Chapter 26: I’ll acquire the shop (2)

The commotion that had erupted in front of the store quickly subsided.

Rosa swiftly opened her senses and stepped out to the storefront, fanning herself. Hugh stood alone.

Surrounding them were dozens of thugs piled up like corpses.

“Hey, you didn’t kill them, right?” Rosa asked with a pale face, and Hugh turned around.

“Of course not. This is the shop the young lady is planning to buy, so we can’t dirty it with their blood.”

Her father had apparently hired quite a dangerous escort.

Rosa had memories from a past life. Though she was a corporate slave, she grew up in a peaceful country, and death was not commonplace. So, she found the nonchalant attitude of the guards genuinely frightening. Moreover, in this life, she was a villain, albeit a sheltered one. However, it was a fact that he had protected her.

“You’re quite strong. Did you defeat them all by yourself?”

Hugh nodded at Rosa’s words and lightly raised his hand toward the street.

Then, about four Croitzer family guards, who had been watching from the shadows in disguise, suddenly appeared and quickly picked off the thugs. It’s a great collaboration. In fact, she thinks her father is being too overprotective to have five bodyguards for his daughter.

Moreover, Hugh, who should be a newcomer, for some reason had the long-serving guards following him. It was a bit intriguing.

At that moment, the elderly couple from the shop popped up.

“Um… is the shop okay?”

Rosa pushed the elderly couple into the store, who were looking nervously at the storefront, and decided to move on to business negotiations.

“How much did you buy this shop for?”

“Well, at the time, it was about ten gold coins. So, I’d appreciate it if you could refrain from buying it for less than that.”

The owner appealed, sweating. With ten gold coins, a commoner could live in the capital for about three years without working. If they moved to the countryside, they could lead an even more comfortable life.

“How about a thousand gold coins?”

“What?”

“In the future, hire reliable guards, protect your property, and live comfortably. How about that?”

The elderly couple was surprised and stunned.

(I’m approaching my late twenties, a corporate slave without a boyfriend… I was worried about my old age.)

Lost in such reminiscence, Rosa struck a deal. Helena brought a heavy bag filled with gold coins. When Rosa placed it on the table, the old desk creaked. Rosa had decided to make the working desk sturdy with oak wood.

“Uh, Miss, what is this?”

They had started calling her ‘Miss’ without her noticing. She didn’t mind.

“It’s genuine. Please check. This is a business deal. So, are you selling this shop? Or not? If not, I’ll have to look for another store.”

The shop owners, facing each other, joyfully and unanimously said, “Thank you for your purchase!”

“We did it! We can spend our retirement at ease!”

The two rejoiced like children.

“You two are too surprised. It’s a fair price. Make sure to hire guards to avoid robbers,” Rosa advised.

And so, Rosa secured a vacant store that day.

Afterward, she lent the elderly couple some guards for a while, and they happily handed over all the fabric in the warehouse to Rosa. Without any sentimentality, the elderly couple quickly left the store, happily boarded a carriage, and headed to the best hotel in town.”

Perhaps it’s because she’s a merchant, but she’s quite pragmatic about these things. If they want to indulge in sentimentality, she has considered giving them about ten days before vacating, but it seems unnecessary.

Watching the elderly couple’s drastic change with Helena, she bid them farewell with a warm gaze.

After completing various procedures at the office, she set out on the way back.

The owner of the vacant shop next door has been found, and there are plans to buy it.

The carriage on the way back trotted through the town at dusk. There was a peculiar sense of pressure again as Hugh boarded the carriage once more. However, since he was revealed to be a quite capable guard, it was inevitable to have him accompany

“So, Miss, what should we do with the fabric in that store?” Helena said it in her usual matter-of-fact tone.

“Well, first, let’s hand it over to our maids, and the leftover material, I plan to donate to the orphanage.”

Helena looked surprised at Rosa’s response. For some reason, even Hugh, sitting across from her, looked at Rosa with an unusual expression.

She really thinks the servants are so impolite. Or rather, considering Rosa’s past demeanor, it might not be surprising for them to be shocked. However, it hurts her maiden heart every time.

“Miss, are you not going to sell the fabric to supplement your business?” Helena looked genuinely concerned.

“I don’t sell fabric, but bath bombs. And since I’ll be busy from now on, you’ll have to not only get dressed but also prepare formal clothes.

Please choose the best fabric available in the store and have it tailored for you.”

Helena was unusually taken aback by Rosa’s words.

“Eh? Me? I’m just a maid.”

“What are you talking about? You’re helping out at the store, so you can’t always be told what to do, can you?”

“Well, but I am the exclusive maid for the young lady…”

She spoke in an uncharacteristically hesitant manner. She seemed to be blushing slightly, but it was probably just an illusion.

Rosa thought Helena must be tired from the various events of the day.

“Enough with that. If I say make it, you make it. I’m tired today. You should rest when you get home, too. And, Hugh, you did a splendid job.”

“Miss, there were also young nobles, but I ended up defeating them together.”

Hugh furrowed his well-shaped eyebrows slightly and said it in a flat tone. Even if the opponents were in the wrong, defeating nobles would make one somewhat uneasy, wouldn’t it?

Rosa wondered where her father had found this formidable person.

“I know, those foolish sons of the baron’s family, right? I’ve seen them a few times at social gatherings. They were persistently pestering young ladies, which was quite irritating. They should spend some time in prison to cool their heads.”

Rosa casually remarked, then let out a small yawn and began to doze off inside the carriage.

Due to that, Rosa missed seeing Helena and Hugh looking at her with admiring eyes.