I Supported My Fiancé for 10 Years After He Said, 'Let's Get Married When I Succeed,' but When He Finally Did, He Dumped Me. By the Way, I'm a Witch and Turning 30 Next Year!! - Episode 24
Ever since then, Ie had stopped visiting the pharmacy as often as before.
That didn’t mean he had abandoned the store completely—he had started sending a man who introduced himself as his subordinate.
“I’m sorry, he’s been quite busy lately.”
“It’s fine. I’m just happy he still sends someone here.”
“I’ll let him know.”
The man was well-dressed and appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties. From his refined manner of speaking and his elegant clothing, he was likely from a noble family.
Even though Ie wore old clothes, he had a gentle demeanor and spoke clearly. His table manners also suggested that he had been raised as part of the nobility.
Who exactly was he?
I had a feeling that if I asked, he might distance himself even more, so I couldn’t bring myself to question him.
As the days passed without seeing him, I started feeling a little lonely.
But expressing that wasn’t something a shopkeeper should say to a customer. I swallowed the words that had risen to my throat.
Later, I found out that the saint, Sui, had been aggressively selling her soap to my regular customers.
She must have gotten her information from Rhymer.
After all, I often talked to him about my customers.
I assumed he wasn’t really paying attention, but apparently, he had remembered everything.
To the male customers, she used her charm to sell the soap. To the female customers, she demonstrated how to create luxurious, fluffy foam, making it impossible for them to resist buying.
What a sneaky tactic.
No, maybe it was just smart business.
Since I couldn’t provide that kind of service, I felt even more disheartened.
I had no lingering feelings for Rhymer, but losing my regular customers was a huge blow.
It seemed that asking them about the soap made them feel awkward, and now they were avoiding the pharmacy altogether.
“The shop is deserted,” Dryad grumbled.
“I know,” I sighed.
The store had become so quiet that Dryad even complained it was making it hard to sleep.
On business days, customers used to come in one after another, leaving me no time to rest.
Now, I had the luxury of leaning on the counter and muttering about how bored I was.
Fortunately, the lunch service was still doing well—so well that a line had formed outside today.
I had increased the limited servings from five to about fifteen.
Watching customers enjoy their meals was my only source of happiness now.
“Maybe I should just close the pharmacy and turn this place into a full-time restaurant?”
“That sounds good. But I’d prefer a place with younger women,” Dryad teased.
“What kind of shop are you imagining?”
If I started selling the kinds of items I used to make during my time as the Lust Witch’s apprentice, I could attract more female customers.
But I had no interest in dealing with romantic drama.
Just as I was thinking about this, Merv Maple walked in from the back room and joined the conversation.
“Merv Maple works at the pharmacy. Merv likes Rei.”
“Thank you, Merv Maple.”
That’s right.
I was a herb witch, and this pharmacy had been entrusted to me by the previous herb witch.
I had to protect and cherish it.
So what if there was a saint?
I had always done my job properly as a herb witch.
Apparently, Rymer was spreading all kinds of rumors, which had cost me even more support.
But if I backed down now, that would be exactly what they wanted.
“Fine. If that’s how it is, I’ll fight back.”
If I wanted to compete, I needed to understand my opponent.
That meant testing out the Silk Foam Soap that Saint Sui had left behind.
At closing time, I locked up the store and went upstairs for a bath.
I filled the magical bathtub, undressed, and sank into the warm water.
“Ahhh…”
As I soaked in the bath, I felt my exhaustion melt away.
I enjoyed the warmth for a while, but I reminded myself that tonight’s goal was to test the saint’s handmade Silk Foam Soap.
When I opened the package, I was surprised.
Not only was it shaped like a rose, but it was also beautifully colored in a delicate pink hue.
“This… is a very beautiful soap. No wonder it’s so popular.”
Most soaps were simple rectangular blocks.
I had never seen one made using a mold like this before.
It was also heavily scented, filling the air with a luxurious fragrance.
The rose-shaped design, the sweet aroma, and the elegant pink color—it was obvious that a lot of money had gone into making this high-end soap.
It was no surprise that people were switching from my herbal soaps to this.
When I rubbed the soap with my wet hands, it lathered up instantly.
“Wait, what? This much foam?!”
The bubbles were finer than anything I had ever seen—soft, fluffy, and smooth to the touch.
When I spread them over my arm, they glided effortlessly, leaving my skin feeling amazing.
“No way… A soap like this actually exists?”
The cleaning power was excellent, and after rinsing, my skin felt silky smooth.
My herbal soap didn’t lather this much, didn’t smell this strong, and was just a simple cut block.
“There’s no way I can compete with this.”
Holding the Silk Foam Soap in my hands, I was left in stunned silence.