31 Chapter 30 (1/2)

”We could have gotten her for a third of that price.” Devon stated when we were out of earshot of the tent.

”Huh?” I asked dumbly.

”Your servant. He was giving us an over the top price. Extorting the royal family, the gall. I could have talked him down, but you brought out that strong box… where did you even get that stuff? A large family could have lived half a year on that amount of money.”

”Ah… I'm sorry… I wasn't thinking. A-are you mad?” I looked up at him innocently, an apologetic look on my face.

[Seduce has increased to LVL 4.]

That's a damn lie! I was not trying to seduce the prince, I wasn't! However, the prince was scratching the back of his neck and blushing, which was an odd action for someone that was supposed to be angry at me.

”Well, no it's fine. I guess. It's not like you'll need money in the castle. But those 20 gold you spent are most of the money I had. I'm not sure I'll be able to buy an appropriate dress that befits a princess.”

Min wore a questioning look on her face and so I pulled her to my side and whispered in her ear. ”Long story. For the moment, I am Princess Cornelia Batrum, I'm engaged to the third prince of Nidia, and we're about to go to the castle.”

Min simply nodded again. It was nice seeing how well she could take a secret. I didn't think I'd need to worry about her. I was still afraid she might slip up and fail to act as an appropriate servant. That could end up threatening my mission. On the other hand, having someone on my side put me in a much better situation than I was before.

”You… certainly get along with your servant.” Devon stated.

I pulled away from her as if I had been shocked. ”Oh… ah… is that weird.”

”No! No… Don't get me wrong. It's nice. I just didn't expect you to treat… someone common, with so much concern.”

”Ah…” I simply made a noncommittal noise, wondering when I could see a real princess so I would know how to act.

As I was thinking that, I felt a tug on my shirt. I glanced back to Min, and she went to whisper in my ear.

”Clothing… I make… cheaper.” She said lightly.

I gave a nod and then walked next to Devon. ”Well, if it's a problem, my servant is a decent enough seamstress, so if we can just get the fabric should probably make it.”

”Ah, well… I was hoping to be in the castle today. There's no way she can make a dress that fast.”

”One night…” Min suddenly spoke up.

”Eh? One? The seamstresses I hire usually take two weeks, are you-”

”On night,” Min said firmly.

Devon glanced at me, and I gave him an innocent smile. A moment later, he threw up his hands.

”Alright, I suppose after what you've been through, a night of decent rest would go a long way.”

I giggled and showed him my brightest smile. He seemed to react to it, becoming somewhat awkward and scratching the back of his neck again. It was kind of cute and I was starting to like that innocent side of him.

That's how we found ourselves in a tailor. Except, instead of picking out a dress, we were grabbing fabric, cutting blades, and thread. Min seemed to know exactly what she needed, so I left the shopping to her. I attempted to pick out some fabrics for a bit.

”Nn… too flimsy.” She said when I showed her one I liked.

I found another one off the same rack she was looking at and showed her, ”Nn… you look better in green.”

”Eh?” I spoke up, ”I thought I looked good in black, it's my fa-”

”No… green.” She cut me off firmly.

After that, I let her pick out everything and stood around with Devon in an awkward silence. A few minutes later, she was done and my prince paid the bill. Even though we were only buying fabric and not clothing, it turned out that the price just about wiped out Devon.

”Ah… I didn't think the fabric would be that much,” Devon sighed, ”I don't have any left over for a meal or an inn.”

I tapped my finger on my lips in consideration. ”How about the cheap inns on the other side of town.”

The other side of town was the downtown area. He had taken us to the expensive area of town, full of jewelry stores, boutiques, and upper-class purchases. I had wanted to warn him that we could probably get the same fabric cheaper if he was willing to go to a cheaper area, but that didn't sound very princessy of me. Of course, that got us in this situation.

”That area… is not clean…”

”It has to be cleaner than the outdoors.” I offered.

He grimaced at that, ”Debatable, but if that's what you want.”

”Just check and see if any look like they'd be good enough to sleep in.”

”Alright,” he said, ”But I'm not comfortable taking the pair of you to that side of town until we have a destination. I'll go, but you two stay put here.”

”Nn…” Min put in, ”Start working…”

She found a bench near the seamstress shop and immediately began pulling out fabrics and measuring them with her arm. I let out a sigh, realizing I was going to be bored for the next hour or so while he went, but also realizing I didn't really have any other choice.

”Alright, be quick,” I said.

”Two hours tops.” Devon nodded and turned around, walking out of sight.

This kind of sucked. It was my first time in a city from another world, and we were already out of money. The worst part is that I had put us in this situation in the first place. If I had just kept my mouth shut, Devon would have probably worked down the price. I'm sure on a purchase such as a slave that the King's word would have gone a long way. Min might have been held overnight, but we would have had the money to return to the castle properly.

It was frustrating. I had all of these various cheat skills, but not a single one of them could help me get a place at an inn. I had nothing to offer to get a night… oh… well, there is that, after all. There was an inn on the corner that looked particularly nice. It had a fairly large entryway and it seemed slow at the moment. I considered my options for a few moments. A seductress takes what she wants… right?

”Min… can you wait here for a bit, I'm thinking I might be able to sweet talk the innkeeper into giving us a night and a meal.”

Min looked up at me for a second, and then she turned away looking down at the floor. Her eyes held a look of disappointment. I didn't say I was going to do that! I mean… if I could convince him without doing that, I would, but how did Min know that was what I was thinking. My situation with the adventurers was a little different than this. This was closer to an exchange. No, that made it sound like prostitution. This was closer to exchanging favors… helping each other out when we're in need.

I felt bad that she for some reason felt disappointment, but I hoped she'd appreciate it anyway when we had a nice bed and food to eat. Thus, I worked my way over to the inn. Despite being a seductress with innumerable amounts of sexual experiences on my belt, this was actually the first time I had ever tried to seduce someone in such a way. Never before had I specifically wanted something, and then went into the situation attempting to convince someone to give it to me, especially when the situation wasn't already somewhat sexual.

The man standing behind the counter immediately caught my attention. Thankfully, he was only thirty-something and not particularly unattractive. Certainly, in the upper 20% of those I've had, although that list included goblins and spiders. I was just starting to approach him with the most seductive smile I could muster when an arm suddenly wrapped around him.

A smiling woman about the same age as he gave him a hug and kissed his cheek, ”Husband, would you be a dear and go get some more wine from the cellar.”

He gave a nod, turned around, and started heading to the back. Then her eyes turned to me. It was clear as day that she saw me approaching and intercepted. Never before I had been so caught off guard! She had narrowed eyes and she raised one eyebrow.

”Well, what is it you'll have?” She asked.

”Ah… um… I guess some of that wine will be good.”

”That's three silver.”

”Ah… Um… I don't have it yet, I'm waiting on…”

”Well, wait in the corner, girl, you're in the way of other customers.”

There most certainly was no one else waiting behind me. But the look on her face told me she didn't believe I had a man coming. Her behavior was so aggressive that it made me shake a second with anger. I wasn't one quick to anger, but she was being such a bitch. Suddenly, I wanted to pay her a lesson. I wanted her to suffer. I went to the corner, just as she said, at sat at a back table.

It was a little dark, and it actually was working perfectly. As I sat there, the woman watched me for a few moments before getting back to work, but she did keep an eye on me. Her husband finally returned back with a cask as well, but with her watching me like a hawk, there wasn't much I could do.

Well… at least there was nothing I could do that she could see. Using conceal, I was secretly fingering myself. I had one hand down my pants, and my fingers ran concentric circles around my clit. I was not doing that as any form of self-satisfaction. At least, not yet. Rather, masturbation was sufficient to activate my Sexual Saint. I needed that stamina boost because I was now spamming seduction. However, I wasn't targeting him. Sure, I could get him so horny that he plowed me right in front of her, but that wouldn't get me a night in the hotel.

No, she was the key to everything I wanted, and I was about to become everything she wanted. So, I kept activating seduction after the minute cooldowns. I occasionally alternated it with Eye of the Beholder. By the time, I had cast Eye of Beholder once and Seduction twice… she was already fleeting glances over at me. They weren't the hawk-eyed glares previously delivered, but the held tinges of lust and desire. By the fifth seduction, her eyes didn't leave me, even when a customer was talking to her.

After eight Seductions and three Eye of the Beholders, even my enhanced states driven by Sexual Saint weren't enough and I was started to feel exhausted. Fortunately, the bitchy innkeeper came over to my table at that point.

”Yes?” I asked innocently, pulling my hand out of my pants and fighting the 1/5 stamina I now had.

”I-I love you so much… mistress… please, let me do anything for you.”

”Ah, is that so?” I asked nonchalantly.

”Yes… mistress… please command me. I'll do anything for you.”