Wano Country, Flower Capital.
The spacious streets, where people come and go, are crowded with shops lined up and a dazzling array of goods. Under Kurozumi Orochi's brutal rule, agriculture in Wano Country has basically been abandoned. In order to maintain a normal standard of living, the people of Wano Country can only work hard to earn money. In contrast, industry and commerce have shown a pathological prosperity.
Sephiroth and Black Maria, both walked side by side on the street. Because the girl was going to move to live in the pavilion in the future, she had to return to her original residence and pack some personal belongings, but Sephiroth was preparing to buy her some other necessities.
As he passed a ready-to-wear shop, he naturally extended his right hand, pulled the girl's white and tender left hand, and walked in.
Feeling the warmth coming from the palm of Sephiroth's right hand, Black Maria couldn't help but blush her beautiful face, and was even more inexplicably overjoyed.
"This guest, what can I do to help you? Are you here to buy fabric or clothes?"
A middle-aged woman in a purple kimono with a round fan in her hand, greeted the two with a smile on her face.
"Pick out a few clothes that are suitable for her and ask for the best fabric..." Sephiroth ordered.
Hearing this, the shopkeeper was immediately overjoyed, and the smile on her face became brighter. She nodded and agreed, "Okay, guest! I'll tell you! The clothes and fabrics in my shop are definitely the best in the entire Flower Capital."
As she spoke, the landlady took a low-cut black kimono from the hanger in the shop, which was decorated with many yellow petal patterns. The landlady knew very well that Sephiroth was the one who decided whether to buy the clothes in the end, so she turned her head and praised as she gestured to Black Maria, "Guest, what do you think of this? This is the latest style on the market, and the fabrics are all top-of-the-line. In addition, this young lady's figure is very good, so paired with this low-cut off-the-shoulder dress, she will definitely be a perfect match. The dress was originally priced at thirty thousand Beli, but now it only costs twenty-eight thousand Beli for promotion!"
Listening to the landlady's proficiency gushing out, Sephiroth couldn't help but touch his chin and fall into deep thought. According to his extensive practical experience, a blonde girl who is now wearing a shabby blue kimono, which should be a D~E size, is no longer small, and has great potential for future development. This dress, coupled with the girl's seductive and beautiful face, looks like... "The woman boss's eyes are really vicious! It hits my heart directly," Sephiroth sighed inexplicably in his heart.
After Black Maria knew the price of the clothes, she suddenly panicked. This dress is so expensive! Even if they sell it, they can only buy three. So, she hurriedly said in a pleading tone, "Sir... this... is too expensive! Or, it's better to buy something cheaper, right?"
"It's okay, I think this dress is fine! How about you go change it and try it on?" Sephiroth smiled.
"Yes! Miss, try it on first? If it doesn't fit, change to another one," the landlady said, grabbing the girl's hand, walking to the fitting room, and closing the door.
Seeing that she could not refuse, Black Maria had no choice but to spend a few minutes, with the help of the landlady, changing into this low-cut black off-shoulder kimono.
"How? Handsome?"
The girl, as soon as she came out of the fitting room, stood in front of Sephiroth, and she turned around gently. Looking at Black Maria's snow-white shoulders, delicate collarbone, and that deep cleavage, he nodded subconsciously and said, "Not bad! Good, I like it!"
"Really!?"
Hearing this, the girl couldn't help but feel a little excited, and a sweet smile appeared on her face.
Subsequently, after being persuaded by the landlady and Sephiroth, Black Maria bought two more clothes of different colors, which cost a total of 80 thousand Beli. At the time of her departure, at Sephiroth's request, the girl did not put on her shabby kimono again, but directly wore the black low-cut off-the-shoulder clothes.
After leaving the ready-to-wear shop, the two walked for a while before they entered a large courtyard and came to the door of a room. After unlocking it with a key, Black Maria pushed the door and walked in.
Inside, the furnishings were so simple that in the room where the tatami was laid, there were only three large cabinets, as well as some commonly used pots and pans. Black Maria did not have much to pack, only a few odds and ends, such as a shamisen, a headdress hairpin, and a black and white spider doll.
"You like spiders," Sephiroth looked inexplicable.
Black Maria subconsciously answered as she packed her things, "Hmm! Ever since I was a child, I liked it."
"Oh!"
Sephiroth nodded, with a thoughtful look on his face. He suddenly thought that animal-type Devil Fruits, each with their own will, would choose the right owner for them. Was this a coincidence or was it a destiny in the dark? Did that Devil Fruit in the form of a Spider-Spider Fruit, Ancient Species Model Rose Grignard, an ancient tarantula, long ago believe that it would meet Black Maria, an adapter with an extremely high compatibility with the fruit itself, and thus appear in his hands in advance, waiting for the time to come?
When Black Maria had packed her things, she went again to the door of a room in the compound, and knocked on the door gently.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Who! So early in the morning... Don't knock!"
As a man's scolding voice sounded, the door "bang!" A person punched it hard from the inside. A man with a yellow-haired head with a bottle of wine in his hand appeared in front of the two.
"Good morning, Mr. Pinghao, I'm here to return the key. Thank you for taking care of me this time!"
Black Maria bowed slightly and handed the key in her hand to Pinghao.
Pinghao burped as he laughed evilly, "Yo, Maria! Yesterday, you said, you wouldn't be able to pay the rent. In fact, you don't have to rush to check out. If you don't have money, you can owe it first! In fact, I can lend you some more."
"No, thank you Mr. Pinghao for your kindness! I have already found a job and a place to live," Black Maria politely said.
Hearing this, Pinghao then opened his drunken eyes wide and looked at the blonde girl. He found that the other's clothes had a new look, and that there was standing beside her a handsome youth, dressed extraordinarily with two knives tied to his waist. Pinghao thought for a while and seemed to understand something. He reached out to take the key and said with a hint of regret in his tone, "Really? Then you're so lucky!"
Sephiroth listened to the yellow-haired man's words, which subconsciously frowned. Why do I see that this person has a deep malice towards Black Maria? He first looked at the yellow hair on Pinghao's head, and then at the girl's seductive and beautiful face. For some reason, he thought of a certain plot.
"Let's go!"
Sephiroth twitched slightly at the corner of his eyes, and felt very annoyed. So, he pulled Black Maria's white and tender little hand and quickly left the spacious courtyard.
However, unbeknownst to Sephiroth, Pinghao's malice was not only coveting the girl's beauty, but also the surplus value that the girl could get. Pinghao and two other people named Fenye and Fangang. Recently, the three of them got together and found a way to make a lot of money by setting fires! The three would first check and select the target of the arson. After the branch burned down the target's home, Fangang, who sold home reconstruction wood, would immediately come to sell the wood. On the other hand, Pinghao was in charge of usury and renting out houses. If someone could not pay back the money, he would forcibly collect it, or force the other party to sell their children...
After this series of operations, the victim would basically be transferred into the trap without even realizing it, from money damage to family destruction! A few months ago, the fire at Black Maria's home was the work of their three-person gang. Originally, Pinghao saw that he was about to squeeze all the surplus value out of Black Maria and achieve his purpose. Unexpectedly, there were twists and turns, and Sephiroth cut off his whiskers! In this regard, Pinghao was not too resentful; at worst, he would just go find the next victim.
On the way back to the pavilion, Sephiroth suddenly turned his head and said to the blonde girl who was still holding his small hand, "Maria, how about you be my personal maid from now on? Good, bad?"
Hearing this, a touch of joy suddenly appeared on Black Maria's face. She nodded repeatedly and said, "Okay, my lord!"
The girl knew very well that her own appearance was the best choice, and with some talent, as long as she was willing to work hard, there was still no problem to become a geisha, and she should not be directly reduced to a traveling girl. However, even if she became a geisha or even an oiran, her best destination was just to be redeemed and marry a pot-bellied rich man as a side wife.
As for, being a first wife, it was basically impossible! After all, in the high-class society of Wano Country, marrying a woman from the world of prostitution as a side wife is called Fengya, but if you marry her as your first wife, it will be a joke! Black Maria knew that if she became Sephiroth's personal maid, it meant that she would not have to be in the dust and accompany guests in the pavilion in the future. Of course, she was very happy about that!
In fact, Black Maria was thinking about her own little abacus. If she had served Sephiroth and won the other's favor, she might be able to successfully climb to the throne!
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