"Let me get you something from our special compartment. You are lucky, that I am letting you try something from this super secret compartment."
Alex strutted back to the shelves, this time ignoring all the plain junk and pulling out a velvet box from the highest shelf. Lily's jaw dropped from behind the counter.
'Wait… since when do we even have a secret compartment? That's literally the normal stock. He's just making shit up as he goes.'
Alex opened the box with a dramatic click and revealed a delicate choker, silver threads woven so fine it shimmered like moonlight, with a tiny teardrop ruby dangling in the center.
He dangled it before Cassandra's eyes, swaying it like a hypnotist's pendulum.
"This is not jewellery. This is a declaration. You wear this and every man will forget his wife, every woman will hate you, and your date… well, let's just say he won't make it through dinner without imagining dessert first."
How does he know this choker was even in there? He doesn't. He was actually hoping it would be something wild, and he indeed got something wild.
Cassandra's hands slowly slid down from her face. Her lips parted, her throat bobbed with a hard swallow.
The way she looked at the choker, it was less like she was buying jewellery and more like she was being seduced into sin.
Alex smirked.
"So… shall I pack it up for you, my lady?"
Lily nearly slammed her head into the counter.
'One thing's clear. He knows how to con someone.'
"How about this ear ring. Its suit your pointy ears."
"T-this one?"
"Yes, and this ring too. It good on your slender finger."
"O-okay."
By the time Alex was finished, Cassandra had three expensive items wrapped up—necklace, earrings, and a silver ring that sparkled like it had stolen starlight.
She had walked in asking for a single plain necklace and was now walking out like she had been styled for seduction by the devil himself.
"Ring it up, Lily. Our goddess here is about to bankrupt men with a smile."
"St-stop it…"
Cassandra whimpered, clutching her bag tighter, though the way her lips twitched upward betrayed her excitement.
Lily slammed the drawer open and started ringing the items with trembling hands.
'What the hell did I just witness. She wanted one necklace and he turned it into a luxury shopping spree.'
Her eyes darted to the price tags and her jaw clenched.
'These aren't trinkets, these are half the rent in one sitting. And this bastard chose every single one because it was pricey. He's not a shopkeeper, he's a swindler in heat.'
Alex, meanwhile, was lounging against the counter like a king surveying his domain, watching Cassandra melt under his words and pay willingly.
'And what's up with this choker. This thing screams tie me up and call me pretty.'
Lily glanced at the sleek black choker sitting on the counter, then at poor Cassandra, who was already red enough to boil tea.
The elf was chewing her lip, looking like she might combust any second.
"Ah, by the way, Cassandra, you need to unbutton one or two buttons of that shirt."
"W-what…" Cassandra's voice cracked.
"What…" Lily's face was a battlefield between horror and disbelief.
Alex tapped the choker with one finger, smirking.
"Cassie, you're dazzling. A perfect little gem. But let me tell you a cruel fact. There are women out there showing just enough skin to bend men into wallets."
"If you walk into a date in this plain, buttoned-up, corporate look, he won't see a goddess. He'll see a stuck-up office clerk who eats salads and talks about quarterly reports."
"Do you want that?"
Cassandra froze. Her breath hitched, her eyes widened… then softened. She bit down on her lip, her lashes lowering as she slowly shook her head, admitting defeat.
'Oh no, he's actually corrupting her right in front of me. This is black magic, not salesmanship.'
Lily thought, clutching the cash drawer like it was a holy charm.
Alex grinned like a wolf spotting a lamb. He picked up the choker and dangled it between two fingers, letting it swing lazily before her eyes.
"Good girl. Now loosen up that shirt a little and let this choker do the work. It'll scream elegance, but also whisper… danger. Men eat that up."
Cassandra's trembling hands hovered near her buttons, the tips of her ears glowing red like a furnace. She gulped, then slowly popped open the top one.
Her collarbones peeked out. Then, after a shaky pause, the second one followed, giving the tiniest hint of cleavage.
"There we go. See? That's not just an elf secretary anymore. That's a woman ready to ruin a man's sanity."
Cassandra covered her face with both hands, but her shoulders were shaking with nervous laughter.
"S-stop it… you're embarrassing me…"
Lily was gripping the counter like she was in a storm.
Alex stepped behind Cassandra, draping the choker around her neck with theatrical care.
His fingers brushed her skin, making her squeak and stiffen. Then he clasped it shut.
"Now you're not Cassandra the shy lady anymore. You're Cassandra the enchantress. Walk into that date like this and the guy will sell his soul on the spot."
Cassandra's breath caught. She looked in the mirror, cheeks flushed, lips parted, and for the first time, her reflection didn't look like an awkward elf trying too hard. It looked… dangerous.
She whispered softly, "…I'll take it."
Lily nearly slammed her forehead into the counter.
'She's doomed. She doesn't even know it.'
Alex tapped the counter twice, his grin stretching like a cat that caught the fattest canary.
"Good. But jewellery alone won't save you, Cassie. You also need practice."
Cassandra blinked at him in the mirror.
"P-practice?"
"Yes. Compliments. Banter. The stuff that melts men faster than wine on an empty stomach."
He once again vaulted inside the counter, much to Lily's dismay.
"So, let's pretend I'm your date. You just sat down across from me. What do you say?"
Cassandra's ears twitched like she was about to faint. Her fingers tangled with the hem of her skirt.
"Uh… y-you look… n-nice today."
Alex groaned dramatically, slapping his forehead.
"Nice? Woman, nice is how you describe soup. I'm not soup. I'm the whole damn meal."
Lily let out a muffled snort behind the counter.
'He really said that. He really just called himself a full meal. Lord have mercy.'
Cassandra, however, looked panicked.
"I—I don't know what else to say!"
Alex stood tall, adjusting his shirt collar.
"Say what you feel. Look me in the eyes and tell me exactly what's on your mind. If you think I'm handsome, say handsome."
"If you think I'm charming, say charming. If you think you'd let me carry you home over my shoulder and feed you strawberries while whispering dirty poetry, then say that."
Cassandra's jaw dropped.
"I-I can't say that!"
"Why not? The man you're meeting isn't a priest, is he?"
Cassandra pressed her face into her hands again, ears burning like torches.
"You're a devil…"
"And devils always get the best confessions."
Lily almost collapsed into the flour sack behind her.
'This man is unhinged. And the worst part… it's working. But I should save this poor woman...'
"Y-you don't have to say something you don't like. You should be yours—eeekk!"
Lily's words cut off in a squeal.
Because Alex finally struck.