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“My lady, you have always treated me generously and never been lacking,” Gillian said with a broad smile.
However, who wouldn’t want a little extra money on hand at this age?
Gillian cast a grateful glance at Sophie. She resolved that if there were ever a time when Helen was displeased with Sophie, she would certainly speak up on Sophie’s behalf.
Helen leaned her elbow on the carriage window, turning her eyes away from Sophie and maintaining her usual disdainful demeanor.
Yet, internally, Helen’s feelings toward Sophie had changed significantly.
Despite knowing the true story of the stolen dowry, Sophie had never complained or blamed Helen in person. Instead, Sophie took action and went to Eleanor’s residence to retrieve the pearls and the three thousand silver coins.
Helen’s decision to give Sophie the two thousand silver coins was driven by her guilt. After all, asking Gillian to steal pearls for Eleanor was wrong.
Eleanor had put Helen in a difficult position. If she hadn’t done it, then she wasn’t brave enough. In that case, she would face public criticism. Fortunately, the matter was resolved.
Upon reflection, Helen realized two dangerous aspects she hadn’t considered at the time. Now, thinking back on them sent a shiver down her spine.
The first was Eleanor’s refusal to return the pearls and her leverage over Helen regarding the dowry.
The second was the potential chaos if Sophie made a public fuss about it. If that happened, Helen would lose all her dignity and standing, leaving her in a dire situation.
Thinking about these things made Helen realize how vicious Eleanor could be.
However, after this incident, Helen could no longer harbor any dislike toward Sophie. In fact, she even regretted some of the harsh words she had spoken when Sophie first arrived.
Helen also realized that it wasn’t that Sophie couldn’t handle her. Just seeing how easily Sophie had managed to anger Eleanor and retrieve the pearls showed the younger woman’s capability. If Sophie were to contend with Helen, the former would undoubtedly win.
Helen cast a covert glance at Sophie, who appeared relaxed. A faint smile graced her lips.
It was undeniable that Sophie’s face was exceptionally beautiful, radiating a clear and refreshing charm.
Helen’s curiosity was piqued. “Aren’t you afraid of Grand Princess Eleanor?”
Sophie responded with a question of her own, “Why should I be afraid of her?”
“She’s the grand princess, the current king’s aunt. Even the late king was lenient with her. She controls at least half of the political connections in the capital. Her words alone can tarnish your reputation overnight,” said Helen.
Sophie remained indifferent. “Didn’t you say I’m fearless and lack awareness? Why should I fear a tarnished reputation? If she spreads rumors about me, the hero who reclaimed the Southern Frontier, even her status as the grand princess won’t save her from the scorn of scholars everywhere.”
Helen thought that while speaking about these matters might seem easy, offending Eleanor could lead to retaliation that was hard to handle.
However, she recalled today’s events: retrieving the Mystic Pearls and three thousand silver coins had been challenging, yet Sophie had managed it with just a few words.
Sophie was unaware of Helen’s current thoughts. If she knew, she would have said that it wasn’t just a matter of a few words. It was also due to the many martial artists and figures from the martial world who had come to witness her wedding with Rafael.
Eleanor might have control over the noble families of the capital, but she was deeply intimidated by these martial artists. She was even more concerned about her reputation being damaged and being criticized publicly.
After all, inciting someone to steal a bride’s dowry was a disgraceful act.
Suddenly, Sophie lifted the curtain and instructed the coachman, “To The Gilded Tower.”
Helen had long wanted to visit The Gilded Tower, but she didn’t want to go with Sophie, fearing that Sophie might see how poorly the shop was doing.
Naturally, Sophie was already aware of The Gilded Tower’s poor business from previous conversations. However, knowing about it and seeing it firsthand were two different things.
Helen was about to decline when Sophie said, “I need to buy some gifts for tomorrow’s visit. My master and everyone else are waiting for me at Northwatch Estate. I plan to buy some jewelry for my guild seniors. Since I have to spend money, it might as well be at The Gilded Tower. After all, you have a significant share in it, Mother.”
With Sophie’s explanation, Helen couldn’t argue further. If she was going to spend money anyway, it was better to support her own family’s shop and boost its revenue. That way, there would be less frequent talk about issues with paying wages and rent.
As the year drew to a close, families who had earned money would often buy jewelry for their wives. The business at The Gilded Tower, during favorable marriage dates and year-end, was usually at its peak. The carriage stopped outside The Gilded Tower. As soon as Helen lifted the curtain, she saw a crowd inside the shop.
At the end of the year, discounted jewelry on the first floor made business quite brisk.
Helen was astonished. Didn’t they tell her that business was slow? How could it be so lively?
Just as she was about to disembark to see for herself, Sophie said, “Gillian, get down and ask if they have any filigree gold bangles with embedded gems. If they do, I’d like to buy several.” “Why don’t you go down and take a look yourself?” Helen asked.
Sophie simply wanted to see if The Gilded Tower’s business was truly as poor as Eleanor had claimed. She wouldn’t enter the premises dressed in her princess consort’s court robes.
“There are too many people. I’m afraid my new clothes might get ruined,” Sophie said calmly, her tone as composed as her demeanor.
Helen took another look, and agreed that the crowd was indeed overwhelming. There were both men and women, and if she were to be jostled, it could tarnish her dignity.
“Go ahead and see if you can find out,” Helen instructed Gillian.
Gillian complied, and got out of the carriage. Helen watched as the old woman struggled to get through the crowd to reach the counter. She couldn’t help but feel relieved that she had stayed in the carriage. Otherwise, her expensive shoes might have been trampled.
Gillian squeezed through the crowd with great difficulty, and finally managed to ask a young shop assistant, “Do you have any filigree gold bangles with embedded gems?”
The young shop assistant looked up at her, and answered loudly, “Those are sold on the second floor, but we’re out of stock. We’ve sold out of all the batches we made this year. If you want to buy them, you’ll need to place an order on the second floor. They’ll be available in February next year.”
An order? And not available until next February?
Gillian slowly backed out, and then made her way up the stairs to the second floor. The second floor was elegantly decorated, featuring eight or nine counters, each with cushioned chairs in front for customers. Each display case served one guest at a time.
On the other side, more than ten people were waiting. They were seated on chairs, enjoying snacks and coffee, with premium charcoal burning warmly in the stoves to keep the room warm. These patrons, though wealthy, wore no luxurious silks or satins. They appeared to be affluent merchants rather than nobility.
Gillian glanced around, and saw that one of the customers had several gold bangles on their wrist. They were examining them to see if they fit and then asking for them to be wrapped up. The designs were fashionable, but clearly inferior to those at The Golden Tower.
A shop assistant approached her, and she asked, “Do you have any filigree gold bangles with embedded gems?”
The shop assistant exclaimed, “What a coincidence! We’ve just sold out of those. Would you like to place an order?”
“Is your business doing so well?” Gillian, ever perceptive even when away from Helen, remarked. “The last time I was here, it was also quite crowded. It seems that any trendy designs are likely out of stock too.”
“Indeed! Our shop’s business is unmatched in the capital, except by The Golden Tower,” the shop assistant said proudly.
After sizing Gillian up and noting her distinguished attire and dignified manner, he added, “Besides the filigree gold bangles, do you have any other designs in mind? We have many other gold bangles with various styles, though many are out of stock. We’ll be restocking them next year.”
Gillian glanced at the items in the display case with a look of disapproval, and said, “It’s fine. I’ll have my mistress come by tomorrow to choose for herself.”
With that, Gillian left.