I’ll Become the Heroine’s Capable Divorce Partner - Chapter 36

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 36

I blinked my eyes in surprise.

Isn’t this price too cheap?

“Where is this hat shop?”

“Well, it’s not really a high-end shop that a young lady would visit…”

“I know, I’m just curious.”

So after finding out the shop’s location from Judy.

I took out some gold coins.

“Listen, Judy. Won’t you sell me that hat?”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll pay you double the price.”

Judy looked quite bewildered, but she didn’t refuse the gold coins I offered her.

* * *

After returning to the Duke’s House townhouse, I immediately went to find Isabel.

“Sister-in-law, could you take a look at this?”

“What is it? …Oh my.”

Isabel’s eyes widened as she received the hat from me.

“This is a really pretty hat. The quality is excellent. The craftsmanship is delicate and meticulous too.”

Her emerald green eyes carefully examined the hat.

After a moment.

Isabel slightly furrowed her brow.

“The only disappointing thing is the materials… This is strange. Expensive and cheap materials are mixed together.”

“You think so too, Sister-in-law?”

“Yes. Overall it uses cheap materials, but the lace and embroidery decorations are very high-quality. Why would they make it this way?”

Isabel muttered with a disappointed expression after examining the hat thoroughly.

“Still, it seems like it was made by a seamstress with excellent skills. If I could, I’d want to hire her.”

“Then, how much do you think this hat should sell for?”

“Well… even considering the materials, it should sell for at least 3 gold, shouldn’t it?”

As expected.

I nodded and said.

“That hat is being sold for 20 silver.”

At those words, Isabel looked genuinely puzzled.

“That’s impossible. Just the labor costs alone would make that price point absolutely impossible.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“Of course. It should cost at least double that. And that’s really the bare minimum.”

Isabel emphasized again.

‘Something is definitely strange.’

I slightly furrowed my brow.

Though it might be meddling.

Still, I thought I should visit that hat shop at least once.

* * *

The next day.

I headed to the hat shop that Judy had told me about.

‘Ah, is that it?’

From the outside, it just looked ordinary.

In other words, it didn’t look like a shop that would handle such expensive hats.

Rather, it was a modest shop that seemed like it would mainly sell practical hats.

‘Hmm.’

After looking suspicious for a moment, I approached closer to the shop.

At the same time, my eyes widened.

‘My goodness, look at all these people.’

The shop was absolutely bustling with customers.

People were crowding around regardless of whether they were young ladies, middle-aged women, or elderly ladies.

They mostly looked like commoners.

There wasn’t a single noble among them.

I pulled my hat down low to cover my face slightly.

Then I opened the door and entered the shop.

Noisy chatter assaulted my eardrums.

“Excuse me! Please ring up this hat!”

“Hey, I was here first.”

“What did you say?!”

There was a long line at the checkout counter.

It seemed like they didn’t have separate staff and the owner was directly serving customers.

‘With this many customers, wouldn’t it be good to hire an employee or two?’

Oh, how chaotic.

Just as I was shaking my head inwardly.

Suddenly a cheerful greeting came my way.

“Welcome, customer.”

The shop owner who had been serving customers hurriedly approached me, completely ignoring the checkout counter.

She appeared to be a middle-aged woman.

However.

‘…Isn’t she staring a bit too obviously?’

She thought she was being careful, but I could still see it.

The way she quickly checked my outfit from top to bottom.

And her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

It was clearly the attitude of someone dealing with a ‘big spender.’

‘Well, I did dress to look wealthy on purpose.’

That way the shop would be more proactive in their approach.

But I didn’t expect them to act so transparently…

“I’ll browse around the store.”

“Ah, then let me explain…”

“You look busy, so there’s no need.”

I shook my head and warned again.

“I’ll call if I need anything, so don’t bother following me around. Other customers are waiting too, aren’t they.”

The shop owner looked quite disappointed.

“Yes, understood.”

Still, not wanting to upset me, the owner stepped back.

Then she hurriedly headed toward the checkout counter.

“I’ll ring you up now, just a moment!”

“Ah, please hurry up.”

“Do you know how long we’ve been waiting?!”

The customers were making a huge commotion.

Then the shop owner drew a line with the customers with a smiling face.

“You all know, don’t you? Just how cheaply our store sells things.”

“Well…….”

The customers who had been extremely irritated calmed down a little.

The shop owner continued confidently.

“No matter where you go, you won’t find such excellent goods at this price. Isn’t that right?”

I observed this scene carefully.

Seeing him sweet-talk like that, it seemed this shop’s concept was ‘low margin, high volume.’

Even seeing how people readily agreed.

‘It really is cheap.’

Cheap enough that even Judy, who was constantly worried about her Younger Brother, would make up her mind to buy one.

It certainly seemed to have price competitiveness.

I looked around the store, being careful not to get pushed around by people.

Various women’s hats were displayed, and they were all quite well-made.

At first glance, it was obvious they were made by a fairly skilled seamstress.

However.

‘These hats are also exactly the same as Judy’s hat.’

Once again, the incongruity of materials stood out.

While expensive Embroidery and Lace were used generously, the basic materials used to make the hats were all cheap cotton Fabric.

Not a single expensive Fabric like Silk was used.

While I was examining the hats like this for a while.

Suddenly the surroundings became quiet.

Finally, the customers had receded like the tide.

The shop owner, having finished with calculations and customer service, asked me gently.

“Is there perhaps a hat that catches your fancy?”

At that question, I casually pointed to a hat placed in front.

“This Bonnet is very pretty. How much is it?”

“30 Silver.”

“Then what about that bucket hat?”

“Ah, that one is just 20 Silver.”

……As expected, the prices were too cheap.

Not only cutting and sewing, but Lace decorations also had to be knitted by hand one by one.

Moreover, if it was a craftsperson who could do such delicate Embroidery, the labor costs would be considerable even for a commoner.

‘No matter how I think about it, this unit price shouldn’t be possible?’

While I was inwardly tilting my head in confusion.

My gaze suddenly turned toward the wall near the counter.

The text written on the golden brass plate was…….

That’s right.

It was a commendation received from the country.

Meanwhile, the shop owner, noticing that I was looking at the commendation, smiled brightly and spoke to me.

“Ah, it’s embarrassing, but we were selected as a Shop of Good Will this time.”

He doesn’t look embarrassed at all though?

He looks extremely proud and pleased!

‘Anyway, Shop of Good Will…… huh.’

I also knew roughly about ‘Shops of Good Will.’

It was a policy where the Empire selected shops that contributed to society and gave them various benefits.

Not only various insurance fees related to the shop, but also interest reduction on loan products run by the state.

And they said subsidies were also provided to some extent…….

“That’s really impressive. May I ask how you were selected?”

“Of course. Our shop…….”

According to the shop owner’s boastful explanation, it went like this.

The hats sold in this hat shop were made at a certain poorhouse.

And that poorhouse was a place where several women who had lost their husbands early lived together, and the women all made hats together.

“The profits from selling hats go back to the poorhouse. It’s close to being an economic community of sorts.”

But somehow, the more I listened, the stranger it felt.

Selling goods at such cheap prices, could proper compensation really go back to those women?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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