A saintess? She's just a bad woman.

Page 61

This stunningly beautiful foreign woman was someone she was meeting for the first time, yet she gave her an unexpected sense of security. Whether it was lust blinding her or just her imagination, she couldn't tell anymore.

When the other person makes a request to her, even though her mind is still struggling with the decision, her body honestly responds: "I will do my best to help you as long as it is possible."

So what if it's superficial? There's nothing wrong with valuing looks above all else, she thought to herself.

The woman suddenly switched to speaking a less fluent Imperial language, seemingly trying to adapt to local customs.

“I’m looking to rent a reasonably priced place in Partington, but I’m new here and don’t know anyone. I was almost robbed when I met my landlord before, so I’m hoping to find a trustworthy landlord. The place doesn’t need to be too spacious, just two rooms will do.”

"If you're looking to rent a place, I do know a nice spot. I have a friend who's currently renting there. The landlady is a very easygoing and kind woman, though a bit unkempt. My friend was six months behind on rent back then, and the landlady didn't kick her out... Anyway, I can help you get in touch if you need it."

In short, this friend is definitely not Santa Karina herself.

After all, she had been asleep for over five hundred years.

The landlord of this friend refers to the shop manager, the one at the [tavern].

She wanted to maintain an elegant and proper image in front of this lady, hoping to potentially develop her into a client in the future.

If one could have such a beautiful and polite client, one would surely enjoy both physical and mental well-being during the service period.

The sudden surge of affection she felt when speaking to the other person aroused Santa Karina's curiosity.

She rarely felt the urge to investigate unfamiliar women. Before getting to know someone, she believed it was essential to understand the universal symbols that existed in the world: names.

"May I ask your name?"

"Doris."

"I am Lina Simon... and Doris is?"

Saint Karina made up a pseudonym on the spot.

“That’s my name. Actually… I don’t remember my surname. I lost part of my memory in an accident a few years ago. I only remember that my name is Doris. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hide it.”

“That’s alright. Miss Doris, please come with me.”

"Thank you."

The two walked side by side, stepping into the hustle and bustle of the capital.

On weekday afternoons, the streets aren't particularly crowded. It's only on holidays, weekends, or after dinner on weekday evenings that the streets become bustling with people.

However, there were actually quite a few people there.

Saint Karina glanced at Doris beside her out of the corner of her eye, while Doris looked around the street with the eyes of someone who had discovered a new continent.

She was out of place in this bustling world, both in her clothing and her demeanor.

"This country is incredible. I have never seen a country that applies mechanical engineering so extensively."

Doris took out a small camera from her backpack and began recording the sights she saw along the way.

This camera is an expensive item in this world. In addition to its intricate internal structure, the material used for recording is a special crystal that is rare, and the film itself is also expensive.

Similar to the crystals used for imaging, in short, people who can afford to play with cameras are generally well-off. This beauty from a foreign land may well be the daughter or even a princess of some famous family.

As for the amnesia the other party mentioned, sorry, Saint Karina wouldn't believe it even if she were a punctuation mark.

Since the two parties were still strangers, and Saint Karina herself used a pseudonym and a false identity, it was impossible to force others to use the truth.

Someone of this status could only be visiting the Lorian Empire for sightseeing or... running away from an arranged marriage?

A jumbled mess of typical romantic scenarios played out in Saint Karina's mind. On her way to meet the apartment landlord, Saint Karina recalled some more fragmented thoughts.

Her meeting with Doris helped her pick up the fragments of her lost memories—about the country called Etov.

Etov is a small country located at the easternmost edge of the continent, with poor transportation. It is surrounded by a ring of mountains, and its total land area is even smaller than that of a single county in the Lorian Empire.

Because of the treacherous terrain, it is very difficult to climb the rock walls to enter; people usually travel by water.

Some residents' houses float on the sea, similar to the principle of a waterfront neighborhood.

This country has been isolated from the world for a very long time, with almost no interaction with the outside world, and is known as the "Forgotten Country". Because of this isolation, their development in all aspects is still stagnant at the level of tens of thousands of years ago, and they have not yet stepped into the tide of diesel and metal.

They generally do not allow their citizens to leave the country and almost never allow outsiders to enter, which is why many people have never even heard of this place.

Why did she learn that language? Saint Karina had too many secrets hidden in the past.

Therefore, Doris may have had her own way of leaving that mountainous country, and Saint Karina wouldn't pry into matters that involve privacy.

Ahead lies the largest intersection in this neighborhood. This trip requires no transportation; the landlord's workplace is just a hundred meters ahead.

When she was about ten meters away from the finish line, Santa Karina suddenly stopped.

“Miss Doris, I’m a little worried that you’ll find the environment there unpleasant. It would be better to go somewhere else.”

Her gaze was directed towards the bar street and red-light district, the most chaotic area in the entire capital.

It's a melting pot of all sorts of people, a place where it's hard to tell good from bad. It's considered by many to be second only to the Kabukicho district in terms of its decadence, and respectable people rarely come here.

Someone as academic as Doris should go to a coffee shop, not a bar; the smoke and alcohol there would spoil the beauty of the place.

Secondly, taking someone to a bar immediately after meeting them is bound to be misunderstood as having ulterior motives.

After careful consideration, Santa Karina decided to change her plans and go to a real estate agency to inquire.

"I have no prejudice against bars. Don't let my appearance fool you, I could drink ten bottles of vodka without passing out. Mrs. Etov's great characteristic is her high alcohol tolerance. If you have the chance, you might want to apply for a tourist visa. Recently, the reformists in Etov have been trying to implement a policy of opening up certain areas to foreign tourists to increase revenue. The bars there are very welcoming to tourists."

"Thank you, I'll consider it when I'm done with work this year. Since you don't mind a bar, come with me."

116. Prospective tenant

Santa Karina's destination was a club called "The Tavern," which was different from traditional bars, or noisy bars, and was more like a quiet bar, yet it was filled with transactions involving women.

In short, the term "quiet bar" likely refers to its appearance and ambiance. In addition to the relatively soft and warm lighting, the design of the bar counter, lobby, and individual tables is more elegant compared to the glitz and glamour of noisy bars.

Inside the automatic glass doors lies a world completely different from the street.

Although it is marketed as a high-end establishment, the customers there do smoke, but the cigarettes are much milder compared to other noisy bars.

The aroma of smoke and alcohol mingled with the scent of coffee beans.

The automatic coffee grinder inside the bar is grinding the freshly poured coffee beans. The coffee powder in the transparent container is almost overflowing, and grinding it again would definitely be a waste.

Santa Karina turned off the coffee machine and chose one of the two central seats at the bar.

The woman behind the bar was dozing off. Although the sleeping conditions were not ideal, she had to rest her head on the bar, using her arms as a pillow.

A thick menu is displayed on the bar counter for guests to browse at their leisure.

Because Saint Karina and Ernest VII frequented such shops for a period of time, she could basically memorize the contents of the menu.

Back then, she would always order a drink whenever she came, which is why she chose "Gin" as the club's code name.

Nothing special, just terrible at naming things.

This place offers more than just drinks; it also serves a variety of food, making it more like a full-service restaurant. The landlady, a woman sleeping on the bar, is hardly the building manager.

She could have lived a carefree life off the rent, but she didn't want to stay at home every day, so she chose to become the manager of a tavern to experience the various aspects of life.

What an enviable life, but unfortunately it can't befall me.

"Miss Doris, please take your time looking through the menu. This guy should wake up in about ten minutes. If there's any drink you'd like, I can make it for you."

Saint Karina has a bartender's license in this world. Bartending is an essential skill for female public relations staff. A waiter's cocktail might sell for ten times the cost price, while a female public relations staff can charge an additional ten times the price. This is the so-called "service fee".

She was happy to show off her skills to this beautiful woman she had just met, as bartending was free outside of her working hours at the club. Expanding the business shouldn't be rushed; it was best to wait until they had known each other for a while before considering it.

"Is Miss Santa Karina an employee of this store?"

"No, just a regular customer. It's just that I'm quite studious, so I got my bartender license for personal reasons."

This statement is half true and half false. After all, Miss Gin's identity is fake, so rounding up, not admitting that she is a shop assistant is not exactly lying.

She walked behind the bar, and the way she stood in front of the liquor cabinet made her look more like the bartender.

This kind of temperament comes from the experience gained from working in bars. In a world full of danger and magical powers, having more practical skills is never a bad thing.

"Miss Doris, I'm currently the temporary bartender at this establishment. How may I help you?"

Santa Karina quickly switched into service mode, donning the same elegant and charming smile she wore while working in a nightclub. No customer disliked such a smile; warm hospitality is an essential skill for winning repeat customers.

The top-performing hostess at the club took a different approach, relying on her aloof and cold persona, which appealed to some customers who seemed to be masochists.

However, money and sales figures don't matter. Saint Karina prefers interacting with normal customers and choosing an elegant and sophisticated style, which also wins over many clients.

Doris was very receptive to her charms, raising her eyebrows and pointing to a line on the menu.

"Sunset over a cup."

"Okay, please wait."

The base spirit and other condiments are arranged clearly, with little change from the last time. The base spirit in this drink is whiskey, with a refreshing aroma and a light, pleasant taste, perfect for a summer drink like this.

She is a person of high moral character and would never add computer parts to her drink. Her passing out is entirely her own fault. For example, someone drinking for the first time is definitely not a person with a high alcohol tolerance.

Once the layers of drinks in the glass were properly prepared, the real bartender slowly woke up, completely lacking the professional demeanor one would expect.

It's easy to feel sleepy on a hot afternoon, and there are no customers in the tavern, so it's perfectly normal for the tavern manager to fall asleep.

She casually placed a cup of refreshing lemon tea next to the other person.

"Good afternoon, store manager."

"Okay...right, take a look at this first."

The shopkeeper grabbed a crumpled copy of the Lorian Empire Daily from under the bar. The front page headline was striking: "A series of horrific murders have occurred in the capital within a month; the victims' hearts have all been removed. Is this a sign of moral decay or the extinction of humanity?"

Eye-catching headlines are key to sales, and in this world without electronic media, newspapers and books sell very well. It's no wonder, given the recent frequent deployments of the sheriff's squad, the Knights of Faith, and the soldiers' battalion.

When it comes to public security issues, they cannot simply sit idly by.

Saint Karina merely glanced at the newspaper, showing little interest in its contents.

"What does the murder case have to do with me? I've read the previous reports. The only things the deceased and I have in common are that we are both human and citizens of the Lorian Empire. That's all we have in common."

Oh, I should correct something. Saint Karina wasn't actually a citizen of the Empire. Her citizenship was revoked long ago after her death five hundred years ago.

"It's just my personal concern. The women at our club often work night shifts, right? The victims were all murdered on their way home from night shifts. I'm worried that one day the girls in the club will become the next target of this 'heart-stealing maniac.' Lonely women are very easy targets for the killer..."

"Cough-cough-"

She coughed, interrupting the shop manager's long-winded explanation. She had clearly just woken up and hadn't considered the situation.

"By the way, Miss Manager, excuse me, this is Miss Doris, she'd like to consult you about renting an apartment. My job is to introduce her to someone. It's your turn now, please—"

"Renting a place... wait, let me calm down first."

The shop manager opened her sleepy eyes, which were squinted, and casually finished her meal with a refreshing lemon tea and rice balls from the restaurant across the street.

“Miss Doris, please contact the manager about the rental. I have other matters to attend to, so I must excuse myself. I'll pay for your drink.”

Saint Karina left the money for the drinks and said goodbye to the shopkeeper and Doris.

She hadn't forgotten she needed to get back to the sanctuary before dark. If Doris could reach an agreement with the shopkeeper and rent an apartment, there would be many more opportunities to meet in the future. Getting so engrossed in talking to a woman she'd just met that she neglected more important matters would only lead to regret.

As I left, the wind chimes hanging outside the tavern tinkled sweetly. Through the glass door, I could see the landlord and the prospective tenant chatting happily; the rental process seemed to be going smoothly.

The manager's apartment is reasonably priced, fully furnished, and comfortable; no one could refuse such living conditions.

If it works out, that would be great; it would help me develop her into my client as quickly as possible.

Saint Karina would never miss an opportunity to increase her clientele, though what she wanted wasn't money, but rather indulgence and pleasure.

She likes the woman herself, not the material comforts she receives.

However, for the average female public relations professional, money is definitely more important. When a customer buys a bottle of wine under their name, their salary varies depending on the price of the wine, ranging from 5% to 35% of the wine's selling price, depending on their status and rank.

While a 50/50 split is ideal, the people providing the venue and doing the advertising are, after all, nightclubs, not female escorts. The price of a single drink can sometimes be enough to support an average family for several months. This necessitates a high-end venue to attract customers who can afford it.

During their rest week, female public relations staff usually don't do this, because doing so might lead to a significant drop in their monthly income, causing them to be surpassed by other female public relations staff.

Saint Karina told herself that money can never be earned enough, and that one cannot spend their whole life chasing money without ever knowing how to rest. She always needs to schedule time to relax and take better care of herself.

Unlike the top Bacardi lady, she wasn't concerned about sales performance and didn't need to push herself into a corner. Because, she wasn't short of money…

117. The priest delivers the answer sheet.

At dusk, Saint Karina arrived at the sanctuary before nightfall.

It was just past 6:30. It's still summer, and it won't be completely dark until 7:30.

Saint Karina responded with a smile to the priests and nuns who greeted her, appearing neither arrogant nor impatient.