Chapter 107
Yuria looked surprised by Eila’s words. But soon, she slowly shook her head.
Eila’s offer was undeniably appealing, but there was still something weighing on Yuria’s mind.
“I truly appreciate your offer… but there’s a problem. The cosmetics I developed use an ingredient called Momon Grass. It’s extremely difficult to cultivate in normal soil.”
Yuria let out a deep sigh before continuing.
“That’s actually why I decided to sign a contract with Zordic, despite his notorious reputation. He happened to own a piece of land with the exact conditions needed to grow it…”
Eila showed no sign of displeasure at Yuria’s words and gently asked,
“Do you know why Momon Grass only grows on Zordic’s land?”
“Oh, um… Momon Grass can only grow in soil that contains almost no mana. But as you know, there’s hardly any land like that in the Empire…”
“What if I told you that I know of land like that? Land that’s even larger than the field you’re currently using?”
Yuria’s head snapped up in shock, and for the first time, she met Eila’s gaze directly.
In Eila’s topaz-yellow eyes was a deep certainty. Unlike herself, Eila’s eyes sparkled so brightly that it was hard to look away.
“Don’t worry. You don’t have to be concerned about anything, Yuria. I’ll take care of securing the land.”
“But… Zordic won’t just leave me alone…”
“You don’t need to worry about that either.”
Eila turned her head slightly, smiling warmly.
“My lover is the heir to the Azenta Duchy, after all.”
Yuria, who had been staring blankly at Eila, slowly turned her gaze toward Felix.
When their eyes met, he nodded in greeting with a sheepish smile. It was so polite that it was hard to believe he was a high-ranking noble.
“And we have another friend joining this business. Someone capable enough to protect you without any issue.”
“…”
Yuria’s eyes wavered greatly.
Of course, she knew. She should always be wary of anyone offering conditions that were too advantageous.
But Eila was different from Zordic.
From beginning to end, she had treated Yuria with respect. Despite her gentle tone, everything she said struck directly at the heart of the matter.
Even the proposal she made was so specific, as if she had prepared everything in advance before coming here.
Though their meeting had been brief, for some reason, Yuria felt that this was someone she could trust.
After a moment of hesitation, Yuria finally spoke.
“If you can truly provide a stable supply of Momon Grass as you said… I would like to sign a contract with you, Lady Eila.”
At those words, Eila smiled in satisfaction, raising her hand to her face.
Seeing the red mark reappear on her now-clear skin, she looked back at Yuria and spoke again.
“Then you know what we need to do next, don’t you?”
* * *
Zordic stared anxiously at the reception room door. Thankfully, it was still quiet, with no unusual signs.
‘They’re just scaring her, not actually planning to make a scene.’
Just as he let out a quiet sigh of relief—
A sharp sound of someone’s cheek being slapped hard came from inside, followed by a fierce shout.
“Can’t you apologize properly?!”
It was a chillingly cold voice, enough to make his skin crawl.
The woman continued scolding harshly for a while, and then another loud slap echoed.
Zordic flinched, instinctively clutching his own cheek despite it being perfectly fine.
‘Was I too harsh on Yuria…? What if she tries to cancel the contract over this?’
As he sank into worry, the reception room door suddenly swung open.
A moment later, the familiar pair appeared.
Both had bright, relaxed expressions, but the knight following them looked completely dazed, like his soul had left his body.
Taking advantage of the moment, Zordic peeked inside.
Yuria was kneeling on the floor, crying her eyes out with a sorrowful expression.
Her shoulders shook as she wept pitifully, making Zordic shudder internally.
‘What on earth did she do in there…?’
Whatever Eila had done inside, it was clear she had unleashed verbal and physical violence so extreme that poor, timid Yuria couldn’t endure it.
‘No wonder the knight looks like a ghost…’
While Zordic was frozen in shock, the silver-haired noble youth continued to smile gently at his lover.
“How do you feel now, Eila? Has your anger cooled a bit?”
“It’s not like my face will heal instantly… but, well, somewhat.”
Eila, who had been catching her breath, looked refreshed as she turned her gaze to Zordic.
“I’ll leave it at this today, out of consideration for your sincerity.”
“Th-thank you, Lady Eila. Was the issue resolved to your satisfaction?”
Eila closed her eyes halfway, answering leisurely,
“I had planned to give a much harsher punishment. But Yuria offered to hand over all her currently released products and even her upcoming new releases, so I decided to let it go just this once.”
“I-I see…”
“If I get another strange reaction on my skin, I won’t let it slide next time. Don’t get too comfortable.”
“Ahem.”
“Oh, right. Pack up a few products and load them onto the carriage now. I’m taking them.”
At those words, Zordic’s face twisted.
‘So she really is the lover of the Azenta heir, huh? Acting like a beggar… throwing a tantrum over a rash, and now taking products for free…’
His eyes twitched.
She had said she didn’t need any compensation just a while ago, and now she was demanding free products like flipping a switch.
He wanted to say something, but before he could, his eyes met Felix’s.
Zordic quickly lowered his head, spouting apologies.
“Thank you for forgiving us over something so minor. We will thoroughly retrain our employees to prevent this from happening again.”
Maintaining a polite facade, Zordic carefully packed the cosmetics in luxurious wrapping paper with neatly tied ribbons.
He handed the finished package to Yetien, but the knight took it wordlessly, still wearing a dazed expression.
Seeing his blank look, it was clear the incident inside had been quite a shock.
Eila looked at Zordic with a satisfied smile and spoke.
“At least you’re not completely clueless. I expect good products next time I visit.”
“…”
Her tone was shameless to the very end. Soon, the three of them left the cosmetics shop leisurely.
Zordic let out a long sigh, looking as if he had encountered a demon worse than himself.
Dealing with just one troublemaker had left him completely drained.
“Never come back again… tch.”
* * *
The three of them left the Flor Cosmetics shop with light steps.
Felix looked at Eila, a wide smile on his face.
“It feels like a waste to end the day here. Want to stop by one more place before we go?”
“One more place? Where?”
“That Anamel dessert shop I mentioned earlier.”
“Wasn’t that just part of the act?”
“I don’t say things I don’t mean.”
Felix grinned playfully, suggesting they visit since it was nearby.
Since their mission had ended successfully, Eila’s mood had lightened considerably, and she nodded without much thought.
However, as soon as she stepped out of the carriage in front of the shop, Eila was taken aback.
Through the glass, she could see every table inside was already full, and there was a long line extending outside.
“Um… it looks like there’s no room for us.”
“It’s fine. I made a reservation.”
Felix reassured the hesitant Eila and called over a passing staff member. After a few words, the staff’s expression instantly became polite.
Soon, the three of them were guided past the bustling main hall into a spacious, quiet room isolated from the outside noise.
As soon as they sat down, desserts and drinks were brought out one by one, neatly arranged on the table.
Seeing this, Eila’s eyes widened.
“Wait, you even pre-ordered the desserts when you made the reservation?”
“Yes. I was worried they’d sell out if we came late. Do you like them?”
“…Yeah, they all look delicious.”
Eila nodded shyly.
A tart topped generously with plump strawberries and raspberries, a glossy black chocolate mousse cake, and a golden cheesecake with a beautifully caramelized surface.
The mouth-watering sight before her made Eila’s cheeks flush pink, even though she had felt calm just moments before.
Meanwhile, Yetien, sitting across the table, watched the entire scene with a half-dazed expression.
LMAO poor yeti
XD
Jajajjajajjajajaj