The sudden loud voice made both Leonard and Anika stiffen.
Slowly, they turned their heads and saw an old woman walking toward them from the side of the street. She was walking on a straight back despite her old age. As she looked at the two people in front of her property, her eyes remained sharp and suspicious.
"What are you kids doing standing in front of my property, huh? Don’t tell you’re thinking of causing trouble!" Her tone was firm and almost scolding, as if she already knew what the two were about to do.
Anika raised her hands quickly, shaking her head.
"N–no, ma’am! We weren’t doing anything bad!"
Leonard scratched the back of his neck. Just a glance and he could already tell that the woman was the type who wouldn’t let people ss around with her. If he stayed quiet, she’d probably chase them off.
With that thought, he imdiately stepped forward to explain themselves.
"Hehehe, hello, Ma’am. We weren’t planning anything like that," Leonard said as he waved his hands off. "I was just... interested in this space. I thought it looked decent and well-kept, so I wondered why no one’s using it."
The old woman narrowed her eyes, but sothing about his serious tone made her stop for a mont. Her suspicion slowly faded, and she let out a tired sigh.
"Interested, you say... Hah. Haven’t heard that word in a long ti when it cos to this place."
Her gaze drifted toward the empty lot. For a mont, her expression softened.
"This space used to be a restaurant," she explained, her voice quieter now. "It was my husband’s pride and joy. He built it with his own two hands, cooked als every day, served the people here... It was a warm place back then."
Anika bit her lip as she noticed how the old woman’s eyes turned watery and sad. It was as if she were reliving all the good mories in her head.
"But then... my husband passed away. And when he did, everything just stopped. I didn’t have the heart to run the place myself, and none of my children wanted to take it up. So the doors closed. It has been like that ever since." The woman’s voice trembled at the end.
"B-But... I make sure to still clean up this place every now and then. I know my husband wouldn’t like it if this place gets dirty and all that." The woman laughed as if trying to make the mont light, but it just turned into sad laughter.
Leonard felt a pang in his chest. He wasn’t good at comforting people, but even he could tell the woman carried more sadness than she showed. Anika lowered her gaze too, her smile completely gone now.
"I’m sorry to hear that..." Leonard said after a pause.
The woman gave a faint nod, her lips curling into a tired smile. "It’s all right. Life moves on, doesn’t it? But enough about . You said you’re interested in the space, right?"
Leonard looked at Anika before nodding.
"Yeah. I was thinking... maybe we could rent it out and make use of it again. It feels like a waste just being left empty."
For the first ti, the old woman’s eyes lit up.
"Rent, huh? Well... I won’t lie. I’ve had others ask in the past, but most walked away when they heard my terms." She leaned in slightly at them, "If you really want to rent this place, it’ll cost you ten gold coins a month. Pay three months upfront."
Leonard blinked hard, sure he had misheard her.
"Ten gold a month... three months upfront?" His jaw nearly dropped. His hand went straight to his forehead as his jaw fell to the ground.
’Damn! This place is that expensive? At this rate, this old woman’s the one who’s going to have bad luck with that price... no wonder nobody’s renting it’
Still, he forced a smile and asked, "Isn’t there... any way you could lower it? I an, it’s been empty for a while, right?" He wanted to try negotiating the price.
However, the old woman just crossed her arms and shook her head.
"Hah! Young man, you think I don’t know the value of my property? That’s the rate here in Alder Street. So inns pay twice that. If you can’t afford it, then don’t bother. Simple as that!" The sadness in her eyes disappeared once again.
’Then that ans she’s not bluffing... damn it, this really is the price here.’ Leonard’s grin faded
Anika stayed quiet at his side, her wide eyes fixed on the woman. The air between them grew heavy as they both knew the truth. Neither of them had that kind of money right now.
Thirty gold upfront... that was easily 150 silver coins. Leonard didn’t even have close to that!
’Damn you, system. I didn’t know that it’s like this!’ Leonard couldn’t help but shake his head.
[I only offered the perfect location, Host. You didn’t say anything about budget.]
’...’
Leonard just sighed when he realized that the system was right.
Leonard glanced at the side.
"Anika," He slowly reached out and held Anika by the arm, gently tugging her away from the conversation. "Let’s just co back here another ti," he muttered under his breath. "We don’t have enough. Let’s just work for a few more days."
But instead of nodding, Anika looked at him with a soft smile.
"Leonard... do you really want this?"
Her words made him freeze. He stared at her, conflicted, his brows furrowing as his grip tightened slightly on her arm.
"Yeah. I do." He answered with so much honesty.
Anika’s smile widened, and there was a glimr of confidence in her eyes.
"Then don’t worry. I’ll handle it."
Leonard blinked at her in surprise. Before he could ask what she ant, Anika turned back to the old woman, her lips curling into the kind of sweet smile that made people lower their guard without realizing it.
===
A/N: We crossed 50 powerstones, so expect an additional Chapter tomorrow!
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