Li Fei opened her eyes. In her pupils danced the flickering flame of an exquisite candelabra.
She found herself lying in a broad, luxuriously soft bed. The mattress and duvet seemed to be stuffed with some kind of animal down, and carried a faint trace of incense — impossibly warm, impossibly comfortable. After a month sleeping on the wooden plank bed provided by her former employer, this was nothing short of a revelation.
Wasn't I supposed to… have been eaten by a lion?
Only then did Li Fei notice that at some point, she had been changed into a silk nightgown — sleek against her skin, clearly expensive at a glance.
The drowsiness evaporated in an instant. Li Fei patted herself down, then raised her left arm and examined it carefully. Not a single scar. Her skin was smooth and flawless as polished jade. The wounds that should have left her crippled — or dead — had vanished without a trace.
"You're awake?"
A voice drifted to her ear — the kind of voice that melted your bones on contact. Li Fei turned her head, and her heart lurched.
What a gorgeous woman…
The woman seated at the bedside had a face like a perfectly formed egg, noble and alluring in equal measure. Her chestnut hair was pinned up at the back of her head, held in place by a purple hairpin. The warm eyes gazing steadily at Li Fei held a languid concern, as though veiled behind a bewitching haze. Her full, glimmering red lips curved upward at the corners, carrying a thread of irresistible allure.
In that moment, Li Fei seemed to see a crumbling Madonna — a violet blooming in poison.
Li Fei lowered her gaze, flustered — and was immediately greeted by the full, rounded lines of a figure wrapped in purple silk, introducing her to a depth of generosity that could only belong to a mature woman.
Damn it. She's literally my exact type. I don't stand a chance.
Sensing Li Fei's nervousness, the woman in purple leaned casually against the headboard and shrugged.
"Don't worry. You're out of danger now."
Li Fei's gaze was immediately snagged by the pale shoulder that had slipped into view, seemingly by accident. She quietly pinched her own thigh and scraped together what little vocabulary she had.
"You… saved… me?"
"Mm. And I had a cleric treat your injuries while I was at it."
The woman in purple smiled, then suddenly chanted a short, rapid string of arcane syllables. Blue light bloomed from her fingertips, and she pressed them lightly to Li Fei's forehead.
"Language Comprehension — a simple and practical little trick. For the next few hours, you won't have any trouble making yourself understood."
All at once, Li Fei understood the woman's words with perfect, crystalline clarity.
That spell — Kenneth used it on me too!
Li Fei knew nothing about magic, but she knew a little about science.
A spell capable of bridging any language barrier — letting people from different countries, even different species, converse without effort. What did a "simultaneous translation" technology that remarkable actually mean?
If it appeared on Earth and became widespread, to put it modestly, it would put ninety-nine percent of interpreters out of work overnight. Every language school and translation agency would collapse.
To put it bluntly: it could reshape the entire world order.
And the woman in front of her had achieved exactly that miracle in under one second of chanting. If she remembered correctly, Kenneth had taken two full seconds — and the effect had only lasted half an hour.
So… I was rescued by an incredibly powerful mage?
Li Fei's thoughts were in chaos. It took her several seconds to collect herself.
Then she realized the woman hadn't withdrawn her hand at all. Instead, those fingers were now idly toying with a strand of Li Fei's hair — which did absolutely nothing to help her breathing.
"Um… my name is Li Fei. Thank you for saving my life. I'll repay you, I promise."
"Oh? I do like a girl who pays her debts."
The woman in purple winked at her. "How about repaying me with yourself?"
Oh…
Wait, really? Just like that?
A surge of wholly unexpected joy rose in Li Fei's chest — though she had entirely missed the fact that what the woman meant by "repaying with yourself" and what Li Fei had understood by it were two very different things.
"You may call me Lady Gneia."
Before Li Fei could even process that, the woman smoothly changed the subject. "Would you mind telling me why you were heading into a wolf den alone?"
Lady?
Li Fei, who was still unfamiliar enough with Loxibrook to be unaware that over seventy percent of its households consisted of two or more "wives" — with no husband required — felt a reflexive pang of disappointment.
Straight. And married. Of course.
But I could—
No! How could I even think that? I am absolutely NOT that kind of person!
Li Fei, whose Morality stat had not yet sunk low enough to go there, took a deep breath and pushed the thought down. "I… wanted to enroll in the War Academy or the Magic Academy. I figured hunting would be a good way to earn tuition fees — and sharpen myself up at the same time."
It was a lie she'd prepared well in advance, originally intended for Ms. Roslyn.
Oh, money trouble?
Lady Gneia's smile deepened. She continued gathering the information she needed in the same warm, solicitous tone. "And your family…?"
"They're no longer part of my life."
Li Fei gave a deliberately vague answer.
Making things up in detail was too easy to pick apart. Better to say as little as possible and let the other person fill in the blanks — they'd always come up with a plausible enough story on their own. Running from an arranged marriage, a falling-out with her parents, something like that.
Once she had confirmed the girl wasn't lying, Lady Gneia quietly dispelled her Detect Lies spell without so much as a flicker of expression, and gently took Li Fei's hand.
"I think you could use a well-paying job. As it happens, I run a tavern of my own. Why not come work for me?"
Why does that sound so familiar?
Honestly — if it had been this lovely woman offering to hire me in the first place, I wouldn't have had to risk my life in the first place…
The warmth of those soft hands made Li Fei's heart pound — but words like "tavern" and "work" triggered a reflex of wariness she couldn't quite suppress.
Is this… a legitimate job?
I am NOT Sayo!①
Lady Gneia caught the faint shift in Li Fei's expression and explained with patient gentleness: "Our tavern only accepts female guests."
During the day Li Fei had spent unconscious, she had already gathered her intelligence. This Eastern girl — who hadn't even mastered the Common Tongue yet and had spent a month tucked away working in a little restaurant — almost certainly had no idea about Loxibrook's rather unique cultural customs. The single detail of ladies only would be more than enough to put her at ease.
Beyond that: anyone who had been backed into a corner by the down-at-heel noble Kenneth Mettis clearly had no backing of her own. And the Detect Lies spell Li Fei hadn't even noticed was the final safety net.
With nothing left to worry about, it would be an absolute waste of such a pretty face not to bring a girl this easy to charm into the establishment to sell drinks.
"Actually… I should tell you — I've made an enemy of House Mettis."
Li Fei gave a rueful smile.
"Don't worry about that."
Lady Gneia's hand had already followed the line of Li Fei's hair down to her ear, and the soft pad of her finger stroked Li Fei's earlobe in slow, deliberate circles. "The Mettis family doesn't have the standing to make trouble in my establishment."
More confident than I expected…
Li Fei wasn't surprised by Lady Gneia's answer.
After all, someone capable of pulling her back from the brink of death and healing her injuries completely — whether through potions or healing magic — had accomplished something no ordinary person could manage even by selling everything they owned. And the magic Lady Gneia had just demonstrated, clearly more refined than Kenneth's, had quietly made one thing plain: this beautiful woman was no ordinary person.
So — should I say yes?
Li Fei furrowed her brow, her expression caught between hesitation and resolve.
Working as a barmaid to entertain guests was, frankly, a little humiliating for a transmigrator. But having just cheated death, she found she didn't particularly care anymore. The guests were all women, after all — it wasn't as though she was going to end up pregnant from pouring drinks.
Still, the bitter memory of being cheated by a shady temp agency hadn't faded. Even toward a savior, Li Fei couldn't quite let her guard down completely — she needed to at least make a show of hesitation. Though in truth, she already knew: she had no room to refuse.
For one, she'd be hard-pressed to find any other employer in Loxibrook willing to stand up to House Mettis. For another, the debt of her life — plus the unimaginable cost of her medical treatment — hadn't been mentioned by Lady Gneia, but that didn't mean Li Fei could simply pretend it hadn't happened.
"I believe you Easterners have a proverb," Lady Gneia said, her smile gentle and coaxing. "'A craftsman must sharpen his tools before he can do his work.' Even if you still intend to hunt, you'll need proper weapons and equipment… and various items and potions to protect yourself along the way. Those things don't come cheap."
Li Fei closed her eyes. Against Lady Gneia's persuasion, she had no defense.
Her breathing quickened — not only because having her ear stroked felt inexplicably wonderful, but because the memories came flooding back: the humiliation and fury of being cornered by Kenneth, her back against the wall with nowhere to run… the agony of teeth tearing through her flesh… the despair and terror of lying there on the edge of death…
The chance to change my fate is right in front of me. If I'm not willing to take any risk at all, I might as well wash myself clean and walk straight to Mettis Manor.
Fine. I'll sell drinks. The guests are all women — worst case, someone puts an arm around my waist… well, the pretty and rich ones can maybe touch my leg once… In any case, as long as I hold my line and make some minor compromises, it'll be completely fine.
Sensing the moment was ripe, Lady Gneia delivered the final blow: "Whether it's the War Academy or the Magic Academy, tuition of at least two thousand gold coins per year is no small figure. If your performance is outstanding, I can sponsor your enrollment. Of course, even if you decline, I'll arrange somewhere for you to stay."
That much was not a lie.
She was never stingy with "staff development." A female hero's worth was far greater than an ordinary girl's — and so were the profits she could extract from one.
Li Fei seemed to feel the sincerity in Lady Gneia's offer. She took a deep breath, and nodded.
"Please take care of me from now on, my lady."
...
The Golden Kumquat Tavern was Loxibrook's most celebrated den of indulgence.
The interior was not ostentatious — but it had atmosphere in abundance. The staff carried themselves with poise and grace, their every manner impeccable. This gave a great many wealthy young ladies, noble wives, and female heroes the distinct impression that they hadn't come here to make a transaction at all — but to fall in love.
It is a well-known truth that even the wealthy keep a careful eye on whether they're being cheated when they spend money; nobody wants to feel like a fool. But for the sake of love — for the sake of romance — people will throw gold away without a second thought and count themselves lucky to do it.
Put plainly: selling a feeling has always paid better than selling a body.
Of course, to maintain the desired customer experience, certain necessary "compromises" were an unavoidable part of the arrangement…
In front of the dressing room mirror, Li Fei — on her first day of work — had changed into an Eastern-style outfit reminiscent of a ruqun. She stared at the gentle, lovely girl reflected back at her, eyes a little blank.
How did it come to this so quickly…
"Go welcome your first guest, Fei."
Lady Gneia swept in through the door, bringing a wave of her signature fragrance. She stepped close and pressed a finger lightly to Li Fei's forehead — and the Language Comprehension spell took effect without a sound.
"My lady… I'm a little nervous."
Li Fei looked up at her with wide, expectant eyes.
"Such a needy child."
Lady Gneia gathered Li Fei into her arms, one hand softly stroking her slender nape and the smooth line of her back, every smile and gesture radiating a mature, knowing elegance.
"Mmh…"
Li Fei breathed in Lady Gneia's fragrance with something close to greed, letting herself sink into the warmth of that soft embrace. It took a full dozen seconds before she straightened up. "I'm ready, my lady."
"Another two minutes wouldn't hurt, you know."
Lady Gneia winked at her.
A flicker of reluctance crossed Li Fei's eyes — but then resolve took over, and she answered with quiet certainty: "I'm fine. Really."
"Good girl."
Lady Gneia gave her a look of warm approval. "Room eighteen."
"Mm."
Li Fei nodded and set off — her steps, if anything, slower than when she had walked into the wolf den.
But the dressing room wasn't far from the private rooms. She found herself standing outside Room Eighteen all too soon.
She closed her eyes and silently reminded herself: Earn enough for weapons and equipment, pay back what Lady Gneia spent on my treatment, then stop. Hold the line. Don't let money blind you…
She must have convinced herself, because Li Fei's eyes snapped open. She shrugged, and smiled.
What am I even worrying about?
When it came to her own character, Li Fei was perfectly confident.
She pushed open the door, smiling.
Once that door swung open, there was no going back.
...
Li Fei stepped into the private room — and her breath caught.
She was looking at a red rose in full, unchecked bloom.
How can any woman be this beautiful…
The image of Lady Gneia dissolved from her mind in an instant, replaced entirely by a cascade of vivid, flame-bright crimson hair and a smile of breathtaking, radiant elegance.
"Please, sit."
The guest had clearly noticed Li Fei's stiff, uncertain manner — but showed not the slightest displeasure. The warm, gentle smile on her face didn't waver. "It seems this lovely young lady hasn't been working here very long."
"Mm, this is my first day…"
Li Fei sat down beside the red-haired woman in a slight daze, stealing sidelong glances at the guest's face.
Her long hair, swept back away from her face, was a brighter, fiercer red than late-autumn maple leaves, framing a countenance that was elegant and yet unsettlingly bewitching. Soft, expressive crimson eyes curved into crescent moons when she smiled, and the corners of those thin lips held a permanent, composed warmth.
Her red mage's robes had already been hung on the coat rack. A fitted white shirt traced the slender, lovely lines of her shoulders — shoulders that looked as though the slightest pressure might tip her over — and the top two buttons were undone, revealing a pale, slender neck and the upper curve of a collarbone.
Absolutely, one hundred percent, my ideal type.
"Oh? I'm your very first guest?" The red-haired beauty produced a perfectly calibrated expression of delighted surprise. "Then today must be my lucky day."
She tilted her head thoughtfully. "An occasion like this deserves a good bottle of wine… Please bring me a bottle of 'Angel's Feather,' if you would."
Three days of training snapped into place in Li Fei's memory, and the price of that wine — along with her own commission — surfaced immediately. Which led her to an uncomfortable realization: the income from this single bottle alone exceeded everything she had earned in an entire month of exhausting herself at the restaurant.
In that moment, something clicked for Li Fei.
So it turns out women aren't a drag on my leveling speed at all. Beautiful women with money can actually sponsor me to buy better gear.
Through the slight haze still drifting across her thoughts, the red-haired beauty's voice reached her again:
"Oh — I should introduce myself. My name is Shannina Windsor."
①Referring to Sayo, the female protagonist of Shaving and Then Finding a High School Girl.
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