Chapter 185

Chapter 185: Gem Blossom

After putting on the black-red dress, Lolan Hill in the mirror presented a dark and noble lady image. The main body of the dress was red with a black skirt hem at the bottom, followed by another layer of red skirt. This layered five times, with red and black roses of contrasting colors on the sides, making it luxurious and beautiful. Compared to her usual gentle appearance, this outfit displayed an aggressive and bewitching charm.

“Wow, this outfit makes Lolan look like a completely different person.”

“How impressive, there’s no sense of incongruity at all.”

“Maybe Lolan also has a hidden dark side.”

“Be careful, I might hit you,” Lolan Hill said irritably.

“Just this one, it’s great!”

“Ask the boss how much it costs?” Several people began urging Lolan Hill to buy the dress.

—

“I’m sorry, you’ll have to wait a bit as this dress was specifically requested by the boss.”

The shop clerk indicated that they needed to ask the boss and asked the few girls to wait a moment.

After about ten minutes, the sound of high heels came from the back door. Pushing open the inner door of the store, a noblewoman in a black-blue gown walked in, followed by the previous clerk. This noblewoman wore a black veil and lace gloves, giving her a very mysterious appearance.

“Madam, this young lady wants to buy this dress. I apologize for not informing you beforehand and allowing her to try it on early.”

Listening to the clerk’s words, it seemed this dress couldn’t be tried on casually, but why hadn’t they stopped it earlier? They wondered.

“Hmm.” The mature noblewoman held a slender pipe, looking up and down at Lolan Hill for a long time, her pupils flickering with some unknown light.

“Very good, no, it should be said that it’s extremely perfect.” Finally, she revealed a very satisfied smile.

“It’s fine. I’ve told you before, if there’s a very suitable girl coming to the store, we can make an exception. This time, your judgment is quite good. Here.”

She flicked out a gem, a faint blue light streaking through the air before falling into the clerk’s hand. The clerk thanked her again before stepping back.

“I am the owner of this store, Services. Are you going to buy this dress?”

“Yes,” Lolan Hill responded under the company of her companions.

“Sure, this dress was carefully designed by me. Many people have asked about it, but no one was suitable until now. I didn’t expect to find someone today.”

“Because some extraordinary materials were used in its creation, its value is not inferior to a Golden Grade extraordinary artifact. If you want to buy it, you need to pay me 120 extraordinary gold coins.”

“This price, it’s so expensive.”

Nina widened her eyes. Having grown up in the ancient Gufia grassland, living a simple life, 120 gold coins might be what their entire tribe couldn’t earn in a year. Now it was just the price of a dress. Is this the world of the wealthy?

“It’s quite cheap.”

Letis gave a starkly different opinion. The prices of her own few dresses were even higher. In her view, the boss must have given a discount, probably because Lolan liked it a lot.

“Indeed, it’s very expensive, Miss Letis. You don’t understand the hardships of the common people,” Alena commented.

Seeing Lolan Hill’s hesitant expression, the shop owner guessed that purchasing might be difficult. Ah, how could such a beautiful girl be troubled by money?

“If you can agree to one of my requests, I can give you this dress without any problem,” the shop owner said again.

“What’s the request?” Before Lolan Hill could respond, others asked curiously.

“After you wear this dress, let me have someone paint a portrait of you.”

“Are you planning to frame it and display it in the store as an advertisement?” Lolan Hill asked curiously. This promotional method made sense.

“No, no, no. That would be a waste,” the shop owner waved her hand.

“I will keep it as a collection.”

“You may not understand. It’s extremely pleasant to see the right person wearing a dress you designed, showcasing that aura.”

“I see,” Lolan Hill nodded.

“Agree, Lolan. It’s a good deal,” Alena encouraged her. Such a good opportunity to get something for free couldn’t be missed. The other companions were also somewhat tempted, except for Letis, who was indifferent due to her privileged background. The rest felt quite pained by the 200 gold coin figure.

“Alright, but I hope the portrait won’t be publicly disclosed,” Lolan Hill demanded.

“Of course, I can guarantee that,” the shop owner promised immediately. She then had the clerk pack the dress in a special box to prevent damage, handing it over to Lolan.

“Now?”

Lolan Hill asked curiously as she received the box.

“Mm, I’ll give it to you now. Since I need to contact a talented painter to do your portrait, you can come back in two weeks on your day off. Remember to bring the dress.”

“Okay.”

The shop owner seemed confident that Lolan Hill wouldn’t leave after taking the dress, so she gave it directly without any promissory note.

Afterward, the group bought some clothes and left the store. They then strolled around the street before returning to the meeting point to take a vehicle away.

“By the way, what was the name of that store? I forgot to check,” Lily suddenly remembered.

“Gem Blossom, that’s the name. I heard from other classmates that the store has been around for a long time and is very well-known among the nobility,” Letis replied.

“How do you know so much?” Alena asked.

“I have a wide network of connections, silly Alena,” Letis proudly stated that she recently entered the circles of the high nobility, so it was normal to be informed.

“Letis, don’t you think that nickname is problematic?” Alena stood up with a ‘smile’ on her face but was called back to sit down by the teacher, as it was unsafe in the moving vehicle.

“I’ll teach you a lesson when we return home, foolish Letis.”

—

After the new students left, the sky grew darker, and the city gates by the academy closed. They would reopen early in the morning. In the western town, thousands of lights lit up, casting a dim glow across the streets.

A carriage carrying passengers approached slowly from afar, finally reaching the town before it was completely dark. Some passengers got off one by one, until the last light-haired girl with a large suitcase, looking slightly out of breath, stepped down. She wore boots and a plaid dress, with a plain appearance. A brown-gray scarf wrapped around her neck and face, only revealing a pair of beautiful eyes.

After getting off the carriage, she searched around with candlelight, asking passersby continuously. Finally, she stopped in front of a store.

She flipped through an old booklet, which was left by her father, containing an address. It was said that the person living here was a noble benefactor who helped their family prosper.

“This should be it.”

She took off her scarf, revealing a stunning face, and looked up at the sign.

“Gem Blossom”

Thank you to Runetua, Xunxunxun, Panguangdi, Shimiri Riess, Menghuan Zhuangzhou, Zhouzhuang Mengdie, and the seven generous patrons.

End of Chapter