Lisbeth’s departure, to Tulia, was like opening the window that had been shut in her room for ten years.
The free, fresh air that belonged entirely to her finally came rushing in with a flourish.
On the first day her daughter stayed at school, the morning sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, scattering mottled patterns across the floor.
Tulia rolled over, burying her face deep into the soft pillow and letting out a satisfied murmur.
She was half-awake, her consciousness still immersed in the muddled depths of drowsiness.
Unthinkingly, she stretched out her smooth little leg, and with the arch of her foot, she gently rubbed back and forth along the silken bedcovers.
The silky, delicate fabric softly caressed her sensitive skin.
Within this soothing sensation, a long-missed figure she had tried desperately to forget burst uncontrollably into her dreams.
It was as if she had returned to that lavish cage, back to that wide bed.
Sophia was sitting at the bedside, her warm palm wrapping around Tulia’s ankle, her fingertips stroking Tulia’s instep again and again, neither too hard nor too light.
“Your feet are still just as sensitive.” Sophia’s low, magnetic voice seemed to whisper right beside her ear.
Her thumb slowly traced over Tulia’s arch, pressing the most sensitive hollow of her sole with just the right amount of pressure.
A strange, tingling current shot up from her foot, making dream-Tulia curl her toes and let out a suppressed little moan.
But that hand didn’t stop.
It moved upward, gliding along her smooth calf.
The owner of that hand seemed to know every sensitive spot on her body, and every touch was deliberate, teasing…
“!”
Tulia abruptly sat up in bed, a cold sweat breaking out all over her body.
Panting, she glanced at the bright sunlight outside the window, only then realizing it had all been a dream. Yet the faint, ticklish sensation on her calf, as if it had really been caressed, left her heart racing in waves.
Just then, her right eyelid began to twitch wildly, without warning.
“Left eyelid means fortune, right eyelid means misfortune…”
An old superstition from her previous life suddenly bubbled up in her mind. A wave of inexplicable anxiety welled up inside her.
“Peh peh peh!” She quickly patted her cheeks. “What am I thinking! I’ve already transmigrated, and I’m still hung up on these superstitions? Must be that I didn’t sleep well last night.”
She shook her head hard, trying to toss out all those jumbled thoughts and ominous feelings.
Hugging her quilt, she rolled back and forth on the bed until her stomach protested with a loud rumble, only then did she slowly climb out.
“Leah’s Mom’s Secret Roast Chicken” was still the most popular food in the Rose District.
Every evening, there would be a long line at the shop’s door, and the domineering aroma wafted down several streets.
“Lia, closing up so early today?” Mrs. Gab from the flower shop next door poked her head out, greeting her with a cheerful smile.
Tulia locked the door, patted her hands, and answered, “Yes, Mrs. Gab. I’ve run out of spices, need to make a trip to the Grand Market, or I won’t be able to do business tomorrow.”
“Aiyo, that’s a good problem to have! My whole family loves your roast chicken! Be quick and careful on the way!”
“Alright, thank you!”
Tulia waved back with a smile, slinging her small cloth pouch and strolling off toward the Grand Market in the city center.
She made her way with practiced ease to the old shop with the sign “Cinderella’s Magic Spices.”
The Boss Lady was a slightly plump, loud-voiced middle-aged woman, famous in the whole market for her sharp mind and love of gossip.
“Aiyo, little Lia is here!” The Boss Lady spotted Tulia and bustled over with great enthusiasm. “Getting the same old mix today?”
“Yes, big sister.” Tulia replied sweetly, launching her usual “routine.”
She first let her shoulder bag’s strap slip a little, making her neckline look just a bit lower.
Then she leaned forward onto the counter, using a soft and syrupy, playfully coquettish tone: “Big sister, I’ve been your loyal customer for ages. Could you… maybe give me a little discount today?”
As she spoke, she blinked her watery blue eyes, her ample chest pressing against the counter’s edge in a most impressive arc.
This “big-breasted beauty trick” worked like a charm on almost everyone in the market—men or women alike—usually saving her several silver coins.
Seeing her like this, the Boss Lady’s grin grew even wider, her voice softening by a third.
“Aiyo, my good little sister, what are you saying? How could I cheat you?”
Tulia’s heart leapt.
However, the Boss Lady’s next words froze her smile.
“But the price really can’t go any lower. If I cut any more, I’ll be selling at a loss.” As she skillfully weighed out the spices, she suddenly changed the topic and picked up a small bag of oddly fragrant powder nearby. “But, since you’re so cute, I’ll recommend something really good to you!”
She held the bag under Tulia’s nose. “Smell! This is the new ‘Earth Dragon Musk,’ from Southlands Marsh. Just sprinkle a pinch on your roast chicken, and the aroma—tsk, tsk—will have all the kids from the next street drooling with envy!”
Then she picked up another bottle filled with liquid. “And this, ‘Fire Lizard’s Tears.’ Brush it on the chicken skin and it’ll roast up golden and crispy, so bright and tempting it’ll make your mouth water!”
Bombarded by the Boss Lady’s silver tongue and “just because you’re cute” sales pitch, Tulia’s head started to swim.
“…Is it really that magical?”
“Of course! Would I ever lie to you?”
The Boss Lady just grinned and, without warning, gave Tulia’s perky backside a hearty smack with her fan-like hand.
While quickly weighing out the spices, she continued to preach in her booming voice: “But honestly, sister, your figure is really something. With hips like those, you’re sure to have an easy childbirth!”
Tulia: “……”
Blushing furiously, she clutched her smacked behind, utterly defeated.
Half an hour later, Tulia staggered out of the spice shop, her cloth pouch twice as heavy as when she’d entered, and her head spinning.
She hadn’t bargained a single coin off; instead, the Boss Lady had coaxed her into spending several extra silver coins on a bunch of so-called “Treasure of the Shop” specialty spices.
It wasn’t until a blast of cold wind at the street corner hit her that she finally snapped back to her senses.
—Wait a minute! Wasn’t I here to haggle?! How did I end up over budget?!
She looked at the few bags of pricey new spices in her pouch, almost in tears.
—Completely failed! I forgot the auntie is the real Old Driver!
On the way back, Tulia chose a rarely-taken shortcut through a small alley.
But as she exited on the other end, she found herself stepping into a street completely unlike anywhere else in Silverglow City.
Ambiguous lighting, seductive women, and a sparkling sign that read “Fairy’s Boudoir.”
A surge of strong, untimely curiosity burst forth from deep within her, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.
I’m not trying to go in, I’m just… yes, just doing some market research! Getting to know the customs of another world! This is academic investigation—purely with a critical eye!
She found a thousand grand-sounding excuses for herself, yet her feet were already unconsciously shuffling toward that glowing, inviting doorway.
However, before she could get close, a brawny man built like a bear stretched out a burly arm to block her path.
“Madam.” The man’s tone was still polite, but his gaze left no room for argument. He didn’t even bother to look at Tulia’s face, just glanced at her homely blue-and-white dress and rumbled, “This isn’t the place for you. Please move along.”
Being so bluntly snubbed and turned away by a guard, Tulia’s curiosity was instantly replaced by a surge of indignant defiance.
“How dare you!”
She roared inwardly.
Who are you looking down on?! Just because I look like some proper housewife? I’m going in today no matter what!
She didn’t argue. Silently, she retreated, slipping back into the deserted alley.
“Just you wait, I’m getting in there today no matter what!”