Chapter 24
Husband is the Main Character of a Possessed Novel Chapter 24
“Are you there?”
Alex, who was holding a sack filled with wool, opened the door of the shop first.
He naturally went inside and put down the sack, and a middle-aged man who seemed to be the owner approached.
“Welcome.”
The owner, who spoke absentmindedly, soon raised his head to look at Alex's face, and his eyes widened.
He then looked at me and Eloy in turn, and his complexion turned pale.
“W-Where did these people come from……”
“Can we sell wool here?”
However, Alex paid no attention to the owner's reaction and immediately stated his business.
“Ah, yes, yes. Let me see it.”
“This is it.”
Alex lightly lifted the sack and placed it on the shelf.
The owner opened the sack and carefully touched the wool, then smiled brightly.
“The quality is quite good. I think I can give you about 10 gold.”
“Can't you give us 15 gold?”
I quickly asked, not missing the timing.
For merchants, plus or minus 5 might be negotiable.
I confidently added an explanation.
“It's organic wool from free-range sheep. The sheep are allowed to roam freely, minimizing stress. The wool is only sheared once a year, so the quality is good.”
After finishing my words, I naturally acted nonchalant.
I could feel Eloy looking at me with strange eyes from the side.
However, the wool owner was not an easy person.
“Is that so? Actually, 10 gold is already a generous offer. I was originally going to offer only 7 gold…… If you have anything else to sell, I'll give you 300 gold.”
“Yes? Something else?”
Eloy and I looked at each other with puzzled faces.
What else could he be offering 300 gold for? We didn't have anything else to sell.
“What on earth……”
Instead of answering, the wool owner stared intently at me with his deep gray eyes.
No, more precisely, it was my hair.
The wool owner couldn't take his eyes off my hair, which was silver but sometimes appeared to be an elegant golden color depending on the light.
‘……Ah, that person must be coveting this too.’
When I went to aristocratic social gatherings, some people occasionally coveted my hair.
‘Duchess, your hair is more delicate and radiant than any precious gold or silver thread. When it catches the light, it's like looking at the aurora.’
‘So, I was wondering if I could get a little bit cut off? If I put it on the tassels of our bedroom carpet, the atmosphere would be really subtle and dreamy.’
There were even people who asked to cut off my hair for decoration.
Decorating a carpet with human hair, are they out of their minds?
I doubted whether those noble ladies had common sense.
The wool owner's eyes glistened as he swallowed hard.
The wool owner seemed to covet my hair quite a bit.
If it were before, I would have firmly refused and been displeased, but now I felt different.
Maybe I could sell some of this hair?
I don't have anything anyway, and he's offering 300 gold.
I took a shallow breath and opened my lips to ask for more details.
“It's not allowed.”
Alex's firm bass voice fell.
He came forward and stood in front of me.
“……?”
What?
“Just buy the wool. We came to sell wool, not hair.”
“Ah, yes, yes. I apologize for my rudeness.”
The wool owner quickly averted his gaze from me, but smacked his lips as if he was disappointed.
Alex seemed displeased with the wool owner's proposal and began to stare at the owner with a slightly stronger gaze.
I felt like I was being gagged and looked at Alex with wide eyes, feeling like I wanted to say something.
Isn't he rejecting it too coldly and abruptly?
“Why not?”
Suddenly, Eloy's cheerful voice soared.
“If it's your hair, they'll give you 300 gold. Cut off a little. Let's buy something delicious to eat.”
Eloy put her hand in my hair with a regretful voice.
My hair flowed down like the Milky Way onto my sister-in-law's palm.
“Hair grows back anyway. Then we'll get 300 gold every month.”
The wool owner was also tempted by Eloy's words.
“So, will you sell it? You thought well. However, that little bit won't be enough-.”
“Are you out of your mind, Miss Eloy?”
“Huh?”
Eloy blinked at the sudden sharp words.
I also flinched and stared at Alex.
Did Alex just say that?
Alex looked at the wool owner with displeased eyes and then stared at Eloy again.
“What are you going to sell from Luise to eat?”
“Why? I just, the hair is……”
Eloy couldn't continue speaking properly. Alex's atmosphere was so unusual that both my sister-in-law and I were speechless.
A line was drawn on his forehead.
“Are you saying we should sell a perfectly fine person's hair just to eat? Does that even make sense?”
“……”
Eloy blinked blankly. She seemed to be in deep shock after being countered in a way she had never imagined in her life.
Before the atmosphere became more fierce, I quickly spoke.
“Alex! Actually, I was thinking about it too. 300 gold is not a small amount. When my hair gets too long, I usually cut and trim it anyway.”
“Yes?”
Alex turned completely towards me with shaking eyes.
Then, with an unbelievable expression, he looked at my hair from top to bottom.
“Even so, you're going to sell your hair?”
“I don't want you to be solely responsible for our living expenses forever. There's a limit to selling wool. I want to do something too, Alex.”
I told you.
You don't have to be responsible alone.
Selling hair wasn't a problem at all. The biggest problem was that I felt ashamed towards him.
Soon, he opened his mouth as if he was shocked and said.
“No. There's no need for that. It's up to you how much wool you sell, but selling hair is a different matter.”
“……”
“I can get more money even today. Even if things get really difficult, I don't want to sacrifice my duchess's hair.”
“Alex……”
When I couldn't say anything, he let out a shallow sigh and said clearly.
“I don't want to be such an incompetent person that the person I live with has to sell her hair.”
“……”
I couldn't say anything more to his words mixed with heartbreaking sincerity.
It wasn't like I really wanted to sell my hair, so I didn't try to persuade him any further.
Soon, Alex said to the wool owner in a slightly cold tone.
“We won't be selling hair, so give us 10 gold for the wool.”
“……”
Looking at his firm back, my heart began to ring somehow.
Thump, thump…….
My heart, which was strangely moved, continued to beat, thump, thump.
Was me selling my hair such an unacceptable thing to Alex?
Perhaps, he's trying to protect what's entirely mine……?
I was thrilled by Alex's refusal to accept my sacrifice, even though it was just hair.
Soon, Alex turned around and our eyes met.
I stared up at him intently.
\ \ *
[Congratulations!]
[Affection level increased by 1.]
“……?”
Alex stopped abruptly as he was about to leave the wool shop.
Pink letters were floating above Luise's face, who was staring up at him intently.
Affection level increased again?
His eyes widened slightly and he froze.
How did this happen again all of a sudden?
When the Affection level increased for the first time, he thought it was because he had cooked a delicious meal.
But now, he couldn't guess at what point the Affection level had increased.
Could it be because he didn't let her cut her hair?
Or did the Affection level increase because he said, ‘I don't want to be an incompetent person.’?
He felt like he couldn't understand, but Alex, who barely regained his senses, said.
“Let's go now.”
He handed Luise 10 gold and said.
Luise looked at the 10 gold and then at him, and then nodded as she received the gold coins. Only then did he go out of the shop.
Ting-a-ling.
As he came out of the wool shop, he heard the sound of a small bell ringing at the door.
It seems like he just got lucky, but the Affection level increased again.
He checked the basic explanation of Affection level in the System again.
[What is Affection level?
Your wife's Affection level makes you stronger.
Specialized skills are unlocked when the Affection level increases or when Luise hears commands.
For example, the ‘Don't let my husband be discouraged anywhere.’ skill completely intimidates the enemy and makes them lose their will to fight.
Quickly increase your wife's Affection level and defeat the forces of evil!]
