Chapter 51: Cooperation

When the movie screening ended, a very interesting episode unfolded in the performance hall.

A brave mage took the opportunity to confess his love to the girl beside him.

The girl seemed to be his classmate, and touched by the tragedy at the end of the movie, the girl did not reject his confession but accepted it while she hid her face.

The bold confession instantly made them the focus of the entire performance hall. The ending of the movie had moved the hearts of everyone present, and many of the audience members gave their blessings to the new couple.

Joshua accommodated them and got the attendants to get some red rose petals before using the Magic of Order’s “Hand of Mana” to throw the petals into the air, letting them fall slowly.

The lovey-dovey scene was romantic enough for everyone present to remember. Perhaps when the new couple held their wedding in the future, the girl would be wearing the same golden dress as Belle.

Joshua should really have added this line to the promotional material of “Beauty and the Demon”, “Want to ensure a 100% successful confession? Bring the girl you love to watch this movie!”

Perhaps he could do that with the happy ending version of “Beauty and the Demon”, but Joshua was playing the tragic ending version... Putting that in, he may not be able to guarantee 100% success.

“Ah, how nice, how nice. Another new couple into the crucible.”

Ciri leaned against the VIP room window and looked at the couple embracing each other under the rain of rose petals as she clapped along. However, the pace of her claps was so slow, and it did not seem like she was truly congratulating them.

“If you have a sweetheart in mind, you can also use the same method.”

Joshua had no idea where Ciri’s complaint was stemming from.

“What method?”

Ciri retracted her gaze and looked at Joshua.

“Bring him to watch this movie,” Joshua answered.

Ciri suddenly narrowed her eyes as she stared at Joshua for a good while, once again allowing Joshua to reaffirm that the petite lady mage may have Stockholm syndrome.

Joshua’s expression did not change, and she finally sighed and gave up, murmuring an almost inaudible “useless” before turning over to look in another direction.

“Let’s go. We should go and talk to Madam Melina now.”

Joshua pushed open the door of the VIP room, and right next door was the VIP room where Melina was.

Out of courtesy, Joshua knocked on the door before he pushed it open and walked in.

Melina was sitting there with her handkerchief, wiping tears off her eyes while Ynor was beside her, comforting the old lady in her twilight years.

As a woman, Melina’s experience had been really tragic. She had lost her husband in her early years and struggled for decades before she gathered a small fortune, only to see it all be taken by the bandits. Now, Melina...

Joshua had no idea if she was lucky or not because that was her personal opinion.

“Madam, do you have anything to say?”

Joshua went up to her and sat down, looking at her as she asked, “Joshua... are you creating that thing that appeared on the background screen even at this moment?”

Melina could not remember what the name of the performance was and could only refer to it like that.

Joshua could probably explain Melina’s question as “Is everything I’m in just a show?”.

“Of course, not. There are no lenses, no cameras here. Everything is real, and I really do want to cooperate with you. Besides, Ynor really wants to live with you peacefully. That I can promise you.”

After watching the movie, Melina may have felt like Truman from “The Truman Show”, but her choice was very different from Truman’s.

She had already thought of it before. If she had not met Joshua, she would have ended up losing more than just her wares. She would have possibly lost her life.

When Melina heard that everything Joshua said was the truth, she was unable to completely believe it, but so what if she could not completely believe it?

She was old, and even if all of it was mere fiction, Melina was willing to accept it, whether it was Joshua’s cooperation or most importantly, her adoptive child, Ynor.

“Joshua, I have found a businessman who is willing to provide a long-term supply of liquor, and the deal can be sealed within a few days.”

“I have already completed the business application with the Merchants Guild, so what’s left is the tavern and its construction as well as renovation. I’ll hand you the first of the funds later at night. Sorry to trouble you, Madam.”

The conversation basically confirmed that Melina would be the tavern owner of Hearthstone Tavern for the next few years.

After thoroughly establishing a cooperative business relationship with Melina, Joshua proceeded to advise Ynor on the matter of being a proper actor with Ynor, especially its benefits.

The succubus was still afraid when he came into contact with Joshua, but he could at least restrain himself from shivering now.

“Ynor, what did you hear from the discussion below?”

Joshua pointed at the audience that had yet to leave the performance hall.

“I... did not hear them clearly.”

Ynor shook his head. Ever since he entered the VIP room, he had been focused on Melina.

He was afraid that Melina would leave abruptly like the customers he was forced to serve when they found out his true gender back in the Demonic Realm.

“They were talking about Belle. Do you know how attractive you are in their eyes right now?” Joshua looked at the succubus.

To the succubi, the number of men they had enchanted was a mark of prestige for them to show off.

Ynor’s tragic childhood forced him to avoid the taint of the typical “sexy b*tch” characteristics of a succubus.

However, Joshua could now say “the name of the succubus who had enchanted the most men with his own charm since the birth of the world” without any hesitation.

It was Ynor who was standing before Joshua, if Ynor’s hair were painted a flaxen brown and he was to change into the clothes Belle had worn.

Ynor could forget about walking out of Weissenasche Theater today.

“Is.. it true?”

Ynor could not believe what Joshua had just said.

“It is true, so I’ve prepared this for you. Put it on.” Joshua took out a pair of glasses.

The frame of glasses in this world were all made out of wood. Only monocles worn by nobles were made out of gold or silver.

Ynor obediently put on the glasses given to him by Joshua, and the seemingly old-fashioned glasses totally masked Ynor’s charm, making him look vastly different from the glamorous Belle on screen.

“Remember to dress like this when you go out in the future. You’ve seen how the men who were charmed by your fellow sisters look like.”

By then it would not just be one or two fans, Belle’s fame would most likely explode across every street in Norland in the next few days.