Earth Needs the Useless - 7
"Ughhh..."
She'd been chased off. Ria hadn't sold a single pistol today. And the thought that it might be partly her fault crushed her chest.
As always, she hadn't promoted the goods "skillfully" this time either. She'd stuttered her words and failed to give proper answers to questions. On top of that, today's customer had been a little strange. The student was the problem. His gaze on her wasn't innocent. Conversations that had nothing to do with the merchandise. Questions like, "Do you have a boyfriend?" "How old are you?" "Wanna go grab drinks?"
His mother had seemed afraid of her own son. She couldn't rein in his rudeness.
Ria had handled the guy's questions as firmly as she could manage. After that, he'd turned cold toward her. Things like, "Don't wanna sell it?" or "No interest in making money?"
In the end, Ria hadn't sold a single pistol.
What should I have done...
Maybe it was unavoidable. Perhaps the boy had never intended to buy one in the first place.
But even in a situation like that, Jeong Isu might have sold one smoothly and come back.
Maybe that's exactly why he hired me...
Doubt wrapped around her. She couldn't bring herself to report back to Jeong Isu. She had no face to do it.
Am I... a worthless person?
Maybe Jeong Isu had hired An Ria out of simple pity. Maybe she had been worthless back then, and still was now.
Maybe she'd always been, from way back—
"There you are?"
"A-Auntie?"
Amelie had come looking for her. Ria jumped in surprise and hastily straightened her clothes.
"Came to see my Ria. Got a minute to talk?"
"Y-Yeah..."
An Ria nodded reluctantly.
Amelie stared at the fabric she'd received, lost in thought.
"What'd the analysis team say?"
"It's definitely impossible to replicate. Even forcing it... to reproduce this texture and properties exactly would require at least an artifact."
"It's real... the real deal..."
She'd paid an absurdly high price for it. At least, that's how it felt to Amelie.
"Still, way too expensive."
She'd slapped on an exorbitantly high price tag right away out of anxiety that the man could cut a deal with someone else anytime. He knew An Ria and An Roje—which meant it wouldn't be strange if he knew Charlotte too.
But she didn't want this trade to last forever.
"Not like we can't afford it, but..."
Objectively speaking, Amelie's company lagged far behind Charlotte's Maison Etoual in both brand value and sheer scale.
If only that bitch hadn't taken over the company...
Their fabric quality and designers' skills were inferior. No matter how much they pumped into virals or hired ambassadors, they couldn't breach that wall.
But if she seized this chance—with fabric unavailable in this world, plus the designer who'd made the dress An Ria wore that time—she might leap over it.
"Losses are always a bad feeling."
With a middleman involved, she'd have to swallow even hefty markups. Luxury or not, she couldn't ignore production costs.
Amelie had no intention of paying $5,000 per meter for cloth.
I've got a rough plan now.
She'd spent money digging into the man.
The fabric came via trade with Mukseong Guild... and they've got plenty of enemies already.
She didn't even need to lift a finger. There were already too many guilds that despised Mukseong.
The large raid coming up soon... Mukseong won't pull it off, and they'll lose control of that gate.
She'd already started reaching out to the guild that would claim it.
Initial costs might run high, but if I slip in some gatherers, I can harvest the raw materials for fabric way cheaper.
And the designer...
She let a faint smile creep across her face.
I have a pretty good idea who it is.
"The coffee here's awful. Well, Korean coffee's all like that anyway."
"Y-Yeah..."
Draped in luxury clothes, she unleashed fluent French. Amelie instantly commanded every eye in the cafe.
Ria, standing before her, fidgeted nervously, watching her face.
"Why the long face? Boss giving you a hard time?"
"N-No. Just... work lately..."
"Work that tough? I hooked you up with the business so you wouldn't have to struggle."
"Th-Thank you! The boss said thanks too..."
"Good. It's all for my Ria."
Amelie flashed a soft smile.
"But... you get a bonus or anything?"
"B-Bonus? N-Not yet..."
"Base pay decent? How much does the boss give you?"
"Three m-million..."
"Seriously?"
"N-Not dollars... won."
"...Pathetic in a whole other way. They use my Ria for pocket change like that?"
"I..."
Ria could only hang her head, speechless.
"Guess you're not treated right there. Not close with the boss? Any special perks?"
"N-No, nothing really..."
"Hmm, interesting. Might have to steal you away."
"St-Steal me...?"
"Can't stand seeing family talent like you handled so roughly."
Amelie pondered calmly.
Probe lightly first, figure out the persuasion angle...
"Don't you feel shortchanged? Three million won. Way too cheap for you."
"No. I'm... grateful, actually. For hiring someone as lacking as me—"
"You like the guy?"
Ria's face flushed red.
"N-No, not like that! Just... I usually fear meeting people, but with him it's... a little less scary—"
"Then you wanna help your boss, right?"
"...Yes."
Amelie was convinced. She couldn't drive a wedge between them. An Ria had no complaints about her treatment.
"But... he's not running the company alone, right? Some folks weren't happy with my recent decision."
"Y-Yeah..."
"Saying it's unverified fabric for too much money. Pretty harsh, huh?"
"Yeah..."
"I'd like some allies in the company."
An Ria still didn't grasp what Amelie was getting at.
"G-Good if auntie's side grows..."
"Exactly. That's why I'd love for you to join your sister's company."
"Huh?"
Ria's pupils shook.
"Not piling on hard work. Just keep designing like before... and handle the new fabric duties. That's it."
"But..."
Amelie gave her no room to think.
"Like I said, this won't fly. More pushback than I expected, and they'll see my price as 'unjustified.'"
Ria protested desperately.
"Wh-Why would I join auntie's company? And not as an intern... getting a high enough spot to decide prices would just spark more backlash, right?"
"No need to worry. You're experienced from that company, and family to boot. Daughter of Charlotte de Anne. Who'd call you lacking?"
Amelie smiled faintly.
That dress you wore to the party... you're the designer, aren't you? It was you.
Her surname might have changed, but An Ria was still an Anne family woman at heart. That talent wouldn't have vanished.
An Roje's movements are an open book. No way she'd ditch Hunter Academy for design. The one who made that dress... it's An Ria.
"You could be essential to him too. More comfortable here, earn more money."
An Ria sank into thought.
I...
Amelie's offer was tempting. Money mattered, but the rest even more.
The boss's business... it's in crisis. Guns aren't selling because of me—I need to make up for it somehow...
The Gremlin pistols had actually been slowing down even before she got involved. But An Ria had no way of knowing that.
Become someone the boss needs. Prove my value... get recognized...
But the words wouldn't come.
The current job wasn't always comfortable—mostly when she had to go sell. But otherwise, it was pure bliss. A quick errand earned praise, and sharing the meal he bought warmed her heart. She felt useful without chains.
But if I join auntie's company...
A real position. Real responsibility. Forced to meet tons of people, like it or not.
It terrified her. She didn't want it.
But for the boss... I have to...
Before the thought finished, Amelie spoke.
"Plus, if things go well, you could stick it to Roje."
"Huh?"
"Why? Don't you regret it? You were set to inherit Maison Etoual. You had the talent, the skills."
The stopped clock began to tick.
An Ria's heart pounded wildly.
"Middle school, right? You gave up all those rights. Others called you irresponsible and shielded An Roje, but..."
"..."
"I know. How cunning Charlotte is. You hate your mom too—you know it well. Right?"
An Ria couldn't speak. The past wouldn't let go.
"Obviously, your mom forced you. Take all the blame, spare your sister any trouble... and forfeit the heir spot. Am I right?"
It was wrong. Charlotte loved Ria. And that made her all the harsher.
"If we team up, maybe we can get revenge on your mother. Not easy, sure. But—"
"S-Sorry. F-F-F-F-Finished my coffee. Got places to be, work to do. Gotta go. C-Contact you later..."
Ria shot up and fled the scene.
Then, as if drawn by a spell, she raced to the warehouse.
It felt like the only place she belonged.
Everything was scary. She couldn't trust anyone.
After walking a long way like that, An Ria collapsed into the empty warehouse.
"Sob... ughhh..."
She had to work. Turn on the lights. Prove her worth to stay.
But right now, she had no strength. Couldn't stand.
"What's wrong?"
"Huh?"
The man was looking at her.