hotmtlnovel Chapter 118
Chapter 118
Pablo, who had just gulped down a glass of cool water handed to him by one of the clerks, began his report.
“I visited the soap workshop. They say if they work overnight, they’ll be able to produce enough green herb soap for tomorrow.”
“That’s a relief,” Penelope replied.
“It looks like they’ll have to work through the night for the rest of the week, but we’ve secured enough staff to rotate shifts smoothly.”
“What about the supply of green herbs?”
“There’s more than enough. Thanks to you, my lady, we secured a bulk purchase of northern green herbs in advance.”
Indeed.
Penelope had taken advantage of a price dip to purchase a massive quantity of northern green herbs.
As a result, the northern farmers, who were considering abandoning their herb fields, were able to sell their harvest at a reasonable price and survive the harsh winter.
Of course, the biggest beneficiary was Penelope herself.
“Lady Rena, do you think we can keep the buy-one-get-one-free promotion going until the end of the week?”
“It should be fine. But honestly, I don’t think we need the promotion anymore. Customers would still flock to us even without it,” Rena replied.
Penelope turned to Pablo, who raised his hand as if to back her decision.
“I support your choice, my lady. And if supplies run low, we can always transport additional stock from Halo. It’s better to maximize our promotion while public interest is high.”
“Alright then, let’s continue the promotion until the end of the week.”
At Penelope’s decision, both Rena and Pablo nodded in agreement.
“Finally, I can relax.”
Penelope sighed with relief and collapsed into a chair. Ahwin, who had been quietly following her all day with his hood pulled low over his face, sat down beside her.
“Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard on the first day?”
“It’s the first day, so it’s only natural to push a little harder,” Penelope replied, letting her body sink into the chair’s backrest.
“I still can’t believe it. In just two weeks, I managed to open a proper shop and workshop in the capital.”
She still felt like she was dreaming.
Opening a store in the capital was the ultimate goal for many merchants, but success was far from guaranteed even after opening.
Yet here she was, running one of the most talked-about shops in the capital, outshining many established competitors.
“Though I am a bit exhausted.”
Penelope’s weary state didn’t escape Ahwin’s notice. Clicking his tongue, he remarked,
“I’ll admit you’ve got a knack for business, but maybe it’s time for you to rest.”
“Thanks for the compliment, Tower Master. Oh, that reminds me—I need to discuss something with Professor Olan, but I haven’t had a chance to meet him,” Penelope muttered.
Even in the brief respite, her mind immediately wandered to her next venture.
"And this makes the hair curl?"
"This one is actually better for straightening hair. For curls, look at this design—see the rounded barrel in the middle? You secure the hair with the clamp and rotate the barrel to create smooth, rounded curls."
"..."
Ahwin stared at Penelope, whose eyes sparkled with excitement, and let out a quiet cough.
“Every time I see her ideas, I don’t know whether to be amazed or dumbfounded.”
He marveled at the ingenuity hidden in that small head of hers. Every invention she revealed left him in awe.
“The Magic Tower must’ve missed out on a genius.”
His eyes drifted to the corner of her notebook, where he noticed a small doodle: a dog and a cat growling at each other. It looked like something Penelope had scribbled absentmindedly.
“Huh?”
Ahwin’s eyebrows arched when he noticed tiny writing next to the cat. It read Ahwin.
"What’s this? Is this supposed to be me?"
"Ah, no! Why are you looking at someone else’s drawing?" Penelope quickly snatched the notebook back and hugged it to her chest, looking thoroughly suspicious.
Ahwin’s eyes narrowed.
"Why am I the cat?"
Of all things, being a menacing and massive dragon might have suited him better, yet here he was, represented as a cat. His pride was clearly wounded.
Penelope was baffled.
“Do you seriously not know why?”
Even standing on his head, he was either a fussy cat or a grumpy dog. Having to explain that felt like an exercise in futility.
Penelope’s lips twitched as she fought back the urge to respond. She could already imagine how much Ahwin would sulk if she told him the truth.
Ahwin placed his hands on his hips and leaned closer.
"Show me again. I need to see if I’m really the cat."
"No. Why would you pry into someone’s precious belongings?"
"Since when was that notebook precious? Besides, hiding it just makes you look more suspicious."
"Anyway, no. I’m tired, so I think it’s time to head home and rest."
Penelope coughed lightly to shift the topic, but Ahwin squinted at her, his gaze clearly unimpressed. Penelope avoided his eyes and busied herself pretending to tidy up.
At that moment, the shop door chimed, and Lucas entered.
"You’re finally here?" Penelope greeted him warmly.
"Yes, I’ve just returned from the merchants’ guild meeting. But..."
Lucas trailed off as he glanced between Penelope and Ahwin, instantly sensing the strange tension in the air.
Ignoring Ahwin’s piercing gaze, Penelope smiled and said,
"Thank you for attending the guild meeting on my behalf. I think I’ll head home now. Do you want to call it a day, too?"
"Ah, I’ll escort you home first. The outfits from the palace have arrived, and I’ve placed them in your bedroom. We should check to see if they fit properly—"
Lucas abruptly fell silent under the weight of Ahwin’s dark, brooding stare.