Chapter 99

Ruben’s expression faltered slightly, a trace of reluctance flashing through his eye. He forced a smile and said, “May I ask, is there a problem with the books?”

Athena shook her head. “No.”

Ruben relaxed a little and smiled. “In the past, the accounts were checked every six months, and even then, we were always informed ahead of time. Your sudden request might make it difficult to prepare in time.”

Athena gently tapped the box containing the land deeds with her finger, smiling warmly. “You’re being paid to do the work. If you can’t handle it, then we’ll simply find someone who can.”

Ruben froze, as if he hadn’t quite caught Athena’s meaning. “Lady Athena, what exactly do you mean?”

“Lady Athena understands that you’re aging and struggling, so she is kindly granting you permission to resign,” Trina said, handing him a pouch of coins. “This is a separate gift from Lady Athena, a reward for your years of service to the household.”

Her tone was gentle, her face even smiling, but Ruben couldn’t bring himself to smile back. The coins felt scalding in his hand.

Only now did he begin to feel some fear of Athena. He blinked rapidly and forced a bitter smile. “You must be mistaken. I never said I wanted to resign.”

“Ruben,” Trina emphasized, her tone suddenly sharp, “These shops are now under Lady Athena’s control. If she says the accounts must be checked, then they will be checked.”

In other words, Athena was now the boss. A mere accountant could never defy the boss.

Ruben finally understood. He begged for mercy, no longer displaying any of his earlier slyness. “Please don’t be angry. The accounts can be checked.”

Athena finally looked at him, “Good, I knew you were a perceptive man. If you plan to keep earning your bread under me, you should know how to conduct yourself.”

“Yes, yes. You’re absolutely right.” He nodded so hard it was as if his head was on a spring. He no longer dared to underestimate her.

After Ruben left, Athena Monson stood up.

“Lady Athena, are you going out?” Trina asked, hurrying after her.

Athena nodded. “Get the carriage ready.”

The shops from her grandmother had long been managed by the household. From Athena’s rough calculations, they should have brought in at least a hundred and fifty thousand coins over the years.

But what had actually reached her grandmother’s hands was only about ten thousand taels. Over thirty years of operation, they should have been stable income generators.

Yet, the household came to the point of having no money.

Now that Margaret had given her ten shops, the Monson family would definitely feel the impact. But suddenly, Willow’s dowry had been fully prepared. Athena felt suspicious.

Athena and Trina changed into plain clothing and headed out discreetly.

Chapter 99

They strolled past the ten shops, glancing at them one by one.

Athena’s heart sank at the sight.

Except for two that still had a decent number of customers, the rest were all nearly deserted. There weren’t even many bears on the streets, let alone paying patrons.

Trina stopped a little beggar and asked, “Where did everyone go on this street?”

The little beggar, looking anxious, replied, “You must not have heard. A few days ago, a new tavern called Delight Tavern opened in Pidency. The boss is super generous. They have free drinks at the door every day. If you’re lucky, you can even get a free dining pass and eat all you want!”

As he spoke, the little beggar pulled out a coin and beamed. “It only takes twenty copper coins to join the lottery. If you win a dining pass, you can eat for free for seven days!”

Trina blinked. “There’s such a good deal?”

The beggar replied, “Of course! Someone already won yesterday. It was my buddy!”

The beggar was growing impatient, and after giving Trina a light shove, he dashed off toward the restaurant.

Trina was a bit excited and turned to Athena. “Let’s go take a look at the excitement.”

Athena thought for a moment and nodded.

She also wanted to see what kind of genius had come up with such a flashy scheme.

Before long, the two of them arrived in front of Delight Tavern.

They saw a crowd so dense it clogged the street.

People were shouting at the top of their lungs, “Draw! Draw now!”

A high platform stood in front of the inn, with a manager sipping tea on top.

Behind him sat a large chest, half the height of a man.

In front of the platform, a dancing crew performed energetically.

When the atmosphere was at its peak, the manager stood and raised his hands. “Same rules as always. Just twenty coins to draw. If you pick lucky number 3, you get to eat free for seven days.”

He added, “There are still a thousand slips inside the box today. Twenty coins for one slip. Everyone gets to try!”

The crowd roared with excitement.

“I’ll get it! I’ll get it!”

The manager smiled, satisfied. “Alright then, line up and come get your slips.”

In an instant, the whole crowd surged forward, eagerly grabbing slips.

Seeing this, Athena couldn’t help but admire the mind behind this restaurant.

Each slip cost twenty coins, and with a thousand slips, they were pocketing tons of money daily without lifting a finger.

They’d created a spectacle and spread the word like wildfire. No wonder the entire city had heard about Delight Tavern in just a few days.

Chapter 99

While she was absorbed in thought, someone suddenly shouted, “I won! I won!”

The manager immediately announced, “Congratulations, good sir! From today, you may dine free at Delight for seven days!”

The man walked in beaming, while the others sighed in disappointment.

But soon enough, they perked up again. “Didn’t win today, but tomorrow’s my day!”

Athena frowned slightly. This whole thing was not different from gambling.

She pondered, ‘Is a week of free meals worth such obsession?’

She soon understood why these men were so feverish.

Seven women in colorful, thin gowns took the stage and surrounded the winning man.

Each one was alluring. They had sexy figures and sultry gazes capable of snatching souls.

Trina instantly covered her eyes, clicking her tongue in disapproval. “Ridiculous.”

As she spoke, she even reached out to cover Athena’s eyes.

Athena couldn’t help but laugh and lost all interest in watching.

“Yes, we’d best not look anymore,” Trina said, glancing around nervously. She realized that noble women were present to watch.

Luckily, she and Athena had been standing far enough away. Otherwise, rumors would be flying by now.

Athena no longer bothered checking the rest of the shops and waited to review the books.

Just as the two of them were preparing to leave, Athena suddenly stopped.

Trina followed her gaze and gasped.

Eloise was with Willow, right inside the tavern, accompanied by the manager and several maids and older attendants.

They seemed to be exchanging pleasantries, which made Willow giggle behind her hand while Eloise beamed with pride. “That tavern belongs to Madam Eloise?” Trina stared, eyes wide with shock.