Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 680 Betty's Fish and Fried Food Shop
Betty stood on tiptoe and leaned forward slightly.

The holy book beneath her feet swayed slightly, and the girl stopped at the highest point of the forward sway, handing over the bag of fries she was holding. When it swayed back, she had already taken back Leo and pushed the fries into the oil.

She had a sweet smile on her face and spoke in a sweet and lovely tone, but her eyes were filled with coldness.

She'd been frying fish here for a year, and her heart had long since grown as cold as frozen fish.

A fish and chips combo is half a Leo's; she sells several boxes of potatoes and fish every day.

She tossed the Leo in her hand into the money box next to her. The box was made of metal, and she had specially commissioned a craftsman to make it.

Because the box is made of metal, coins make a pleasant sound when dropped in—the sound of money—which she likes very much.

While skillfully flipping the fried fish with tongs, Betty glanced at the money box.

It's half full now.

Once she had saved up enough, she would empty the money box and then sit on the ground, carefully arranging it.

After setting aside money for rent, money for inventory, and a share for Amy and Little Gwen, the rest is all hers.

She would wrap the money in straw paper, tie it with hemp rope, and pile it up by the bed. Leaning against these cold bills, she would feel warm inside.

Bettis glanced back instinctively. Her bed was in the inner room. Her little hut in the slums had long been demolished, and she was now living in the shop.

The bedside was empty.

Whenever she saved up some money, she would donate it to the church.

Imperial Truth accepts donations, including some targeted donations and voluntary donations—these donations do not disclose the purpose of the funds to the donors, but can help them do certain things.

Every time Bettis made a request, it was to find out where Gwen Strange was.

Little Gwen suddenly disappeared, and Betty has been trying to find her. After several fundraising efforts, she has narrowed down the search to the North.

It was getting late, and the morning commute to work was gradually ending, with fewer people queuing in front of the shops.

Bettis had a rare moment of leisure. She stretched, loosened her stiff neck, and rubbed her lower back.

I took a few fries from the basket and tossed them out the window. Before they even hit the ground, several seagulls snatched them up and started cawing from the air.

Seagulls are so wonderful, carefree and without worries.

Betty returned to the inner room and sat on the bed, her legs dangling gently over the edge.

"Betty!"

Suddenly, shouts came from outside. Betty quickly jumped out of bed, took a few quick steps, jumped onto the box padded with the holy book, and then peeked out from the counter to see the person waving at her.

".Yami?"

The person who arrived was Yami. He saw Betty and smiled, waving at her.

"Yami, what brings you here? I remember you said you wouldn't be back until later, could it be..."

Bettis sounded somewhat worried.

Yami was exceptionally admitted to Castells' research institute and reportedly received a teaching position on the island, where he could also participate in research.

Every time Betty saw those massive cargo ships and trains, she would think of Yami. She didn't understand any research, but she just thought it was an amazing thing, and perhaps one of those steel structures was designed by him.

“I came here with Grand Duke Alvarez to complete some formalities, and just happened to be passing by.” Yami said, turning to the side, revealing a somewhat round head. “Hello, young lady, I’ve heard that your fried fish is the best in Bloodharbor.”

Alvarez extended his hand to her, and Betty's ears turned bright red. She stood on tiptoe and shook his hand shyly, saying, "Well, really, it's nothing, just regular fish and chips!"

Despite saying that, she still smiled and handed over a plate of fried fish.

The custom of shaking hands was started by Hughes, who always unconsciously shook hands with people, and over time everyone followed suit.

Especially the people of Castel Island, who always instinctively shake hands when they see a banshee.

The main reason is that the succubus has too many hands, and she doesn't know which one to hold.

Alvarez opened the bag of fried fish, but Betty suddenly blinked: "You are Grand Duke Alvarez?"

She knew the term "Grand Duke"; the prince of Bloodharbor once held the title of Duke, and the entirety of Tiss was his duchy.

Lord Hughes was merely a count. Betty didn't understand what a border count was; she only vaguely remembered that a count was not as powerful as a duke.

In other words, this somewhat balding middle-aged man in front of you is a big shot like a prince.

Alvarez was eating the fried fish she had just handed him. Although the fish had been fried in advance, it hadn't been out of the pan for very long and was still very hot.

So he hurriedly stuffed the fried fish into his mouth while blowing air into it, hissing as it burned, but reluctant to spit it out.

Bettis didn't look down on him for his embarrassing eating habits; instead, she stood there dumbfounded, her face showing shock.

She just shook hands with a duke?!
Bettis and Yami both came from the slums, but their family was actually better off before her parents died; at least in her memory, they were able to afford to eat when they were young.

In her somewhat hazy memories, her parents always treated nobles with great awe and humility.

This is not something one is born with, but rather something one is beaten down by society.

Bettis vaguely remembered that her father was always bullied by someone who was very arrogant and supposedly had connections.

And that relationship was nothing more than a servant of a nobleman, not even remotely related to a title, yet it made her family live in extreme hardship.

A duke, however, represents the pinnacle of nobility.

She just shook hands with a duke?

"Are you... are you a very important person?" Betty stammered.

She regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth. Asking like that must have been incredibly presumptuous. Back then, even a nobleman's servant had made her family destitute; this nobleman before her...
"Of course!"

With his mouth full of fried fish, Alvarez's speech was somewhat muffled, but that didn't stop him from proudly raising his head.

“My ancestor was among the first to pledge allegiance to the empire, and his portrait is still hanging in the palace.” After saying this, he suddenly seemed a little insecure.

"Hmm, they should be there, right? Even if the Empire has been sidelined by the Candlelight Society, they wouldn't go so far as to tear down the palace, would they?"

"In short, the Alvarez family is very powerful!"

Betty stood on the sacred text, and suddenly felt a sense of unreality.

She, a girl from the slums, is chatting with a duke, listening to him proudly boast about his family history.

(End of this chapter)