Chapter 17 : Golden retrievers can also be black on the inside

“What did you say?”
Schiller thought for a moment that he had misheard.

The stunningly beautiful blonde girl in front of him was actually trying to sell him aphrodisiacs.

‘No, aren’t you a villain? Can’t you take out something more powerful?’

Like… like a hypnosis watch or something.

“Aphrodisiacs,” she repeated clearly, word for word.

“Huh?”

“So, the latest models.” Ophelia pulled out several bottles and jars from behind her, her eyes shining as she looked at Schiller.

“Cough, cough, I said my kidneys are weak!” Schiller couldn’t care about face anymore. At this moment, he just wanted to retreat quickly. After all, he wanted to get back to his room before anyone found out.

Recently, even Sheryl started to feel down when she couldn’t see him… It was really hard to handle.

“Huh, that’s strange. Who was it that said they could use three bottles at once?” Ophelia smiled gently, poking his chest with her finger.

“It wasn’t me, you must have the wrong person!”

“I’m a virgin, a pure virgin, I’ve never even kissed a girl’s mouth.” He shamelessly started to lie.

“Is that so…?” Her eyes glanced at the top of Schiller’s head, and a playful smile appeared on her face.

“?” Schiller looked up, but there was only empty space there.

“No, you don’t have to lie.” She placed the bottles and jars next to Schiller’s hand, explaining their effects to him.

“This one, enhances stamina. This one, improves perception, making sensations more delicate… The most shocking thing is, they don’t need to be taken orally, they can be applied externally!”

‘I don’t want to hear it! He really didn’t want to hear a beautiful girl talking about aphrodisiacs with him.’

“Wait, Ophelia… did you make all of these?”

After all, from the beginning, although she was talking about the effects of these medicines, she had never mentioned their names, not even last time.

The girl nodded proudly, slightly lifting the ends of her golden hair, revealing a slightly smug expression.

“Yes, I mixed them all myself.”

Hearing this, Schiller was slightly stunned, then a playful smile appeared on his face.

This girl had definitely tried her own medicine.

After all, there was no medicine specifically for men.

‘She really plays around a lot.’

He deliberately put on a puzzled expression:

“Hmm? But, how do you know the effects of the medicine…”

“Huh?” The girl blinked, seemingly not understanding Schiller’s intention.

“You wouldn’t have… tried it yourself, would you?”

“~!!!” The smugness on Ophelia’s face instantly froze, replaced by a massive blush. “I, I’m still a, a vir-vir…” The girl swallowed the rest of her sentence. This was an even bigger self-exposure.

“Is that so? Then I won’t ask any further…” Schiller decided to quit while he was ahead. After all, he just wanted to tease Ophelia a little.

“Phew… so, what do you think?” She calmed herself down a little, but still hadn’t forgotten to promote her products.

“Do you think… I look like that kind of pervert?”

‘Yes, I, Schiller, am a great philanthropist.’

“Ha! You’re saying you’re not a pervert?” Ophelia’s eyes widened, then she smiled gently as if she had suddenly understood. “Oh, so you were just kidding~ So humorous, Mr. Pervert~”

This, this girl…

Schiller swore that one day he would get rid of this title.

“Hmph, aren’t you afraid I’ll make a move on you here?” Schiller looked fierce, glancing at the “products.”

Ophelia had a dazed expression, then she said awkwardly, “But, you’re so weak…” She seemed to be afraid of hurting Schiller’s self-esteem, her voice was very soft in the second half of the sentence.

“Hey, I heard that!” You, you girl! One day I’ll make you beg me to make a move on you…

“And, you’ll definitely be able to use them when you buy them back. For example, to tame a certain developing young lady.” She blinked.

“!” This girl, how much did she know… Was this what it meant to be a villain? Her information network was so vast.

Schiller put on a serious expression:

“How much do you know about her?”

As the Saintess, Ophelia must know more of Sheryl’s past secrets.

Although Schiller also wanted to ask Celia to investigate… there was always an uneasy feeling in his heart.

“…” Ophelia was silent, seemingly considering the right time to speak.

“I’ll take them all.” Schiller coolly threw the money bag on the table.

“Eh?” She had a dumbfounded expression for a moment, then she seemed to react:

“Sheryl has actually always been a free-range child, until… the eldest son, the legitimate heir, died.”

“The Duke needed an heir, otherwise, those people would soon become restless…”

“Because she’s an illegitimate daughter?”

Illegitimate children, according to imperial law, had no right of inheritance.

Ophelia shook her head slightly. “Because she has always been raised in a secluded boudoir, just living as a backup in case of an emergency.”

She paused, as if telling something unspeakable:

“If it were just being illegitimate, that would be much better. Actually, she’s not the Duke’s illegitimate child, but… a child from a branch family.”

Schiller was silent. Sheryl’s helplessness in the face of noble etiquette, and the vulnerability she occasionally showed, flashed through his mind.

‘So that’s how it is. Before, I always felt that she had some psychological trauma about violence. This finally makes sense.’

It seemed that she had a hard time in the Duke’s family.

“Perhaps she was often physically abused.”

On the status panel, it also recorded “Father, Mother” and not the Duke’s name. It was probably for this reason.

“So, that’s why she was so dedicated to learning swordsmanship?” Schiller muttered to himself.

In order to be independent one day, the path Sheryl chose was to be strong.

This information was not in the game.

Ophelia stuffed the bottles and jars on the table into Schiller’s large sack, while Schiller inadvertently glanced at the shelf behind her.

[Body Enhancement LV1] [Flash Step LV1] [Stealth LV1]…

“…”

‘Wait, isn’t that a magic tome?!’

‘That, isn’t that the magic tome he had searched for in the black market but couldn’t find?!’

“Ophelia, that thing behind you…” Schiller pointed to the magic tome behind her.

“That? Oh, a magic tome. I bought all the rare magic tomes in the black market… Now, anyone who wants to buy them can only find me, and… the price, naturally, has to go up a little~”

She showed the face of a profiteer.

“Ahhhhhh, it was you, Ophelia!!” No wonder Schiller had spent an hour sweeping the black market and couldn’t find a single usable magic.

“You, you profiteer! Capitalist! Money pervert!”

‘Black, the Saintess is definitely black on the inside!’

“Wh-what!” Ophelia’s face flushed, and she pointed at Schiller. “What’s wrong with monopolizing the market and making money? Doesn’t research cost money?!… The funding is not enough!” She was righteous, and even a little aggrieved.

However, she deliberately said some words very vaguely, so Schiller couldn’t hear them clearly.

The world of money is really ruthless.

“Ten Golden Roses for one!” Schiller gritted his teeth and offered a price.

“Twenty, or no deal.”

“Can’t you make it cheaper? Don’t we have a monetary relationship?”

“Who, who has that, ‘that kind of relationship’ with you?” She held the scroll even tighter, looking like a protective mother hen.

“You’re so heartless. I’m going to tell everyone about you using aphrodisiacs on yourself!” Schiller couldn’t care about face anymore. After all, he had come out this time behind Celia’s back and hadn’t brought that much money.

He only had fifty Golden Roses left, and he had just spent a considerable amount.

This was a skill, a living skill.

“No, no problem, anyway, I’m someone who lives in the black market!” It seemed that she was fearless because she had given a fake name.

So, how about this move?

“Is that so…” Schiller quietly moved his mouth close to her ear and whispered, “I’m going to the church to accuse you, to accuse you, Ophelia…”

Seeing that the matter was about to be exposed, Ophelia quickly interrupted Schiller’s thoughts.

“You, are you a demon…” Looking closely, there were even some tears in her golden pupils.

“Forty for three…” she finally made a small compromise.

“Deal!”