Chapter 660: The Fastest Way to Earn Money in History

"Mr. Joseph?!"

Not knowing Li Ang's intentions at that moment, Agatha, recognizing him by the same patch of yellow hair atop his and Little Ha's heads, could not help but exclaim in surprise:

"It's only been a day, and your changes are truly… quite significant…"

Not just significant, but expensive too—this outfit alone costs half my salary at the Cleanup Bureau. A clothing shop in a seaside town charging the same prices as the capital? Absolutely absurd.

After mentally cursing Ankara's bizarre prices, Li Ang smiled and replied:

"It's nothing much—just changed clothes."

Yes, it was only a change of clothes, but your current appearance is vastly more pleasant to look at.

Recalling Joseph's past attire and comparing it to his present look, Agatha's lips twitched upward, and she bit down hard several times but couldn't hold back her smile.

"Go ahead and laugh."

Glancing at the Princess, who was barely suppressing her amusement, Li Ang, pondering his "persona," spoke softly with a doting expression:

"If my rose can bloom with a smile, even if everyone mocks me, it's worth it."

"…"

Well, it seems only his face has changed—Joseph is still Joseph, after all.

With a weary shake of her head, Agatha, no longer a waitress and no longer bound to please customers, spoke:

"Mr. Joseph, please don't say things like that. I'm just myself—I'm not anyone's rose."

"Of course, my most beautiful rose."

"…"

This man is beyond saving.

Looking at Li Ang, whose eyes were full of her, Agatha shook her head, gave up on trying to change him, and turned back to the classifieds in the newspaper, ready to find herself a job first.

Noticing her gaze, Elijah's head twitched slightly, as if a sudden insight struck him, and he asked thoughtfully:

"By the way, Miss Agatha, weren't you working at the dockside tavern? Why are you here at the post office?"

"I'm unemployed."

After briefly explaining the situation, Agatha sighed:

"I won't stay here long—maybe just a couple of weeks—so I need a short-term job. But all these ads want long-term staff, and I don't want to lie, so I'm stuck…"

A two-week short-term job?

Hearing Agatha's words, Elijah's heart stirred—he remembered he needed a local guide. He blurted out directly:

"How about…"

"How about working for me?"

Knowing Agatha would likely lose her job, Li Ang—who had been waiting at the post office for hours—cut in with a pre-scripted excuse:

"My parents left me a vast fortune, but they died young in a shipwreck. Now only I and my grandmother remain. She's been gravely ill lately, and she hopes I'll marry soon. So… could you help me? Pretend to be my fiancée for a few days?"

Ah…

Upon hearing Li Ang's "hiring" proposal, Elijah immediately clamped his mouth shut.

He had to—he couldn't compete. Joseph had sacrificed his parents and grandfather, leaving only a dying grandmother who clung to the hope of seeing her grandson wed, while Elijah merely needed a guide to show him around a few sights. How could he possibly win?

"That… that doesn't seem right…"

Hearing Joseph's request, the kind-hearted Agatha bit her lower lip, hesitating:

"Mr. Joseph, I don't mind helping you, but I'm leaving soon—what then…?"

"There may not be a 'then.'" Li Ang sighed.

"I've always known death is an inevitable threshold, but I still hope to let my grandmother depart without regret… Also, I sincerely apologize for bothering you these past days.

At first, I did it only to keep others from harassing you, and I thought if I got closer, maybe you'd agree to be my… ah…

I'm sorry, my rose—Miss Agatha. I was selfish before. Whether or not you help me now, I'll never bother you again.

"…"

So… all that effort to court me was to protect me from harassment—and to ease his grandmother's heart?

Having only vague memories of events before the "plot," Agatha, upon learning Li Ang's carefully crafted "truth," felt her bright eyes soften slightly.

In that case, though Joseph is… a bit odd—he's truly a good man, and deeply filial. Should I just…

…

"Master! Master Joseph!"

Just as Li Ang delivered his "Grandmother's Critical Illness Fist" followed by the "I Have a Reason Palm," successfully landing his "Short-Term Fiancée Eighteen Moves" and leaving both stunned, a neatly dressed, portly butler hurried over from afar.

Seeing "Mr. Joseph," the fat butler beamed with relief, rushed over, and grabbed Li Ang's arm, pleading:

"We've finally found you… Quick! Come home with me!

Your grandmother got into a fight with old Mrs. Pomona from the neighboring estate over a silk scarf from the East, and she beat her with a broom until her backside was swollen. Go home and calm her down!"

Elijah: "?"

Agatha: "?!!"

Li Ang: "…"

You bastard—you wouldn't even let me in at Joseph's house last night, forced me to sleep on the street, and now you show up here to sabotage me?

Glancing at the transparent threads above the butler's head, Li Ang knew this was the 【King of Drama】 meddling. Unable to resist, he feigned outrage:

"What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to take my five hundred elite guards—loyal only to me—to the wealthiest merchant guild in the empire, left to me by my noble grandfather, and buy me the most beautiful rose in the world—the one who is Agatha?"

"…"

This bastard—he just rewrote the setting on the fly!

Hearing Li Ang's answer—entirely fabricated, no hidden agenda, just pure fabrication—the 【King of Drama】, who was controlling everything, gritted his teeth in fury but could do nothing against Li Ang's power to break the script. He swallowed his anger and accepted the new setting, forcing the butler to stay silent.

Li Ang, sensing victory, did not press further or disrupt the plot further. Instead, he played the part of a proper supporting character: giving both of them an awkward smile, he left the post office in a flustered, pained retreat—to go home and inventory his newly "earned" fortune.

As for the two protagonists left behind, they were stunned by the absurd twist and the sudden revelation of his wealth. They stood frozen for a long while, until Elijah finally spoke:

"This Mr. Joseph… is kind of… interesting, huh?"

"Mm…"

"Uh… I plan to tour Ankara for two weeks. If you need a short-term job, would you like to be my guide?"

"Yes…"

Act One of "Twelve Days Together"—Meeting at the Tavern. End.

(End of Chapter)