"D–Dowry?!"
Yanfei and Xiangling were both startled.
What did that even mean?
A public confession?
Hiss!
They had only just arrived and already witnessed such an exciting scene.
How thrilling!
As Liyue natives, the two of them naturally understood the meaning of "dowry."
In an instant, they perked up, happily munching on gossip instead of focusing on the manga.
Manga?
Please — how could that compete with juicy drama?
"Go for it, big sis!"
Barbara clenched her little fists and cheered her sister on.
It wasn't often Jean was this bold!
"Captain Jean, this bold?"
Eula couldn't quite believe it.
It wasn't that she thought Jean liking Boss Han was strange — far from it.
In her eyes, Boss Han was mysterious, powerful, and, on top of that, strikingly handsome.
Falling for him was… perfectly natural.
Ahem. Truth be told, even Eula had the tiniest flicker of that thought buried deep inside her heart.
But still — Jean, doing this openly, in front of so many people?
Something like this could have been done privately.
And besides, there were ordinary townsfolk present!
Eula was certain — by tomorrow, this news would be all over Mondstadt.
And what gossip could possibly be juicier than romance involving the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, a famed and beautiful woman?
Jean clearly realized this as well.
Her heart began to race, her palms sweating under everyone's gossip-hungry stares.
What was going on?!
She'd been very clear just now —
this was to express gratitude on behalf of the Knights and the citizens of Mondstadt!
She had given Boss Han property out of thanks, not as a… as a dowry!
So why was everyone treating it like gossip fodder?
Jean couldn't figure it out.
And since she couldn't, she decided she'd deal with the source of the problem.
Her eyes narrowed dangerously, landing on Lisa, who was still smirking to herself.
"Lisa, come. We're going to have a long talk when we get back!"
She grabbed Lisa by the hand and practically dragged her out the door.
She couldn't stay here another second.
Under all those burning gazes, she felt her composure slipping away.
"I have to see how this turns out!"
Barbara's eyes sparkled with mischief.
No way was she missing this.
She quickly scooped up the box on the table and hurried after them, leaving the shop buzzing.
"Boss, does this mean we're going to have a lady boss soon?"
Noelle asked shyly.
The scene just now still had her cheeks burning.
Who would have thought the usually composed and serious Captain Jean would be so daring?
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
Han Feng lightly tapped her on the head.
"I told you — it was just a gesture of gratitude."
Really, how did all of them end up hearing something completely different?
But then again…
the minds of gossip-mongers were forever unpredictable.
With Jean and the others gone, the shop gradually returned to its calm atmosphere.
One by one, the guests went back to quietly reading their manga.
"Now that there are three new series available, would you like to try one, Miss Xiangling?"
Noelle asked politely.
Xiangling hesitated.
So far, she'd seen others receive a pack of delicious spicy strips, a miraculous drug, and even Sun Wukong's magical hair that could transform into anything.
Every reward was tempting.
But as a chef…
Cooking Master Boy held the greatest allure.
The only issue was — only one manga could be read per day.
After a moment of struggle, Xiangling shook her head.
"Then please have a seat over there. It shouldn't be long."
Noelle smiled and gestured toward the sofa.
"Thank you!"
Xiangling said gratefully, then went with Eula to find a spot to wait.
At that moment, Dainsleif finally set down his book.
"What an incredible story…" he murmured, deeply moved.
The world of Digimon had opened his eyes to countless wondrous beings.
But the part that fascinated him most was the Steel Empire of Machinedramon.
Its legions of mechanical Digimon reminded him of Khaenri'ah's own weapons of war — the Ruin Machines.
The two shared similarities that couldn't be ignored.
"If the Abyss Order were to obtain such an army… it would be a disaster."
Dainsleif's brows furrowed.
Before parting ways, the floating companion had told him troubling intelligence:
the Abyss Prince — his former comrade — already knew of this manga shop.
And now, he was planning to come here himself.
"…Perhaps we will meet again, and soon."
Dainsleif whispered under his breath.
Just then, the system refreshed:
[Customer Dainsleif has finished reading Digimon Adventure (Part 1). Reward: The Joker's White Cloth.]
[The Joker's White Cloth: A technique of the Dark Master, Piedmon. Can transform opponents into dolls.]
"This ability is… interesting!"
Han Feng's eyes lit up.
In the original story, Piedmon had used this very move to turn the protagonist team into figurines,
a scene beloved by countless figure collectors.
If not for Apocalymon's sudden appearance, the heroes might have been completely wiped out.
Buzz—
A burst of dazzling light enveloped Dainsleif.
When it faded, a folded piece of white cloth appeared in his hand.
"What's this?"
He stared at it, puzzled.
He had thought his reward would be one of the Digimon themselves.
Yet all he received was… a cloth?
He hadn't yet connected it to Piedmon's signature ability.
"The Joker's White Cloth — it can turn opponents into dolls."
Han Feng explained simply.
"That one…?!"
Dainsleif's eyes widened as the truth sank in.
Knowing exactly what it was only made the shock — and delight — greater.
This was the signature move of Piedmon, the strongest of the Dark Masters.
Even WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon, both Mega-level Digimon, had been casually sealed away by it.
Its power was beyond question.
"With this, I'll have another trump card against the Abyss Order."
Dainsleif thought to himself, tightening his grip on the cloth.
~~--------------------------------------
To read 65+ future chapters head over to patreon:
patreon.com/YonkoSlayer