At the end of the lecture at school, I went to the antique shop where I was working.
"Ah! Rei-san!! Good work!
The sign girl Julia greeted me brightly.
"Good work, did you get a new arrival today?
"No.... It's better if you come to the store all the time. I couldn't make it today."
Julia lowered her eyebrows and buttocks.
Recently, a merchant who was openly wholesaling goods to this store began to wander away.
Well, I don't know exactly when Julia's father disappeared, but it turns out that we can't trust Julia's operation since he disappeared.
I know it's a product to be bought and it's stupid to wholesale good stuff.
"Hmm. It's time to find a real expert. A merchant's trust comes first. If another merchant abandons you, they'll be the only ones who want to eat this shop."
"I wish someone I knew could help me...."
"Crazy, did they say it was because they left the store?
"...... yes"
That's right. Even if you graduated from the School of Commerce, only a handful can succeed as merchants.
But there's no adult who's just graduated from elementary school, who can't easily identify antiques, who sees Julia and still supports her.
As a merchant, I'll take care of you until you can do it right.
No, I don't think so. Now that I'm in school, I'm free, but when I grow up to some point, I have to fulfill my royal duties.
So you want to introduce me to someone I know?
Who are you referring to?
If you ask Hoffrey, he'll send me the right man by the end of the day, not tomorrow, but after I'm gone from school? Still want me to be selfish all the time?
But I happen to find this place, so I'm here to help, but if you look for a shop in the same situation as this one, it's going to rot.
Well, that's why I can't abandon it, so I'm worried about this.
Well, honestly, the store doesn't have much room for new items to arrive in its business condition.
Nevertheless, if there is no new product, I will only consume the product I have now, so I will be stuck someday.
It's a discreet shop in the alley, so there aren't many daily guests, but still a few people visit on the day.
Because Julia was known to be a shop where magic stones could literally be bought out of style because of the pricing that Julia had been joking about until now.
"Ahh. The price of magic stones has increased since you arrived."
"Please don't say that. But it's cheaper than other stores, right?
Well...
Sometimes a magician at school buys magic stones while talking about it.
This is our main source of income.
On the contrary, the furniture and valued groceries that Julia's father thought to be the main commodity when he was there are hardly sold.
That's right. Few people come to such a minor store to buy furniture around it.
Sell it, huh?
Even if it does, if it's a bit cheaper than the purchase price, it would be overwhelmingly better to switch to other stores and buy Magic Stone, which is the main product of the day, with that money.
I don't have a helper to sell it myself, so I want to avoid it as much as possible.
"Julia"
"What's the matter? Mr. Rye."
I was free today, so I talked to Julia, who was cleaning the store in a hurry, and she turned to me strangely.
"Julia's dad hired an intermediary to bring you the product, right?
"Uh-huh. Recently, it's less frequent than when my dad was here, but he comes here once a week."
"Can you ask me if I can pick up the furniture around here at that time, even if it gets a little cheaper?
When I said so, Julia leaned hard.
"Don't you sell products in your own shop?
"I'll sell it here if there's a need for a handler or something. However, it is not sold as is, and there is no further deterioration even if it is left behind. Neither I nor Julia know anything about it. Besides, I want to replenish it because there are fewer magic stones, but I don't have the heart to start with."
Speaking of which, Julia was convinced, and nodded and smiled.
"Ok! Well then, I'll talk to you next time my uncle from the supplier arrives!
And I already told you that a few weeks ago.
And yet, not a single piece of furniture is sold.
They didn't refuse to take it back.
In the first place, there hasn't been a supplier since then.
"No, this has never happened before."
Julia lowered her eyebrows and buttocks anxiously.
It was Julia who last met the vendor, and I was in daytime school, and I never met the vendor.
Nevertheless, if they can't be sold through the vendor, which is the line of request, they will have to be sold by me and Julia herself.
I would like to leave it to Julia, but I can only see the future that will be bought as much as I can.
Then I'd better leave the shop to Julia and go sell it.
"Well, if you don't come, there's no choice. In the meantime, I'll find a shop that I can sell next time."
"Sorry, please."
I'm sorry I said that. Put my hand on Julia's head.
"Do your best to get through this? It's an important store your father left you."
"Ah, thank you."
That's how Julia lowered her head.
A thinner shoulder on a smaller body than me.
This is asylum? Paternity?
Somehow, Julia, who just left elementary school, had a terrible public impression and was badly taken care of.
Um, Ryan...
"Hmm? What's wrong?
Julia raised her face as if she had decided.
Open and close your mouth as you say, and wander around in a restless gaze.
My cheeks are slightly red stained and I can tell that I neglected to fall in love.
"Ugh, sorry. It was familiar."
Immediately move away from the hand that was on Julia's head.
"I have a sister, so I'm sorry to treat Julia the same way. Something about Julia reminds me of my sister."
My words made Julia's cheeks red.
"Well, Julia thinks I'm your brother, so you can count on me more."
"... thank you."
Some sort of complicated love laugh.
I think they might be favoring me.
Even though I don't know what to do with the store management, it would be a little surprising if there were older people who would turn their heads and act for themselves who are other people almost every day.
I'm not too old or too far away.
Nevertheless, even if Julia hits me with that feeling, I won't be able to respond to being the 'Seventh Prince'.
Eventually, I'm leaving this store, and I can't take Julia with me no matter how much she wants.
I hope this idea is done with worries...
When I looked at Julia, there was a slight tear in her eyes.
"Ah, it's me. I'll take a look at the inventory in the back!
"Nh. Got it."
But as far as Julia is concerned, I don't think I'm out of line.
I can't tell you that I took away my first love.
I didn't expect this to bother my head...
Whatever it is, it's about the store more than Julia.
Next time I'll invite Artur and Shiloh to go shopping in the market research.