I Don't Know the Original, I'm Too Busy Trying to Make a Living-Chapter 117

"Have you heard the news? Halo Soap now comes in lavender and jasmine scents."

"My dear, you’re behind on the news. I already purchased some through the Pablo Trading Company."

"Already?"

"Of course. I’ve had a good relationship with Mr. Pablo, you know. Among the new scents, I particularly love the lavender. It’s so fresh and fragrant."

The noblewoman spoke with pride, drawing envious glances from the others. After all, Pablo, the head of the trading company, had become so busy lately that securing an appointment with him was harder than reaching the stars.

The newly released lavender and jasmine-scented soaps from Halo had instantly captivated the noblewomen. Tired of the more common orange and rose scents, they enthusiastically embraced the new additions.

While Halo soap wasn’t exactly cheap, those who had experienced the benefits of the green herb soap were utterly hooked, almost as if addicted, and sought out Halo products without hesitation.

"When paired with cosmetics made from green herbs, the effects seem to double," one noblewoman commented.

"I’ve been using Halo cosmetics as well. When I wake up, my skin practically glows," added another.

"My husband has started using the cosmetics too," chimed in one lady.

"That explains why Baron Haarto’s skin has improved so noticeably these days."

Laughter erupted among the noblewomen.

Articles about beauty products from Halo appeared daily in the newspapers circulating the capital. The headlines read:

“Halo Soap, Winning the Hearts of Noblewomen Instantly!”“Green Herb Craze Shows No Signs of Slowing Down”“How Far Can the Lady of Halo's Talents Go?”“Green Herb Benefits Now in Halo Cosmetics?!”Moreover, the hairdryer developed through a collaboration between Halo and the Magic Tower was so popular that there wasn’t enough supply to meet the demand. Many noblewomen were even paying extra to place direct orders with the Magic Tower.

The hairdryer wasn’t just a hit among noblewomen but had also quickly won over middle-class women in the capital. Many residents, who enjoyed a certain level of financial stability, were eager to have a hairdryer in their homes.

"I’ve heard rumors that a Halo soap and cosmetics workshop will soon open in the capital. They say the Lady of Halo is scouting suitable locations for the store," mentioned Viscountess Elrne, a loyal supporter of the Lady of Halo. Her words instantly captured everyone’s attention.

"A workshop in the capital? That means we’ll be able to buy Halo soap much more easily."

"That’s wonderful news."

"If a workshop opens here, we won’t have to go through all that trouble anymore, will we?"

Many noblewomen, who had secretly sent their servants all the way to Halo to secure the products, visibly brightened at the news.

Then, Baroness Ainsher, known for her love of spreading gossip, interjected,

"Have you heard the other rumor? His Majesty the Emperor is said to be granting the Lady of Halo a baronial title. He supposedly mentioned it during a state council meeting."

"Oh my, so the rumors are true after all."

"I’ve also heard he’s gifting her a townhouse in the capital."

"His Majesty must have taken quite a liking to the Lady of Halo."

The noblewomen exchanged knowing glances. From that point on, their voices grew more hushed and suggestive.

***

Penelope stared blankly at the new shop in the heart of the capital.

“I didn’t think things would move this quickly.”

She reflected on the recent chain of events.

After her brief conversation with Ahwin, Penelope decided to take more decisive action. At dawn, she contacted Pablo, the head of the trading company.

When his tired face appeared through the communication crystal, Penelope felt a pang of sympathy. But she quickly pushed that aside and got straight to the point.

“I’m thinking about setting up a soap and cosmetics workshop in the capital. What do you think?”

Pablo’s response was instant, almost as if he’d been waiting for this.

“Shall I bring Hess into this? In fact, I’ve already scouted a few suitable locations in the capital.”

“...Wait, what? Already?”

“Yes, I assumed you’d eventually want to expand the workshops, so I prepared in advance. Establishing a base in the capital is a natural step for the trading company.”

Penelope couldn’t help but be impressed. This is why having perceptive people under you is invaluable.

“Once everything in Halo is settled, I’ll head back to the capital to finalize things. There’ll be plenty of legal and logistical matters to handle. I’ll arrange for lawyers and tax advisors on my end.”

“Ah, yes, please do.”

From there, everything moved rapidly.

With Hess’s guidance, Penelope purchased two properties in a prime location in the capital. She had one renovated into the Halo Soap Workshop, where soaps and cosmetics would be made, and the other turned into a store for selling these items.

And now, today marked the grand opening of the Halo Soap Shop. Despite the name, the shop sold not only soaps but also other beauty products and devices from Halo.

As Penelope stood lost in thought, someone gently tapped her shoulder.

“Excuse me, are you in line?”

“Huh? Oh, yes?”

Startled, Penelope turned to see a stranger pointing behind her with her thumb.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

“If you’re in line, you’ll need to stand behind me. And standing here will block carriages from passing by.”

“Ah, right. Sorry.”

Penelope quickly moved to stand behind the woman. She glanced behind her to see the line stretching far back.

By now, the line, which had started forming at dawn, had grown so long it occupied the main street. This was largely due to the shop’s opening-day promotion: a buy-one-get-one-free deal on green herb soap—an idea Penelope had come up with herself.

“The shop is finally opening!”

“I’ve been waiting for this day for so long. And today, if you buy one Halo soap, you get one free! I’m stocking up so I won’t run out for months.”

“Wow, no wonder the line is so long!”

“I haven’t even seen the Halo cosmetics yet, but now I’ll finally be able to buy them.”

“I heard they’ll start selling the hairdryer here soon, too.”

“Finally...!”

The excited murmurs of the crowd grew louder. At the same time, the Halo Soap Shop opened its doors.

The moment the doors opened, chaos erupted.

It was as if a dam had broken. People rushed into the shop, nearly trampling one another in their eagerness to get inside.

Inside the shop, the scene was nothing short of a battlefield.

“Ring all of these up for me!”

“No, me first! Ring these up right now!”

“Do you have any more lavender-scented soap?”

“Please wait in line. We’ll assist you in order. Stay calm!”

Penelope found herself swept up in the torrent of people, barely able to keep her footing.

In the blink of an eye, all the buy-one-get-one-free items were gone, and the shelves were cleared of merchandise.

Three hours later, every single item in the workshop’s inventory had sold out. The promotion had been a massive success.

“Do you have any soap left?”

“I’m really sorry, but everything we prepared for today has been sold. If you come back tomorrow, we’ll have more stock ready for you.”

“I’ve been waiting for this day for over a week...”

“I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, ma’am.”

Many latecomers left the shop empty-handed and dejected. The number of disappointed customers easily reached the dozens.

One of the clerks wiped the sweat from his brow as he flipped the shop’s “Open” sign to “Closed.”

“Wow...”

As the shop finally grew quiet, Penelope let out a brief exclamation.

She had come dressed in one of her modest Halo dresses, curious to see how the shop would perform.

Her worries had been completely unfounded—the results were nothing short of phenomenal.

“Selling out within three hours of opening... I still can’t believe it.”

Lady Rena, the manager of the Halo Soap Shop, approached and asked cautiously,

“Are you all right, my lady?”

“Oh, yes, I’m fine. Sorry if I disrupted your work.”

“It’s only natural that you’d be concerned on the first day of the shop’s opening,” Lady Rena replied with a warm smile, returning to her bookkeeping.

Lady Rena was one of Halo’s most capable staff members, known for her efficiency and meticulousness. She had been personally selected by the administrator to manage the shop.

In fact, many of the shop’s employees had been brought over directly from Halo.

At that moment, the door chimed as Pablo entered. His disheveled appearance reflected the many errands he had been running all day.