Wizard Earl

Chapter 33 Little Girl

After observing the clothing and hat shops on Queen Street, Connor chose a shop called "Vazquez" and went inside.

"Welcome, sir! How can I help you?" A petite, cute-looking young female shop assistant bowed slightly and greeted Connor sweetly.

"What price range do you have for walking sticks here?" Glancing at the dazzling array of clothes on the shelves, Connor felt a headache coming on and asked directly:

"Ordinary hardwoods are three to five shillings, walnuts are six shillings to one gold pound, and ebony is over five gold pounds!" The young shop assistant explained, glancing at Connor's attire.

"Bring out all the ebony ones, let me see!" Connor said with a slight frown. He originally wanted the most expensive cane, but considering that he might be seen as a rich fool, Connor chose to suppress his desire.

Seeing that Connor seemed about to "spend a fortune," the young shop assistant's eyes lit up immediately, and she said softly, "Please wait a moment, I'll go find our manager!"

A minute later, the young female shop assistant led a middle-aged man in a suit over.

"Hello, sir! My name is Cross, and I'm the manager of this clothing store. Our staff told me you're looking to buy an ebony walking stick?" The manager, who identified himself as Cross, politely inquired.

After glancing at Cross, Connor said casually, "A birthday present for a big shot!"

"Understood! Sir, please rest assured, all the items in our store are of the highest quality, and we will absolutely not let you lose face!" Cross suddenly realized, patting his chest as he assured Connor:

A moment later, Cross took out three exquisite canes and placed them in front of Connor.

"Sir, please look. These three canes are all made of 100% ebony, and they were all crafted by Mr. Matthäus, a member of the Craftsmen's Association of Ruen City. The one on the left is not only inlaid with silver and diamonds, but also exquisitely carved with eight tulips—it exudes an air of nobility! The one in the center is gilded and inlaid with a five-carat diamond; it can already be called a work of art! The one on the right is no less impressive than the previous two. The entire cane is not only gilded, but it has also been soaked in a secret spice blend for a full three months. Keeping this cane by your side for a long time will have a sleep-promoting effect!"

Store manager Cross seemed very confident and proud as he introduced his products to Connor:

After carefully examining the three canes that Cross had taken out, Connor couldn't help but nod in approval. In his opinion, any one of them looked very good and was definitely presentable!

After a moment's consideration, Connor pointed to the walking stick carved with tulips on the left and asked, "How much is this walking stick?"

"This walking stick, sir, is eleven pounds and five shillings!" Seeing Connor make his choice, Manager Cross was overjoyed and said without hesitation:

"Ten gold pounds!" Connor said calmly. Although he thought the cane on the left was quite nice, this was the maximum Connor could offer. The remaining five gold pounds were not enough to order a set of fashionable formal wear.

"Sir, the price of ebony has remained consistently high. Just the raw materials alone will cost us at least five gold pounds. Add to that Mr. Matthäus's production costs, and ten gold pounds is just the cost!" Cross spread his hands, looking troubled.

"Hmph!" With a cold snort, Connor didn't believe a word of Cross's nonsense. Without hesitation, he turned around and made to leave.

Seeing this unpredictable behavior, with the man threatening to leave at the drop of a hat, Cross's expression flickered. He gritted his teeth and said, "Sir, wait a minute! Deal! I'll sell it to you for ten gold pounds!"

Hearing Cross "give in," Connor smiled and, taking advantage of the situation, turned back, pulled two five-pound notes from his wallet, and handed them over. "Give me a good wrap!"

Cross accepted the banknotes from Connor, maintaining a smile while discreetly testing their authenticity. Once confirmed, his smile widened, and he respectfully said, "Please rest assured, sir! We will pack the cane into our finest gift box!"

As Connor emerged from Vázquez's dressing room, he was about to find a decent tailor to have a suit made when, in the crowded throng, a small hand reached for his wallet.

Connor smiled faintly and grabbed the wrist of the man who was reaching for his wallet.

"What are you doing? Let me go! If you don't let me go, I'm calling the police!" This "thief" was quite clever; seeing that Connor had discovered him, he decisively played the victim and shouted in a shrill voice:

Looking at the thin, small, and filthy girl in front of him, dressed in patched and baggy clothes, Connor's smile widened. He said leisurely, "Calling the police? Very well, let's see if the police will believe you, a thief, or me, a nobleman?"

"Are you a nobleman?" Upon hearing Connor's words, the little girl was no longer as unruly as before, and her voice trembled slightly with fear.

"Genuine, no doubt about it!" Connor joked.

"Waaaaah!" "Waaaah!"

"My lord, I was wrong! I'm too young to warm your bed..." Upon receiving Connor's confirmation, the little girl was so frightened that she sat down on the street and burst into tears.

Seeing the pedestrians on Queen Street drawn by the little girl's crying, pointing and whispering about him, Connor couldn't help but chuckle, shook his head, and his interest in teasing the little girl vanished. He casually took out a few shillings, tossed them to the little girl, and then turned and left.

This little girl looks to be only eight or nine years old. Although Connor doesn't consider himself a good person, he wouldn't stoop to arguing with such a young child!

After getting rid of the little girl, Connor went to a high-end tailor shop, took his measurements, ordered a suit, paid for it, and arranged to pick it up the next day. Connor stayed at the tailor shop, but after walking out of the shop, he saw an unexpected little guy.

"Were you waiting for me?" Connor frowned slightly, looking at the dirty little girl in front of him. Was she complaining that he hadn't paid her enough?

The dirty little girl, seemingly sensing the hostility in Connor's voice, shook her head and handed over the shilling Connor had just given her: "My lord, you're already being kind by not arresting me and taking me to the police station. I can't take your money!"

(End of this chapter)