A crowd gradually gathered on Panne Street after 5:00 pm. Lights flickered on, and vendors began setting up their stalls. With the development of the internet, some people were even livestreaming to sell their items.Despite the sizable crowd, the atmosphere remained subdued. Most people kept to themselves, their conversations hushed.A variety of gemstones were on display, yet Aria struggled to find the topaz stones she desired. This was because of the limited profit in it unless it was carved.Only two stalls offered raw topaz, and their prices were exorbitant.Will picked up a paper fan. "Mr. Martines, a thousand dollars for three stones? That's outrageous!""They came from Topaz Mountain, consider the travel costs! Business has been rough lately, Mr. Weller. How about a deal? Buy something else, and I'll throw in the stones. This oil burner, for instance, has a fascinating history," Ezra Martines countered, attempting a sale.The oil burner did pique Will's interest. "Don't
Charm Coin was also known as Charm Token. It was an ancient coin that people used to ward off bad luck. It originated at least a thousand years ago, rarely seen in the modern day. It was a remarkable feat for Aria to be able to acquire the coin!Ezra's exclamation drew a crowd of curious vendors. "It truly is a Charm Token! My word, you're incredibly lucky!"Vendors swarmed Aria with offers. "Miss, would you be interested in selling the coin? I'll give you five thousand dollars!""Five thousand? Don't try to bluff her! This costs at least 60 thousand dollars!""60 thousand dollars? Miss, don't listen to them! I'll offer you 200 thousand dollars."Ezra felt extremely regretful when he saw the events unfolding. He couldn't believe he had given out Charm Coin as a gift! He even said that Aria knew nothing.How could Will say that Aria was just his niece? She was obviously an expert in ancient artifacts!Ezra felt anxious. "I can give you 300 thousand dollars! Miss, I gave it to
A murmur rippled through the crowd surrounding Aria. "Whoever possesses the Emperor's Coin is guaranteed immense fortune! It's a relic of the royal family, after all!"The people surged toward Aria upon hearing this."Miss, are you willing to sell the Emperor Coin?""I'll offer you 1 million dollars!""Make it 2 million! Miss, please consider it. I need this item as a businessman."The initial commotion had already drawn a crowd, but now, half the market had gathered.Blake was seeing his guests off. As he passed by the throng, he casually inquired, "What's all this commotion about?""A young woman managed to acquire the Emperor Coin. How amazing!"Philip perked up at the mention of a young woman. "Could it be the one who came with Mr. Weller?"Kenny shot the crowd a dismissive look. "Doesn't matter who it is. It's most likely just a publicity stunt. What exactly do you think the Emperor's Coin is? It's not something you can easily collect in its entirety. Vendors who actually
Getting the Emperor Coin was an incredible feat. Even a seasoned archaeologist might have overlooked it in Ezra's stall.For five or six years, Ezra's copper coins had gathered dust. Many customers passed by, some even refusing them as a freebie. Price was all that mattered; nobody cared about rusty coins. But Aria had a keen eye.Disappointment washed over Ezra. He clutched his hair, staring at the candle jar. "How could I have been so blind?"He'd unknowingly possessed a valuable treasure for years. Frustration welled up, turning his eyes red. Millions of dollars worth of items sold for a measly six thousand, the coins included as a throw-in! The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.Just as his frustration peaked, Aria spoke. "Mr. Martinez, your candle jar also seems quite old. It might have come from the same place as the copper coins."Her hint was clear. Not understanding it would be foolish. "Yes, yes. It's from the same place. My ancestors had used it back then.
A large crowd suddenly formed. Will stared at the unbelievable scene before him. Despite having his shoes trampled on several times and his collar askew, he refused to leave.Even after straightening his collar, he remained hesitant. "Ms. Carver, are we just leaving like this? If you want that candle jar, Mr. Martines will definitely give it to you!""The candle jar will only safeguard its original owners." Aria strung the Emperor Coin with the red string before placing it in her bag."Uncle Will, we can't be greedy about others' luck. It might backfire on us. Plus, Mr. Martines is not a bad guy. All his items are genuine," Aria added with a smile.It was true that Ezra sold his items for a higher price. However, the price was reasonable if the items were all legitimate. Ezra rubbed his head after hearing that. "Oh, I thought you'd think I was dumb for constantly buying from him at higher prices.""Good items are scarce these days," Aria said, her intelligence allowing her to se
Sam nodded. He shook the bell again, as if he'd taken a liking to it, grinning widely throughout. Aria's gaze darkened. She'd always believed that nothing was created to be inherently good or evil. Demons were far from being the most terrifying existence in the world—that would be the nature of humanity. She'd taken Sam under her wing and would continue to do so until the end. He was just a boy who loved to eat, and it would be fine if she didn't make him angry. Aria pinched Sam's cheeks. Sam suddenly thought of something. He gestured, "That guy from just now is about to die soon. I could smell it.""Everyone has their own destiny. His, however, hinges on whether he races later." Aria couldn't see through the darkness between another person's brows and could only tell one's fortune by analyzing their facial features. Tobias had taught her how to do face reading. One passage in the manual read, "Those with round noses possess good intentions."While Aria couldn't definitivel
"I'm just curious," Aria said with a smile, "Seems like the rumors aren't nice.""Uh, you know," Will said, "The conversations within this social circle are always about the same stuff.""What kind of stuff?" Aria smiled.Noticing that she didn't mind, Will wanted to warn her about the rumors about her. "In the version I heard, you were found in a village and taken back here. Everyone thinks that you wouldn't be that respectable after growing up in that place and that you don't deserve Mr. Landon. "He's rejected you, and the engagement wasn't canceled only because you insisted on hovering around him.""That's about the same as what I envisioned," Aria said sardonically. Her gaze darkened under the sunlight.All the scenes in her dreams were coming true one after another. Aria remembered clearly how those rumors had been the first step to dream-Aria's downfall."What do you mean that was about the same as you'd envisioned?" Will was dumbfounded. "Why would you even think about t
It wasn't that Will was oblivious to what the Wagner family had implicitly demanded of him. It was that he had no choice but to take a side, not when Landon was telling him so politely about how he held a mean grudge.The contrast between Landon's amiable tone and the threat in his words made Will break out in a cold sweat. He wasn't sure if marrying Landon would be good for Aria. Landon sounded gentler than before, saying, "Mr. Carver Senior must have his own reasons for picking you to show Aria around. I'll have to trouble you with taking care of her in the future as well."Will promptly said, "Even if you haven't called, Mr. Landon, I'll still be willing to take care of Ms. Aria. It's my honor to have met her."The antique coin felt heavy in his pocket. He'd shown many people around Panne Street, and many people had treated him with casual disrespect. Few people still cared about the rules passed down by the older generations. To many people, Will was nothing but an employee.
The HR employee glanced over at Aria and spoke with a hint of cockiness. "Eden, I called your name twice. You should pay more attention next time. You can't act like this during the interview. Otherwise, you might not even complete the application."The cockier she sounded, the more convinced the students became that the scholarship program was legitimate. Their wariness gradually faded.Noticing the students' reactions, Aria walked over to the HR employee.The woman said nothing more. She looked Aria up and down, glanced at the red mark on the paper, then turned and led Aria to the innermost room—her heels clicking sharply on the floor.Aria knew she was their real target. Others had arrived before her, but they were ignored until she showed up.Inside, the interviewer was a middle-aged man. He gestured for Aria to sit. Without much expression, he asked, "Eden, will you be able to adjust to foreign cuisines? What are your expectations for your future school? What are your plans af
After entering the building, Aria discovered there were at least ten other students around her age. Some had been picked up from rural areas. All of them believed they were there for a language test in Angladian, and many were busy practicing their speaking skills.The leader gestured for his subordinates to push Aria forward. "Off you go. Try your best to nail it on the first shot."Aria walked inside without resistance. She noted that surveillance cameras had been installed in every corner, even at every hallway turn. It was clear all the students were under strict observation.She had to admit—the company was much more professional-looking than expected. If she hadn't disguised herself as Eden or known in advance that the company was suspicious, she might have believed this was a legitimate organization."Alright. Next student, come with me," called one of the HR staff.Everyone seemed busy. Employees sat at desks buried under piles of documents, each preoccupied with their ow
Those who dedicated their lives to protecting others didn't care about how people viewed them, because a greater purpose drove them.Just as Brent had said, no one would help people like them without expecting compensation. And if anyone did, it could only be the Farshyan soldiers.At that moment, the train to Janovin began to move.…Meanwhile, Aria, disguised as Eden, sat quietly in the car with her eyes closed, appearing to be asleep. She didn't react when the man sitting next to her gently tapped her arm. He leaned closer and whispered, "Sir, doesn't she seem different from usual? Do you think she's car sick or something?"The driver frowned, holding up an ID photo and glancing back at her."Maybe she's just used to us now. Probably has everything figured out by this point. Anyway, our job's just to drop her off. What happens after that isn't our concern. Once they pick her up, we'll get our money."Unbeknownst to them, Aria was wide awake, listening to every word and memor
Ordinary people understood the harshness of reality. Brent, having lived in poverty for most of his life, had been looked down on more times than he could count.Poor people like them could die unnoticed at home, and no one would care, let alone offer help without expecting something in return.If something really happened to Eden, Brent doubted he and his wife could do anything to save her. Judy was a prime example. Her father, Alec Lanez, had even given up selling bread just to look for her.Every time Alec went to the school, he was met with the same cold response."It has nothing to do with us. Your daughter ran away and refuses to acknowledge you. So why are you coming here? Peasants like you should know your place. Without us, people like you could only dream of going overseas. How filthy!"Brent had heard the school's representative say those exact words when he accompanied Alec. Both of them could only stand there, humiliated and speechless.Alec's back was sore from how m
Eden immediately opened the windows after hearing that. "Did Ms. Carver send you here? Is she in any danger? I'm really worried about her. Should I call the police? I'd feel horrible if anything happened to her."Weston remained calm and indifferent. "Calling the police will only make them suspicious. My boss is amazing, and there's nothing she can't handle. She has a plan. Right now, my priority is to bring all of you to Heartbound Hall in Janovin so your grandfather can receive treatment."The respect in Weston's voice when he spoke of Aria was unmistakable."Pack up your things and come with me," Weston ordered.Their team had already checked the surroundings and ensured nothing would go wrong. Anyone watching would think Eden's grandparents were simply collecting bottles and preparing lunch as usual, not leaving the house until the afternoon.Without wasting time, Weston picked up the elderly couple's luggage. His most important task now was to get Eden and her grandparents to
"We followed the address, so this must be the place. Sir, isn't that the girl?" It was the same group of people as before. After failing their last mission because of Aria, they were being extra cautious this time."We can't afford any more mistakes. Treat her kindly so that she won't suspect anything.""Yes, sir."When they saw a young woman in a school uniform appear right on time, they were convinced she was the right person. After all, Aria looked exactly like Eden.They rolled down the car window and waved. "Ms. Bohmer, over here."Aria looked up and recognized several familiar faces. She grabbed her bag and walked toward the car."Ms. Bohmer, we meet again," The driver greeted Aria warmly. "Let's go."The team had prepared for a difficult encounter. They'd even been authorized to use force if necessary, as long as they avoided surveillance cameras. But to their surprise, Aria simply opened the car door and got in without resistance.Aria glanced at their puzzled expression
The aged voice was filled with indifference. "It seems like she reached a dead end."Amos sneered. "I don't understand why these peasants like staying in the city. Still, it's fortunate for us. Otherwise, it'd be hard to get our hands on them.""Amos," the person cut in sharply, as if reminding him of his place.Amos only dared to speak so harshly when no one was around. If word got out, his image as the perfect secretary would be ruined.He quickly calmed down and fell silent. The caller didn't press the matter, simply saying, "You need to change the way you speak and act from now on."Since she's already agreed, give her the money. Don't treat her requests as a nuisance. The more requests they make, the less likely they are to cause trouble later."After picking her up tomorrow, send a few men to check if her grandparents need any help. Make sure everything is done properly."Amos nodded. "I understand. You always see the bigger picture. We'll continue looking after them."Poo
"I promise it won't happen again!" To an outsider, it might've sounded like Amos was talking about the cafeteria mishap. But the truth was much darker. What Amos really meant was that incidents like this could continue, just never publicly. Once the media's attention died down, they could go back to doing whatever they pleased. But for now, the performance had to be flawless.The man on the other end of the call seemed satisfied. Though his voice was flat and monotonous, there was a noticeable shift; it was now less stern."She's been manipulating the stock market," he said. "It's caused major damage to several of Luwditen's corporations. We can't let her walk free."Amos removed his glasses, a grim look on his face. "That's exactly what I told the Securities Regulatory Department. It doesn't matter who comes to plead on her behalf. Even if she's the late Mr. Barron's heir, she has to face the law."She's confessed. No one's going to let her off the hook now. You know what jail'
At first, Eden didn't understand what Aria meant. But as night fell, Aria lowered her head and started fumbling with something. When she looked up again, Eden was stunned—Aria looked exactly like her.Eden's eyes widened in disbelief. She'd only seen something like this in movies. But now, it was unfolding right in front of her. So there really was such a flawless disguise technique in the world."Aria, you…""Since I'm using your identity, I have to be you," Aria said with a soft tug of her mask, smiling. She had always been bold, yet precise. Working in the Special Missions Unit meant secrecy was second nature to her—this part was routine."Stay home and rest tonight. I'll leave first thing in the morning. Once I'm gone and the coast is clear, take your grandparents and leave."Eden opened her mouth, unsure of how to respond. She didn't even know when the people watching them would leave."My team will come get you," Aria reassured her. "What's important is that your grandparent