Chapter 280 - Partners

Wilma had not been back to Kinshearth since she married her husband. As the wife of the mayor, she had her duties in Luzernia. 

"Don't you miss it? What about family?"

Wilma sighed. She shook her head, "I felt homesick at the start, but not anymore. As for family... they don't miss me. So neither do I."

It seemed like there was nothing to hold Wilma back at Kinshearth. Laina did not feel like it was her place to pry either so she left it at that. They continued chatting for a while, talking about what Laina was doing in Luzernia. 

"May I see some of the jewelry pieces you intend on selling?" she asked. 

Laina did not hesitate. She immediately brought out a few pieces from her spatial storage for Wilma to see. Laina explained what each of them was and picked the ones that would match her the best. 

"These are really beautiful," Wilma praised, "But..."

She hesitated. She did not want to offend Laina with her remarks. Especially when they were not pleasant ones. 

"Speak your mind, Lady Wilma. I love an honest opinion," Laina replied. 

Wilma put down the piece she was holding in her hand, "These pieces would sell well to nobility and rich folk. But in Luzernia..., I think these might be a little too extravagant."

"I see..." Laina had not thought of that. 

She recalled observing people on the streets, especially those who shop on the street where the shophouse was. Lady Wilma was right. If she wanted the common folk of Luzernia to be her customers, she would need to cater to their tastes. 

The gears in her mind began to churn. Perhaps smaller pieces of jewelry would be suitable. Subtle pieces of jewelry that would be good for everyday wear and tear. 

"Perhaps I need to do a little more research on this, thank you for the tip," Laina thanked her. 

From her observation of Lady Wilma, she noticed she had a keen interest in jewelry. Wilma also seemed well versed in the knowledge of these stones. 

As it turned out, her family used to be in the gemstone business. It was common in Kinshearth. 

"Laina, I have a request," Lady Wilma declared as she turned to Laina. 

"And what might that be?"

"I would like to invest in your jewelry shop."

Laina was surprised, "May I know why?"

"Being the wife of the mayor can get a little mundane at times. Owning part of a jewelry store sounds like fun. Plus I was thinking it might be a good way to teach my son a lesson," Wilma explained. 

Laina caught on quickly, "I get it. If he dares to do anything to the store, he thinks he's messing with me. But in fact, he's messed with you instead."

"Exactly."

They could not help but share a laugh. Can you imagine the look on Jerome's face when he finds out? Both of them could. 

"I will not pass up this opportunity for anything in the world," Laina held out her hand to her, "Welcome onboard, Lady Wilma."

Wilma shook Laina's hand, "Thank you. May we prosper together."

On the other hand, Jerome was still unaware of what had happened. He was celebrating his victory over Laina with a few of his lackeys at the bar. He had successfully proven to everyone in town he was not someone to be messed with. 

Rumors that he was linked to the fire earned a few men a black eye. As word began to spread, rumors eventually turned into whispers. Before long, they were no where to be heard. 

"I heard she's not giving up," one of his lackeys said as he downed a pint of beer. 

"Is that so?" Jerome commented as he took a sip of his. 

Another of his lackeys added, "Yeah! They say she's going to rebuild it."

Jerome chuckled, "Well, we'll see about that."

Since Laina was still unable to get any of the local builders to help, she and the others used their magic to assist in the rebuilding. More repairs had to be done this time around, so it took them a long time to get things done. 

Laina took the opportunity to add in a few more fixtures into the floorplans of the shophouse. At the same time, a letter arrived from Dracona. Dante was finishing his work. Soon, he will be in Luzernia.

"You don't have to remind us again, Laina," Margaret said as she rolled her eyes a little. 

Laina had reminded her and Marius to keep her secret. She did not want Dante to know that she was aware of the curse. 

"I'm just reminding you two just in case," Laina chided. 

Marius chuckled, "If we really wanted to tell him, he would have already known by now."

"Know what?"

All of them jumped upon hearing his voice. Laina lit up as she dropped the paintbrush. She ran up to him and gave him a hug. 

"You're early!" she exclaimed with joy as she leaped into Dante's embrace. 

Dante wrapped his arms around her, hugging Laina tightly. He kissed her gently on the forehead. 

"I miss you too much," he whispered into her ear, "Plus I finished earlier than expected so I came as soon as I could."

With Dante by her side once more, Laina felt a little more assured. She showed him around the shophouse and got him caught up with everything that had happened. When he heard about the fire, his expression darkened. 

He placed both hands on Laina's shoulders, "Why didn't you tell me sooner? You could have gotten hurt."

"A little fire is not going to hurt me," Laina brushed it off, "But at least things are looking good now. Counting the failed drink stall, third time's the charm!"

She was hopeful for the opening of the store. She was also excited for Neil and the children to see their new home. To prevent any accidents from happening, Laina took all the precautions. 

This time around, everything was going to be perfect.