Chapter 6: Not Everything Valuable Is Money
“Don’t worry, although the color may seem a bit conspicuous, when it’s placed in something like red wine, it’s completely imperceptible,” the shopkeeper patiently explained, noticing Muen’s concern.
“Moreover, compared to this minor flaw of being not so discreet, its advantages are much greater. Just by ingesting a tiny drop, even an elephant would become completely powerless, collapsing to the ground,” the shopkeeper continued.
Muen’s eyes lit up. “That powerful?”
“Of course, you get what you pay for. We’ve always run an honest business here, never deceiving anyone,” the shopkeeper reassured.
The shopkeeper boasted for a while, then spread out her fair and delicate hands in front of Muen and another person dressed in a black robe, smiling warmly.
“Thirteen thousand Amiers in total, no bargaining or credit, thank you,” she said cheerfully.
“Thirteen thousand…” Muen’s mouth twitched slightly.
Amier was the universal currency in this world, with purchasing power roughly equivalent to the RMB in Muen’s previous life.
So now he couldn’t help but react. The shopkeeper’s claims of running an honest business and never deceiving anyone were all nonsense. How could a bottle of aphrodisiac sell for thirteen thousand!
However, fortunately, he was still the son of a powerful duke, so a mere thirteen thousand was not a big deal.
“Would you like to pay by card or cash?” the shopkeeper asked, her hands rubbing together with a hint of excitement. Opportunities to fleece two suckers at once were rare, so she was going to make the most of it.
“Card,” Muen casually tossed out his crystal card. His level of crystal card had extremely high-level security measures, so he wasn’t worried about exposing his identity.
“Alright then.”
The shopkeeper skillfully processed the payment of thirteen thousand Amiers, then took out a small bottle from the nearby shelf and handed it over along with the crystal card.
“Please take care, young master, and here’s a little gift for you,” she said, presenting the items with both hands.
“A gift? What is it?” Muen inquired.
“Hehe, a little mystery adds to the fun, don’t you think? But I suggest using it together with that bottle of **; it will have remarkable effects,” the shopkeeper replied with a grin.
“Remarkable effects?” Could it enhance the potency of the medicine?
Muen furrowed his brow. He wasn’t very knowledgeable about magic potions, so he didn’t pay too much attention to it. He simply tucked the two bottles into his pocket and prepared to leave.
After collecting thirteen thousand Amiers from Muen, the shopkeeper shifted her gaze to the other person dressed in a black robe.
“And you, sir, will you be paying by card or cash?” she asked.
“I don’t have enough Amiers, and I don’t intend to use Amiers to settle the bill,” the black-robed individual calmly uttered dangerously.
Upon hearing this, Muen couldn’t help but stop in his tracks, casting a curious glance towards the black-robed person.
Could it be that even in a place like the underground black market, there were those daring enough to openly commit robbery?
“Oh? So, what does the gentleman mean…” Sure enough, a hint of chilly hostility seeped through the shopkeeper’s hood.
“Although I don’t have money, I can offer you some valuable information,” the black-robed person proposed.
“Thirteen thousand is no small amount,” the shopkeeper retorted.
“This information is worth every bit of thirteen thousand,” the black-robed individual insisted, handing over a piece of paper. “In fact, for certain individuals, its value exceeds thirteen thousand.”
“Oh?” Although unable to see the face, Muen could imagine the shopkeeper’s curious raised eyebrow.
“Intriguing,” the shopkeeper remarked as she took the note, unfolded it, and swiftly scanned its contents.
In an instant, Muen felt the air grow heavy.
“Oh my, oh my, this is…” The shopkeeper lifted her head, her tone now tinged with seriousness as she looked at the black-robed person.
“Are you sure this information is genuine?” she asked.
“Whether it’s genuine or not, with the shopkeeper’s abilities, you’ll soon find out,” the black-robed individual replied calmly.
“…It seems you do trust me. However, as you said, this information is indeed worth thirteen thousand.” The shopkeeper handed over the ** to the black-robed person. “Take it, it’s yours.”
Accepting the **, the black-robed person remained silent as ever, offering no further words before turning and leaving.
Cold and efficient, almost mechanical in demeanor, the black-robed person left Muen feeling somewhat stunned. His gaze lingered subconsciously on the piece of paper.
What kind of information could be worth thirteen thousand?
“Oh my, young master, are you interested in this information too?” the shopkeeper remarked, noticing Muen’s curiosity. “In that case, why don’t I sell it to you as well? Since we’re old acquaintances, I’ll give you a discount. Just for you, at this price.”
She extended her delicate fingers, indicating the price.
“Ninety thousand?” Muen exclaimed.
“Hehe, young master, you’re quite the joker. At ninety thousand, the little shop would be bankrupt,” the shopkeeper chuckled.
The shopkeeper paused for a moment before stating, “Ninety thousand Amiers.”
Muen’s mouth twitched, but he ignored the shopkeeper and walked away. He had come to buy information with a medicine of unknown actual value, and now she wanted to sell it for ninety thousand Amiers. Clearly, she was nothing more than a pure profiteer.
“Oh my, oh my, this is…” Even after Muen left, the shopkeeper continued to gaze at the information on the piece of paper.
The disguise of the hood had long been discarded, revealing eyebrows as slender as willow leaves, arched high.
“Tomorrow was supposed to be just the coming-of-age ceremony for that incompetent son of the Duke of Campbell, but it seems that once this information is spread, it will suddenly become interesting,” the shopkeeper mused.
“Alright, who should I sell it to? The second prince would be a good choice; after all, he’s always been quite resentful of his talented sister. With his status, asking for two million shouldn’t be unreasonable.”
“And then there’s Duke Raymond, that old fellow; he’ll definitely be very interested.”
“Oh my, killing two birds with one stone; I’m quite mischievous, aren’t I?” The shopkeeper frowned slightly, propping her chin on her hand. Despite her vexation, a charming smile adorned her lips.
“But after all, there’s no rule saying that information like this can only be sold to one person, right?”
…
“Master Muen.” Muen returned to the Duke’s mansion and happened to meet the busy maid, An.
“How did it go? Did you manage to sort out the matter with the maids?”
“It’s been taken care of properly. The head maid will be recruiting additional help tonight, and the staff has been rearranged. There shouldn’t be any major issues with manpower tomorrow,” An replied.
“That’s good to hear. With time being so tight, I appreciate all your hard work,” Muen nodded.
“No, it’s because we didn’t make the proper arrangements beforehand, which made you worry,” An apologized, bowing.
“No need for that. It’s what I should do,” Muen waved his hand, gesturing for An to straighten up.
“You should rest early too. There won’t be much time for rest tomorrow.”
“But I still need to serve you, young master…”
“No need, I’m not a child who needs constant care. Besides, I’ll be going to bed early tonight,” Muen said, cutting off any response from An, and headed straight to his room.
Tonight, it’s better for him to be alone. The burden he should bear shouldn’t be shared with another innocent person.
As An stood there, watching Muen’s retreating figure, a lingering sense of curiosity lingered in her eyes, growing even deeper and more intense.
“How strange…” she muttered to herself.
As she pondered, An subconsciously bit her lip. She continued to do so until blood seeped from her lips, staining the pristine white collar of her maid uniform.
Yet, she remained unaware, her gaze fixed squarely on Muen’s departing figure until he disappeared from sight.
“Master Muen, when did you start becoming so gentle?” she whispered softly.
Hmmmm sus