55

Julianne's POV

As I swallowed my fears and ventured into the store alongside Loretta. We both entered the store at the same time, I greeted the old woman behind the counter, but she didn’t respond. Instead, she rang a small bell beside her, and almost magically, a beautiful lady emerged from another room. She had a warm smile that lit up her face.

“Welcome! How can I help you today? What do you need? Be rest assured that I have everything you want, all you have to do is either give me the description or say the name and I will fetch it out oft you, and they are all at avoidable prices.” she said cheerfully, her voice melodic, her eyes bright like summer as it glowed down at us, her hands doing the loving sales representative gesture's.

I exchanged a glance with Loretta. “We appreciate your warm tenderness but we are not here to buy a product," I answered truthfully, seeing it would be necessary to just waste her time.

"So, if I may ask, what do you want, and how may I be of help to you on it?" She crossed her eyebrows at her; her looks were now giving a scrutinizing gaze.

I sighed heavily and stepped forward to her. "Do you know Jasmine? I don't know if there is any you know we are talking about?” I asked, hoping she would understand who we meant.

"A little description would be helpful if I am to understand who this particular person is." She blinked, her expression crossed, and rested on me.

I needed no one to tell me she understood what we were talking about, and her only intention was just to make us tired and worn out from explaining, but I wouldn't give her the satisfaction she needed most.

"Jasmine? She is not a tall lady and neither is she a short lady, we can say she is of average with a straightened nose that runs down arched eyebrows, thing forehead line, and pale skin color," I paused thoughtfully, contemplating on whether to add her known identification or just keep it to myself lest we raised suspicious although I knew the lady in question already recognized who we are.

"There is no way I am to recognize a person with that description alone? Say, a lot of people come here every day and buy a lot of things; how am I supposed to input their whole being on me? She shifted her gaze slightly to the quiet Loretta who was also studying her like some kind of experiment.

Loretta cleared her throat and stared at the woman. "I don't see any reason for using the identification and I know damn well you know who we are talking about. Jasmine, the first concubine to Alpha Arthur," she hissed out in utter anger that he had to say her name loud and clear.

The woman’s expression shifted slightly, from pretense to being amazed. “Jasmine? Yes, I know her. What about her?” she faked, beaming a smile at me.

I returned the smile. "We're just curious about something. Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, I am ever at your service, my ladies. Ask me whatever it is you want to ask me. What's on your mind?" She questioned still giving us that warm smile enough to forget that you were ever angered or at the point of being angry and frustrated.

I felt a rush of urgency as soon as she said those words, and my heart leaped a mile in excitement. We are near the discovery of what the Jasmine plot might be, and I can't wait to hear what the lady reveals to us, although I have a feeling it might take a lot of our time, just as the other questioning did.

“Now and then, we see her enter the store and come out with some wrapped products; so we were curious and trying to find out what she buys when she comes here. And you should know this is very important to us. It’s important.”

I hesitated, unsure how to phrase it. Loretta jumped in, "We want to know what Jasmine usually buys when she comes here, period" Loretta said firmly.

The woman's expression changed. Her smile faded, replaced by a concerned look, the way she is strong at us now is quite funny. "I'm afraid I can't reveal that information because," she said firmly, her smile faltering.

I felt a pang of disappointment. "But why not? You know who we are, and we are of the same place—the palace, so why can't you tell us what Jasmine comes here to buy every day?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

The young beautiful woman leaned in, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "As a shopkeeper, I must protect my customers' confidentiality. What they buy is their business, not yours or anyone else's. And the fact that I know what they buy remains confidential between me, and then, I can't tell anyone who is not related to this shop business." She explained.

I understood her point and I knew already it would be difficult for her to tell us, but my curiosity remained still intact. If she knows Jasmine and she comes here every day, there must be something she comes to get every blessed day.

Maybe we should go on a more persuasive tone. "I understand what you are trying to say and how you are feeling now, be rest assured that we mean no harm; we're not trying to harm Jasmine. We just want to know—"

The woman held up a hand, stopping me mid-sentence. "I understand your intentions, my lady. However, I must respect my customers' privacy. If Jasmine wants you to know what she buys, she'll tell you herself. And since you are here pleading to know what she wants, it means she wants it secret and not to be divulged to anyone." She stated, her gaze narrowed at us, saying in disgust, or something like that

I shook my head, tired, and then I got an idea, maybe a twisted change of topic, "But I have been seeing Jasmine come here almost every week. She must be buying something important."

The woman's expression softened, but her gaze remained intact slightly. "I'll tell you this much: Jasmine is a loyal customer, and she always leaves with a smile. That's all I can say. What she does within the vicinity of the shop ends the moment she stops foot out of the shop; I can't tell you any business that transpired between us, ma'am."

I resorted to voicing out my feelings to her, maybe she will understand how important it is to me. “Please,” I pleaded, my heart racing. “We need to know. It could be a matter of safety and a matter of life, You do need to know what she comes to buy from your store.” I demanded.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t help you,” she insisted, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.

I begged Loretta, my eyes pleading with hers to do something to make the woman talk about anything possible. "Please, just tell me what Jasmine buys at your shop. I promise I won't tell anyone. Is it that hard for you to say?"

The woman's expression remained firm, her lips pursed. "I've already said no, my lady. Don't ask again or you will get me pissed off."

I sighed, frustration etched on my face. So is this we are going to come here in vain? Without getting the right information? And she does strike me as a witch,, which means we can't force her to say what she does not want t,o, or else she did curse or spell.it

"But why not? It's just curiosity, nothing more, nothing less." I insisted.

The woman's eyes seemed to gleam in the dim light of her shop "I can't tell you anything." She said maintaining her stance.

Just then, Loretta stepped forward, her eyes flashing with determination. She raised her hand, revealing a small symbol that glimmered in the dim light. I didn’t fully understand it, but the old woman’s eyes widened in recognition, but she quickly covered it and maintained her stoic expression.

"My ladies, what's going on here? Have we moved from what we were saying to this now? " She asked, my voice barely above a whisper, her eyes fixed on Loretta's outstretched palm.

Loretta's smile grew, her eyes glinting with an otherworldly light. "Perhaps it's time you saw the truth. I have been keeping quiet and watching you silently banter with her, but it is time to reveal the truth. I am not who you truly think I am, I am part of you." She said.

She raised her hand almost immediately those words came out of her lips, and the room plunged into utter darkness. The young woman gasped, my heart racing but I knew e have hit the dark spot of her stubborn self. When the lights flickered back on, we both stared down at her.

“Wait,” she said, her voice softer now. “You’re a witch too?” she asks, her tone mixed with a little hint of curiosity and fear.

Loretta nodded. “Yes, and so is Julianne. We need to know what Jasmine is doing, what she comes here to buy from your store every day It’s urgent.” she lied hurriedly.

The woman hesitated, then sighed. “All right, follow me.” She gestured for us to follow her into a back room, and I felt a mixture of hope and happiness.

Inside, the room was filled with shelves stacked high with potions, jars, and scrolls. The air was thick with the smell of herbs and something sweet. It was enchanting and overwhelming all at once.

“This is my private collection,” the woman said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I only show it to those I trust.”

“Thank you,” I replied, feeling grateful. “But we need to know what Jasmine has been buying.”

The woman looked thoughtful for a moment. “Jasmine comes here often to purchase a particular drug, but I can’t tell you what the name of the drug is. It’s against my rules.”

The woman’s expression softened as she studied us. “But I can tell you want she came to get recently," she paused and wr nodded for her to go on. " Recently, she purchased a love potion.”

The words hit me like a slap in the face. “A love potion? For who?” My voice rose with anger and disbelief.

Could it be for Arthur? I was furious at the realization of what it was meant for and left the store immediately.