Maren's heart pounded as she stood at the door. She stared at the door's sign. For a moment, she thought she must've gotten the wrong place. But no, the letters matched perfectly.

Eternal Happiness.

She swallowed hard and reached for the door handle. The noise inside was loud enough to make her hesitate. The place was filled with rowdy laughter and the occasional sound of cheer or groan of defeat.

Maren took a small breath and pushed the door open.

A wave of warmth and noise hit her all at once.

Inside, the air was filled with energy. People gathered around several tables. And on that table, dice were rolled, and coins were thrown. Lanterns hung from the ceiling, their glow bouncing off the walls and illuminating faces filled with thrill and tension.

Maren blinked rapidly, taken aback.

'This place... it looks completely…'

The last time she saw this stall in the street, the walls were half-bare and it was unoccupied. Now, there were new tables, stools, and bright fabrics draping around.

The whole room looked alive, bursting with life and sound.

But then, her gaze moved over the crowd and her stomach dropped.

Almost every seat in the room was filled by men. Big men. Loud men. Small men. Some had rough faces, some wore worn-out coats, and others had pouches of money hanging loosely by their hips.

The moment she stepped in, a few of them turned to glance her way.

Maren froze instantly.

The laughter didn't stop, but she could feel several pairs of eyes staring at her. Some were curious, some were indifferent, while some… not so friendly. Her hands tightened around the hem of her dress.

'O-okay… calm down, Maren… You're just here to look for Sir Leonard…'

She forced a shaky smile and took a cautious step inside. The wooden floor creaked faintly under her shoes, and she tried to avoid making eye contact with anyone. Still, she could hear snippets of voices nearby.

"Who's that?"

"New waitress?"

"Pretty one, huh?"

"Maybe she's here to work like our dear Miss Anika."

Maren's face burned instantly. She lowered her gaze, clutching her small pouch tightly.

She wanted to turn around and leave, but she had promised him she'd come today.

Taking another breath, she tried to focus on the front counter. If she could just find Leonard, everything would be fine. She knew he wouldn't let anyone bother her.

"E-excuse me…" she called out softly, her voice barely audible over the crowd. No one seemed to hear her.

Her eyes darted around nervously, scanning the tables for a familiar figure.

'Please be here… please be here, Sir Leonard…'

Just as Maren's nerves started to get the best of her, a familiar voice echoed from somewhere in the middle of the room.

It wasn't loud, not compared to the rest of the noise. However, the voice carried a kind of calm authority that somehow stood out from all the shouting.

Her head snapped toward the sound.

And there he was.

Leonard stood at the table in the center of the den, surrounded by people. A half-circle of men leaned in around him, their faces filled with laughter and frustration alike. Some groaned as they pushed forward their coins, while others cheered when he smiled faintly and set the dice down.

For a second, Maren could only stare at them.

The way the light from the hanging lanterns hit Leonard made him stand out even more. He wasn't trying to call attention to himself, yet everyone's eyes seemed drawn to his table.

He looked relaxed, as if he knew he was completely in control in this place.

Maren blinked.

"Woah…" she whispered under her breath before catching herself.

The more she looked at it, the more she realized that his table wasn't just the busiest. It was also the heart of the entire place. The crowd around him laughed louder, leaned closer, eager to join his game or watch him play.

"Woah…" She let out another amused reaction. The man who had spoken to her so gently last night now looked like someone entirely different. She hadn't expected any of this.

"That's really him…" she murmured to herself, unable to hide a small smile.

For a moment, she just stood there at the doorway, watching Leonard. It almost didn't feel real. Her fingers gripped her sides as she hesitated, wondering if she should interrupt.

Then, as if sensing her gaze, Leonard's eyes flicked up from the table and met hers.

The faintest curve of a smile touched his lips.

Leonard straightened slightly, the dice still in his hand as he noticed her by the entrance.

"Maren," he called out.

Several heads turned at once, following his gaze. Maren nearly jumped from the sudden attention brought to her.

"O-oh—" Her breath hitched.

Leonard's faint smile deepened a little, almost reassuringly. He gestured lightly with his hand, motioning her to come over.

"Come here."

Maren hesitated, clutching her pouch tighter. Every step felt heavy under the weight of curious eyes. The men near the tables parted slightly to give her space—some still whispering among themselves, others watching with vague amusement.

"Who's that?"

"Ah, the boss called her by name."

"She's with him then."

The sound of people talking made her cheeks warm. Even if she was uncomfortable, she forced herself forward. When she finally reached Leonard's table, the noise around them slowly died down a little,.

Leonard leaned against the edge of the table and spoke quietly, so only she could hear.

"You really came," he said.

"Yeah… I-it was a good opportunity," she stammered, her voice was almost drowned out by the crowd.

"That's good." His gaze softened. "Don't mind them. They just talk too much when they have money to lose."

That earned a few laughs from the men nearby, who didn't seem offended at all. If anything, they seemed to enjoy it.

Maren blinked, unsure how easily he could control the mood around him. It was as if even his teasing was loved by people.

"T-this place is different than what I thought…"

"Sorry about that. I should've warned you about the place." Leonard turned to face her. "But this is my first business."

"N-no, it's fine! I was just… surprised. I didn't think it would be like this." Maren shook her head quickly.

Leonard chuckled faintly, "It's a bit much for a first impression, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah… just a little." Maren let out a nervous laugh.

He smiled at that, then glanced toward the long table near the back—one that wasn't occupied by anyone. He lifted a hand and pointed toward it.

"Can you sit there for a bit?" he asked. "I'll say goodbye to these people first, then we can talk about the offer I gave you yesterday."

Maren blinked. "O-oh… sure, but…" Her eyes darted toward the dice and the loud men nearby. "I-I won't work in this place, right?"

Leonard's laugh came out, surprising her. "No," he said with a small shake of his head. "I have something better for you."

Maren pressed her lips together, trying to hide the small smile that tugged at them.

"O-Okay," she murmured softly. "I'll wait then."

"Good." Leonard gave her a reassuring nod before turning back to his table.

Maren walked carefully toward the long table at the back, doing her best to ignore the occasional glance thrown her way. When she finally sat down, she let out a quiet sigh and rested her pouch on her lap.

From her seat, she could see Leonard easily. He was speaking to the players around him, calm and collected. Every small gesture he made seemed to draw people in.

'He's… really different when he's here,' she thought, her gaze softening.

The crowd around him had a lot of energy, but Leonard was like its anchor. Watching him like that, Maren couldn't help but think that whatever offer he had for her, she think it will be unexpected.

Maren leaned her elbows on the table, watching Leonard from afar as he talked and laughed with the men around him.

She glanced down at the pouch in her lap, fidgeting with the string.

"I wonder…" she murmured softly, "where he'll use all those fruits and grains he asked me to find yesterday."

Her eyes drifted around.

"Is he planning to build a restaurant too?" she mused. "Or maybe… he just wants me to sell them for him?"

She puffed her cheeks slightly, unsure whether to laugh or sigh. The thought of working in a noisy place like this didn't exactly comfort her, but something about Leonard's calm tone earlier made her feel… safe.

"Whatever it is," she whispered under her breath, her fingers curling around the pouch, "I think it's still better than my current work."

Maren leaned back slightly, her gaze lowering to the edge of the table. Her fingers played absently with the hem of her sleeve.

"At least… he talks to me kindly," she whispered, a small frown tugging at her brow. "Unlike my boss."

Her chest tightened at the thought.

Day after day, she'd been yelled at for things she hadn't even done. Sometimes, she'd stay behind long after sunset, just to make sure everything was sorted before the next day.

And yet, half the time, her pay didn't come.

===

A/N:

Thank you to the readers who have dropped Golden Tickets in the novel!

Nicole_Buss and Rockg49. Really appreciate it!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.