Chapter 39: Chapter 39: The Crown Prince’s Blessing (Please Follow)
Angel Water had previously only been a sensation within the Palace of Versailles, but after a period of trial use by the noble ladies, its wondrous effects had already spread throughout Paris.
Now, not a single woman among the entire noble class of Paris was unaware of this miraculous cosmetic.
Claims such as “two days to smooth out pimples,” “five days for skin to become soft and supple,” and “a week to fade spots” were all backed by numerous individuals who could attest to its efficacy.
Especially prominent was the advertisement that appeared on the front pages of major newspapers ten days ago—a single, bold line dominated the page: “Angel Water, you deserve to have it.”
Simple, direct.
Like an arrow shooting straight to the heart of every woman. Yes, the noble and luxurious Angel Water might be expensive, but I deserve to own a bottle!
If one flipped casually through the other pages of the newspaper, one could see announcements about the grand opening of the Paris Angel Exclusive Store, clearly stating that Angel Water would only be available at this type of store, where a multitude of new products would also be launched.
The grand opening was scheduled for 12:00 noon, and long before dawn, people had already gathered outside the exclusive store, peering curiously through the completely transparent glass facade at the merchandise displayed inside.
Joseph frowned as he looked at the street that was so congested with the crowd waiting for the store to open; though he was the owner, he was unable to get close to the door…
It wasn’t until Kesode ordered the Royal Guard to step in to maintain order that a narrow passage finally emerged on Champs-Elysees.
At exactly 12:00 noon, more than ten sales associates, each over 1.8 meters tall, with blond hair and blue eyes, handsome features, and wearing neatly pressed thick red velvet uniforms, emerged from the Paris Angel Exclusive Store.
They lined up neatly in two rows at the flower-decked entrance, accompanied by a band playing joyful celebratory music, as two slender girls pulled out a red silk ribbon, tied with a bouquet in the middle, strung across the front of the store.
The manager of the exclusive store came to the forefront, bowed, and then announced in a loud voice:
“May I invite the ‘Child of Divine Favor’ from Versailles, the esteemed French Crown Prince, to inaugurate our store!”
A thunderous cheer burst from Champs-Elysees. Moments earlier, when people saw the Royal Guard maintaining order, they speculated that an important figure might be arriving, and to their surprise, it was the Crown Prince himself.
Dressed in ceremonial garb, Joseph walked out from the store, waving to the crowd to signal them, and declared loudly:
“Today marks the official opening of the first exclusive store belonging to the Paris Angel Company.
“The mission of Paris Angel is to ensure that every French woman can preserve her youth and beauty forever!
“I wish you all a delightful shopping experience!”
The crowd stirred and cheered again, with some admiring fans even starting to chant, “Long live the Crown Prince!”
Joseph took the scissors from the manager and cut the red ribbon in front of him, then quickly “escaped” the scene through the back door with Kesode’s protection.
There was no helping it, he feared that if he moved any slower, he would be engulfed and devoured by those starry-eyed noble maidens.
From all directions, flower petals were scattered into the air, and the manager, with a smile, gestured for the people to enter the store and make their purchases.
As people talked about the novel inaugural ceremony, they swarmed into the store. In almost an instant, both floors of the exclusive store, spanning over a thousand square meters, were packed with customers, yet outside, there were still a thousand more people anxiously waiting for a chance to get inside.
A young woman with a tall and elegant figure, dressed in a dark blue long dress with a wide-brimmed hat, its veil falling and concealing her face, looked at the sea of people outside the Paris Angel Store and furrowed her brows slightly as she complained softly:
“How could there be so many people? If only I had known, I would have asked Mr. Balvetto to buy it for me…”
She touched the barely noticeable blemish marks on her cheek, as though making up her mind.
A few days ago, one of her girlfriends had gifted her a small half bottle of what was said to be the most popular skincare product at the moment, “Angel Water.” After only a few uses, the stubborn pimples that had troubled her greatly had significantly receded.
But that bit of “Angel Water” was about to run out, and for the sake of her lovely face, there was no question that she had to buy another bottle to take home!
She surveyed the Paris Angel Exclusive Store for a moment and then, moving her long legs, swiftly walked towards the back of the store.
Joseph emerged from the back door of the exclusive store, where a carriage had already been waiting for him. Just as he was about to get in, he suddenly caught sight of a disheveled little boy, about eight or nine years old and covered in dirt, begging pitifully at the entrance of the alley:
“Noble sir, madame, please grant me a few coins.”
Gazing at the even younger girl slumped in the corner, the boy’s voice grew urgent:
“Please, I beg you—just 5 deniers, so I can buy my little sister a ‘Crown Prince’s Blessing’! I beg you, she has had a fever all day long…”
However, this alley was seldom traversed by pedestrians, and even the few who hurried past didn’t spare him a glance.
Joseph approached and dropped two silver coins into the battered can the boy was holding. The child immediately knelt down, choking up as he said:
“Thank you, kind sir, thank you! May the Lord bless you!”
Kesode was first to help him to his feet.
Joseph said,
“It’s nothing, hurry and get your sister some medicine. By the way, what is this ‘Crown Prince’s Blessing’ you just mentioned?”
The boy eagerly replied,
“Noble sir, it’s those small pills, something salicin, they can save lives and are very cheap. I’ve heard that the Crown Prince himself invented the medicine, so everyone calls it ‘Crown Prince’s Blessing’.”
Joseph gestured to Eman, who immediately brought over a few grains of salicin—Joseph had also been using salicin to control his pneumonia.
“Is it this medicine?” Joseph handed the pale yellow pills to the boy.
“Yes! That’s the one!” The boy was overjoyed, bowed deeply, and fed a pill to his sister’s mouth, then gave her some water to drink, nodding vigorously at her, “Swallow it, swallow and you’ll feel better soon.”
As the boy made as if to kneel again, Joseph quickly held him up and asked:
“Where are your family?”
The little boy forced a broken smile:
“They all got sick and died last year, only my sister and I were spared.”
As he spoke, a series of “gurgling” sounds came from his stomach.
Joseph felt a pang of sorrow and gave him some more money, but then he suddenly caught sight of the crowd on the other side of the alley hoarding Angel Water.
It’s better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish.
He looked at the little boy, “Do you want to stop going hungry?”
The boy nodded earnestly.
“I’ll teach you a way,” Joseph pointed toward the crowd, “there’s a store called Paris Angel over there. Take this money and buy some chairs, then rent them out in front of that store, 2 deniers an hour. Remember to take a security deposit.
“Once you’re familiar with the situation at the store, buy some clean and tidy clothes to wear, and help the ladies who don’t want to queue or who need someone to make purchases for them. You can probably charge 1 livre per service.”
The boy’s eyes widened, and he bowed deeply:
“I really can’t thank you enough! You must be the savior sent by the Lord for me and my sister!”
Behind a protruding pillar in the alley, a woman with long legs veiled in gossamer watched Joseph from a distance and murmured to herself:
“That man appears to be the Crown Prince? I didn’t expect him to have a somewhat kind heart. It seems that not everyone in the Royal Family is a viper or a parasite, after all.”