe it’s because you’re petty.”
“The ‘yes’ I meant was...! But didn’t you just say ‘you’ to me?”
He looked around as if to see if anyone else heard that rude tone.
Han Ji-hyeok and the apothecary owner blinked, stunned.
The man glared at me, frustrated.
“Anyway, it’s not right to take all the goods like that. Reflect and put them back.”
I looked at the apothecary owner and asked,
“Is that so? Then I’ll put them back.”
The owner frowned fiercely.
“What nonsense! They hadn’t sold a single one for over a month and were about to throw them out, but you finally bought them all!”
“But what about other customers...!”
“Am I running a charity, not a business?!”
“Business ethics...!”
I leisurely watched the fight unfold.
Usually, it’s best to leave fights to others.
Also, the loudest usually wins.
“Why ruin someone else’s business—!!”
The apothecary owner’s voice was tremendous.
The man, flustered, said,
“If you feel wronged, report it! Report it! Is it illegal to sell everything to the buyer?! Huh?!”
The empire has no laws to prevent hoarding.
The central tower officials who make the laws are the ones who profit from hoarding; would they make laws against themselves?
‘Of course, there’s business ethics.’
The man was overwhelmed by the owner shouting at him.
Almost about to be chased out, I said to him,
“Seven roots are enough?”
I signaled, and Han Ji-hyeok handed the man seven tricolor roots.
“Because I agree there should be ethics.”
“Tricolor plants aren’t for serious illnesses, so I didn’t think anyone would want them. If you needed them, I would have gladly given them.”
“So apologize. For mentioning my parents.”
The man accepted the roots and cleared his throat.
“I suppose I was unpleasant. But I don’t need pity.”
He shoved the tricolor plants back at Han Ji-hyeok.
I made Han Ji-hyeok give the roots to the man.
“I said I don’t need pity!”
“It’s not pity, it’s interference.”
“Don’t interfere either!”
“It’s funny to tell someone who meddles in others’ family upbringing not to meddle in their own affairs, isn’t it?”
Seeing him jump , he must really need the tricolor plants badly.
‘I admit I was somewhat thoughtless.’
It wasn’t an immediate need for me, but I did prevent someone who needed it from buying it.
The man stared at the tricolor plants in his hand.
Then glanced at me and muttered,
“...Well, if you’re giving them, I’ll take them gratefully.”
He rummaged through his money and handed it to Han Ji-hyeok.
“I’ll pay the price.”
He hesitated and then spoke with difficulty.
“A-about my parents...”
With another tinkling bell, Alexis entered.
He looked around the apothecary and approached me.
“Did you find what you were looking for?”
Seeing his expression as if surprised I was here, Alexis tapped the window frame with his knuckle.
‘I guess he saw me outside.’
I nodded, and he said,
While talking, I looked at the man.
“Sorry. What did you say?”
“...Are you a noble?”
The man seemed to realize Alexis looked like a noble who had come for me.
“You’re just tempting bad luck.”
The man roughly pulled up his hood, slammed the door, and left.
The shop owner shook his head.
“That guy’s temper never seems to improve.”
Then Han Ji-hyeok asked,
“He’s a regular. Always looking for weird herbs. How the heck would our shop carry expensive herbs like mandrake... geez.”
“Looks like that temper causes fights with the busy district apothecary, so he comes to our place...”
Listening to the owner, I paused.
Then I looked out the window at the man striding away.
A man who hates nobles, needs mandrake, and suspiciously covers himself.
Taking a breath, I quickly kicked open the door and rushed out.
From behind me, I heard Han Ji-hyeok’s voice.
“What? E... no, Rilu!”
I hurriedly ran and grabbed the man’s collar.
“Don’t you need more tricolor plants?”
Breathless from running, I held my knees and gasped.
Through his messy hair, I saw his squinting eyes.
“You never know. If experiments fail, you might need more.”
He looked at me as if to ask how I knew that.
“Do you know who I found? ...Hans Bender.”
It took three days after arriving in Euroseg domain, but I finally found him.
My dad’s old friend and the Wild Mage... Cainrod Madillo.
Cainrod stomped his feet as he walked.
I followed closely behind, saying,
“...So I was about to give up after circling the alleys three times because I couldn’t find him anywhere. But I happened to find him at the apothecary.”
“Maybe that’s what you call fate.”
“...Who said I’m your uncle?”
Cainrod, who had been silent all along, suddenly glared at me.
“He’s your uncle because he’s your dad’s friend, right? Or do you prefer ‘mister’?”
“Go away. I hate nobles terribly.”
‘That’s why I disguised myself as a commoner.’
I ended up revealing I was the daughter of Daymond Astra.
All this effort for nothing.
I shook my head inwardly.
‘No, it’s a huge relief.’
If the Veil learns that ‘Erilot Astra’ found the Wild Mage, who knows how they’d interfere.
I chuckled softly, resting my chin in my hands.
“Oh, uncle, you were a noble too.”
Cainrod frowned with a scowl.
“Can’t you keep your mouth shut?”
“Listen when I say go!”
“Are you ignoring me now?”
“No, you told me not to speak.”
His expression was like he was about to explode.
Han Ji-hyeok whispered in my ear,
“If you want to get on his nerves, you’re succeeding.”
I smiled as innocently as I could.
“If you hate it so ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) much, I’ll leave.”
Han Ji-hyeok and Alexis looked at me wide-eyed like “Really?”
“Yes! I’ll come back tomorrow!”
I waved my hand gently as I turned, and behind me I heard a voice, angry to the point of bursting.
“Don’t come! I said don’t come!”
The voice faded away.
Han Ji-hyeok and Alexis hurried to catch up to me.
“You’re really going?”
“Yeah. I don’t think we’ll get anywhere today.”
“Do you think he’ll talk tomorrow?”
“If not tomorrow, then the day after, and if not then, the next day.”
When I was Yuhye-min, I had put that much effort in—up to 293 days.
Han Ji-hyeok shook his head.
“You really have the best persistence in the world.”
And so began the operation to recruit Cainrod.
‘Looks like I won’t be leaving Euroseg domain anytime soon.’
Cainrod, coming out of the alley, stiffened and looked at me.
“How do you know I’m here?”
“I was waiting for you to pass by! Oh, and since you don’t like ‘uncle,’ how about ‘mister’?”
I giggled, and Cainrod’s mouth fell open.
I followed closely behind him.
“Do you have time today? If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk.”
I quickly bowed, and as I turned, I heard a laugh of disbelief behind me.