Chapter 405 405-An Equal Exchange

Chapter 405 405-An Equal Exchange

Without looking back, Howard was unaware of Vivia's turmoil.

Since Vivia had not revealed much, Howard couldn't guess her thoughts.

Thus, his face bore a clean smile as he and Jelia walked the streets of Lorinda.

The slight tug on his clothing, a familiar sensation, gave Howard a fleeting illusion of happiness.

"Howard... where are we going?" Jelia asked softly, looking up at Howard with a small smile curving her lips.

"You can call me brother if you like," Howard said with a smile, "Do you know where to buy clothes in Lorinda, Jelia?"

"Clothes?" Jelia pondered for a moment, then nodded.

"There's a market on the street. Are you going to buy clothes, brother?"

"Yes, but not for myself. Didn't I tell you? I'm going to get you some better clothes."

"Since you've chosen to work with me, you can't always wear these clothes."

"Howard..."

It was futile.

Jelia's voice was very soft, and she didn't finish her sentence, so Howard didn't notice.

He only felt that Jelia's grip on the hem of his shirt had tightened.

As a native who grew up in Lorinda, although Jelia had no money to buy clothes, she knew all the places in Lorinda that might sell them.

More precisely, Jelia was intimately familiar with every road in Lorinda, big and small.

This was knowledge necessary for survival.

Thus, guided by Jelia, it didn't take long for Howard to find the Lorinda marketplace.

The marketplace, in reality, was just an ordinary street but one that housed a greater number of shops, distinct from a bazaar in that these establishments had formal storefronts.

Their true clientele were not the residents of Lorinda, but rather the members of caravans passing through.

It was these caravan members who had the means to leave the shops laden with goods.

From Jelia, Howard learned that Lorinda had no ready-made clothing stores, but it did have fabric stores that accepted custom orders and shops selling second-hand clothing.

The locals rarely shopped for clothes at these two types of stores; they preferred purchasing fabric to make their own garments.

Not only was this more cost-effective, but it also ensured a better fit.

However, lacking any tailoring skills, Howard had no choice but to focus on the fabric stores or second-hand clothing shops.

The second-hand clothing shop was marked by a sign featuring crossed spindles and bundles of fabric, with the words "Second-Hand Clothing" written below.

Howard, however, doubted the effectiveness of this label in a place where literacy rates were less than one in twenty.

The second-hand clothing shop was small, covering just about a dozen square meters, with the vast majority of its space given over to the second-hand garments.

After wandering among the tightly packed racks of clothing, Howard and Jelia finally caught the attention of the shopkeeper.

She expressed no outrage or visible distress over the unfair and discriminatory treatment, knowing well that even if she did, no one would care about her feelings.

Howard looked down at Jelia.

Had she known this would be the outcome all along?

He remembered the odd expression on Jelia's face back at the inn when he mentioned buying her clothes, and his fist unconsciously clenched tighter.

Was she afraid?

Though it was a blur, Howard now saw the shadow of someone else in Jelia.

He reached out to grasp Jelia's somewhat cold hand, holding it tightly.

"Do you have larger clothes, for a girl around eleven or twelve?" Howard stared into the shopkeeper's eyes.

Without any overt action, an invisible pressure weighed upon the shopkeeper, rendering him unable to utter the word "no."

If he did, something unpleasant might unfold here.

"We do! There are a few dresses in the storeroom, well-

preserved, nearly new. Shall I bring them out for you to see?" The shopkeeper wiped the sweat from his forehead, his hands nervously clenched.

"No need," Howard shook his head, "Pack them all. I'll take them."

As if granted a pardon, the shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief and hurried into the back storeroom.

Although Howard hadn't shown any frightening expressions, at that moment, when he asked his last question, the shopkeeper distinctly felt a strong aura of menace.

Resorting to violence over such a matter...

Howard might not do it, but it was clear he wouldn't just let it go either.

"Sorry... we don't have the exact size, it might need some adjustments when we get back." Howard touched Jelia's hair, smiling, "It might not fit perfectly, but it shouldn't be too bad."

If it was just a matter of adjusting the size, Howard could manage that much.

"Thank you." Jelia's voice seemed to choke up a bit, and when Howard looked down, he noticed a slight redness around her eyes.

Smiling, Howard once again ruffled Jelia's hair.

"Since you've chosen to work with me, I guess that makes me your boss. Letting my employee walk around looking unkempt isn't something a responsible boss should do."

"Employee?"

A novel term, seemingly connected to "boss" in some way.

"Yes, employee," Howard nodded.

"You've decided to work with me, right? That makes me your boss. It's a contract, a bond that must not be broken."

A contract?

Jelia was familiar with the concept, which seemed to signify a close relationship, an equal exchange.

So, between her and Howard, there was a contract?The most uptodate novels are published on n0velbj)n((.))co/m