Episode 71

“50… talents?!”

The eyes of the madam wavered as if an earthquake had struck when she received the promotional leaflet.

It was understandable.

I had agonized over it for a long time before making the final decision.

But to deal with Diana, there was no choice but to take a bold step.

In my previous life, I had run away before she was crowned the saint, so I didn’t remember the exact numbers.

‘But in the original, Diana always earned more than 500 talents.’

To surpass her and take the position of the saint, I, too, had to be fully prepared.

‘I absolutely have to earn at least 500 talents.’

That’s why my target was five hair mists and 250 fatigue recovery potions.

Of course, apart from keeping Diana in check, this was my masterpiece!

I believed the price I set for the hair mist was fair.

‘Isn’t it similar to how dermatologists in Korea start at 500,000 won?!’

Of course, 50 gold coins here are no different from 5 million won…

‘But with this, you don’t even have to bother going to a dermatologist. No need for those tear-inducing laser treatments.’

“Isn’t the price… a bit too outrageous?”

The madam, who had been silent for a while, glared at me with sharp eyes.

“You do know that 50 talents is half the amount most families can exchange in a year, even at your young age, right?”

“Yes!”

I nodded my head emphatically.

“I’m that confident!”

“…Explain the usage and effects clearly once more.”

At my conviction, the madam softened her tone slightly and urged me.

I immediately moved to demonstrate.

*Spritz! Hiss―!*

I tightly grasped a handful of my hair and sprayed a bit of the sample onto the tips.

“You spray this onto your hair like this. It reduces dark spots, brightens your complexion, and of course, it makes your hair shinier!”

“It’s not applied to the face but the hair, so how can it have a whitening effect?”

“The fairy herb works through its fragrance too!”

“Any side effects?”

“None!”

As far as I knew, apart from the fact that it tasted unbearably bitter, there were no serious side effects.

Which is why I wondered if this wasn’t the overpowered item given to the female lead in the original story.

Moreover…

‘It’s such a tiny amount that side effects are unlikely.’

I had made the prototype with the very limited amount of fairy herb I had, so that was expected.

Fortunately, the strong scent of the hair mist could actually cause fatigue, so using only a small amount was effective…

But at best, I could only make ten bottles.

“However, Grandpa Gordon did say it’s so bitter and astringent that you should be careful around your eyes, nose, and mouth!”

I explained the only warning I had.

“So, that’s why it’s applied to the hair,” the madam deduced surprisingly quickly.

As the one who had racked my brains to design the product, it was a moment of pride and satisfaction.

“Did you make this all by yourself?”

She asked again, glancing at the sample in my hand.

This time, I answered without hesitation.

Unlike Gordon’s fatigue recovery potion, this was something I had personally been involved with from concept to production!

‘I lost so many nights of sleep because of this…’

Thinking of how I was still shorter than Diana by a head made tears well up in my eyes.

It was then.

“If, after an hour, there are no visible results as you claim…”

“…”

“How do you plan to compensate?”

The madam suddenly asked, her eyes sharp.

The higher the price, the pickier the consumers were.

When I ran an online shop in Korea, there were plenty of people who caused trouble even over products worth a few thousand won.

I prided myself on being prepared for most situations.

‘But this lady’s gaze… It’s terrifying!’

It was a look that said she’d eat me alive if the product didn’t live up to its value!

I slowly opened my mouth.

“Th-then…”

“…”

“I’ll refund 80 percent!”

“80 percent? You’re saying you’d refund 40 talents?”

“Yes!”

“Why not 100 percent?” The madam’s expression immediately grew cold.

“Well, that’s because…”

Gulp.

I swallowed dryly, trying to stay confident as I replied.

“My… My labor costs!”

“What?”

The madam’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting that response.

“Labor… costs?”

“Yes! It was so hard gathering the herbs, you know. They’re really rare herbs…”

“…”

“And the production process is reeeally complicated…”

I pouted and tried to look as pitiful as possible.

This was my strategy: appeal to her sympathy by sharing the hardships of a small business owner!

“I’ll definitely give a refund, of course! But… I need to make a living too, madam. Sniff.”

I quickly wiped away fake tears with my sleeve, pretending to cry.

“Fifty… talents, to live on, you say?”

The madam let out a short laugh, as if she couldn’t believe what I had just said.

“Are you telling me the Duke’s household is starving you?”

“Huh? N-no, that’s not it… but since I’m living there, I thought I should at least earn my keep!”

“Ha ha…”

The madam chuckled at my outburst.

The reason I was being so open with her was because of the Duke.

“She is a child I sponsor. A candidate for the position of saint.”

The Duke, who disliked formalities, had exchanged friendly greetings with her and even introduced me. That alone made it clear she was someone with considerable influence in both political and social circles.

In the original story, Cloud, the madam, was almost insignificant. It was the same in my past life.

In other words, she wasn’t someone who blindly supported the female lead, but rather, someone with her own standards and sense of fairness.

“…The girl who uses healing magic didn’t even take 10 talents from me.”

“…”

“And here you are, taking more than five times that, yet you won’t even offer a full refund if it doesn’t work.”

“Uh…”

The stark comparison made me feel like a notorious swindler.

However, I wasn’t upset by it. In fact, this was the fairest comparison I’d ever faced, especially compared to the countless times I was measured against Diana in my previous life.

“Is that girl just too soft, or are you too greedy?”

Tap, tap, tap.

The madam tapped the table with her long fingernails, seemingly talking more to herself than asking me directly.

I stayed quiet, waiting for her decision as she appeared to be deep in thought.

And then, after some time…

“…Alright.”

“…”

“I trust Duke Kallios, so I’ll buy one.”

The moment she uttered her approval, an inexplicable thrill rushed through me.

Whether it was trust in me or the Duke, it didn’t matter.

As long as someone bought it, I could build credibility.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

I bowed repeatedly, overwhelmed with gratitude.

Perhaps because she was my first customer, the joy felt exceptional.

‘I already feel like it’s sold out.’

“Here it is!”

Unable to contain my excitement, I hurriedly handed her the product, carefully wrapped in a pretty package, along with a handwritten instruction manual.

“…”

As she reached for her coin pouch, she unfolded the instruction manual and stared at it in silence.

‘Could it be she doesn’t understand it? I triple-checked for typos since this is what I give to VIPs!’

Her reaction reminded me of Grandpa Gordon’s, and I anxiously watched the madam.

“…Just know this.”

Fortunately, she looked away from the manual and locked eyes with me.

“Even if I get that 80% refund, it won’t be enough to silence me.”

“Y-yes! Of course not! Hiccup!”

Her chilling warning made me hiccup involuntarily.

‘This isn’t good! I look like a scammer getting caught in my own lie!’

But there was no controlling my hiccups once they started.

“Hiccup! Pl-please trust me this one time, Duch- hiccup!”

“Hmph.”

The madam let out another laugh at my ridiculous appearance.

After handing me a pouch filled with exactly 50 talents, she made her way toward another booth.

Just then, a few aristocratic ladies, who hadn’t been around earlier, started to gather.

“Oh my, madam! You were here?”

A group of women who had come to visit Diana’s booth spotted the madam and exclaimed in surprise.

“Take care, madam! See you in an hour!” I called after her.

She stopped for a moment and glanced back at me.

“…How old did you say you were?”

“Five!”

“Tsk. A child who already knows how to negotiate… how cheeky.”

After asking my age and hearing my response, she suddenly started criticizing me.

‘Tch.’

The treatment I received was drastically different from Diana’s. I pouted, sticking out my lower lip in frustration.

Then, it happened.

“…Still, I do like your ambition.”

A small murmur brushed past my ears.

“…Huh?”

I looked up in surprise, but by then, she had already walked far off, joining the noblewomen near Diana’s booth.

“Was that… a compliment?”

I muttered, stunned.

In all the volunteer work I’d done, both in my previous life and this one, it was the first time I had received praise.

As the surprise began to fade…

“…Hehe.”

A smile crept onto my face, a little later than expected.

Tl/N: I changed it from elderly lady to madam cuz in the last chap they used madam to call her. Im not sure about the title tho if feels i have missed something