"I'll take your entire stock."

"That was remarkable, miss. I'd like to formally accept your offer."

Hilda brightened as she slipped her leaf boots off. "That's wonderful! How much would you like to buy?"

Draek grinned. "You've done a great job presenting, so I'd actually like to buy all of it."

"A-all of it?!" Hilda was ecstatic. Her efforts had payed off immensely, and while she had been hoping she could keep something to cover herself, selling everything was the best case scenario. "That's so kind of you. Yes, all of it is for sale!"

"Hey, I'd like some of that grass stuff, too."

"Don't leave us out of the loop!"

The bargoers were starting to erupt into protests and a few even stood up and started tossing coins towards the stage. Hilda reached out to try and catch a few, but Draek managed to snatch them out of the air before they hit the stage. Hilda was shocked at the speed at which he grabbed the flying coins, so much so that she didn't even feel cheated.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please. Calm yourselves. You all will be able to buy these luxury items from my stall come daylight. But you'd better come quickly; these will go fast." Draek turned back to Hilda. "Now, about your compensation."

Hilda nodded. "Oh, yes. Three gold for everything seems more fair now, I think."

Draek chuckled. "Now, that might be pushing things, dear. I never said I'd buy them for your initial price."

"Bu- but I thought-"

"Now, now, don't worry. You'll be compensated. Unfortunately, I can't quite agree to your initial price. It's still not much of an investment; I'm not sure how much coin I'll make back on this job." Draek lied as naturally as he breathed. "I'm willing to offer you this much." The sly merchant held out a single gold coin, and Hilda just stared back at him in disbelief.

"That's outrageous!" Hilda cried, finally deciding to stand up for herself. "After everything I did for you?"

"I'm being more than fair. Anyone else in this bar would have just taken your goods while you walked the runway and left you with nothing. I'm an honest businessman, and I don't appreciate being called otherwise." He stood up, stroking his facial hair. "Of course, if you're not happy with my offer, I won't waste your time. I'm sure any one of these fine people behind me would love a chance to cut out the middle man and keep you around a bit longer."

Hilda looked around at the hungry eyes and drooling mouths in the crowd, and she instinctively moved to cover her chest. She took a step backward, away from her clothes. She had been duped, and she could see it now. Seeing no other option but to count her losses and escape, Hilda stuttered, "F-fine. 1 gold coin for the whole wardrobe."

"That's more reasonable, thank you." Draek flicked the coin to Hilda and scooped up her clothes. "Oh, and I'd try going out the back door if I were you." He turned around and carried Hilda's forest clothes out the door, leaving Hilda standing naked onstage in the glow of lantern light, the only possession to her name being the single gold coin in her hands.

And she was far from safe, now. The bar patrons started walking towards Hilda with ravenous looks on their faces. Hilda yelped and ran off the stage and through a small door, leading her outside again. She looked around for something to use to bar the door closed, and saw a large stack of crates sitting behind the building. Wasting no time, she slammed the crates in front of the door just as the first few patrons started slamming their fists into it from the other side. The nude noble ran back to the empty caravanserai, keeping to the shadows so as not to alert anyone to her presence.

As she hid behind a covered wagon, Hilda looked down to the single coin in her palm. It was the dead of night, now. She'd run out of time and options to earn money, and all she had to show for it was this single coin. How was she going to get Tina and L'abbee inside the gates when she was two coins short?