Moonlight Like Water (4)

If it weren't for the swordsmanship class at Dawnlight Academy, Lorist might have been soft-imprisoned at Miss Windsor's home, continuing to draw princess dress designs. Especially after her two personal maids saw the design drafts, they became incredibly attentive, serving him tea and water, and taking meticulous care of him, which made Lorist feel flattered.

Lorist had Miss Windsor and her maids choose twenty-four favorite princess dress designs and eight formal women's dress styles from the over fifty designs he had drawn overnight. He then spent the morning teaching them how to cut patterns. For the next while, the three girls would be holed up at home making these thirty-two women's outfits first. Lorist planned to use these thirty-two outfits as the "Autumn Goddess Series" to build the reputation of his future high-end women's fashion boutique.

As he was leaving, Lorist encouraged the three girls to be bold and use their imagination. He told them that if they thought something was suitable, they could make changes and variations to the designs they had created. Why? Lorist explained it was to avoid matching outfits. What was a matching outfit? Well, the meaning was simple: imagine going to a party and discovering someone else was wearing the exact same thing. How embarrassing would that be?

Every girl was like an angel fallen from heaven, a unique being. Therefore, their clothes should also be distinctive and avoid being too similar. Even if dresses were made from the same pattern, details could be changed – a round neckline could become a sweetheart neckline, the color of decorative patterns could be altered. These were the strengths of girls, and they should capitalize on them. Did they understand?

After Lorist left, Miss Windsor suddenly noticed her two maids staring blankly, their eyes almost turning into hearts. Both amused and annoyed, she playfully smacked them, "What's wrong? Are you two daydreaming?"

Susie murmured, "Every girl is like an angel fallen from heaven, a unique being. That sentence is so beautiful..."

Rina cried out "Ouch!" rubbing her forehead. "Miss, that hurt. But Young Master Locke looked so gentle and handsome just now. And Young Master Locke is the kind of man who gets better with age. Miss, you've really found the right boyfriend."

Miss Windsor sighed softly, "Some people say even nicer things, but it's all empty, deceitful talk. He's not as talented as him. Now we also have to work hard. These clothes are related to the future of the Windsor family. We should put in more effort."

"Yes, Miss." "Mm, I'll work hard." The two maids nodded in response.

Two days later, Lorist came to visit again. He was startled by the sight of the three girls as soon as he entered. Why did they all look like rabbits? Their faces were so pale, and their eyes were so red? He learned they had been working day and night to make these clothes, sleeping only eight hours in three days and eating hastily. However, despite their hard work, their efficiency was not great; they had only completed four sets in three days and nights.

Lorist rubbed his forehead. Silly girls, why don't you hire some help? At this rate, you won't finish these thirty-two sets for the Autumn Goddess Series by spring next year. How will you open the shop and do business?

Miss Windsor weakly retorted, "Didn't you say these dress designs need to be kept secret? We can't let anyone know before the shop opens."

Lorist said, "That's simple. Your house is three connected buildings. The left side is where Madam Winsor and the young master live, and the right side is prepared for rent. Don't rent it out now. Open a garment factory and hire some housewives nearby who are good at needlework to sew for you. You can cut the patterns here first, then take them over for them to sew and process. You only need to provide guidance and supervision. You don't need to work so hard. Otherwise, even if you make money, getting sick and collapsing from exhaustion would be a huge loss."

Miss Windsor nodded. "Alright, I'll do as you say. I'm going to rest first." She yawned and went upstairs. Susie and Rina's eyes turned into hearts again: "Wow, Young Master Locke is so domineering and manly!"

After arranging the garment factory matters, Lorist stayed for a few more days. Seeing that the production and processing of the clothes were being managed in an orderly fashion by Miss Windsor and the two maids, he finally felt at ease and began to consider the decoration and furnishing of the two shops on Triumphal Avenue.

After on-site inspection, Lorist quickly came up with a renovation plan. However, the cost was a bit high, requiring over sixty gold Fude. For this, Lorist and Miss Windsor had their first argument.

Miss Windsor believed they shouldn't spend money on the exterior decoration of the shops. As long as the shops were clean and tidy, it would be enough. They were selling clothes, and no one would pay attention to useless decorations.

Lorist painstakingly persuaded her, "Only if the shop's decoration is resplendent and shocking can we elevate the shop's status. Once the shop's status is elevated, it will naturally make our clothing appear noble and elegant, outstanding and extraordinary. This way, we can sell them at a high price. Perhaps one set of clothes could even cover the entire decoration cost of the shop."

But no matter how Lorist tried to persuade her, Miss Windsor remained unmoved, insisting that simple decoration would suffice and there was no need for luxurious embellishments.

Why couldn't this young lady understand such a simple principle? Lorist was very frustrated. Finally, Rina secretly told him that Miss Windsor was out of money. The family only had about ten gold coins left, and it was uncertain if that would be enough for the household expenses and the garment factory's expenditures next month.

Lorist suddenly understood. He nodded and went out. After a while, Lorist returned and placed a bulging leather bag on the table. He said gently to the big-eyed girl, "You should have told me earlier that you didn't have enough gold coins. There's no need to worry alone. I am your boyfriend now. We can face any difficulties together. This is my savings, one hundred and six gold coins. It's enough for us to pay for the decoration and the household expenses for the next two to three months."

The girl stared with her beautiful big eyes for a long time, then threw herself into Lorist's arms, tears streaming down her face. She hugged Lorist tightly as she cried.

Lorist gently patted her back. He knew she had been under a lot of mental stress during this time. Since learning about her father and family territory, she had been suppressing her emotions. Especially after realizing she had nowhere to turn for help and even contemplated ending her life, she was more inclined to seek release and be done with it all. After he rescued her and offered guidance, she held onto the hope of reviving her family and reclaiming their territory. That's why she used the "beauty trap" to latch onto him, only wanting him to help her make money through business.

Although she found the princess dresses and formal women's dresses he designed beautiful and desired them, she truly lacked confidence in this business. She didn't know if they would sell. Coupled with the dwindling gold coins she had, which were flowing out like water to buy materials and hire seamstresses, she naturally felt the urge to sell these clothes as quickly as possible to recoup some capital. Moreover, she knew herself that being Lorist's girlfriend was merely a means to an end, not for love. Therefore, she felt embarrassed to ask Lorist for help and could only worry in secret.

The girl's crying grew louder, as if she were crying out all the bitterness she had buried in her heart. The two maids rushed over but could only stand by, eyes wide, because Miss Windsor was holding onto Lorist and wouldn't let go. Lorist could only pat her back and comfort her, "Don't cry anymore. If you cry more, your eyes will swell. If your eyes swell, you won't be pretty anymore, and I won't want you as my girlfriend."

The girl's tears turned into a smile. She pinched Lorist hard, "How dare you!"

Then she buried her head in Lorist's embrace and continued to cry, but her sobs grew quieter and quieter, until finally... the girl fell asleep.

From that day on, the girl insisted that Lorist call her Wenna, as it was her nickname and her pet name. As her boyfriend, wouldn't it be too distant if Lorist still called her Miss? Lorist happily complied.

Two months later, the Windsor Women's Boutique, located on Triumphal Avenue in Molent City, opened for business. However, for the first three days after opening, not a single person stepped into the shop. The reason was simple: the two-story, flat-roofed building that used to be a general store was now decorated luxuriously, comparable to a royal palace. Although smaller in scale, four Silver Swordsmen, dressed in neat attire and clad in silver armor, stood guard in front of the entrance. Even the small square in front of the shop was paved with expensive Cloud Gold Stone tiles. In such circumstances, let alone customers, even passersby would deliberately detour around the area.

Miss Windsor was so anxious that she couldn't even eat. Several small blisters appeared on her lips. She complained that Lorist shouldn't have decorated the shop so lavishly. Now that no one was coming in, there would be no business, and the painstakingly made women's clothes, including the thirty-two sets of the Autumn Goddess Series, wouldn't sell. Miss Windsor began to feel like crying again. Lorist, however, stretched leisurely, "What's the hurry? The time isn't right yet. Our shop isn't like those ready-to-wear stores. We sell one item, and it's enough to live on for a month. We don't need to sell a hundred items a day to avoid losses. As long as there's one customer, business will start pouring in."

"Pfft, I'd have to be crazy to believe you..." Miss Windsor continued to look at the shop entrance with anticipation mixed with worry.

On the fifth day, the first wave of customers finally arrived. It was quite amusing, as the person who genuinely wanted to enter the shop was the male owner of a gold and silver goods store diagonally across the avenue. Since the boutique opened, he had been very curious. What did this shop, with its sign proclaiming it a "Fashion Boutique," actually sell? And why were there four Silver Swordsmen guarding the entrance?

He hesitated for several days, but finally mustered the courage to go in one morning. However, he was stopped at the entrance by the Silver Swordsmen: "I'm sorry, sir, gentlemen are not permitted inside."

What do you mean? Men can't go in? the shop owner wondered. Then, a Silver Swordsman gestured for him to look at a notice board on the wall. It read: "This establishment is a boutique specializing in women's clothing and fashion. Gentlemen entering alone are politely declined. Gentlemen may enter only when accompanied by a lady and vouched for by a lady. Below this was a line in gold lettering: 'This establishment is a high-class women's salon. Accompanying gentlemen are expected to maintain gentlemanly conduct.'"

The shop owner returned to his shop dejectedly, unhappy all morning. At lunch, his wife asked him what was wrong, and he told her about being turned away that morning. His wife was a formidable woman and immediately declared, "Isn't it just that men alone aren't allowed in? I'll accompany you this afternoon with our daughter. With two women and one man, we should be able to get in, right?"

With his wife vouching for him and his daughter vouching for her father, the shop owner entered. However, he soon regretted it because his wife and daughter were on the verge of losing their minds. The dresses and gowns worn by the wooden mannequins, under the illumination of the crystal chandeliers above, exuded a magical charm.

"Oh, my heavens, what beautiful dresses..." the shop owner's wife murmured.

"I want it. This is the dress of my dreams. It's mine..." This was his daughter, her eyes lost in the clothes before her, seeing nothing else.

The shop owner's heart pounded as he looked at the tags hanging below the clothes on the wooden mannequins. Those numbers made his soul tremble. When did the unit of currency for a dress become gold coins? And gold Fude at that?

Finally, the shop owner saw his wife standing before a black velvet evening gown. The rhinestones and gems on the gown sparkled like stars in the night sky, so mysterious and dazzling. However, the number one hundred and eighty-eight written on the tag below immediately brought the shop owner back to his senses. He stepped forward and pulled his wife, preparing to leave.

But his wife's feet seemed rooted to the polished floor, and he couldn't budge her. Helpless, the husband pointed to the tag below, hoping his wife would come to her senses, that they couldn't afford this price. Unexpectedly, his wife flung his hand away and whispered fiercely, "My private savings are enough."

At this moment, a heavenly voice sounded in the shop owner's ear: "I am very sorry, esteemed madam and sir, but this evening gown, named 'Night's Lament,' cannot be purchased without a noble title."

Overjoyed, the shop owner pulled his disappointed wife away from the Night's Lament evening gown. For the first time in his life, he felt a sense of goodwill towards nobles, saving him so much money. One hundred and eighty-eight gold Fude! That was enough for his hard work for a year.

However, the shop owner rejoiced too soon. In the end, his wife and daughter spent fifty-six gold Fude at the boutique. The shop owner truly couldn't understand why a woman's casual home wear would cost one gold coin when he could buy dozens of them at ready-to-wear shops outside. However, his wife's glare made him understand that if he said no, he would have to kneel by the bed that night instead of sleeping in it.

Well, the shop's environment was actually quite pleasant, and the service was very thoughtful. He had never enjoyed himself so much. As his wife and daughter had each chosen an evening gown, they were invited upstairs for personalized fittings to enhance their charm.

Three days later, the shop owner attended a thank-you banquet hosted by the Gold and Silver Goods Industry Chamber of Commerce with his wife and daughter. The shop owner discovered that his ordinary-looking wife and daughter had become the center of attention at the banquet, like a noble queen and a beautiful princess. Those two evening gowns shone brilliantly on them, dazzling and radiant. Countless eyes followed them; they became the stars of the banquet. The shop owner suddenly felt that those dozens of gold Fude were truly worth the money.

From that day on, luxurious private carriages began to stop in front of the Windsor Women's Boutique. Noblewomen and ladies rushed towards the shop's entrance like moths to a flame. The shop was packed with people. Lorist had no choice but to decline male companions and set up tea tables and chairs in the small square outside, for gentlemen waiting to rest. A tea bar was also opened in the square. Over time, a saying spread throughout Molent City: "Where have the noble lords and ladies gone? They're having tea and basking in the sun on Triumphal Avenue."

At the end of the month settlement day, Miss Windsor stared blankly at the small mountain of gold coins piled on the table. "Is this really what we earned?"

Rina said impatiently, "Yes, Miss. This is the seventh time I've answered you. I'll say it one last time: there are a total of three thousand and eighty-three gold Fude on the table. We earned all of it this month!"

Miss Windsor suddenly jumped up and lunged towards Lorist, who was watching them with a smile, and kissed him on the mouth. "Thank you, thank you..."

"Ah! That hurt, you silly girl. You're biting, not kissing. By the way, is this your first kiss? Let me teach you."

The two figures merged together again.

Rina said, "So embarrassing..." She covered her face with her hands, then stared intently at the kissing couple through her fingers.