The Herb King

The opening day of his business was a success. The beauty shop managed to sell all of its products on display, earning Aethelwolf a fortune of more than 3 million Orbes!

Yulia and the other sales ladies who were responsible for counting the money were stunned after calculating their earnings. They had never seen this much money in their lives!

"My lord, our total sales for today is 3,575,000 Orbes!" Yulia said while handing a document to Aethelwolf. Written in the document was the detailed report of their sales.

Everyone was excited when they heard this. Even Aethelwolf couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. "You did great, everyone! We will have a small banquet in the manor to celebrate the success of our opening day."

Yulia and the others immediately cheered.

"Yes, Lord Aethelwolf!"

"Yey!"

Soon, Aethelwolf and the others returned to the Golden Lake Manor to celebrate. Aethelwolf temporarily hired some chefs to cook food for everyone. He didn't mind using a bit of money to reward their efforts. This was also to make his workers more familiar with each other.

In the next few days, the sales of the beauty shop steadily increased and it even became famous among the nobles. Their fragrant soaps and shampoo were the most popular products. These two beauty products would always be sold out even before the shop closed.

At this moment, the Ballard Family suddenly sent one of their heirs to the beauty shop.

"Welcome to Ethereal Beauty, Miss Rosalie!" The sales ladies greeted her respectfully. She was quite famous in the territory so they were able to quickly recognize her.

Rosalie smiled at them. "Hello, everyone! I wonder if Sir Aethelwolf is here?" She asked. Her family sent her this time to see if they could collaborate with the beauty shop.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Rosalie, but Lord Aethelwolf is not in the shop today."

"Is that so? Where can I find him?" Rosalie smiled kindly. She didn't exhibit the arrogance that was common to the members of the nobility.

The sales ladies were nervous, but upon seeing her amiable attitude, they became more relaxed. "Lord Aethelwolf is resting in the Golden Lake Manor."

"Alright. Thank you for telling me. I'll take my leave first." Rosalie didn't linger in the shop. She went back to her carriage and she told the coachman to head to the Golden Lake Manor.

***

Meanwhile, Aethelwolf was resting in his room with his wives. He suddenly felt his communication crystal vibrating.

"Hm?" He took out the crystal and answered the call.

"My lord, the heiress of the Ballard Family, Miss Rosalie is on her way to the Golden Lake Manor. She came here in the shop to look for you, but we don't know why she is looking for you."

"Alright. I'll handle her. You guys get back to work." Aethelwolf replied.

"Yes, my lord!"

After ending the call, the corner of his lips curved upwards. Aethelwolf already expected this to happen. The beauty shop, Ethereal Beauty was earning millions of Orbes every day. Although this was nothing compared to the fortunes of the five noble families of Northern Trance, it was only a matter of time before they showed interest in his little beauty shop.

"What are you smiling about?" Samira asked him curiously.

Aethelwolf chuckled as he replied. "A big fish has taken the bait. You two get ready. We will receive an important guest soon."

Hearing his words, the eyes of Samira and Julie flashed.

An hour later, the Golden Lake Manor welcomed the arrival of Rosalie Ballard's entourage. As one of the heirs of the Ballard Family, there were always experts at her side to ensure her safety.

"Welcome to my humble home, Miss Rosalie." Aethelwolf stepped forward to greet the young lady in front of him. She had long golden hair, the standard hair color of the members of the Ballard Family.

"Good day, Sir Aethelwolf!" Rosalie smiled back in response as she secretly observed Aethelwolf. According to the reports of their informants, this man was an honored guest of the Suliman Family. His origins were a complete mystery. It was said that he was a Core Formation Esper, but this was yet to be confirmed.

"These two are Julie and Samira, my lovely wives." Aethelwolf introduced his two wives to her.

Both sides exchanged pleasantries before Aethelwold invited her inside the main mansion.

Aethelwolf brought Rosalie to his study and he asked the servants to prepare some refreshments for her.

At this moment, Rosalie was sitting in front of his desk with a light smile on her face. "Sir Aethelwolf, I came here to extend our congratulations for the success of your business. I also brought some gifts as a token of friendship." While saying this, she placed a storage bracelet on the table and pushed it towards Aethelwolf.

Aethelwolf didn't immediately take the storage bracelet. He knew that there was no free lunch in the world. He was already aware of the Ballard Family's goal. His sudden arrival in the market came as a surprise to them. He believed that they were here to investigate him, the owner of the beauty shop. If he was an expert, he could keep the beauty shop, but if he was a weak upstart, his fate would be different.

"Miss Rosalie, let's not beat around the bush. No one is here other than the two of us. You can speak your mind freely." Aethelwolf smiled before calmly sipping his tea.

Hearing this, Rosalie adjusted her posture and chuckled. "You are quite straightforward, Sir Aethelwolf. In that case, I will tell you the reason for my visit." She took out a document from her storage item and placed it on the table.

"Our Ballard Family is interested in your beauty shop. You can name your price. As long as it's not too ridiculous, we will compensate you accordingly." Rosalie's face turned serious.

Aethelwolf didn't even bother to glance at the document. He just stared deeply at Rosalie, making her feel uneasy. "Miss Rosalie, I don't plan on selling the beauty shop." He flatly refused.

Rosalie's face turned cold at his response.