Chapter 1

Vulpyr Hall had finally reopened for the year. Rumor was they were selling a batch of fox faes again.

By the time I rushed over, only one fox fae was left.

The owner practically dragged him out to meet me.

And wow.

Tall. Broad-shouldered. Sculpted features that were almost too perfect—like the kind of beauty that felt dangerous to look at for too long.

Shame he looked like he couldn’t care less about my existence. He only stared at me with a haughty, cold look.

The owner shot him a warning glance before turning to me with a salesman’s grin. “He’s the last one we’ve got. I’ll give you… ninety percent off.”

Ninety percent off? Yeah, that screamed something’s wrong with him.

Vulpyr Hall only opened once a year, specializing in ridiculously handsome, fully-trained fox faes. I’d come because I was stressed out of my mind and wanted something nice to distract myself with.

A ninety percent discount?

Either I was getting scammed, or he was defective.

The owner must’ve read my expression because he rushed to explain. “His training went a little… sideways. Most fox faes study how to please their owners. This one? He studied how to make money. Humans always wish for wealth, right? Well, he can help you get rich.”

Help me get rich?

Okay, that got my attention.

“Then why hasn’t anyone bought him?” I asked.

The owner rubbed his hands awkwardly. “Oh, he has been sold a few times. But the customers kept trying to get… intimate with him. He hated it, so he kept running away.”

So… he was pure? A chaste fox fae?

The owner added quickly, “We have a one-month return policy, no questions asked. Try him out. Just… if he helps you get rich, you can’t try anything physical with him, alright?”

I glanced at the fox fae again.

Well… since the owner said all that…

Fine. I’d take him.

⸻

I practically skipped home with my new fox fae in tow.

On the way, I tried to break the ice. “So… what’s your name?”

“Fennrick Thorne.”

That was a name befitting a haughty male lead in a CEO romance novel.

I grinned and stuck out my hand. “I’m Autumn Lockhart. Guess that makes me your new master!”

My friends always bragged about their fox faes who called them “Master” every so often. It sounded kind of amazing.

But Fennrick simply turned away, his voice cold and sharp, dripping with authority. “I’m not like them.”

A chill shot straight down my spine.

I quickly changed tactics, hand still awkwardly hovering in the air. “Okay… In that case, let’s be friends.”

He looked down at my hand like it offended him and snorted. “Don’t touch me. If you do, I’m going back.”

It was just a handshake. Was he for real?

Fine. If he wanted ice-cold, I could do ice-cold.

But honestly speaking, is it possible for Fennrick to make me wealthy?

I gave a faint, amused laugh. “So how do I know you can actually make me rich? What if the owner gave me a busted fox fae, took my money and fled?”

I meant to annoy him, but he didn’t even flinch.

He merely glanced at me with a look that was consisting of disdain, mockery and frozen daggers.

My heart throbbed, and I hurriedly averted my eyes.

Fox faes were trouble by design, weren’t they?

Just making eye contact with him made my heart flutter.

⸻

Once we got home, I couldn’t help asking, “So… when will you start making me rich?”

Without a word, Fennrick walked straight into the bathroom.

When he came out, his hair was dripping wet. Beads of water slid down his chest, and disappeared at the towel around his hips.

My brain short-circuited. I shook my head violently, resisting every feral urge in my body, and forced out the only words that mattered.

“Make me rich.”

He finished blow-drying his hair, sat on the couch with perfect posture, and switched the TV to the finance channel.

Only then did he speak.

“I’ll observe you for seven days. If you touch me during that time, I’m leaving. But if you pass the evaluation… I’ll make you filthy rich.”