Chapter 1.3
“I’m pretty sure this is the place.”
In front of a small shop with no signboard hung a tiny plaque that read “Mystical Antique Shop.”
Rumor had it that all the young ladies who liked to act refined had visited this place at least once. But contrary to its reputation, the shop looked suspiciously shabby even from the outside.
Taking a deep breath, she quickly glanced left and right to ensure no one was watching before cautiously pushing the door open.
The door, which looked like it might fall off at any moment, creaked loudly even with the slightest push.
“Is anyone here?”
“Oh, welcome!”
A man suddenly emerged from a corner of the seemingly empty shop, rubbing his eyes as he stood up.
“Ahem. Ahem. I heard there’s a mystical item here that can bring love to fruition.”
She cleared her throat and spoke in an intentionally dignified tone.
Although, the question itself was far from dignified.
“Of course, of course! You’ve come to the right place. This shop can only be found by those who are chosen. The goddess of fate must have guided you here, young lady.”
‘Chosen ones,’ my foot. The shop was just so ridiculously tiny that it was hard to find.
The so-called “Goddess of Fate”? Anything that came with such grandiose packaging from the start had never turned out to be worth much.
She had come here, squeezing time out of her already packed schedule, holding onto a sliver of hope. But now, she was starting to feel like this trip was a waste of time.
“I heard the shopkeeper personally selects the item that suits the customer?”
“That’s correct. With just one glance, I can tell which product is perfect for whom. Now, let me see… for you, young lady…”
The shopkeeper scratched his chin with his hand, staring at her intently, before rummaging through the mess of items piled up around him. Finally, he pulled out an old book.
“This one is just right for you.”
The book, untouched for a long time, was covered in a thick layer of white dust.
“This book, let me tell you, is an ancient text imported from a faraway eastern land. Its name is none other than the ‘Book of Love Spells’!”
“The ‘Book of Love Spells’?”
She swallowed dryly.
A spellbook? Could it possibly contain some supernatural, mysterious power?
“If you follow the instructions in this book, any man will fall for you, young lady.”
“Any man? Fall for me?”
She repeated the shopkeeper’s words as if hypnotized.
Could magic truly exist in this world?
She had her doubts, but in truth, it didn’t matter whether it was real magic or not. As long as it worked, that was enough.
Still, I needed to verify it properly, right?
Determined not to appear naive, she raised her chin with an air of haughtiness.
“May I take a look?”
“Hmm. Normally, it’s against the rules to show the contents, but I’ll make a special exception and let you see a little.”
Flip.
“Huh? I didn’t catch that. That was too fast. Could you go slower?”
“Ah, what a picky young lady you are. Fine, this time, make sure to pay attention.”
Flip, flip, flip.
There was definitely some writing on the pages, but he flipped through them so quickly that she couldn’t make out what it said.
She squinted her eyes, trying to see more clearly, but from the outside, it was hard to tell anything.
Still, this shop had been the talk of the noble young ladies lately. Especially among those suffering from unrequited love.
She knew at least a few people personally who had been here.
Baroness Griffel’s daughter, Earl Devois’s daughter, and Viscountess Floar’s daughter—all of them had purchased something here and reportedly ended up with the person they loved.
“…So, how much is it?”
“It’s a bit pricey. But as you know, young lady, this is a rare book from a land so far away we’ve never even laid eyes on it before.”
“Fine, just tell me the price.”
Of course, such a mysterious item would be expensive. Fortunately, she had brought plenty of money with her.
The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment before spreading his hand wide and thrusting it in front of her face twice.
“Five hundred and fifty thousand krang.”
“F-Five hundred and fifty thousand?”
Her voice involuntarily rose at the price, which was far higher than she had anticipated.
“But I’ll let you have it for just five hundred thousand krang. Since you’ve found this place so fatefully, I’m giving you a special discount. However, you mustn’t tell anyone else about this price. If others find out I gave you a discount, they’ll resent me.”
The shopkeeper spoke as though he were doing her a great favor, but five hundred thousand krang was by no means a small amount of money.
“Five hundred thousand for a single book? That’s way too expensive, no matter how you look at it.”
“It may seem expensive, but considering it grants you love, isn’t this price only natural?”
“It’s not even that thick.”
“Ah, young lady, you’re more frugal than you look. That robe you’re wearing seems quite expensive, though.”
The man grumbled as he pointed to her robe, which she had wrapped tightly around herself to conceal her identity.
No, this wasn’t about being frugal or extravagant.
The fact that a single book from this crumbling shop cost more than a dress by a famous designer was simply absurd.
“Then, could I at least test it first?”
“Test it? What do you mean by that?”
“This book. How can I buy such an expensive item without testing it first? For all I know, how can I trust that what you’re saying is true?”
“Didn’t you come here after hearing the rumors? The effectiveness must have already been proven, yet here you are nitpicking. Fine, if you don’t trust me, just leave. I won’t sell it to you.”
The shopkeeper suddenly raised his voice in anger, then began to stroke the book tenderly as he muttered to himself.
“Well, it doesn’t matter to me. I can just sell it to someone else. I only feel sorry for you, young lady. This book is perfect for you.”
Something about this whole situation felt increasingly suspicious… and yet, strangely, she felt drawn to it.
“There’s a saying: ‘Fate is not something to wait for, but something to seize.’ No matter how much fate comes knocking, if you don’t choose it yourself… there’s nothing that can be done.”
Fate.
Indeed, the recruitment for the position of Grand Duchess candidate felt like fate to her.
The shopkeeper’s voice grew more wistful.
“You’re in love with someone, aren’t you?”
In love…
Yes, she was. Desperately. Deeply. Overwhelmingly.
Yes. If she could just capture his heart.
No, even if his gaze could linger on her, just once.
“All right, I’ll buy it.”
“Ahhh… I’ve done it.”
Although she had repeatedly told herself not to fall for the merchant’s sales tactics, the words that came out of her mouth betrayed her resolve.
In an instant, five million krang had transformed into a small shopping bag.
“Will you… at least offer a refund if it doesn’t work?”
As a last resort, she asked, but the merchant confidently pointed to the wall with a flick of his hand.
On the wall, she noticed for the first time a small, hastily scrawled sign.
[No exchanges or refunds under any circumstances.]
Damn it.
The money had already left her hands.
* * *
For quite some time now, she had been opening and closing her fists repeatedly.
‘Why am I so nervous over something like this?’
Though there had been plenty of suspicious aspects, the vivid testimonials from other young ladies left no room for doubt.
With a determined mindset, she closed her eyes and flipped open the book.
She hadn’t expected light to suddenly burst out, strange symbols to float in the air, or to be sucked into some unknown dimension… but still…
It was a complete letdown.
Peeking through half-closed eyes, she looked down at the book, only to find it utterly ordinary.
Far from emanating a mysterious power, the book made her think,
‘This? This is worth five million krang?’
The first thing that greeted her upon opening the book was a subtitle and a table of contents.
[
“The Seven Rules to Make Someone Fall in Love”
- The Rule of Smiles
- The Rule of the Carotid Artery
- The Rule of Compliments
- The Rule of Gaps
- The Rule of Physical Contact
- The Rule of Jealousy
- The Rule of the Suspension Bridge
]
The book seemed less like a magical tome of love and more like a dating guidebook.
Although she couldn’t shake the feeling of having been scammed, wasn’t this better than a book filled with incomprehensible spells?
Trying to stay positive, she turned to the next page and began reading.
[
- The Rule of Smiles
Whenever your eyes meet, smile no matter what.
A smile is the quickest and most accurate signal to express interest.
]
Oh, it somehow seemed convincing.
[
Humans naturally feel wary and uncomfortable around strangers. Build a sense of closeness by smiling first, then approach them. A smile will always be returned with a smile.
]
It even sounded scientific.
That’s right. The Grand Duke didn’t know her well, so it was only natural for him to feel wary and uncomfortable around her.
Smiling was something she was confident about. It wasn’t difficult at all.
After all, just looking at his handsome face made her smile automatically.
He had the kind of appearance that could bring a smile to anyone’s face. In fact, not smiling while looking at him would probably be harder.
‘Wait a second, what is this?’
[
Key Point. When combined with the Second Rule, the effect doubles! Double up!
]
The tone of the book suddenly shifted.
‘Doesn’t this feel a bit… too lighthearted?’
It almost seemed like one of those cheap dating guides you could easily find on the market.
A flicker of doubt arose but quickly disappeared.
‘The Second Rule. What exactly is the Second Rule?’
She spent the entire afternoon locked in her room, reading the book.
‘They did say all I have to do is act according to what’s written in the book, right?’
Alright. Let’s give it a shot, even if it’s just to see if it works!
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