After paying five gold coins, the man, unable to hide his joy, had no choice but to put on a smiling face. He cursed Rody, the vampire, under his breath and swore never to walk down this street again. The woman kissed him on the face, playfully hugged him, then left excitedly with her boyfriend's arm in hers, already thinking about which dress would go with the pearl necklace and gloves for the next party.
Rody was pleased that his first business deal somewhat met his expectations, although he was a bit dazed by the woman's thankful mention of "sister".
It seems the woman mistook him for a female, which made him realize that having too pale and tender skin isn't always a good thing.
"Wow, I held back just now, didn't dare to shout," a chubby boy panted as he ran up from a distance, followed by his slow, lethargic attendant. Excited, he shouted at Rody, "oh my god, someone actually bought something from you, how did you do it?"
"Move aside, your body is casting a huge shadow over my stall," Rody quickly shooed him away.
"Of course, my body is robust, much better than yours. You're as thin as a bean sprout... Are you really a guy? Wait, just asking, don't get angry! I'm also a newcomer, just reported to the Magic Academy, and took this test of earning two gold coins in half a month. I haven't thought of a good method yet, but you've already succeeded... I admire you so much. Let me join you! We can grow this business together. I have fifty gold coins to invest, and I'm sure we can earn a hundred in half a month. Then, we'll get an audience with the king and might even see the princess during dinner. Wow, just thinking about it is exciting!"
"Keep dreaming, and maybe buy a big pillow," Rody coldly scoffed and sat down to read his book.
"We're classmates, don't be so heartless, okay? I'm Thomas, but you can call me Tommy. And you?" The chubby boy quickly introduced himself, trying to foster a sense of camaraderie.
"You earn two gold coins in a day, then we'll talk about partnership," Rody said, ignoring him further.
"oh my god, if I can earn two gold coins in a day, why would I need to partner with you? Why even go to school? I'd just stay at home counting gold coins!" The chubby boy shook his head, sighed, and seeing that Rody was ignoring him, walked away dejectedly with his attendant.
Later, Rody noticed someone standing at his stall. Looking up, he saw Jill, the shy girl. She was stealthily watching him, but quickly lowered her head when Rody looked up.
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"I heard from Tommy that you've already earned two gold coins, Rody? You're really capable!" Jill's voice was barely audible, and Rody strained to hear her words. Perhaps sensing his gaze, Jill's cheeks suddenly flushed, and she quickly turned to leave. Rody found this shy girl quite cute, but she was more timid than a deer in the forest, which amused him.
He then thought of the female innkeeper in Baishi Town, probably still pouring liquor into her mouth. In the past, he used to snatch the bottle from her, but now, no one did, so she probably drank even more crazily. He also wondered about the succubus sisters and whether their facial wounds had healed, and the dark elf he once teased, whether she managed to steal back the Moonstone of their tribe.
From the innkeeper, Rody's thoughts drifted to the succubus sisters, then to the elf he once encountered, and finally to his mother waiting at home for his return, filling his heart with tender warmth.
Cold and heartless, that's how he was with outsiders.
But with family, especially his mother, he could only feel an uncontrollable warmth and softness in his heart, his true self.
"Sister, I want this bunny!" By evening, Rody had completed five deals, earning over ten gold coins in profit, which pleased him greatly. It seemed focusing on women's merchandise was a viable path. As he was about to close his stall, a cute little girl around five or six years old, followed by a silver-armored female knight, approached. The girl immediately took a liking to Rody's bone pet rabbit.
"This rabbit is not for sale," Rody refused while correcting the girl's address to him, "Little sister, I'm a guy, you should call me brother, not sister."
"If I call you brother, will you sell me the little rabbit?" the girl asked innocently and adorably.
"Name a price, any price for the rabbit. We need to buy it, don't waste my time and life," the silver
-armored knight bluntly stated, ready to use money as a persuasion tool. If the rabbit wasn't Rody's bone pet, he would have sold it without hesitation, as getting angry with rich people was a waste of time and life.
"The rabbit is not for sale, no matter the price," Rody, seeing the girl about to cry, softened and pointed to a market in the distance, "There are many rabbit pets for sale over there, all prettier than mine."
"Brother, those rabbits aren't as obedient as yours, nor as smart as your clever little rabbit. It helps you tidy up, while those just eat carrots. I want your smart little rabbit! Brother, can you sell it to Alice, please? I'll take good care of it, groom it daily, even dress it up, oh, and feed it lettuce..." the girl almost cried.
"It's not for sale. Tomorrow, I'll catch another one for you," Rody had no choice. The bone pet rabbit, once more than sixty meters away from him, would be just a corpse, so he couldn't sell it to the girl.
"What use does a grown man have for a rabbit?" the knight snapped, throwing a bag of money on the stall and prepared to take the bone pet rabbit for the little girl. But the rabbit reacted swiftly, leaping into the air, flipping onto Rody's shoulder, and vanishing just as the knight almost grabbed its ear.
"Hand over the rabbit! It now belongs to Alice," the knight demanded.
"Take your money back. Little sister, this rabbit is special, it can't leave my side too far, or it will die, so it can't be sold," Rody explained patiently, not wanting to upset the big-eyed, tearful girl.
"Is that so? Brother, can Alice come to see the rabbit again tomorrow?" the girl asked sensibly, no longer insisting on buying it.
"As long as you like, you can play with it anytime," Rody didn't care for the knight, but couldn't stay mad looking at the girl's face. He felt a deep guilt towards his mother, who was cruelly abandoned by his father because of him.
If not for him, she would have been the happiest little wife.
If she had had a daughter instead, she wouldn't have had to hide in the secluded valley of Baishi Town, waiting alone for his uncertain return.
"Alice is so happy, brother, see you tomorrow," the girl's innocent smile reminded Rody of his mother.
If he had such a cute sister, his mother would surely be very happy.
Rody's thoughts shifted from his mother to his father, the heartless and ruthless Lord of Warren. Anger stirred within him. One day, he would return to Kolo with his mother and make his father regret...