Barney's scowl deepened, his eyes darting between Zeon and the chattering crowd. The noise hadn't died down, and some of the faces were familiar to him. Some regular customers whose pockets were lined with coins.
His gaze caught on the necklace around Zelda's neck, the small teardrop shape glowing faintly in the dimming light. He snorted, sounding more like a wheezing hiss.
Barney leaned close to the necklace, observing it. "Little toys, eh?" he muttered in a low voice.
"They're practically begging for these." He pointed his thumb toward the crowd.
The anger Zeon felt at Zelda was quickly replaced by a new kind of anxiety. He let go of his hand which had been gripping her arm. He shook his head weakly.
"No, they're not for sale. It was just a gift," he lied, hoping Barney would believe him.
Barney squinted. He had been running this restaurant long enough to smell an opportunity. He didn't care about magic or mana, only profit mattered to him.
"A gift that makes people feel calm and relaxed, huh? Makes them sleep like babies? That's business, boy. But not at my time."
Barney stepped back, but still glaring at the crowd. "These people are your business after hours. I want them to clear out by sundown. Now, get back to work."
He jabbed a finger at Zelda's arm. "And you. Get back to the kitchen before I make you into tonight's stew."
A mischievous grin appeared on Zelda's lips as she scurried back inside. The crowd, however, didn't disperse. An old merchant with a long gray beard stepped toward Zeon.
"Is it true, lad? You make those things? My wife hasn't slept in weeks. I'd pay a good amount for her to sleep."
Hearing the old man, Zeon's mind was racing. This what he was aiming for, the opportunity to earn, but he wasn't sure he was ready yet.
"Barney says only after work," Zeon said flatly, though his thoughts were chaotic.
The merchant smiled widely, showing a toothless grin. "Fair enough, my boy. Name your price, and the coin's yours."
A woman, who had pushed forward, was listening to their conversation, now gripped Zeon's hand with hopeful eyes. "I need one too. My husband says I'm useless in bed now, because I sleep less. I'll pay anything so that I can sleep more."
Zeon felt a small tremble run through his body. He wasn't sure what to say, and his mind was still trying to process what was happening. But the promise of money, what he needed to survive in this world, made him succumb to the need.
He nodded slowly, then said, "Come the next two days after closing. I'll give you, one piece per person."
More people were now pushing forward, wanting to get in line. Zeon had to put up his hand and shout to stop them, feeling his frustration building up.
"One at a time, please! Just…. One at a time."
*******
Two days later, the restaurant was even more crowded than ever. Word had spread, and those people, besides wanting to buy some jewelry from Zeon, also ate there.
Barney was delighted and kept laughing, praising Zeon's handmade items. Sometimes, he pretended to grunt, but his eyes were showing the opposite. The boy had given him a spare of the profit, in its own way.
That night, Zeon sat on his straw mattress with a pile of gold coins beside him. He had sold six necklaces, each for a small fortune. The satisfied customers made him feel addicted to selling more.
With excitement, he began to sketch new designs, a mana infused ring, a bracelet, even later he would design a circlet. These jewelries were easy items to sell, and the possibilities on the design seemed endless.
"More… I can make more…" he whispered to himself.
*******
The air at the Iron Fork felt different that night. The scent of jasmine and frost, covered the usual thick smells of roasted meat and common ale. The restaurant was not crowded, and every staff member, from Barney to the newest busboy, was tense. Zeon felt the tension too, but it was mixed with a different kind of irritation.
His eyes drifted back to the noblewoman, Countess Colette Montgomery. The system had been raising his temptation of lust right after she came into this restaurant.
Stupidly, he made a grave mistake—he stumbled, and it had been a near disaster. Her red hair and soft green eyes, the curve of her exposed chest in that loose red gown, made him almost lose control. He had faltered earlier, nearly dropping a tray of jellies he was supposed to serve, when her gaze caught him.
Barely holding himself together around the nobility, Barney shoved him forward. "Apologize, boy. Now!" he hissed, his eyes wide with fear.
Zeon felt the restaurant shrink at that moment. The handful of customers still eating at the other tables suddenly became a watchful audience.
Colette's knights were looking at him with stern faces. Zeon walked toward her, not afraid of them, he was sure he could fight them. But he was afraid of the gorgeous woman more.
Her green eyes watched him approaching. The soft and alluring eyes had hardened, and a fine line appeared between her brows. She was annoyed, and he could see it in the way she held her chin, and the slight twist of her full lips.
Zeon knelt on one knee and his head low, a gesture of respect he knew from the real owner of this body's memories. He spoke in a low voice. "My apologies, my lady. I-I wasn't watching my step," he said, lying to be exact.
She said nothing at first. She just stared at him, her gaze traveling over his face, his clean clothes, his hands. Zeon shifted, felt uneasy. He felt her gaze studying him, full of curiosity. The anger that was directed to the young man's impoliteness, now mixed with an interest.
"Are you the one?"
She was speaking about the necklace, and a few other jewelries that Zeon had sold, about the rumors of a servant boy in the Iron Fork, crafting beautiful things with mana infused in them.