Isaac nodded and pushed the door open.
Inside, the shop had a clean layout. It was organized, simple, and modern. A few staff members were finalizing product placements, while others ran diagnostics on the cash terminal and customer support interfaces.
At the center, Selene stood out clearly.
Her silver-white hair was tied neatly to one side, letting the soft light reflect off the strands. She wore a white one-piece dress that contrasted sharply with her red eyes, which had a strange mix of alertness and calm.
Seeing her in person again made her beauty more pronounced. It wasn’t just her appearance, but the way she stood, confident but not overbearing.
Isaac gave her a friendly smile as he approached.
"Thanks," he said. "You’ve really handled everything. I appreciate it."
Selene turned toward him. Her lips quirked into a small smile.
"You should praise Alice. She nagged me too much to make sure everything was perfect. But if you think I did a good job…" She paused, letting the moment hang. "Then how about you give me something in return?"
Isaac raised a brow. "What do you want?"
"Oho?" Selene tilted her head, clearly amused. "I thought you’d try to haggle a little, but you’re offering so directly? That’s suspicious."
He shrugged. "Try me."
She tapped her lip thoughtfully and then gave him a look that was half-serious, half-playful.
"You sure? My requests are expensive."
Isaac folded his arms. "I am still waiting."
"Well then," she said, the smile widening just a little. "I want to buy some new dresses. But this time, I want something different from my usual style. So I was thinking…"
Isaac completed her words, "You need an outsider’s advice?"
"You’re smarter than you look."
Seeing their friendly exchange, as if they’d known each other for years, made Marien’s expression stiffen.
She looked as if she had just swallowed something bitter.
’She wants a new look? Since when?’
Marien had been by Selene’s side practically every day. Not once had she mentioned wanting to change her wardrobe or try something different.
This whole dress shopping idea reeked like an excuse for a date.
It wasn’t the date itself that bothered Marien.
Plenty of friends hung out casually.
But this was Selene! With how she had been acting these days, Marien could already see the shopping turn into a meal, then shared conversations and longer walks, and then, and then…
Marien shot a glare at Isaac.
’This guy… this cheating bastard already has two girlfriends. Two!’
’Why is he laying hands on my Selene too!? This guy should—’
Suddenly, Marien recalled something.
Isaac was the same person whom Alice had been obssessed with for years, and he had never realized her feelings.
’Ah, fck. He definitely doesn’t know about Selene’s feelings even though she is so obvious. This is going to make things worse,’ Marien thought grimly.
Selene, completely unaware of Marien’s death-glare from the side, smiled at Isaac.
Isaac did know about her feelings.
Still, he didn’t see a reason to turn her down. Shopping together was a normal activity.
Besides, after things settled between Alice and Selene, they were practically best friends now.
If he refused Selene outright, she’d definitely run to Alice to complain, and then he’d get dragged into a lecture he didn’t want to deal with.
Alice was obsessed with him, yes. But she would never not berate him when he was in wrong.
So Isaac gave her a small nod.
"Sure," he said. "Let’s do it."
Selene looked quite pleased.
The moment passed, and she clapped her hands lightly. "Well then, enough about that. Let’s get the vegetables set up. You brought it, right?"
Isaac nodded and followed her as she led him toward the rear counters.
Each stall was equipped with smart temperature regulators and product analyzers, ready to store and sell the goods the moment they were registered.
He moved quickly, filling the counters one by one.
Potatoes. Garlic. Tomatoes. Onions. Cabbage. Pea Pods.
They weren’t flashy, but they were staple crops, thus easy to recognize, and easy to sell. He made sure the stock was labeled and logged before stepping back.
Selene handed him a thin folder.
"Here," she said. "This is a report I compiled for you."
Isaac opened it, skimming the contents.
It was a list of crops, specifically those that could be used in advanced and tasty recipes. Each one had cultivation notes, estimated yield per season, maturation time, and versatility.
Azure Root – matures in three months, usable in stews and broths.
Fireleaf Spinach – short growth cycle of one month, retaines heat well, favored in winter dishes.
Mallow Bulb – takes a year to mature, but famous among potioneers to make both high-end elixirs and daily meals.
Whiteshade Radish – used in spicy dishes, good for flavor enhancement.
Goldvine Peas – moderate yield, worked well in light soups and stir-fry.
Nightcap Tomato – slow to grow but very rich flavor, used in mana-rich sauces.
Isaac raised a brow. The amount of work that had gone into this report was obvious.
"Thanks," he said, genuinely impressed. "This is more detailed than I expected."
Selene nodded. "If your vegetables sell well here, you’ll need to expand your stock. Better to have a plan for that."
He flipped another page. "You even included nutrient values, cultivation environments, and yield based on soil type?"
Selene smiled. "It’s fine. I like doing this kind of thing."
Then Isaac frowned slightly. He felt a bit bad for what he was about to say, but staying quiet would be worse.
"Why didn’t you include crop data based on awakener diets? Wouldn’t that be more useful if I want to expand toward that market?"
Selene shook her head. "Awakeners don’t consume many plant-based diets. Their diets are mostly monster-meat based. It is richer in mana, nutrients, and more delicious."
"Then what about hybrid dishes?"
"The problem is that the data is too limited. Not enough awakeners eat plant-heavy diets, so the sample size is small and not statistically useful. That’s why I went with general high-end culinary usage instead. That data is broader and more reliable."
Isaac closed the folder and nodded. "Makes sense."
Then, Selene guided him to another location. "You should meet the staff. I hand-picked them from our shops. They are a bit expensive, but they have good social skills."
"Social skills?" Isaac stopped walking and stared at Selene. "Aren’t they illegal to use?"