Yes, Lady Funina!

"And what happens after that?" Claude couldn't help but ask. She looked at the silent Richard, her heart pounding in her throat, afraid that Richard would tell her, "You don't need to come to work anymore."

Clarinde cared about this job, not entirely because she was lusting after Richard's body, since both Furnessa and Lynette were her friends.

Because of her temperament and strength, Clorinde doesn't have many friends. Although she is indeed very beautiful, her beauty is like an iceberg or snow lotus, beautiful from afar but untouchable. People always feel that she is not easy to talk to, and if you say the wrong thing when you are with her, you will be hurt by her cold temperament.

Human nature is to seek advantage and avoid harm. When faced with things that can harm us, even if we know that the other party is good, we will never get close to them.

Clarinde's social dilemma was just like this: a beautiful, delicate ice rose, whose inherent thorns made her intimidating.

If we were to list all of Clorinde's current friends, they would only be Richard, Funina, Linette, and Miss Navia of the Rose Society. If we were to broaden the criteria further, Vilette, the Duke of Melo Petersburg, and Meloshen, who was by the Duke's side, could also be considered her friends.

"After this is all over... what do you think?" Richard said, arms crossed, his expression unfriendly.

"Will...will they fire me?" Clarind clenched her right hand tightly around her left index finger and finally asked the question.

However, contrary to her expected anxiety, Clarinde's mind was filled with thoughts of novel plots.

—A voluptuous and mature woman with a cool and aloof demeanor, she made a mistake at work that led to a major disaster. Because she was not good at communicating with her colleagues, no one stood up for her in front of the boss after she made this mistake.

The boss brought her into the office and asked her what to do about the matter. But the aloof and sophisticated woman who had made such a big mistake was completely at a loss and had no idea what to do. She could only hope that the boss would take pity on her because of her past hard work and contributions.

Fontaine may be large and bustling, but finding a job you like is really difficult. The mature woman was reluctant to give up this hard-won job, but unfortunately, the mistake she made this time was too serious. If it weren't for the protection of the leader in front of her, she would have had to pack her bags and leave on the day the incident occurred.

Now, the man in front of her is her only hope, and only he can keep her job.

When the aloof and sophisticated woman shared her request with her boss, the boss remained silent for a while before finally speaking under her expectant gaze.

"This matter can be big or small. Although you have ruined my reputation, it was an unintentional mistake. However, the future depends not on me, but on you..." The leader surnamed Li raised his hand and gestured meaningfully in the air.

Although the mature woman is aloof and not good at interpersonal communication, she is not a naive girl who has just entered the workplace. She knows what the other party means and that it is time for her to make a response.

After all, people have no reason to help you for no reason. If you want their help, you have to give something in return, right?

It's either money or something else.

The other party has no shortage of money, so what he wants is self-evident.

Although the other party had an ambiguous relationship with his boss, and it was rumored that he also had a private affair with his secretary, making him far from a good match, but...

"Perhaps this is fate?" The mature woman felt bitter and could only comfort herself with the concept of 'fate'.

The Ice Rose, who had made a grave mistake, had her eyes lowered, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly, and her pale pink lips parted only halfway. One hand rested on the cushion beneath her, while the other was placed on her full chest. Her legs, encased in black stockings, were tightly pressed together without a single gap, and her jade-like feet, clad in high heels, rested on the expensive carpet.

Finally, as if resigned to her fate, she spoke softly, "Whatever you say, I... will listen to you."

Then she vaguely heard the leader whisper a few words in her ear...

"Fire you? You've caused me so much trouble, and you think you can just walk away like that? You're dreaming!"

"You've lost your awards and commendations this year, and your bonus is gone too. You'll be responsible for half of the backlog of tasks at the city hall at the end of the year. After that, write a self-criticism report and send it to my office. It must be no less than 10,000 words!" Richard slammed his fist on the table with a grim expression, making a dull thud.

Trying to run away? Not so easy!

Get it done! If you can't finish, work overtime. You think you can run away before you've finished your work? No way!

In other words, Richard doesn't lack Mora. If he did, given Clarin's appalling behavior, he'd have to hand over all his overtime pay!

"Crolynde, did you hear what I said?" Richard was utterly astonished that Crolynde was still daydreaming!

And why the hell are you blushing?

"I heard it." Clarind lowered her head even further, as she was ashamed of her unhealthy thoughts.

That's true. If Richard wanted to... wanted to... want her, he wouldn't need to resort to underhanded coercive tactics like the villainous bosses in novels.

Knowing herself as she did, Clarin was more than willing to approach Richard at the slightest provocation.

It's hard to say who will benefit from whom!

In other words, the current system is one where men are superior to women. If Claude and Richard were to switch roles, Claude might show Richard what real workplace unspoken rules are like.

"Is that really it?" Clarind was still somewhat incredulous, because Richard's punishment was much lighter than she had imagined.

"Otherwise what? Do you expect me to retaliate in kind, take a picture of you soaking wet, and then submit it to a photography contest so you can experience what it's like to be a big star?"

"Um... I'm sorry."

Claude wasn't opposed to being Richard's model, but submitting her work to a photography competition was out of the question; she could only accept showing it to Richard.

After being scolded by Richard again (fun fact: being scolded is a local dialect term in Liyue), Clarin walked out of the office with a heavy heart.

As soon as I stepped out of the office, I saw Funina casually admiring the green plants in the corridor, as if these plants had something special about them that had captivated her completely.

"Lady Funina..." Clarinde had barely uttered a word when Funina immediately looked away from the greenery.

"Clorind, are you... done talking?" Although Furlina tried to pretend she didn't care, she couldn't help but look behind Clorind.

"We're done talking." Clarind didn't know what Frynn wanted to do, but she nodded and said.

"Oh, is everything alright?" Funina asked with concern.

She didn't blame Clorind for sending the wrong photos. After all, everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Besides, Clorind had indeed given her a good look, so how could she blame her?

As for the potential public opinion issues, Funina didn't care at all. After the ring incident last time, Funina had thought it through. Who says gods can't fall in love?

She's the water goddess! Can ordinary people fathom the thoughts of a deity? Obviously not!

Not to mention that those photos all show people wearing clothes, and even if they were naked... well, Funina really wouldn't dare to take those photos.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be sneaking around waiting for Clarinde at the door like this.

"For now... everything's alright."

For Clarinde, this punishment was the best possible outcome. At least she kept her job, but the cost was obvious. After this incident, Richard would probably never be her photography model again.

"It's alright, it's alright." Fulina glanced behind Clorind again and saw that Richard was still in the office. She then took Clorind's hand and led her back to her own office.

No sooner had Clarinde stepped into the office than Funina closed the door behind her, locking it from the inside as well.

"Lady Furina?" Clorind looked at Furina in confusion. Why are you locking the door in broad daylight?

"Ahem, Clarinde...please sit down, let's sit down and talk." Furina smiled kindly, well, kindly, not really kind.

"Lady Frinina, please speak plainly, don't be like this... it's quite frightening." Clarinde felt a little uneasy under Frinina's gaze.

Because the other person's eyes looked exactly like the eyes of the villainous boss in the novels Clarinde had read before—lecherous.

If it were a man, Clarind wouldn't be as afraid as she is now, but this look was directed at Frynn, and specifically at her.

Oh dear—don't even mention how many people there are.

Fortunately, Funina didn't beat around the bush. She got straight to the point and said, "You should have backups of those photos, right? Get me a copy too."

P.S.: Paru is so much fun... Why release a game like this at the end of the month?!

Volume 1: Chapter 127 The Servant in the Shadows

It wasn't just Funina who wanted Richard's photos; in just one afternoon, Clarinde had received quote inquiries from Lynette, Ningguang, and Shenhe.

However, these weren't the only people asking. What surprised Clarinde the most was that her best friend Navia also asked her about it.

However, she didn't come to ask Clorind for the photos, but to ask Clorind to inquire for her whether Richard needed help. Navia was very grateful to Richard, but that was all; she hadn't yet reached the point of joining the war.

According to information gathered by the Rose Society's informants in Grey River, Grey River took action shortly after the event organizers removed the photo. An uncut collection of "The Cat Who Stole Fish" had already leaked on the underground black market. Although the quality of the photo differed from that displayed at the event, this was not due to a difference in printing quality, but rather a difference in the photographic paper used.

The photographic paper displayed at the event was Fontainebleau's top-quality paper, capable of perfectly showcasing the colors and details in the photos, while the paper circulating on the black market was relatively cheaper.

However, if you're willing to pay more, we can get you something even better, but you'll have to wait.

Based on the information Navia currently has, there seem to be quite a few buyers, and those who have tasted success have also realized the potential of this market.

Previously, their customers were mainly male, but Richard's appearance showed them another possibility, one that had been overlooked by those of them who operated in the gray area.

—The women's market.

This market, which they had always ignored, finally opened a crack in its doors to them with the appearance of a man named Richard, and on the other side of the door were countless Mora.

These women are really willing to spend money!

For the first time, the guys felt that making money was so easy. At the same time, they also realized that when women get aroused, men really have nothing to do with it.

too crazy!

Teto, the bartender at the Grey River Bar, was a witness to this revelry. In just one afternoon, Teto had witnessed countless such transactions at his establishment.

Don't be fooled by the low unit price; the sheer quantity makes it all worthwhile. Apparently, there are even high-end custom-made versions available, where size and photo quality can be customized. The most outrageous one is even an animated version!

The principle is to achieve simple dynamic effects through simple micro-mechanical devices. Sometimes even Teto has to admit that they should be making this money; it's too much of a rip-off.

While it may seem that Teto didn't participate in this photo frenzy, he actually made a lot of money, for the simple reason that the number of visitors increased.

Grey River is no benevolent place; it's a lawless zone in Fontaine, and very chaotic.

Only the bars run by the Rose Society have a semblance of order, so gentlemen and ladies from the upper city usually choose to meet here, where at least there is a basic guarantee of safety.

That incredibly beautiful woman must have come to this bar because of that.

Tito had been keeping an eye on her for a long time, not only because her beauty was no less than his own young lady's, but also because he knew very well from his long-time residence in Grey River that beauty often meant trouble, especially since she was very extravagant.

According to Teto's observation, the other party had already bought at least ten photo albums of different levels, including the animated version mentioned earlier. They didn't even haggle over the price, paying whatever they asked for without batting an eye, showing remarkable generosity.

They're practically screaming "sucker" on their foreheads.

But Teto knew that someone had already set their sights on this gullible young lady, and there was a group of people he didn't want to mess with, who were said to have blood on their hands.

In the tavern, Tito could offer some assistance, but outside of that tavern, he couldn't do anything about it. Although Rose had a lot of influence in the Grey River, it was limited, since not everyone would give them face, let alone a few outlaws.

As for the white-haired lady in front of him, if he was lucky, he could probably avoid disaster by spending money; if he was unlucky... he had heard some lewd things about her.

Sigh, this young lady doesn't seem like someone who's short of money, so why would she personally come to a place like Grey River?

She came alone; aren't her family members worried at all? If she really likes it, couldn't she ask someone else to buy it for her?

Despite his thoughts, Teto ultimately softened. The bartender approached the 'sucker' lady and said tactfully, "Miss, we have 'Peace Wine' available. Would you like one?"

The so-called "Peaceful Drink" is actually a euphemism for security services. As long as a customer orders this drink, even if they leave the Rosewood Bar, someone will be sent to escort them safely to the ground.

"Thank you, but I'm not thirsty," Shen He shook his head and refused, his tone flat and seemingly oblivious to his situation, still fiddling with the animated photo album in his hands.

Teto couldn't tell if the other party was genuinely ignorant or pretending. Just as he was about to say something more, the group that had been watching Shen He from afar made their move.

They walked towards Shen He, and at the same time, they shoved aside the troublesome Teto without any politeness.

“Taito, when did the Rose Society Bar start pushing sales? (Mind your own business.) They don’t do that kind of forced buying and selling anymore. (Not making a move here is giving the Rose Society face. Don’t push your luck.)” Scarface said casually.

“Scarface, this is the territory of the Rose Society.” Despite being pushed aside, Teto was not intimidated at all. Although he was shorter than his opponent, he was not afraid in any way.

"Tsk, look at you, so capable. A lousy doorman, how much do you earn in a month? Why risk your life?" Scarface's henchman sneered.

"Go away, who gave you the right to speak? Get out of here!" Scarface chuckled and scolded his underling. Though it was a reprimand, there was no anger in his eyes, only mockery.

Tito knew he had nothing to say to these scoundrels, so he looked at Shen He and said, "Miss..."

"Oh!"

A loud bang rang out in the bar, and the previously noisy place instantly fell silent as everyone turned their attention to Teto.

Scarface slapped the wooden table and chairs next to him, smashing them to pieces!

"You!" Teto's face was full of anger, and several burly men in suits appeared behind him at the bar.

Scarface, however, ignored this and casually pulled out a few Mora from his pocket and threw them on the ground.

"Sorry, sorry. I was annoyed by a fly buzzing around and tried to swat it, but I used too much force and broke the table. To be honest, the quality of your table and chairs is really not good. Here, use this money to buy a better one, hahaha."

Scarface laughed after he finished speaking, and his accomplices behind him laughed along, their laughter echoing throughout the tavern.

The members of the Rose Society behind Teto all frowned. Some of the younger ones couldn't resist the provocation and made a move to step forward and teach him a lesson.

However, Teto raised a hand to stop the other person, not even glancing at the broken tables and chairs beside him, or the golden Mora on the ground, and narrowed his eyes as he stared at the other person and said, "Scarface, do you want to start a war with the Rose Society?"

"Go to war? No way, no way. It was just a joke. Does the Rose Society have such a narrow mind that they can't even take a joke?" Scarface's smile faded. He was still somewhat wary of the Rose Society behind Tito, but not by much.

Although he was a fool, he knew that he was here to make money. Provoking the Rose Society at this moment would only increase losses and add trouble to the operation later. The primary target at present should be this plump and delicious little lamb in front of him.

Thinking this, Scarface ignored Tito and turned to Shen He, forcing a hideous smile onto his fierce face: "Miss, we have even better photos of that pretty boy you have. They're not only animated, they're even usable. Look..."

Shen He paused in his hands as he fiddled with the animated photos. When he heard the other person call Richard a "pretty boy," his eyes flickered, and the corners of his mouth turned down three pixels.

She glanced coldly at the scarred man and asked, "How much?"

Upon hearing this, the scarred man's smile became even more sinister. He said, "We'll discuss the specific price after we see the goods."

"Where's the goods?" Shen He didn't waste any words.

“Outside, you see…”

“Miss…” Teto wanted to say something more.