Every corner of the bustling town was filled with laughter and cheerful voices.

All kinds of shops lined both sides of the street, one after another.

I walked across what looked like marble paving, wandering freely through the streets and alleys.

Brilliant sunlight spilled between green-tiled roofs and red walls.

Olive branches jutted out, and flags fluttered in the breeze.

People and carts streamed past, while children and old women sang and laughed.

Shopkeepers put all their strength into shouting out their wares.

Every scene I’d seen in my dreams was right before my eyes.

This really was an incredibly lively little town.

I was running around like a kid who’d never seen the world.

Then, as I passed a shop, I came to an abrupt stop.

Through the display window, I could see the clothes, carefully arranged.

A pure-white lace dress paired with thigh-high stockings.

A pair of dark green wings hung from a black, form-fitting bodysuit.

The dazzling array of outfits was laid out before me like a painting.

What caught my eye was the Shadow at the very back.

It was a uniform resembling a military outfit, with gold epaulets and gold trim decorating the ink-black fabric.

The belt cinched at the waist perfectly outlined the mannequin’s slender figure.

The tiny skirt, with its tantalizing gap, made me want to take a closer look.

“So pretty...”

I murmured to myself. I was practically a uniform enthusiast.

So whenever I saw a uniform, I couldn’t help letting my imagination run wild.

If that outfit were worn by a tall, elegant beauty...

It’d drive a whole crowd of men wild.

“Vivi! Let’s go!!”

A flash of delight crossed Hill’s eyes.

Calling to the person standing there in a daze, Hill dashed off toward the market first.

It was noon, the busiest time of day.

We wove through the huge market, looking for a place to set up.

But there wasn’t an empty spot in sight.

We’d better look around some more. With that thought, I took Hill’s hand and led her farther in.

“Fresh fish! The finest fresh fish! Come and have a look!”

“Fresh fruit! Delicious and affordable! Don’t miss out as you pass by!”

“Meat! Get your meat here! Meat...........”

The vendors kept hollering at the tops of their lungs.

The blazing sun and the crush of people...

...made me feel dizzy, all bundled up as I was.

Just as I was about to take Hill and leave, a familiar voice called out to us.

“Hey! Hill! And the young lady over there! Come over here!”

I looked toward the voice and spotted the kind middle-aged man we’d met in the village the other day.

Looks like he was selling vegetables here too. What a huge help.

“If you two are selling berries, you need to come early. By now, there’s no room left. Look, I only managed to grab a pretty lousy spot myself.”

The man said helplessly. At the market, if you wanted to sell anything, you had to snag a good spot.

He’d gone through no end of trouble just to claim this one.

But it was too far out of the way. Hardly anyone came by, and he hadn’t sold a thing in quite a while.

“As long as we have a spot, why worry about whether we can sell everything?”

Hill slyly tugged at the man’s sleeve.

She pointed at me, who was busy looking around, and winked hard, pursing her lips.

Seeing that, the man slapped his forehead and suddenly understood.

“Um, excuse me. Would you mind helping us sell our things?”

“Me? Of course! I came here to help Hill, after all.”

I looked at the man, his face full of pleading, and Hill, whose eyes were shining.

I answered, completely baffled. What was going on with these two? Why were they looking at me like I was some rare animal?

“Since big sis says so, then~~~ Heave-ho!”

Hill looked me over, taking in how I was hidden beneath my collar and hat.

Then she suddenly jumped up and yanked off both of those annoying things.

“H-Hill!!”

In the time it took me to freeze in surprise, Hill had snatched my hat.

I gave Hill a pretend glare and shook my fist at her in protest.

I even made as if to go over and teach her a lesson.

“Vivi, I think you should worry about yourself. And remember, you and the man have to sell all of this!”

Hill cleverly hid behind the man.

She waved my hat around, then pointed at the crowd in front of us.

The moment my hat came off, countless burning gazes turned our way.

The vendors selling their wares and the people out shopping...

Every single one of them looked over here.

My goddess-like, exquisitely beautiful face was like a diamond that never stopped shining.

It always drew people’s eyes.

Shoppers came over under the pretext of buying something, just to get a look.

The vendors even stopped what they were doing and rushed over for a glimpse of my beauty.

It was hard to believe. A moment ago, there’d only been a handful of customers here. Now the place was packed so tightly that not even water could squeeze through.

“Miss, could you weigh out some berries for me?”

“I’d like some berries too.”

“Damn it, I’ll take every last berry you’ve got!!!”

Countless customers came up to buy berries.

In the middle of all the frantic bustle, I took their money with one hand and passed them berries with the other.

If I could ignore all those grabby hands taking liberties with me, I was actually in a pretty good mood.

Well, of course. I was just that perfect! Feeling proud......

Holy crap! I flipped the tea table in my heart and let out a furious roar!

Pfft! Beautiful, my ass!! You’re a guy!!!

Even if my body had turned into a woman’s, I still had to remember that I was a man through and through.

“That’s all the berries for today! Thanks for your business.”

I gazed with satisfaction at the empty berry baskets.

Then I noticed the man beside me giving me a helpless little look.

I wiped the sweat from my brow and confidently thumped my chest.

“Next, we’ve got fresh green vegetables! First come, first served! Get them while they’re fresh!”

I squeezed past the man, planted one foot on a stool, and shouted out to attract even more customers.

I didn’t look like a goddess at all. I looked more like a rowdy street punk.

With the man’s help, we worked even faster, briskly sorting the fruits and vegetables.

We weighed and bagged everything in one smooth motion. Even some vegetables that didn’t look particularly fresh, and that we’d planned to sell at a discount...

...were bought at full price amid the chaos.

Time flew when we were busy.

Before long, it was time to eat, and the customers had all dispersed.

A few people who couldn’t bear to leave gradually went on their way too, once they saw us getting ready to head back.

Hill, the man, and I.

The three of us stared blankly at the wooden table, now as clean as a mirror, unsure what expression could possibly show how we felt.

“Hahahahaha!”

Hill was the first to burst into happy laughter.

Her round little face looked so sweet and innocent.

“Hahaha!”

The man and I exchanged a glance, then laughed out loud too.

The day’s haul had been completely unexpected.

I hadn’t thought one more person joining us could make such a huge difference.

Normally, it would’ve taken at least two days to sell all this stuff.

I couldn’t believe we’d sold it all in less than two hours.

“Come on, let’s get something to eat. My treat today. I owe you a big thank-you... um... miss.”

The man scratched his head awkwardly. He didn’t know the beautiful girl’s name.

“Helawei. You can call me Laiwei.”

I smiled. Today had been such a refreshing day.

Not only had I helped Hill get even, I’d earned plenty of copper coins too. Perfect!

“Uh... I’m sorry... Anyway, let’s go eat!”

The man’s expression darkened. If the girl had no family name, that meant her family must all be...

He’d decided. He was going to give this kind and beautiful girl the warmest welcome!

“Hmph! I’m the one who invited big sis!”

Hill grumbled in protest, even though she hadn’t helped much from the start.

“Yes, yes, Princess Hill. I’ll buy you ice cream!”

The man chuckled. Hill had been smiling a lot more lately.