31. Current Sitaution
Chi ring—the front door bell chimed, announcing the arrival of a visitor.
"I'm sorry, we're not open yet..." I began, but stopped abruptly when I recognized who had come in.
"Welcome," I said, shifting my tone to a more inviting one. I motioned to the twins to prepare a light snack and a cup of black tea.
The visitor was a petite young woman with shoulder-length, messy blond hair—Xio. How she managed to find this place wasn't a mystery; I had told her to meet me here instead of coming late at night each time. We certainly weren't lucky enough to run into each other by chance like before.
"There'll be another meeting later. Want to join?" she asked bluntly, without preamble, though her eyes darted around the shop with curiosity.
"Yes, I'll come. When is it?" I agreed readily. Thanks to Audrey, I hadn't been able to get the information I wanted earlier. I gestured toward one of the sofas reserved for waiting guests.
"It's fine," she declined the offer, remaining standing. "Next Saturday. Same place."
"Alright," I nodded, filing away the time and location in my mind. "Please, I insist. They've already brewed the tea. It'd be a shame to waste it. Or are you pressed for time today?"
Xio hesitated for a moment, the sweet aroma of black tea wafting through the air as Tear carried the tray in.
"..." After a brief pause, Xio silently took a seat.
At that moment, Alex appeared, bearing a plate piled with baked sweets. I caught the glint of appreciation in her eyes.
I smiled quietly to myself. I wasn't sure if ladies of high society shared the same tastes, but judging by Xio's reaction, our shop's offerings should suffice.
"By the way, have you been busy lately?" I asked, already aware of what those nimble limbs and quick reflexes of hers were capable of.
Xio blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question about her schedule. She grew slightly wary—after all, we were barely acquaintances, more like a provider and client than friends. "It's the usual, nothing special. Why do you ask?" she replied evasively, still munching on the sweets.
"Nothing in particular. I was just wondering if you might be interested in helping out around here," I said, gesturing around the shop.
"Help?" she echoed, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. As you can see, it's just the three of us setting up this place from scratch, and we're a bit short-staffed," I explained. "Of course, it wouldn't be without pay—I'm offering you one pound a day. If it ends up taking more than five days, I'll double that."
I knew anything involving Beyonders tended to be expensive in its own way, but this was just straightforward work, so the pay was reasonable.
"Hmm," Xio replied casually, though I could tell she was interested. After all, it's not every day a wanted person strolls into your shop. "So, what exactly do you need help with?"
I gestured around the store. "Here and there—just another pair of hands. It'd be even better if they were strong," I added with a small smile, then took a sip of my tea, waiting for her decision.
Xio paused, took a deliberate sip of her tea, and after a few moments of thoughtful silence, said, "Alright, I'm in. But I want to be free to leave whenever I want."
"I don't mind," I assured her. "But naturally, less work means less pay. Does that work for you?"
She nodded in agreement.
"Great. It's a pleasure working with you," I said, extending my hand. She took it without hesitation.
***
A few days passed, and we finally finished decorating the store.
The storefront now featured large glass windows on either side of the entrance, each displaying three mannequins dressed in the latest high-society fashion. Just beyond the doors, a few elegant sofas and side tables were arranged thoughtfully, while carefully spaced displays showcased dresses—each one styled as if it were a one-of-a-kind piece, a limited edition meant only for the elite.
Rather than a typical dress boutique, the place felt more like a luxurious café that just happened to sell couture.
"Are you sure about this?" Xio asked, eyeing the final result with a hint of uncertainty.
"I'm confident that our dresses are better than the mass-produced pieces out there," I replied. "But being better isn't enough. I want to appeal to their vanity. I want this store to become a symbol—of wealth, of power. Something they'll be proud to be seen walking into."
Xio considered that for a moment before nodding. "Yeah... I can definitely see them falling for that."
"And here's your pay." I handed her the promised pound along with a few soli as a bonus. "Thanks for the help."
"No need to thank me," Xio said coolly, holding up the coin between two fingers. "After all, I got what I came for."
With that, she turned and left the shop with a simple, "See you later."
Yesterday, Mother and Father visited the store to inspect the results of my design. There were a few minor details left to fix, but overall, they were satisfied. With that, the store is officially set to open for business tomorrow.
As for me, right now—I'm lying on the sofa, staring up at the elegantly decorated ceiling, completely stretched out after Xio's departure. Floating just above my line of sight is a square piece of white tissue.
Each time it began to drift down toward my face, I activated my Repellent Evil Eye, sending it gently back into the air. Again and again. It was a way to refine my control—to train the precision and delicacy of the ability.
Night Vision didn't require much practice to begin with. And my thread manipulation already functioned like a natural extension of my body. Now, my Evil Eye had reached a level of mastery too—or so I believed.
But Detection? That one remained elusive.
I had been trying to deepen my understanding of Occlumency, hoping it would help—but it didn't. If the human mind was like a house made of glass, then Occlumency acted like thick curtains, preventing others from peering inside. The better your control, the more completely you could conceal your thoughts.
Detection, however, wasn't about observing from outside. It was like someone shoveling garbage straight through the walls, flooding the interior whether the glass was covered or not. Occlumency was useless against it.
That left me with two options: either find a way to organize the incoming information so that my mind could process it, or fortify the mental 'house' until it could withstand the overload.
In short, I had no choice but to grit my teeth and grow used to the flood of information—no matter how overwhelming.
Lastly, there's Poison.
Honestly, I'm still unsure about this ability. Sure, I can create deadly toxins or simple paralytics—but all of it is driven by instinct. I don't actually understand the composition of these poisons, nor do I have the knowledge to utilize that information even if I did. When it comes to the technical side of toxicology, I know absolutely nothing.
"Haa…" I sighed, letting the tissue fall and land softly over my face.
"It's going to be a long journey."