One by one, the house fell into a peaceful stillness.
The only sounds were the soft rustling of blankets, the occasional shifting of pillows, and quiet yawns echoing through the halls.
Ruby yawned deeply, her limbs feeling like lead as she stepped into her room.
She placed her bag of money safely inside her wardrobe, locking it securely.
Finally, she turned off the lights, letting the darkness wrap around her like a blanket.
As soon as her head touched the pillow, her body lted into the softness of her bed.
The tension, the exhaustion, the weight of the entire day—all of it faded away.
Within seconds, her breathing slowed, her thoughts grew distant, and she slipped into sleep.
The festival had been a success.
There was still a long way to go.
Still so much more to achieve.
But for now...
For now, she would rest.
And tomorrow would be another day.
**
The sun had barely begun to rise, painting the sky in soft hues of gold and pink, when Ruby’s eyes fluttered open.
Unlike most mornings, she didn’t stay in bed for long, nor did she bother getting fresh first.
Her mind was already set on one thing.
The money.
She quickly sat up, reaching for her secure bag where she had stored the coins the night before.
With careful hands, she opened it, and the sight of piles of silver and copper coins greeted her.
Her hard-earned profit.
Her fingers imdiately got to work, counting each and every piece carefully.
"50... 200... 400... 710."
Her hands paused.
Her eyes widened.
"710 coins!" she whispered, barely believing it herself.
A slow grin spread across her lips.
It wasn’t an insane amount, but considering her stock had been low in quantity, this was more than she had hoped for.
Her eyes glead with determination.
After the festival ended, she would gradually increase her prices.
Right now, people were buying out of curiosity, out of excitent.
But once they realized the quality, once they started showing off their robes to others, demand would only grow.
That’s when she’d set her real pricing.
"This is just the beginning," she muttered, smirking.
Finally satisfied, she secured the coins back in her bag and stood up.
Now that her mind was at ease, she could start her day properly.
She washed up, changed into fresh clothes, and stepped into the dining area, where everyone was already awake.
The table was filled with simple but warm food...freshly baked bread, cute stead buns, and hot tea.
Milo was happily munching, swinging his legs under the chair.
Karl was stretching his arms, still looking half-asleep but in a good mood.
Julian, as usual, was calm and composed, sipping his tea quietly.
And Adrian...
Well, he didn’t say much, but there was sothing different about him today.
Sothing lighter.
Ruby took her seat, grabbing a piece of bread, tearing it apart as she leaned back in her chair.
She had money in her pocket, a business plan in her mind, and a peaceful morning in front of her.
For the first ti in a long ti...
Everything felt right.
••••
Early in the morning, before the festival crowds had fully gathered, Ruby returned to the fair, leading her husbands with her.
The air was crisp and cool, the streets still waking up with rchants setting up their stalls and early shoppers wandering about.
As she neared her shop, her sharp eyes imdiately caught sight of two familiar figures.
Eilas and Rowan.
They were already waiting for her, big bags slung over their shoulders, their expressions weary but determined.
The mont she saw them, she could tell they were exhausted.
Their faces were pale, their movents sluggish, as if they hadn’t gotten proper rest in days.
They overworked themselves again.
Without wasting ti, Ruby quickly unlocked her shop and let them inside.
As soon as they stepped in, the two n let out tired sighs, rubbing their sore shoulders as they looked around.
Rowan, despite his fatigue, scanned the store with a serious gaze.
"It looks good," he finally said, his voice steady.
Beside him, Eilas nodded in agreent.
"It’s great that all the stock was sold out... but..." Eilas hesitated, looking down at the heavy bags they had carried. "We... couldn’t make much this ti. We only finished thirty pieces..."
His voice was quiet, almost nervous, as if he expected Ruby to be disappointed.
Eilas gripped the strap of his bag tightly, feeling bad for not producing more.
But Ruby?
She didn’t say anything for a mont...not because she was upset, but because she understood.
They had done what they could.
Thirty robes in just five days was already an achievent, considering the limited manpower and the fact that they were making everything by hand.
She couldn’t expect them to push beyond their limits.
Finally, she exhaled, crossing her arms.
"Alright."
That was all she said.
Eilas blinked, looking up at her. "You’re... not mad?"
Ruby gave him a small smirk. "Why would I be? You two worked hard. You did what you could, and that’s enough."
A relieved sigh escaped Eilas as he finally relaxed.
anwhile, Rowan set the bags down and untied them, revealing the new robes.
The mont Ruby laid eyes on them, her red eyes glead.
These pieces were different from the previous batch.
They had more embroidery, richer detailing, and deeper, striking colors—golden tones, silver threads, and bright jewel-like hues.
They weren’t just normal elegant robes.
They were luxury.
A slow, knowing smile spread across Ruby’s lips.
"These are too beautiful to sell at the old price," she murmured, running her fingers over the fine fabric.
The mont Eilas heard that, his heart dropped.
"T-That ans we have to make even more?!" he stuttered, eyes wide.
Ruby chuckled, shaking her head. "No. It ans I’m raising the price."
Rowan raised a brow. "Will people buy them at a higher price?"
Ruby looked at him, her smirk widening.
"If they want them bad enough, they will."
She knew how humans and ghosts worked.
The rarer sothing seed, the more people wanted it.
And right now?
Her store was becoming a na.
People would rember ORA.
They would see soone wearing one of her robes, want one for themselves, and when they realized the price had gone up?
They’d want it even more.
Because people didn’t just buy clothes.
They bought status. Uniqueness. The feeling of having sothing others didn’t.
And that was exactly what she was about to give them.
—To be continued...🪄
A/N: Hey, lovelies! The author is busy with exams these days, so updates might be a bit ssy. But I’ll do my best to keep them coming! Thank you all for your support!
Reviews
All reviews (0)