“No one blames you for discarding the leather pouch you used.”

And the question Hades asked her before echoed in her mind.

“What will you do when I get a lover?”

Kyaak!

Startled by the sound of the bird urging again, Latifa hastily added a sentence at the end and untied the blue strap tied to its leg.

“If the opportunity arises, I would really like to see you.”

As if declaring that the task was done, the bird flew away swiftly. Latifa, staring blankly at the departing bird, was suddenly startled when a desert fox came back and licked her cheek.

While petting the fox’s soft fur, Latifa murmured, “I just tried writing. I don’t know what will happen. No one knows what the future holds…”

“Calligraphy, two gold coins for a set of horseshoes!”

“Ivory-made horsehair brushes for sale! One for a silver coin, but I’ll give you five for a gold coin!”

“Do you only handle hens here? I want to buy a fighting cock.”

Kyaak!

A small bird swiftly flew low over the bustling street of market vendors, landing on top of a moderately-sized building sign. The sign read ‘Golden Armadillo,’ and underneath it was written, ‘Sheepdog (specializing in herding sheep and training hunting birds).’

With a soft thud, the brown bird that had gracefully descended from the outer wall’s ledge onto the ground near the market’s entrance, landed on the shoulder of a short-haired woman who was sweeping the floor. The woman, with a leather strap constantly hanging on her shoulder to protect herself from sharp claws, was playfully chewing on a dry sage leaf.

The scene looked somewhat unusual for an ordinary woman.

“Shan, did you receive the letter?”

After spitting the sage leaf lightly onto the ground, the woman, named Yaz, took a piece of dried meat from a small front pouch attached to her leather belt and fed it to the bird.

With its sharp talons, the bird took the meat without getting hurt, and Yaz, smiling, patted its head.

“Ah, I only know how to read ‘Hello’ in Imperial. Did I write it in Imperial for no reason? I’ll have to interpret it after digging through it for a while.”

However, even if the content was rejection, receiving a reply from the other party was a significant harvest. It proved that she was not being ignored, which was not a complete rejection.

It was one of her business principles to build as much friendship as possible with those she intended to trade with.
In the Grand Bazaar, shops dealing with the same products were scattered everywhere, and among them, surviving required not only exceptional product quality and good service but also the characters and dignity of the owners, such as Hakyeon, Jiyeon, Donghyang, and the owner’s personality.

If the customer came from the south, Yaz’s specialty was to quickly grasp and incorporate the southern dialect into the conversation. If they were from the north, she would do the same with the northern dialect. If they came from abroad, she would not only pick up the language of that region but also swiftly understand their preferences.

However, Golden Armadillo Trading Post was not such a large establishment, and surviving in the rough livestock market with the body of a young woman was not an easy task.

“Hades General has completely rejected the deal, so there was no way to meet that Frau. However, receiving a letter like this is fortunate.”

Placing Shan on a large perch, Yaz caressed the back of the black crocodile that was crouched in a corner of the shop.

Not long ago, she had picked up an injured baby crocodile when she went to Amira’s adulthood ceremony in Madrasa. The black crocodile, affectionately rubbing its back against Yaz’s touch, didn’t show its sharp teeth or extend its claws even when she treated its wounds.

“Definitely a creature accustomed to human touch.”

While there were eccentric individuals who raised crocodiles, they usually only released them in private ponds. Never had Yaz seen someone so easily tame one.

On that chaotic and strange day, what Yaz observed was a silver-haired Imperial wearing a white robe, walking past the shouting crowd beside a crocodile, petting its back with a calm expression.

Even the bravest man would panic and run away at the sight of a crocodile outside the fence, but…

“And Shan, if you can safely exchange letters, she’s undoubtedly different from other women. You’re undoubtedly skilled at handling animals.”

Various nicknames and rumors surrounded her, such as the Insane Frau, Goddess of the Moon in Caleb, and the Woman of Ruin. Still, when Yaz looked at Latifa, what came to mind was “Pecunia,” the Goddess of Wealth.

Yaz began to laugh softly, making a sound like a rustling breeze, in response to the letter she received from Latifa.

“My goddess.”

Whatever trick she used, whether taming birds, lizards, crocodiles, snakes, and possibly even the rumored Golden Lions, she wasn’t the culprit.

“If advanced training is possible in a short time, there’s a lot of money to be earned.”

In the Grand Bazaar’s livestock market, they not only sold livestock but also offered services such as training sheepdogs for herding, hunting dogs or birds for hunters, depending on the level of training. Animals were traded at high prices based on the extent of their training.

“No matter how terrifying General Hades may be, if that woman has her mind set properly, she’ll know that money is better than a man.”

Yaz put the letter into her pouch and, while humming a song, picked up the broom again.

“Beloved, don’t be deceived by the tender and sweet Rocam~ If it dries up, it becomes harder than a brick.”

To a slightly off-key and strange song, her pet bird, Shan, expressed its dissatisfaction with a cry and flew out of the window again.

“What’s wrong, Shan! You’re just jealous. Don’t you think so too?”

Yaz asked the crocodile for its opinion with a tut-tut, but the little crocodile only blinked its yellow eyes without showing any reaction.

“Well, you have a musical sense!”

Once again humming and energetically sweeping the broom, Yaz didn’t notice that even the small crocodile had turned its head slightly.

In one of the beautiful star palaces in the Grand Bazaar’s royal palace, where Hades stayed for a few days with the Sultan’s permission, Latifa was working hard, sweating profusely.
It was one of the numerous star palaces, yet this too was a space with beautifully arranged white marble railings engraved with neat lotus patterns and white arch pillars. Interspersed with dense gold leaf engravings and dark turquoise surroundings, the palace exhibited restrained splendor, showcasing a lovely palace.

Internally, dark golden arabesque patterns that harmonized well with the white background were skillfully woven, creating a dazzling room where it was hard to decide where to focus, thanks to the sophisticated arrangement of colorful carpets and decorations.

However, in this beautiful place, Hades and Asti were in the midst of a loud argument.

“I simply cannot tolerate this any longer!”

Hades exclaimed in frustration, slamming his fist down.

“If you dislike it so much, would you prefer to take Latifa and return to my palace right now?”

Asti responded with an imposing tone to Hades’ irritation.