Jasmine was excited when she heard that, but she was still a little worried.
"What kind of price do I need to pay?"
From her point of view, just because she didn't need to pay a price for the previous free attempt didn't mean that the subsequent wishes would be the same.
Klein adjusted his tall top hat and said with a smile, "The penny you paid is the price.
"The penny you paid is the price, and the corresponding changes you have to endure after your wish is also the price."
Jasmine nodded, not fully understanding. Without any hesitation, she reached into her pocket and tried to take out a few copper pennies to complete her wish.
However, her pocket was empty. Apart from a handkerchief, there was nothing else.
Having stayed at home for too long, she hadn't come into contact with money for a long time.
Previously, she had relied on walking from her house to the municipal square instead of taking a trackless carriage.
"I-I … Can I go home first?" Jasmine asked, feeling vexed and embarrassed.
"Of course, that's your freedom, but I can't guarantee that the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine will always be waiting for you here." Klein smiled in the tone of a Magician. "Sometimes, it can be very capricious."
Jasmine tersely acknowledged and thanked him. She turned around and jogged in the opposite direction of the municipal square.
The more she ran, the more relaxed her body became. She returned to her healthy state before she was burned, returning to the young girl who was only seventeen or eighteen years old.
To her, this was a scene that only appeared in her dreams.
Of course, as an ordinary person, she gradually felt exhausted after running for a while. She had no choice but to slow down and start walking slowly.
A cool night breeze blew, and bright stars shone through the clouds high in the sky. The trees by the side of the street swayed gently, casting their swaying shadows on the ground. All of this was so quiet and beautiful. Jasmine felt her body and mind relax as all her worries faded away.
This was the first time she felt so peaceful ever since she was injured. Unknowingly, she had a smile on her face.
After walking for about five minutes, she suddenly heard someone shout her name.
"Eh, Jasmine?"
Jasmine turned her head and saw a familiar face. It was her former neighbor, Mrs. Hamil.
"Good evening, Mrs. Hamil. I haven't seen you in a long time. Are you going to the carnival?" Jasmine, who wasn't wearing a scarf, said with a heartfelt smile.
Mrs. Hamil was a gray-haired woman. She sized up Jasmine and said, "I'm not sure.
"I haven't seen you since you moved away. I heard you were injured in the previous bombing?"
"Yes, but it's already fine." Jasmine nodded heavily.
She then asked,
"How is Julie now?"
Julie was Mrs. Hamill's eldest daughter and Jasmine's former playmate.
Mrs. Hamil's expression turned gloomy.
"She was, she was bullied by the Feysacians and died as a result …"
Jasmine was stunned for a moment. While feeling sad, she thought of her own experience.
Once, a Feysac soldier barged into her house and attempted to humiliate her. However, when they saw her burned face, they only gave her a kick and left.
"Poor Julie." Jasmine tapped her chest four times clockwise in grief and sincerity, drawing the stars.
After hearing what happened to her friends, she realized that she might be the luckier one.
After bidding Mrs. Hamil farewell, Jasmine walked all the way back to her apartment.
When she arrived outside, she calmed down and felt much better. She began to look forward to her parents' expressions when they saw her return to her original state.
They probably won't suppress the pain in their hearts and pretend that nothing had happened. They'll definitely cry tears of excitement and hug me happily … Jasmine took off the key that hung around her neck like a necklace and opened the door as her imagination ran wild.
The room was dark. Be it the candles or the gas wall lamps, none of them were lit.
On the bed in the outer room, snoring sounds could be heard, forming a contrast with the liveliness of the municipal square.
They're all asleep … Yes, they usually work very hard … Jasmine gently closed the door and walked to her parents' bed. With the crimson moonlight shining through the window, she quietly cast her gaze over.
Dad has a lot of white hair on his head, and his wrinkles have become very deep … Mom frowns even as she sleeps. Her face is a little peeling, dry and rough … Only then did Jasmine realize that she hadn't seriously examined her parents' faces for a long time. She didn't know that they had aged so much.
Before the war, her father was an accountant. His income wasn't bad, and he could afford to rent a terraced house. He could let his wife not go out to work and focus on taking care of the family. But now, he could only enter a cloth factory and do heavy labor. Jasmine's mother had no choice but to leave the family and become a textile worker.
Dad's health is also getting worse. He's always coughing. However, he has already passed the recent Government Employee Unified Examination. When the results of the interview are announced, he will have a decent job … Mom keeps complaining that her eyes and arms are getting worse … Jasmine looked deeply at her parents and didn't wake them up.
She had already thought of her second wish.
With light footsteps, Jasmine entered the room and poured out the last few pennies from her almost empty piggy bank.
Then, she left the apartment and boarded a trackless public carriage.
She was afraid that if she arrived too late, the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine would disappear.
At that moment, there were many passengers on the public carriage. Most of them were going to participate in the carnival. Jasmine looked around and saw that there were no seats. All she could do was hold onto the frame and stand in the aisle, squeezing with many people.
About ten minutes later, she alighted at the station and turned into the street from before.
When the brass-colored machine with a few pieces of glass embedded in it entered her eyes, Jasmine silently heaved a sigh of relief and quickly approached it.
During this process, she looked around and didn't find Mr. Magicians named Merlin Hermes.
"Is it really fully automatic? There's no need for him to be by the side?" Jasmine muttered in puzzlement.
She didn't waste any time. She took out a penny and threw it into the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.
"I hope that my parents will recover and that my family will become wealthy." Jasmine whispered her wish and closed her eyes, waiting for a miracle to happen.
In the next second, she heard a clanging sound, as though a coin had rolled out of the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.
Jasmine opened her eyes in shock and looked ahead. She saw that the penny she had just thrown in had landed on a small tray outside the slot.
This wish can't be fulfilled? Uh, a wish can't contain too much content? What I just made is actually equivalent to two wishes … With the experience of being cured of her burns, Jasmine didn't suspect that there was a problem with the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.
She thought about it carefully, then put the penny into the slot again. She bowed her head and made a wish in a low voice.
"I hope that my parents will recover."
This time, she heard a light tapping sound from the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.
"Du."
When Jasmine saw that the copper coin hadn't been spat out, she knew that her wish had been fulfilled. She couldn't wait to return home and check on her parents.
Suppressing her excitement, she threw in a second penny.
She had originally planned on making a wish to make her family wealthy, but when she thought of how her father was almost certain to become a government employee of Limon City and how her family's income was guaranteed, she couldn't help but have other thoughts.
After the age of ten, she had already realized that she wasn't good-looking at all. This didn't mean that the people around her would despise her or say that her looks weren't up to par, but that among her playmates, there were two girls who were rather beautiful. This allowed them to receive preferential treatment most of the time, allowing them to experience the kindness of The World.
With such a comparison, Jasmine couldn't help but dream that she would become more and more beautiful as she grew older, but reality proved that dreams could only be dreams.
However, this time, her dreams could completely become reality. This was because in front of her was a miraculous Fully Automatic Wishing Machine that could create miracles.
If I can become beautiful, I can find a good husband and improve my family's situation … Jasmine seemed to hear the devil whispering in her ear. She couldn't help but close her eyes and make a wish.
"I wish to become very, very, very beautiful."
She used three "very" to describe her beauty.
Just as she finished her sentence, the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine's "door" opened once again. A silver-white mask was pushed out and covered Jasmine's face.
Jasmine opened her eyes just in time to see the mask disappear.
At the same time, she seemed to be connected to something.
She turned around in anticipation and once again came to the shop by the street. She used the light from the gas lamps and the glass in the windows to see her current appearance.
Jasmine was momentarily unable to describe the changes in her facial features and contours. She only knew that at that moment, even she was immersed in her beauty.
Her nose had become sharper, her lips had become more plump, her eyes had become larger, and they were very moist. Her skin was as tender as milk pudding. She only had a tiny resemblance to her original self.
"Is, is this a miracle …" Jasmine couldn't help but let out a heartfelt sigh of admiration.
She was engrossed in admiring herself. It wasn't easy for her to retract her gaze and bow at the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.
She then walked towards the public carriage platform with light footsteps. On the way, gazes were cast at her.
Bang!
A man slammed into a gas lamp pole because he was too focused on her.
Jasmine pursed her lips into a smile and didn't say a word. She boarded the trackless public carriage.
There were still quite a number of people on the carriage, and all the seats were occupied.
Just as Jasmine was trying her best to find a seat, a few men raised their butts and straightened their bodies. They looked at her and smiled.
"Miss, you can sit here."
Jasmine was momentarily taken aback. She didn't expect to receive so much kindness.
She didn't decline and sat down nearby. She smiled at the man who gave up his seat.
"Thank you."
The man's expression became extremely animated as he said humbly, "This is what a gentleman should do.
This is what a gentleman should do. "
Jasmine still maintained her habit of being cooped up at home. She didn't say anything else as she quietly sat near her house and got off the carriage.
After taking a few steps, she suddenly felt someone looking at her. She hurriedly turned her head.
It was a drunk man, and he was looking at Jasmine with an indescribably disgusted look.
Jasmine jumped in fright and hurriedly walked towards the apartment. However, the men she met on the way revealed similar looks, as though they would transform into beasts at any moment.
At that moment, Jasmine felt like she was walking in the wilderness.
Divine Emperor of the Nine Heavens
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