Chapter 4

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I realized we didn’t really need to walk. I had Dominic, one of the most powerful individuals in this world, by my side, after all.

“Dominic,” I called out to him.

“Yes?”

“You can use teleportation magic, right?” I asked him.

He looked at me with a somewhat guarded gaze and then nodded stiffly. I looked up at his pitch-black hair and said, “We’re currently in the Pavrik Empire, and we’re heading to the stationery shop building.”

To be precise, it was the building that would soon be our stationery shop.

“The stationery shop? All right, then tell me the coordinates.”

I whispered the coordinates to him. They led to an old, abandoned building within the estate of the late duchess, left behind by Meldenique’s mother.

“Now, close your eyes,” he told me.

I squeezed my eyes shut. The wind swirled around me before gently coming to a stop. The sensation was rather pleasant, and I basked in it with my eyes closed until Dominic’s voice reached my ears.

“We’re here.”

When I opened my eyes, I saw Maltond Academy before me. It was a prestigious institution attended by royalty and nobility. It was the empire’s finest academy—it even nurtured exceptionally talented commoners as well. Perhaps that was why the academy’s outward appearance exuded brilliance. It looked like a castle generously adorned with gold.

“Is this the place?” Dominic asked, looking straight ahead. After gazing intently at the ornate tower and elegant ivory gate of the academy, Dominic nodded with satisfaction. “It is not quite as grand as I expected, but I suppose it will have to do.”

I blinked at him.

What’s he talking about? Dominic proceeded straight toward the gates of the academy. Instead of following him, I quietly spoke up from behind him.

“Um, Dominic?”

“Why are you not following me into the building we will be living in, Mel?”

I shook my head at Dominic, who looked at me quizzically. “That’s not it.”

His gaze remained fixed on me. “But this is the only building here,” he pointed out.

“What are you talking about? There’s another building right over there, Dominic.” I pointed at a very gloomy and shabby old building across the street from the academy.

Dominic’s uncertain gaze slowly and cautiously shifted to where I was pointing.

“Hmm...”

There was no way his keen eyes missed the building I had pointed at.

“That’s where we’ll be living from now on,” I told him.

Near the grand academy, there was a two-story stone building that stood in stark contrast against the elegance of the dazzling building nearby. The place looked abandoned. It was old, covered in moss, and looked like it could collapse at any moment. I began to walk toward it, pondering.

Hmm... I didn’t expect it to be this worn out. I don’t have much of a choice, though. This is the only thing left to me by my mother. After my mother, a descendant of House Kinnoa and the late duchess, passed away, her title had been temporarily seized by the royal family.

All the property was absorbed by House Babelloa. The only thing Meldenique’s mother had left in her daughter’s name was this building.

If we clean it up and make some repairs, it’ll be perfect for a stationery shop. I stopped in my tracks for a moment and spoke to Dominic.

“I think it would be perfect to use the first floor as a stationery shop and the second floor as a living space... What’s wrong, Dominic?”

He remained frozen, like a warrior who had just seen the corpse of a dead comrade. “Are you telling me we have to live in this shabby place?”

“Yes. I’ve got everything planned out.”

Glancing briefly at the academy’s main gate, Dominic reluctantly shuffled toward me, muttering, “I have been deceived. This is a fraudulent contract.”

His attempt at a threatening glare was spoiled by his innocent, youthful appearance. I hummed a tune and casually patted his shoulder once he stepped closer.

“Don’t worry. I will remodel it to be much bigger and prettier in the future. It will have to be if I want my stationery shop to grow famous. I’ve got it all planned out!”

Dominic’s shoulders slumped as he sighed deeply, watching me lay a confident hand on my chest. “Swindlers all say things like that... They always think it’s going to be different this time or they’re going to definitely hit the jackpot,” he mumbled.

“You’re right. This time, it is different. I’m sure it’ll succeed! Come on, let’s go inside!”

Unfortunately for him, Dominic was already bound with me. I patted his shoulder sympathetically.

If things really take off, I promise to treat you well! Trailing behind me, Dominic audibly suppressed a sigh, almost like he had heard my thoughts. The creaking door of the abandoned building wasn’t even locked and swung open as I pushed it.

Everything was covered in dust. If the first floor looked like this, I didn’t need to see it to know the second floor was worse. It was probably a place where local troublemakers came for the whole “haunted house” experience. It had been left to rot.

Glancing at the silently astonished Dominic behind me, I whispered softly, “Dominic, if things go well, I’ll even pay you a salary. Now, let’s hurry and get inside.”

“I once owned the Gold Mountains. A regular salary won’t be enough. Got it?”

I chuckled inwardly at Dominic’s arrogant remark.

What’s with this guy? He’s like an adorable little brother. Before I possessed Meldenique, I had been an orphan and had no blood relatives. It turned out that Meldenique never had a proper loving family either. But for some reason, Dominic, who must have lived much longer than me, felt like an endearing younger brother to me.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he said.

“Like what?”

Dominic rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact and frowning timidly. “Like you find me cute or something.”

Was it that obvious? He was quite perceptive.

“All right.” With a smirk, I nodded in agreement, swung the door wide open, and entered the abandoned building.

As soon as we entered, a loud noise echoed throughout the room—it was the sound of mice scurrying around. Due to my past experiences, I was unbothered by mice and other pests, so I paid them no mind and meticulously took in every detail of the space.

This place is so dusty, I’m about to sneeze. There was no denying it. This building was in desperate need of repairs. But... It was my building now. I turned to Dominic with a bright smile.

“Wow, isn’t this wonderful?”

“You must be out of your mind. I knew this contract was a scam. Oh gods, why have you forsaken me?” Dominic seemed bewildered as he muttered to himself.

“The gods have nothing to do with this. On the left there, we’ll put a claw machine. On the right, we’ll set up a stall, and on the outdoor counter, we’ll sell food we made ourselves. Sweet treats and stuff like that,” I told him excitedly.

“And?”

“We’ll also sell school supplies for the kids at the academy!”

To do that, we would need to establish a close relationship with the academy, but... we could cross that bridge when we came to it.

For now, we should focus on getting friendly with the kids. Eventually, we would sell school agendas, chewy treats, candies shaped like pints of beer, and even candies that turn your tongue blue. My heart fluttered with excitement.

The dusty building in front of me seemed to fade away as I imagined what it could look like in the future. Thrilled at the prospect of soon making my humble dream come true, I smiled brightly at Dominic.

“I’m so happy!”

Dominic gazed at my cheery expression. Even though it was dark, and my face might not have been clearly visible, he nodded as if he could see me. “Well, all right... Let us discuss how we will set up this so-called stationery shop.”

I nodded energetically in response to Dominic’s solemn words. With a crackle, a large lightbulb appeared in Dominic’s hand. Thanks to the light he had conjured, I was finally able to see clearly.

“Great! First, I’d like to set up a big sign outside so that the kids can see it,” I began.

“What else?”

“We’ll be open for everyone, commoners and nobles alike, so I’d like us to have an open-door policy.”

“An open door. Got it.” He nodded.

“I would like to decorate this front yard so it looks nice too.”

As I spoke to Dominic, I remembered my past life. I had been an orphan, unable to afford school without a scholarship. The reason I was able to grow into a competent adult was because of the support I had received from the adults who stood by me in my early years.

The teacher who paid for my field trip, the director of the orphanage who steered me back on track when my friends pressured me to misbehave, and... the elderly couple who owned the stationery shop in front of the school I attended. They knew every child’s name.

Even a grimy, penniless orphan like me. Their gentle voices echoed in my ears.

“Would you like to eat this, child?”

“Wow! My tongue turned blue!”

“You shouldn’t eat it too often, though. It’s not good for your health.”

I smiled softly at my fond childhood memories.

I hope every child who visits this stationery shop grows up happily with great hopes and dreams, just like my past self. I wondered what emotions and experiences children in this world had.

Dominic, noticing I was still lost in thought, nodded approvingly.

Excited, we began planning the remodeling of the stationery shop. Even though we were just in the planning stage, it was fun. It felt like I was taking a step closer to my dream. I was so exhilarated that I couldn’t sleep until the long night passed and dawn began to break.