"Those who toy with fate will ultimately become fate's playthings."

"Here is the lavender you requested, which will cost two Silver Coin. These White Chrysanthemum seeds are a complimentary gift for today, please accept them as well."

"Thank you, little girl. I really don't know where Mr. Linsey found such a lovely little one like you."

"Please take care, sir. We look forward to your next visit."

"..."

Linsey sat at the back of the shop.

He looked at the guests who had just left and sighed:

Those who recklessly manipulate fate will ultimately become its puppets.

Right at the store's front desk.

Hilude greeted every guest who came to the shop.

Looking at the morning's operations, it seemed like just an ordinary shop.

But for Linsey...

This was the first time he had ever felt fear about his own skills.

With a "make use of waste" attitude, Linsey stuffed the helpless Hilude into the shop and tried to turn her into a shop assistant.

Then, the skill of "Game Player" began to have an extremely terrifying effect.

Hilude was incorporated into the management system and became a shop assistant.

This former Seventh Stage awakener has lost self-awareness, is unable to control his body, and has lost his ability to respond to external stimuli.

Unless Linsey releases him.

Otherwise, it would really be like a game, turning into an NPC who only serves guests and buys and sells goods!

"Is this outcome too severe, or is it deserved?"

Linsey glanced at Hilude.

The girl's current expressions, reactions, and actions all come from his settings.

The feeling of having complete control over a person's life and death actually sent chills down Linsey.

Only after thinking about Hilude's past 'deeds'.

Only that tiny bit of guilt in your heart can drift away with the wind.

"Well--"

"If anyone enters my shop in the future and notices something unusual about Hilude."

"Will he think this is a 'princess' worth saving, and then launch a Justice attack on me?"

As Linsey thought about this, she felt that things were becoming even stranger.

At this point, he opened the Attribute Panel. After this period of trying, the store's transaction volume finally reached 500, meeting the prerequisite for upgrading the store.

"Gold coins: 150, Wood: 50, Metal: 10, Cloth: 10..."

"This upgrade cost significantly more than the last one."

"Oh, right! And that designer's business card too."

Linsey rummaged through her luggage and found the business card she had received at the design center.

"Pingsi District (Orange District) – No. 16, West Cape Avenue – 003"

"Um..."

"Let's go buy the materials first, and on the way back, let's invite that designer over to take a look."

The conditions for upgrading the store are already in front of us.

Linsey went out for a walk and got all the necessary supplies from the Stonemason Guild.

The City of a Thousand Sails is just too large.

This time, Linsey had no one to guide him, and by the time he found the West Cape Avenue in the Orange District, it was already evening.

West Cape Avenue.

This place, like where Linsey and Wala Wala lived, was originally a remote location right next to the sea.

However, with the expansion of the city.

This area was later surrounded by a cluster of cities, and is now considered an inland region.

The beauty of the ocean and its erosion have both faded away, leaving only the name "West Cape" as a testament to the past.

Linsey arrived at property number 3 according to the address.

What appeared before him was a stone house.

The projecting terraces on the second and third floors are adorned with rich carvings. This design expands the building's natural light area and, while maintaining the building's texture, also showcases thoughtful design details.

The orange nameplate at the entrance displays the property owner's name.

Will Palpatine

Sunshine and Sweet Orange Interior Design Studio

The address matched the information on the business card, so Linsey went up and knocked on the door.

"Hello, is anyone home?"

The next second, Linsey's keen hearing detected footsteps coming from the second floor.

While waiting for the other party to open the door, he used his skills to deduce the person's identity.

"The sound of high heels—women, adults."

"The second floor is a living room in this house—this woman lived here and had a close relationship with the homeowner."

"The designer wasn't that old—so the person who came down to open the door wouldn't be his children, but rather his wife or sister."

"The footsteps went up and down the stairs, and the changes in sound did not indicate distance—this woman was going down the stairs vertically, so there must be a spiral staircase here."

Linsey has just reached his fourth conclusion.

The sound of hurried footsteps approached the main gate.

The door was opened gently.

And what appeared before Linsey was indeed a lady with some fine lines around her eyes, but whose figure and appearance still retained their charm.

Compared to normal people, this woman was weak and seemed to be suffering from an illness.

The other person looked at Linsey with a questioning gaze:

"Hello, sir?"

Who are you looking for here?

Linsey took out the business card Will had given him earlier. "I made an appointment with Mr. Will before, and I wanted to ask him to do some interior design."

Upon hearing Linsey's purpose for coming, the woman's joy was palpable.

She quickly ushered Linsey in. She took out fruit powder from the cupboard and made a drink to serve the guest.

After finishing all that, she remembered to introduce herself:

"Sir, I am Will's wife, Kona."

"Will ...he went to work today. He should be back in a little while."

Have you had dinner yet?

"If you don't mind, I'll do it for you..."

"No need." Seeing Kona's embarrassed look, Linsey didn't expose the details, but simply nodded politely. "Linsey, Madam, you can just call me by that name."

The waiting time.

Linsey's gaze swept around the room.

The room where the designer and his wife lived looked quite simple, but it was full of small details about daily life.

The camera would not have been invented in this world.

Therefore, a highly realistic portrait of the two people hangs on one side of the studio. The painting is kept clean and tidy and is well protected, which is enough to show the affection between the two.

On the other hand, Kona didn't want Linsey to sit alone.

Some even became so frustrated that they left.

So she came over and spoke to Linsey, "Mr. Linsey, what are you looking for Will to design?"

Linsey replied with a smile:

"My shop is going to be renovated, and I need someone to help with the design."

Kona asked curiously, "What kind of shop do you run...?"

"Just an ordinary Plant Shop in the Orange District," Linsey replied simply, then casually pulled a White Lily from her bag. "Madam, this is for you. May your love with Will be as pure as this."

Kona looked pleasantly surprised:

"Thank you so much!"

Kona took the flowers, went upstairs, found a simple wooden cup, and put the flowers in it.

And when she went downstairs again.

The shop's main entrance on the first floor was also opened at that moment.

Looking exhausted, Will emerged from the door. Upon seeing Linsey, he didn't immediately recognize her and could only look to his wife for help.

"Kona, what's going on here...?"

Then, the man's puzzled expression turned into surprise.

"Wait, you're the gentleman who helped me pick up the design drafts the other day!"

Linsey nodded, stood up, and shook hands with Will:

"That's right, sir who keeps his promise."

"As agreed that day, I've come to commission you to design the shop."