“Come and have a taste-“

“Grab the best selling-“

As I walked around the plaza with the maid, vendors offered their products here and there. The only one that made me look twice was an old woman who called me…

“BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY.”

I came to a sudden stop and turned around promptly when I heard her calling my name. It was definitely me she was calling. Hehehe.

I gazed with enthusiasm at what she was offering for sale, but my excitement dissipated in an instant.

"Owww. These don't look very appetizing, no offense intended," I said, almost taking a step back.

"Hahaha. No offense taken. These fruits are from my hometown in Veridian. People from outside the town aren't fond of them because of their appearance. But if you open them up..."

She delicately opened a fruit that appeared quite rotten, roughly the size of both my fists combined.

To my surprise, the inside of the fruit looked juicy and surprisingly inviting.

She extended the other half towards me.

With hesitation, I took a bite, and my eyes widened as it surprisingly met my sweet tooth standards.

"Isn't it tasty? If more people would give it a try, just like you did, they would surely be delighted by this fruit too," she said in a somewhat melancholic tone.

"My hometown is abundant with this fruit. Back in the day, we..." She then began to reminisce about her childhood.

As she delved into her past, I quietly stood in front of her stall, absorbing her stories.

After finishing the other half, she had given me, I took the remaining part from her hand as she continued to share.

"...we had to pick this fruit within a limited time, as being underripe or overripe could be poisonous. This fruit claimed many lives, earning it the name 'reaper's fruit.' Those who were poisoned first turned so pale; it was as if the blood had drained from their faces. Then, they would lose their senses, starting with their hearing, followed by their vision..."

"Uh huh," I absentmindedly uttered, licking my lips after devouring the entire inside of the fruit.

Fruit. Poison. Killed.

"W-what?" My blood seemed to drain from my face as background noises faded, and everything fell into an eerie silence.

BUMP.

"Arrgghhh."

I shot a glare at the man who bumped into me, but he merely smirked.

Anyway, back to my current state of being.

Soon, my vision darkened. (In anger actually.)

"Coming through," another person bumped into me.

Seriously, can't you see I've been poisoned? Look, my face is pale, lost my hearing, and now my vision—

"What's wrong with you?" he interrupted, shoving me aside again.

"My lady, are you alright?"

I brushed her hands off my shoulder. "No, I'm not fine, as you can see—owww, I can hear."

I glanced at the old woman again, realizing with relief that I was not poisoned and all the symptoms are just in my head.

To my surprise, the old woman was now on the ground, while a group of men started smashing and throwing all of her belongings.

"What the f-" I surveyed the surroundings. All the people around the scene were silent, as if they were watching a soap opera. Oh, that's why. They must know these thugs.

I almost thought I'd be Snow White Version 2. Keke.

Stepping back a few paces, I blended with the crowd, being just a passerby.

If everyone is just watching and keeping quiet, I probably should too.

A man was busy harassing the old woman, and the other two were smashing the fruits on the ground. Too bad, the free taste of that fruit was good, and her stories were quite entertaining. However, I should probably get going—I don't want to get entangled in other people's mess.

I flipped my hair and turned my back to leave the scene.

BEEP

WARNING! APPROACHING BAD ENDING ROUTE!

I paused for a moment, refraining from taking another step. A familiar-looking pop-up notification screen appeared out of nowhere.

I turned back, facing the older woman and the thugs again.

BEEP

The notification screen disappeared. I tried to leave the scene again, turning my back against the commotion.

BEEP

WARNING! APPROACHING BAD ENDING ROUTE!

I attempted it a few more times just to make sure.

BEEP

WARNING! APPROACHING BAD ENDING ROUTE!

"Fudge."

So, I need to be a nosy, meddlesome passerby? Why? Why? Why?

Is this the part where the protagonist showcases kindness or something? This role doesn't sit right with me.

Throb.

A sudden headache struck me as scenes and images arose.

"Are you alright? Here, let me help you stand up."

"How much does she owe you?"

"I am Lady Fitzroy, the one betrothed to the young Lord Sebastian Beaumont-"

"I will see you behind the bars next time because of disorderly conduct-"

"Thank you for stepping in, Your Highness."

The pain gradually faded as what felt like memories of Roselle finished.

I don't think it's a vision; rather, it felt like a memory.

So, if that was a memory...

Does this mean that this novel already once reached the ending?

Or did this novel not reach the ending?

If it is the former; why does this novel need to be replayed again? Did it not reach the desired ending?

If it was the latter; what happened? Why did this world not reach its finale? Did the original Roselle go missing because of it?

SLAP

I was brought back to reality when I heard a loud sound.

***

"You should not have talked back to me, old hag," I smirked as the dirty old woman lay on the floor where she actually belonged.

I crouched down and grabbed her hair.

"I need the money within this week. Understood?"

Silence.

I tightened my grip on her hair.

"Answer me! Argghhh."

***

"Arggghh," he winced in pain as I grabbed his hair, making him kneel.

"What the heck is wrong with you? You tell her not to talk back, which she did, then expect her to talk back the next?"

He slapped my hand to free himself from my grip on his hair.

I winced, but I held my ground. I couldn't conceal my tail in this moment if I, the supposed 'protagonist,' were to play the hero.

He stood up, revealing the full extent of what he was wearing.

I couldn't hide the disgust on my face. Glancing at the other two men, I noticed they all had the same style, just slightly different clothes.

"No wonder people fall silent when you show up with that kind of mishmash of clothes. Look at that homeless man."

I pointed at a certain person in the crowd.

"He dresses better than all three of you combined. Your overall appearance hurts people's eyes."

My maid approached me, handing over three pouches of gold coins.

I assessed the scene, and it didn't align with the memory where the three of them were on their knees.

I moved closer to the man so I could reach him if I swung my legs.

KICK

I delivered a forceful kick to the man who had grabbed the woman's hair, causing him to kneel in pain once again. The second guy attempted to throw a punch at me, but with a swift move, I brought him to his knees as well. Surprisingly, the third one knelt down on his own.

What kind of thugs are these people? My presence is quite overwhelming, yet they didn't put up much of a resistance.

Glancing at them, I checked if the scene unfolding matched the one I envisioned earlier. Thugs on their knees - check. A crowd watching - check. A pouch of gold - check.

Alright, all good.

I tossed the pouch of gold onto the ground in front of them.

"Her debts are settled," I declared, ensuring they wouldn't voice any objections.

I nodded at my maid, signaling it was her cue.

"Please be on your way. There's nothing more to see here," she repeated, dispersing the crowd.

I made sure that people were now minding their own business.

"Hey, I'm taking this, okay? Consider it payment for all the stress you've caused me," I announced, grabbing the bag of gold again. They tried to argue, but I shot them a fierce look that made them back off.

"Well, this is all I've got! And this gold is my ticket to starting a business in this crazy world. Plus, let's be real, being broke means I'm definitely not meeting any princes. I'm no Cinderella, that's for sure!"

My maid came over, looking for more instructions.

"Watch these three. I'll be right back," I told her.

I helped an elderly woman stand up and guided her to a chair. (Not because I'm a saint, but because I am interested with what she sells.)

"I owe you my life, young lady." she said gratefully.

"Well, your welcome." I replied with a shy smile. She handed me something wrapped in paper.

"I noticed you have a sweet tooth, so I wanted to thank you with this," she said, smiling.

I unwrapped it to find a dessert covered in white powder. I took a bite and immediately felt a burst of joy.

"My son made this, but he's in a tough spot right now. If someone could help him out, he could make as much of this dessert as they want," she said slyly.

What a crafty lady! Some people, you give them an inch, they take a mile.

I pointed to a nearby diner. "Meet me there tomorrow at 9 in the morning, and we'll talk business."

"Now, hand over the rest of those goodies in your pocket," I said. She reluctantly gave me the rest.

Then, I turned my attention back to the three people still kneeling before me.

I crouched down to meet them eye to eye.

"Are you guys open-minded?”

“I know how to earn a decent amount of money. Are you interested?" The three of them exchanged glances, and the one I presumed to be the leader nodded.

Why did I sound like I was promoting a pyramid scheme? Anyway.

"Let's grab some drinks over there." Brushing off my clothes, I started walking towards a pub, although I wouldn't be drinking since I haven't reached adulthood.

I looked back again at them because I noticed they weren't following.

"Well, what are you guys waiting for? You want money, right? I have the skills to earn a decent income," I grinned at them.

And that's how I managed to establish the D.S Guild, this worl's version of Dream Sync Entertainment.

"Ha?" I looked at a nearby alley, thinking I saw a familiar figure, but I must have been mistaken.

Why does it feel like I've forgotten something or someone?

***

"I will buy everything from your newest collection! How dare a mere commoner call me a beggar?!!!"

(end of flashback)