When evil gods hold a meeting in my head

At 10:30 a.m., the ship set sail and entered the sea area.

Richard was jolted awake...

The ship was being battered by the waves, rocking violently. He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling, feeling extremely dizzy, which made him feel confused and nauseous for a moment...

He stared at the unfamiliar chandelier for a long time before he remembered that he was on a ship...

At this moment, the view outside the window was blocked by a hazy gray cloud, and if you didn't look at your watch, you couldn't tell whether it was morning or evening!

He sat up instinctively and rubbed his sore neck.

Rosalie wasn't there, Thales wasn't there either, the room was empty... only the sound of waves crashing against the hull made it seem a little lonely.

Richard stood there for a few seconds, then suddenly remembered something.

He should go and take a look at West Street.

Now, he practices using magic whenever he has free time, and now he can feel the ring as soon as he closes his eyes!

The next second, when he opened his eyes again, he was already standing in the rented room on West Street as if it were his own arm.

The peeling wooden bed, the dust-covered window, the quiet sewing machine in the pit… to Richard, who had just experienced a brush with death, they were so reassuring…

When he saw the sewing machine, he suddenly thought of:

The reason why the top hat was able to absorb the characteristics of that churchman and thus gain the knight's resilience may have been due to the sewing machine!

If not for this, I can't think of any other possibility...

It must be some quality of the sewing machine that gives the top hat the ability to fuse with other extraordinary items... just like it can weave rings from newspaper, hats from silk, and mirrors from magic.

If that's the case, then this sewing machine is more complex than he thought.

Richard shook his head, pushed open the door, and walked out.

The sunlight in the alley was wonderful; it felt better than a heater on my skin…

He took a deep breath, savoring every familiar sweet scent in the air, which seemed to carry a hint of caramel.

"Chestnut?"

Richard suddenly perked up because he could smell chestnuts! He followed the aroma and found an old man selling candied chestnuts from a cart at the alley entrance. Steam rose from the pot, the chestnuts were roasted until they were glossy and the fragrance wafted far and wide.

Richard took out two copper coins and bought a packet.

The chestnuts were still hot to the touch. He peeled one open and popped it into his mouth. They were sweet, soft, and delicious. He ate as he walked, following the familiar route towards the corner of West Street.

That Xixi Beauty Shop is just ahead.

The bare branches of the withered tree at the entrance stretched towards the sky, blocking the shop door, while voices could be heard coming from inside from time to time.

Richard then bent down to look inside...

There weren't many customers in the shop today, but since Juliet was the only one on duty, she still couldn't escape her arduous fate...

Richard silently mourned for this hardworking man for a few seconds...

At the same time, I'm also a little worried that I might end up like that in the future...

Several customers were standing in front of the counter, and Juliet was showing them a scarf. The scarf was dark blue with warm-toned embroidery, and it looked very delicate.

"This scarf is a new item in our store."

Juliet added, "The fabric is made of special silk from Xixi Creek, and the patterns are embroidered with special dyes that can retain their color for three months. You can even smell a faint fragrance."

She handed the scarf over. The customers leaned closer to smell it and nodded repeatedly.

Richard leaned against the door, eating chestnuts as he waited for Juliet to finish her work.

A few minutes later, he saw Juliet still talking non-stop until she was exhausted, and then the customers finally took out their money to buy the scarves and left with their bags!

Once the shop quieted down, Juliet turned around to tidy up the counter, but when she looked up, she saw Richard, who had changed completely!

She exclaimed in a surprised voice, "Laurent! What are you doing here? I didn't even notice!"

Richard popped the last chestnut into his mouth and patted the sugar crumbs off his hands.

"I just happened to be passing by and thought I'd drop by to see you."

Juliet ran out from behind the counter, stood in front of him, and looked up at him.

She had a simple smile on her face, which was clearly different from Rosalie's...

"I thought you'd forgotten. I said last time I'd invite your friend to come to the store, where is your friend?"

Richard said, "I was just about to tell you about this! My friend... he agreed to do an internship at your store!"

Juliet jumped up with joy: "That's wonderful! Our store is really great! Look at the environment, the products, and so on..."

She pointed to the shelf behind her: "By the way, why haven't you changed out of this dress yet? Does it fit you well?"

Richard paused for a moment before realizing that she was referring to the dark gray tweed coat he was wearing.

"It's not bad... thank you."

Juliet waved her hand. "You're welcome. It's just sitting there anyway." She paused, then lowered her voice, "Has that person been caught?"

Are they the people who stole the clothes?

Richard was stunned for a moment. He hadn't been back in this body for a long time, and he had to think back to remember many of the things Juliet had said...

He said slowly, "It's worthless, I can't be bothered to pursue it..."

Juliet nodded, and seeing that Richard himself didn't seem to care, she didn't press the matter further.

She turned and walked back behind the counter, packing her things as she said, "If your friend has made up his mind, tell him to come whenever he's free. The store manager has been saying he's short-staffed lately, so give him a chance if he comes for an interview."

It seems… Richard said, “Okay.”

He stood there, watching Juliet fold several scarves and put them back on the shelf, straighten a few perfume bottles, and wipe the dust off the counter. She worked quickly and efficiently, humming a song as she went, and seemed to be in a good mood.

Richard suddenly remembered Alice.

Alice left him the medal, saying she wanted to give it to a girl named Juliet. Where did the medal go? Why did it disappear in that alternate world?

He stared at Juliet for a while. She was just an ordinary shop assistant, simple, a little naive, and close to Luke.

What is her relationship with Alice?

"What are you looking at?" Juliet suddenly looked up.

Richard looked away. "It's nothing. You go ahead with your work, I'll be going now."

Juliet nodded and waved to him, "Remember to have your friend come!"

Richard walked out of the store and retraced his steps.

The sunlight was still so bright in the alley, and the air was filled with the aroma of roasted chestnuts. He walked along, lost in thought, his mind a jumbled mess.

There's Rosalie on the ship waiting for him to rescue, and Juliet over here waiting for him to take care of her!

Wait a minute, maybe I should ask Juliet to take me to see the shopkeeper.

There's no such thing as a friend!

"Richard is Lauren, and Lauren is Richard!"

Since the ship is still sailing, if we can help my "friend" Richard get a job in the meantime, maybe we won't waste so much time...