"Only those who have committed a crime fear punishment. As far as I know, I have not committed any crime and have no reason to fear the imperial law.

Now, since neither of the sides has a legal reason to be here, I would like you all to leave. I do not have time for this nonsense when the shop is about to open."

Layla spoke in a disrespectful voice, which made the guards flinch.

Both sides of the guards knew they had no reason to be here any longer, so they decided to retreat quickly.

"This…. tsk, I will remember this humiliation and pay it back tenfold! Just wait and watch! I swear that your business would not last a week."

Earl Whittegon promised before he left with a huffing voice. His face looked red and ready to explode.

Layla did not say anything as she watched him leave, but she did think she needed to keep an eye on her shop now.

"Fuck! It is just one thing after another. And the effect of the potion is beginning to wear off now. I need to get back to the carriage quickly."

Layla hurriedly closed the door behind her before her potion lost effectiveness.

She made it in time for her secret not to be discovered, and Layla sighed, relieved.

Her body did not hurt, but it did feel a little numb as she asked Mary to drive away for now. She needed to be a little further before she could come out and head back to the business.

"Lady Layla, shall we push back the time for the grand Opening? I don't think now is the time to open the shop…"

The shopkeeper Layla had hired turned pale and shaking when she saw the guards. Too afraid to say anything, she regretted picking this person to run her shop.

When she interviewed the shop's owners, she did not have time to meet them personally.

Based on the resume, Layla had picked the manager in charge, which was her first mistake.

'This will not do. If I leave my store in the hands of such a timid person, then it is done for. I will need to look for another head manager soon.

Layla sighed as another worry was added to her list. And this one looked more pressing than the one before.

She was a little busy wallowing in her worry, so she did not notice the hooded figure heading toward her.

But Mary noticed, and she was quick to detain the suspicious figure.

"Who are you, and what do you want with Miss Layla? Speak up quick if you value your life."

Mary's words had no mercy when she spoke. Her eyes were hard and accusing when she looked at the figure approaching them.

"I am here to harm young miss. Our queen asked me to deliver some goods to your shop, so I came here. Please, spare my life."

That familiar voice made Layla signal Mary to stand down.

Siduri lowered her hood, and her dark skin came into focus.

They were in a dark alley where few people came, which was why the dark elf had made such a move.

Her bravery, as well as her willingness to face Mary, was commendable. She was the kind of person Layla wanted to run her shop.

'If only Siduri were not a dark elf, then-'

As soon as the thought came to Layla's mind, she had an idea.

There was one thing in the system shop that could help Siduri disguise herself as a normal elf and run the shop.

Layla did not have the habit of browsing through the system. She did not want to rely on it and became overly dependent.

The system could disappear at any moment and leave Layla, so she needed to become self-reliant.

But buying a masking amulet was not a bad idea…for now. She just needed it for her search for a new manager.

"Siduri, I have a job for you. If you are too busy back in your tribe, then tell me now."

Layla asked the older dark elf, and Siduri looked taken aback by the sudden request.

"I am not too busy, but may I know what kind of task it will be?"

The female asked. Layla only smiled at her before she brought out the amulet and handed it to the female elf.

"Here, hold this for a moment. Do you feel any different?"

Layla asked, and Siduri shook her head. The amulet did not make her feel any different, but she suddenly looked at her skin and the 'normal' color it had.

"Wait! What happened to my skin? This doesn't feel like transformation magic. More like…something ancient. Can I take a look at myself?"

Siduri asked, and they somehow found a small mirror in that alley.

"Is this…me? But how?"

Siduri looked at her skin's new self. She looked just like a normal elf did at the moment, and there was no way to distinguish her from a 'regular' elf.

No one could tell that she was a dark elf right now.

"Good! So, it worked. Now, we have one last test left. Here, just lightly tap your skin with this holy water. I have healed on hand if anything were to go wrong."

Layla assured as she stood beside the Dark elf.

The small water vessel made Siduri nervous, so she reached out to touch it lightly.

She stood behind in pain as her hands touched the water, but nothing happened.

When Siduri's hand touched the holy water, there was no reaction, and she flexed her hand as her wide eyes continued to look at her.

"It seems that not only your outside but also your properties have shifted to match that of a regular elf. There is no way to differentiate you from a normal elf right now. Good, this means you can manage my store for now."

Layla nodded as she looked at the dark elf in front of her.

She felt that Siduri would do a fantastic job with the shop.