Karl’s grin wavered slightly.
"Uh... no breakdowns?" He blinked. "What if something terrible happens? Like—like my hair gets messed up?!"
He spoke as if he were already a celebrity.
Ruby stared at him blankly. "Then fix it."
Karl gasped. "How heartless...!"
Julian rubbed his temples, already regretting being part of this conversation.
Milo, on the other hand, clapped his hands excitedly. "Brother Karl, you’re going to be a real model! I’ll cheer for you!"
Karl beamed, dramatically placing a hand over his chest. "Ah, yes! I accept your support, dear brother Milo!"
Adrian, exhaling deeply, stood up. "I need a water."
Ruby smirked, standing as well.
"Then it’s settled. Karl, you’re going to be the star of the Diamond Moon Festival."
Karl placed both hands on his hips, his confidence soaring.
"Yes! The world shall witness my greatness!"
Julian muttered under his breath. "I already regret this."
Karl’s excitement was at its peak, but suddenly, a thought struck him.
"Wait... but how am I supposed to lose weight?"
His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Ruby in confusion.
"Aren’t I just supposed to stand there like a dummy, showing off the robe?"
The room fell silent for a moment.
Ruby’s red eyes glistened.
A slow, mischievous smirk crept onto her lips.
Karl felt a shiver run down his spine.
Something about that look on her face made him feel like... he had walked straight into a trap.
"Oh, Karl," Ruby purred, her voice smooth as silk.
She stepped closer, her smirk growing. "Who said you’d just be standing there?"
Karl froze. "W-Wait, what do you mean?"
Ruby tilted her head innocently. "You think just standing around will attract customers?"
Karl nodded rapidly. "Uh... yes?"
Ruby chuckled. "No, no, no, Karl. You won’t just be standing."
Her smirk widened as she tapped his chest lightly. "You’ll be walking, posing, showing off the robe with style."
Karl’s stomach dropped. "P-P-POSING?!"
Ruby nodded. "Yes. And not just that."
She took a step back and crossed her arms. "You’ll be moving around, engaging with the crowd, making sure every single person at the festival sees how amazing you look."
Karl’s face drained of color. "W-Wait, hold on! That sounds like... like... EXERCISE!"
Ruby beamed. "Exactly!"
Karl stumbled back in horror. "NOOOOO!!"
Milo gasped dramatically. "Brother Karl, you’ve been tricked!"
Julian covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing.
Karl grabbed Ruby’s hands, looking utterly betrayed. "WIFE! HOW COULD YOU?!"
Ruby grinned, pulling her hands away. "You wanted to lose weight, didn’t you?"
Karl sputtered. "Y-Yes, but NOT !"
Ruby patted his shoulder. "Well, it’s too late now. You already agreed."
Karl groaned, collapsing dramatically onto the couch. "I HAVE BEEN DECEIVED!"
Milo patted his head. "It’s okay, Brother Karl. You’ll look amazing!"
Ruby, still smirking, leaned closer. "Think of all the attention you’ll get, Karl. The whole festival will be watching you."
The thought of hundreds—no, thousands of people looking at him, admiring his beauty...
Slowly, his despair faded.
He sat up straight, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmm... if I must suffer... at least I shall suffer in style."
Ruby rolled her eyes. "Good. Now go prepare. We have work to do."
Karl sighed, standing up. "The things I do for beauty."
5 Days Before the Diamond Moon Festival
"Miss Ruby, we’ve finished another 51 robes. That makes a total of 81 robes," Rowan reported, wiping his hands on his apron.
Beside him, Elias looked tense, nervously biting his finger. "But even if we have so many, what if people don’t buy them? We might not make much revenue... and if some pieces don’t sell, our profits will be even smaller."
Ruby, however, remained completely unfazed.
She elegantly crossed her legs, leaning forward slightly, her red eyes gleaming with confidence.
"Everything will be fine."
Her long white hair fell softly over her face, making her already striking features appear even more enchanting.
Rowan and Elias exchanged glances.
"And how exactly do you plan to make people rush to buy them?" Rowan asked, still a little doubtful.
A small, knowing smile curved on Ruby’s lips.
She leaned back, exhaling slowly before speaking.
"Sometimes, even bad products sell well. And sometimes, even the best products don’t sell at all."
Rowan and Elias frowned, trying to understand what she meant.
Ruby tapped her fingers on the table, her expression turning calculative.
"The first thing people notice isn’t always quality—it’s the brand. If something becomes trusted, desirable, or exclusive, people will want it. Even if it’s expensive."
She smirked. "And people love faces. They love showing off. That’s exactly what I’ll take advantage of."
Elias hesitated. "So... you plan to sell them at a high price?"
Ruby nodded. "Not too high—just enough to make it exclusive, rare, and desirable. If people think it’s too easy to get, they won’t value it. But if it’s just expensive enough to make someone feel important wearing it—"
Rowan’s eyes slowly widened as he caught on. "Then the people who buy it will want to show off."
"Exactly." Ruby’s smirk deepened.
"Anyone who buys it will make sure everyone they meet knows about it—because they’ll want others to know they own something rare and special. And that will trigger curiosity in others."
Elias’ mouth fell open slightly. "That’s... genius."
But Ruby wasn’t done.
She leaned forward, lowering her voice slightly. "And there’s one more thing I’ve done to ensure even customers don’t realize how we’re manipulating demand."
Rowan and Elias leaned in instinctively.
"I’ve already had the logo stitched into the back collar of every robe, so every time they wash it, they’ll see my brand and remember where it came from. But more importantly—"
She paused for effect, then continued.
"We will intentionally hold back some stock."
Rowan blinked. "Hold back stock?"
Elias frowned. "But why? Wouldn’t it be better to sell everything at once?"
Ruby smirked. "No. If we sell everything immediately, people won’t think it’s rare. But if we make it look like we only have a few pieces left, it will create urgency. People will panic, thinking they’ll lose the chance to own one."
Rowan’s eyes widened. "Scarcity marketing...!"
Elias gulped. "That’s... that’s actually so cunning. Even the customers won’t realize they’re being tricked!"
—To be continued...🪄