Alpha Damien’s Trouble Maker Novel

Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Selene "Achool" I sneezed so hard my whole body jerked. My nose tingled, and I quickly pinched it, sniffling. "My lady, are you okay?" Evelyn asked beside me, her soft voice full of concern as usual. I nodded and rubbed my nose. "Yeah, maybe someone's thinking about me," I muttered, amused. Evelyn smiled at that and tugged at my sleeve. "My lady, look! Do you like these? These jewels are so pretty, they'd look wonderful on you." I followed her gaze to the vendor's stand overflowing with necklaces, pendants, and delicate bracelets glittering under the sun.

There was gold, silver, gemstone; enough sparkle to make any woman squeal. But I only stared, expressionless. A while ago, I'd been minding my own business, doing the job I was paid for, escorting the group to the auction house. Yet somehow, my dutiful maid had turned the mission into a shopping trip. Evelyn flitted from stall to stall like a hummingbird, dragging me along with stars in her eyes. I sighed quietly and glanced over my shoulder. To my surprise, they were still there, the mysterious group I was supposed to escort were waiting patiently.

There was not a single complaint, or a hint of irritation. Even though they'd paid me quite handsomely to make sure they reached their destination safely, they just stood there. Or more accurately, he was watching. That man. The one whose presence made the air feel heavier. His posture was lazy, almost disinterested, but his gaze was sharp, and steady. Every time I felt it on me, a strange shiver ran through my body. It wasn't fear, but something deeper. Something that made my chest tighten and my pulse skip. It felt as if I was a puzzle he was trying to solve piece by piece..

"My lady, look at this too!" Evelyn's excited voice snapped me out of my thoughts. She held up a pink pendant, her eyes shining like a child's. I couldn't help but smile. Reaching over, I took the pendant and held it against her neck, tilting my head as I studied her. "This will look beautiful on you," Evelyn blinked at me in surprise before quickly shaking her head, her cheeks pink. "I wouldn't dare! And besides, it's ten silvers, my lady. That's too expensive." I raised an eyebrow.

"Too expensive?" I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice and nudging my head toward the group waiting behind us. "Have you forgotten? We have a walking money bag with us. Ten silvers is nothing." Evelyn's eyes went wide as if I'd said something blasphemous. I smirked and added casually, "We can buy more if you like them. Besides," I looked down at the sparkling jewels again, "these things aren't really my style." "Not your style?" Evelyn asked, blinking at me, confusion written all over her sweet little face. 12:42 Tue, Dec 23 Chapter 23 UMG "Yes.

If I want to get something for myself, I will get it somewhere else." "Where?" I paused. I couldn't exactly tell her the place I was talking about was a blacksmith workshop, could I? She might faint if she found out that what I actually wanted were swords, bows, arrows, and maybe a few enchanted artifacts for cultivating. Pretty things never got my heart racing. But sharp blades and rare artifacts? Now those made my blood sing. So instead, I simply smiled. "Don't worry about that," Evelyn looked like she wanted to press, but I turned to the shopkeeper instead.

"I'll have all these, please," I said, pointing to the entire section of delicate jewelry, the pendants, rings, and bracelets that Evelyn had been admiring like a starved cat in front of cream. The shopkeeper froze. Evelyn gasped. Even the people passing by glanced our way, shocked. "M-Madam," the shopkeeper stammered after a moment, his eyes darting between me and Evelyn. "Is... is this for your maid? You can't waste such precious stones on a lowly-" He didn't finish. Because I turned, fixing my gaze on him until his throat bobbed with a nervous gulp.

"And who are you," I asked, "to open your mouth and question me?" My voice wasn't loud, but it was cold. "If you can't mind your business," I added, "I'll take mine somewhere else." The man paled instantly, sweat forming at his temples. He shook his head rapidly. "N-no, my lady, I didn't mean it like that! I will pack everything for you right now!" "Good," I said simply, then looked away as if he were no more interesting than dust. Evelyn tugged gently on my sleeve. "M-my lady..." "Don't think too much about it," I said, glancing at her. "Think of it as a welcome-back gift.

I'll get something for Silas too." Evelyn tilted her head, puzzled. "Welcome back? Did you go somewhere before?" I smiled, the corners of my lips lifting. "Yes, I did and I'm back." She didn't understand, of course. How could she? Evelyn smiled shyly and bowed her head. "Thank you so much, my lady... I don't know what to say." I reached out and patted her head gently. "Then don't say anything. Just take it." When the shopkeeper returned, trembling slightly, he handed Evelyn the neatly packed bag of jewels. I paid him.

I was just about to turn away from the stall when a man with crooked yellow teeth leaned forward from his table, his grin too wide. "Beautiful lady, would you like to play a game?" I blinked, slowly. Even without looking properly, I could tell his whole presence screamed shady. The kind of man who probably made his living fooling gullible travelers and drunkards. But then again, so was I. Chapter 23 1 tilted my head at him. "What kind of game?" The man's grin widened, and behind it, his thoughts slithered clearly into my mind. Ah, good, a foolish lady. I'll cheat her out of her money today.

I almost laughed right then. I didn't even need to read his thoughts to know what kind of scum he was, but it was always satisfying to confirm it. He gestured dramatically to a wooden table where eight small cups were lined in two neat rows. "It's very simple, my lady, There's a ball hidden under one of these cups. If you pick the right one, I'll give you a gold coin. But if you lose, you give me two gold coins." "Two? That doesn't sound fair to me." I said. "That's the rule of the game, miss." His grin flashed again, that missing tooth showing.

"To make it fair," he added, "I'll even show you all the cups afterwards, so you know I'm not cheating." "Eh, this stupid girl will never find it. I'll swap the cups fast, take one gold coin from her, drown it in drinks tonight, and spend the night with a dozen whores." His mind was loud and disgusting. I stared at him for a moment, then slowly grinned. Poor man. So confident, and oblivious. How unlucky he was to meet me today. I didn't need his gold coin but I never tolerated anyone trying to cheat me. "My lady," Evelyn whispered beside me.

"You shouldn't-" I rolled up my sleeves slowly, ignoring her. "Fine," I said, stepping closer to the table. "Let's do this." The man's eyes lit up in greedy excitement, thinking I'd taken the bait. I smiled innocently and added, "But don't cry when I take your coin, mister." He chuckled, shaking his head, clearly amused by what he thought was a naive girl. He had no idea what was coming. I couldn't wait to see his expression the moment he realized who the real scammer truly was. AD Comment Send gift No Ads 12:42 Tue, Dec 23 MG.

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