The Hidden Shop and a New Quest
The score was still dauntingly far from the goal, but compared to the beginning, it had risen by nearly twenty thousand points.
“This might actually be doable?”
Congratulations, User. You have successfully raised the Affection Rating by more than 10,000 points within 24 hours.
1,000 Hidden Points have been awarded.
Would you like to open the Hidden Shop?
“Yes. Open it.”
Ha Dong-hee’s heart pounded wildly at the unexpected points.
With just sixty points she had obtained the Power-Up Lace Gloves that strengthened her fists. The mere thought of what she could get with a thousand points made the corners of her mouth lift on their own.
These are the items and stat enhancements available for purchase with your remaining points. Would you like to view them now?
Dong-hee nodded quickly.
Here is the list of products available for 1,000 points. Please select a sorting method.
▶ Lowest price first
▶ Highest price first
▶ Newest items first
▶ Best-selling items first
“What is this? Why does it look like an internet shopping mall’s sorting options?”
Though bewildered, Dong-hee instinctively chose Lowest price first.
She had never bothered with popularity rankings, new arrivals, or best-sellers, so there was no need to hesitate. Habits truly were frightening things.
Items she had already purchased were crossed out with “sold out” marked beside them.
“Jackpot!”
The list continued with items that made the Power-Up Lace Gloves seem laughably insignificant.
There were thirty items available for one thousand points in total, but what caught Dong-hee’s eye most were the Inventory Expansion Packs and the information categories.
“Let’s see… First, I’ll raise the inventory to Level 4. Then with the remaining points, should I buy terrain characteristics? Underground resources? What should I get?”
After much deliberation, Dong-hee decided to purchase the Terrain Information Level 1.
Buying the underground resource information only to discover there were no resources in the Grace Territory would be a complete waste of points.
The inventory level had risen to 4, and a new entry had been added to her abilities. The citizen affection rating had increased significantly, and her trait, which had been zero, had risen slightly to 0.01.
She wasn’t sure what 0.01 actually meant, but the important thing was that it had gone up.
“But what on earth is mp?”
The moment she asked, the blue status window flickered faintly, but Dong-hee, lost in thought, failed to notice.
The unknown stat called mp had increased by ten points since last time.
She examined the window more closely for any hidden information, but nothing else appeared.
While Dong-hee stared at the status window with a serious expression, the text filling the blue screen suddenly fizzled out with a zzzt before bold letters flashed into view.
Revitalize the Impoverished Territory! Special Quest!
Transform Morta Village into a livable place.
“I don’t know if I can actually do this.”
Dong-hee recalled the desolate appearance of the village and wore a worried expression.
From that day on, Dong-hee carried bread from the convenience store and food prepared in the castle to Morta Village without missing a single day.
The people now craned their necks waiting for the carriage from Grace Castle, and those who had regained their vitality began to clean up the village themselves.
Exactly one week later, on a bright morning—
The current Affection Rating of Morta Village residents is 2.
You have successfully completed the special quest. As a reward, you may designate one desired location as an activated area.
She could finally add the jewelry store to her activated locations.
“Is there a merchant in the territory who deals in jewels?”
Inside the carriage returning to the territory, Dong-hee shook awake Thelma, who was dozing off across from her, and asked.
“Are you planning to buy jewelry, my lady?”
Thelma’s voice instantly turned to pure horror. Her tone suggested she was ready to smack the back of Dong-hee’s head for still not having come to her senses.
The person who had been moved to tears just a week ago was nowhere to be found.
“No. I’m going to sell some.”
“You mean those three necklaces you have?”
Thelma’s voice and expression shifted once again—this time to pity.
She must have thought that after personally looking after the struggling villagers, Chloe had decided to sell even her few remaining jewels. Thelma’s nose stung with a surge of heartbreaking sympathy.
Dong-hee let out a small chuckle at Thelma’s ever-changing, chameleon-like tone.
“I have more than that to sell. Call someone who can buy a lot at once.”
“Do you have hidden jewels somewhere?”
This time her expression was suspicious. She narrowed her eyes and scrutinized Dong-hee with a gaze sharp enough to rival a detective’s.
“I’ll explain later. If we contact them now, when could they reach Grace Castle?”
Since transportation in this world wasn’t well developed, she figured it wouldn’t be immediate.
Sensing the urgency in Dong-hee’s voice, Thelma put aside her curious look and answered seriously.
“I’m not sure. I think Butler Scrooge would know better.”
“Scrooge? That stingy old man?”
At yet another familiar name popping up after Patrasche, Dong-hee’s voice rose sharply.
Scrooge was a character she had never named herself. Her eyes narrowed in confusion.
Thelma had received a name and a reward, yet this other person had suddenly appeared with a name as if it had always existed.
Why?
Wondering if there was some special reason, she stared intently at Thelma.
But Thelma suddenly squeezed her eyes shut and whispered, “Shh, shh.”
“Even if you find him disagreeable, how can you call him a stingy old man right in front of him?”
The words came from the butler who had been dozing beside Thelma. He let out a deep sigh.
Dong-hee’s mind raced.
Come to think of it, she had never asked the butler’s name.
So this man was Scrooge.
Small stature, sharp-looking eyes, a bald crown contrasting with a thick beard, a slightly hooked nose, and lips pressed together in clear dissatisfaction.
Now that she knew the name, his face looked remarkably similar to the stingy old man from the fairy tale book she had read as a child.
While Dong-hee marveled at how perfectly his appearance matched the name, the butler let out another deep, resigned sigh.
“I’m sorry. Butler, could you contact the jeweler for me?”
Even though she hadn’t known, it still felt rude to badmouth someone to their face. Dong-hee smiled awkwardly and asked carefully.
Scrooge frowned in clear displeasure but eventually nodded with reluctance.
“You’re not planning to sell the late madam’s keepsakes, are you?”
Scrooge, who had been silently watching, spoke up. Thelma gasped and covered her mouth in shock. Facing their eyes full of disbelief and horror, Dong-hee answered with a sigh.
“No.”
She would have to know where those keepsakes even were before she could sell them.
Of course, she kept that last part to herself.
“Is that really true?”
“Indeed. If she tries to sell the madam’s mementos, we must stop her by any means necessary.”
“Of course. Let’s join forces.”
“Right. The lord will surely understand.”
Even after Dong-hee’s firm answer, their anxiety didn’t fade. Thelma and Scrooge continued whispering to each other while staring at her intently, as if trying to peer into Chloe’s heart.
“I can hear you, you know.”
Why were they pretending to whisper when they were speaking so loudly?
Dong-hee jumped in surprise, then chuckled as she watched the two of them awkwardly look away. She felt an unsettling warmth toward them and quickly warned herself.
Get a grip. They’re not even real people.
Separate from the two, Dong-hee was so eager to return to the castle and visit the newly activated jewelry store that she could barely sit still.
The moment the carriage stopped, Dong-hee dashed toward her room.
Seeing Chloe lift the long hem of her dress with both hands and sprint up the stairs, Thelma made a huge fuss as if the world were ending.
“My laaaaaady!”
Ignoring Thelma’s long cry echoing behind her, Dong-hee reached her room. She immediately locked the door and shouted loudly.
“I’m going to sleep now! No one come in!”
She was already out of breath just from that short run.
Dong-hee sat on the edge of the bed, panting, then took a slow deep breath and called out the status window. Her voice was more sacred and serious than ever before.
“Status window.”
Ding!
The moment her call ended, the blue status window floated up as if it had been waiting. Today, even the notification sound seemed unusually luxurious, as if it had been gilded.