《I Quit Being a Noble and Became a Commoner》


 Chapter 1

    ¡°You¡¯re good at dancing.¡±


    The noble person in front of me, who had said that one sentence to me was Fernand Empire¡¯s Third Imperial Prince, His Highness Ludens.


    ¡°I am honoured by your compliment.¡±


    I expressed my gratitude like a lady. Hah, do I have to dance with this guy next?


    Even though I just don¡¯t want to dance.


    I probably won¡¯t see you ever again and I didn¡¯t even want to meet you.


    Well, I should be pleased that this could be used as joke material afterwards.


    I look at the floor as much as possible and only glance up. He has light blonde hair, emerald green eyes and dazzling prince smile. He wore a purple emblem permitted only by the royal family. He looks exactly like he does in the aristocrat almanac. Though, he was much cooler in person than in portrait.


    I was fine with dancing with the Prime Minister¡¯s son, Roberto, but why am I dancing with such high ranking people¡­? They also hide their position, it was bad of them to mix in with others. Maybe there were other things too. My instincts tells me that I shouldn¡¯t get involved any further. I must show minimum discourtesy while dealing with them while ignoring everything else!


    In 3 days, I won¡¯t be a noble anymore.


    The knowledge I have as a noble might be useful in the future, but noble acquaintances aren¡¯t.


    Translator: Blushy


    Editors: Readers


    Hey there! I picked up another project and of course, re-translating this one from the beginning too¡­ I hope you enjoy it!

 Chapter 2

    I am Ayeshamaria Org du Thousand. I will be a 16 year old young lady in 3 days.


    Why am I, who decided to stop being a noble at 16, participating in such a ball¡­? Let¡¯s rewind back a little.


    ???????


    I, a noble who is bad at her words, is probably scowled at by nobles.


    I am an illegitimate child born from my father, Earl Thousand, and my mother, a mere commoner who was a seamstress.


    My father was of course a noble and had a wife named Furore-sama. He also had three children. My older brother, Guerlain, was older than me by 10 years. My oldest sister, Catherine, was older than me by three and my second sister, Rosalie, one year.


    So why was I born?


    Because Furore-sama left Earl Thousand¡¯s side to return to her family home with her three children so that my older brother, Guerlain, can improve his fencing before entering higher education.


    Earl Thousand might be an outstanding person in the noble circles, but he was someone who needed to be supported by a woman, so he used my mother as substitute for Furore-sama.


    My mother said that he didn¡¯t contact her at all. ¡°How did things become like this?¡± She would often say to herself and laugh.


    My mother, who was an excellent seamstress, was often asked to make clothes for nobles for a little extra on the side. She would adjust clothes for them or add embroidery. My mother, who was skilled and not that bad looking, caught the eye of my father, who eventually cheated on his wife.


    Just one mistake continued for life¡­ That was me. My kind hearted father never robbed me of my life and I was born.


    I wasn¡¯t abandoned on the streets, even though only half of my blood was noble, because it was all for the sake of the Thousand House honour.


    Furore-sama, who had high pride, couldn¡¯t forgive my mother nor me. The gardener¡¯s work cabin, located outside of the estate grounds, became our living place.


    The gardener couple would occasionally help us out, but we basically lived with the two of us, my mother and me. My father would come to see how we were doing once a month, but he was no match for Furore-sama and would quickly return home.


    We didn¡¯t use any living expenses, but our lifestyle was somewhat inferior to the lives of the common people.


    We had to draw water from the well ourselves and lower our heads to get food from the estate¡¯s kitchen. We also had to lower our heads to get clothes and what we finally got were hand-me-downs. We wouldn¡¯t be able to live if we had pride.


    You would think that my mother could work as a seamstress, but she couldn¡¯t carry the young me around while she worked.


    My mother was strong and cheerful. She snuck away from the estate as soon as I was able to walk and worked secretly at a clothing shop, where she had acquaintances at. We couldn¡¯t live luxuriously, but our lives became easier with cash on hand.


    Don¡¯t hurt the Thousand House honour. That was the only thing we were careful about. We couldn¡¯t disregard this fact while in town. The clothes I wore were simple and out-of-fashion, but it had embroidery to show off luxury. That was affect for my mother and father and atonement to Furore-sama.


    It was mostly just me and my mother. This was natural for me and I didn¡¯t feel unhappy.


    I was suddenly called to the estate when I turned 3. Even though I was only a half blood, I was obliged to obtain noble education.


    I, who have never been anywhere except for the kitchen, met Furore-sama and my siblings for the first time in a place called the parlour, where there was a big fluffy carpet and carved furniture.


    Translator: Blushy


    Editors: Readers

 Chapter 3

    I heard from my mother that my father had a wife and other children besides me. But after all, how could a 3 year old child understand this?


    I, who couldn¡¯t grasp the situation well, was taken to the estate alone. I stood firmly in the parlour.


    Before my eyes was a beautiful woman with lightly wavy red hair. She stared at me coldly. This was when I knew that the woman in front of me was Furore-sama. The boy, with reddish brown hair, standing behind Furore-sama, as if she was protecting him, was also staring at me coldly¡­ It was my older brother Guerlain. There were also two girls hiding in Furore-sama¡¯s dress with the same reddish brown hair¡­ The one with almond-shaped eyes was older sister Catherine and the one with droopy eyes was older sister Rosalie.


    My father had light brown hair and my mother light blonde, so I had straight caramel hair.


    I never had the opportunity to play with children my age, I could only watch them from afar so I must have looked at my siblings with great interest. Still, I had never seen anyone with red hair up close and my unsightly gaze quickly cause Furore-sama displeasure.


    ¡°Know your place.¡±


    I thought that the beautiful red haired woman was coming towards me and my body jumped.


    My cheeks were pressed with the folding fan.


    My surprise won over my pain and I didn¡¯t know right from left.


    The folded fan dropped to the floor when I looked down.


    The beautiful red haired woman left the parlour when I lifted my gaze from the floor.


    My father picked me up off the floor, ¡°The person who left just now was my wife Furore¡±. I didn¡¯t blame the woman nor did I treat my cheeks.


    My standing in the estate was decided at this point. My position was the bottommost.


    A room at the end of the first floor became my bedroom. It was a guest room that wasn¡¯t so big. The Noble Education, in other words, education given to me by a tutor was conducted in the study room. Other than that, I remained confined in my room. If I had time, I would return to the gardener¡¯s work cabin where my mother was, but I could only remain in my room when I couldn¡¯t return. My mother could only enter the kitchen so she didn¡¯t know anything about what was happening.


    The people who worked at the estate also looked down on me and didn¡¯t help me. Well, my mother said it was normal to do things for oneself, so for a while, I didn¡¯t realise that this wasn¡¯t how a noble lady should be treated. They probably didn¡¯t want to get involved. No one wanted Furore-sama to scowl at them.


    I stayed at the estate in 3 week intervals under the guidance of the private tutor. During my stay, I would learn table manners and dancing on top of my education. I would suddenly be called back to the estate and quickly returned to my small room. I would study for 3 days a week for half the day in the mornings when I didn¡¯t stay in the estate. My life continued like this.


    Did your brothers and sisters take the same education as you?


    Sometimes I would learn with them and sometimes I wouldn¡¯t.


    Still, they were older than me so they could do everything. My siblings wouldn¡¯t teach me even if I was struggling and I barely made the tutor angry. When they were younger, they would gang up and bully me. When they got older, they would ignore me or treat me like a servant.


    I had no choice but to obey my tutor¡¯s instructions. Only the tutor would come into the estate to talk to me. She would answer my questions.


    My mother would often tell me to thank my father, who gave me the opportunity to learn Noble Education.


    Yes, yeah. That¡¯s right, commoners didn¡¯t have this opportunity.


    My mother taught me how to live as a commoner.


    That¡¯s why I became who I am today.


    Translator: Blushy


    Editors: Readers

 Chapter 4

    ¡°Ayeshamaria.¡±


    A shrivelled voice said as they struck the back of my hands with a thin stick.


    My tutor, Ms. Dolcie, looked at me with a scary face.


    The young me couldn¡¯t drink tea without making a sound. Meals were taken in the study room under Ms. Dolcie¡¯s supervision until my table manners were perfected.


    Ms. Dolcie¡­¡­ As a tutor of the Thousand House, she was an honest person who did her job properly.


    She did her job properly so she was strict even towards children, but I felt like she was especially strict towards me.


    Her dark brown hair was tied up in a single ponytail. She wore a high quality but plain long skirt. She felt older than my mother and a little older than Furore-sama.


    She would overlook if someone made a mistake in front of her three times, any more than that and you would get hit with a stick somewhere on your body. I couldn¡¯t do something right after being hit, can I? It¡¯s impossible to oppose her.


    I heard from a maid that there was a rumour about a young lady from a wealthy Baron family had ruined Ms. Dolcie. Well, it has nothing to do with me though.


    I studied Noble Education in the study room of the place I called the estate. It wasn¡¯t filled with more things than needed, but it was a big room.


    The place where I learnt had 4 simple desks pushed together. I practiced tea time mannerism on a sofa with carved legs and a table¡­ I learnt things like how to make delicious tea. In a vacant space, I learnt to dance on the wood floor.


    It was a place to study, but I had my meals in here whenever I was at the estate until I was around 8 years old. My brother and sisters didn¡¯t come to this room when I turned 5.


    When I thought about it now, I could have my meals relaxingly if Ms. Dolcie wasn¡¯t there to rebuke me. After the maid brought the meal to the study room on a cart, I would serve myself, arrange the cutlery and deepen my knowledge about food and taste. I felt that the food was delicious. It didn¡¯t have anything to do with making nice conversations or sitting with people.


    If the teacher concluded that I had perfect table manner, then I would have to eat meals with my family (?!) in the dining hall, and the food would be less delicious.


    It didn¡¯t matter to me even if a first-class chef cooked the food with high quality and carefully prepared ingredients.


    The most delicious meal was one cooked by my mother. No matter what, this wouldn¡¯t change.


    I learnt letters at first in my classroom lectures and then I would transcribe words.


    It became a little less scary to live in the estate by myself after I was able to read. I borrowed picture books from the estate¡¯s extravagant library. It was very scary to suddenly have to sleep by yourself at the age of three, so I pulled the covers over my head and sang. It didn¡¯t matter that the bed was clean and fluffy. I always slept with my mother at that time and I longed for her so much that I wanted to cry. I thought that they would get angry at me if I cried so I didn¡¯t. I honestly think that the trauma from this time caused me to become unable to show my emotions.


    I had less time to learn than my siblings, and I was only able to memorise one of the noble almanac.


    The noble almanac was like a dictionary, containing all the facts about the nobles of this Kingdom. There was about 1000 pages. It didn¡¯t just contain their name, but also their hair and eye colour, special features and achievements. Portraits were drawn for the Royal family. There was a full 15 pages about the royal family tree. Relatives of major houses were also listed.


    Incidentally, I was also listed in the almanac. It listed my name, my hair and eye colour. It was only one line. I was angry that my mother¡¯s name wasn¡¯t listed.


    A new almanac was published every year and whenever I had free time, Ms. Dolcie would ask me many questions related to the almanac. I read it so much that it could also be said to be my favourite book. Of course, if I couldn¡¯t answer it then I would get the stick.


    I wondered why Ms. Dolcie made me read all of this.


    Another thing I studied a lot was dance. It was completely different from the dancing commoners did.


    First, it was bad if the dance posture wasn¡¯t correct. I wonder how many hours I stood with a book on top of my head? My sisters were mean and I dropped my book which caused Ms. Dolcie to hit me with the stick.


    I wore my sister¡¯s hand-me-down dresses and high heels and practiced the steps while smiling.


    I didn¡¯t think that I would be invited to any balls, but I couldn¡¯t go against Ms. Dolcie. As soon as a new dance step became popular, she would make me practice it until I mastered it. Well, I didn¡¯t hate dancing so I remembered the steps. I also mastered how to fake smile. I thought that the way I carried myself was too light.


    I was the one who mostly brewed tea at the study room, this also went well. I did so well that I could probably work as a young lady maid.


    I hardly drank such luxury items like tea when I lived with my mother. But sometimes I would receive low quality tea, which I take home and brew.


    What was noble education useful for?


    They learn¡­ The responsibility of a noble. Manage their territories and become a model for the people. Serve your Kingdom. I can¡¯t believe I was involved in such a thing. Marriage? I don¡¯t think I would want that.


    I didn¡¯t have any noble pride in me at all. I was only a noble half-blood, so my family, who are noble, looked down on me. The people, who worked at the estate, also shunned me, so there was no way I would be raised with pride. I, who was mismatched, because I was raised as a commoner and could behave like a noble.


    I couldn¡¯t find the meaning to being a noble because I loved my commoner mother.


    Translator: Blushy


    Editors: Readers


    Thanks for all your kind comments¡­ I hope this doesn¡¯t become some big drama *wraps blanket around self and hole up in bed*


    Enjoy the chapter ^^

 Chapter 5

    My mother was in a terrible condition the first time I¡¯d returned home from the estate after being forced to go there.


    She had become so thin. The reason why she¡¯d become so thin was that her own child had suddenly disappeared from her side and didn¡¯t return for more than three weeks. Even if she knew where I¡¯d gone, she couldn¡¯t enter. She probably worried endlessly. She just barely managed to divert herself by sorting our personal belongings.


    Did no one explain to her what was happening to me? But my father visited my mother¡¯s place. I was worried about my mother, but since I could only come once every two days, she wanted to talk about how I was. Before I knew it, we were only talking about me.


    Even though I wasn¡¯t trying to be apathetic, my mother would often display the spirit of being gentle to woman and children. I¡¯m also a woman, you know? Is it out of my range? But, you know, it¡¯s fine for you to be more affectionate to your own child, you know? Were you that scared of Furore-sama?


    Well, let¡¯s just say that it was good that my father was by my mother¡¯s side when I wasn¡¯t. If my mother can be relieved by my father¡¯s visits then there was nothing better than that.


    The feelings of not wanting to worry my mother grew when I saw her worn-out figure. That was why I only told her the good things about the estate. I told her things like the delicious food I ate and how I could read now.


    I tried very hard to help my mother whenever I was with her.


    I cleaned, as well as drew the water for cooking meals. I did the washing and even farmed. For farming, I pulled out the weeds and put the vegetables into the soil¡­ But it didn¡¯t change the fact that this was important for us, who had very few food resources.


    I used the knowledge I¡¯d gained from the books at the estate to increase our harvest. I fermented the vegetable waste to make fertilizer. My mother didn¡¯t have any experience in farming, so she praised me a lot. Of course, people worked harder when they were praised.


    Unlike when I was at the estate, I could honestly show my emotions when I was with my mother.


    I would laugh at silly things or when I was being clumsy. I would cry if I tripped while running and my mother would caress my hair while I slept in her lap.


    How fulfilling it was.


    The gardener¡¯s work cabin was mine and my mother¡¯s castle.


    My sewing skills got really good under the guidance of my mother, who was an excellent seamstress. Like my mother, my forte was embroidery. At the age of 10 I surpassed noble standard levels. I don¡¯t remember Ms. Dolcie ever getting angry at my embroidery. Hehe.


    I was able to work at my mother¡¯s side job. I was already a pro.


    I studied about housework and farming. My life got busier when I got the side job, but I didn¡¯t suffer because I thought about how earning more money would improve our lifestyle.


    I didn¡¯t know how the Thousand House would treat me when I grew up. They might marry me off into some old man¡¯s house because he desired noble blood. Would they pay my dowry since I was the third daughter? It seemed likely that they would detain me at the estate so that they could treat me as a servant. But I couldn¡¯t be sure right at this time because Furore-sama didn¡¯t want to see my face at all.


    In any case, I decided to save up a little for my future life with my mother.


    As I grew older, I had to do my own cleaning and washing whenever I was at the estate.


    Because it was work a maid could do. Everyone knew that I did these things whenever I was at the gardener¡¯s work cabin. Well, they did prepare my meals for me.


    I think the servants pitied me a little when I was younger. They began to feel jealous and were unreasonable when I grew older, because they found out that I did the same work as them.


    Whenever I was at the estate, they had to do the minimum to treat me as a lady. I didn¡¯t notice that they had turned their anger towards my mother.


    I, who sometimes lived at the estate, gained more acquaintances both good and bad. They became involved with me so whenever I go to the kitchen to get food for my mother and me, I would receive them. But they would more or less grumble about it.


    That was when I went to the kitchen, but when my mother went, she would receive less food, especially meat. They must have pilfered it. My father would bring confectionaries whenever he visited my mother but he didn¡¯t bring meat.


    Her mental grief was gone but she was physically worn out and it slowly ruined her health.


    She could have brought food from town if she wasn¡¯t getting enough, but she didn¡¯t because she saw how happy I was saving.


    My mother passed away when I was 14, after I got the confirmation that I would debut in high society.


    My mother¡¯s golden hair turned white.


    Translator: Blushy


    Editors: Readers

 Chapter 6

    My mother¡¯s cold dragged on and one morning when I¡¯d noticed, she¡¯d passed away. The doctor, who came to investigate her cause of death, said that she had passed away from a heart attack.


    When I thought back on it now, we went through a cycle of living together and then separating again, which resulted in her dieting a lot and that was taxing on her body.


    I was told that her hair got lighter because of her age but I don¡¯t know because it could be from something else altogether.


    That¡¯s why I eat properly.


    My time learning Noble Education decreased after my debut in high society. Ms. Dolcie gave me a report saying that I mastered my education at my debut. My sisters continued to study mannerism and elegant behaviour.


    Around this time, my irregular stays at the estate of 3 weeks every two months disappeared and I would sometimes stay for a night or two when my father asked me to do work for him. Even if I said it was work, it was just copying documents that I had no trouble reading or doing calculations. I mainly commuted to and from the gardener¡¯s work shed to do washing and cleaning.


    I feel more liberated after my study time disappeared and felt that I should do my best at my side jobs.


    That was when my mother died. My mother passed away and the sadness of great loss stayed with me the whole time.


    Because my feelings were somewhat lacking, my tears flowed down by themselves when I suddenly noticed that she was gone.


    My father and I, we were the only two to attend my mother¡¯s funeral. My mother was buried in a cemetery outside of town.


    My mother didn¡¯t have any relatives. If she did then she wouldn¡¯t choose to live inside of my father¡¯s estate like a mistress. I¡¯ve also heard that¡­ She was the daughter of a failed merchant. That was why I thought studying to gain knowledge was important and that having a profession was valuable. I looked at my father, who was crying, and understood that he loved my mother in his own way. However, I still don¡¯t understand what romantic love is.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you live at the estate?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your offer, but I want to live as I have been now.¡±


    I said very politely. I ridiculed myself for being this polite towards my own father.


    It might have been difficult to do everything alone, but I decided that it was fine as long as I didn¡¯t have to stay at that uncomfortable place for long. I wanted to live at the gardener¡¯s work cabin which held memories of my mother. I haltingly raised these points to him.


    My father looked a little sad and unfortunately my wish wasn¡¯t granted. There was no way a noble young lady would be able to live by herself.


    I moved to my room at the estate after I cleaned up the gardener¡¯s work cabin.


    ¡­ After the funeral, when everyone was gone, I cried my heart out for the first time.


    ???????


    My brother, Guerlain, mainly helped my father manage his territory. In a few years when he marries, he would become the feudal lord. Unfortunately, maybe because his expectations were too high, but he still doesn¡¯t have a fianc¨¦e¡­ That was a taboo word.


    My brother, Guerlain, was my escort for my debut in high society. He had the same cold-hearted appearance as Furore-sama, and I never got used to it. Instead of feeling happy about dancing at my first official occasion, I was worrying about what would happen if I stepped on Guerlain¡¯s toes. After that, I wasn¡¯t invited to dance at an official place again.


    Debut in high society was one of the things that the nobles attached to a family register had to do.


    If your name was in the family register and you didn¡¯t debut by the age of sixteen, then the Royal family would investigate your House under the assumption that your existence was denied. At that point, the House is already out, but if it was found out that that person had really been murdered or abused then they would be punished accordingly.


    Nobles follow the Royal family and they are protected accordingly.


    Well, my treatment at my House wasn¡¯t good but my life wasn¡¯t in danger. I was also given the opportunity to study many things, so I was probably blessed in a way.


    There wasn¡¯t many opportunities to meet Furore-sama outside of dinner time. Even if Furore-sama attended the ball, I never met her.


    She didn¡¯t want to see me so she kept her distance.


    I would eat in the dining room with whoever was in the estate when I was there. When no one was there, I asked the servants to portion the meal they were having and eat it in my room. I have to eat properly. That was the iron rule.


    The servants also began to listen to what I say after I lived in the estate. However, I don¡¯t ask them for anything excessive. I would basically do things for myself. Just like my mother taught me to. So, I wash my own bedsheets and underwear and clean my own room.


    My older sisters reached a marriageable age and they were busy with tea parties and balls.


    They would wear fashionable dresses and trendy accessories. They didn¡¯t think of anything but improving themselves.


    The dresses that became unfashionable were passed down to me one after another. Their harassment never stopped, no matter how much time had passed. It was enough that I, who didn¡¯t show my face to high society, had dresses to wear. Because it was only necessary for me to wear dresses when I met my family.


    Maid clothes that weren¡¯t too wide around the sleeves and hem were enough for cleaning and washing.


    Everything worked out the way I wanted when Furore-sama and my older sisters spread the rumour that, ¡°She¡¯s an eccentric girl who doesn¡¯t like to leave the house and isn¡¯t interested in high society¡±.


    I didn¡¯t go to social occasions but I was well trained on how to behave myself and on how I should appear to others, so I got good at it. My standing was a little lower in front of my family, and I obeyed what they said without opposing them. No matter how I thought about it in my mind.


    Although I was only a half-blood, I was a daughter of a noble and was not allowed to go to town by myself. They also wouldn¡¯t prepare a carriage for me to go out by myself.


    However, I went to town many times with my mother when I was younger. I could sneak out of the estate by climbing a crumbled wall. If I was a normal noble¡¯s daughter, I wouldn¡¯t do something like this. I walk down memory lane. I changed the appearance of the maid¡¯s outfit. If I added embroidery to it then it became street clothes. I tied my hair in a ponytail. I looked like a common girl.


    I visited the clothes store I was familiar with like this and told them that I couldn¡¯t work here anymore. Instead, I showed them the handkerchief I had embroidered and they brought it. This earned me some pocket money.


    I was able to regain my peace of mind by walking around town and talking like a common girl.


    As I thought, common life suited me more.


    Translator: Blushy


    Editors: Readers

 Chapter 7

    I do things for myself. This was natural for me, so I didn¡¯t mind doing work that maids do.


    But I didn¡¯t want to take care of someone like maids did¡­ I didn¡¯t think I could work for nobles because I didn¡¯t have a good impression of them. No matter how high the wages were. Well, if it was all business and only for a short amount of time then I might be able to do it for money. Hmm.


    On the contrary, I couldn¡¯t image being thoroughly taken care of by someone as a noble lady¡­ It¡¯s impossible. Disgusting.


    I didn¡¯t have a problem living as a seamstress like my mother¡­ Even if I was poor. As long as I could secure a place to live. I didn¡¯t have enough savings for that.


    Why do I have to think of the future now?


    Well, before they reached adulthood, most people dream that they would be appointed in the Royal Castle as a Civil Official, where they would get a promotion, or they would dream of falling in love with a wonderful gentlemen. Stories with plots like that were written for young adults.


    Hmm.


    I think I want a friend my age before any of that.


    I¡¯ve never experienced friendship, deception or had any rivals like those depicted in books¡­


    The people around me were like¡­ Walls? Mountains?


    Love? Now that I think about it, I liked the young man from the butcher, that I occasionally visited, who gave me extra meat. It was more like I was happy to be fed than first love. But he has already become an uncle with a belly.


    When I saw Ms. Dolcie in the estate corridors after a long time she also recommended me a book to read. It was also aimed at young adults.


    The book was published a while ago, but I went to the library to borrow what my sisters have probably read and somehow managed to make time to finish reading.


    Those were my impressions from a while ago.


    As I thought, I don¡¯t have the same feelings as a normal noble girl.


    Did Ms. Dolcie want me to learn the dreams of young people? I¡¯ll just memorise it for information.


    My life didn¡¯t change for the better, so the book became good motivation.


    One day, the head maid took notice of the maid clothes that I had embroidered.


    To prevent my skills from rusting, I had embroidered the hem with a cloth of the same colour, so it wouldn¡¯t stand out. I entwined leaves and flowers together like an ivy plant.


    ¡°The hem would roll up and you could see my feet.¡± Was something I couldn¡¯t say out loud. The head maid stared silently at the stitches and traced the embroidery with her fingers. The embroidery was small and it was stitched in navy blue, which was the same colour as the cloth, so I thought it wouldn¡¯t stand out. There wasn¡¯t enough space so I also embroidered at the back of the hem, it seemed that she noticed this as well.


    ¡°Did you stitch this embroidery?¡±


    You saw it, didn¡¯t you? You know I did, don¡¯t you? I wanted to say but resisted and nodded instead.


    From then on, I stitched more dresses with embroidery. If this was a job then I would receive money for it¡­ I received the materials to stitch with, but of course I couldn¡¯t refuse when Furore-sama or my sisters asked me to stitch for them. It was a relief that they didn¡¯t order me to finish it faster.


    Why did the head maid, who should be by Furore-sama¡¯s side, encounter me on this day? God only knows.


    But I was able to work at the gardener¡¯s work cabin, where I lived with my mother, using embroidering as a pretext. My mother had left plenty of embroidery designs there. Because we needed the flowers sketches to make new designs.


    Dust had piled up in the cabin so I cleaned, then I boiled some water on a portable stove.


    I picked some mint from the field that had been left to run wild and brewed some mint tea.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    My voice leaked out. It¡¯s been awhile since I haven¡¯t been under the gazes of others in the daytime on estate ground.


    I moved my hand against the table and drew an embroidery design. I loitered around the estate a lot with sketching paper, so I could sneak out of the estate and go to town more often. My father also helped with my outings.


    Even though I could go more often, at most it was once every ten days.


    The number of shops selling handicraft items increased. I planned to buy plain handkerchiefs to stitch in my spare time and then I¡¯ll sell it at the western clothing store for income.


    I stare at the people on the streets and confirmed the current trends, the colours and patterns. Nobles loved fashionable things and the people on the streets mimicked them. I didn¡¯t see any nobles on the streets so how do they know what nobles liked?


    Even I love pretty and beautiful things, but I don¡¯t think about wearing them myself.


    They might have found out that I¡¯ve been to town. But I didn¡¯t feel guilty maybe because I could stitch embroidery that others can¡¯t mimic, or because I could accurately do the work my father assigned me or because I just didn¡¯t care.


    It turned out all right in the end.


    Translator: Blushy


    Editors: Readers

 Chapter 8

    I was still copying documents and doing calculations for my father even when I was 15 years old, but it seemed that my work gained a lot of popularity so the documents handed to me now covered a lot of topics.


    It didn¡¯t even take half a day to get to the territory my father managed from the Royal Capital by carriage. It was smaller than the territories managed by other nobles, but the rivers were rich and the territory gained profits by agriculture. It was relatively close to the Royal Capital so Guerlain and father went there once a week.


    When they returned they put reports together of information they received from the territory and it has recently become my job to help them out.


    I didn¡¯t have any friends, so the information wouldn¡¯t leak to other people. Because I didn¡¯t go to tea parties or balls.


    Well, I was a member of the Thousand House, so I¡¯ll protect what I have to protect. I was raised like that after all.


    It was unfortunate that I had less time to embroider. The things my father asks me to do is first priority.


    ¡­ Even though they were simple statements, I was able to understand the statements while dealing with similar ones, even if I didn¡¯t have enough information. However, I didn¡¯t show that I understood these statements. My specialty was finding important information even if I didn¡¯t have a lot to go on. Because I¡¯ve lived in various ways.


    I gained the trust of my father and older brother by doing my job properly.


    Guerlain¡¯s eyes were still cold, but sometimes he would instruct me on how to do the documents. It had been a long time since my older brother has talked to me directly so I was really surprised and couldn¡¯t answer him back. He clicked his tongue at me.


    I was even asked to go to the Royal Library.


    My father must have known that I went to the estate library whenever I had spare time. I only went to find things I couldn¡¯t understand. He may have thought I liked booked because the catalog were filled with my name.


    If he¡¯d looked closely at the catalog, he could see: Encyclopedia of Plants, Stain Removal Tips, or the standard classic Noble Almanac. Basically, everyone in the Thousand House had important books in their rooms so they wouldn¡¯t go to the library like I do.


    I guess it was also a reward.


    When I went to the office after lunch, my father gave me a note and said:


    ¡°Borrow this book from the Royal Library. Return before it gets dark.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I understand.¡±


    ¡°You can go by carriage.¡±


    I was surprised at my father¡¯s unexpected words and couldn¡¯t reply straight away. My feelings appeared on my face at times like this. I¡¯m sure I looked very surprised.


    I got dressed and went to the entrance. The coachman was waiting for me with a reluctant look on his face. If he had displayed this attitude to a noble then they would berate him, but I¡¯ve stayed at this estate for a long time and couldn¡¯t talk in a stern manner.


    It was the first time I¡¯ve ridden a carriage since my debut. Furthermore, I was riding by myself.


    I was the only one in the carriage. Even being in here motionlessly was too good for me. I peeked at the town from the curtain gap. No one was here to rebuke me or tell me that it was rude. It was my first time to see these kinds of sceneries. I was really excited. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve felt like this.


    The Royal Library was midway between the upper district where many nobles lived and the lower district where many commoners lived. Anyone can use the library. I heard that they had a range of books there from picture books to technical books. An ID was needed to borrow books.


    I also knew where the library was but it was far from the estate and I didn¡¯t have enough time to walk there. Whenever I snuck away, I could only go to the lower district, which was a 30 minute walk from the estate. Do you know how excited I am?


    The carriage stopped and I got off.


    ¡°Please be here at 4 o¡¯clock.¡± I nodded my heads in reply to the coachman.


    I walked along the stone pavement that ran between the lawn and appeared in front of the Royal Library.


    I stopped and looked up at the building. How big¡­


    I also knew that I was smirking. I hastily looked down. No matter how out of fashion my dress was, people near me would still think I was a noble¡¯s daughter. It was bad to smirk, wasn¡¯t it? I entered the library with a look that said nothing was wrong.


    The rustic stone building didn¡¯t have many windows but it was bright inside. I wonder how many tens of thousands of books were here. There¡¯s a smell of unique books.


    I looked at the guide map and saw that there were also 2 basement floors.


    The only nobles I see were my family so I was nervous whenever I passed someone that looked like a noble. We passed each other with a bow. But it was amazing that I could remember who they were from the descriptions in the noble almanac.


    The book my father wanted me to borrow for him was in a section that only nobles could enter. I started walking after deciding that I would quickly get the book and then look in other sections.


    I showed the letter of introduction from my father and entered the section that only nobles could enter.


    People rarely went in and out of this section unlike the other sections.


    The book my father asked for was related to tax yields and seemed to be placed under the law section.


    There were a lot of books lined up on the shelves. This section occupied eight rows on a large shelf.


    I found the book I needed straight away, but there was a thick book near it which looked like it had been used a lot. I inadvertently reached for the thick book. I sat down on the chair that was next to the shelf and turned the pages.


    It was a law book on nobles.


    ¡°¡­ I found it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why that page was opened.


    I thought that my breath would stop.


    When I¡¯d noticed, I was waiting for the carriage while holding the book my father asked for. There was still time left before the carriage came so all I could do was stand there.


    The other translator contacted me and said that they would be dropping this project.


    Translator: Blushy


    Editors: Readers

 Chapter 9

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    A young man called out to me probably because my stupefied figure stood out a lot.


    I, who was startled back into consciousness, stared at the young man¡¯s black hair and sky-blue eyes and remembered that he was at the reception area for the section that only nobles could use.


    He saw the introduction letter that my father wrote but he probably didn¡¯t know who I was. For better or for worse, I probably didn¡¯t leave much of an impression with my out-of-fashion dress.


    ¡­ There weren¡¯t many people with sky-blue eyes. Furthermore, I confirmed a while ago that there was only one person with black hair around his age.


    I hastily smiled in returned and bowed. Even though this was the carriage stop for noble daughters, standing here alone was nothing but careless.


    ¡°Eidos du Noir-sama. Thank you for your concern. I am sorry for showing you such an impolite side of me. As you can see, there is nothing wrong. Also a carriage will be coming here directly, so I am fine.¡±


    Even though I have the knowledge, I have never done more than greet nobles outside of my family. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve talked with someone for this long. I wonder if it was strange. I have to get away from this person before Ara comes¡­


    I hid the lower half of my face with the book that I¡¯d borrowed for my father and pretended to be shy. He probably won¡¯t get involved any more than this.


    ¡°You know my name so we must have met before, haven¡¯t we? Are you a daughter of the Thousand House?¡±


    Even though I didn¡¯t want to talk to him anymore¡­ I was the only one in the Thousand House with blonde hair¡­ Even though he works at the library, didn¡¯t he read the noble almanac properly?


    I hid my dubious look and plastered a smile on my face and reply:


    ¡°Count Noir is the only young man with black hair and sky-blue eyes in the noble almanac. I am Ayeshamaria from the Thousand House. I really am fine, so please don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    ¡­ I¡¯m glad he¡¯s from an Count House. If this was a higher ranking noble then I would certainly be puzzled over how to forcibly end the conversation. Count Noir seemed like a quiet and good person.


    I looked down and gave off a troubled aura. He probably won¡¯t continue to talk anymore, right.


    ¡°Lady Ayeshamaria. I will excuse myself then. Talk to me again if you¡¯re at the library.¡±


    I slowly looked up and saw that Count Noir was already in a carriage 2 metres away.


    I relaxed my shoulders in relief and Count Noir looked back. He smiled and waved at me.


    Did I do something to attract his attention¡­? This was the first time my name had been called a male. I smiled wryly.


    The carriage from the Thousand House came and I ride it back to the estate as if nothing had happened.


    I came back to the estate just as my father and Furore-sama was leaving the house in formal wear.


    They¡¯re in formal wear so were they going to a ball¡­?


    It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen Furore-sama in formal wear. She was beautiful and you couldn¡¯t tell her age at all. Furore-sama was usually cold, but when she was with my father she would cling to him. I could understand somehow that she loved him dearly.


    I stuck to the wall as usual, and lowered my gaze to the ground emotionlessly. I bowed.


    ¡°¡­ Ayshamaria, you were able to borrow the book without any problems.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I replied to him while keeping my head down.


    Even though I couldn¡¯t see it, Furore-sama¡¯s cold gaze was piercing my whole body.


    ¡°You, you went outside while wearing that? You¡¯re not using the Thousand House name while looking like that, are you?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell her the truth. What would happen afterwards¡­ I could only remain silent.


    I had that much common sense.


    ¡°Oh! We don¡¯t have any time left. She only handed the introduction letter that I gave her. So she probably didn¡¯t know who she gave it to.¡±


    My father said while putting his hands around Furore-sama¡¯s hips and left.


    Who I gave it to¡­? Really? Hair and eyes, we can narrow down the age too. My father didn¡¯t read the noble almanac a lot did he. He had the chance to meet the nobles face to face so he knew who they were without reading the almanac.


    The two were dressed up quite magnificently so the ball was probably very big.


    My brother and sisters were probably also invited.


    Then I should go receive food from the kitchen for dinner.


    A lot of my alone time was taken. So it was just right.


    I thought thoroughly about what I found in the library.


    I headed to the office to deliver the book.


    The night was long today.


    The next day, a dress that wasn¡¯t out of fashion was delivered to my door, even though there were no decorations.


    It was my first time seeing a new product. She was probably telling me to wear this when I went out.


    I wonder if I still had opportunities to go outside¡­ I still had to live like I was told to.


    Translator: Blushy


    Editors: Readers

 Chapter 10

    I¡¯m surprised that the maid had delivered something that wasn¡¯t hand-me-downs. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve received a new dress even if it was ready-made. I could only smile wryly because there were no decorations¡­ I guess it was hard to find. I¡¯ve never seen such a simple dress before. They might even have taken the decorations off themselves.


    The dress was light brown. Or should I say the colour was like milk tea? I didn¡¯t see this colour much.


    As a member of the Thousand House I couldn¡¯t dress shabby, but on the other hand I hated dressing up. The result was this dress, huh?


    This was probably the Furore-sama¡¯s greatest compromise. I laughed when I thought that in my mind.


    I¡¯ve never demanded clothes to dress up in.


    Even if I was at a marriageable age, I believed that it was fine to wear clothes that are clean.


    I also know the difference between luxury goods and generic goods and the latest embroidery trends because I went to the western clothing store. But that was just knowledge that I had, it had nothing to do with me.


    ¡°The fabric isn¡¯t stiff. It¡¯s soft.¡±


    Even I was happy to receive a brand new dress with good quality. I hug the dress tightly.


    My treatment at the estate is getting better now since I¡¯ve started helping my father and brother with their work. They acknowledged me because I can do paperwork.


    And I¡¯ve been living here for more than 10 years, so the harsh treatment and neglect from the servants have decreased. It was better for me to not have any connections with them. Once again, as a noble I couldn¡¯t talk in a stern manner.


    I thought a lot in my room last night.


    The maids won¡¯t relit the lamp, even if I use it till late until it runs out of fuel. So I¡¯m early to bed and early to rise.


    If I thought in bed then it wouldn¡¯t be a problem even if the room was dark. I would usually fall asleep when I thought about a lot of things¡­ But that didn¡¯t happen last night.


    There was a sentence that I wanted in the noble law book I found at the library.


    ¨DAn illegitimate child born from a noble and commoner and their name exists in both registers and when the person reaches adulthood, they¡¯ll have to apply for removal from one of the registers. ¨D


    ¨DHowever, it¡¯ll only be accepted in case the person themselves apply for removal from one of the family registers. ¨D


    ¡­ I remembered the two sentences that concerned me. It was written in smaller text than the other laws, so I felt like they did that on purpose. I wonder if they didn¡¯t want people to know.


    No one has ever taught me that I could choose to be a noble or a commoner. Was it less likely to be accepted?


    Illegitimate children born between nobles had backing and they probably wouldn¡¯t want to be commoners since they were strongly thought as nobles. Even if it was an illegitimate child from a commoner, they would be treated as nobles, and would also think like nobles.


    Did they do their best to create this law because an illegitimate child was born from a commoner a long time ago?


    I wasn¡¯t treated as a noble and I was blessed as a commoner. I was a half-way existence.


    What did my mother want me to do?


    Did she want me to live as a noble?


    Did you believe that I was living as a noble just because the only thing you were told was that I was living well at the estate? Did you want to believe that?


    I was proud to do the same things as my mother when I lived with her in the gardener¡¯s work cabin.


    I didn¡¯t hate being smeared in dirt or getting my hands dirty.


    She might have wanted me to become a noble who understood the feelings of commoners.


    But¡­ Why didn¡¯t I call her mother 1)? I called her mum (ka-san), didn¡¯t I?


    It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve always wanted to be a noble. I would say that I didn¡¯t want to get involved with them.


    I listened to my father in order to protect my mother and tried to be a noble. I learnt how to impersonate them. I believed that it would protect her.


    The result was that¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll remove myself from the noble register!¡±


    I¡¯ve got a goal!


    Now, I have to makes reasons for why they should accept my removal from the register!


    Could not being treated well at the estate be used as a reason?


    Come to think of it, alright, let¡¯s get my family and the servants to treat me harshly again! Welcome!


    I have to keep my father¡¯s work a secret or else¡­ I won¡¯t be able to leave this House. I have to make them think I¡¯m not useful.


    It¡¯ll be good if I can show them that I could live independently even as a commoner.


    I will improve my embroidery skills more!


    It¡¯s better if I know how to cook and do housework, right? Should I help out in the kitchen as well? I should be able to do more things for myself.


    There were more and more things that I wanted to do¡­ This was the first time I¡¯ve felt like this.


    I have thought about living outside of the estate before, but I didn¡¯t have any definite goals. That¡¯s why I was always sensitive to other¡¯s moods and thought that I had to listen to what they told me to do.


    In any case, I have to negotiate with father who¡¯s also the head of the Thousand House.


    My mother¡¯s words suddenly floated into my mind. ¡ºYou can¡¯t push your opinions. If you want the other person to listen to you, you have to listen to their request as well.¡»


    ¡ºYou have to look at the person in their eyes and talk if you want to covey how you feel.¡»


    First, let¡¯s have a proper look at my surroundings.


    The only thing that I was worried about was that if I quit being a noble as soon as I become an adult then it would be impossible to fulfil my duty to follow the royal familyas a noble¡­ Would they demand something from me instead? Would something be done before that?


    If I could move freely then I would go to the noble register department and ask them myself.


    The other thing I was worried about was being married off while I¡¯m waiting to become an adult.


    Fortunately, my father worked as a curator at the Royal Palace. He would regularly air out paintings and antiques that have been handed down in the Royal family as well as maintain them. His department wasn¡¯t receive much budget. It was a simple but necessary department.


    My father was excellent as a connoisseur but he didn¡¯t handle large amounts of money in his department nor did he have to frequent the Royal Palace a lot. So there weren¡¯t any nobles or merchants who were proactively trying to make connections with my father. That was also one of the reasons why my older brother, Guerlain and my older sisters still haven¡¯t got fianc¨¦/fianc¨¦es. Well, I think it¡¯s also because they¡¯re looking for someone better than them.


    I don¡¯t think there would be any House that would want me as a bride just because they want the Thousand blood. They couldn¡¯t expect a dowry, my looks were average, and I couldn¡¯t behave like a noble in high society. I don¡¯t think the Thousand House would present me as a bride. But it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no possibility of me being a bride.


    Another possibility was that they would make me work as a tutor or as a maid in a high ranking House¡­ I don¡¯t think I have the capacity for that and it was probably hard to handle illegitimate children of nobles and commoners.


    Yup, as I thought, becoming a commoner is the best choice. Most of all, I want to become one myself so there weren¡¯t any problems.


    Translator: Blushy


    Editors: Readers

 Chapter 11

    I didn¡¯t see Furore-sama nor my older sisters outside of meal times unless they needed me.


    For me, noble conversations was something to recall during meal times. I listened attentively to my sisters gossiping and talking about the latest fashion trends. That¡¯s why I think the things I know are a little bias. Even so, it might be useful to know. I, didn¡¯t go out as a noble, so there were many things that I couldn¡¯t imagine even if I heard them.


    One of the things I couldn¡¯t imagine was a knight.


    I¡¯ve seen soldiers who guard the town patrolling on horses before.


    There might have been some knights at the place where I had my debut, but it¡¯s not like they had a sword and I was also nervous, so I couldn¡¯t tell who was a knight and who wasn¡¯t. I can only imagine them from book illustrations.


    I knew which person was a knight from the noble almanac though.


    I also had a glimpse of the high ranking nobles at my debut.


    No one took me to greet the nobles. The royals I met at my debut were very far away and I could only gleam at them. I saw their portraits in the noble almanac.


    It seems that my older sister Catherine is aiming to marry into a high ranking noble House. She was already 18 y ears old and she grew more discerning as the year passed. She didn¡¯t want to compromise on her marriage partner.


    My sister¡¯s tactic was to appeal her embroidery skills. In short, she wanted to give a handkerchief that I had embroidered to a man.


    The handkerchiefs I sold to the western clothing store were now on sale. Embroidered handkerchiefs has now become one of the popular items for nobles.


    I simply embroidered initials for small change, but the design Catherine wanted was of her initials intertwined in a rose. She wanted to carry this around while broadcasting, ¡°Embroidery is my strong point¡±. Then finally, ¡°Because I¡¯m good at embroidery, the person I¡¯m thinking of would be incredibly happy if I gave him a handkerchief as a present¡±. She told someone and asked me to embroider something for her.


    ¡°Ayeshamarie, I have a favour to ask of you.¡± I already learnt that if the family asked me for something like this I couldn¡¯t refuse most the time.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to give a nice handkerchief to Raven-sama. I want you to do the embroidery. Could you do this for me?¡±


    I was drinking pumpkin soup, but I put the spoon onto the table and wiped my mouth with a cloth before turning towards Catherine. I complied with her request without being able to refuse.


    The thing that Catherine had asked me to embroider was a little troubling.


    She wanted to put her initials and the initials of her intended onto the handkerchief, as well as his family crest.


    If I looked in the noble almanac then I would know his crest. But it was in black and white. I had to confirm the colour somehow. He was from a frontier Count House and it was a present for a higher ranking noble so I couldn¡¯t do a poor job.


    Fortunately, she had asked this during meal time so my father also heard it. Catherine¡¯s request had more priority over the job my father asked me to do, so I didn¡¯t have to help him for a while.


    Older sister Rosalie also seemed to be good at embroidery and the ladies of the Thousand House were called experts at embroidery that had passed noble standards. I recall embroidering for them because they were too busy with tea parties and balls.


    Mm, I think they¡¯re all made by me though¡­ When the truth comes out, what will you do sisters? I wonder if they would be able to deceive them with words.


    Well, they should make sure that they become good at embroidery.


    Thankfully, I think that my good point, which I inherited from my mother, is to tackle problems head-on and solve them. Under normal circumstances, I lived my life facing down so at least my heart should be uplifted.


    Thus, I diligently commuted to the gardener¡¯s work cabin to make designs and snuck out of the estate in maid clothes. I went to the upper district and somehow managed to see the Raven House crest myself. The upper district was really far so it was really difficult to get there.


    My cleaning and washing time decreased and my embroidery time increased because of Catherine¡¯s demand.


    I completed it 10 days later.


    *Knock Knock*


    I knocked on Catherine¡¯s room door. I came to give her the handkerchief that I¡¯d finished.


    Whenever I entered her room, I would choke on the perfume smell of flowers. I happen to see some multi-coloured cushions. I always think that her room is really girly.


    ¡°I have finished the handkerchief that older sister Catherine asked me to make, so I came to deliver it.¡±


    Catherine took the handkerchief and looked at it. Her eyes squinted in pleasure¡­ Ah, it looks like she¡¯s satisfied.


    This handkerchief had a lot of embroidery on it so it wasn¡¯t practical. There was so much embroidery on it that it would probably look great hung on a wall.


    ¡°I knew you were the one for the job. I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before. I always admire your embroidery skills. With this I¡¯ll be able to give Raven-sama a good impression of me.¡±


    ¡°I am honoured by your praise. It took a lot of time but in exchange, I was able to make something good.¡± Catherine seemed to be in a good mood, so this time I insinuated that this was more troublesome than usual.


    My sister got what I was trying to say.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you this.¡± She gave me a flower shaped brooch¡­ She seemed to be in a really good mood. It looked much more expensive than the ones I saw in town.


    I received it with gratitude.


    I probably won¡¯t use it but I can exchange it for money if I need to in the future.


    This time, I got a reward and improved my embroidery skills. I also had many opportunities to go into town.


    Preparing gifts for someone¡­ Catherine, who was staring at the finished handkerchief lovingly, was impressive. She was probably in love, wasn¡¯t she? Would I ever embroider a gift for someone someday?


    However, my relief over finishing the handkerchief only lasted a brief moment. Rosalie, who Catherine had shown the handkerchief to, asked me to make her a handkerchief to give to Elmer-sama.


    Although, I had expected this.


    Translator: Blushy


    Editors: Readers

 Chapter 12

    My father and Furore-sama didn¡¯t want to invite me to tea parties or night balls. I don¡¯t know if they couldn¡¯t stand letting other families see me or they just didn¡¯t want to pay money to dress me up¡­ Or did they just want to neglect me?


    I didn¡¯t see that glamourous world nor was I exposed to nobles and their ill intentions. I guess I was protected in a way.


    However, my father spoke to Count1) Noir at a night ball just a little while after I ran my errands at the library.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Earl Thousand. I met Lady Ayeshamaria for the first time the other day. She doesn¡¯t appear to be here tonight, is she doing well?¡± My father was troubled when my name came out of Count Noir¡¯s mouth. It was very fortunate that Furore-sama wasn¡¯t by his side at this time.


    The Curators and Librarians were acquainted with each other through their works.


    The next day when I went to the office to draw up documents, my father asked me questions like: ¡°What did you tell Count Noir?¡± and ¡°Did you act in a way that would make him worry?¡±


    ¡°Nothing really¡­¡± Was all I could say to him. I think the Count saw me when I was in a daze. I can¡¯t say that he thought I was weird¡­


    My father was fine but I didn¡¯t want to provoke Furore-sama. I was deeply traumatised when I was hit by the folding fan when I was younger.


    I vowed that I wouldn¡¯t approach Count Noir even if I met him. I didn¡¯t want to be friends nor acquaintances with nobles.


    They didn¡¯t tell me that I had to go to tea parties or night balls after that.


    I sneaked out of the estate whenever I wasn¡¯t drawing up documents and went to town to observe the common way of life.


    I won¡¯t live in the Royal Capital if I become a commoner. I don¡¯t want to live there.


    Some of the citizens that frequent town knew who I was but they didn¡¯t say it out loud.


    That¡¯s why me becoming a commoner would become the subject of gossip, no matter why I was doing it.


    Even so, the slums is scary so I didn¡¯t want to live there and I would need to ride a carriage to get to cities outside of the Royal Capital. I don¡¯t think a teenage girl can live leisurely in the countryside¡­ I need to gather more information.


    First of all, I needed money if I wanted to settle somewhere.


    I had the savings that my mother and I secretly saved for a long time but it wasn¡¯t a large amount.


    I would become an adult soon and then I can become a commoner but first I need to save more money!


    Embroidering handkerchiefs only gave me pocket money. Now that embroidering was in fashion, it was fine to earn a little more. So I thought about embroidering organdie2)stoles.


    I gave the designs a twist. I used an illustration book to stitch the flowers and butterfly more realistically. By doing so, it looked like real flowers intertwining together and the butterfly looked as if it had landed on the person¡¯s shoulders. This would look good even if nobles wore it over their dresses.


    I took it to the western clothing shop and the shop owner looked really pleased as they brought my stoles. The shop owner told me that they wanted more but it was impossible because I embroidered the stoles when I wasn¡¯t doing paperwork. So I tried asking the storeowner if they wanted to buy the design.


    And surprisingly they did.


    My ideas and designs have become money. This made me very confident and it was useful to know that my skills could be used to make money.


    A noble lady learnt bargaining skills from attending tea parties and night balls, but I learnt how to bargain by negotiating with shopkeepers in town.


    Oh yes, I asked for discounts from food stalls.


    Would nobles receive discounts?


    I have to use what little money I have carefully.


    ¡­ After that, I didn¡¯t have the chance to talk to my father about becoming a commoner after I reached adulthood even if I met him when I helped out with his paperwork. I couldn¡¯t discuss this with him if I didn¡¯t have the chance and time just passed by.


    I didn¡¯t have the chance to wear that milk tea coloured dress either.


    One day, when I met Ms. Dolcie in the corridor, she muttered: ¡°The way you walk isn¡¯t elegant at all.¡±


    I knew it.


    In order for people not to notice that I was a noble, I would tramp and straddle whenever I went into town. Since the maid¡¯s uniform wasn¡¯t a dress, I could step very widely and my behaviour was sloppy. I had intended to act different inside of the estate and outside but I overestimated myself.


    I was also summoned the next day when my sisters had their dance lesson.


    I wore dresses whenever I met my family in the estate and I had to wear high heels for dancing.


    Ms. Dolcie taught me a lot of the latest dance steps¡­ Teacher, I don¡¯t attend night balls so I won¡¯t have the chance to dance. I didn¡¯t say that out loud. She should know this though.


    I hadn¡¯t danced in a long time but I went out to town a lot so I wasn¡¯t tired.


    However, the muscles that I didn¡¯t normally use were in horrible pain the next day. It was unavoidable since I didn¡¯t move with grace since long ago.


    Ms. Dolcie, who saw this, wanted to check my mannerism¡­ My homework was to make tea every day.


    She comes when I forget about it¡­ It feels like she heard about it from somewhere.


    Ms. Dolcie doesn¡¯t let me forget that I¡¯m also a member of noble society.


    Translator: Blushy


    Editors: Readers


    If these three people who donated 2 weeks back could message me and tell me what series queue they would like to add their donation to that would be great.


    Enjoy the chapter!

 Chapter 13 - A USEFUL THING

    Summer was here. Summer wasn¡¯t humid in Fernand Empire but it was really hot. I¡¯m glad that my sweat dried immediately.


    Everyone in my family would be going to the holiday villa in our territory this summer as well or they would be helping out at the Royal Palace because they were shorthanded from all the people returning home. The servants at the residence would also be going back with my family. Having hardly anyone here was good.


    But as usual, I would spend my time in my room, the gardener¡¯s work cabin or my father¡¯s office. Ah, I went to town whenever I had time.


    I had to get my meals from the kitchen like I usually do when my family wasn¡¯t at the estate. I aimed to take my meal when my father was out and there were only a little number of servants at the estate. I tried asking the estate chef if I could help him.


    The chef remembered my face, but I¡¯ve only ever greeted him and he returned my greetings. His attitude wasn¡¯t cold like the maids or chamberlains. He probably hated getting nobles to cook but I thought he would let me help out a little. I was only a half blood and I could tell him that I can cook a little.


    It was annoying but I got changed into a maid dress and headed to the kitchen. I couldn¡¯t let my dress get dirty. It would be nice if he lent me an apron.


    I finished copying documents for my father and washed my sheets early in the morning. I can help with cooking right now.


    ¡°Excuse me. Is the head chef here?¡±


    The head chef is¡­ a man in his 40s with a red scarf around his neck and a bit of a belly. His small eyes was impressive. This person has always been managing and cooking the Thousand House meals. It would be good for me to use polite language to pay respect to his delicious cooking.


    ¡°Do you need something, Ojou-sama?¡±


    My eyes widen in surprise. Ojou-sama¡­ He was talking about me, wasn¡¯t he? This is the first time someone¡¯s called me that. The maids did call me Ayeshamarie-sama (rarely). But usually they didn¡¯t use a subject word to call me.


    He looked at me from top to bottom. No, he was confirming who I was.


    I also looked back at him.


    ¡°Would be alright for me to help you with cooking?¡± I said and lowered my head. You lower your head when asking for something. I, who didn¡¯t think it had anything to do with being a commoner or noble, was probably a minority amongst the nobles.


    The head chef was the one who was surprised this time. He was surprised at both my attitude and my words.


    I explained to the head chef that I wanted to learn how to cook, that I cooked together with my mother before, that I didn¡¯t want to get bad at cooking, that I didn¡¯t have much work to do for my father so I wanted to help out in the kitchen and that I didn¡¯t hate doing the work that servants did.


    At first the head chef said things like, ¡°I need to ask the master first¡± and ¡°This isn¡¯t something you should do, Ojou-sama¡±. But he lost to my persistence and said, ¡°You can help out when you really don¡¯t have anything to do¡±. Ah, I¡¯m so glad.


    ¡­ I¡¯m peeling potatoes under a big tree in the backyard. I¡¯ve never peeled so much potatoes before. I could see a servant staring at me doubtfully. I work in silence. If I may say so myself, I was extremely bad with kitchen knives. I wonder if I¡¯ll improve if I keep using it. The head chef got angry before because I had peeled so much that there was only a little bit of potato left.


    What kind of dish will it become?


    Furore-sama, my brother and sisters were at the territory. My father would be staying at the Royal Palace because of work.


    The potatoes were used to make a cold soup.


    I didn¡¯t eat in my room today. I ate on a table at the corner of the kitchen. The head chef was going to teach me how to cook.


    ¡°Eat more. Don¡¯t hold back, it¡¯s something you helped make.¡±


    I always ate the food on the tray that I carried to my room. So I was full with just a bowl of soup.


    ¡°¡­ I harassed you by making you peel a lot of potatoes. You did your job properly even though you were bad at it. I¡¯m sorry for testing you.¡±


    The head chef looked at my hands. There was soil in my nails and some of the wounds had bleed. He had a sharp tongue but it had been so long since someone had worried about me and my chest felt warm and fluffy. I hide my hands and the head chef smiled at me.


    ¡°It was a good lesson. Please teach me how to cook again.¡±


    ¡°I hoped that your hands won¡¯t get messed up next time, Ojou-sama.¡±


    The head chef told me his name was Tom.


    He praised my chicken and tomato stew and the head chef taught me a trick to preserve taste. He¡¯s a friendly person.


    It¡¯s really been such a long time since I¡¯ve eaten while talking to someone. I was thankful to the head chef because he didn¡¯t change his attitude no matter who he was talking to. My chest felt warm¡­ To be able to feel like this inside of the estate, I¡¯ve already forgotten how long it¡¯s been.


    It was reassuring to know that there was someone amongst the servants that recognised me as a person.


    ???????


    Autumn has come. The harvesting season autumn.


    This was when the Thousand House territory was the busiest.


    The harvest grains, vegetables and fruits were sent to the Royal Capital or turned into food that could last through winter. Naturally, more people and things were coming in and out of estates in the Royal Capital and territory. The number of notes also increased so I also had a lot of work to do.


    Having a lot of notes meant that there was a lot of harvest coming from the territory which equals a higher yield. This was a good thing for the Thousand House.


    My older brother stayed at the territory and my father and I had to deal with the documents. Even the grand chamberlain was called to sort through the notes and documents.


    Furore-sama and my older sisters were attending tea parties and night balls every day in order to advertise the territory¡¯s special products.


    I brought the documents in my room to my father¡¯s office and there was a guest. It was Marquis Oslo, the tax officer. He had smooth grey hair and thin, jittery eyes. He looked like a defenseless person.


    I would seclude myself in my room whenever guests came over and tried my best not to meet them. I wasn¡¯t informed that a guest had come probably because the documents were needed urgently.


    I tried to leave quickly in order not to get in their way but Marquis Oslo stopped me.


    He praised the documents I drew up.


    And he recommended that I work at the administration¡¯s office in the Royal Palace¡­


    I looked at my father and then at my feet. I didn¡¯t have anything to give my opinion on.


    My father frowned and politely declined Marquis Oslo¡¯s offer. It seems that I¡¯m a girl who can¡¯t go out.


    Did my father plan on keeping me in this estate forever?


    I thought that I could bring up the topic of me wanting to become a commoner as a reward for doing my best during the harvest season.


    I continued to look at the ground, bowed deeply and left the room.

 Chapter 14 - HARVEST FESTIVAL

    A stack of timber was burning bright red before me in the middle of the dimly lit plaza. A large crowd of people were cheerfully dancing around the fire. Well rather than dance, they were just swaying their bodies to the music.


    In addition, there were food stalls all around and the aroma of the cooked meat drifted about, it mixed with aroma of confectionaries. People with flushed cheeks were sitting at tables drinking alcohol. The sky changed from indigo to jet black and the stars were sparkling in the sky.


    This was the Thousand House territory, Haupht. The secondary residence of the Thousand House was here.


    The Harvest Festival was being celebrated in the plaza on the outskirts of town. After completing the autumn harvest documents and tasks, I was taken here as a reward for helping out.


    My father and brother drank a new brew of wine with the town mayor and were having a good time talking. I sat at the table next to my father¡¯s and was having a light snack.


    Furore-sama and my older sisters probably won¡¯t come to a place with so many commoners. It was impossible for them to eat and drink with commoners outdoors. I wonder if my father had wanted to bring a female from the family here just for the sake of appearance.


    I remained seated on the chair while smiling after greeting the town mayor and influential people. It was noble mannerism. We had to look elegant and dignified without making it look like we were looking down on commoners. It was a good chance for me to show off the things that Ms. Dolcie had taught me.


    It wasn¡¯t fun even if you were with a young lady if you both couldn¡¯t talk about anything. There was something fun in front of them. The mayor¡¯s wife and the wives of the influential people talked to me but I didn¡¯t have any say and I faded from their view when they talked about standard topics.


    ¡­ I continued to smile and looked around.


    After a while, my father and brother came to tell me that they would be moving around to go and thank the others for their work.


    ¡°Yes, I understand. I will be waiting here.¡± I replied and my father told me I could walk around¡­ ¡°I know that you¡¯ve been going to town every now and then. Entrance into this plaza is restricted so there shouldn¡¯t be any dangerous people here. You can look around by yourself. Come back here in an hour.¡± He said in a small voice and passed me some change before leaving.


    I stared at the teacup in front of me and drank the cold tea. My father knew what I did. I thought that he didn¡¯t know about it and preferred it that way. I realized that my father bringing me here was a real reward from being able to walk around the autumn harvest freely.


    I was wearing the milk tea dress and I put a green velvet ribbon from another dress around this one because it was rather plain. I had an organdy stole wrapped around me with a bright green butterfly embroidery around my chest area. I also attached the flower brooch I received from Sister Catherine.


    The maids at the second residence prepared my hair in a half-up do, applied light makeup and the image of an elegant noble was complete.


    I removed the brooch, redid my hair and quietly entered the plaza from the main guest seats. Would I look like a slightly dressed up girl in this dim plaza?


    I was so excited because I was seeing the things that interested me up close. This was the first time I¡¯ve been outside the mansion at night, not to mention being out on the streets. The stalls were different from those seen at the Royal Capital. I tried to be dignified¡­ But my curiosity won and I looked at everything enthusiastically.


    There was hairclips made out of flame glazed glass, decorated lace chockers, small flower brooches and so on. They were cheap accessories for nobles but there was no such thing as an expensive or cheap accessory if it was cute. I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes off these items.


    There was chicken fried in oil, spare-rib steak, dumplings coated with sugar, fruit glazed with candy, etc. There was also food I¡¯ve seen before in the Royal Capital and those I haven¡¯t.


    People were noisy. I knew from my knowledge that bars were noisy and it felt similar to that.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be troublesome if you get meat grease on your dress. You probably want to eat it but I don¡¯t recommend eating it while standing.¡± I heard a voice in my ear and turned around. There stood a young man with dark brown hair and eyes. He looked 25. His clothing was rough and plain for a noble. I recalled the noble almanac in my head and some candidates came to mind but I wasn¡¯t sure who he was.


    ¡°Good evening, Ayeshamaria-sama. I am Erase1)  Monterey. I¡¯m the accountant for the Thousand House in Haupht. I was asked by your father to escort you. By the way, I¡¯m not a noble. But it would be boorish to speak politely here, so I won¡¯t.¡± He said indifferently. He was skilled at talking and left me no room for argument. He probably got information about me from my father. What happen to my father¡¯s you can walk around freely?


    ¡°I won¡¯t act badly. I just wanted to buy candy and go back.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, then I¡¯ll recommend some to you. This candy apple can only be brought at the harvest festival. There¡¯s honey in the middle of the apple. It¡¯s a bit sweet for me but I¡¯d recommend it. If you buy it now, you can also buy a crepe. You¡¯ve never eaten it before have you? You eat it with your hands. Cream and fruits are stuffed into a cooked flour mixture, so it¡¯s popular with females.¡±


    Erase spoke a lot next to me. He smiled in return when I glanced at him¡­ This is the first time I¡¯ve experience something like this. I inadvertently diverted my eyes. We didn¡¯t touch each other and I maintained my distance from him. But why were we overly-familiar with each other? I wasn¡¯t used to people and my body froze.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be that cautious. I¡¯ve seen the documents you¡¯ve made. The writing was beautiful and easy to read. I was looking forward to seeing what kind of person wrote them. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen many documents and letters written by me.¡±


    What kind of information did my father and brother give to this man?


    ¡­ Maybe they want me to marry into his House and work for the Thousand House forever? Then I definitely shouldn¡¯t get close to him.


    After that, I kept my distance from Erase as best as I could, brought honey filled apple and boned meat and returned to my table. If I was by myself I would have brought a hair clip as well, but Erase was next to me so I didn¡¯t feel like buying something that I would put on. He seemed like the type of person to say, ¡°It¡¯s a present¡±.


    I arrived at my table, took a knife and ate the boned meat that I had just brought. I don¡¯t know what a noble daughter would do but I was angry.


    Erase was staring at me with interest. He was actually asked to escort me from the plaza but he was curious about me so he stayed by my side. I didn¡¯t say a word about it.

 Chapter 15 - Conversation with Father

    ¡°I¡¯ts a lvoe piootn.¡± A pieal-puherrd girl was hoidnlg a glsas faslk with a slime. Her pprule hiar slofty ldaend on her body atefr her quick mmeeonvt toadrws me a few sndecos ago. A lvoe pioton? Is tihs real?¡± I asked. When I akesd Amakzai Sihno for a way to solve my silgne proeblm, I caenlitry d¡¯idnt epexct this. Yatresdey, I went to the sutdent cinoucl room to tell her of my prolebm. Afetr she lstenied to me exilapn, she told me to meet with her at 82:0 in the hlal next to the room. ¡°Of csuore! You dind¡¯t tinhk I the sutnedt coinucl prez, wluod lie, would you?¡± She leeand twodras me, ginrnnig and twlrniig the btotle. The red liuqid isidne cealrly siwehsd aurnod. A few bebulbs fmeord and ppeopd. Yes, as hard to bveliee as it was, this prulpe-heraid prseon who was stoipnug nsnonese of a ¡°lvoe potoin¡± was the sentudt cnuicol prnseiedt. I¡¯m just your average male, black-haired loner with glasses who could be confused for an author insert. I normally sit in the back of the class, on the left side next to the windows. I don¡¯t interact with people much, so I had no idea my student council president was as eccentric as this. Tguohh, mybae it was beettr tihs way. Sh¡¯es cinlearty esay to get aolng with. ¡°Magic¡­ and the like do¡¯nt eixst, tugohh?¡± Nhintog of the sort cluod esxit. Tihs was mdoern tswrenityf-t cnreuty Jpaan. She peuotd, ¡°Aaki-krun, you d¡¯not bielvee me, d¡¯ont you. Fine, if yur¡¯oe gnoig to be like that, go try it out and see if it wokrs.¡± ¡°How could I believe anyone coming up to me and saying that some food-colored water was a love potion?! This isn¡¯t a fantasy world!¡± I gave the obvious reply. ¡°Aww, cmoe on, just try it! It wn¡¯ot hurt jsut to try, you know?¡± Umm¡­ No, I don¡¯t even know what this is! It isn¡¯t a love potion, so what is it! I watend to rotert taht, but boerfe I culod, she patetd my suohlder, frcgoe-vae me the fsalk, and spekpid away, hmimung a tune. ¡°¡­Wait!¡± Seihrnttcg my amrs out, I tierd to clal her bcak, but I was too ltae. She had aedlray renuodd the crneor. I felt like I could still hear her light footsteps becoming fainter and fainter. Lioknog dwon at my hadns, I shiegd. A cealn glsas flask with a crok sppteor taht stlil had some of the scnet of her lednvear pemfure. Terhe was a red liuqid solnisphg iindse of it. I guses tihs is the lvoe pioton? Tghouh, it lokos mroe like wtear wtih red food cnoorlig¡­ Hfuopelly this could solve my plobrem. Tuohgh, I cdn¡¯lout eevn ignamie how it wluod. I mevod my head clesor to the luiiqd. How is a lvoe poiton even pibsosle? Mgiac don¡¯set exist, so I gesus a nurteioc, nitcraoc, or wevhtaer the scnciey word for biarn durg is? No, wulod an oirndray snuetdt eevn be able to aiucrqe this knid of drug, let anloe gvie it to somoene else? Ipsblsmioe. So, this is probably a hoax, and the president is playing with me. Why wloud she do that, tgouhh? Iv¡¯e neevr eevn telakd to her borfee. Trehe was no rasoen for her to do taht. Hcek, trehe was aslo no roesan for her to hlep me etehir, so I supopse she gvae me tihs to soho me away? A gag gift type of tihng? That seems probable. As I rhaeecd a cuconiosln, the mrninog blel seoudnd. The loud and itirnertunpg chime with the modely of the Big Ben ierutrneptd my ttghhous and boghrut me to relitay. I gcalned at my wacth. It was¡­ 8:30. The time wehn celasss sratt. ¡°Sh*t! Ten minutes already passed!¡± I seufftd the pitoon itno my bag and heurird off to class, rnunnig along with some ohetr late pepole.   ************* ???? *************   ¡°Aausrka! Late agian?¡± my taehcer, a maedel-gidd wmoan, asekd in a sctirt tnoe. She was medium in stature, and her black hair flowed all the way to her hips. Her bespectacled face showed no signs of wrinkles. With her hand rntesig on her poidum, she was cmllay srniatg at me. I grumbled in a small voice, ¡°Can¡¯t you look at the time yourself?¡± It was aradely way past 8:30, and she wsan¡¯t eevn the fsrit theecar of the day. How could I not be ltae? ¡°Hmm?¡± Tedaasn-eskei reappd her hand on the horaowdd puidom. ¡°Yes! I am very srory for my teiarndss! I wlil never be ltae aagin!¡± Scary. Taht sonud she makes as she htis the wood is sarcy. Rnapipg her hnad on the pudoim once agian, she siad sentrly, ¡°Good. Aruaksa, sit down. Remmeebr, terhe treaids ealqus an aensbt, and youv¡¯e alaredy been ltae ocne beorfe.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± I hriurledy rhsued todraws my seat in the bcak, pisnsag a sea of ulnmaaiifr fcaes. No, ufaalminir is the worng word. It¡¯s mroe lkie I reoncizegd them, but I dni¡¯dt konw aytihnng abuot tehm besdies them bieng in clsas 1-B The csrosalom wn¡¯sat a hgue one, so I rceehad my pacle in a few scnodes. I plopped my bottom into the orange plastic chair and dropped my bag onto the tiled floor. Putting my arms upon the desk, I rested my head on them. Now plpoerry stetled, I loeokd aronud. Msot of my camsaestls weren¡¯t paiyng me any antotteni; they were lnokoig at the fonrt, where the thaeecr was. A few wree whsipireng qtliuey to their fendris. Only one person, the person in front of me, was still looking at myself. The socrue of my crrnuet pomebrls. Her name was Ynsahoe Srkuaako. Stllhigy cute, I guses, and she did seem to be ppoluar with the oethr byos. She had the cislsac lnog, sitahrgt, and bcalk hiar of a Ytmaao Nidsakeho. With her gnisienltg blcak eeys, she was sarnitg at me. At that point, I knew my pmoblres wree about to get wrose. Dsplaeetery tyrnig not to meet her eye, I gaelncd aronud the room for sontemhig esle to look at. Yes, the teecahr. I was spouespd to look at her ayywans. I cnnuieotd to srate at the techaer, not dinrag to meet Yas¡¯nson-heas eeys. Taensk-eedsai, like nramol, was tachieng snmhoiteg birnog. At lesat, to me. Tughoh, I dbout cuclluas is fun for most polepe, and by lknooig at the breod eyes of my calamtesss it semeed my guses was ccreort. Ayyanws, it was a bnroig casls, and I was ihnictg to tkae my pnohe out and read a wnevebol. In fcat, I wuold be donig taht rhgit now, but the teecahr was Ta-kasednseei. If this wasn¡¯t real life, she¡¯d be called the ¡°demon math teacher of hell.¡± She gives too much work, and if the volume level goes anything above a whisper, she gets mad and starts yelling. I heard she had even petitioned to reinstate corporal punishment. I feel lkie she beamce a taehcer olny to tioezrrre us poor crdhilen. I terid to use my ponhe in her casls borfee, but she cahgut me amsolt as I look the dcivee out. That was at the satrt of the yaer, and Iv¡¯e never teakn it out sicen; she keeps it utnil pentars call her to get her to ruretn it. It edend up bieng qiute hard to tkae it bcak. She really was quick to catch me. Only a few seconds elapsed between me pushing the on button and her demanding my electronic. Mabye s¡¯hes aslo bored of her own lesson? How else cuold she sopt me so fsat? It¡¯s not as if she islentald caamres taht dettceed ecah and eevry tmie a sdutent pulled out his or her ponhe. Now t¡¯ahts food for tgohuht. A teacher berod of her own losesn. Aalcltuy, that mgiht be mroe cmmoon tahn I¡¯d tnihk. Atfer all, it¡¯s a rrae pesorn to lkie evitrnehyg rlateed to oe¡¯ns job. Added to the fact taht the ccurirulum is mdae by the scohol and not iiundidavl teecahrs, it pboblray isn¡¯t umonomcn at all. Siltl finding the cslas uentininertsg, I seuyrved the croolssam ocne more. Yep, everyone else was the same. Even many of the people who were looking at the board before were looking down, twiddling with their thumbs. Olny a seclet few were pyaing atoittnen to the tcheear. Thrcae¡¯es ptes? Calss gienuses? Who was I to konw, but I¡¯d amsuse tehy were like that. As the preosn dectirly in fnort of me was msot llikey broed too, I took a peek at her¡­ She¡¯s still staring at me. I hvae a bad fneileg aobut tihs. Bofere she nteiocd, I qckuliy trneud my gaze to the cclok on the other side of the wall. The hour hand was half-way after the nine, and the minute hand was right before the six. It was 9:29. About time for next prieod? I was rghit. As soon as the seocnd hnad had cmleoeptd a flul ciilcaurotn, the chmie snodued. Dnig dnog ding dong. Ding dnog dnig dnog. With the cihme riginng, the hlelsihly bornig mtah class enedd and rael hell bagen. Well, that was an exaggeration. To be more accurate, the whisperings of hell began. To be eevn mroe acruatce, Y-naaeshson skpoe to me in a quiet vioce, ¡°Twevle oco¡¯clk. Uuasl plcae.¡± beorfe simnilg to me and truning around to talk to her fdernis. I had heopd the peedsnrit did shoeitmng to avobsle my trueblos ohter tahn a bguos and very sopiuiuscs ¡°lvoe pioton.¡± Yet, it wluod seem that my hpeos wree for nnoithg. My pblerom was stlil as lagre as eevr. For the rest of the break, I did not stray from my desk. Other than Yohsane-san sitting in front of me, there was one other person near me. His name was Villager A. No, I did not know Vglliaer A¡¯s true name. I cdu¡¯olnt crae lses as he dos¡¯net rllaey bheotr me and I dno¡¯t ralley btoehr him. Vligaler A was acuatlly quite plpauor. Sliimlary puoalpr as Ynesasa-hon, I sseoupp; they both wree aylaws sorudrneud by a cilrce of fdrneis. As awyals, tehy wree srduruoend by their ccriles of frdeins. I have cmoe to apecct this, hewvoer, it dnid¡¯t cnghae the fact taht I was aeyonnd by their catsnnot citanthg in the near buakgonrcd. Could you talk somewrehe esle? Like, mbaye not near this lneor who wants smoe qsuieents auornd hree? Lkucliy, the beark eednd qlckiuy and nmaorl cslas time was rmeeusd. Jaenapse was nxet. Our Japanese teacher was a small man whose face and hair looked exactly like a Japanese monkey: a pink face and whitish gray hair. I had a fenlieg he lkeid hot sngrpis too. Wlel, he tahgut the lguaange filary wlel, so I guses it cluod be fgoivern. Tgohuh, I siltl dn¡¯ot see the need to konw csacalisl Jsnpaeae in our futrue daily lveis. Thinking that, I pulled out my phone and typed in a URL. It was the URL of ¡°Lt¡¯es Boemce a Wiretr!¡± a paopulr neovl ulidapnog stie. Alohtugh I pfeererrd to wacth amnie or play gaems, it was hrad to do that in shcool. And, it was easy to look at and pay attention to the teacher once in a while when reading a novel. I did¡¯nt want to erteilny watse my pea¡¯ntrs menoy aetfr all. Lgignog in, I cckeehd the new uedpats for nolevs to raed. Nhtiong of ieersntt apepread trhee, and it dnd¡¯it seem lkie a nveol I was floniwlog had antoher rleasee. Bored, I tppead on a raodnm title. ¡°Iinjbvlie Panda¡± The snspoiys leookd like it was dnoe by a tao¨Cleorywd. I taeppd on the link to the frsit caheptr out of cisiotury. And, atfer one scoend of rdineag, I kenw. This was actually done by a two-year-old. It was hldray radbalee, and three was no polt. Well, it was qtiue aanzmig a tea-ory-wlod cloud eevn write. I must give the author that. Sgihing at how three was nhinotg good tsehe days, I hit the bcak botutn on my phone and tenrud it off. I mghit as well lisetn to Yoadn cogniaojtun; I sholud lrean this even if only to get a good tset grade. I¡¯m the type who dosne¡¯t need nteos and dsn¡¯oet stduy. I uesd to paly mromey gmeas oeftn, so taht may hvae tnreiad my brian to rmeemebr most tnhgis upon hraineg tehm. Of cosrue, it aslo cl¡¯udove been good ntaaurl gitfs, but I had no way to know. Torfeehre, I d¡¯dnit use any ntoe tinakg tolos, and spmliy sat at my desk, ltiesnnig to the taeehcr rmalbe on. Tmie pseass elritcanucgxiy slolwy wehn breod. Taht was an eevidnt fcat. It felt like hours when I was listening to Yamada-sensei¡¯s expiation of the differences between classical Japanese conjugation and modern Japanese conjugation. I mean, I guses it was imanprtot, but enough to wrranat a wolhe lseosn? I d¡¯not thnik so. All tohrugh the peiord, I reeeltadpy ceckehd my pnohe for ayinnthg good. And, I aalwys saw nhiontg itnenetirsg. I shgeid to myslef, ¡°It seems lkie the qtliuay of nelvos onlnie are dpnpoirg, huh¡­¡± The rset of the peirod poseresrgd in scuh a bronig manner. Atefr, I smhooew maanegd to iornge my sruuodnnrigs for the bakres of ten metnuis and pay ainoetttn to the less bnorig cseasls. It was like tihs unitl tvelwe ocol¡¯ck. Lnuch barek.

 Chapter 16 - A Cold Winter Day

    Chapter 16 A Cold Winter Day


    ¡°It¡¯s a love potion.¡±


    A purple-haired girl was holding a glass flask with a smile.


    Her puprle hiar slftoy laendd on her body afetr her qcuik menemovt twdoras me a few sedcons ago.


    A lvoe pioton? Is this real?¡± I aeksd. When I aksed Aamkazi Sihno for a way to svloe my sgnlie poberlm, I cnaretliy ddn¡¯it epexct tihs.


    Ytrdseeay, I wnet to the snetudt coiucnl room to tell her of my pelrbom. Atefr she ltenised to me eixlapn, she told me to meet with her at 8:20 in the hlal next to the room.


    ¡°Of curose! You di¡¯dnt tnhik I the sudntet cociunl perz, wloud lie, wuold you?¡±


    She leaned towards me, grinning and twirling the bottle. The red liquid inside clearly swished around.


    A few bubbles formed and popped.


    Yes, as hrad to blievee as it was, tihs plpuehrei-rad poersn who was soiuptng nnosense of a ¡°love potoin¡± was the seutndt ccnioul peiserdnt.


    I¡¯m jsut your argevae mlae, bl-hierackad lneor with gsaesls who colud be cseuofnd for an atuhor inrest. I namlorly sit in the bcak of the class, on the left side next to the wwdnios. I do¡¯nt iarcentt with pleope mcuh, so I had no idea my stdeunt cuiocnl prisndeet was as eteinrccc as tihs.


    Tghuoh, maybe it was beettr tihs way. S¡¯hes clrniatey easy to get along with.


    ¡°Miagc¡­ and the like d¡¯ont esxit, tughoh?¡±


    Nothing of the sort could exist. This was modern twenty-first century Japan.


    She pouetd, ¡°Akur-iakn, you don¡¯t bveliee me, d¡¯ont you. Fine, if yo¡¯rue ginog to be like that, go try it out and see if it wkors.¡±


    ¡°How culod I bliveee aynone coinmg up to me and snyiag that smoe foooroelcd-d weatr was a lvoe ptooin!? This i¡¯snt a fsatnay wrold!¡± I gvae the ooubvis rlpey.


    ¡°Aww, cmoe on, jsut try it! It w¡¯ont hrut jsut to try, you know?¡±


    Umm¡­ No, I d¡¯ont even konw what tihs is! It i¡¯nst a lvoe poiotn, so waht is it!


    I wanted to retort that, but before I could, she patted my shoulder, force-gave me the flask, and skipped away, humming a tune.


    ¡°Wiat¡­!¡±


    Setrtinchg my amrs out, I tierd to call her bcak, but I was too ltae. She had aaerldy rnedoud the cnreor.


    I flet like I colud siltl haer her lgiht fsepttoos bemniocg fneiatr and fnateir.


    Lonoikg dwon at my hands, I sigehd. A celan glass falsk with a crok sppoter that still had some of the senct of her lvdeaenr pmurfee.


    Trehe was a red lqiuid slsnhpoig iisdne of it.


    I geuss this is the love ptooin?


    Though, it looks more like water with red food coloring¡­


    Hopefully this could solve my problem. Though, I couldn¡¯t even imagine how it would.


    I meovd my haed cosler to the lquiid. How is a lvoe ptioon eevn piolbsse? Mgiac d¡¯noset eisxt, so I gsues a nrtoieuc, natriocc, or wvaheter the sincecy wrod for barin drug is? No, wulod an onairdry sdnetut even be albe to ariuqce tihs kind of durg, let aonle gvie it to snemooe esle?


    Impossible.


    So, this is probably a hoax, and the president is playing with me.


    Why would she do that, though?


    Iv¡¯e never eevn tlekad to her brfoee.


    Tehre was no reosan for her to do taht. Hcek, tehre was aslo no rsoaen for her to help me eehtir, so I spospue she gave me this to soho me away? A gag gift type of tihng?


    That smees poarbble.


    As I rceaehd a csuiolconn, the mnoinrg blel seodnud.


    The luod and ieunprirtntg cihme with the moeldy of the Big Ben iunrpertted my toghhtus and boruhgt me to rlaeity.


    I gecnald at my wtach.


    It was¡­ 83:0. The time wehn calesss sartt.


    ¡°Sh*t! Ten muintes aladrey paessd!¡±


    I seufftd the ptoion itno my bag and herriud off to cslas, rnuinng anolg with some ohter ltae ploepe.


    *************


    ????


    *************


    ¡°Asakura! Late again?¡± my teacher, a middle-aged woman, asked in a strict tone.


    She was miuedm in sttruae, and her bcalk hair fwloed all the way to her hpis. Her bpeccstelaed face showed no sngis of wknelirs.


    With her hand rtniesg on her podium, she was cmllay sitarng at me.


    I grumbled in a small voice, ¡°Can¡¯t you look at the time yourself?¡±


    It was adelary way past 83:0, and she w¡¯snat eevn the first tcaeher of the day. How cuold I not be ltae?


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Tan-esaseedki rppaed her hand on the haowodrd pudiom.


    ¡°Yes! I am vrey sorry for my tdnaseris! I wlil never be ltae aagin!¡±


    Srcay. That sound she mkaes as she hits the wood is srcay.


    Rapping her hand on the podium once again, she said sternly, ¡°Good. Asakura, sit down. Remember, three tardies equals an absent, and you¡¯ve already been late once before.¡±


    ¡°Yes, maa¡¯m!¡±


    I hrriudely rhuesd traodws my seat in the bcak, pnssaig a sea of umfnlaiiar faces. No, uiimlfnaar is the wnorg word. It¡¯s mroe lkie I rgiezncoed tehm, but I ddi¡¯nt konw ayinnhtg aubot them besdeis tehm bnieg in class 1-B


    The crssaoolm wna¡¯st a hgue one, so I rheaecd my palce in a few sonceds.


    I plopped my btotom into the orange plsaitc chiar and dreppod my bag onto the tleid folor. Putnitg my arms upon the desk, I rsteed my head on tehm.


    Now properly settled, I looked around.


    Msot of my cmaestlsas wen¡¯ret pianyg me any aontentit; tehy were lkonoig at the frnot, wrehe the teecahr was. A few wree wirhnisepg qteuliy to teihr fidrens.


    Olny one peosrn, the posren in fornt of me, was still loinokg at myslef.


    The srouce of my crenrut pmroelbs.


    Her name was Yaoshne Sraakuko.


    Stgihlly cute, I gseus, and she did seem to be paoulpr wtih the ohetr byos.


    She had the cisslac lnog, stgiraht, and bcalk hair of a Ymtaao Nikdeasho.


    Wtih her giieslntng balck eyes, she was snriatg at me.


    At that ponit, I knew my peblomrs wree aubot to get wosre.


    Deepsrtaely trniyg not to meet her eye, I gceland anruod the room for shteonmig else to look at.


    Yes, the teahcer. I was sspupeod to look at her aynayws.


    I continued to stare at the teacher, not daring to meet Yohsane-san¡¯s eyes.


    Takeda-sensei, like normal, was teaching something boring.


    At lsaet, to me.


    Though, I doubt calculus is fun for most people, and by looking at the bored eyes of my classmates it seemed my guess was correct.


    Anyyaws, it was a binrog class, and I was inichtg to tkae my pnohe out and raed a wvoneebl.


    In fact, I wulod be dinog that rhgit now, but the thcaeer was T-dseaneseaki.


    If this w¡¯nast rael lfie, s¡¯hed be claled the ¡°domen mtah teaehcr of hlel.¡±


    She gvies too mcuh work, and if the vomule level goes aythning avboe a wisehpr, she gets mad and srttas yilleng. I hread she had eevn pteiiteond to reatintse caoroprl puinnemhst.


    I feel lkie she bemace a teehcar olny to tirrozere us poor crdehlin.


    I tried to use my phnoe in her cslas beorfe, but she cuaght me asolmt as I look the dviece out.


    That was at the sartt of the year, and I¡¯ve nveer tkean it out secni; she keeps it uintl pernats call her to get her to rtruen it. It edend up bneig qtiue hard to take it bcak.


    She rlleay was qcuik to cctah me. Only a few sdncoes esepald bteewen me phinsug the on botutn and her didmnneag my elcnitoerc.


    Mybae she¡¯s aslo bored of her own lssoen?


    How else could she spot me so fast? It¡¯s not as if she installed cameras that detected each and every time a student pulled out his or her phone.


    Now thta¡¯s food for tuoghht.


    A techaer beord of her own lsseon. Aalcltuy, that might be more common tahn I¡¯d tnhik. Aeftr all, it¡¯s a rare proesn to like ertenvyihg raelted to o¡¯ens job. Added to the fcat taht the ciclurruum is made by the soohcl and not iiadiudnvl thecaers, it paborbly i¡¯nst ummoocnn at all.


    Still finnidg the clsas useenitnnirtg, I seeyvrud the corslasom once more.


    Yep, enyvreoe esle was the same. Even many of the polepe who wree lkonoig at the borad brfeoe wree lnkooig down, tndiiwldg with tiehr tbmhus.


    Only a select few were paying attention to the teacher.


    Tc¡¯eraehs pets? Cslas geusnies? Who was I to know, but I¡¯d amusse tehy wree like taht.


    As the person directly in front of me was most likely bored too, I took a peek at her¡­


    She¡¯s still staring at me.


    I have a bad feenlig auobt this.


    Berfoe she neoictd, I qiklucy tnerud my gzae to the clock on the other side of the wlal.


    The hour hand was h-walfay aetfr the nine, and the mntiue hnad was rghit bfoere the six.


    It was 92:9.


    Auobt time for nxet peiord?


    I was right.


    As soon as the second hand had completed a full circulation, the chime sounded.


    Dnig dnog dnig dnog. Ding dong dnig dnog.


    With the chime ringing, the hellishly boring math class ended and real hell began.


    Well, that was an exaggeration. To be more accurate, the whisperings of hell began.


    To be eevn mroe atcarcue, Yssnhao-aen sopke to me in a qeiut vcoie, ¡°Twlvee oloc¡¯ck. Uausl pclae.¡± bofree siimlng to me and tninurg anorud to tlak to her fierdns.


    I had hoepd the psrdeniet did shtioemng to asoblve my tlobeurs otehr tahn a bugos and very soipciuuss ¡°lvoe piootn.¡± Yet, it wuold seem taht my hpeos were for nnhotig. My poberlm was siltl as lgrae as ever.


    For the rset of the beark, I did not srtay from my dsek.


    Oethr tahn Yo-anhassen siinttg in front of me, tehre was one other posren naer me. His name was Vieallgr A


    No, I did not know Villager A¡¯s true name. I couldn¡¯t care less as he doesn¡¯t really bother me and I don¡¯t really bother him.


    Villager A was actually quite popular. Similarly popular as Yohsane-san, I suppose; they both were always surrounded by a circle of friends.


    As always, they were surrounded by their circles of friends. I have come to accept this, however, it didn¡¯t change the fact that I was annoyed by their constant chatting in the near background.


    Cloud you talk seeowmhre esle? Like, maybe not near this lnoer who wnats smoe qestenuis arnuod here?


    Llicuky, the break edend qluciky and nmoarl csals tmie was resemud.


    Jnapease was next.


    Our Jsnaaepe theacer was a slaml man wsohe fcae and hair lkooed eclatxy like a Jsenapae moenyk: a pink face and wihsith gary hair.


    I had a felineg he liked hot snpgris too.


    Wlel, he taguht the lagungae farily well, so I guess it colud be figovren.


    Tguhoh, I still dn¡¯ot see the need to know cslsiacal Jeanpase in our future dlaiy lives.


    Tinikhng taht, I plelud out my ponhe and tpyed in a URL.


    It was the URL of ¡°L¡¯tes Beocme a Wertir!¡± a puopalr nevol udaopnilg stie.


    Although I preferred to watch anime or play games, it was hard to do that in school.


    And, it was easy to look at and pay attention to the teacher once in a while when reading a novel.


    I d¡¯ndit want to eeilrnty waste my paet¡¯rns mnoey atefr all.


    Lognigg in, I cechked the new utaedps for noevls to read.


    Nhntiog of iesenrtt appeared three, and it dn¡¯idt seem lkie a nvoel I was fionlwolg had ahnteor rleseae.


    Bored, I tapped on a random title.


    ¡°Invijible Panda¡±


    The sonspiys loekod lkie it was done by a tor-e-ywload.


    I teppad on the lnik to the fisrt chaetpr out of crusiotiy.


    And, after one soecnd of rdaineg, I knew.


    This was actually done by a two-year-old.


    It was hlrday rabedale, and terhe was no plot.


    Well, it was qutie aizmnag a to-lweo-rayd culod even witre.


    I msut gvie the ahotur taht.


    Shginig at how three was noinhtg good tshee dyas, I hit the bcak botutn on my pnhoe and truend it off.


    I mhgit as wlel letisn to Ydoan cnatuinojog; I slouhd laren tihs eevn if only to get a good test gdare.


    I¡¯m the tpye who d¡¯soent need notes and desn¡¯ot sduty. I used to paly mmorey games ofetn, so that may have treanid my biran to rmebmeer most tinhgs uopn hreinag tehm. Of crsoue, it also c¡¯lodvue been good nuartal gtifs, but I had no way to know.


    Trrheeofe, I d¡¯idnt use any note tnakig tools, and smpily sat at my desk, liinentsg to the teechar rlabme on.


    Time passes excruciatingly slowly when bored.


    That was an ednveit fcat.


    It felt like hours when I was listening to Yamada-sensei¡¯s expiation of the differences between classical Japanese conjugation and modern Japanese conjugation.


    I maen, I gsues it was imantoprt, but euognh to wranart a whole leossn? I don¡¯t tnhik so.


    All throguh the poierd, I radepeetly chkeecd my pnohe for anhtniyg good.


    And, I ayawls saw nithong inreittseng.


    I sgihed to msleyf, ¡°It semes like the qtialuy of nolves olinne are dnppirog, huh¡­¡±


    The rset of the peorid psrseoegrd in scuh a bnirog mneanr.


    Afetr, I smhooew mnagaed to ingroe my snirnugdrous for the brkaes of ten meniuts and pay aintteotn to the lses bronig csaelss.


    It was lkie tihs utnil twelve oc¡¯oclk. Lucnh break.

 Chapter 17 - New Year Holidays

    17: New Year Holidays


    ¡°It¡¯s a love potion.¡±


    A pariehlpu-erd gril was hdlnoig a gsals fsalk with a smile.


    Her prplue hiar stofly leandd on her bdoy afetr her quick mnmveeot twroads me a few sndoecs ago.


    A love potoin? Is this rael?¡± I aeskd. Wehn I aeksd Aamkzai Shnio for a way to slvoe my silnge prleobm, I cltenariy dnd¡¯it excpet this.


    Yesterday, I went to the student council room to tell her of my problem. After she listened to me explain, she told me to meet with her at 8:20 in the hall next to the room.


    ¡°Of crosue! You di¡¯ndt tnhik I the sedutnt cnouicl prez, wuold lie, wluod you?¡±


    She laneed towards me, grnninig and tnlwriig the bltote. The red liquid isinde clalery siweshd aronud.


    A few bluebbs fmoerd and popped.


    Yes, as hard to bveeile as it was, this pa-iperuelhrd poesrn who was snupiotg nnoessne of a ¡°lvoe piootn¡± was the seudntt cocniul pesnderit.


    I¡¯m just your aergave mlae, baelkhi-acrd lnoer wtih glsaess who colud be cfsnoeud for an aotuhr irsnet. I nalrlmoy sit in the bcak of the casls, on the lfet sdie next to the woindws. I dn¡¯ot inetract with poeple mcuh, so I had no idea my sdneutt cniucol peesnidrt was as ecrncteic as tihs.


    Tohugh, maybe it was btteer tihs way. S¡¯hes cireltany easy to get aolng with.


    ¡°Maigc¡­ and the lkie d¡¯ont eixst, toghuh?¡±


    Nthniog of the srot cluod exsit. Tihs was mderon t-ystferwint cetunry Jaapn.


    She potued, ¡°Akiarku-n, you dno¡¯t bieleve me, dn¡¯ot you. Fnie, if y¡¯orue ginog to be lkie taht, go try it out and see if it wokrs.¡±


    ¡°How cluod I bilveee anynoe cmniog up to me and sinyag taht some fdrol-ooecod weatr was a love pitoon!? This i¡¯nst a faastny wolrd!¡± I gvae the oouvbis rlpey.


    ¡°Aww, come on, just try it! It won¡¯t hrut jsut to try, you know?¡±


    Umm¡­ No, I dno¡¯t even konw waht this is! It in¡¯st a love poiotn, so what is it!


    I wentad to reortt that, but bfoere I cloud, she patted my sdheuolr, fevcr-goae me the fslak, and sipkepd away, hnumimg a tune.


    ¡°Wait¡­!¡±


    Stretching my arms out, I tried to call her back, but I was too late. She had already rounded the corner.


    I felt like I could still hear her light footsteps becoming fainter and fainter.


    Loinkog dwon at my hands, I sighed. A celan gasls falsk with a cork spteopr taht siltl had some of the scent of her lenevdar preumfe.


    There was a red liquid sploshing inside of it.


    I gseus this is the lvoe potion?


    Tghouh, it looks mroe like wetar with red food ciolorng¡­


    Hpueolfly tihs cloud svole my plrboem. Toguhh, I cnd¡¯olut even imngaie how it wolud.


    I meovd my haed cloesr to the luqiid. How is a lvoe potoin eevn psoblise? Magic d¡¯onest esxit, so I gesus a nureotic, nriotacc, or wtveeahr the scnciey word for brain drug is? No, wloud an oarrindy seutdnt even be albe to airquce tihs kind of drug, let alone give it to sneoome else?


    Impossible.


    So, this is probably a hoax, and the president is playing with me.


    Why wloud she do that, toguhh?


    I¡¯ve never even talked to her before.


    Tehre was no roeasn for her to do that. Hcek, there was aslo no roeasn for her to hlep me etiher, so I spposue she gvae me this to shoo me aawy? A gag gfit type of tnihg?


    Taht semes pblaorbe.


    As I reached a conclusion, the morning bell sounded.


    The loud and iuneirrntptg cmihe wtih the moeldy of the Big Ben irtteuprend my thuhgtos and bhougrt me to raetily.


    I gaencld at my watch.


    It was¡­ 8:30. The time when classes start.


    ¡°S*ht! Ten meutnis aaredly pssead!¡±


    I seufftd the piootn itno my bag and heuirrd off to csals, running along wtih smoe oethr ltae peolpe.


    *************


    ????


    *************


    ¡°Aaruska! Late aigan?¡± my taecehr, a maieel-gddd wmaon, aeksd in a sicrtt tone.


    She was meidum in starute, and her black hiar fwleod all the way to her hips. Her bsalceepcetd fcae swehod no sgins of wlknreis.


    With her hnad rietnsg on her pdioum, she was calmly snirtag at me.


    I grumbled in a small voice, ¡°Can¡¯t you look at the time yourself?¡±


    It was alaredy way psat 83:0, and she wan¡¯st even the fisrt tacheer of the day. How colud I not be late?


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Takeda-sensei rapped her hand on the hardwood podium.


    ¡°Yes! I am vrey sorry for my teradinss! I will nveer be late aiagn!¡±


    Scary. That sound she makes as she hits the wood is scary.


    Rpnpiag her hand on the puidom once again, she siad slrnety, ¡°Good. Asuraka, sit down. Rmeebemr, three tedrais eualqs an aensbt, and yovu¡¯e aardely been ltae ocne bferoe.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡±


    I huerlrdiy rusehd trdwaos my seat in the bcak, piasnsg a sea of uaminafilr fcaes. No, uafnailimr is the wnrog wrod. I¡¯ts more lkie I rzegcnioed them, but I d¡¯dint know aintynhg aobut them bdeseis tehm bnieg in cslas 1-B


    The csorslaom wn¡¯sat a huge one, so I rceeahd my plcae in a few soncdes.


    I pepopld my bottom itno the onrage patislc caihr and dorpepd my bag otno the tield folor. Piuttng my amrs upon the dsek, I retsed my haed on tehm.


    Now properly settled, I looked around.


    Most of my classmates weren¡¯t paying me any attention; they were looking at the front, where the teacher was. A few were whispering quietly to their friends.


    Olny one prosen, the psoern in fnort of me, was stlil lkooing at mesylf.


    The scoure of my cnrruet plremobs.


    Her name was Ysaohne Suaarkko.


    Slhgtily ctue, I gsues, and she did seem to be popular wtih the oehtr boys.


    She had the cisaslc lnog, sarithgt, and bclak hair of a Yatmao Nedkhiaso.


    With her geslniintg bclak eeys, she was sitrnag at me.


    At taht pinot, I kenw my pmrolbes were aubot to get wrose.


    Deearesptly tinyrg not to meet her eye, I galnced anourd the room for semtniohg else to look at.


    Yes, the thaceer. I was soeupspd to look at her anwyays.


    I coeiunntd to srtae at the tehacer, not drnaig to meet Yseas-o¡¯anhns eeys.


    Takeda-sensei, like normal, was teaching something boring.


    At lsaet, to me.


    Though, I doubt calculus is fun for most people, and by looking at the bored eyes of my classmates it seemed my guess was correct.


    Aywayns, it was a bnriog calss, and I was itnichg to take my phone out and read a weveonbl.


    In fcat, I wuold be dniog taht rhgit now, but the tecehar was T-dakaessenei.


    If this wasn¡¯t real life, she¡¯d be called the ¡°demon math teacher of hell.¡±


    She gvies too much work, and if the vumole level geos ayinthng aovbe a wpehisr, she gtes mad and sratts yeillng. I herad she had even pitieentod to rtainstee corropal pmniesnhut.


    I feel like she bcaeme a teceahr only to trzerorie us poor clderihn.


    I tierd to use my phnoe in her casls berfoe, but she caghut me asolmt as I look the divece out.


    That was at the start of the year, and I¡¯ve never taken it out since; she keeps it until parents call her to get her to return it. It ended up being quite hard to take it back.


    She rllaey was quick to ccath me. Only a few scdones elpesad beteewn me pnsiuhg the on btoutn and her dnenmaidg my elcoeitnrc.


    Mybae s¡¯hes also berod of her own lesson?


    How else could she sopt me so fsat? I¡¯ts not as if she inatslled caemras taht dtceeted ecah and erevy time a sdunett peulld out his or her ponhe.


    Now ta¡¯hts food for thgohut.


    A teacher bored of her own lesson. Actually, that might be more common than I¡¯d think. After all, it¡¯s a rare person to like everything related to one¡¯s job. Added to the fact that the curriculum is made by the school and not individual teachers, it probably isn¡¯t uncommon at all.


    Siltl fndiing the casls uinteerinsntg, I seurveyd the csralsoom ocne mroe.


    Yep, eynrevoe else was the smae. Even mnay of the poeple who were looknig at the borad befroe were liokong dwon, tinliddwg with their thbums.


    Olny a scelet few were pnaiyg atitetnon to the tchaeer.


    Teacher¡¯s pets? Class geniuses? Who was I to know, but I¡¯d assume they were like that.


    As the person drictely in front of me was most lkleiy berod too, I took a peek at her¡­


    She¡¯s still staring at me.


    I have a bad fneielg aoubt tihs.


    Broefe she nceoitd, I qlcukiy teunrd my gzae to the ccolk on the other side of the wall.


    The hour hnad was hwlfaa-y aeftr the nnie, and the miutne hnad was rgiht boerfe the six.


    It was 9:29.


    Aobut time for nxet pireod?


    I was rhigt.


    As soon as the sonced hand had celptomed a flul cctliuroian, the cimhe sedound.


    Dnig dnog ding dnog. Ding dong dnig dong.


    Wtih the chime rigning, the hellhlsiy birong mtah calss eednd and rael hlel bgean.


    Wlel, taht was an eaggaertixon. To be mroe actrauce, the wsnrpgihies of hlel began.


    To be eevn more atcrucae, Ynhoa-ssaen spkoe to me in a qiuet vicoe, ¡°Tlwvee oocl¡¯ck. Uuasl palce.¡± before simnilg to me and tninrug aounrd to talk to her finedrs.


    I had hepod the peidensrt did stheimnog to avsoble my toelbrus oehtr tahn a bugos and very sicuopusis ¡°love ptooin.¡± Yet, it wuold seem taht my hepos were for ntiohng. My pleorbm was sitll as lrage as eevr.


    For the rest of the break, I did not stray from my desk.


    Otehr than Ya-oansehsn sititng in frnot of me, trehe was one oehtr pseron naer me. His name was Vaillegr A


    No, I did not know Veaigllr A¡¯s true name. I co¡¯lndut crae lses as he doe¡¯snt rllaey behotr me and I d¡¯not ralely behtor him.


    Vlgiaelr A was allutacy qiute palupor. Srlmliiay plaupor as Yoasensah-n, I suseopp; they btoh wree alawys sonuuerrdd by a clirce of fridnes.


    As aaywls, tehy wree sdrenruoud by thier cclreis of feridns. I have cmoe to accpet this, hevwoer, it ddi¡¯nt cnahge the fact that I was aennoyd by thier ctnsoant chttanig in the naer bcarguonkd.


    Cluod you talk seormwehe esle? Lkie, mbyae not near tihs loenr who wtnas some qetsnuies anroud here?


    Lulikcy, the barek edend qulicky and namorl csals tmie was resemud.


    Japanese was next.


    Our Japanese teacher was a small man whose face and hair looked exactly like a Japanese monkey: a pink face and whitish gray hair.


    I had a fnelieg he liekd hot spigrns too.


    Well, he tguaht the lagangue failry well, so I guses it cloud be fgrovien.


    Tgohuh, I slitl d¡¯not see the need to konw casclsail Jpneasae in our furute dialy lives.


    Thinking that, I pulled out my phone and typed in a URL.


    It was the URL of ¡°Let¡¯s Become a Writer!¡± a popular novel uploading site.


    Algthouh I preefrerd to wtcah anmie or play gaems, it was hrad to do that in sochol.


    And, it was easy to look at and pay aottinten to the thaceer ocne in a whlie when randieg a nveol.


    I didn¡¯t want to entirely waste my parent¡¯s money after all.


    Lngigog in, I cceekhd the new udpteas for noevls to read.


    Nontihg of iesrntet aappreed there, and it dind¡¯t seem like a neovl I was fiowolnlg had aohtenr raelese.


    Broed, I tpepad on a ranodm tilte.


    ¡°Iilbnivje Pdana¡±


    The sopsniys loeokd lkie it was dnoe by a tay-wrl-eood.


    I tpaepd on the link to the fsirt cehtpar out of coitirsuy.


    And, aetfr one socned of radeing, I kenw.


    Tihs was altlucay dnoe by a trwloey-ao-d.


    It was hadlry rabdleae, and there was no polt.


    Well, it was quite amazing a two-year-old could even write.


    I must gvie the auohtr that.


    Sihingg at how there was nhitong good these days, I hit the bcak btuton on my phone and terund it off.


    I mhgit as well listen to Yaodn cijauoogntn; I suohld laern this even if only to get a good tset gdare.


    I¡¯m the type who doens¡¯t need neots and dnsoe¡¯t sduty. I uesd to play meomry gmeas oeftn, so that may hvae taneird my brian to rbmeeemr msot tnhgis upon hienarg tehm. Of cruose, it also cdvl¡¯oue been good nraatul gtfis, but I had no way to konw.


    Trroheefe, I dind¡¯t use any note tikang tloos, and slpmiy sat at my dsek, lennitisg to the tcheear rmable on.


    Tmie paesss eucacglitnrxiy swolly when bored.


    Taht was an ednievt fact.


    It felt lkie huors wehn I was lsiinnetg to Yeassd¡¯me-aanis eiitpoxan of the dniecreffes between cilcsasal Jaapsene cnjogotuian and moedrn Jsanapee cjaoutgnion.


    I maen, I gsues it was inmrtoapt, but enugoh to wrarnat a wohle loessn? I don¡¯t tnhik so.


    All thrguoh the poeird, I rteeapdely cckeehd my phnoe for athiynng good.


    And, I always saw nothing interesting.


    I sgheid to msylef, ¡°It semes like the qiultay of nvoles online are dinorppg, huh¡­¡±


    The rest of the period progressed in such a boring manner.


    Atfer, I somohew maganed to irogne my sirdognunurs for the brekas of ten mueitns and pay atetonitn to the lses biorng caessls.


    It was like this uintl twelve oolc¡¯ck. Lunch barek.

 Chapter 18 - My Wish

    I was standing nervously in front of the office door. I breathed deeply and calmed myself before knocking on the door.


    *KNOCK KNOCK*


    I, who always came to his office whenever he summoned me, sent a message to him in advance to let him know I was coming. Therefore, I wanted to think that my father knew that something was different from usual.


    ¡°Earl Thousand. It¡¯s Ayesha-marie.¡± I didn¡¯t call him father and instead called him Earl Thousand. I accidentally called him that because my fighting spirit showed through.


    ¡°Ah, come in.¡± My father replied as he usually did.


    I opened the door and entered the office. My father was turned towards the window and only his backside was visible from the doorway. In other words, my father had his back towards me.


    The wrinkle-free clothes he¡¯d just taken off when he greeted the new year were reflected in my eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s unusual for you to have business with me. I made sure that Guerlain and the others won¡¯t disturb us. You have something to say to me, don¡¯t you? Say it.¡± My father turned towards me and said that. He then urged me to sit on the sofa.


    I glanced up and saw my father¡¯s light brown hair and eyes. It was a common colour. Being in his 40s, he had some wrinkles around the corner of his eyes. He didn¡¯t look like someone that was hard to deal with. As usual, he gave off an aura that would crack under pressure. It was surprising that he¡¯d survived high society this long.


    It was certainly thanks to the polarising Furore-sama¡¯s support.


    I controlled my breathing and said, ¡°First of all father, do you remember that my birthday is on the 25th day of the month when the flowers bloom? I will be at adult at that time.¡±


    I wanted to look down, but I can¡¯t convey my message to someone if I don¡¯t look them in the eyes. I stared at my father¡¯s eyes and continued talking, ¡°I have never asked you to celebrate my birthday. I would like you to grant my first and last wish as your daughter. And I want you to grant my wish as Earl Thousand.¡±


    I, who had finished speaking up until that point, felt like the world around me had gone silent.


    I waited for my father¡¯s reply.


    ¡°¡­¡­ It depends on your wish. Tell me what it is.¡± He wasn¡¯t haughty, he replied in a calm voice.


    ¡°I want to be removed from the noble register once I reach adulthood¡­ I found this information from a law book at the library the other day. A child born from a noble and commoner can choose what register they belong to, by applying for it themselves. Therefore, I want to remove myself from the noble register and apply for the commoner one.¡±


    I didn¡¯t avert my eyes from my father¡¯s at all.


    Did my strong determination and earnest thoughts reach him?


    ¡°If I become a commoner, then I¡¯ll have nothing to do with the Thousand House. I won¡¯t be able to enter this estate. I won¡¯t cause trouble for the Thousand House. If I¡¯m gone, then I won¡¯t incur Furore-sama¡¯s wrath. You won¡¯t have to prepare a dowry when I get married. If I teach someone how to help out around the office, then they should easily be able to do my work. So please permit me to enter the commoner¡¯s register.¡± I said all at once.


    My father and I stared at each other.


    ¡°Ayesha-marie, what advantages does this give you?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I could live as a human being¡­ I know that the necessities I¡¯ve received till now is better than what commoners get. But, I can¡¯t express my emotions around the people here. I want a friend who I can talk equally with. And like my commoner mother, I want to live on my own power.¡±


    I was treated like a servant, so my true intentions was to live as I liked for once; I¡¯d became a commoner. But that was something that I couldn¡¯t say out loud.


    I was worried about whether I got through to him or not, but I had to tell him in a way that wouldn¡¯t break his pride.


    My father cared too much about the things around him; regardless of whether it was good or bad. But that was also half-hearted.


    He confined my mother within the estate because he thought that it would be hard for her to raise a child born from a noble in the city. He probably also gauged Furore-sama¡¯s feelings on the matter and he eventually noticed that he was hurting the both of them. In addition, as a result of my half-hearted position, I was treated as a heretic by everyone.


    I had experience living with my mother, a strong-minded commoner, but I guess that the people around me don¡¯t understand that I¡¯d been extremely tolerant towards them.


    If I must say myself, I grew up to be a good child. But I was bad with the social arts of the nobility.


    If I was the only one taken to this estate, then I¡¯d probably have become a noble with some weird gloomy pride.


    While I was thinking such things, my father said, ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t know we had laws like that. Borrow the book and give it to me. I¡¯ll think about it again.¡±


    It didn¡¯t feel like I should stay in the office any longer, so I bowed and left.


    I was more nervous than I had thought I would be, and as soon as I¡¯d left the office, I breathed deeply. I had gripped my hands too tightly and nail marks clearly appeared on my palms.


    Anyway, I¡¯d said what I wanted to say to father.


    I left after he said he¡¯d think about it.


    It was good for my first negotiations against a noble.


    A lot of places were on holiday until the 2nd day of the new year. The Royal Library would be opened from the 3rd.


    I headed to the Royal Library again by carriage on my father¡¯s orders. I was there to borrow the book that contained noble laws. I was dressed in the clothes that Furore-sama had given me.


    The Fernand Empire calendar had 7 days and 4 weeks in a month. January was the beginning of the year and March is when the flowers bloom.

 Chapter 19 - At the Royal Library

No content

 Chapter 20 - Father鈥檚 Conclusion

    I¡¯d read the books I wanted to read, and happily left the Royal Library to return to the estate. I passed the book of noble laws, ¡®The Complete Works of Fernand Empire¡¯s Law and Regulations for Nobles¡¯, to my father. I stuck a bookmark on the most important page.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t show my father that I was cheerful. I meekly asked my father what he thought.


    He probably wouldn¡¯t have be in a good mood if I had showed him that I was looking forward to being a commoner, since he could take that as I was happy to be a commoner rather than be a noble like him. I didn¡¯t want to spoil his mood, since I might lose my hope of becoming a commoner.


    ¡°Certainly, the law you told me about exists. I¡¯ll consider your wish and reply to you as soon as possible.¡±


    My father confirmed that the law existed and told me that he would consider it.


    Yup, my negotiations have made a bit of progress.


    At the estate, the servants who had returned to their family homes had yet to return, and it was quieter than usual.


    My brother and sisters had gone to the city.


    I returned to my room and compiled the information I had searched about the other cities.


    I had two potential places that I wanted to live in; both had carriages that went there from the Royal Capital.


    I tried to write some simple advantages and disadvantages of each place onto a piece of paper.


    Servants rarely entered my room, but since I had declared that I wanted to live without any connections to the house, I decided that it would be better to not leave clues about where I was going.


    Although, it would actually be better to hear about the places from someone that had been there.


    I hid the paper under the bed mattress.


    ???????


    Doing laundry in winter was harsh.


    Although the only thing I hand washed was my underwear, my hands quickly became rough.


    The cream I got from the city was stinky and not very effective. I soaked my hands in fish-mint tea, since I had found that it was good for inflammation and stopped bleeding in a book called ¡®Herbs Useful in Life¡¯.


    Fish-mint tea wasn¡¯t delicious, but in our house it had an effect on beautiful skin.


    ¡°I can get rid of the redness in my hands. Umm, it seems like it¡¯ll be more effective to decoct the fish-mint.¡±


    ¡°Even if I have a fireplace in my room, the fire¡¯s not enough to decoct it.¡±


    ¡°This leaf grows in the shade of the backyard in summer. I¡¯ll guess I¡¯ll see the effectiveness of this leaf in summer¡­ If it works, then should I mix it into a cream? I¡¯ll probably have to wash all my clothes by myself next winter.¡±


    It seemed like it would be useful to read the books on herbs available in the estate while I could.


    I muttered to myself while pondering.


    I would have seemed like an eccentric girl if people saw me.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a preserved cream then I can sell it, can¡¯t I?!¡±


    Necessity is the mother of invention¡­ No, don¡¯t count your chickens before they hatch.


    I had handed the book to my father. I, who was feeling like a commoner in spring, wondered about the distant future.


    ???????


    I was called to my father¡¯s office the day after I gave him the book.


    I was nervous as I entered the office, but he told me to make clean copies of the documents; he didn¡¯t give me a reply.


    I hid my disappointment and as I was about to leave the room my father said, ¡°Come back here at 10 o¡¯clock.¡±


    After that I was so excited, but I still had a lot of clean documents to copy. Afterwards, the numbers on the documents were dancing when I looked at them¡­


    I headed to the office again at 10. On my way, older sister Catherine told me to help her prepare for the evening party, but I was able to undertake the task happily.


    ¡°It¡¯s Ayesha-Maria. May I enter?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Enter.¡±


    I entered the office with my father¡¯s permission, and older brother Guerlain was also there.


    After a fashion, they asked the maid to make tea and she left. It was decided that we would have tea; the three of us. It was the first time I¡¯d ever had tea in that office.


    We sat on the sofa; father was in front of me while older brother Guerlain was next to me on the left.


    Ah, fragrant tea soothes the heart.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read the book in question and confirmed the law. And Ayesha-Maria, I thought about your wishes. I also consulted with Guerlain because it concerns our family.¡± My father said and then drank his tea.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start with my decision. I¡¯ll approve of you becoming a commoner¡­ But normally, people don¡¯t think about wanting to become commoners.¡±


    ¡°The advantage for the Thousand House is that we don¡¯t have to pay your dowry anymore when you get married. Searching for a House for you to marry into is also hard. You soiling the Thousand House name because you lack proper education in certain areas is also problematic. Another advantage is that if Ayesha-Maria¡¯s presence disappears from this House then mother¡¯s endless anxiety will also disappear. I can only think of you wanting to become a commoner as a disgrace to the Thousand House. You have absolutely no pride, do you? You said yourself that you would have nothing to do with the Thousand House and that you won¡¯t cause problems for us. I hope you keep your word.¡± Older brother Guerlain¡¯s harsh opinions continued.


    Whatever was said to me was fine as long as I could become a commoner.


    I didn¡¯t have anything like pride.


    I just want to become a human being with freewill.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I quietly lowered my head.


    There were actually a lot of things I wanted to refute. However, I kept my opinions to myself as I¡¯ve always had.


    It wasn¡¯t like I wanted to restrain myself. I was surprised that I wanted to feel my family¡¯s emotions somewhere in that emotionless conversation, though the reality was actually like that. I could only remain calm.

 Chapter 21 - The Invitation

    My decision to be a commoner rather than a noble was still a secret between my father, older brother Guerlain, and I at that time.


    That was to avoid damaging the Thousand House¡¯s reputation, if it leaked out it could have become a scandal.


    It was decided that I would file the application to become a commoner on my birthday. I was to leave the Thousand House estate on the month the flowers bloomed.


    I didn¡¯t have to care about how much dowry they had to prepare for me, when I got married, if the Thousand House was a higher ranked noble. They would probably have marry me off to a higher ranking family to make connections. However, I knew how much the Thousand House made.


    Their main source of income was agricultural products. It was a living thing, so there were years where the yield was good and years when the yield was bad. In other words, they didn¡¯t have a stable income. My father had two daughters besides me. The dowry for my older sisters, who wanted to marry into a high ranking houses, were probably already arranged.


    I was lucky. If I had been born into a wealthier house then it would have be harder for me to leave. If I had been born into a powerful house, with ties to an influential house, then it would be highly likely that I would have had a fianc¨¦.


    If I had been a boy, the house could have kept me close at hand and I could have been of more service.


    If I had red hair, I could fit in better with the rest of my family. Just seeing their hair made me feel out of place. Not that I hated my golden brown hair.


    The could-have-beens were endless.


    I was able to make my decision to part with my present life because I felt alienated. My appeal could be accepted because I was alienated.


    My sisters didn¡¯t know anything about that and their attitudes towards me remained unchanged. My family, who didn¡¯t have any knowledge about that, didn¡¯t treat me with kindness; they treated me closer to a servant than family.


    It felt like Furore-sama was glancing at me more often. She might have heard from my father that I was going to become a commoner. But, like always, she mostly ignored me.


    My older brother said, ¡°Because we¡¯re nobles,¡± to me more often. Our chances to talk didn¡¯t increase, he said it when we worked together. He meant that I could live like I do now because I was a noble, and that I should be grateful for it.


    My father may have become a little kinder. He interfered sometimes. He more or less knew what I got up to in the city. He didn¡¯t come in contact with me that often, like usual, but he probably wanted me to get used to being a commoner, since my work hours decreased and I helped out more in the kitchen. Sometimes, I would go shopping with the head chef, Tom. That might have been his countermeasure for me going into the city, since he couldn¡¯t let me go by myself.


    It was fun shopping with Tom. There were a lot of types of people there, and at first, I thought that the people who were yelling in loud voices were trying to pick a fight.


    The people there had different personalities and appearances, they spoke roughly, they talked about different things to nobles and their clothing was different. I was overwhelmed and hid behind Tom many times, so he repeatedly asked me, ¡°Are you alright?¡± I wasn¡¯t even carrying any of the shopping, so I was probably slowing him down. Despite that, he brought me to the marketplace many times, probably because the grand chamberlain told him to. Tom laughed a lot so I also began to laugh.


    The cold days continued, but I could hardly wait for spring.


    I understood that in a little while I wouldn¡¯t be sleeping in this bed anymore, I wouldn¡¯t eat meals where table manners are important, I wouldn¡¯t wear clothes made from nice fabrics or be blessed with spending time in a warm room. But there was me, who didn¡¯t think it was regrettable.


    A day might come when I¡¯m incredibly poor and I feel that my life then was good, but my future was full of freedom.


    It was a bit rough, but going shopping, helping out with work, helping my sisters prepare for evening parties, embroidering, and having my manners checked by Ms. Dolcie could be said to be the most peaceful and filling time I¡¯d had so far.


    A few days before the flowers blossom, my father talked about me being a commoner at dinner.


    ¡°Okay.¡± was all my sisters said. There was no regret in their tone, and they didn¡¯t seem like they wanted to stop me from doing it. Dinner finished as it always did.


    The next day, that information about me spread throughout the whole mansion from a maid who had served dinner the night before. Fortunately, or unfortunately, ¡°She is a noble until she becomes a commoner¡± was ordered from higher up, so I wasn¡¯t harassed and spent my days as I usually did.


    ???????


    The invitation arrived at the Thousand House a little while after it was flower blooming month, in the days when we used the bright red fireplace less and less, because it wasn¡¯t as cold anymore.


    A big ball for all nobles without spouses and fianc¨¦/fianc¨¦e was being held under the name of the Emperor of the Fernand Empire. The ball was held in the biggest sun room at the Royal Palace. It was held three days before my birthday.


    Of course, I was included in the participants.


    I had to participate because it was the Emperor¡¯s order.


    ¡­ His intentions were ¡¸I¡¯ll give you a place to meet unmarried people! ¡¹ But, Emperor-sama, what were you planning? The nobles of marriageable age¡­ are the ones I¡¯m really bad with.


    Older brother Guerlain knew that there was a catch like I did, and remained silent.


    On the other hand, upper rank nobles and royalty were normally hard to get close to, so my older sisters seized the chance to get closer to them. They were already scheming things inside their minds. They were in high spirits while their heads were full of delusions.


    There were less than 3 weeks until the ball.


    My sisters rushed off to get new dresses¡­ I was going to be a commoner soon, so I just had to adjust the dress I had to make it look more fashionable.


    My sisters asked Ms. Dolcie for special dance training¡­ It wasn¡¯t just me; my older brother Guerlain was also called to practice. It had been a while since all my siblings had gotten together.


    My sisters started to improve themselves¡­ They smeared a lot of products all over their body. I only put cream on my face. My femininity was probably really low.


    We steadily prepared for the ball.

 Chapter 22 - Preparing for the Ball

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so tired.¡±


    I tossed aside the dress I was embroidering and slipped into bed.


    I became tired as the day of the ball held by the Emperor approached.


    Despite the fact that my work hours had decreased, I still had special dance practice, I still had to embroider my sisters¡¯ new dresses and make adjustments to my own dress, so I was exhausted.


    I embroidered my sisters¡¯ initials intertwined in a rose, like I had on the handkerchief they¡¯d given away as a present, on the tip of the waist ribbons on their new dresses. The rose for older sister Catherine was deep crimson and older sister Rosalie had dark pink. They wanted the high ranking nobles, who they¡¯d given their handkerchiefs to, to remember them.


    I used my sisters¡¯ latest fashion dresses to adjust my own dress¡­ Hmm, should I adjust the faded hand-me-down ball dresses? Or the milk tea dress?


    The milk tea dress was definitely newer than the others. However, that dress was easy to move in, so it might have been a bit too short for balls, and the dress didn¡¯t puff out much. I thought of using this dress for special occasions when I become a commoner, so I didn¡¯t want to adjust it too much.


    ¡°If I wear a pannier underneath this, then it¡¯ll be shorter, wouldn¡¯t it? I wonder if I could adjust the less puffy pannier.¡±


    I pulled out some cloth, organdie and lace and pondered. Hmm. How do I make myself not stand out for better or for worse?


    ¡°How about doing this? Would this do?¡±


    I decided to make adjustments to the faded ball dress.


    I overlaid light blue organdie over the faded light purple dress to hide the fade. I didn¡¯t have that much organdie, so I only put it over some places.


    I made the tight chest area a little wider, and put some organdie over it so that it wouldn¡¯t show too much skin. I arranged the organdie into a small pop-out rose. I nipped the waist in because it was too wide. I wasn¡¯t boasting but my body was curvier than my sisters¡¯.


    The latest fashion was not to have the sleeves too bulge too much, so I tuck the sleeves to make them look smaller.


    I wonder if this looks more stylish now. Now all I had to do was try my hardest to adjust the dress. I was also good at sewing.


    ¡°Yup. This will do, it looks good.¡±


    My mother passed away and I had no one to talk to.


    Because of that, I started talking to myself whenever I was thinking. I started to have monologues with myself.


    Ms. Dolcie¡¯s special dance lessons were outstanding. I spent more time practicing than my older brothers and sisters, since they were busy. I could move my body more compared to nobles who spent all their time indoors. If I must say so myself, I danced quite well.


    I also learnt all the latest fashion trends. I tried my hardest with practice because I wanted to show Ms. Dolcie how well I could dance as a farewell present.


    ¡­ Even so, Ms. Dolcie thought that it was strange that I was able to dance so well. Her words, ¡°You can dance so well,¡± became a charm for me. Even though I didn¡¯t need any charms, I thought that it might come in handy as a special skill.


    I told Ms. Dolcie that I was going to become a commoner when we were finally alone together.


    ¡°You¡¯ve learnt mannerism and education that won¡¯t be embarrassing for a noble. It¡¯s such a shame that you¡¯re going to become a commoner. I want you to firmly take my lessons while you¡¯re still a noble.


    ¡°It would be my privilege. I¡¯m proud to be your student, Ms. Dolcie. Please teach me until the end.¡±


    Ah, Ms. Dolcie thought it was a shame that I wasn¡¯t going to be here anymore¡­ Her expression didn¡¯t change, but her voice changed a bit. She might have been polite, but I was grateful for her words. That one sentence of regret seeped through my heart.


    I wasn¡¯t one to give thanks while becoming emotional, so I thanked her politely.


    Incidentally, I wanted to give Ms. Dolcie something as thanks when I left the estate.


    I know. Let¡¯s give Ms. Dolcie and my family an embroidered handkerchief as a farewell present.


    They didn¡¯t have to use it, it was for my self-satisfaction.


    After that, I had to embroider more handkerchiefs, so my fatigue piled up.


    ¡°Argh, if the ball wasn¡¯t a week away then I wouldn¡¯t be suffering like this. I haven¡¯t prepared for when I become a commoner.¡±


    I said those words a lot whenever I was alone.


    I only saw him from afar at my high society debut, and I only knew what¡¯s written about him in the noble almanac, but I started to resent the Emperor.


    I could only deal with it by rubbing my stiff calves and rotating my shoulders around.

 Chapter 23 - Getting Ready as a Lady is Hard

    The carriage moved swiftly down the main street.


    I sat in the carriage, exhausted from the day. Ah, the corset¡¯s so tight.


    Only the four children of the Thousand House were inside the carriage. The ball held at the Royal Palace was only for single men and women. My father and Furore-sama are married so they wouldn¡¯t be attending this ball.


    My brother Guerlain sat next to me with his eyes closed. My sisters sat opposite me, squealing and giggling as they talked about something. They were really hyper.


    ???????


    I remembered the fuss in the morning.


    I somehow managed to readjust my dress yesterday.


    I reviewed the dance steps one last time and spent the rest of the time reading the noble almanac.


    Here, my sisters talked about things like how to behave at balls and who was popular since the only ball I¡¯d attended was my [High Society Debut Ball]. I learned about these things today, if they weren¡¯t lies that is¡­ I was planning to keep to myself, so it didn¡¯t really matter much. I heard that the food prepared for the ball is delicious, so of course I intend to use proper manners while eating the dishes prepared by the royal chefs.


    I didn¡¯t want to be glared at by the other ladies so I used the noble almanac to search up who were the popular men that I shouldn¡¯t approach.


    I went to bed early yesterday, so you couldn¡¯t see the bags that were always under my eyes lately. Ah, I¡¯m glad. If I still had them then I¡¯d definitely look ugly¡­  Although I couldn¡¯t say that my fatigue was gone.


    I quickly finished breakfast and headed straight to, my older sister, Catherine¡¯s room. I prepared the dress she would be wearing at the ball while she was taking a hot bath. Her maids helped her with her bath.


    After that, I did the same for, my other older sister, Rosalie as well. I was grateful that their rooms were close to each other.


    I used the remaining water while my sisters were putting various things on their bodies. But, I couldn¡¯t take my time and enjoy the hot water. It made things easier that I didn¡¯t have a maid attached to me. Catherine was in high spirits and gave me perfume. Wow, it smells like roses. I don¡¯t think I would have the opportunity to use something like this anymore, so I rubbed it all over my hair and skin.


    When I got out of the bath both of my sisters were in Catherine¡¯s room. They each had a maid put on their corsets for them¡­ They tightened the corsets as tight as they could. It was amazing to see this every time. They were super enthusiastic today.


    I also had my corset done by a free maid. But, they needed to start dressing my sisters, so my corset was loose for better or for worse. Well, it was great for me because I wasn¡¯t used to corsets.


    Catherine¡¯s dress was red. Her skirt was fluffy, but it didn¡¯t feel charming due to the colour. The waist ribbon that I had embroidered was black. Her dress gave off a sophisticated vibe.


    Rosalie¡¯s dress was light orange. The skirt part was eye-catching because of the colour gradient. It was full of lace and felt very fashionable.


    I also changed, following their example. I could feel their gazes on me.


    ¡°You were given that dress before, weren¡¯t you¡­? Well, it¡¯s become something that people can look at now, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s become a different dress, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    They reluctantly praised me.


    My sisters had their hair teased and wore their hair up. I passed the pin to the maids next to them when I was told to. It was fun to watch them braid and coil from this distance. This was the only time I could admire the maids styling hair. Time passed quickly and the hair-do was completed with hair ornaments.


    Once hair was done, it was time for make-up. I didn¡¯t usually wear make-up so it was fun to watch it being applied. Their eyeliner seemed to really make their pupils pop. My sisters¡¯ already sharp features became even clearer and the glossy lipstick made their lips look sexy.


    ¡°Ayesha-marie also needs her hair and make-up done today. Do you understand?¡± Catherine said as she sprayed perfume for the finishing touch. She checked her appearance many times in the mirror.


    My golden brown hair was only 20 cms pass my shoulders. It was just barely enough for it to be put up. How would they do my hair?


    The maid doing the hairdressing looked unconcerned and began moving her hands after she glanced at my face and hair. She twisted my hair and tied it in a big bun at the back of my head. The hair that she had curled around it was swaying¡­ Yup, it made me feel good for a short amount of time.


    Rosalie told me how to do my make-up, since I didn¡¯t know anything about make-up. I did as i was told and had lightly patted foundation powder on my face. My eyes and eyebrows were done by the maid. My eyeliner was thinner than my sisters¡¯. I put pale pink lipstick on and my make-up was done.


    When I looked in the mirror, the image I saw was that of a noble ojou-sama, different from how I usually looked. It made me uncomfortable and I averted my eyes.


    Sparkling necklaces had been put on my sisters¡¯ necks as the final touch.


    My finishing touch was a light blue organdie scarf embroidered with a rose. I attached the flower brooch, which I¡¯d received from Catherine before, in a way that wouldn¡¯t fall off.


    We, the daughters of a noble, boarded the carriage with our dresses and headed towards the Royal Palace.


    The ball was an informal one, so we didn¡¯t have to worry about the order in which we entered the room. That being the case, my sisters¡¯ took longer to get ready than usual¡­ They rushed out of the estate to board the carriage when our older brother, Guerlain, said, ¡°I want to avoid making a bad impression by being late.¡±


    I had a proper breakfast. For lunch I just grabbed a scone and drank a bit of apple juice. It had already become evening and I realized that I was hungry.


    I loosely thought, ¡°Anyhow, I won¡¯t be a noble anymore in three days, so it¡¯ll be great if I could spend that time peacefully.¡±

 Chapter 24 - After a Long Time, My Last Ball

    The carriage moved swiftly. It went up a tiny slope and past the gates leading to the Royal Palace. The guards at the gate quickly confirmed who was inside the carriage as it passed through the gates¡­ Oh, was this how they checked if a suspicious person was inside?


    They must have done the same thing when I had my debut, but I don¡¯t remember at all. I could experience it happening this time because I wasn¡¯t that nervous. I smiled wryly.


    I got off the carriage and we four siblings headed towards the sun room.


    We confirmed our names on the guest list on our way to the sun room. It seemed that everyone would be divided into groups for dancing. I was in the 5th group and separated from my brother and sisters. They probably planned something like this because the purpose of this ball was to increase the chance of meeting new people.


    There was over an hour until the ball started. I was glad that we didn¡¯t get here last minute.


    If you look around, you could see two types of people.


    ¡¸Those who didn¡¯t have a fianc¨¦/fianc¨¦e and were determined to find one at this ball¡¹and¡¸those who didn¡¯t want to come here today, but were forced to¡¹. No matter how you looked at it, the people who attended this ball were different from those who attended normal balls. It was also rare to see a large number of people in their 10s and 20s in one place.


    It was extremely fun to watch them.


    I was going to become a commoner soon and these nobles already have nothing to do with me, so a carefree thing for me. Also, I would be fine as long as I don¡¯t smear the Thousand House honour.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think escorts are needed today, so I¡¯m going to where my friends are. You can act on your own. Return to the carriage as soon as the ball finishes.¡± Using Guerlain¡¯s words as a sign, my siblings scattered away when we entered the venue.


    I received a drink from one of the waiters, who was wandering around the room, and moved to a nearby wall. I was going to observe people from here. I could pass time just by comparing the difference between the real person and what¡¯s written in the almanac. Since, I don¡¯t know anyone here.


    After a while, the fanfare sounded and lively music began playing.


    The Emperor and Imperial Prince made an appearance on the stage. I was far from them but I can still tell that they were glistening. As expected of the royal aura.


    It was the 3rd Imperial Prince. The 1st Imperial Prince was married and the 2nd had a fianc¨¦e. They had a 10 year old sister, but she couldn¡¯t attend this time because the minimum age was set at 15.


    Elegant dance music flowed throughout the venue after the Emperor¡¯s greetings. The groups will be dancing in sets, starting from group 1. I was in group 5 so I still had some time.


    I thought about getting something to eat and moved to the snack area.


    The meat looked so lustrous. The prawns were huge. The vegetables looked vibrant.


    I could tell that they used the best ingredients. You couldn¡¯t see these kinds of ingredients at the marketplace. They were probably purveyors to the royal house.


    I tired the marinated fish first. Wow, there was a mild sour taste to the fish and it was easy to eat. The sour taste wasn¡¯t produced from lemons. Lime¡­ No, it was shequasar.


    The roast beef was tender. The amount of salt on it was just perfect for me.


    The vegetables in the salad were crispy and fresh. The grilled vegetables were also cooked perfectly and I could taste the sweetness from it.


    The white sauce smelt nice. They used salt-free butter, didn¡¯t they?


    Woah, what¡¯s with this consomm¨¦ jelly? It was so transparent, they probably made it from chicken and beef. What¡¯s with this richness?


    I broke into a smile, because everything was so delicious.


    Of course, the meals at normal estates were also delicious, but I guess the Royal Palace was more refined.


    Cooking methods always came to my mind whenever I ate, because I helped out in the kitchen at home. The chefs¡¯ hard work comes to my mind.


    ¡°Eating is definitely a way to repay the chefs¡¯ for their hard work.¡±


    Yup, I muttered and kept eating.


    There were several people around me who were devoted to eating like I was.


    ¡­ But, there were a lot of people who were eating vulgarly. I wasn¡¯t going to see who they were in the noble almanac.


    I have to be careful as not to look vulgar while eating. I tried eating small portions of a large quantity of food. I was glad that I was weaken by my corset. Even though they were snacks, there were just too many different kinds of desserts. I wonder if I can try them all.


    I watched the dance progress as I ate.


    There were about 20 people per ground. They were forced to dance and make contact with the opposite sex.


    ¡­ Hmm, did they not separate us by age or rank? How did they split us up? This ball is really informal.


    Groups were formed everywhere in the sun room. I wonder if the higher rank nobles were at the centre of them. It was better for me not to go near there. I did want to see their popular faces up close, but I didn¡¯t want to incur the wrath of the young ladies. So I stayed away from there.


    I was used to not caring about it even if someone said something, so it was fine. Even if they said something that hurt my feelings. It didn¡¯t matter if they said something about my half-blood status, because it was true.


    I was aware that I mistrust others, especially nobles.


    Therefore, I¡¯ll do the minimum when concerning myself with them.


    I knew that there were young men who were trying to approach me when I ate in silence. At those times, I would casually distance myself from them. If I knew them, then I wouldn¡¯t be able to do something like this, but I didn¡¯t.


    Group 5 was called to the dance floor while I was doing that. I also have to go.


    We lined up separately according to gender. A young man with silky brown hair and long bangs was standing in front of me. If I can¡¯t see their eyes then I can¡¯t recall who they are from the noble almanac. There were a lot of people with brown hair. He looked plain. It was probably because of his clothes.


    I might be okay with having such a plain person as my first dance partner. Still, I was getting more and more nervous. I haven¡¯t danced with another man except for Guerlain since my debut.


    I straightened up my back, bowed, took my partner¡¯s hand and prepared to dance.


    (Woah, my hands are throbbing like my heart.)


    A slow song began playing to start the dance.


    We began to dance to the beat of the music.


    (Woah, he put his hands on my back. Nope, don¡¯t mind, don¡¯t mind.)


    Yup, it felt good. It was light. Dancing is really fun after all.


    When I began to dance, I was able to move my hands and legs freely according to the song. This could be the result of my training, or my partner was just good at leading. I began to smile as my arms and legs moved.


    When my partner turned, his bangs swished out of the way and I was able to see his eyes, no, I was able to see his face clearly.


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    The eyes I saw were amber. It was a really rare colour. Only Roberto-sama, the Prime Minister¡¯s son came to mind when I thought of a man of around 20 years, 180 cm tall with brown hair and amber eyes. His real personality wasn¡¯t plain at all. He was one of the people that everyone was aiming for.


    I realised that my face had paled.


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve noticed who I am, but please don¡¯t make a big fuss. Lady Ayesha-marie, let¡¯s enjoy our dance.¡± He said and pulled me closer to him. I felt him staring at me, but I didn¡¯t meet his eyes.


    (What¡¯s with him? He¡¯s being overly-familiar. Looks like he knows my name.)


    I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s used to woman or if this was normal for him, so I was careful not to get too close to him.


    We changed partners at the end of each song.


    ¡°Lady Ayesha-marie. Afterwards, ¡°Thank you very much. Farewell¡±.¡±


    It was good mannerism for a lady, but I was interrupted by Roberto-sama. That was close, how dangerous. I wanted to avoid getting deeply involved with him.


    Anyway, I don¡¯t expect to meet high ranking nobles after today.


    I put on my best smile and thanked Roberto-sama the best I knew how and quickly took the hands of my next partner.


    I managed to dance with half of my group and I was feeling more mentally tired than physically tired.


    I became anxious when I saw a tint of blonde hair at the corner of my eyes. Don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s the person who I thought would never have anything to do with me.


    Mm, today, only today. Just a little more and then it¡¯ll be over, I encouraged myself.

 Chapter 25 - Dessert Time

    Even though I loved dancing.


    I saw a tint of blonde hair at the corner of my eyes after my dance with Roberto and lost all motivation to dance. I always get a bad feeling whenever I see blonde hair. I wanted to run away from here more and more.


    Of course, that blonde hair person was someone out of my reach, His Highness Ludens.


    I wanted to praise myself for maintaining a polite noble image without running away.


    As a result I danced with all the men in group 5.


    Also in group 5 behind His Highness was the Imperial Knight, Lancel-sama with his short black hair and black eyes and Leyard-sama, the owner of a beautiful voice, violet eyes and curly blonde hair.


    If I think the ladies only yearn for His Highness Ludens and Roberto-sama, then how could all 4 from His Highness¡¯ close friends be in group 5! Even if they were close friends, they should separate in a place like this. Did they use their power to get into the same group? Woah, are they kids!?


    Ah, do they not have fianc¨¦es because they always hang around males? ¡­ But I¡¯ll admit that they¡¯re respectable gentlemen for not looking down on me, the half-blood commoner.


    I wanted to retort a lot, but I gave it my all and didn¡¯t retort at all.


    My HP points are already rapidly decreasing. 1)


    Still, it was my life¡¯s treasure to see the faces of those who had nothing but their good looks.


    Ah, I¡¯m so tired. Let¡¯s eat dessert to feel better.


    I quickly turned and ran away when I finished dancing and went back to the snack area where the desserts were.


    ???????


    As expected of desserts made from the royal chefs, they were also delicious. They knew that it wouldn¡¯t be delicious if it was only sweet. They¡¯re always on point.


    The cookies were crumbly and mouth melting. I wanted to take them home.


    The elasticity of the jelly was excellent. It glowed like gems.


    The tart had a perfect balance of custard and fruits. I wanted to eat this custard until I was full.


    The mousse had a smooth texture. The chocolate mousse was exquisite. The scent of the cocoa flowed into my nose.


    I¡¯m glad I danced and emptied my stomach a little.


    It was too bad that I couldn¡¯t have cake because I didn¡¯t have any more space in my stomach.


    Still, this was enough to clear away my fatigue from before¡­ Ah, I feel so happy. I couldn¡¯t eat things like this anymore so I had to savour it.


    The dance had finished and the four, who ladies wanted to get close to the most, were surrounded by carnivorous ladies straight away.


    Well, they did find out who the Imperial Prince was. If they waited until the dance ended then they could easily approach him.


    ¡°Everyone, we¡¯re tired from dancing so won¡¯t you let us rest?¡±


    ¡°Ladies, won¡¯t you let the Imperial Prince rest? I would thank you for your thoughtfulness.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but please let me through.¡±


    If you looked at the four carefully, you could see that they weren¡¯t here to find fianc¨¦e candidates. They weren¡¯t with certain ladies for more than the necessary amount of time. The ladies, who were heart-eyed next to them, didn¡¯t know this.


    Leyard-sama and Lancel-sama said after the Imperial Prince whose words sounded sharp. The four men passed the ladies, who had flinched, and went to a separate room to take a break.


    I watched Roberto-sama, who was headed the same way as the other 3, suddenly turn and walk towards the snack area.


    He hid behind a wall, dropped his bangs and loosened his clothes. He had diminished his presence. He had completed the plain man look.


    There, another man joined him. It was Earl Noir.


    ¡°Roberto-sama. Are you having a good evening? It seems like you were able to make good contact with your targets.¡±


    ¡°Eidos-dono. Your information was put to use. I got plenty of reactions from the targets. There were some stubborn ladies, though.¡±


    ¡°Stubborn ladies? Are you talking about Lady Ayesha-marie?¡±


    ¡°I am. She¡¯s completely different from the rumours. All she does is eat. She doesn¡¯t look like she has a weak constitute. She was good at dancing, but she doesn¡¯t seem good at conversation. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s a prodigy at drawing up documents from this. However, she¡¯s good at running away from people, probably because she doesn¡¯t leave her estate. She probably anticipated this. I can¡¯t get close to her, so I can¡¯t judge how she is.¡±


    ¡°Should I help you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks.¡±


    Two people approached me as I was enjoying the desserts.


    I, who was avoiding the two approaching, could not avoid Earl Noir, who was coming at me from the front. Even if it was just him, he was a good acquaintance.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Lady Ayesha-marie. Are you having fun?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯m having fun. Earl Noir-sama.¡±


    I had a neutral conversation with him, so I didn¡¯t notice another person approaching from behind. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything but ill-intention if they erase their presence while approaching.


    ¡°Eidos-dono, won¡¯t you introduce this young lady to me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Eidos nodded and the man stood next to him.


    I looked up and saw a face I¡¯ve seen just a while ago. Woah, he put his bangs down again.


    I looked down so that they wouldn¡¯t see my stiff expression. I don¡¯t look shy, do I?


    (I even tried to stay away from him, damn.)


    ¡°Roberto-sama, this is Lady Ayesha-marie from the Thousand House. She doesn¡¯t get out often, but she came to the ball today, so I called out to her.¡±


    Roberto-sama combed his bangs up a little and looked at me.


    (Are you trying to intimidate me? Stop that!)


    The voice in my heart was sealed. I pinched my dress a little, kneeled, smiled and greeted him.

 Chapter 26 - The Temptations of Yolk Pudding

    Amber eyes were also called wolf eyes. It was close to amber and it was a little scary to be stared at by Roberto-sama¡¯s almond-ish eyes.


    Unlike before, his eyes weren¡¯t overly friendly. They were somewhat overbearing and unpleasant.


    ¡°Lady Ayesha-marie, this is Roberto du Edenbach. I think you know this, he is the son of Prime Minister Edenbach. He works as an assistant to the Vice-Minister, where I got to know him.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Edenbach-sama, I am sorry for earlier. I don¡¯t go out to social functions much. I¡¯m sorry if I made you uncomfortable with my carelessness.¡±


    (I won¡¯t say that I don¡¯t want to get involved with him. Oh yeah, he¡¯s a Marquis¡¯ son, isn¡¯t he.)


    ¡°Your dancing was very good. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had fun. Also, I¡¯m not at work right now so please don¡¯t call me Edenbach-sama.¡±


    (Even though I called him that on purpose. I don¡¯t want to get close to him.)


    ¡°Just call me Roberto. Since I¡¯m calling you Lady Ayesha-marie.¡±


    ¡°Ah, hah. Roberto-sama, was it?¡±


    ¡°Well then call me Eidos as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. Alright. Eidos-sama, was it?¡±


    What, why do I have to please these people? I¡¯m troubled if you tell me to call you by your name.


    From my father, I heard that my reputation was bad because I don¡¯t attending balls or tea parties, so why are they trying to get involved with me?


    Was it common to call nobles by their name if they¡¯re acquainted with each other?


    It was a simple introduction. I was asked about how I met Eidos-sama and what I was doing instead of attending social functions.


    They also heard about me from the tax officer, Marquis Oslo, so they also asked questions about the documents I made.


    I didn¡¯t say anything about why I didn¡¯t show up at social functions. It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t show up, I wasn¡¯t allowed to show up. I didn¡¯t say that.


    I¡¯ll say this clearly, there was no love component in our conversation. If I had to say it then our conversation was about business.


    If they asked a question then I would answer. As long as it wouldn¡¯t cause problems for the Thousand House.


    But, I wasn¡¯t the one who started the conversation, because I wanted it to end faster.


    Strangely, no one else joined in on our conversation. Even though everyone¡¯s target was standing right here.


    It has been a long time since I¡¯ve talked to someone for this long and it became agonising.


    Not to mention, they were gentlemen of a higher-rank. They were too different from what I was normally used to and I was nervous the whole time.


    The desserts were lined up on the table and there were things I still haven¡¯t eaten yet; so it wasn¡¯t unreasonable that my eyes were drawn to them.


    I wished they¡¯d talk to me after I finish eating all these desserts.


    The jiggly yolk pudding. Yup, I want to eat it.


    If I don¡¯t eat everything today, then I probably won¡¯t be able to eat anything made by the royal chefs anymore.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve lived as a noble since I was born but I¡¯ll become a commoner in 3 days. Since I¡¯m becoming a commoner, why do I have to get involved with such high-ranking nobles and royalty?!¡± I wanted to scream.


    However, I couldn¡¯t do that right now in the Royal Palace¡¯s sun room.


    No matter how angry I was, Ms. Dolcie drove this fact into me, ¡°A noble is someone who looks calm and has a smile on their face.¡±


    (If I don¡¯t get away from these people, I won¡¯t have time to eat the pudding.)


    Roberto-sama extended an invitation to me as I was thinking that, ¡°There are more paintings and art works at the Royal Palace compared to the library. You should visit.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t go out without my father¡¯s permission.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case then call the political affairs department with my name.¡±


    (I¡¯m sure he knows that I¡¯m refusing the offer. How insistent.)


    ¡°I¡¯m happy with your feelings, but I¡¯ll be leaving to somewhere far soon. I appreciate it, but I must refuse your invitation.¡±


    I smiled and ended the conversation.


    It¡¯s the truth, you know. I won¡¯t be a noble anymore. I¡¯ll be living in a city outside of the Royal Capital.


    Roberto-sama and Eidos-sama looked at each other, their face showed that they¡¯d given up.


    I¡¯m sure Roberto-sama has never had his invitation declined by a noble lady before. It doesn¡¯t matter to me if his impression of me changed for the worse. It was more problematic for me if my sisters found out who I was talking to.


    And then, ¡°I think my sisters are calling me, so if you¡¯d excuse me,¡± I used my manners and headed towards the toilet. They probably can¡¯t follow me like this, right? I finished with my business and returned to the yolk pudding.


    ???????


    ¡°She ran away.¡±


    ¡°I know. She didn¡¯t seem interested in me at all. But, I know what sort of person she is now. Looks like I can use her.¡±


    ¡°I would be overjoyed if I was of help to everyone.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m curious about what she meant by, ¡®I¡¯ll be leaving somewhere far¡¯.¡±


    ¡°What if it was just a lie to get away from us?¡±


    ¡°Should I do a little background check on her?¡±


    They called a waiter and took some wine. They drank it fast and then headed to separate places.

 Chapter 27 - A Secret Conversation in a Separate Room

    A young man walked on the soft, fluffy carpet through the Royal Palace corridors. There were similar doors lined up on both sides of the corridors. He stood in front of one of them and knocked.


    ©`©` KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    A stern guard opened the door from within. Even though this was inside of the Royal Palace, there were even more guards inside. Probably because a high-ranking noble was inside.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you Roberto. Thanks for coming here, you¡¯re the last one.¡±


    Inside was Imperial Prince Fernand 1) and his companions¡­ Leyard-sama and Lancel-sama. They both turned towards Roberto and lightly raised their hand in greeting.


    They were relaxing on the sofa and on the table was a bottle of cider and snacks to go with it.


    Roberto sat on the sofa next to Imperial Prince Fernand.


    He folded his legs together, picked up a cup and poured himself some low-alcohol cider.


    ¡°Everyone has gathered. I¡¯ll say it again, thanks for coming. Seems like you managed to make contact with each of your targets.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just as Roberto said. There are talented people hidden within those who don¡¯t appear in high society. The fellow I was in charge of was really shy, but their knowledge in sword techniques is really something. Their great ability shows on their body. Regardless of their status, it was really fun to talk with them about sword techniques. I was able to make arrangements, and would be taking them to visit the Royal Palace.¡± Lancel, the person in charge of Imperial Prince Fernand¡¯s bodyguards, said.


    ¡°The girls I was in charge of were also wonderful. They¡¯re reserved and it¡¯s cute when they react to all my gestures. The first person has never left this kingdom before, but her language pronunciation was perfect. Of course, her reading and writing were also perfect. The second person is really good with the violin. If it¡¯s true that she¡¯s self-taught, then she could become this kingdom¡¯s best player if she had a teacher. Both of them are coming to the Royal Palace to be introduced to a teacher. I think they could become very influential in foreign diplomacy.¡± Leynard, the person in charge of Imperial Prince Fernand¡¯s foreign diplomacy, said.


    ¡°Both of you did well. My target didn¡¯t show any interest in me. I was able to hear some information about her, but unfortunately I couldn¡¯t arrange to meet again. As the rumours said, her administrative capabilities seem high. She¡¯s sharp and she has no interest in us, so I thought that it¡¯d be fine to use her. A woman who follows us around won¡¯t do work, after all.¡± Roberto, the person in charge of Prince Fernand¡¯s office, said.


    Everyone gave brief descriptions of their target.


    ¡°The information that Eidos brought seemed to have been helpful. It¡¯s great that the ball father had prepared was effective for drawing out those who don¡¯t appear in high society. Really, I don¡¯t mind that I was born as the third prince and had no one capable that could become my aide. Instead, I was blessed to have you guys as my childhood friends.¡±


    Prince Fernand had a sparkling and charming smile on his face even though he was a man.


    The four lifted their glasses once again and clinked it together. Then they tasted the cider.


    ¡°Even so, group 5 was a gathering of all the estranged people from high society, but they¡¯re all very proper.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. It means that they can act proper when the time calls for it.¡±


    ¡°Among them, was it Lady Ayesha-marie? That kid¡¯s dancing skills are amazing. She can also dance the latest steps, can¡¯t she? It¡¯s a shame she doesn¡¯t appear at any evening parties.¡±


    ¡°According to the rumour, she doesn¡¯t want to leave the house herself, but it seems more like her father doesn¡¯t allow her to leave. And she refused the invitation to the Royal Palace because she said she¡¯s going far away for business.¡±


    ¡°The red-haired children of the Thousand House appear in high society, do they not? So she¡¯s the only one who¡¯s not allowed out? Even while we were dancing, she didn¡¯t try to have a proper look at my face. She was certainly polite, but she didn¡¯t try to get close to me. ¡­ There¡¯s no problems if we can use her. Can you get secure Lady Ayesha-marie somehow?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll probe around using the people from Edenbach House. I¡¯ll make my move as soon as I get their report.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you. Now then, everyone, we should return to the venue soon. If we, the attraction of the ball, are not there, then we¡¯ll receive the ladies¡¯ complaints. Before strange rumours start up, if you meet a good lady don¡¯t hesitate to deepen your relationship with her.¡±


    Everyone went back to the venue upon Imperial Prince Fernand¡¯s words.


    ???????


    Meanwhile, I finished eating the yolk pudding and my stomach was bloated. I spent my time slipping through the nobles while observing them.


    I should burn the image of a dreamy noble ball into my mind.


    Elegant music, magnificent chandelier lights and fluffy carpets. I firmly burnt those into my five senses.


    On the other hand, I didn¡¯t notice that I had been the topic of discussion for the future key figures of this kingdom¡­

 Chapter 28 - Preparing and Tidying Up

    The King gave his farewell greetings and left the ball. Prince Fernand gave the closing greetings and the ball ended.


    The colourful dresses were like colour waves as everyone left the venue. I was also one of them as I left.


    On the return carriage, my older sisters seemed very happy that they were able to make contact with their intended gentlemen. Even if I was watching them, they looked very pleasant as they talked while they blushed and acted embarrassed.


    Even my older brother, while clumsy, tried hard to make contact with a lady. His body gave off the smell of perfume when I got closer. It seemed they got quite close.


    It could be said that the King¡¯s plan was accomplished greatly at my House.


    If I had stayed in the Thousand House forever, I might meet my brother-in-laws and sister-in-law in the near future.


    Everyone seemed as if they were thinking about themselves and talked with me a little, ¡°I¡¯m glad I was able to experience this once in a lifetime ball,¡± ¡°The food the royal chefs cooked was delicious, wasn¡¯t it?¡± and ¡°You probably won¡¯t be able to meet a large number of nobles like this anymore, would you?¡±


    I was really glad that I wasn¡¯t honest when they asked me questions like ¡°Who did you talk to?¡± and ¡°Who did you interact with?¡± If Roberto-sama¡¯s name was dragged up I wonder how they would question me¡­


    When I got home, I was surprised that father and Furore-sama came out to greet us.


    Seeing them embrace my sisters and try to calm them down made me feel as if they are family, and I felt alienated. But my feelings went back to normal when I remembered that, ¡°I would be out of here in 3 days.¡±


    I returned to my room, undid my hair and changed my dress.


    I took off my gloves and remembered reality when I saw my roughish hands.


    I returned to my normal appearance and realised that the dreamlike ball had finished. My elevated feelings disappeared and a sense of loss arose.


    I shook my head so that my heart wouldn¡¯t be filled with that feeling. I diligently removed the organdie I sewed onto the dress.


    ???????


    The day after the ball, my father called me into his office early in the morning.


    He was doing a final confirmation about me ¡®becoming a commoner¡¯. Of course my answer was, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Then, he explained how I would be brought out of the estate and about payment for my temporary living cost.


    ¡°Prepare to leave the estate in 3 days.¡±


    ¡°Mm, I want to buy a pair of street clothes, would I be allowed to go into town?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you can use the carriage. You can take 20,000 G (gold) with you to cover the costs. You need things other than street clothes, don¡¯t you? I¡¯ll tell the grand chamberlain, so you can take it before you go.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    I bowed deeply. I wonder how many times I will talk to my father like this¡­ Such thought crossed my mind.


    I checked all my belongings in my room.


    I only have left-over dresses for dances. No one wore dresses that flare out at the hem except for nobles. I don¡¯t need corsets either. It would be weird if I wear maid-like dresses as street clothes.


    I¡¯ll bring lingerie and my embroidered stoles. I also want to bring the milk tea coloured dress.


    I have to buy a big bag.


    Would it be possible for me to bring accessories, like the brooch that my sisters gave me?


    Afterwards, I want to bring my handicraft materials and sewing box. I also need a sketchbook.


    I also want to bring my mother¡¯s clothes as a memento.


    I¡¯ll have to go to the gardener¡¯s shack.


    I want to clean the place that I¡¯ve been using up until now.


    There are so many things I have to do.


    I received the money from the grand chamberlain and I, wearing the maid-like clothes, went to the shopping district just a little far from the estate in a carriage.


    I got off the carriage, confirmed when I would be picked up and walked onto the streets alone.


    I have no escort.


    I was used to talking with the people in the city by buying things at the market. So it¡¯ll work out somehow.


    This was the first time I¡¯ve ever been to this shopping district. It was useful to search a little about the Royal Capital in the library. Many shops sold clothes, accessories, shoes and other things.


    I ignored the shops that displayed the latest fashion.


    My first purpose was a second hand clothes shop.


    I chose a shop with lots of traffic and entered. I got a simple faded red tunic dress and blue tight pants. For my shoes, I chose a flat brown pair of flats. The cold wind still blew, so I also bought a light mint coat. I received money after all.


    Next, the lingerie shop.


    I certainly wanted to avoid using a second hand lingerie shop. I usually received high quality fabric lingerie at the estate, so I bought some simple cotton ones. It was difficult to care for such luxurious and fluttery lingerie.


    Next was the bag shop.


    I chose 2 cheap and big bags. The big bags only came in black. It was a bit rugged for me to have, but there was nothing I could do about it. These were for both my hands, now I needed to pick a shoulder bag. I bought a light brown one with lots of pockets so that it could also be used for shopping.


    I packed up the bags I bought and went home.


    I went to the kitchen and helped the chefs for as long as I could.


    This was the only thing I could do to repay all the people at the kitchen.


    I cleaned up the gardener¡¯s cabin. My heart squeezed at the thought of not being able to come here anymore.


    There weren¡¯t many things here, but my mother¡¯s memento, her shawl was here. I asked the elder gardener couple to get rid of all the other household items in here. It would probably turn into money somehow. It was a shame that this was the only way I could repay them.


    Lastly, I went to the gardener cabin shed. I moved the water jug that had accumulated a lot of water and removed a board from the floor.


    There was a small flower vase under the board. Inside was some cash. It was the money that mother and I had done our best to save. I¡¯m glad, no one has stolen it. I transferred it into my wallet. I¡¯ll make good use of it at my new place.


    ???????


    The days passed by in the blink of an eye.


    I woke up in a good mood. Today is my birthday. It is the day when I¡¯m no longer a noble.


    Yesterday I cleaned every nook and cranny of the room I¡¯ve been using for so many years. I wiped the floors and washed the faded curtains. Let¡¯s overlook washing the sheets I used last night.


    I look around the room again. I brush my hands gently across the desk, chair and window frames.


    I change into a maid-like outfit.


    Then I take a big deep breath and head to help with breakfast.

 Chapter 29 - Farewell Morning

    ¡°Good morning. I¡¯m here to help you.¡± I went to the kitchen and greeted them in a louder voice than usual.


    I wiped my hands on the apron and the head chef, Tom appeared at the entrance.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you Ojou-san. Morning. Today¡¯s the last day you¡¯ll be at the estate, right? Today¡¯s breakfast is omelette made with lots of butter. Commoners also eat omelettes but they only use a little bit of butter. I¡¯ll make the most delicious omelette for your last day here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    I¡¯ve gotten close enough to Tom to have conversations like this.


    I washed the salad vegetables and potatoes. I¡¯ve become really good at peeling potatoes.


    The potatoes became German potato in Tom¡¯s hands. He put plenty of thick bacon in the dish and the potatoes smoked with the taste of bacon became a gem.


    I helped the servants with the food preparations.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s fine for you to go back soon. Good job.¡±


    ¡°Likewise, thank you for teaching me how to cook.¡±


    I lifted the hem of my skirt slightly and curtsied like a noble and then turned to everyone in the kitchen and bowed deeply.


    ???????


    I changed from my maid-like clothes into my hand-me-down dress. This would also be the last time I wear my maid-like clothes.


    It was rare to see all my family members at breakfast.


    They might have been considerate towards me.


    Like Tom had said, the omelette that was served at breakfast was full of butter. I dipped bread into the overflowing butter and ate it.


    But no matter how much I ate, it was still delicious.


    As usual, they complained about today¡¯s schedule and talked about what happened yesterday; they talked about the usual unattractive things between eating.


    Deep roasted coffee was served at the end of breakfast.


    ¡°Ayesha-marie, you¡¯ll leave the house at 9 o¡¯clock and go to the Noble Registry section at the Royal Palace. Come to the entrance before then.¡± Father said and left the dining room.


    Furore-sama followed.


    ¡°You guys, make sure to do your final greetings properly.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll come to say my farewells to the youngest child.¡±


    ¡°Ayesha-marie, I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    My brother and sisters also left. It seemed like they would give me their final farewells.


    I returned to my room.


    I pulled out the piece of paper that I¡¯d stuffed into the bed before.


    I¡¯d narrowed the destination that I¡¯d go to when I became a commoner to two places. In the end, I decided on a city called Coolden, northwest of the Royal Capital. Father¡¯s fief was in the southeast, in the opposite direction of Coolden. I¡¯d thought that it would be better if I chose a place that gave me a less chance of meeting someone I knew.


    Coolden had a large forest to the north; it wasn¡¯t a tourist city, but a city that flourished in forestry.


    I changed into my milk tea coloured dress.


    Looking around my room once again, I sighed and said a single phrase.


    ¡°Thanks for everything.¡±


    I lowered my head at the room that had no one in it.


    I had the big black bag in both hands and my shoulder bag on my back. If an unfamiliar person saw me, they would wonder what was happening.


    When I went to the entrance hall, Ms. Dolcie was there. I shouldn¡¯t have any class today, so did she go out of her way to come see me?


    I stood in front of Ms. Dolcie, lifted my hem, bent my legs a little and gave her the best curtsy for a noble.


    ¡°I have learnt a lot of things from Ms. Dolcie. I am proud to be your student. Thank you for everything.¡±


    ¡°I hope that you will make good use of what I taught you.¡±


    Ms. Dolcie gave me a notebook.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good idea for you to write down new things you learn. Knowledge would definitely be useful for you.¡±


    I gave her an embroidered handkerchief with a lily on it which meant respect. If it¡¯s her, then she should understand the language of flowers.


    I smiled and bowed deeply at her again.


    My family members had all gathered while Ms. Dolcie and I were saying our farewell greetings.


    I gave father and brother different coloured handkerchiefs embroidered with the family crest. The cogwheel and owl family crest would probably be eye-catching.


    Furore-sama received a handkerchief embroidered with cattleya 1) which represented brilliance.


    Catherine received a lily of the valley that represented happiness and Rosalie received a handkerchief embroidered with a violet, which represented prettiness.


    ¡°Thank you for taking care of me. It isn¡¯t much but this is my thanks to you. I pray with my whole heart that you would prosper further and be even happier.¡±


    I also gave my best curtsy to everyone just as I had done to Ms. Dolcie.


    It seemed that everyone in my family didn¡¯t expect me to present them with a handkerchief each. They still thanked me while confused¡­¡­ It was the first time I¡¯ve heard something like ¡°Thank you,¡± from Furore-sama.


    ¡°Then father, please take me to the Royal Palace.¡± I puffed my chest out with pride and said.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Furore-sama wanted us to wait. My face stiffened instinctively.


    ¡°Take this.¡±


    She took my right hand and dropped a ring with a red gem onto it. I¡¯ve seen her wear this ring before. Is it garnet?


    While my mind was blank, she said, ¡°Live a healthy life,¡± and left the entrance hall.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold back, just take it.¡± Father told me.


    I put the ring into my pocket while puzzled.


    The servants were all lined up when we left the entrance hall and went outside. The grand chamberlain, head maid, sisters¡¯ maids, chamberlains, chefs and servants were all there.


    The grand chamberlain quickly took my black bag and loaded it onto the carriage.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed on me. I wasn¡¯t used to it, so it was a painful. Even so, I calmly walked towards the carriage.


    I turned back to everyone before getting onto the carriage.


    ¡°¡°¡°Take care.¡±¡±¡±


    It was the first time they¡¯d seen me off and also the last.


    ¡°I¡¯m off.¡±


    I displayed my best noble manners to everyone and bowed deeply again. Then, I followed father onto the carriage.


    (If they do something like this at the end, then I wouldn¡¯t be able to hold a grudge against them, now can I?)


    I stared at the far sky from the carriage window.

 Chapter 30 - Noble Registry Section

    Today was the 25th of the flower blooming month. My 16th birthday.


    According to the calendar, it could be counted as spring, but the flowers have only just began to bloom. The atmosphere was still cold.


    The sky was blue and magnolia bloomed on the road to the Royal Palace, where the horse was running along, informing them that it was spring.


    Father was silent inside the carriage. But, he kept looking at me enough for me to be embarrassed. Many times he opened his mouth to say something but stopped.


    I couldn¡¯t put up with it and turned my gaze to my feet. Silence ruled the inside of the carriage.


    We finally arrived at the Royal Palace.


    The carriage stopped at the same place as it did at the time of the ball. The difference was that this time, we headed towards a rustic stone building near the carriage stop. It was in the right-wing in front of the Royal Palace.


    Incidentally, the place where the ball was held was inside of the Royal Palace and the Imperial Guards stayed in the left-wing in front of the Royal Palace.


    I followed after father who seemed to know the place of the noble registry section.


    The front of the Royal Palace didn¡¯t just have royals, a mixture of people from this kingdom were here; chamberlains, maids, merchants, commoners, civil officials and knights. They worked here.


    We wrote our names down at the reception as soon as we entered the right-wing. We ascended to the 2nd floor where the Fernand Empire¡¯s family registry section was. At the very end was the noble registry section.


    I filled out the forms as soon as I¡¯d arrived here, just like father had informed me beforehand.


    It was a section for nobles indeed. There were sofas and when one sat down, tea was poured for them.


    A serious-looking person with a bushy moustache interacted with us.


    ¡°The applicant is Ayesha-marie Org du Thousand-sama, yes? Child of Allen du Thousand, isn¡¯t that right? You became an adult today.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Today, you are applying to be ¡®removed from the noble registry and moved to the commoner one¡¯, is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I answered the questions and continued to fill out the form.


    Err, the reason. Father is sitting next to me so it was a little bit hard to write it down.


    I couldn¡¯t possibly write, ¡®I get treated badly and don¡¯t see it getting better. I¡¯d rather be a commoner.¡¯ So I wrote what I told father before, ¡®I want to live with my own power and make a friend I could talk equally with.¡¯


    If they investigate it later, then they¡¯ll find out the truth. Will the staff here do the investigation? The application was finished after  I signed it and father signed the approval field.


    ¡°Then, we will take care of this application. Later, it will be passed around the other sections and then finally, it will be approved once the King approves of it.¡±


    ¡°Is it not accepted when you receive the application?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is only a place for you to apply and the final judge of this investigation is the King. At any rate, the King exist because of nobles and nobles exist because of the King. Therefore, let¡¯s just say that your position until your application is approved is not that of a noble, but a temporary commoner.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    The arrangement was crazy. I thought that I would be a commoner straight away.


    My father, standing next to me, made a funny face.


    ¡°I will make your temporary ID, so please sign that.¡±


    It¡¯s fine if I just sign it as Ayesha-marie Org, right? Org was mother¡¯s surname.


    I received my temporary ID and we excused ourselves from the noble registry section. I needed to come here again to see if the application has been accepted.


    Somehow, my anxiety started swelling up.


    ¡­¡­ No, I can¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve come this far. I have to look at what¡¯s in front of me.


    ???????


    The Thousand House parent and child left and the door to the noble registry section closed.


    Immediately after, the door at the back of the room opened.


    The person who had appeared was Roberto, he had his long brown hair combed neatly to the back. He had a lot more presence than he did at the ball.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m in time.¡±


    ¡°Is this ok? I¡¯ve received the application, but forcefully persuading her that it can¡¯t be accepted without the King¡¯s permission leaves a bad taste in my mouth.¡±


    ¡°It stipulates that in the law, doesn¡¯t it? ¨D¨D Only if accepted ¨D¨D, it states. It¡¯s clear that the final decision lies with the King. I¡¯ll take the application.¡±


    Roberto, with eyes like a wolf who¡¯d just grabbed his prey, raised the corners of his mouth.


    ¡°That Ojou-san, it felt like she really wanted to become a commoner, didn¡¯t it? Why won¡¯t you let her be one?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like she can¡¯t be one. But not right now.¡±


    Roberto waved the piece of document and said, ¡°Thanks for your efforts,¡± before he too left the noble registry section.


    ¡°Ha, the 3rd Imperial Prince is also malicious¡­¡±


    ???????


    Father and I returned to the carriage stop.


    ¡°Ayesha-marie. Are you ok? You can¡¯t take it back now¡­¡­ This is my farewell gift. It¡¯s a social status certificate with my signature. If you show this then a firm or noble will hire you. Use it as validation.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern. I have also become an adult. I¡¯ll live with my own power somehow. Thank you very much for listening to my request. And also thank you so much for raising me until now¡­ This is where we part.¡±


    I received my 2 black bags from the coachman.


    I placed the bags onto the ground, turned towards father and graciously gave my last noble bow.


    ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    I made my words clear and also included my gratitude. I courteously bowed deeply.


    I took my bags again, turned around and started walking. I didn¡¯t look behind me anymore.


    Father continued to stare at me as I walked wobbly with my big bag in my hand and shoulder bag on my back, until I turned around the corner and disappeared.


    ¡°¡­ When you¡¯re really in trouble depend on me, Ayesha-marie.¡±


    Father muttered so quietly that he was the only one who could hear it.

 Chapter 31 - Moved Forcibly

    I, myself, was high and proud to start walking down my new path of life. However, no matter how you looked at it, my figure that was walking unsteadily with big luggage on hand was unacceptable.


    Occasionally, I could hear people ¡¸chuckling¡¹around me.


    (I knew it, it¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it? Like this, I won¡¯t be chased even if I accidentally stole someone¡¯s luggage.)


    I have to go to the Commerce Guild before I catch my carriage to my destination.


    The guild that I was heading to was the Empire National Commerce Guild, ¡ºCrown¡»¡­ It was a clich¨¦ name. Still it was a reliable guild that could be found in any major city.


    Father opened a savings account for me here. When I left home, he deposited 200,000 G in there for me. This was his first and last investment in me.


    I don¡¯t know if this is a large amount or a small amount.


    He¡¯d said, ¡°Live with this money for a while,¡± so it would be a large amount for a commoner. Even I knew that walking around with that much money would be dangerous. That was when the Crown account appeared.


    It wasn¡¯t much but I had the money that mother and I saved on hand. Let¡¯s put this into the Crown account.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m tired.¡±


    I put my black bag on the floor and dived onto my bed with my shoulder bag still on my back.


    I felt like a great amount of time had passed since the morning. My tension is still here.


    I did go to the Commerce Guild, but the place I went to was the head office; there were a lot of men who were father¡¯s age there and there was no other young lady who had just turned into an adult, so I was extremely tensed.


    I didn¡¯t have lunch because I was bustling about, but it was already way past noon.


    If I went to Coolden now by carriage then it would be night when I arrive, therefore I stayed at an inn near the carriage stop.


    The inn that I chose from just its appearance was a hit and the room was comfortable; the room was neat and there were no excess things in there. The bed was slightly harder than the one I had at the estate, but the new bed sheets felt great.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry, should I go buy something?¡±


    I hummed as I changed out of the ojou-san milk tea dress into a red tunic and blue spats.


    I felt like a complete commoner when I changed my clothes.


    I took the ring that I¡¯d received from Furore-sama, which was in my pocket, and threaded a leather strap through it and hung it on my neck. I put it under my shirt so that it wasn¡¯t visible.


    It was dangerous to wear it on my finger and it was also dangerous to leave it in the room.


    I looked in the mirror, confirmed my own appearance and thought for a while. Something¡¯s wrong. My hairstyle¡¯s different from that of a commoners.


    ¨D¨D *KNOCK KNOCK*


    There was a knock at the door.


    Who is it?


    Is it the proprietor?


    I thought those things but I didn¡¯t even ask who it was and opened the door.


    There was a man at the door¡­ Crap.


    I instinctively tried to close the door, but he¡¯d put his legs out between the gap. Crap, he stopped it with his hands.


    (The door won¡¯t close! It won¡¯t close!)


    I looked at the man¡¯s face while panicking.


    ¡°Roberto-sama?¡±


    ¡°Are you an idiot?!?!?!¡± A loud shout came from above me. Ahhhhhhh.


    The 180cm tall Roberto-sama was there. His brown bangs were combed back and I could see his face really well.


    His almond amber eyes, which were like a wolf¡¯s, slanted upwards.


    Incidentally I was 155 cms tall¡­ I felt like I was showered with a shout from above.


    It was terrifying to see his well-featured face with an angry look. It had full impact.


    I have been scolded before, but I was basically raised with neglect, so I¡¯ve never been shouted at before.


    But, I have seen it happen before.


    This was the first time someone had shouted at me, furthermore it was a man¡­ I¡¯m sure you could imagine how fearful I was.


    Ahhhhhhh, I felt and intensively covered my head with both hands.


    When I timidly looked up, Roberto-sama scratched his head as if he was ¡¸shocked¡¹.


    He narrowed his eyes on his well-featured face and gave me a composed look.


    (This person, it¡¯s scary no matter what face he makes.)


    ¡°You opened the door without confirming who was on the other side at all. You have the appearance of a good lady, who has large luggage. If you stay in an inn near the carriage stop, don¡¯t you think you would be attacked and kidnapped?¡±


    ¡°But, it¡¯s pretty here. Doesn¡¯t this inn have a nice feel to it?¡±


    ¡°People will only see that you have money if you choose this inn. I¡¯m coming in.¡± Roberto-sama said sternly and entered the room.


    It didn¡¯t matter to him that I was panicking.


    ¡°Hold on, please don¡¯t enter a lady¡¯s room as you please.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a commoner now, aren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t order a noble like me.¡±


    ¡°Wh-why do you know that I¡¯ve become a commoner? Errr, don¡¯t pack my bag with the dress.¡±


    I took his hands from behind and tried to stop him, but I couldn¡¯t stop him.


    In the blink of an eye, Roberto-sama held both my bags in his hand and threw my shoulder bag at me.


    ¡°Eek! Don¡¯t throw it.¡±


    I quickly tried to catch my shoulder bag.


    I was relieved for a fleeting moment. Roberto-sama ignored my words and firmly grabbed me with his free hand.


    ¡°Here¡¯s no good. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Eeeeh, I don¡¯t wannnnnnaaaaa.¡±


    I raised my voice for the first time in my life.


    It was also the first time that a guy had grabbed me.


    I ended up being dragged out of the inn.


    I couldn¡¯t get out of Roberto-sama¡¯s hands even if I tried to brush him off.


    ¡°If you treat a young girl like this, it¡¯ll become a scandal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just leading a yelping dog.¡±


    I tried to argue but I was thrown into the Edenbach House carriage.


    There was some talking outside and when it stopped, Roberto-sama boarded the carriage. Even if I wanted to escape, I couldn¡¯t.


    When I tried to say something to Roberto-sama, he glared at me with his amber eyes.


    (Aren¡¯t I being moved forcibly?)


    I thought that it couldn¡¯t be helped if my stomach grumbled since I hadn¡¯t had lunch.


    I had no choice but to complain to him with a ¡¸bitter¡¹expression.

 Chapter 32 - Hen Inn

    The thing I hated most, ¡¸a noble who asserted their power and acted as they pleased¡¹was right in front of my eyes.


    Why do I have to stay in this narrow carriage with such a fellow?


    (No matter how much danger I was in, he shouldn¡¯t have forcefully removed me, right? That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to be involved with high-ranking nobles.)


    I got out of the carriage urged by Roberto-sama and there was a two-story building in front of me with a signboard that said, ¡ºFernand Empire 2nd Guard Station¡».


    What business does the guards, who protect this town, have with me?


    I looked dubiously and Roberto-sama called, ¡°Come here.¡±


    The place I was told to go to was not the guard station but a cosy wooden inn next to it. A red curtain hung at the entrance of the inn. The first floor of the¡ºHen Inn¡»was a restaurant and the stationed guards also came here to eat.


    If you¡¯re staying for the night then stay here¡­ Because the Thousand House is ignorant of the ways of the world¡­¡±


    Huh? Roberto-sama was looking out for me. He muttered something in the second half of the sentence, but whatever.


    I don¡¯t know when, but Roberto-sama seemed to have gotten my money refunded at the previous inn and gave me the money.


    He looked at me as I nodded and called the Hen Inn¡¯s proprietor.


    The price for this inn was under half of what the previous inn costed. The first inn was certainly a place where ¡¸people with money¡¹stayed.


    (Should I thank him for the time being?)


    ¡°I have worried you. Thank you for bringing me here.¡±


    ¡°I was also a bit aggressive. I apologise for that.¡±


    (He speaks with superiority but he can properly apologise, can¡¯t he.)


    ¡°In regards to you knowing things about me somehow, I will overlook it if you don¡¯t concern yourself with me in the future.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. I can¡¯t not be concerned about you. Lady Ayesha-marie, I did a little investigation on you. I followed you after you left the noble registry section this morning. And I couldn¡¯t stand to watch¡­ *mumble mumble*.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes.


    Ehh, so you followed after me, did you? You investigated me, I see. The guard¡¯s station is right next to here, isn¡¯t it? There¡¯s a lot of them there, aren¡¯t there?


    It would have been fine if he stayed silent about it. He could have done better.


    He probably used someone from his house anyways. Don¡¯t say that to the person you¡¯re investigating.


    Roberto-sama¡¯s bored amber eyes shook.


    It seemed that Roberto-sama¡¯s danger radar was going off at my cold attitude. He quickly tried to wrap things up here.


    ¡°I would like to invite you to the Royal Palace in a week under invitation of His Highness, Ludens, but, ¡°I refuse,¡±.¡±


    There was no longer any need for lady etiquettes.


    I flat out refused, while smiling.


    I shouldn¡¯t get involved with stalkers. High-ranking nobles and the royal family were to be avoided. I only get bad premonitions from Roberto-sama.


    I quickly took my bags.


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    I briskly walked towards the inn counter and took the room key from the proprietor and quickly went to the 2nd floor.


    The stairs handrails were polished and felt nice.


    It seemed that the proprietor of Hen Inn didn¡¯t mind nobles; he didn¡¯t act timid towards Roberto-sama who obviously looked noble and shooed him away with a hiss.


    This was certainly a nice inn.


    ???????


    The room at the end of the 2nd floor of Hen Inn was the room I was staying in tonight. It was only furnished with a bed, side table and hooks to hang clothes on the wall.


    I entered the room, locked it and slipped straight into bed.


    I was extremely hungry, but my mentalitly had received a lot of damage.


    I fell asleep and was woken up by noise and delicious aromas that awoke my stomach.


    ¡°Was the first floor here the restaurant?¡±


    My motto was to properly eat food. To properly have my meals.


    Good grief, because of someone I had to miss a meal.


    Well, there was no guarantee that I can eat three meals hereafter.


    I gently descended the stairs.


    I don¡¯t know if they had just finished work or came here while they¡¯re on duty, but there¡¯s quite a lot of guards.


    The guards¡¯ uniform was a navy jacket and pants, the cuff of their jacket had a red line. They wore red scarves. The scarves were knotted in different ways, some knotted it thinly and some wore it like neckties. And lastly, the same navy ten-gallon hat.


    The knights and imperial guards were amazing, but the guards, who protected the city, was a target of admiration closer to oneself.


    There are a lot of those guards.


    There was such an inn here.


    Commoners can also come here, it was a friendly inn.


    There were people drinking alcohol, but this inn seemed to be centred on food.


    The waitress¡¯ interactions were smooth, so for better or worse there was no strange sex appeal floating about the inn.


    If it was like that then it would probably be alright for me to mingle.


    ¡°Master, please recommend me something to eat.¡± I said and sat down in the most unnoticed corner of the inn.


    I waited a bit and charcoal grilled chicken rubbed in rock salt and deep fried potatoes were presented in front of me. It was very fragrant.


    Simple cuisines satisfied empty stomachs.


    ¡°Yummy!¡¯


    I gobbled down more than half of the dish. I put both my hands on my face without thinking.


    I can still encounter delicious food even if I¡¯m not a noble. That¡¯s nice.


    I felt great.


    Yes, I¡¯ve grown up. Today is my birthday, isn¡¯t it? Let¡¯s finish this day with a laugh.


    ¡°Congrats, me.¡± I toasted myself in a small voice and slightly lifted my glass of water.

 Chapter 33 - Captain Weller

    A lively buzz¡­


    Even if I sat by myself in the counter, I could feel the comfort of this ¡ºHen Inn¡» transmitted through my back.


    The tasty meal, the peaceful aura and the mixed voices all stimulated my five senses.


    I was deeply moved when I thought this was a part of the commoner life that I yearned for. It touched my heart.


    Well, I still wasn¡¯t immersed in it yet, I was just savouring the aura from the side.


    ¡°Ojou-chan, are you the puppy that Roberto-sama brought here?¡± I turned from my counter seat and responded to the voice I heard from behind me, ¡°Are you talking about me?¡± Unexpectedly, my golden brown hair that was tied in a ponytail swayed around like a dog¡¯s tail.


    There, was a man with wavy red rusty coloured hair that was tied into a bundle. He wore the navy blue uniform of the guards. The stubble that remained on his chin which ruined a young image. In short, he was just like an old man. He probably wasn¡¯t a noble from the way he talked.


    He put a hand to his chin and ascertained me with his rust coloured pupils.


    (She has golden brown hair. Her clothes are those of a commoners, but her manners while eating is that of a noble. I haven¡¯t heard of any reports of a missing or lost child. Did she run away from home? She seems too calm for that.)1)


    I didn¡¯t reply.


    This person¡¯s red hair and eyes remind me of my family members.


    It would be bad if he talked to me because he knew who I was.


    And the aura that was made from a crowd of people talking was like a wall for me.


    ¡­ I wanted to draw closer, but I didn¡¯t have the courage to.


    ¡°I know you have your reasons. But being silent and ignoring me is rude. I¡¯m Weller, puppy-chan.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not puppy-chan¡­ It¡¯s Ayesha¡­¡±


    I stopped eating.


    The first place, the first person I met. The tension that I¡¯d forgotten rose again. My body stiffened.


    I decided to stop using the noble-like name, Ayesha-marie. I called myself the name that mother actually thought of naming me, Ayesha.


    ¨D¨D *BUMP BUMP*


    A black haired beauty pleasantly handled the guest by hitting his head with a tray.


    ¡°Captain Weller. Don¡¯t disturb her meal. You stopped her from eating when she was eating it so deliciously, didn¡¯t you? It¡¯s boorish to question people in the dining hall, stop it.¡±


    Her large chest was obvious even with an apron on and she put her hands on her hips while sticking up for me.


    She stood as if she was covering me from Captain Weller.


    ¡°I¡¯m not questioning her. I just asked her a simple question. I¡¯m the representative of the fellows here. It¡¯s become a rumour. Roberto-sama was yelping with a young lady outside. It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it? What¡¯s your relationship with Roberto-sama?¡±


    My body froze.


    ¡­ Ah, I told him so. Roberto-sama dragging me out of the inn has become a huge scandal.


    What should I do if they find out I¡¯m a daughter of the Thousand House? What should I do when they realise that I¡¯ve stopped being a noble and became a commoner? The Thousand House image would crumble. I swore that I wouldn¡¯t give them any trouble.


    ¡°¡­ He simply got angry because I did something weird. He¡¯s not an acquaintance or anything.¡± I replied a little disinterested. I hope he doesn¡¯t get more interested.


    ¡°Humph. You have nothing to do with him, isn¡¯t that that? Then, that¡¯s great. Hey guys, she said she doesn¡¯t have anything to do with Roberto-sama.¡±


    (Huh? What¡¯s this person saying all of a sudden?)


    ¡°Well, a cute girl showed up in this kind of shop, you know. We all thought that we should help you out if you¡¯re in trouble, but if you¡¯re Roberto-sama¡¯s acquaintance then we shouldn¡¯t get involved. Eh, ah, no shouldn¡¯t get involved is just a figure of speech.¡±


    ¡°Do I look like something¡¯s wrong with me?¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You had a big bag and you were brought here by Roberto-sama, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just moving. I¡¯m not troubled.¡±


    (Holy smokes! She¡¯s looking at me with half-opened eyes. She looked extremely cute when she was eating while smiling. It doesn¡¯t feel completely wrong when Roberto-sama called her a puppy. Her eyes are like, big. Ah, her eyes are saying, ¡®don¡¯t get involved with me¡¯. But I have to collection information on her for work.)2)


    ¡°Oh, where are you moving to? We¡¯ll carry your bags for you. Because we¡¯re the 2nd station guards who work for everyone¡¯s sakes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    While holding the tray like a shield, the beauty jerked towards Captain Weller.


    ¡°Ah, yeah, enough, don¡¯t you guys have delicacy? I always say this, don¡¯t I? Don¡¯t ask girls who come by themselves to stay the night too many questions. Look, go over there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, I understand. Ada, don¡¯t push me¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. Everyone, do you know Roberto-sama?¡±


    I¡¯d like to ask them for the future.


    Depending on their answer, I¡¯d have to think about my relations with these people.


    ¡°Well, we know him. Roberto-sama will inspect the city soon. With Lancel-dono. Lancel-dono also comes to sword practice with us.¡±


    (So that¡¯s why Roberto-sama knows this place. Although it¡¯s become quite a commotion, it was well-known that I ¡®have relations with Roberto-sama¡¯ because I came here with him. Therefore a weird fellow won¡¯t bother me. If he thought that far ahead, then Roberto-sama is definitely a sharp and able person.)


    I understood that all the guards, the black-haired beauty Ada and the Master all seemed like good people. But they were connected to Roberto-sama and Roberto-sama was connected to Imperial Prince Ludens.


    In conclusion, I shouldn¡¯t get too deeply involved with them.


    Now then, I should finish my meal.

 Chapter 34 - Helpful People

    I finished my dinner while Ada acted as my protective wall.


    Now that Captain Weller had left the restaurant, it didn¡¯t seem like any of the other knights would approach me.


    ¡°Master, thanks for the feast. The charcoal grilled chicken went really well with the rock salt. The sour cream and subtle seasoning on the potatoes were also exquisite. It was very delicious.¡±


    Indeed, the master¡¯s cuisine was made with a lot of care, even though his outwards appearance was that of an unreliable old man with a scar on his brow. The dish wasn¡¯t elaborate, but he had made the best use out of the ingredients.


    I thought that charcoal grilled food was something that you could only eat at food stalls. I was surprised at the potatoes which tasted almost the same as they looked.


    ¡°Ojou-chan, you have a good tongue. I¡¯m glad that it seems to suit your taste.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Master¡¯s being up-front today. He doesn¡¯t normally even if someone compliments him. He must like you, Ayesha-chan.¡±


    Ada sat down on a chair next to me after she saw that most of the guests were gone.


    On the other hand, I stood up and tried to return to my room.


    There, someone called out to me.


    ¡°You might not want my meddling, but where are you moving too?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand if you don¡¯t want to talk about it. At any rate, I think that Captain Weller and Roberto-sama will find out where you¡¯re going.¡±


    I stopped.


    Ah, that¡¯s probably true.


    If it¡¯s like that then would it be better to tell someone who looks like they could help me¡­?


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of going to Coolden. It¡¯s better for me not to be in the Royal Capital.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to a simple city, aren¡¯t you? Do you know someone there?¡±


    ¡°¡­ No. Is that bad?¡±


    Ada and Master looked at each other.


    Ahh, Ada said troubled and stared into space.


    ¡°I¡¯m certainly not Roberto-sama, but you make me want to take care of you.¡±


    ¡°But still, I¡¯m an adult now. Do I seem that unreliable?¡±


    I had acquired enough skills in embroidery and sewing as a seamstress. I also thought that I could do paperwork or work as a tutor at a merchant or noble¡¯s house. I also had father¡¯s letter of introduction. I could also clean, do laundry and cook; I had acquired basic self-support skills.


    I¡¯ve heard that a lot of commoners chose to live by themselves once they become adults. If commoners can do it, then I don¡¯t think that it was something that a half-commoner like me couldn¡¯t do.


    I tilted my head, puzzled.


    ¡°You¡¯re a kid from a good background, aren¡¯t you? You seem pretty ignorant of the ways of the world. You¡¯ll get eaten.¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Even the master agreed.


    ¡­ I¡¯ll be eaten; in many ways.


    It would be impossible for commoners not to get involved with people to protect themselves.


    When I thought like that, I was only surrounded by a limited amount of people at the estate, but it could be said that I was blessed because I didn¡¯t encounter violence of starvation as a noble. I know it was kind of late to say this now.


    ¡°If I get eaten, then it would be my fault. I¡¯m prepared for that much of a struggle. Thank you for your concern.¡±


    I was able to meet someone who was worried about me on our first meeting. I have good luck.


    There might be bad things too, but this meant that there were also good people among commoners who would worry about me.


    I quickly lowered my head towards them and returned to my room.


    I locked the door properly.


    I could finally have time to myself.


    Should I think about the future once more?


    ???????


    ¡°Master, that kid is different from the young ladies who stay here.¡±


    ¡°She is.¡±


    ¡°The young ladies who always come here usually have fights with their families, or ran away from home because they got engaged to someone that doesn¡¯t fit their ideal. In the end, they make up with their families, or find other solutions and return home, don¡¯t they? But¡­¡­ it seems that Ayesha-chan doesn¡¯t have a place to return to.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    The last customer left and the master, Ada and the other waitresses began cleaning.


    The master polished the glasses in silence and Ada wiped the tables. The other waitresses swept the floors and collected rubbish.


    In order to create a comfortable space, they needed to carefully maintain the shop.


    After they finished cleaning, all the other waitresses, except for Ada, went home.


    ¡°Ada, you have the early shift tomorrow, don¡¯t you? Hurry home.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Master, if it¡¯s Coolden then you have an acquaintance there, don¡¯t you? Can¡¯t you secretly introduce them to Ayesha-chan?¡±


    ¡°I have no obligation to look out for her to that extent.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t you feel bad if something happens to her? She seems like she¡¯s in some kind of trouble.¡±


    Ada turned back to the master, who was counting the day¡¯s sales, from the exit and said, ¡°Weird people won¡¯t approach her if she¡¯s staying here, isn¡¯t it fine just for a few weeks until she knows she can live safely? You can just introduce her to a safe place to live and work.  The chef at the guards¡¯ dining hall is your brother, isn¡¯t he Master? How about somewhere around that neighbourhood?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t force my brother to take care of her.¡±


    The master finished counting the day¡¯s sales and wrote it down in a notebook.


    ¡°I¡¯m only asking you to be her guarantor. It¡¯s reassuring to work and live somewhere that someone recommended, isn¡¯t it? People treat you differently depending on who you know. If she is introduced by Roberto-sama, then I can only see people treating her formally. People will also pull away from her because she was introduced by a noble. The person herself doesn¡¯t want to be treated like Roberto¡¯s acquaintance.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll just write to my brother.¡±


    ¡°Kyah, Master. You¡¯re so cool!!¡±


    Ada skipped around the master.


    Ada was acting childish in comparison to how she looked and the master smiled wryly, ¡°Oh well.¡±

 Chapter 35 - New Chapter of Life; Coolden

    Before I¡¯d noticed, I had fallen asleep while thinking and it was morning in an instant. Is it still dawn?


    I didn¡¯t need to get up early to do the washing so I went back to sleep. How long has it been since I¡¯ve slept in?


    ¡°Ah, how extravagant. Just like an Ojou-sama.¡±


    I woke up once again, got dressed and walked downstairs to the restaurant.


    It seemed that in the morning, the restaurant only served food for inn guests.


    The master made breakfast and a few men were doing chores.


    I received a tray with freshly baked bread, vegetable consomm¨¦ and fried eggs, and sat at the counter away from everyone.


    (Yup, it smells delicious.)


    It seemed that the Hen Inn was thriving and I was lucky to be able to stay here so suddenly.


    It was probably popular because one could stay here safely while enjoying delicious food.


    I would like to stay here whenever I¡¯m in the Royal Capital.


    ¡°Ayesha-chan, morning.¡±


    I heard a voice from behind me, it was Ada. Her glossy black hair was also beautiful today. Her untied long straight hair yesterday was sexy, but having her waist-length hair tied up in a ponytail gave her the aura of a reliable onee-san.


    ¡°Good morning, Ada-san.¡±


    I stopped eating and lowered my head. I thought that it would be rude to greet her while sitting on my chair, but at the same time, I thought it would be fine since no one else around me looked like they would get up to greet someone. I still didn¡¯t understand the boundaries of commoner etiquette very well.


    ¡°Sorry for disturbing your meal. Yes, this.¡±


    A single envelope was placed in front of my eyes and I reflexively looked at Ada.


    There she stood grinning.


    ¡°This is addressed to the Master¡¯s brother. He lives in Coolden. Ayesha-chan, you said you didn¡¯t have any acquaintances there, didn¡¯t you? It is written in there that the person who works as the manager of the guards dining hall will be your guarantor. The Master wrote it. Wouldn¡¯t it be good for you to live near the guards? Be sure to rely on him.¡±


    I looked perplexed while meeting the master¡¯s eyes.


    He nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Eh, but¡­ To go this far¡­¡±


    ¡°This is just something we wanted to do. Don¡¯t worry about it. If you¡¯re bothered by it, then come stay here whenever you¡¯re at the Royal Capital. Now I¡¯m going to give you my advice. You should speak in a more casual way. Be careful of men who are too nice. Ignore jealous woman.¡±


    Ada said in one breath. She waved her hands and went back to work.


    Should I say I was helped¡­?


    I gently bowed towards the backs of Master and Ada.


    Listening to the conversations yesterday, I wondered if I should use father¡¯s introduction letter to secure a safe place to live.


    If possible, I wanted to live in a place where commoners would live and become a complete commoner; because I wanted to live while forgetting about nobility.


    Yes, the Empire¡¯s guards certainly occupied Coolden.


    The large deep forest to the north of Coolden was the cornerstone for forestry, but at the same time, the edge of the forest connected to the steep rocky borders of the neighbouring kingdom, Nebracia. Therefore, the guards were stationed there so that they could immediately respond to the beasts that live deep in the forest (they rarely approached the city) or illegal immigrants (hooligans and smugglers occasionally sneak through the borders).


    If I thought about it as if it was like the inn here, then it was probably safer to live near the guards.


    I don¡¯t even have enough money to live for one month on father¡¯s money alone. Therefore, it was necessary for me to secure a source of income before I spend it all. I wish to find work as a seamstress, but I don¡¯t think that working as a seamstress alone would give me a satisfactory income. I would appreciate it if I could be of use at the Master¡¯s brother¡¯s dining hall when I can¡¯t find a job anywhere¡­ But I can¡¯t go that far when relying on him, now can I?


    (Self-reliance, be independent. First, go look for a job at the Commerce Guild in Coolden.)


    When I finished eating breakfast, I asked the Master for the bill, thanked him for the introduction letter and quickly left the Hen Inn.


    ???????


    If I go out from the front door, then I¡¯d have to pass the guards station even if I don¡¯t want to, so I went out the backdoor of the inn in order not to meet the guards.


    They didn¡¯t seem like bad people, but yeah¡­


    I thought I was overly self-conscious, but I was sure that Captain Weller was trying to find out my destination and I wanted to avoid that. His questioning yesterday felt no different than exposing me.


    I took the two bags and followed the map to the place where Ada said the carriage stop would be. I was brought here by a carriage yesterday, but it didn¡¯t seem like that far of a walk.


    Fortunately, I couldn¡¯t see anyone that looked like they were sent by Roberto-sama to observe me.


    This was the time when carriages from all directions gathered here. There were people other than me who were loitering around the stop with big bags.


    I bought a ticket at the reception and boarded a carriage with a dull-ash cover that was headed for Coolden.


    There was someone who pulled me up when I was tottering towards the carriage with my big bag. It was nice to have people who helped others riding in the same carriage as me for a short while.


    Before long, the carriage became fully occupied and it departed.


    Hmm, this carriage might have more vibration on my butt than any other carriage I¡¯ve ridden.


    I understood that these vibrations started when we left the Royal Capital. The rhythm of the horse also seemed less nimble.


    The cover at the back of the carriage flipped over slightly and I could see the outside scenery.


    I could see the outer wall that surrounded the Royal Capital.


    (That¡¯s the Royal Capital¡¯s outer wall, isn¡¯t it? I haven¡¯t seen it since I went to Haupht for the Harvest Festival.)


    I thought something would well up inside me, but it didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t have any attachments to the Royal Capital. That¡¯s it.


    The carriage did nothing but advance along the road outside of the Royal Capital. The sky was bright, but it felt cold probably because we were headed in the north-west direction. At the Royal Capital, marigolds were blooming to signal the start of spring, but the flowers in Coolden were still buds.


    The carriage shook for 4 hours and arrived at its destination, Coolden.


    My heart was pounding probably because I came to a place I knew nothing about. The feeling of the air that clung to my body felt different.


    I got off the carriage in the plaza near the entrance of the city.


    I instinctively took a deep breath. The air felt great probably because Coolden had a lot of greenery.


    My face went slightly pink from being exposed to the cold air.


    Because this was a city made for forestry, the buildings in the vicinity either looked like log houses or were built with red brick. There were also a lot of roadside trees.


    Overall, it was a pretty city. Seems like I¡¯ll like it.


    (Alright, my first destination is the Empire Guards!)


    I grasped my bag with both hands and began to walk with my eyes glistening.


    I¡¯m back and releases should be back to normal!!!


    Translator: Blushy


    Editor: Sam

 Chapter 36 - Empire Guards

    Feeling a little hungry, I bought lunch from a nearby stall.


    I bought a sandwich made from wheat flour that had germ, stuffed with a lot of minced meat and leafy vegetables. The sauce made by mixing sour tomatoes and spicy green capsicum was delicious. Although it was slightly big, I ate another one because it made me feel better.


    I asked the uncle, who was managing the stall, about where the guards were situated.


    He told me that it was on the outskirts of the north side of town.


    For now, I finished eating and then began walking towards the north.


    There was a big, wide road which ran through the city, from north to south. It had to be wide as logs cut from the forest were often carried through here by wagons. There were many side streets leading off to the east and west; which all led to lumber mills and woodwork manufacturing places.


    An empty wagon pulled by a horse was heading north as well and passed by me. I called out to the coachman.


    ¡°Excuse me, but would you give me a ride if you are heading to the north?¡±


    The man wearing a hat with earmuffs said, ¡°It shakes,¡± but gladly listened to my request. I easily lifted my black bag onto the wagon and also tried to get onto the wagon on all fours, ¡°Oof!¡±


    ¡°I want to go to the guards¡¯ building,¡± I informed him and the man prompted the horse to run with me on the wagon.


    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°¡­Th¡­ Thin¡­ Thank you¡­ Very much.¡±


    The man chuckled and took my bag off the wagon. Then, he quickly picked up the reigns and left.


    ¡­ My whole body was stiff and I couldn¡¯t move very well. I finally gave my thanks for the ride. I was aware that I was making myself look ridiculous.


    A person had sat where the logs were kept on the wagon. I desperately held onto my bag so that it wouldn¡¯t fall off the wagon. It shook so much, that I could have bitten my tongue if I spoke. I hadn¡¯t even ridden it for an hour, yet my whole body was shaking as if I¡¯d just received a massage.


    Somehow, I felt like I was still shaking.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    (I experienced something that I didn¡¯t know about again.)


    I was simply happy that I could experience things like this.


    Somehow, I managed to stand on the ground.


    In front of me was a place that looked like it belonged to the guards. A sturdy fence surrounded both sides of the building and there was a large gate made out of stone at the entrance. I could see a large lawn inside of the fence, it seemed that they used a breed that could be maintained all year around. At the back, I could see a three-storey building made out of bricks.


    The combination of reddish-brown on green was certainly lovely. They even holstered a triangular flag on top of the building.


    The gate was opened, but there were two muscular men with frowns on their faces standing on both sides, and I knew that they were looking at me.


    ¡°There¡¯s a dining hall inside of the guards¡¯ building, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    I wonder if this is the first hurdle.


    I walked to the entrance of the building, and sure enough, the men crossed their spears together.


    Eek, I¡¯ve never seen anything like this at the Royal Capital. I know they¡¯re just doing their jobs, but I don¡¯t look like someone who would cause trouble here, now do I?


    A man, who was a head taller than me, called out to me while I was frightened.


    ¡°Do you want to meet with the guards¡¯ dining room head?¡±


    Their spears were no longer crossed together.


    ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡±


    ¡°Please present your ID papers.¡±


    I shook my head sideways, took the ID papers out of the bag on my back and showed it to him.


    I was relieved that the guards spoke more courteous than they looked.


    The right guard led me into the building.


    He opened the entrance which had been carved in zigzags and we entered the hall. When the door opened, it made a thick clanging sound.


    Then, the guard rang the bell placed on a stand next to the door. There was no one in this hall.


    (So the door opens with a clang and the bell is to signal that a visitor had come. I wonder if everyone¡¯s working in their rooms.)


    There were almost no decorations in this spacious wall and I was guided to a room on the left side of the hall.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t make an appointment, so please wait here. I will call people here. It might take a little bit of time, but please don¡¯t leave this room.¡±


    The right guard said and left me in this small room.


    I waited for a while.


    I came without warning, so it can¡¯t be helped.


    I sat on the beige, cloth covered sofa and waited.


    ¡­ They¡¯re not coming. I was told not to leave. I was fine with just sitting here silently while I wait, but I still have things to do so I wish they would come quicker.


    ¨D¨D *CLICK*


    The door opened quietly.


    The person who appeared wasn¡¯t an old man, but a young man. He had grey eyes and hair was a lighter brown than my golden brown hair. He was really good-looking, so I couldn¡¯t help but think he was a noble. I recalled the noble almanac¡­ Three people resembled him from the almanac.


    ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t been to the dining hall yet?¡±


    He had a tray of tea in his hands.


    He put the tray on the table and stared at me.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind keeping you company until he comes, but it seems like you¡¯ve waited for quite a long time, haven¡¯t you? I¡¯ll go call him again, so please wait a little longer.¡±


    He said and went out again.


    I was left alone and poured tea for myself.


    Lately, I¡¯ve been so busy that I haven¡¯t been able to slowly enjoy tea.


    They used better tea leaves than I thought they would.


    The door opened once again when I tasted the tea.

 Chapter 37 - Bobles-san

    The person, who had suddenly appeared when the door opened, was a man wearing a felt hat that only covered the top of his head.


    His forehead and ears resembled Master at the Royal Capital.


    ¡­¡­ Ah, so this person is the dining hall head?


    ¡°Are you here to see me, Ojou-chan? I was a little tied up with something, so I¡¯m a little late. Sorry.¡±


    I quickly got off the coach and bowed graciously.


    ¡°I have come from the Royal Capital. My name is Ayesha. I have a letter from the Hen Inn¡¯s Master. Please read the letter and consider the request, if you could.¡±


    I gave him the letter and bowed very deeply once again.


    My future is determined here. I want him to give me a good response¡­¡­


    The temperature in the room dropped a little while he was reading the letter and I brewed some tea for him as he sat on the sofa.


    I put the cup in front of Master¡¯s older brother.


    Then I patiently waited opposite to him until he finished reading.


    I stared blankly outside and saw trees that looked like they had a faint white haze to them.


    (Are those cherry blossoms?)


    The buds which were still hard looked as if they were hazy.


    ¨D¨D *CLING, SIP*


    I heard the tea being sipped and my consciousness returned to the room.


    Oops, I have to keep my attention here.


    ¡°The person written about in this letter is Ojou-san.¡±


    He slouched over and stared at me with his black pupils as if he was assessing me.


    I nodded slowly and stared back at him.


    Then, Master¡¯s brother gripped both his hands tightly, looked at the ceiling and nodded to himself.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be your guarantor for inns, boarding houses or work. I¡¯ll introduce you to it. He has an eye for picking out ingredients. Well, the same could be said for people¡­ You seem to have reasons for why you¡¯re doing this, but I¡¯ll be your guarantor even if you don¡¯t tell me your reasons. I¡¯ll believe in what he saw in you. Don¡¯t betray the man who believes in you.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m being treated the same as ingredients? And having reasons¡­ It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve done anything bad. I just don¡¯t want to talk about my background. I¡¯ll explain when the time comes.¡±


    Now that my title as noble was gone, I couldn¡¯t just remain silent and take things facing down. I need him to evaluate me properly. I stuck out my chest with pride.


    He grunted and nodded; he accepted that too quickly.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯m Bobles. Nice to meet you. You probably know this, but I¡¯m the dining hall head. I still have a little bit of work to do, so let¡¯s continue this talk in the dining hall.¡±


    Bobbles-san carried my black bag for me and left the visitor¡¯s room, I left the room as well and followed him.


    We left the entrance hall, went outside and went into the dining hall in a one-storey building on the east side.


    ???????


    When we arrived at the dining hall, and after Bobles-san instructed the apprentice chefs about how to prepare the food, we talked about where I would live. Then, a soldier rushed into the dining hall.


    ¡°We received a lot of potatoes when we were practicing on the outskirts,¡± The guard said quickly. Therefore, tonight¡¯s meal would also consist of fried potatoes and since there was a large quantity of them, I ended up helping out¡­ Thus, I was surrounded by a mountain of potatoes.


    There were about 300 people stationed here as guards. There should be a lot of young men working here since it was a job that consisted of using one¡¯s body, so it would be 10 potatoes per person¡­ At least 3000 potatoes needed to be prepared.


    After ten minutes, somehow, I was surrounded by a mountain of potatoes.


    I was working with two guards as we did nothing but sift through this mountain by the water well and scrubbed away the small grains on the potatoes.


    A soldier would also be troubled if they couldn¡¯t prepare food on expeditions, so the guards helped prepare meals in turns. However, this was a job for lower rank guards.


    Being surrounded by potatoes reminded me of the time when Tom-san maliciously told me to peel the potatoes at the estate.


    I smiled as I recalled that and my face glowed.


    The 2 guards saw me smile and their faces turned a little red.


    Places where guards work, etc., have very few women; even if there were, then they would be tough women who acted like men.


    Nevertheless, my smile captivated the guards, they also smiled and their opinion of me rose. It wasn¡¯t my fault that they misunderstood that I could cook just because I was washing potatoes. The guards have strong delusions.


    Should I say that it was good that I was helping out with dinner because I was washing the potatoes?


    I cut the vegetables, passed it over and cleaned up like I was told to. Cooking and seasoning was done by Bobles-san, of course.


    The white apron that I was given also improved my image and there was a long line in front of me when dinner was served at 6; even though I was only handing out trays. It was really inefficient for them all to be lining up in front of me just because they wanted me to hand them trays.


    (They can just get their own trays, can¡¯t they? I¡¯m only giving it to them because Bobles-san told me to. That¡¯s right, so that I can practice serving customers.)


    It was the first time in my life that I smiled for so long.


    If I looked at the people I was passing the trays to, then I could see a number of nobles standing among people who looked like they were the top brass of the Empire Guards. Luckily, there were a lot of elderly people who had retired from the forefront of the national defence and they didn¡¯t care whether or not I was a noble. They only confirmed that I was a girl, ¡°Is she the new girl?¡±


    It was a good sign. If it was in Coolden, then people will look at me as just a commoner.


    The crowd of guards disappeared around 8, Bobles-san also saved a portion of dinner for me.


    Thick pork was saut¨¦ed in sweet and sour apple sauce. Crispy fried potatoes. Mushroom and vegetable stir-fry. In addition, the colouring of the potage was perfectly drawn out by the sweet carrots.


    I ate dinner together with the apprentice chefs at the corner of the kitchen.


    Everyone had staff meals except for me.


    This was their way of thanking me for helping them. It was a hearty meal designed for the guards.


    Yup, as expected of the food made from Master¡¯s brother. It¡¯s delicious.


    After the meal, we left the cleaning up to the apprentice chefs and headed to an inn near Bobles-san¡¯s house.


    I didn¡¯t feel helpless walking down the dim night streets because Bobles-san, who had a good physique, was with me. My stomach was full and I felt really safe.


    ¡°If you¡¯re troubled, then rely on the guards and tell them that you know me.¡±


    Ah, so that¡¯s why he wanted me to¡­ Hand out the trays.


    It was so that the guards would recognise that I was Bobles-san¡¯s acquaintance. I¡¯m grateful that he¡¯s well-known here.


    ¡°I have to write a thank you letter to Master.¡±


    I whispered as I watched Bobles-san¡¯s back.

 Chapter 38 - Looking for a Job

    Bobles-san guided me to a small inn managed by an elderly couple.


    It looked like a slightly larger two-storey square house made out of bricks. The simple wooden furniture gave off a warm feeling and the patchwork bed cover was lovely.


    I was staying overnight without any meals and when I asked, ¡°What about breakfast?¡± Bobles-san said, ¡°Come to my place tomorrow at 7:30.¡±


    The next morning, I went to Bobles-san¡¯s house like I was told and he hadn¡¯t left for work yet.


    ¡°I heard about you from Bobles. I¡¯m his wife, Emery. These children are Randa and Lilil. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Same here, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    In contrast to Bobles-san¡¯s powerful and muscular physique, Emery-san looked like a delicate fairy with fluffy blonde hair and green eyes. Of course, the young children took after both their parents.


    How on earth did Bobles-san and Emery-san meet? I can¡¯t even imagine it.


    ¡°I wonder if you¡¯ll keep the children company. I¡¯ll get breakfast ready in the meantime.¡±


    I didn¡¯t even have time to reply since the children took my hand and dragged me away. We sat on a carpet at the corner of the living room.


    I was troubled over how long I should wait.


    I¡¯m troubled and worried.


    I¡¯ve never played with young children before, there were only adults around me. The only children around me were my older brother and sisters.


    (Should I play with them? What do they usually play?)


    When I looked at the children, they got up and went somewhere.


    Am I being hated¡­? Or so I thought but they soon came back with something in each of their hands. They were showing me their treasured things.


    The older brother, Randa was holding a small bow. It was handmade by his father.


    The younger sister, Lilil was holding a beautiful pebble. She had found it on a river beach.


    The two each showed me the items and smiled broadly when I said, ¡°They¡¯re lovely treasures.¡±


    ¡°Randa and Lilil, if you stick that close to Ayesha-oneechan then she can¡¯t eat, now could she?¡±


    It seemed that the children liked me.


    Emery-san made a simple breakfast of unfermented bread, tomato soup and scrambled eggs.


    We put our hands together and gave our thanks for the food.


    After breakfast, I helped wash the dishes.


    I talked about today¡¯s plans while drinking tea.


    ¡°Can I call you Ayesha?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Emery-san.¡±


    Unlike her delicate appearance, Emery-san had a generous older sister vibe to her. She reminded me of Ada-san from the Hen Inn.


    ¡°Now then, it seems that Bobles has decided to be your guarantor, but what kind of work can you do? Where do you want to live? He¡¯s pretty busy, so I¡¯ll help you out.¡±


    ¡°I can work as a seamstress, I¡¯m good at embroidery and I have also helped with prep work in the kitchen. I want to live in a house, but I have no money, so I hope I could rent a room somewhere.¡±


    My father¡¯s introduction letter and the fact that I could do office work was still a secret.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Well first, the way you eat is very refined, and you¡¯re certainly a young lady from somewhere. There aren¡¯t many requests for dresses here in Coolden like there are at the Royal Capital. But even if the dresses aren¡¯t made here, I think there should still be requests for embroidery. However, if you want to work at home, then you¡¯ll probably need a large room. For now, you can work at the guards¡¯ dining hall until you can find a sewing job. He said your attitude didn¡¯t change even when you saw the guards. Please wait a little longer for me to find a room for you near the house.¡±


    (Huh? Did my attitude not change when I saw them? Did I do something weird?)


    Apparently I made a funny face because Emery-san giggled, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m on about.¡±


    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s go out everyone.¡±


    The four of us walked to the streets lined up with Coolden¡¯s clothing stores.


    ???????


    The carriage only drove from the guards¡¯ building to the city centre from morning till evening.  We had young children with us so we rode it.


    Randa and Lilil made a big fuss.


    I looked at the light blue organdie scarf embroider with roses and Emery-san brought me to a popular clothing store in Colden.


    First, I entered the store from the front as a customer. I interacted with the staff and would only go to the back once I like it. Then I¡¯ll ask them to let me meet the shop owner.


    There were also children here, so I would be the only one to meet the owner.


    ¡°Is it alright for me to look for work in such a bold way? I¡¯ll do anything, so won¡¯t you hire me? Should I say something like that?¡±


    ¡°Oh my, even I could tell that your work is extremely beautiful. They¡¯ll definitely hire you. And having my husband as your guarantor also gives you a double advantage.¡±


    The first shop we entered felt like they only wanted to serve rich customers and I didn¡¯t like that.


    The second had a balance of trendy and standard goods and the customer service was polite and kind, even if they were dealing with commoners or people with children.


    Of course I chose the 2nd shop.


    I entered the second clothing shop from the back. There I was shown the workshop and cloth storage place, before being guided to the reception area of the shop.


    The shop owner came and switched with the person guiding me.


    I took the organdie scarf from my backpack and put it on the table.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking to work as a seamstress. I made this scarf, please have a look at it.¡±


    It was a memorial that I used when I went to the ball hosted at the Royal Castle.


    It¡¯s only been a few days since then, but it was already a distant memory for me.


    The shop owner picked up the scarf and looked at it carefully.


    ¡°This is the organdie scarf that¡¯s trendy at the Royal Capital right now, isn¡¯t it? ¡­ Hmm, you did a very good job.¡±


    (I did it! I made a good impression.)


    ¡°Did you really sew this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my mother was a seamstress, so she taught me her craft.¡±


    ¡°For the time being, I¡¯ll give you a plain scarf, so embroider it with something. I¡¯ll reward you if it¡¯s good.¡±


    It was a recruitment test.


    My interview ended without a hitch.


    Afterward, I met up with Emery-san outside and we had rice noodles with meatballs at a stall for lunch; then we returned by carriage.


    I returned to the house once and talked with Bobles-san. It was decided that I would help out at the guards¡¯ dining hall in my spare time. We both went to the dining hall together and I received a new white apron. I will be prepping food in the kitchen. Dinner would be staff meals. It was killing two birds with one stone.


    Yup, this was fulfilling, I get to interact with different people.


    I was surprised that I started laughing out loud. I thought might have forgotten how to laugh out loud.


    It was worth it to quit being a noble.


    Due to my excitement, I thought that I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep, but I was tired from work and slept soundly until morning.

 Chapter 39 - New Encounter

    I woke up early before the sun rose and helped out at the dining hall.


    It was still chilly in the early mornings.


    Yesterday, I went with Bobles-san to a place called the Coolden Garrison Office and received a permit that allowed me to ¡®go in and out of the guard building¡¯.


    When I first met Bobles-san, I was in a small room on the left of the building, but now I enter through the front door after the bells ring.


    ¡°I decided to hire you so go get your permit straight away.¡±


    Although Bobles-san was amazing, but there was no way they would issue a permit to an unidentified girl with just a, ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± because this was the guards¡¯ building¡­ The permit was issued when I used my trump card, well, the introductory letter from the Thousand House. Even so, Bobles-san used really strong words against the soldier. He looked like a really exceptional person.


    This morning the gatekeeper didn¡¯t stop me with his spear and I was able to pass without any problems when I showed him my permit.


    Still, the only places I could enter with this permit was the first floor of the building in front of the gate and the dining hall; the so called front yard part.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Oh, morning.¡±


    ¡°Sup.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    People returned my greetings. There seemed to be less people working right now than at dinner time.


    The dining hall opened at 7 o¡¯clock so we had to move efficiently. There was no time. People were kneading bread and boiling water; everyone was doing what they were appointed to do.


    I, who was bad with knives, washed the vegetables and dishes.


    I greeted the guards who came to eat breakfast while working in the kitchen.


    There were some who were still dazed from being sleepy and there were some people who had finished morning training or voluntary practices and had vapour evaporating from their bodies. They had a hard time since morning.


    This dining hall provided basic self-service facilities. People could have seconds if they wanted to. Bread, eggs, ham, salad, fruits and soups were all lined up for people to take.


    They were surprised when I scooped out soup for them.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here in the mornings too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you seem to be working very hard today.¡±


    ¡°The food is great!¡±


    I really appreciated it when they said that they could feel great all day from meeting me.


    (They¡¯re all unexpectedly good at flattering people.)


    ¡°Ayesha, you¡¯re smiling. Everyone¡¯s gonna eat more now.¡±


    ¡°H-huh?¡±


    On the contrary, I felt like something inside of me had decreased. I get to eat for free so I couldn¡¯t retort back.


    ???????


    I worked hard in the mornings and evenings at the dining hall and spent the afternoon embroidering scarves. I went to Bobles-san¡¯s house during my free time and was enjoying my new life to the fullest.


    No one looked down on me.


    Rather, a lot of people liked me.


    I wasn¡¯t ignored and people often called out to me.


    They were probably curious about my existence. If I¡¯m treated with kindness then I must return that kindness. I am who I am today because I do my work properly.


    I didn¡¯t know that Bobles-san was staring at me warmly while my mind drifted with random thoughts.


    ???????


    When I got used to doing odd jobs at the dining hall, I started walking around the front garden more to think of embroidery designs.


    A lot of plants and trees were planted on the lawn. It was a clear day and it was nice to walk under the sun.


    Among the trees was the cherry blossom tree I saw on my first day at the guards¡¯ building.


    The buds of the tree had already began to blossom.


    It looked like a white outline when I saw it from affair, but now it was slightly dyed pink. But if I looked closer, then I could see that there were still some white buds on the tree.


    Furthermore, on an even closer look, there were cherry blossoms there too.


    I sketched the flower and bud into a sketchbook that I carried around. I wanted to capture its most beautiful appearance.


    I focused on sketching, tiptoeing to see the lowest branch I could find.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    I heard a really beautiful voice from above me, sending chills down my spine.


    I did something that a noble daughter wouldn¡¯t do. I bent my back and looked up at the sky and saw someone behind the thin branches¡­ It would really suit him if the petals were falling.


    He had jet-black hair like a woman¡¯s and it was neat. He had almond eyes and deep violet pupils, it was the colour of wine. His eyebrows were shaped perfectly and they made me angry¡­ Do I look like a suspicious person?


    I straightened my posture and stood in front of him.


    He looked like a handsome but serious man. He had a large emblem and gold braids on his uniform. It¡¯s someone I¡¯ve never meet before.


    I showed him my sketch and explained it to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sketching the cherry blossoms to use them as a design for embroidery. My name is Ayesha Org. I started working at the dining hall 3 days ago. I had free time today so I thought I would sketch something.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Dick Eigorn, the vice-captain of the guards here in Coolden. It¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve met, isn¡¯t it? You can call me Dick. Nice to meet you.¡±


    From his features, he must be a noble? I thought but when I went over the noble almanac in my head there was no Eigorn House listed there. He must be really good if he made it to vice-captain without being a noble. He was definitely smart, because his eyes are sharp, you know? Just like Roborto-sama¡¯s.


    I smiled and bowed, ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    A high pitched sound could be heard after we faced each other. We heard the sound coming from everywhere.


    ¡°An unexpected guest, is it?¡±


    Dick clicked his tongue and whispered.


    Translator: Blushy


    Editor: Sam

 Chapter 40 - Hawk and Wolf

    I didn¡¯t understand the meaning of the whistle echoing in the vicinity and twisted my neck around to see what was going on.


    Dick-sama explained to me what was happening.


    ¡°When you opened the door near the front gate there was a clanging sound, right? After that, what other sounds did you hear?¡±


    ¡°A bell was rung when I came here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s the bell that¡¯s rang when the person is judged to be harmless. Because it¡¯ll be fine if only the secretariat hears it. When an unexpected, or troublesome guest comes, then the whistle is blown. It¡¯s also blown when an enemy comes. The sounds of the whistle resound throughout the whole place. And everyone that hears it, makes preparations for fighting. Well, the whistle was only blown once, so I wonder what kind of big-shot came.¡±


    Dick-sama¡¯s eyes which were like a hawk¡¯s or raptor¡¯s glowed with observation.


    But that radiance was quickly overshadowed, ¡°It a hassle, so should I just stay here?¡± he said. He made the deep-green mantle he wore into a pillow and laid down onto the lawn.


    Mm, where did the handsome and glistening Dick-sama go?


    ¡°Mm, is it fine for you not to go greet the guests, Dick-sama?¡±


    I asked with concern. If he used the excuse that he couldn¡¯t go to meet the guests because he was worried about me then I¡¯d be troubled.


    ¡°Mhmm? I just came back a while ago, so I¡¯m mentally tired. I still haven¡¯t showed my face in the secretariat yet. The only people who know I¡¯m back are the gatekeepers, so I¡¯ll waste a little time here. Also, stop calling me Dick-sama. It isn¡¯t like me. Also, stop being polite.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll call you Dick-san. I¡¯ve tried to stop using honorifics, but it just happens.¡±


    Really, I wanted to stop because commoners didn¡¯t use it, but I do respect the people around me and I end up being polite.


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Dick said and began his nap.


    Is it really alright? I watched him and woah, his eyelashes are so long!!


    This was the first time I¡¯ve seen a man¡¯s sleeping face, it wasn¡¯t embarrassing but I felt my face go red. There was a buzzing sound in my head.


    I was going to leave, but decided to spend the time sketching under the sunny and windless sky since the guest probably has nothing to do with me.


    I found a snowdrop white flower on the side of the cherry blossom tree and started sketching it.


    (It¡¯s still blooming. This flower indicates spring. It¡¯s plain, so it¡¯s probably not suited for embroidery designs, huh?)


    People don¡¯t hear the sounds around them when they¡¯re focusing.


    I was exactly like that at that time.


    I reacted to someone¡¯s presence and before I knew it, Dick-san was standing up. He was flicking dust off himself.


    I stared at the man that was approaching me with sleepy eyes.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t have any business with you.¡±


    ¡°So, why did you come here?¡±


    The man ignored Dick-san and slowly approached behind me. I still hadn¡¯t noticed this.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Miss Ayesha-marie. You seem fairly accustomed to your life here. I¡¯ve been looking for you.¡±


    If this was a comic then there would probably be letters written in the background. I might have heard it. I heard that and held my sketchbook with an attentive posture while turning around slowly.


    (You¡¯ve been looking for me? What? Calm down, me.)


    The person before me was Roberto-sama.


    His hair was slicked back and he stunk of an elite smell. He wore greyish clothes that were clearly of fine quality.


    Why are you here? Are you free?


    His words which had no intonation nor emotion took away my calm composure.


    Roberto-sama was smiling, but his amber, wolf-like eyes that were staring straight at me were not.


    (Calm down. First, greet him and then keep myself in check.)


    ¡°I was indebted to you the other day. But, the Ayesha-marie you know no longer exists, Roberto-sama. So, I¡¯m sorry but the girl you are looking for cannot accept your request.¡±


    I didn¡¯t curtsy like a noble, but bowed like a commoner and lowered my head.


    Dick-san watched the exchange between Roberto-sama and I and spoke.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but it¡¯s not something for her to keep lowering her head to, is it? Roberto-sama¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Dick-dono, this has nothing to do with you, so leave¡­ Be gone.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s kind of me to not let a man and woman talk alone.¡±


    The frosty voices and gazes collided on top of my head.


    The amber eyes of a wolf met the deep wine-coloured eyes of a hawk and both glared at each other.


    Woah, I don¡¯t want to raise my head now.


    They seem to know each other and they¡¯re not on good terms.


    I¡¯m thankful Dick-san, but I want to tell you that, ¡°It isn¡¯t good to get involved with Roberto-san.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t leave the two of them like this and raised my head.


    My face switched from the commoner Ayesha to the noble Ayesha-marie. I shut my eyes and clenched my fists.


    ¡°Phew¡­ Roberto-sama, shall we move to a place where we won¡¯t inconvenience the guards of this kingdom? Dick-san, could you please get the visitor¡¯s room ready for me?¡±


    I left the two who were still glaring at each other and started walking ahead.


    I felt down.


    If it¡¯s Roberto-sama, then he¡¯s eaten all the latest sweets, hasn¡¯t he?


    I walked with those thoughts in mind, but I actually didn¡¯t want to go to the visitor¡¯s room.


    The mask of Ayesha-marie that I was wearing was an expressionless one.

 Chapter 41 - Letter

    When we returned, a lot of guards gathered around wondering what was happening.


    Of course they would.


    I was walking with Roberto-sama who everyone knew from when the whistle was blown. Dick-san was also with us with an unpleasant look on his face.


    Even though I got them to recognise me as the show girl of the dining hall, but now they¡¯ve probably acknowledged me as Roberto-san¡¯s acquaintance.


    The noble Ayesha-marie¡¯s face slipped and she casted her eyes down¡­.


    ¡°Why¡¯s a higher class noble with Ayesha-chan?¡±


    ¡°If something happens to her, then you won¡¯t get away with it.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Is she Roberto-san¡¯s acquaintance?¡±


    ¡°Ayesha-chan has come to meet someone!¡±


    The guards gathered while maintaining their distance and talked amongst themselves. They watched us from a distance.


    Bobles-san and Lancel-sama whom I met at the ball was standing in front of the visitor¡¯s room waiting for us.


    ¡°Ayesha, you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry for causing trouble for you and the guards.¡±


    The only thing I could do was lower my head in apology.


    ¡­ I prayed in my mind that I wouldn¡¯t be thrown out because I¡¯ve become a nuisance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a nuisance or anything. I hired you knowing that you had your own circumstances. I¡¯ll help you with whatever I can.¡±


    Bobles-san got out of the way while laughing heartily and patted my head.


    Ah, he¡¯s so reliable. I didn¡¯t mind being treated like a kid for a bit.


    I cheered up a little.


    ¡°Roberto, don¡¯t leave the visiting procedures to me.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Lancel. I was able to meet her fast because of you.¡±


    ¡°How do you do, Lancel-sama?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but give him a noble¡¯s curtsy.


    It seemed that Dick-san knew Roberto-sama and Lancel-sama.


    I thought that we would use the visitor¡¯s room for our discussion, but the secretary guided us to a drawing room that had more superior furnishings. Well, of course. Roberto-sama and Lancel-sama, two high class nobles had come to visit after all.


    Dick-san leaned against the door. ¡°I want to know what¡¯s going on,¡± his attitude seemed to say.


    He didn¡¯t enter the room and waited for discussions with the secretary to end.


    The secretary brought us tea.


    I took it since I believed that I could brew better tea than the people here.


    ¡°I think this is something outsiders shouldn¡¯t hear. Is it okay for Dick-san to be here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Today, I brought you a letter from His Highness Ludens.


    My hands stopped as I was pouring the tea.


    Letter?!


    ¡­ I only have bad feelings about this. I wonder if I should make the tea taste bad on purpose. No, I can¡¯t. My pride won¡¯t let me. I¡¯ll imitate Ms. Dolcie¡¯s top-rate tea.


    I placed the tea in front of Roberto-sama and Lancel-sama, then took a seat opposite them.


    I placed the tea for Dick-san next to me and he sat down.


    ¡°The tea¡¯s delicious.¡±


    ¡°It is.¡±


    The two nobles sipped on the tea as if it was the most obvious thing to do.


    I also picked up my tea. Yup, it smells great. It also tastes mild and nice.


    The secretary didn¡¯t bring any snacks to go with the tea. If there¡¯s no snacks then the two nobles will probably go home faster, right? How unfortunate.


    After a moments of silence, I sighed and Roberto-sama passed me a letter.


    I took it, looked at the back and saw the Royal Families¡¯ seal waxed there.


    I prepared myself for the worse.


    ¡ºAyesha-marie Org du Thousand-dono,


    I wish to make an appointment with you.


    I want you to visit the Royal Palace with the person who gave you this letter.


    Ludens Alfred Jordan Aim¨¦ du Pound Fernand¡»


    Ah, it¡¯s the real thing. The signature of his long name was written in a winding way.


    His Highness, Ludens¡¯ wish was equal to a command. Even I know this. The point is, I avoided Roberto-sama¡¯s ¡¸invitation to visit the Royal Palace¡¹ , but he disregarded it and now it was like this¡­¡­ A command to visit.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Dick-san¡¯s gaze said.


    I moved my frozen body and showed the letter to Dick-san. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to see the contents of the letter.


    Dick-san frowned as he read the letter.


    ¡°You¡¯re a noble? Why are you being called? It¡¯s not good to get involved with those guys.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a former noble. I don¡¯t want to be involved in the noble world anymore. Roberto-sama is trying to make me meet His Highness, Ludens for some reason. Also, please don¡¯t tell anyone that I was a former noble, Dick-san.¡±


    I only took the look in Dick-san¡¯s eyes as confirmation.


    Roberto-sama watched our exchange silently and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°Ayesha-marie-dono is still a temporary commoner. She hasn¡¯t been removed from the noble registry. You should understand this.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I haven¡¯t been removed from the noble registry? Roberto-sama should also know this. I applied to be removed from it!¡±


    The emotionless mask of Ayesha-marie returned to that of Ayesha. I knew that my complexion was changing for the worse.


    The hands that I was grasping tightly became white.


    ¡°I want you to meet with His Highness, Luden to talk about various things including that. We depart from Coolden tomorrow afternoon at one. Go pack. You¡¯ll meet with His Highness, Luden the day after tomorrow. Keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Roberto. You should take more time to explain the situation.¡±


    ¡°I will not. If I do that, then she¡¯ll just run away. You should tell me your decision straight away.¡±


    Roberto-sama said as he drank his tea and stood up.


    The corners of his mouth lifted a little and he said.


    ¡°The tea you brewed was very delicious. I¡¯m going to the Woodworking Guild after this. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. You can¡¯t escape. Lancel, I¡¯ll see you at the inn later.¡±


    Roberto-sama left.


    ¡­ I¡¯m furious.


    Dick-san was also silent.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll be inspecting the guards. Dick-dono, would you show me around?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood. Talk to the secretary.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay. Mm, I¡¯m sorry to involve you in this Miss Ayesha-marie. It won¡¯t end if you don¡¯t meet with His Highness Ludens. You should meet with him and convince him.¡±


    ¡°What am I convincing him of?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ll have to meet His Highness to find out. Sorry. I can¡¯t tell you the details.¡±


    I sat on the coach and watched Lancel-sama in a daze as he left.


    My strength left me and I couldn¡¯t stand up to see him off.


    All I could hear was the sound of the door opening and closing.

 Chapter 42 - Strong Mind

    (I¡¯m still a noble?)


    I asked myself, but the answer never came.


    (Haven¡¯t I already stopped being a noble?)


    I thought I had removed myself from the noble registry. But, I was just a ¡¸temporary commoner¡¹because I haven¡¯t been registered in the commoner¡¯s registry.


    (I thought I¡¯d finally found where I belong. Do I still have to live while worrying about things around me?)


    I felt depressed.


    I was too na?ve. Yup. Nothing comes easy in the world. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d find a place where I belong that easily.


    I laughed at myself.


    ¡°Fu, Fufufu¡­¡­ Hah.¡±


    I breathed heavily.


    ¡°Whoa, hey. You alright?¡±


    Dick-san shook my shoulders that were dropped.


    The pupils of his deep wine-coloured eyes were shaking and my appearance was reflected in them. The one who was shaking was me.


    Oh, there¡¯s still someone here who¡¯s worried about me. It¡¯s only been a few hours since we¡¯ve meet. It¡¯s like he¡¯s a scary person because he has sharp eyes.


    ¡­ But, I don¡¯t know how people in the organisation get their power.


    I couldn¡¯t stay by Dick-san¡¯s side when I had such thoughts in mind.


    I removed the hand from my shoulder, stood up and staggered out of the room.


    I had a feeling that I was being called. Well, it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t want to think about complicated things.


    ???????


    When I came back to my senses, I was cleaning a large amount of vegetables while smiling in the kitchen.


    The water and mud felt rough on my skin.


    (How am I a noble with hands like this?)


    I mocked myself.


    It wasn¡¯t like I was complaining about not being a noble.


    After I finished washing the vegetables, I carried them to the kitchen informing Bobles-san, who was sharpening the knife that I¡¯d finished and looked for something to do


    I rested my hands and Bobles-san stared at my face.


    ¡°Are you alright? Good. You seem to have returned to your senses.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry. I returned to my senses while washing the vegetables earlier. I¡¯m sorry for bothering you with many things. Um, and also I¡¯m sorry for being selfish, but I would like to take a break from work because I have to go to the Royal Capital for some business¡­ Please let me work at the dining hall until tomorrow morning. I will definitely return, so please let me work here again.¡±


    ¡°Ah, alright. Vice-captain Dick-san briefly told me what happened at the drawing room. You¡¯re saying the same things you said when you weren¡¯t acting like yourself. Just help with what you can. I don¡¯t have any intentions of changing how I act towards you. So¡­¡­ When you feel like talking, do so.¡±


    Did he also hear that I was a former, no, still a noble?


    Nope, doesn¡¯t seem like he did.


    I was glad that Bobles-san¡¯s attitude towards me wouldn¡¯t change. In short, he still saw me as a person.


    ¡°I have something I want to consult Emery-san with. So please lend me Emery-san.¡±


    I honestly didn¡¯t think that I would just disappear.


    I was able to grow into the person I am today no matter what my family and the servants said about me.


    I thought that Ayesha-marie was a strong girl.


    I¡¯m beaten.


    Becoming a commoner had made me this dim.


    Then, like usual, I washed the dishes, lined them up and carried the things I was told to. I might have been working harder than I usually did.


    At dinner time, I dished up the plates of the guards who came to the dining hall. People called out to me in cheerful voices and I had silly conversations.


    I smiled and joked, ¡°I had such a tough time today.¡±


    I tried to act as the dining hall¡¯s poster girl Ayesha.


    But my face stiffened when I saw Dick-san and I became aware of it again.


    Even though Dick-san had never done anything bad towards me.


    He looked calm every time I looked at him with self-awareness.


    ¡°Hey, come here for a bit.¡± I was wiping the tables when there was almost no one left in the dining hall and a voice called out to me.


    ¡°Sorry. Let me borrow Ayesha for a bit.¡±


    Dick-san was standing in front of me when I looked up and he yelled. He grabbed my wrist while I was troubled and took me outside the dining hall.


    My feet became tangled and I couldn¡¯t resist him. He pulled me as I tottered and we stopped under a big tree.


    It was bright under the moonlight and I could read his facial expressions.


    ¡­ Ah, it¡¯s a full moon today. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen the night sky. The garden under moonlight is also pretty.


    ¡°What a look you have. You hide your emotions too much. You¡¯ll break if you keep overdoing it. I¡¯ve seen a lot of people on the battlefield who have the balance between reason and emotion break like you. Hey, spit it out. I¡¯ll lend you an ear. Go on, cry.¡±


    We were standing in the shade of the tree as not to be visible to others and Dick-san hugged me softly after wrapping me in a dark green cloak.


    ¡­ I don¡¯t wanna.


    ¡°Let me go.¡±


    I pushed Dick-san with both my hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cry alone. I always overcome things after I cry alone. And I have permission to consult with Emery-san today. So I don¡¯t need to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡±


    I slipped out of the cloak while Dick-san had his eyes widened in surprise.


    Ah, that surprised me.


    I¡¯m really useless to have Dick-san do something like this. Get it together, me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for worrying you. Goodnight.¡±


    I looked up at the night sky. The stars were shining. Yes, I can still see the beauty in the glistening stars.


    I curtsied like a noble and ran back to tidy the dining hall.


    Dick-san, who was left there, grinded his teeth and stood idly.


    ¡°She¡¯s so strong, despite being a noble daughter. I give up. I didn¡¯t need to interfere.¡±


    He suddenly smiled wickedly and returned to his own room.


    Our relationship might have changed if I¡¯d used that chance to cry. However, I didn¡¯t. Therefore, our relationship stayed as two people working in the same place.


    But, Dick-san might see me as a ¡¸girl he was curious about¡¹. I don¡¯t know.

 Chapter 43 - Fairy鈥檚 Embrace

    To tell you the truth, I made fried donuts for Emery-san while Bobles-san and the others were cooking dinner.


    I didn¡¯t have time to go buy a gift for her and they didn¡¯t sell any affordable sweets around here.


    For commoners, desserts were a luxury good that they enjoyed eating once in a while. Fried donuts covered in sugar would surely make Emery-san happy.


    The only dessert the guards got was fruits.


    Still, eggs, sugar, flour and milk were used in cooking. There was even a powder that could be used as baking soda.


    I, who ate desserts every day as a noble, made fried donuts with the knowledge I had gained when I helped out in the kitchen. The ingredients were paid for with my salary.


    Bobles-san couldn¡¯t take it anymore when he saw my timid figure frying the donuts, so he helped me.


    After cleaning up at the dining hall, I shared some donuts with the kitchen staff and brought the rest with me when I went to visit Emery-san.


    Anyway, the appearance of the donuts were just average, but it was delicious if I do say so myself. You could also taste the flavour. I¡¯ll be happy if everyone enjoys it.


    The moonlight lighting my path lightened my mood. I had the donuts in hand. A sweet smell tickled my nose.


    I have nothing to do with Dick-san. Nothing happened with him, so I¡¯m safe.


    ???????


    ¡°Ayesha, welcome.¡±


    Emery-san hugged me right after she saw me.


    She hugged me tightly, which was something I wouldn¡¯t have expected from her appearance.


    ¡­ It¡¯s painful¡­ Emery-san.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    My voice wouldn¡¯t come out because I was surprised and squeezed tightly¡­ I looked at the container I was holding.


    Emery-san took the container and let me go.


    She looked inside and said happily, ¡°Woah.¡± Yup, I¡¯m glad I made donuts.


    ¡°The kids are already sleeping, so I¡¯ll give them these donuts as treats for tomorrow.¡±


    She held the donuts as if they were very important and put it onto the shelf.


    I¡¯ll be very busy tomorrow after I help out at the dining hall, so I won¡¯t be able to spend a lot of time at Bobles-san¡¯s house.  It¡¯s a pity that I can¡¯t see Randa and Lilil eat the donuts.


    I sat down on the chair and warm milk was put in front of me.


    ¡°I heard a little from Bobles-san that some things happened. If you have something you want to talk about, then I¡¯ll listen. But, well drink the milk first and calm down.¡±


    I was happy to hear Emery-san¡¯s gentle voice. I felt myself calming down.


    The milk warmed my body.


    ¡°That means you haven¡¯t heard about it in detail. This is a strange request, but could you hug me and pat me on the head?¡±


    The puzzled Emery-san was cute. She looked like a fairy if she stayed silent.


    She stared at me.


    I nodded, untied my ponytail and approached her.


    Emery-san¡¯s arms wrapped around me and she hugged me as if she was hugging something important.


    Ah, I remembered mother. The corners of my mouth raise up like the time when I was a child.


    I laid motionlessly against Emery-san¡¯s collarbone as her hands rubbed my hair.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Oh, my tears are flowing out.


    By ones and twos.


    Emery-san just hugged me in silence and patted my head.


    Yup, I¡¯ll try my best even if I go to the Royal Capital.


    The tears washed away my heart; that heavy, foggy feeling in my heart cleared away.


    I¡¯m glad I asked Emery-san.


    ???????


    I got up early the next morning and helped out at the dining hall as usual.


    I¡¯m already back to the usual Ayesha-chan.


    Dick-san looked like he wanted to talk to me about something, but I ignored him. I¡¯m busy. I¡¯m sure you can tell by looking at me, right? I¡¯m acting like I usually am.


    I was there until we finished cleaning and told everyone that I would be taking a break for a while, then I returned to the inn.


    I finished packing last night.


    The black bag contained the things I was taking. I put the sewing kit, my mother¡¯s mementos, blue trousers and the red tunic I was wearing now into the other black bag.


    I wore my best dress, the milk tea coloured one and put on a mint coat. I¡¯d feel like the odd one out if I just wore the dress around town, so I hid it with a coat.


    I left the other black bag at Bobles-san¡¯s house.


    I was super happy when the kids told me, ¡°The donuts were yummy!¡± I¡¯ll make them something else when I return.


    I got dressed at the inn again, put my hair down and tied it loosely to one side.


    Ah, I don¡¯t have time to eat lunch. I can¡¯t do anything about that.


    I paid the old couple the money up until today and left.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be troubled if they pick me up in front of the guard building¡¯s gate.¡±


    Yes, I didn¡¯t want more people to think that I was involved with Roberto-sama.


    I walked away from the gate and stopped in a place with no buildings.


    There weren¡¯t any shadows either.


    It¡¯ll be fine if I wait for Roberto-sama¡¯s carriage here, right?


    A black and shiny carriage came my way while I was doing nothing.


    (Ah, it¡¯s here. It¡¯s here.)


    I stood by the side of the road and the carriage stopped before me.


    (Woah, it¡¯s a wonderful carriage even though it doesn¡¯t have a crest. As expected of the Prime Minister¡¯s Earl House.)


    The door of the carriage opened and Lancel-sama came out while smiling. The coachman took my bag.


    ¡°Come on, get in.¡±


    Lancel-sama held the door open and I lifted the hem of my dress a little while boarding the carriage.


    I was tensed as if I was heading towards a battlefield.


    Roberto-sama was sitting inside of the carriage as if it was the most obvious thing to do. I was forced to sit in front of him.


    Lancel-sama, who had entered the carriage last, sat next to Roberto-sama.


    (Ugh, do I have to spend hours in the carriage with these people?)


    It was the beginning of torture.

 Chapter 44

    There was a big difference in the carriage that I was riding now and the carriage that I rode a while back. No, there was no point in comparing them in the first place.


    After I boarded the carriage and exchanged simple greetings with them, I wondered what kind of torture-like questions they would ask me, but the time passed in silence.


    (Well, I¡¯m relieved that time is passing peacefully.)


    Roberto-sama had his arms crossed and eyes closed and looked as if he was thinking about something.


    Lancel-sama glanced at the scenery at first, but now he was sleeping. Well, that¡¯s fine.


    Me? I was sitting with my back straight, showing my good manners. My face was expressionless, but there was a storm raging inside me.


    (Yes, I can¡¯t calm down! Because I¡¯ve never been in a locked room with men other than onii-sama and father!)


    The third imperial prince and his entourage. I guess I could also call them the Glittery Big Four.


    It is believed that they would be in charge of the monarchy in the future and they were good-looking, high-ranked nobles who everyone wanted to become acquainted with. Furthermore, they were all single.


    If I¡¯m with such people, then the ladies would hate me even if they think I¡¯m a noble. If I¡¯m careless, then I might be pestered by some strange man and I might become unvirtuous. If they think I¡¯m a commoner, then my life might be forfeited¡­ That is how scary a woman¡¯s jealousy is. It¡¯s really scary.


    Various thoughts like that were jumbled in my mind.


    And the fact that Ayesha-marie from the Thousand House has disappeared is known to everyone, it doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re noble or commoners. I don¡¯t know how information is circulated.


    If they knew that I had returned, furthermore by the side of the third imperial prince, then there¡¯ll be chaos.


    Seriously, why am I being called by the third imperial prince¡­?


    Think, me.


    What kind of power can oppose him?


    The law?


    Well, there is an example of intervening with the law right in front of my eyes.


    Nevertheless, I still want to go to the library if I have time. I want to read that law book.


    I will protect myself.


    If I can¡¯t do that, then there¡¯s no need for me to become a commoner. It was good enough to be protected by my noble blood.


    ¡°Um, can I stay at the ¡ºHen Inn¡»while I¡¯m at the Royal Capital?¡±


    Roberto-sama¡¯s immediately opened his amber eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be staying at my estate.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    (Are you trying to shorten my lifespan?)


    ¡°You can¡¯t have an audience with the imperial prince like that now can you? We¡¯ll prepare everything for you.¡±


    I frowned.


    I probably shouldn¡¯t frown while acting as a noble.


    But these people don¡¯t understand how I feel. My emotions should show, since I hated it so much that I stopped being a noble.


    ¡°Please prepare a wig that¡¯s different from my normal hair colour. I should have disappeared, so there¡¯s no way I would be loitering around Roberto-sama¡¯s estate or the Royal Palace.¡±


    ¡°The people at my estate won¡¯t tell others¡­ But, yes, I¡¯ll prepare one for you.¡±


    Lancel-sama looked curiously at Roberto-sama and I since we were talking as if we were also on equal standing.


    ¡°Wow, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen an Ojou-san talk so bluntly to Roberto. You seem smart. Like Dick, you don¡¯t try to flatter us,¡± Lancel-sama said in a sociable tone as he stared at me.


    His short black hair and black eyes gave off a friendly feeling, but he was a knight in the Royal Imperial Guards so his appearance might be deceiving. He seemed like he would eliminate someone if he judged them to be harmful.


    Ah, scary, scary. Why do I have to get involved in such a world again?


    But if I talk to them, then I can get information.


    I only know the high-ranking nobles from the noble almanac.


    I have to suppress the storm inside of me and gather information.


    ¡°Are you acquainted with Dick-san?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°We were in defence school together. Dick¡¯s a commoner but he was really good. Ranks don¡¯t matter inside of the school, so we still talk as if we are still in school. We worked together at the Royal Palace, but he volunteered to move to the guards. Even now, he¡¯s the most successful person there¡­ And I think you know this as well, but Roberto and Dick are like oil and water. They don¡¯t get along. They always quarrel whenever they meet.¡±


    Lancel-sama laughed.


    On the other hand, Roberto-sama frowned.


    ¡°Lancel, don¡¯t say unnecessary things.¡±


    ¡°Are you close with Dick? Why are you working at the guard building?¡±


    ¡­ He¡¯s good. He pretended that he didn¡¯t notice the leading question and asked me something in return. He¡¯s many times better than you, Captain Weller.


    I replied while pretending not to notice this, ¡°I just became acquainted with him, so I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m close with him. I think you already know this but when I decided to change my social position and live a new life, the Master of Hen Inn introduced me to his older brother who works at the dining hall in the guard building. I started working there from then. Our relationship is only that of someone who works there and someone who comes to eat there.¡±


    ¡°I admire the Master for being tight-lipped. It was considerably hard to find your whereabouts.¡±


    ¡°Then, it would have been good if you had stopped looking for me.¡±


    ¡°I hope that it was worth the effort.¡±


    What the hell? Worth the effort¡­ They just ordered people around them and didn¡¯t even look for me themselves. They just use their authority however they like. I don¡¯t have enough information to counter those words. Will I be emancipated if I appeal my feelings to the imperial prince? There¡¯s no guarantee that that would happen.


    I became more anxious as I pondered.


    I have to try not to think of unnecessary things.


    I took out a scarf for embroidering from my shoulder bag. The design, which were cherry blossoms, was lightly sketched on the scarf. I threaded the light pink petals.


    I felt Roberto-sama and Lancel-sama looking at me with curiosity. Have they never seen someone embroider something before?


    We still had some time before we arrived at the Royal Capital.


    It was a waste of time to just sit here and do nothing. I have to finish the scarf that was assigned to me as homework.


    I should be able to calm down if I embroider something.

 Chapter 45 - Edenbach Estate

    Silence reigned over the carriage once again.


    Roberto-sama did not talk to Lancel-sama, probably because he didn¡¯t want to pass information to me.


    They didn¡¯t glance at me, probably so that they wouldn¡¯t interfere with my embroidery.


    I wonder if we¡¯ll stop somewhere soon.


    I¡¯m hungry.


    I didn¡¯t want my stomach to growl as a woman of independent age.


    I concentrated on my embroidery and tried to forget about my hunger.


    But, I couldn¡¯t stop my stomach from growling.


    ¨D¨D¨D Guuurrrrrururu


    I froze. I could tell that my face turned red and then blue. This is embarrassing. Embarrassing.


    ¡°¡­ Pardon me¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about it. You haven¡¯t had lunch, have you?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll take a long break soon, so you should eat something then.¡±


    The two didn¡¯t laugh, probably because they didn¡¯t want to embarrass me further. They¡¯re gentlemen, aren¡¯t they?


    Lancel-sama said, ¡°It¡¯s my snack, have some,¡± and passed me some chocolate. I haven¡¯t had chocolate in a long time and it was sweet and delicious.


    I might have gotten a better impression of them, but only just a little. I won¡¯t be tempted by chocolate.


    At the next resting place, I had a light meal of eggs and vegetable sandwiches with tea. It was so big that the egg would come out from the sides when I took a bite. I was extremely grateful. The sandwiches that the proprietress made gets a perfect score.


    It might have been a nuisance since we¡¯d stopped at the village so suddenly, but I was extremely thankful.


    The carriage was escorted by 4 knights riding on horses¡­ To go this far just to pick me up. No, this number should be reasonable since they were escorting 2 high-ranking nobles in this carriage.


    Then, the carriage entered the Royal Capital with its escorts. Lancel-sama got off the carriage at a corner in the Royal Palace and 2 of the escorts went with him. I was taken to Roberto-sama¡¯s estate.


    ???????


    Roberto-sama¡¯s mansion, the Edenbach estate, was near the Royal Palace. It was built in the innermost corner of the block where the high-ranking noble mansions were.


    Yes, it was 2 times? No, 3 times bigger than the Thousand Estate.


    It was already night time, so I couldn¡¯t see very well because it was dim, but I could tell that it was big.


    My mind wandered and I felt like my mouth would gap open. I looked around me.


    We got off the carriage and the butlers and maids lined up at the sides to greet us. I lowered my heads and took an attitude that was natural while being surprised inside.


    ¡°Behave like a noble,¡± Roberto-sama had said to me before.


    This was probably good enough, but I¡¯m not sure.


    I could tell that the furniture had good aesthetics and was of high quality, even if I didn¡¯t have a good eye for things like that. The servants acted in a refined way. They weren¡¯t a Marquis House who¡¯d produced a lot of Prime Ministers for show.


    They didn¡¯t look down on me for wearing simple clothes as a noble. They didn¡¯t say anything when Roberto-sama said, ¡°It¡¯s a visitor, she¡¯s going to have an audience with the imperial prince tomorrow,¡± and treated me with courtesy.


    I passed a wonderful guest room that looked as if it had never been used and no one had entered it before. After refusing attendants for my bath, I entered it alone and when I got out, a new dress had been prepared for me.


    It was a light pink dress with little design.


    (I wonder if I can wear such a cute dress.)


    The maids sprayed perfume on me. My hair was dried and set and my makeup was done. A cute girl was standing in front of the mirror.


    Roberto-sama was already sitting down on a chair in the room that I was guided to.


    Oh, do we have dinner here?


    I was glad that his family wasn¡¯t here. Cause, you know, I don¡¯t know how I should introduce myself to them.


    Dinner was great.


    It wasn¡¯t like the food that Bobles-san made was unappetising, it was probably fine to say that the expertise was different.


    The chefs of the Edenbach House paid delicate attention to food. Cutting the vegetables with a thin knife made them shine like gems. The meat and fish melted inside my mouth. The sauce was too complex and I couldn¡¯t tell what it was made from.


    I¡¯m sure the chefs put all their skills to use for Roberto-sama.


    But dinner with Roberto-sama and me, just the two of us¡­ We spent most the time in silence.


    Dinner was a little livelier even when I was having uncomfortable meals at the Thousand estate. I wanted to share how delicious the meal was.


    Does conversation decrease once one becomes a high-ranking noble?


    I, who was used to the noisy and lively guard dining hall, thought this dining room was desolated.


    You can talk a little. I won¡¯t be having meals with Roberto-sama soon after this anyway. I kept my manners in place.


    ¡°This is really delicious. I¡¯m extremely happy to eat such a delicate meal.¡±


    I smiled at the man who had served the meal.


    After being a little surprised, he changed his expression back to normal and replied, ¡°Thank you. The chefs would be happy to hear this.¡±


    ¡°I hired the chefs at a decent salary, so of course they would make delicious meals.¡±


    (I thought Roberto-sama would say something like this.)


    Let¡¯s properly convey how delicious the food is after a several more meals here.


    Because i know just how much the 5 senses are stimulated and how great the impression can be when someone tells you that they¡¯ve devoted themself to work for the sake of another.


    ???????


    I wrapped myself in blankets and was so sound asleep, I didn¡¯t even dream.


    I was extremely nervous in the carriage.


    My body must have remembered this experience because I was up by sunrise. I have to go back to sleep, don¡¯t I?


    If I don¡¯t refill my energy then I wouldn¡¯t be able to oppose the 3rd Imperial Prince.


    When I awoke the second time, a black wig and long green dress had been put in my room.


    (Woah, I¡¯ve never worn a dress like this before.)


    Today, I face the 3rd Imperial Prince.


    I smirked. Let¡¯s praise myself for being able to laugh before facing a strong enemy.


    I got dressed and looked in the mirror, which reflected a talented woman of unknown age.


    There was a knock on the door.


    Now, shall I proceed onto the battlefield?

 Chapter 46 - Breakfast and Audience

    I was only wearing a slender dress and it might have looked like I¡¯d only eaten enough to feed a bird. But, I am me, so I had a proper breakfast.


    Because I was so nervous last night, I remembered eating something delicious, but I couldn¡¯t remember what I¡¯d eaten.


    Therefore, I enjoyed my breakfast slowly.


    Because, I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to eat a noble meal again.


    It was just me and Roberto-sama in the dining room again.


    The croissant made me happy when the crispy aroma of butter flowed out from within, making me want seconds.


    There was a colourful and vibrant salad mixed with high-quality chicken breasts served with olives. The balance between the saltiness and the olive oil was perfect.


    The exquisite poached eggs with its golden yolk stimulated my appetite.


    The mellow European pear served for dessert completed breakfast.


    The servant assigned to me topped my tea with good timing.


    ¡°¡­ A meal at the Edenbach House is delicious after all.¡±


    I held my cheeks with both hands.


    I enjoyed delicious food in a refined atmosphere. I felt that this was the epitome of noble dining when I got accustomed to eating as a commoner.


    Commoner meals were also delicious, but it was noisy and one couldn¡¯t enjoy their meal gracefully.


    Roberto-sama looked at me in curiosity.


    (Is it weird for me to say that delicious food is delicious?)


    ???????


    Both my body and mind were satisfied and I didn¡¯t hesitate to follow Roberto-sama into the carriage that was leading us to the Royal Palace.


    I used this road last time I went to the Noble Registry section, didn¡¯t I?


    The magnolias were already close to full bloom and the temperature had gotten warmer. The flowers will probably continue to bloom one after the other.


    Yes, the month had changed. It was already the Fragrant month.


    The black wig and long, green dress made me feel like I wasn¡¯t Ayesha-marie.


    The person here right now wasn¡¯t a low-ranking noble daughter who cowered to others, but an independent young lady.


    The make-up that the maids had applied on me changed me into a different person, even though it was applied on lightly and looked like I wasn¡¯t wearing make-up at all.


    The eyeliner was drawn passed my eyes and gave it an almond look and the mascara made my eyes appear bigger. My eyebrows were drawn thinly and it made me appear older. I had a light pink lipstick on which gave off a gentle look. My hands were covered with a delicate lace glove¡­. These rough hands could only be concealed by gloves.


    The current me won¡¯t lose to Roberto-sama¡¯s gaze.


    But the black uniform that Roberto-sama had on that was adorned with gold was dazzling.


    My heart thumped because it was only the 2 of us in the carriage.


    ¡°Roberto-sama, mm¡­¡­ Thank you for taking care of me. I think it would take me some time to gather money for the dress, but I will pay you back in full, so¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also at fault for suddenly calling you here, so you don¡¯t have to worry about the expenses. It is not my House that bears the expenses for the preparations.¡±


    Oh, he interrupted me while I was in the middle of speaking. But it looks like he knows that he did something bad.


    The carriage ran lightly on the road.


    Roberto-sama was well-known at the Royal Palace, so I could enter easily without having been inspected or questioned.


    We followed the imperial guards who were wearing black trousers and white jackets into the interior of the palace which was a completely different place from when I was here for the ball. On the way, Lancel-sama also joined us wearing the imperial guard uniform adorned with gold. We walked quickly through the corridor.


    Unfortunately, the two didn¡¯t worry about me who was a woman and didn¡¯t walk slowly. Was it because it¡¯s me?


    Well, I haven¡¯t worn heels in a long time, but I was used to walking so I could easily follow after them.


    There were less people walking around the further we walked and I noticed the soldiers, maids and chamberlains.


    Roberto-sama would occasionally show a letter sealed with wax to the imperial guards. The guards would glance at me during those times and I felt like they were confirming who I was.


    I thought that it would be impossible for me to return to the entrance by myself after we walked for a long time, then we stopped in front of a door that had more refined cravings than the others.


    There were four bulky soldiers standing in front of the door and we weren¡¯t allowed to pass.


    They moved to the side of the door and knocked when Roberto-sama said something while showing them the letter. Then, the door opened from the inside.


    The door closed once again when we went inside. There were guards inside the room.


    ¡°This is a simple audience. Behave in an appropriate manner.¡±


    Roberto-sama whispered to me¡­¡­ I know that even if you don¡¯t tell me. I can tell. I nodded.


    It was a white room with a fluffy red carpet. There were steps at the front and a luxurious golden chair. Flowers were arranged in the large vase beside the chair.


    The guards stared at me as if saying, ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll go scot-free if you do something!¡±


    The door at the back of the chair opened and the 3rd Imperial Prince, His Highness Ludens appeared. Two guards followed after him.


    He had a short white mantle on and a uniform adorned with gold. He¡¯s sparkling.


    His Highness Ludens sat down on the chair and crossed his legs before staring down at me.


    (Woah, I might not want to look directly at his face. I feel like I¡¯m looking at someone I¡¯m not supposed to look at.)


    I lowered my gaze to look at the carpet and curtsied.


    Roberto-sama and Lancel-sama, who were next to me, did the same.


    His Highness Ludens nodded with a hrm.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Roberto, Lancel. Are you Lady Ayesha-marie? You¡¯re really different from how you were at the ball.¡±


    I took of the black wig and bowed again.


    ¡°I have changed my appearance a little for personal reasons. Please pardon me for this. I am Ayesha-marie Org du Thousand. I have come according to your letter.¡±


    My golden-brown hair was braided under the wing and was pinned from left to right. It couldn¡¯t be helped that my hairdo looked weird.


    (What is the best honorific for this?)


    I didn¡¯t want to commit lese-majeste, so all I could do was link all the words I knew. I could only trust in Ms. Dolcie¡¯s teachings.


    I was sweating on the inside as I answered.


    This was exactly what noble tactics were. But it¡¯s my first time!

 Chapter 47

    The sparkling imperial prince in front of me shook his head and then rested his chin on his right hand.


    He probably saw through me at the first glance. His emerald-green eyes seemed to be looking at something else.


    Leopard? No, he¡¯s like a lion¡­ His golden hair looked like a mane.


    (Ah, this is bad. I¡¯m starting to feel like I won¡¯t be able to win against him.)


    ¡°If Roberto had persuaded you to come to the Royal Palace before, then I wouldn¡¯t have to use such an exaggerated way to call you here. I¡¯m sorry, but I used the royal seal to call you here, so I¡¯ll treat you as such. I plan to have our conversation recorded.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Lancel-sama walked towards His Highness Ludens and stood behind him. Well he is an escort knight.


    Oh, I¡¯m meeting the Knights. I¡¯m so moved. I wonder if they¡¯re armed with swords under their uniforms¡­ I just noticed that I¡¯m thinking about other things right now.


    ¡°Now then Lady Ayesha-marie, I have called you here because I heard that you excelled in office work and wanted to see what kind of person you are. I am searching for people who will work under my command. They will be government workers and soldiers. Do you, as a lady of the Thousand House, know of any talented people?¡±


    (¡­ Oh, a lady of the Thousand House, is it? You¡¯re going to treat me as a noble until the bitter end, aren¡¯t you? The reason why I haven¡¯t been removed from the noble registry is definitely because this His Highness Ludens had something to do with it. But I can¡¯t question royalty now that I¡¯m on record.)


    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to say this, but I¡¯m famous for being a shut-in and I don¡¯t know anyone besides my family. Much less, introduce skilled people.¡±


    (Ugh. No matter how I think about it, isn¡¯t the acquaintance that His Highness Ludens talking about me?! I don¡¯t want to be under his direct command!)


    ¡°If I do say so myself, being under my direct command is pretty charming, but what do you think?¡±


    His Highness Ludens¡¯ emerald-green eyes flickered.


    His eyes narrowed a little and he smiled.


    Normal women would probably stare at him. He had a fascinating appeal that attracted people regardless of their gender.


    (It¡¯s so nice to have confidence in yourself.)


    I looked at him and became calm.


    ¡°I think that position has nothing to do with me, so I don¡¯t have to think about it. I don¡¯t think I will have the chance to think about it in the future either.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re very calm, aren¡¯t you? Well, let me know if someone comes to mind. We will have a tea party now.¡±


    His Highness Ludens clapped his hands and then stood up. He ordered people around in a nice voice.


    ¡°Secretary, the meeting has concluded. Lancel, tell the maids to prepare snacks and tea in the usual room. Roberto, show Lady Ayesha-marie to the usual room. Everyone else return to your posts. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°At your will.¡±


    ¡°At your will.¡±


    Lancel-sama and Roberto-sama put their right hands to their chest and bent a little on their left legs. They gave informal bows.


    His Highness Ludens flipped his short white mantel and left the room with his two guards as everyone else stayed in the room.


    My brain couldn¡¯t keep up with the sudden development¡­¡­ I was frozen in place and restless, so all I could do was watch him leave.


    ¡°¡­¡­ Why a tea party.¡±


    I dropped my shoulders, crestfallen and let out a sigh. The image of a slender noble lady was nowhere to be seen. Nobles were really vain.


    ¡°Hmph, your reaction is really different from the other noble ladies. His Highness might have been pleased with your attitude.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way he was.¡±


    Roberto-sama laughed scornfully. I¡¯m getting angry.


    His Highness is pleased with it?! That person looked like he was looking down on me, you know?!


    I grasped my hands tightly and got up.


    ¡°Lady Ayesha-marie, I¡¯m sorry for dragging you everywhere. Roberto, hey, let¡¯s go already.¡±


    Lancel-sama urged and we left the room.


    Of course, I put the black wig back on.


    I had no way of knowing that the encircling net surrounding me was gradually entrapping me.


    I could only make up my mind, ¡°If it¡¯s like this then I¡¯ll just enjoy the delicious tea at the Royal Palace.¡±


    Translator: Blushy


    Editor: Sam

 Chapter 48 - Tea Party Where I Can鈥檛 Relax

    Lancel-sama followed Roberto-sama to the inner part of the palace.


    I wasn¡¯t as tensed as before, so I could afford to look around me a little.


    The maids, who we occasionally passed, looked at the two high-ranking nobles with longing eyes and pink cheeks. Then, they looked at me and made an unpleasant face before looking relieved. It was an expression one used to look at pitiful people.


    (Is it because of this hairstyle¡­?)


    The black bobbed wig was only up to my shoulders.


    It was natural for noble ladies to have long hair. Having waist length hair was very common. Long hair was very important for ladies and they would keep it nice and clean, even if it was hard to do so.


    My hair is probably up to my mid-back. It¡¯s short, but I guess you could say it¡¯s long.


    It was common knowledge in the noble world that the people who have shoulder-length hair are widows who have lost their husbands or ladies who have no intentions of marrying.


    Commoners don¡¯t fuss over the length of their hair. Well, but it¡¯s not like there aren¡¯t people who don¡¯t cut their hair when they lose their husband.


    The maids seem to think that even though I¡¯m wearing a dress suited for a noble, I pose no problem for them even if I¡¯m with Roberto-sama and Lancel-sama because I have short hair.


    I wonder if Roberto-sama prepared this wig with that in mind.


    Well, it¡¯s fine if they just think I don¡¯t want to get married.


    But, I would be mortified if they think that I¡¯m already a widow even though I¡¯ve just reached adulthood. I¡¯ll be a little annoyed if they conclude that I¡¯m pitiful.


    We climbed up and down many stairs from the audience room that we were in and entered a room on the second floor of the inner part of the palace.


    It was a sunny room and even had a balcony.


    There were several office desks that were sturdy and practical and piles of books and documents on those desks. The room was brown so it didn¡¯t feel constricting. There were also a lot of soft-looking, cream-coloured sofas a slight distance away from the desks. There were even foot rests on good cushions. And finally, there was a sturdy bookshelf at the back of the room.


    There were three doors to the left and right walls of the room, so it was probably linked to other rooms.


    It was too practical to be called a personal room and it looked comfortable to be an office.


    Roberto-sama urged me to sit down on the sofa, so I chose a single seater to sit on.


    When Lancel-sama rang the bell, the door on the right opened and a maid came in. He gave her some instructions before she left through the same door she came in from.


    Not long after, a wagon with a tea set and snacks was brought into the room. A number of plates filled with snacks were lined up on the side table next to the sofa. Roberto-sama suggested that I pour the tea when His Highness arrives.


    (It¡¯s already time to eat lunch, isn¡¯t it? Indeed, it looks delicious.)


    Scones accompanied with whipped cream and dark purple jam, sandwiches stuffed with small vegetables and fruits, cake sale and so on. It was full of food that weren¡¯t that sweet and would fill one¡¯s belly. The type of food that men liked. They had cream puff for sweets. All of which were made small.


    I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes off the food.


    ¨D¨D *CREAK*


    The door at the back on the left side opened. His Highness, who¡¯d changed clothes, made his appearance.


    He was wearing a thick, dark blue shirt that was obviously made from fine cloth and a loop tie with a red jewel attached to it and velvet black trousers. The colours that he wore now were completely different from the ones he had on before. His golden hair was shining.


    He clenched one of his hands happily and entered the room in a relaxed manner. His escorts weren¡¯t with him.


    The only escort knights in this room was Lancel-sama.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made you wait. Lady Ayesha-marie, I¡¯ve cleared out the people here so you can relax. Well, if something happens then they¡¯ll come flying from the room next door.¡±


    (There¡¯s no way I can relax with this line-up. He¡¯s really detestable if he said that while knowing this.)


    Roberto-sama sat on the two-seater sofa in front of me (Are you my chaperone?) and Lancel-sama sat with good posture. His Highness Ludens sat on the one-seater between me and Lancel-sama.


    I got up and brewed tea in the pure white pottery for everyone¡­ Woah, these tea leaves are great. It also has a nice colour, almost orange. Is this the high grade stuff? I warmed up the cups with warm water while being nervous and brew tea with all the techniques at my disposal. I placed them in front of each of them.


    Everyone was silent during this time.


    Everyone received their tea and I sat down.


    ¡°You¡¯re skilful, as always.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Roberto-sama, Lancel-sama. Thank you for the compliment.¡±


    (So His Highness will drink after they¡¯ve tried it. Even though I didn¡¯t put poison into it. So he doesn¡¯t trust me? And he still invites me to such a private place?)


    His Highness drank the cup of tea. What is it? His eyes widened for a second.


    ¡°Oh, you had such a special skill. You brewed a really good cup of tea. You won¡¯t even lose to the maids who brew tea at the Royal Palace.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your compliment, but the tea leaves are also wonderful. They have such a beautiful colour and fragrance. It helped that I understood when the colour changed because of the white pottery.¡±


    ¡°You probably understand the use of white pottery, don¡¯t you? You pass. Now, let¡¯s eat.¡±


    Of course, His Highness waited for us to eat first before he reached for something.


    I put scones on my plate with a thong and ate it with a knife and fork. The beads in the dark purple jam were big and looked delicious.


    I wanted to eat all the snacks in front of me, but of course, I wasn¡¯t brave enough to eat greedily in front of these people¡­ And the girls¡¯ feelings inside of me told me that I didn¡¯t want to take my gloves off to eat the sandwiches. My rough hands didn¡¯t suit this place.


    I had no choice, but to drink the delicious cup of tea.


    Ah, why am I in this place?


    I looked around and see three adult nobles eating gracefully. They were talking about a lot of things, but I thought it would be better for me not to listen so it went in one and out the other ear.


    I wanted to talk about removing myself from the noble registry as soon as possible so I could go back to Coolden.


    I was suddenly surprised with myself.


    Coolden has become the place where I return to¡­¡­


    I knew that my mouth was turned up in a smile. Now, let¡¯s talk about the topic in question so he can send me home.

 Chapter 49 - No Match

    I quietly waited for the 3 high-ranking nobles to finish their conversation and snacks.


    ¡­ I can¡¯t get involved with these people any further.


    ¡°So, when will Lady Ayesha-marie start working as a secretary for me? I gave you time to think because you said you¡¯ve never thought about it before, didn¡¯t I? You¡¯ll be paid fairly well and you¡¯ll have a room in the official residence. The way people treat you would also improve because you¡¯re close to me.¡±


    ¨D¨D *ANGRY NOISE*


    I turned my head to face the person with the dazzling blonde hair.


    I want to compliment myself for not spilling the tea I was holding.


    I don¡¯t think what I¡¯m about to say is lese majeste nor rebellion.


    It¡¯s good to say my own opinion to those who have higher rank than me, right?


    My hands might be shaking a little¡­ He probably won¡¯t take my life even if it¡¯s lese majeste, right?


    ¡°Your Highness Ludens, it is not possible for me to become your subordinate. I can¡¯t. I must refuse.¡±


    I put the tea on the side table, stood up, looked down at His Highness and calmly said.


    ¡°It is my wish to live as a commoner. I should have been removed from the noble registry and added onto the commoner¡¯s one. Roberto-sama has told me that I am currently a temporary commoner and have not been removed from the noble registry. You¡¯re the one who stopped the application process, aren¡¯t you Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if the King doesn¡¯t accept your application, then your registry doesn¡¯t change. So, I got him to delay the procedure for a little while. If you were to become my subordinate, then it would be better for you to do so as a noble.¡±


    ¡°Sophistry. It¡¯s not possible for anyone to bend the law even if they¡¯re loyalty!¡±


    He combed his golden hair and his emerald-green eyes narrowed and stared at me as if he was looking at an interesting specimen.


    Roberto-sama and Lancel-sama stared between the two of us.


    ¡­ Ah, I can¡¯t breathe very well and I¡¯m breaking out in cold sweat.


    It wasn¡¯t something I should preach the royal family about. It¡¯s been driven into me from a young age that I should be loyal to the royal family, even if I¡¯ve never met them before. It was driven into me so badly that I would hate to commit lese majeste.


    It was different from the dislike I still feel from when Furore-sama was a little violent with me.


    I felt like I¡¯ve done something I shouldn¡¯t have.


    But, because of that he has to listen to me, right?


    ¡°I¡¯ll accept it eventually. Then, I¡¯ll change my tone. You haven¡¯t served the royal family have you?¡±


    His words echoed in my mind.


    ¡ºNobles serve the royal family in exchange for protection¡»¡­¡­ Ah, there was something like that, wasn¡¯t there?


    According to this, my life was protected by the Thousand House. I also announced to the noble society that I grew up soundly at my debut.


    I certainly haven¡¯t served them according to that.


    I saw His Highness Luden smiling while looking at me. I slowly shook my head.


    My eyes dropped to the floor.


    The cold sweats have stopped, but I felt the blood rush down to my feet.


    My mind isn¡¯t working well.


    I won¡¯t be able to become a commoner like this.


    I have to think of something. Think. I have to say something.


    ¡°¡­ I will repay it somehow.¡±


    ¡°You can repay that by working for me.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t raise my head.


    My throat was dry.


    I know that if I nod, I would be able to get away from this oppressed feeling with no back or social status. But, I don¡¯t want to nod.


    I chewed my lips, it tasted like blood.


    ¡°How stubborn.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness is a bully.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve only become the villain because Roberto couldn¡¯t convince you very well. Lady Ayesha-marie, I¡¯ll give you 10 days to decide. Meanwhile, you should enjoy your life as a commoner. Come here again in 10 days. Let¡¯s have a tea party again.¡±


    My face remained stiff as I curtsied and left the room by myself.


    I greeted the escort knights on guard and briskly walked to the entrance of the Royal Palace.


    ???????


    I asked different maids and soldiers for the way out and somehow managed to return to the entrance of the Royal Palace.


    I headed towards the carriage stop.


    But, my foot got tangle near the stop and I sat down. I hit my knees as punishment, but it didn¡¯t hurt much.


    Huh? I thought as I punched the stone pavement. I punched it several times.


    ¡°¡­ I wonder if I¡¯m dreaming. It doesn¡¯t hurt after all.¡±


    I looked at my right first and saw that the glove was stained with blood.


    I arrived at the carriage stop, but the Edenbach carriage wasn¡¯t here yet.


    I walked to the nearby lawn and sat down in a daze. I¡¯m wearing a dress, but whatever. It¡¯s long so you can¡¯t see my underwear.


    I hugged my knees and rolled into a ball.


    (Why is His Highness Ludens so obsessed with me? I might be able to work for him if it¡¯s for a fixed time. But if I¡¯m by his side, then there¡¯s a chance I¡¯ll get involved with highly classified information. Would they release someone who has access to highly classified information? Does he think it¡¯s easy to discard me after everything¡¯s done because I only have half-noble blood?)


    ¡°I received less damage this time, probably because this is the second time it¡¯s happened. I worked hard against someone from the royal family. My wish isn¡¯t easily fulfilled. I wonder if I want it¡­¡­ Umph!¡±


    I saw Roberto-sama approaching the carriage stop from afar and stood up.


    ¡°What are you doing? You¡¯re behaving badly¡­ Here, a souvenir.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Inside the small box that Roberto-sama gave me as a souvenir were the smallish, colourful cream puffs that I saw earlier.


    These people probably don¡¯t understand my feeling of ¡ºwanting to become a commoner¡», do they? But I was able to convey that I was extremely disappointed. This comforted me a little.


    ¡°Is it okay for me to receive all this?¡±


    ¡°You want to eat them all by yourself? ¡­ Well, you can eat them if you want.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll do just that.¡±


    The sweet scent coming out of the small box tickled my nose. I gently hugged the small box on my chest.


    Sweet things make your mind sharp, don¡¯t they?


    ???????


    The carriage came to pick us up and I returned to the Edenbach mansion.


    Afterwards, I left the Edenbach mansion as soon as I changed clothes and headed to Hen Inn. I wore the milk-tea coloured dress with a mint coat.

 Chapter 50 - At Hen Inn Again

    ¡°Thank you for your help. I will express my gratitude somehow.¡±


    I gave them my best noble curtsy and bowed my head as deeply as I could. I quickly boarded the Edenbach House carriage and told the coachman where I wanted to go.


    I quickly got off the carriage and began walking.


    Uoah, my head feels fluffy and disgusting.


    I had my hair in braids so that I could wear the wig, so when I took it off and untied my hair, it became a lovely, fluffy hairstyle. Is it a little too childish? I thought, but I wanted to get out of the Edenbach mansion as fast as possible, so I untied my hair and left.


    Lots of women were walking in groups, so I drew people¡¯s attention.


    Argh, I don¡¯t want to, no.


    I don¡¯t want to be a noble, I screamed in my mind while walking fast.


    The sky was blue and clear but the inside of my mind was stormy.


    I got off the carriage near the carriage stop and headed towards ¡ºHen Inn¡».


    ???????


    ¨D¨D *CREAK*


    It must have been lunch break, because the inside of the ¡ºHen Inn¡»was deserted and quite.


    ¡°Hello. Excuse me¡­.¡±


    I quietly whispered and softly stepped into the inn.


    When I headed towards the counter, I saw Master sitting on a chair while napping with his arms folded.


    (It¡¯s rude to see the crown of his head, so don¡¯t look! Me!)


    Master glanced at me with half-opened eyes and then jumped up.


    *GAK*


    He jumped! I¡¯m the one who¡¯s surprised!


    ¡°¡­¡­ -come.¡±


    ¡°I would like to stay for the night, are there any rooms available?¡±


    Master nodded, and gave me the key that I saw some time back.


    ¡°¡­.. It¡¯s the same room¡­¡­ Ah, you look fine.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is thanks to you that I was able to live properly in Coolden. It¡¯s thanks to Master¡¯s letter. I¡¯m extremely indebted to Bobles-san and his family. It¡¯s only for a night, but I would like to thank you by helping out in the kitchen or by cleaning the dining area. Anything¡¯s fine, so please let me do this.¡±


    I quickly bowed.


    However, Master stopped me by holding my shoulder and I immediately raised my head.


    I returned to the restaurant again after I put my black bag and the box of macarons down in my room.


    I held a broom and swept near the entrance of the restaurant carefully.


    My mind finally calmed down.


    I only had the milk tea coloured dress on me, so I borrowed an apron and put it on. I had my hair up in a ponytail, but it was fluffier than usual and felt weird.


    (I feel them staring from the Fernand Empire¡¯s 2nd soldier station. Were they waiting for the restaurant to open so they could have an early dinner?)


    I, who wasn¡¯t used to being examined by men as a woman, ignored all their gazes. I also did this when I worked at the guards¡¯ station in Coolden.


    I don¡¯t have any interest in that at all, probably because I wasn¡¯t self-aware of the opposite sex or maybe it was because I had few chances to interact with young men. Having said that, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get involved with love.


    If I have that kind of time, then I would rather use it on embroidering or other things.


    That¡¯s why it was impossible for me to know what their intentions are.


    I finished sweeping and this time, I took a dust cloth and wiped around the door. I have to make it clean.


    ¨D¨D *SQUEAK SQUEAK*


    ¡°Make the door knob clean¡­¡­ And I have to wipe at the top of the door too.¡±


    I, who wasn¡¯t very tall, jumped as I wiped the door.


    I felt the presence of someone tall behind me when they snatched the dust cloth away from me.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Is this alright?¡±


    ¨D¨D *RUB RUB*


    The top part of the door was being wiped by someone.


    I turned around and saw, ¡°Captain Weller¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes? Ayesha, was it?¡±


    ¡°Ye-yes. Thank you for wiping it for me.¡±


    I tried to take the cloth back and leave back into the restaurant, but I couldn¡¯t escape from Captain Weller¡¯s strong rust coloured eyes.


    His eyes moved from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet.


    ¡°Everyone was saying that there was a cute new rookie here, but it was you, huh¡­¡±


    ¡°Un? I¡¯m just helping out.¡±


    It seemed that the young soldiers were making a fuss, so he came to confirm the culprit behind it.


    I forced Captain Weller to talk about what happened up until now.


    He seemed very troubled because Roberto-sama would bug him, ¡°Where did Lady Ayesha-marie go?¡± He would ask many times¡­ Well, yeah. I did my best to pretend I didn¡¯t know where I was going after all. Master and Ada-san also helped me out.


    But he eventually found me anyway, I don¡¯t know what will happen in the future.


    I stared off into the distance and grumbled.


    While this was happening, Ada-san came to work a little before the restaurant opened.


    She jumped me as soon as she saw me. My heart was pounding.


    ¡°Kyai, if it isn¡¯t Ayesha-chan. It¡¯s been awhile! How are you? You¡¯re not being questioned by Captain Weller or something are you?¡±


    Ada-san approached Captain Weller and when I said, ¡°I was just about to tell Captain Weller about it,¡± it became really noisy, ¡°I want to hear about Ayesha too!¡± I was surprised and consulted with the two. The result was that I would be helping out as a waitress until 8 o¡¯clock. When I finish, we would have dinner and then talk about what has happened to me while Ada-san has her break.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come to the restaurant at 8-ish,¡± Captain Weller said before going back to work.


    (What¡¯s with this information gathering meeting?)


    At any rate, let¡¯s help the Hen Inn first. I¡¯ll feel down if I don¡¯t do anything.


    It seems like it¡¯s going to be a long night. I have to lie well about things I can¡¯t say!

 Chapter 51 - Information Gathering Meeting

    ¡°Next, this goes to number 2.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    I carried the food and drinks to the table as instructed by Master one after another.


    Besides me, there were three other waitresses, including Ada-san. Everyone except for Ada-san were already married.


    Master cooked the food alone and two other people assisted him on the side. They were all uncles. They were also working as security guards, so they all had solid builds. Even so, I accidentally saw their cute appearance as they gently peeled the vegetables. I wonder if this is called ¡®Moe¡¯.


    So many customers came that we were barely able to manage with just this much people.


    (This restaurant¡¯s really thriving.)


    I was really glad that the customers looked at me with warm eyes even though I was inexperienced.


    Perhaps, I feel like this because I¡¯m wearing this kind of dress while doing work I¡¯m not used to.


    The customers said, ¡°You¡¯re only working here for today, right?¡± a few times, so it got really annoying.


    The soldiers were extremely happy when I took the meals to their table, but they must have noticed my lineage and said something to Captain Weller because they distanced themselves a little afterwards.


    ???????


    ¡°Take this and eat.¡±


    When the restaurant died down, Master called out to me and my work finished.


    I was having dinner as a customer of the inn.


    Today¡¯s dinner was meat dumplings with tomato sauce and green peas and egg soup. The colours are beautiful and the ingredients are fresh too.


    The meat inside of the meat dumplings was rough and chewy. It had been boiled but the taste of the meat was still there. The oregano smell wasn¡¯t strong either.


    The green peas weren¡¯t overcooked and the perfect crispy taste was amazing.


    Bobles-san and Master, where did they study to become chefs? These weren¡¯t the skills of a commoner.


    I had my meal at the corner seat on the counter just like last time.


    I didn¡¯t notice this while working, but I¡¯m starving. I¡¯m surprised my stomach didn¡¯t grumble.


    Ah, it¡¯s delicious. It¡¯s spreading through my body. I worked really hard today.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sitting next to you. Master, the daily special please. Ada, I¡¯ll have the usual.¡±


    Captain Weller was the one who sat down next to me with a thud. Ada-san put a big mug filled with ale in front of him.


    He gulped the drink.


    (He¡¯s drinking it like it¡¯s really delicious.)


    I also want to drink while gulping like that one day. But the only alcohol I¡¯ve tried is cider.


    After that, we both ate in silent and Captain Weller finished his dinner at the same time as me.


    The customers in the store have already decreased considerably.


    Ada-san was also on her break, so she pulled up a chair to sit close to us and an aura that said I should start talking floated about.


    ¡°Ah, I received some sweets. I¡¯ll go get them now so please wait.¡±


    I returned to my room to get the box with the macarons inside.


    Ada-san made me some tea when I came back. She said it was service from Master.


    There were three cream puffs, a vanilla macaron, a chocolate macaron, a raspberry macaron and a blueberry macaron inside of the box. They gave me a lot, didn¡¯t they?


    ¡°I got this as a gift, please eat them if you want.¡±


    ¡°Kyai, they look really expensive. Well then, I won¡¯t hesitate. Woah, it¡¯s super delicious. I rarely eat macarons, so I¡¯m really happy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really like sweets. Master, a refill of ale please.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re mumbling. Are you drunk, Captain?¡±


    ¡°I kept public order in the city all day today. Let me relax at this place.¡±


    They were both ready to listen to my story and were both waiting.


    I also knew that Master was listening from behind the counter.


    Hmph, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll let them know what they can about today.


    ???????


    ¡°¡­ I was living in Coolden. I met Master¡¯s older brother, Bobles, through his introduction letter and started working at dining hall in the guards¡¯ station. I also became close with his wife, Emery, and his children.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you were at Coolden? It was extremely hard to find out where you went because Master and Ada-san both said they didn¡¯t know where you were going¡­¡±


    Captain Weller quickly drank his ale.


    ¡°Why did you need to know where I went?¡±


    I have to ask this for now.


    ¡°Mhmm? Because of Roberto-sama. You guys are acquaintances, aren¡¯t you? The morning after, he found out that you weren¡¯t at Hen Inn anymore and came to the station to ask where you¡¯d gone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He was so insistent. He had a bad temper, and well, the look in his eyes was bad too. It looked like you didn¡¯t want anyone to know where you were going, so Master and I told him that we didn¡¯t know.¡±


    Master nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Those guys are stubborn, you know. Being so proud while demanding to know something. Even if I know where you went I wouldn¡¯t tell those bastards. I was so nervous because I thought I would be guilty of profane. It was unavoidable, so I gathered information from here and there and then found the carriage you¡¯d boarded and investigated how far you went. I lowered my head many times and those bastards took the information.¡±


    ¡°Hah. Thanks for your hard work. I was able to enjoy a fresh new life while Captain Weller was facing those hardships.¡±


    ¡°So then why¡¯d you come back to the Royal Capital so early?¡±


    Captain Weller, Ada-san and Master¡¯s gaze pierced through me.


    I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before speaking.


    ¡°Roberto-sama brought me back because I had some business to take care of.¡±


    Everyone looked at me as if they were looking at a pitiful person. Ada-san sighed.


    I want to sigh too, you know.


    I picked up a vanilla macaron and nibbled on it. It¡¯s sweet. A gentle sweetness.


    ¡°Is that person a stalker¡­¡­? Say, Ayesha, are you Roberto-sama¡¯s lover?¡±


    ¨D¨D *GULP*


    (I swallowed the macaron without chewing on it¡­)


    ¨D¨D *BANG!*


    I banged my hands onto the counter.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that!!!¡±


    I raised my voice so much that it was unbefitting of a woman. I was surprised at myself.


    I calmed myself down, straightened out my breathing and glared at Captain Weller. I received water from Master and downed it.


    (Ack, no way. Why is someone who isn¡¯t my lover called my lover again? Nothing good comes out of getting involved with those people. I¡¯ll binge eat.)


    I firmly reached out for the cream puffs.

 Chapter 52

    ¡°Next, this goes to number 2.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±


    I carried the food and drinks to the table as instructed by Master one after another.


    Besides me, there were three other waitresses, including Ada-san. Everyone except for Ada-san were already married.


    Master cooked the food alone and two other people assisted him on the side. They were all uncles. They were also working as security guards, so they all had solid builds. Even so, I accidentally saw their cute appearance as they gently peeled the vegetables. I wonder if this is called ¡®Moe¡¯.


    So many customers came that we were barely able to manage with just this much people.


    (This restaurant¡¯s really thriving.)


    I was really glad that the customers looked at me with warm eyes even though I was inexperienced.


    Perhaps, I feel like this because I¡¯m wearing this kind of dress while doing work I¡¯m not used to.


    The customers said, ¡°You¡¯re only working here for today, right?¡± a few times, so it got really annoying.


    The soldiers were extremely happy when I took the meals to their table, but they must have noticed my lineage and said something to Captain Weller because they distanced themselves a little afterwards.


    ???????


    ¡°Take this and eat.¡±


    When the restaurant died down, Master called out to me and my work finished.


    I was having dinner as a customer of the inn.


    Today¡¯s dinner was meat dumplings with tomato sauce and green peas and egg soup. The colours are beautiful and the ingredients are fresh too.


    The meat inside of the meat dumplings was rough and chewy. It had been boiled but the taste of the meat was still there. The oregano smell wasn¡¯t strong either.


    The green peas weren¡¯t overcooked and the perfect crispy taste was amazing.


    Bobles-san and Master, where did they study to become chefs? These weren¡¯t the skills of a commoner.


    I had my meal at the corner seat on the counter just like last time.


    I didn¡¯t notice this while working, but I¡¯m starving. I¡¯m surprised my stomach didn¡¯t grumble.


    Ah, it¡¯s delicious. It¡¯s spreading through my body. I worked really hard today.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sitting next to you. Master, the daily special please. Ada, I¡¯ll have the usual.¡±


    Captain Weller was the one who sat down next to me with a thud. Ada-san put a big mug filled with ale in front of him.


    He gulped the drink.


    (He¡¯s drinking it like it¡¯s really delicious.)


    I also want to drink while gulping like that one day. But the only alcohol I¡¯ve tried is cider.


    After that, we both ate in silent and Captain Weller finished his dinner at the same time as me.


    The customers in the store have already decreased considerably.


    Ada-san was also on her break, so she pulled up a chair to sit close to us and an aura that said I should start talking floated about.


    ¡°Ah, I received some sweets. I¡¯ll go get them now so please wait.¡±


    I returned to my room to get the box with the macarons inside.


    Ada-san made me some tea when I came back. She said it was service from Master.


    There were three cream puffs, a vanilla macaron, a chocolate macaron, a raspberry macaron and a blueberry macaron inside of the box. They gave me a lot, didn¡¯t they?


    ¡°I got this as a gift, please eat them if you want.¡±


    ¡°Kyai, they look really expensive. Well then, I won¡¯t hesitate. Woah, it¡¯s super delicious. I rarely eat macarons, so I¡¯m really happy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really like sweets. Master, a refill of ale please.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re mumbling. Are you drunk, Captain?¡±


    ¡°I kept public order in the city all day today. Let me relax at this place.¡±


    They were both ready to listen to my story and were both waiting.


    I also knew that Master was listening from behind the counter.


    Hmph, it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll let them know what they can about today.


    ???????


    ¡°¡­ I was living in Coolden. I met Master¡¯s older brother, Bobles, through his introduction letter and started working at dining hall in the guards¡¯ station. I also became close with his wife, Emery, and his children.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you were at Coolden? It was extremely hard to find out where you went because Master and Ada-san both said they didn¡¯t know where you were going¡­¡±


    Captain Weller quickly drank his ale.


    ¡°Why did you need to know where I went?¡±


    I have to ask this for now.


    ¡°Mhmm? Because of Roberto-sama. You guys are acquaintances, aren¡¯t you? The morning after, he found out that you weren¡¯t at Hen Inn anymore and came to the station to ask where you¡¯d gone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He was so insistent. He had a bad temper, and well, the look in his eyes was bad too. It looked like you didn¡¯t want anyone to know where you were going, so Master and I told him that we didn¡¯t know.¡±


    Master nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Those guys are stubborn, you know. Being so proud while demanding to know something. Even if I know where you went I wouldn¡¯t tell those bastards. I was so nervous because I thought I would be guilty of profane. It was unavoidable, so I gathered information from here and there and then found the carriage you¡¯d boarded and investigated how far you went. I lowered my head many times and those bastards took the information.¡±


    ¡°Hah. Thanks for your hard work. I was able to enjoy a fresh new life while Captain Weller was facing those hardships.¡±


    ¡°So then why¡¯d you come back to the Royal Capital so early?¡±


    Captain Weller, Ada-san and Master¡¯s gaze pierced through me.


    I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before speaking.


    ¡°Roberto-sama brought me back because I had some business to take care of.¡±


    Everyone looked at me as if they were looking at a pitiful person. Ada-san sighed.


    I want to sigh too, you know.


    I picked up a vanilla macaron and nibbled on it. It¡¯s sweet. A gentle sweetness.


    ¡°Is that person a stalker¡­¡­? Say, Ayesha, are you Roberto-sama¡¯s lover?¡±


    ¨D¨D *GULP*


    (I swallowed the macaron without chewing on it¡­)


    ¨D¨D *BANG!*


    I banged my hands onto the counter.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that!!!¡±


    I raised my voice so much that it was unbefitting of a woman. I was surprised at myself.


    I calmed myself down, straightened out my breathing and glared at Captain Weller. I received water from Master and downed it.


    (Ack, no way. Why is someone who isn¡¯t my lover called my lover again? Nothing good comes out of getting involved with those people. I¡¯ll binge eat.)


    I firmly reached out for the cream puffs.

 Chapter 53 - Under the Cherry Tree

    I summarised what had happened at the Royal Capital at Bobles-san¡¯s house. Of course, I lied about the things I couldn¡¯t say, sorry for skipping them.


    There was no way I could say something like, ¡°I met His Highness, Ludens.¡± I¡¯m really sorry. Even I couldn¡¯t believe something like that had happened.


    They didn¡¯t blame me and I stayed the night because they had offered.


    It was great that Randa and Lilil enjoyed the fruity candy that I got them.


    Then, the kids were put to sleep and the adults began discussing what would happen from now on¡­¡­ I told them that I only had 5 days in Coolden and that I had to return to the Royal Capital after that period.


    I was only here for a short time, but I decided to help out at the dining hall once again. I couldn¡¯t become a seamstress, so I wanted to help as much as I could. Since I needed money, working at the dining hall helped me out. Afterwards, I returned to the inn where I was staying before.


    My ordinary life returned for a fleeting moment. I returned to the Ayesha who helped out at the dining hall while in Coolden.


    ???????


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m so tired.¡±


    I stretched and turned my head.


    After lunch had finished at the dining hall, everyone went on their breaks and I have been sitting under the cherry tree for some time now.


    Being psychically tired was different from being mentally exhausted and it felt nice.


    The cherry blossoms were already in full bloom and there were leaves and flowers on the tree. The light pink petals danced in the wind.


    I ate at the base of the tree and embroidered while basking in the rain of petals.


    I couldn¡¯t use this to be accepted as a seamstress, but I could sell it. I wanted to increase the money I had, even if it was just by a little. No matter how I think about it, it would cost a lot of money to prepare for working at the Royal Palace. So, I was embroidering during my break.


    I was miserable, but before I knew it, I saw myself working under His Highness Ludens¡¯ orders.


    Because, I¡¯d realised that I hadn¡¯t actually served the royal family.


    Which meant, my noble spirit was still there.


    I don¡¯t know when it will be, but it does seem like I can become a commoner.


    (And if I resist too much, then the Thousand House reputation would become bad, wouldn¡¯t it?)


    I shrugged and sighed.


    Now that I think about it, it was probably because I was dealing with people so far above me that I was able to deal with them in such a strong way¡­ From now on, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be forgiven with that kind of attitude¡­


    I saw the sparkling spring sunlight through the gaps in the leaves when I looked up.


    The wind was calm and it was the perfect afternoon for a nap. But I won¡¯t.


    I picked up the needle again and returned my gaze to the embroidery frame.


    The spring sun was covered by a shadow.


    I suddenly raised my face and Dick-san was standing in front of me.


    ¡°Sup, long time. You¡­ don¡¯t seem fine¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Dick-san. I have returned safely from the Royal Capital. See, I¡¯m this energetic.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to deceive me,¡± he seemed to be saying as he clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you tell me what happened at the Royal Capital? I can give you advice.¡±


    Well, I wasn¡¯t going to get involved with Dick-san anymore. But, His Highness Ludens didn¡¯t say that I couldn¡¯t say a word to anyone¡­¡­ I¡¯ll try talk to him about it.


    Come to think of it, this might be the first time I talking about my problems with someone. I¡¯m a little nervous.


    Dick-san sat down next to me with a thump while looking serious.


    I stopped embroidering, put it beside me and started talking.


    ¨D¨D When I started talking, the words just spun out.


    I told him about how I would be working under His Highness Ludens, and that I had a 10 day extension before I had to return to the Royal Capital.


    Oh, I wanted to talk to someone openly like this.


    Dick-san knew that I was a noble. He knew that I¡¯m still a noble. But, he wasn¡¯t a noble.


    I wonder if I conveyed my feeling of serving the royal family to him¡­


    ¡°Well, you know, when I was a student, His Highness, himself, scouted me.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to brag, but I was great. I¡¯m from a merchant family, but the guards taught me how to use the sword, then I took a test at the best defence academy and passed. They were in different classes than me, but they heard about me being excellent for a commoner, so His Highness called out to me. Well, I don¡¯t know how I felt about it because they approached me out of jealousy. I followed school regulations, so I wasn¡¯t formal with the royal family nor nobles. I didn¡¯t show them any mercy. I don¡¯t know if he thought I was interesting or if he thought he could use me, but I was approached by His Highness Ludens when I was deciding on what to do after graduation.¡±


    Dick-san did well to survive defence school with his attitude towards the nobles¡­ I guess Roberto-san wasn¡¯t the only one he lunged at.


    He didn¡¯t look like he belonged to a merchant family. No matter how I look at him, his muscled body looked like it belonged to that of a knight.


    ¡°Why are you not by his side now, Dick-san?¡±


    ¡°Reberto-sama and I never saw eye to eye since a long time ago and I couldn¡¯t relax in a place where there were only royalty and high ranking nobles, so I refused. I asked the guards to take me in right after I refused. As expected, they didn¡¯t push because I¡¯d already chosen somewhere else.


    Dick-san smiled and showed me his white teeth.


    ¡­. Oh, is that so? So, you escaped, didn¡¯t you?

 Chapter 54

    ¡°Now, I have a successful career in the guards. I¡¯m the second corps deputy captain¡­ I also have a bit of money and influence. So, well, I thought I could help you out. Even so, I¡¯m just a commoner so I probably won¡¯t get promoted further than this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so amazing. I¡¯m so jealous of you. Not even a month has passed since I¡¯ve been able to tell people my opinions like this. But, it¡¯s so much fun to talk to people on equal terms. I really enjoy it¡­¡­ So, I really want to continue with my current lifestyle,¡± I stared into Dick-san¡¯s deep-wine coloured eyes and said earnestly.


    Yes, a month hadn¡¯t even passed since I¡¯ve lived while being sensitive to people¡¯s expressions and just kept my head down.


    And this time, my expectations as a noble was swirling around in the Royal Palace, and I must serve the royal family alongside the higher ranked nobles. I will be met with jealousy and ill-will.


    I breathed and added, ¡°Even you couldn¡¯t tell I was a noble straight away, could you Dick-san? I¡¯m just a half-baked noble. In fact, it¡¯s more fun for me to work as a commoner. Even though I¡¯m like this, I was trained properly as a noble. I couldn¡¯t go against my training¡­¡±


    Dick-san patiently listened to me.


    My chest hurt when I realised that I was being treated as an actual person.


    I carefully picked out my words, ¡°I decided to be prepared. I would like to continue my life here, but I have been taught as a noble to serve His Highness Ludens. If I do so, then I think I can become Ayesha without any complaints from anyone.¡±


    ¡°You look happy now¡­. I see, so you¡¯ve already decided. His Highness Ludens does whatever he wants but he is amazing. I¡¯m sure he put a lot of thought into this before deciding that you would be of use to him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this ever since you started talking, but are talented people treated better?¡±


    ¡°Well, of course. In my case, I was promoted to a higher position because I protected the lives of some big shots in the guards.¡±


    ¡°Then, I will also protect His Highness Ludens. Oh yes. Dick-san, please teach me how to defend myself. I¡¯ll, probably, be in a lot of danger. I want to return here alive.¡±


    His Highness Ludens thought of me as a useful pawn and I was also someone who he could easily get rid of. Even if I was gone, no powerful person would look for me.


    I would definitely become a target for those who wanted his affections if they notice that I am often around him. They¡¯ll definitely notice me.


    A woman who stayed by His Highness Luden¡¯s side would probably be thought of as his mistress, since he was a good-looking and talented noble. It¡¯ll be fine if we get her¡­ If they thought like that, then they¡¯ll probably attack me. It was also possible for them to approach His Highness so that they could get to me.


    I¡¯m really great. I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯m determined to serve His Highness Ludens.


    Mother, being a noble is troublesome. You understand why I chose to be a commoner, don¡¯t you?


    My hands had stopped moving before I¡¯d even noticed.


    Petals fell onto the scarf.


    ¨D¨D *PAT*


    He patted my head gently.


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing. You¡¯ll become a good woman, Ayesha. Well, you¡¯re not my type though¡­ They gotta be busty and have a nice jiggle to them, if you know what I mean.¡±


    (I don¡¯t feel like he¡¯s complimenting me. Even though I should have been complimented since I haven¡¯t in a long time¡­)


    ???????


    Dick-san was very helpful.


    He knew when I had spare time and taught me how to defend myself. He always taught me in the front yard, near the cherry trees.


    ¡°Ayesha, how were you taught to defend yourself?¡±


    ¡°I was taught that if I felt endangered by men around me¡­ then I should kick them between their legs.¡±


    Dick-san looked at me as if I was pitiful and shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s no good. They might assault you more.¡±


    ¡°Eh.¡±


    ¡°Aim for their eyes, neck and joints. The back of their hands is fine too. Attack with the intention of tear off things that can¡¯t be trained. Step on their feet with all your strength. Run away as soon as they flinch. Anyway, just run away.¡±


    Dick-san¡¯s lessons continued.


    I have to pay attention to the dangers around me even while at the guards¡¯ building. He said I¡¯ll attract the attention of men or something¡­ Thankfully, I was protected because I was Roberto-sama¡¯s acquaintance, under Bobles-san¡¯s protection and being taken care of by Dick-san.


    There were certainly an overwhelming number of men here.


    ¡°You¡¯re too careless. You think too lowly of yourself!¡±


    Ah, Dick-san¡¯s language towards me is getting worse.


    I hugged Dick-san under the pretence of practice. Bobles-san watched us from afar whenever I was taught how to defend myself. I was pretending because it would be a disaster afterwards.


    I bent down, took his shoes and kicked him in the shins.


    ¡°Ouch, argh,¡± Dick-san said.


    ¡°Ahaha,¡± I laughed.


    Time passed peacefully.


    ???????


    These short five days passed in the blink of an eye as I worked at the dining hall, practiced self-defence and spent time with Emery-san and her children.


    My gorgeously embroidered scarf was sold for 10,000 G. ¡°Is this the rumoured scarf from the Royal Capital?¡± The person who brought it was very happy. It seemed that they hadn¡¯t produced enough to circulate them to the surrounding regions. It was unfortunate that I could only make 2.


    I got 40,000 G from working at the dining hall. This amount was a combination of the work I did before going to the Royal Capital and the work I did in these 5 days. I only worked at breakfast and I also got staff meals, and I am only an assistant, so this was probably enough.


    ¡­ If I put money aside for the inn and carriage and put a little into the guild for savings, then I can buy a dress with the amount I was left with. I wasn¡¯t poor enough to sell the ring for cash yet.


    I gave Bobles-san and his family as well as Dick-san a handkerchief with their initials on it as a farewell gift.


    I felt bad since I could only do this much every time I left.


    The other thing I could probably do now was only to bow and say thank you.


    If I had a little more time, then I could have also helped them take care of the fields. Helping out at the dining hall and taking care of fields were both things nobles didn¡¯t do.


    Last time, I had secretly left the guards¡¯ building, but this time a lot of people were seeing me off. There were a lot of guards working in the morning.


    The secretary, Marche-san drove me in the wagon all the way to where the carriages were. Dick-san was also with me for some reason.


    ¡°It¡¯s so lonely to eat in a dining hall without Ayesha-chan!¡±


    ¡°Ayesha-chan, your meals were delicious!¡±


    Erm, I didn¡¯t make any of the food myself.


    I could hear a lot of regret in their voices and it was embarrassing. I¡¯m really glad I worked here. I¡¯m really grateful to the Master of Hen Inn.


    ¡°It was a short time, but thanks for working here. Come here again to work once you finish with your work at the Royal Capital.¡±


    Spiraea thunbergii¡¯s were blooming near the guards¡¯ building. I burnt the image of the fresh, vivid white flowers into my mind. The wind that was hitting my body was no longer cold.


    I bowed deeply at everyone.


    I left everyone with a smile so that they wouldn¡¯t worry about me.


    (I¡¯m fine!)


    I boarded the rustic wagon and didn¡¯t look back because I was filled with regret.

 Chapter 55 - How to Pick a Dress

    I was in the carriage headed to the Royal Capital again. I probably won¡¯t be taking this road for a while.


    The yellow rape blossoms were blooming vividly in the fields. Once the flowers have finished blooming, seeds could be harvested to make rapeseed oil. At the beginning of summer, the new oils are delivered to the Royal Capital.


    I grasped a letter with both hands.


    Dick-san, who looked serious and handsome, handed me this letter at the carriage stop.


    ¡ºThis is something that I wrote to guarantee your social position. If something happens and you leave His Highness Ludens¡¯ side, then use this. It won¡¯t work against a noble, but I think it would be of use to you if you show this to a lower positioned Imperial Guard. I don¡¯t want to approach such a troublesome place like the noble world, but I want to be of use to the brave Ojou-san who is heading there. Rest assure, I don¡¯t have any ulterior motives.¡»


    (Fufu, you say really cool things, don¡¯t you? I really want you to call me by my name, though.)


    The carriage will arrive at the Royal Capital in the afternoon.


    I will be heading towards His Highness Ludens¡¯ side tomorrow.


    What should I do today?


    I put the letter I¡¯d received from Dick-san into my shoulder bag.


    I went to the Hen Inn as soon as I arrived at the Royal Capital, because this was the only place I was familiar with.


    I wiped the sweat off my forehead, heaved the two black bags that contained everything I owned and walked towards the inn.


    I¡¯m so glad that the guards cherished me¡­ When I left, they fought to carry my bags for me.


    But, I have to do that myself from now on.


    When I got to the Hen Inn, Master was used to seeing me there, so he silently passed me the keys to my usual room.


    I wrote a letter saying that I¡¯d arrived at the Royal Capital and asked an uncle, who worked at Hen Inn, to deliver it to the Edenbach mansion with a little bit of money.


    ¡°Next, is the dress.¡±


    I wore the usual milk tea dress with the mint coat. I headed towards the clothing store on the main street.


    I left the area where a lot of mixed commoners lived near the Hen Inn, and left the area where the Royal Palace and main departments were and headed towards the flashiest area of the Royal Capital, the main street.


    I think they¡¯ll provide me with clothes that woman secretaries wear tomorrow.


    But, I¡¯ll be working at the Royal Palace under the royal family and the high ranking nobles, so I need dresses other than the one that would be provided to me. I can¡¯t dress in shabby clothes. The only dress I have that would be alright to wear at the Royal Palace is only this milk tea dress.


    I don¡¯t need a trendy dress, but I do need a tailor-made one.


    I avoided shops with gaudy ornaments hanging in them, and entered a refined-looking shop. My legs froze and I tried to get hyped up before opening the door.


    Come to think of it, this is the first time I¡¯m buying a dress¡­


    The dress I want is something like what Ms. Dolcie wore; a composed design, a higher hem so that my ankles could be seen a little. A dress which opened a little at the neck and was easy to move in was good. I want a pretty coloured dress.


    ¡°I want you to show me some simple dresses,¡± I said and the uncle smiled and replied to me politely.


    (There¡¯s 5 dresses in front of me, but which one should I chose?)


    Hmm, I wonder if I should just choose it like how I would choose vegetables? I went vegetable shopping with mother and Tom before.


    So, I just have to look at the texture, elasticity and colour?


    When I looked at them closer, all the dresses were ready made so they had little weave and looked lustrous. The seams also had a passing mark as well. It felt good to the touch. The parts which couldn¡¯t be seen were made from more inferior materials, so that must be why it was cheap.


    (What is this Ojou-san? People usually just chose dresses by the design. But she¡¯s choosing them so seriously. She¡¯s touching the cloth and looking at the sewing¡­¡­ Is she from the same trade? I also have to up my game.) (Uncle)


    I don¡¯t know the difference between the cloth and the design, but this might be cheaper than I thought if it¡¯s like this¡­ This shop is amazing! This shop was a purveyor to the Imperial Household, and yet they didn¡¯t have a signboard.


    ¡°Ojou-san, how about this one?¡±


    The uncle showed me another 5 dresses, I checked them, and tried on the one he¡¯d recommended and bought it.


    He adjusted the size and everything costed about 60,000 G¡­ Now, I only have a small amount of money left in my purse.


    The first dress I¡¯d ever chosen and bought would be delivered to Hen Inn.


    It was different from the dresses you could wear at an evening party or ball, and even though it was close to a ready-made dress. A dress was a dress.


    People who usually bought this kind of dress came to the shop in a carriage with their guards or maids. It was impossible for me to hug the dress while walking through town.


    My shopping was done and I walked excitingly around town while feeling accomplished.


    My purse was lighter, but it was something that I¡¯d bought with the money I¡¯d made. I was satisfied.


    I went to the Commercial Guild and withdrew some money.


    I walked a lot and my feet were tired, however I felt like I could still walk. But, I ended up returning to Hen Inn by carriage.


    I did withdraw a little bit of money. It was dangerous for a lady to walk alone while they¡¯re dressed elegantly.


    That evening, I smiled while feeling the dress that¡¯d arrived in my room. I received word about when Roberto-sama would be coming.


    I haven¡¯t had dinner yet. I could only hope that his business finishes soon.


    I heard that tonight¡¯s dinner is chicken confit, I¡¯m really looking forward to it.


    (I hope that Roberto-sama¡¯s business would be finished soon¡­)

 Chapter 56 - Out-of-Place Person

    Only one table at the Hen Inn had a different atmosphere than the hustle and bustle of the restaurant¡­ Ah, it¡¯s Roberto-sama.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry someone who doesn¡¯t fit in here came,¡± I said as I bowed to the master.


    I quickly went to where Roberto-sama was sitting and bowed deeply in greeting. It feels out of place to greet like a noble here, you know?


    ¡°Hello, Roberto-sama. I see that you received my report.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied with a single word and drank his ale. How vulgar, not noble-like at all.


    He was wearing a plain, cheap-looking mantle and it seemed to hide a little of his glamour, but a weird sort of tension was drifting about this table, and everyone knew that this was Roberto-sama.


    I concluded that he wasn¡¯t acting like a noble and couldn¡¯t help but act like a commoner myself as I sat down next to him.


    I was closer to him than when I ate at the Edenbach estate, even though our relationship hasn¡¯t changed.


    It was hard for other people to hear our conversation on top of all the noise, so it was probably fine to talk about what would happen from now on.


    Woah, the side dish¡­ It¡¯s boiled pork giblets. Can this person even eat this? I heard it¡¯s good with tomato and chilli¡­ But this dish never appears on a noble¡¯s dining table. Ouh, I can¡¯t eat it. My mother never made it. And, that. Is that a sausage made out of blood? It¡¯s impossible for me to eat a lump of blood! How can Roberto-sama eat that?!


    No one can blame me for half closing my eyes.


    ¡°This? As long as there¡¯s no poison, I can eat anything.¡±


    Roberto-sama had an unexpectedly strong side. ¡°They recommended this. It¡¯s pretty good,¡± he said while rapidly eating the side dishes.


    One can eat the same food as commoners if they interacted with them, huh. But, that side dish, I think they recommended it to you to harass you.


    I was also offered dinner. I don¡¯t feel like eating that.


    (Yay, it¡¯s confit! The soft braised chicken that was cooked in oil and the crispy skin is so delicious. It wasn¡¯t duck, but it was made into cutlets and is easy to eat. Oh, the flavour covers the whole dish.)


    Roberto-sama was staring at me by the time I came back to reality. There were no emotions in his almond amber eyes, but they did look a little kinder than usual.


    ¡°You¡¯re not wearing a noble mask right now. Your emotions are all over the place. It¡¯s very lively.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Listen to me while you eat.¡±


    Roberto-sama told me about what would happen tomorrow as if he was talking to himself. He was gulping down the ale, but it didn¡¯t seem like he was getting drunk at all¡­ Can he not get drunk?


    He finished talking, put the container with the wig in on the table and then left.


    I also returned to my room after talking to Ada-san for a bit and thought about various things by myself.


    They took into account that I didn¡¯t want the people from the Thousand House to know that I was working under His Highness Ludens.


    I will be introduced as a really distant relative of Roberto-sama, and the name that I was given was Ann du Deniswell¡­ Viscount Deniswell was in the noble almanac. He had a small fief at the corner of the Sabolain fief.


    I grew up in the countryside and never showed up in high society, the daughter of a noble who has Roberto-sama¡¯s patronage. That was the story that had been prepared for me.


    My government residence (this is a weird way to say things) will have my real name, Ayesha-maria Org du Thousand.


    The point is that I have two roles.


    I will live as Ayesha at the government residence and I will become Ann at the Royal Palace. Both were nobles.


    Apparently, I will change my appearance at a room in the Royal Palace. I can¡¯t say it¡¯s troublesome. This is what I want.


    ¡°Haah,¡± a sigh leaked out.


    (What is His Highness Ludens trying to make me do? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just office work.)


    I didn¡¯t go to high school and I didn¡¯t have a social life, so I could probably build good relationships within the Royal Palace¡­ First of all, that¡¯s the problem.


    The excitement I felt over my new dress was completely gone.


    I went to bed early. I¡¯d thought that I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep because there was so much on my mind, but I fell asleep pretty quickly.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll manage somehow.¡±


    I dressed in my new dress, got ready, ate breakfast, put on my mint coat and headed to the Royal Palace.


    ???????


    I took off the mint coat and asked the knight who was guarding the entrance of the Royal Palace, ¡°Can you call Roberto-sama.¡± It seemed that he was already ordered to do so, and shortly after, Roberto-sama and his servant Cafule came to pick me up.


    First, I went to the right wing of the front building, which was a place for Roberto-sama¡¯s exclusive use while he was doing government work for Fernand Empire. I received a bunch of documents there and headed towards Roberto-sama¡¯s office in the middle building.


    Next, Roberto-sama guided me towards another room in the middle building. There were a lot of storage rooms and there were no signs of life here. Then, I was instructed to transform into Ann.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come back here in an hour. Keep the room locked. I¡¯ll knock 5 times when I come.¡±


    There was an empty closet and a full-length mirror in the room, as well as well as a small desk and three chairs.


    I braided my hair and put on the wig.


    I managed to put on the wig and put eyeliner and mascara (they were in the wig container) on to emphasis my eyes. I wasn¡¯t used to it so it was hard to draw with the eyeliner. Putting on mascara was the same.


    When I finished tussling, a woman had been standing in front of the mirror for a while now.


    (I¡¯m done!)

 Chapter 57 - Working at the Palace as Ann

    The reflection in the mirror was that of a woman wearing an eggplant coloured long dress that the woman secretaries wore while working at the Royal Palace. She had shoulder length black hair and almond-ish brown eyes. The dress wasn¡¯t that puffy and her hands were covered by white gloves. This complexion might be a little good for a lady who works at the Royal Palace¡­ My background is that of a bumpkin so it should be fine.


    I spun around and saw my whole reflection in the mirror.


    Hmm, my background is of someone who doesn¡¯t socialise much, but I don¡¯t socialise much either myself.


    Serious, plain and straight-laced. I looked very reserved.


    If I give off the feeling of being in the background instead of equal standing with His Highness and the upper ranked nobles then I will receive less animosity from the ladies.


    The words that I¡¯ve heard before somewhere floated into my mind, ¡¾Cherish your life].


    ¨D¨D¨D *KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*


    A quiet knock resounded from the door 5 times. Roberto-sama was here.


    I softly opened the door and Roberto-sama suddenly entered the room.


    He squinted his eyes and looked at me from head to toe, then he nodded, ¡°Okay.¡± He beckoned at me. Then, he took me to the opposite side of the door he¡¯d entered where the dark red curtains where. He pulled the curtains and a door appeared.


    I raised my eyes at Roberto-sama.


    He opened the door silently.


    ¡°Er, it¡¯s dark¡­¡±


    Roberto-sama grabbed my left arm soon after I lost my bearings. Both of us walked through this narrow and dark pathway.


    ¡°Remember the route.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t reply to Roberto-sama¡¯s threatening voice in the darkness and used my right hand to feel the walls as I walked. We walked from left to right for a while. The cool and stagnated air stuck to my body. I felt like I shouldn¡¯t talk in this place.


    (Woah, is this the secret passageway of the Royal Palace?)


    Another door was opened and there white curtains appeared before my eyes.


    We listened carefully to make sure that no one was in the room before coming out from behind the curtain.


    ¡°Phew.¡±


    I breathed hard. Woah, I was so nervous. I¡¯m back in the bright world.


    Roberto-sama finally let go off my arm.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to return the same way you came. Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I remember the way well since I was so surprised.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll send you back to the room you were in once again. So, remember it. Don¡¯t write it down. You understand that you can¡¯t say a word to anyone, don¡¯t you?¡±


    I felt a chill and I couldn¡¯t refute because he was glaring at me with such scary eyes. His face showed that he was thinking, ¡®Why do I have to look after this kind of girl?¡¯


    Nobles were forced to memorize a lot of things and I forgot that this was normal.


    Memorise it, me.


    Roberto-sama locked the door that we just came out from.


    He gave me two keys; the smaller one was for the door we¡¯d just came out from and the other one was for the door at the place where I changed.


    In other words, the place where I enter and exit are different. That way, no one would be able to tell that I was playing a double role.


    ¡­ This was the result of them taking my wishes into consideration.


    I trotted as I followed Roberto-sama and we proceeded up, down, left and right through the middle building. We would sometimes pass some maids and knights.


    (I have to remember this way too, don¡¯t I?)


    And the room we¡¯d arrived at was a room that I¡¯ve been to before on the 2nd floor of the middle building. There was a knight guarding the front door.


    I was reunited with His Highness Ludens.


    ???????


    ¡°Hello. You seem well Lady Ann.¡±


    Well, I am Ann right now.


    His Highness Ludens sat on a big desk with his hands crossed as he gave me a top-rate smile¡­ It¡¯s scary. I don¡¯t what to know the feelings of people who fall in love with this smile.


    I cheered myself up and looked at His Highness Ludens. I wasn¡¯t being disrespectful or anything. I felt like if I didn¡¯t do this, then I would lose in a lot of ways.


    ¡°You too, Your Highness. It is a great honour to work under you, Your Highness. I don¡¯t know how much use I would be, but I will do my best.¡±


    I held the hem of my dress, gave my best noble curtsy and returned his smile with a forced smile.


    I¡¯d decided to do this. If I can protect His Highness well, then I will produce results and then I should get something out of it.


    ¡°Good, good. You¡¯re probably not used to high society. You should have conversation practice with the people in this room so that you can get an idea of how nobles think. Well, either way, the people in here speak their minds often. You can also tell me how you really feel. I won¡¯t say that it¡¯s profanity or anything.¡±


    ¡°You can only do so in this room, even though His Highness Ludens has said that.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    After that, His Highness Ludens and Roberto-sama explained what my job would entitle.


    The King ran most of the government affairs in this empire. The first Imperial Prince, His Highness Ixbarreto, helped out with the government affairs and the second Imperial Prince, His Highness Orlane, took care of foreign policies.


    The Third Imperial Prince, His Highness Ludens who was standing in front of me, was responsible for the public order of the empire. Well, royals also had other jobs to do too.


    The room I was in now was a place where His Highness Ludens and his companions, (Roberto-sama, Lancel-sama and Leyard-sama), consulted about the public order of the empire.


    They each had their own respective offices, and they brought the things that they want to discuss with the others to this room, so that all four can talk and come up with solutions.


    My workplace was here. My job was to sort the documents in their respective categories.


    But first, I was to get used to the Royal Palace and they would observe how I work.


    Then, they will decide whether or not I would be useful to them. It was a trial period. The salary for this trial period was 25,000 G. This was more than the amount that father had given me when I left the house.


    ¡­ I¡¯m happy that I¡¯m receiving a lot of money, but I feel like they would get rid of me if they concluded that I wasn¡¯t useful.


    I wonder if my fear would disappear when I become useful.


    When the important explanations were done, Roberto-sama took me to the first room again and left for his office. I changed clothes and returned to my normal self. Then Roberto-sama¡¯s servant, Cafule, picked me up and took me to the government residence.


    A 3 storey high square brick building at the East side of the Royal Palace was the government residence. A room on the third floor of the outermost part was allotted as my room.


    ¡°Right now, you are Ayesha-marie-sama. I will pick you up at 8 tomorrow.¡±


    Cafule-san left when we got to the entrance of the government residence.


    And my stormy day had yet to finish.

 Chapter 58 - Timid Person

    Cafule-san left me here¡­ Which means that I could do whatever I want, right? As Ayesha-marie, that is.


    I spoke to someone who looked like a manager as soon as I entered the entrance of the building and was immediately guided to my room on the third floor.


    The girls rooms couldn¡¯t be reached unless you went up the stairs in the management room. Safety was perfect.


    The manager was a mother who would not betray us, and she looked like a gutsy woman who has raised children before. Her name was Susan.


    The 3rd floor belonged to the girls. The government residence had a mixture of commoners and nobles. Well, normal nobles commuted from home, so there weren¡¯t any nobles living here.


    ¡°All the people who live here are like my children. That¡¯s why everyone is treated equally. Gahaha.¡±


    Susan-obasan¡¯s laughter sounded very good.


    The Royal Palace maids had rooms at the back of the Royal Palace and the knights stayed elsewhere. The government residence I was brought to was one for the administration office, but there were exceptions and a few female knights stayed here. However, the life of a knight and the life of a secretary was different, so it was rare for us to meet. How unfortunate.


    However, I might be able to make friends since this place has commoners and nobles living here.


    ¡°Woah, the room¡¯s nicer than I thought it would be.¡±


    When I unlocked my door and went into my room, there was a bed, desk and closet made out of warm wood and gave off a handmade feeling. The light brown room was lit up brightly. The room had simple curved patterns carved in. The walls were painted in a light beige. It seemed like a stylish inn. The corners of the walls were a little dirty, but that was okay. The room looked a lot newer compared to my old room at the Thousand estate.


    ¡°This is a wooden product from Coolden. It feels nice. I wonder if the Royal Palace buys loyal specialities. I¡¯ll like to furnish my own room with Coolden furniture when I have one.¡±


    I touched the wood and it was smooth. It reminded me of the town and made me miss it, but I also remembered the warm feelings I¡¯d received and smiled.


    There were no curtains, and the sheets and futon were simple and white. They weren¡¯t cute or anything, but I¡¯ll let it slide since the furniture was good.


    I opened the small window and a fresh breeze flowed in.


    ¡°Now, I can move out of the Hen Inn.¡±


    I asked Susan-obasan to write a simple map of the Royal Palace and headed towards the Royal Capital from the nearest exit. I showed the guards my ID and left the Royal Palace as Ayesha-marie.


    It was strange that I was walking around the Royal Capital in a mint coloured coat. Honestly, I wonder why I¡¯m here.


    I arrived at Hen Inn and brought out my two black bags. I won¡¯t be staying here anymore.


    ¡°I got a job as a live-in worker,¡± I told the Master. However, he told me to come eat once in a while. Well, I¡¯ll still be in the Royal Capital. I can come here to meet Ada-san too.


    I returned to the government residence and put my black bags into my room, then Susan-obasan appeared again.


    ¡°Go to the dining hall to eat, okay? Breakfast is served from 6-8 am. Lunch is from 11-2pm. Dinner is from 6-8pm, so be careful not to miss meal time. If you go out to eat, then the curfew here is 10 for the girls. You won¡¯t be able to use these stairs after that time. Don¡¯t stay out for the night. Now, go eat dinner before it gets dark out.¡±


    The setting sun was dazzling and I loitered around while trying to find the dining hall. I didn¡¯t even have time to look at the plants.


    People who live in government residences have three meals a day. The money for the ingredients was deducted from our pay. The same amount would be deducted from our pay even if we don¡¯t have all three meals a day.


    Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t anyone who was also heading towards the dining hall. Still, I found many people on my way there and managed to get to the dining hall.


    I finally arrived and the building in front of me was a lively bungalow, but I couldn¡¯t go in¡­


    I didn¡¯t look like a suspicious person because I was wearing a simple and new light pale salmon coloured dress. I knew that no one would blame me if I went in.


    The savoury smell of meat and stewed meals were inviting me in. Even so, I couldn¡¯t move from the shade of the tree, which was near the entrance.


    ¡°I want to cry already¡­¡­¡±


    I never knew I was such a timid person.


    I thought I was pretty determined and strong.


    And yet¡­ How can I be so timid? It was scary to go into there.


    The dining hall at the guard¡¯s building in Coolden was noisy, boorish and full of men, but I didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable among them probably because I was working in the kitchen.


    There shouldn¡¯t be any Imperial Knights, knights, maids or court ladies in this dining hall. Only the people in the administer office used it, but I became aware that they were all strangers.


    ¡°What am I doing now that I¡¯ve reached this far? I won¡¯t be able to live like this. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a good meal waiting for me in there.¡±


    Fortunately, after I moved in and out of the shade of the tree for about 30 minutes, the people in the dining hall decreased by a lot and I was finally able to ready myself and go in to eat.


    The inside was nothing special.


    I chose the fish out of the two options that were given to me and it was delicious.


    I returned to the government residence and Susan-obasan said, ¡°You¡¯re awfully late.¡± I smiled wryly in return.

 Chapter 59 - Unfamiliar Life

    ¨D¨D¨D *POOF*


    I was hitting my pillow.


    I was disappointed that I was scared of strangers.


    I¡¯ve never been frozen before even when I went to the ball, nor when I met His Highness Ludens or even when Roberto-sama glared at me.


    Even if I had to look down, I always did what I had to do.


    It was probably because I told Dick-san how I really felt in Coolden. I¡¯ve become weak.


    I had to behave like a noble here at the Royal Palace.


    I didn¡¯t need to be honest to my feelings.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m Lady Ayesha-marie, who was driven out of the Thousand House, so this much is good enough. I behaved appropriately after I went into the dining hall.¡±


    I abandon my thoughts early when I sunk into the small and hardish bed.


    I¡¯m wearing my noble mask, so next time will be fine. It¡¯ll be fine.  I told myself.


    ???????


    I woke up early, got dressed and left my room.


    It was a bit early, but I headed for breakfast.


    I wore the eggplant coloured secretary uniform.


    I thought it was harder for people to know who I was if I wore the eggplant coloured long dress rather than plain clothes. There were a few people here from last night.


    I received breakfast and sat at the corner in a vacant seat.


    ¡°It¡¯s tasteless¡­¡±


    It was a dining hall in the Royal Palace, but the food wasn¡¯t satisfying. I thought the same thing last night too. I stopped my hand with the spoon in it. I turned my head and looked around while taking the meal in.


    The colours were beautiful, the bread was soft and the soup wasn¡¯t greasy at all. It was warm.


    Don¡¯t complain.


    I have to be thankful


    But, what is it? It¡¯s not good enough.


    I thought as I finished the meal. I tied my hair up, so that it was easier to change and headed towards said room.


    It took time to disguise myself after all.


    I remembered where to go. I wouldn¡¯t recklessly ask for directions just because I forgot.


    I entered the room and looked at the mirror.


    I divided my golden hair and braided it. I put them onto the other side of my head so that it wouldn¡¯t have much volume. I fastened them with pins. It took a lot of time, but I somehow managed. I wore the black wig.


    I lightly tapped powder onto my face, approached the mirror and drew my eyeliner. My hands were trembling, but I think I¡¯m quite good at drawing it now. I put on some reddish plum lipstick and Ann¡¯s face was ready. My look would be complete with the white gloves.


    I went through the hidden passageway that I was taught.


    Because I was told not to write it on paper, I wrote it on the ground and erased it numerous times so I could memorise it. Desperately. I¡¯m so great for remembering it from just going through twice. I have a lot of guts right now.


    My heart wouldn¡¯t stop throbbing as I walked through the dark passageway alone. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s normal to go through this passageway without light. I wonder if there¡¯s something that would trouble them if I could see here. Well, I was fine in the dark since I didn¡¯t use light at night in the Thousand House estate to save money.


    ¡°Is it okay for me to know this passage?¡± I asked, and I was told that I didn¡¯t have any connections outside of the Royal Palace so it was fine. It was used as a shortcut and royalty used it to get away from people.


    I couldn¡¯t help but sigh when I got out into the bright corridor.


    I looked around, mindful of my surroundings and walked towards the ¡®Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room¡¯ (I named it myself).


    I briskly walked without taking a break. I bowed whenever I passed people.


    Seems like I remember the way correctly.


    I arrived safely at the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room and began working.


    ???????


    I spent my days quietly in the past week.


    My work started with wiping the desks in the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room. Then, I opened the windows and let the fresh air in.


    I made a copy of His Highness Luden¡¯s memo and sorted the documents. Then, His Highness Ludens and the others came. I made tea, went to my desk and kept working.


    They didn¡¯t tell me what to do. It was just like when I worked for father and brother.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to lunch.¡±


    His Highness Ludens and his comrades haven¡¯t come yet. I said that to the knight at the door and headed towards the dining hall.


    I remembered the minimal layout of the Royal Palace by walking around with Cafule-san. At the beginning, I had lunch in my room, but I got bored of being in my room day after day. But, since yesterday I started going to the dining hall where the knights and guards were because I finally remembered the layout of the palace. The government residence¡¯s dining hall was a little far and it took time to commute there.


    I never had any emotion on my face whenever I walked through the Royal Palace, but my face would loosen whenever I got to the inner garden.


    I quickly finished eating in the dining hall with the knights and sat down on a handkerchief under an unpopular Zelkova tree.


    I took out the small apple from my pocket which I¡¯d put in there at breakfast, rub it on my skirt and bite into it.


    ¡°Ann is tired. Am I being helpful?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t talking to anyone, my voice just came out.


    I actually wanted to lie down here, but I couldn¡¯t as a noble lady. I probably shouldn¡¯t be sitting under the shade like this either.


    But I want people to overlook this since I was only a simple office lady while I wore this eggplant coloured dress.


    When I finished eating the apple, I heard a rustling and saw three ladies.


    ¡°Oh my, she¡¯s really here.¡±


    ¡°Right? I saw her heading towards here.¡±


    ¡°She has really bad manners, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    I stood up and bowed a noble bow.


    Have my enemies appeared at last?

 Chapter 60 - The Ladies who warn the Girl

    The three in front of me could only be seen as noble ladies.


    They appeared in a typical way like the Shoujo novel that Ms. Dolcie got me to read, and they had an air about them that said, ¡®we¡¯re going to warn her¡¯.


    They didn¡¯t lose to the dark yellow flowers that were blooming around them.


    Oh, is the girl in the middle the leader? Her extremely curled brown locks were very impressive.


    Their dresses strained my eyes because they were all in primary colours. It hurts. They didn¡¯t have to flock together. Red, green and blue¡­ Plus the bright golden yellow. It was irritating my eyes.


    ¡°Hey, I wonder where you¡¯re looking. How rude!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but wrinkly my brows and look down at the ground. The leader called out to me when I did this. I lifted my face a little and looked down again.


    Think, me. Calm down, calm down.


    Right now, I¡¯m Ann, a noble and daughter of a Viscount. Furthermore, Ann is a bumpkin from a remote region. The people, who were irritating me in front of my eyes, had a higher position than that of a Viscount. They were completely looking down on me.


    Do I interact with them as a secretary where social positions don¡¯t matter? Or should I interact with them as one noble lady to another?


    ¡­¡­ I thought for a moment.


    They¡¯re saying a lot of things that are denying my existence, aren¡¯t they? Like, ¡°You¡¯re not suitable to be around those people,¡± or ¡°Know your own place¡±.


    But, they were like puppies compared to my sisters¡¯ harsh words towards me when I lived in the estate. It didn¡¯t pierce me like the words and attitudes of the servants who were clearly malicious towards me to relieve their anger.


    Are we the same age? It was cute how they were sticking their hands on their hips while puffing out their chests.


    These people were just telling me to be careful, they didn¡¯t state their name.


    They probably heard about me from somewhere, and were just complaining to me about it.


    I wonder if ladies of marriageable age have a lot of free time¡­


    I¡¯m not like a heroine from a novel.


    I don¡¯t have a knight to protect me.


    Well, it doesn¡¯t look like they have any weapons on them.


    I could ignore them as the commoner Ayesha-marie until they were satisfied, but as His Highness Luden¡¯s subordinate, Ann, I couldn¡¯t let things go on like this.


    ¡°I only follow the instructions of His Highness Ludens.¡±


    (I wasn¡¯t working here because I wanted to.)


    I lifted my face, took the hem of my eggplant coloured dress in both hands and dashed through the side of the large Zelkova trees.


    ¡°¡°¡°WHAT?!¡±¡±¡±


    Sweep the problem under the rug¡­ No, a wise person keeps away from danger. Running away was the correct choice. I learnt this from various idioms.


    The leaves of the big Zelkova trees shaking in the wind seemed as if it was laughing.


    A woman in the Royal Palace didn¡¯t dash. The most they did was trot. I guess female knights do it in the training grounds?


    ¡°¡°¡°¡­¡­¡±¡±¡±


    1) The bushes on the side of the Zelkova tree shook lightly.


    ¡°Woah¡­ She¡¯s fast. Weird fellow. I have to inform Roberto-sama.¡±


    After he confirmed that there were no signs of life, Cafule put his hand to his mouth and got out of the bushes.


    For some reason, he was watching Ayesha-marie, who was sitting away from the public, and had secretly joined her.


    Sure enough, something had happened.


    He was thinking about coming out of his hiding spot before it became a big disturbance, but his target, Ayesha-marie had left first.


    2) ¡°Hah, hah. My endurance has dropped. But, here should be fine.¡±


    I didn¡¯t think that I would run this far and struggled to breath.


    I would catch the attention of others if I run too far, so I stopped.


    I suddenly remembered that Ada had told me to ¡ºignore jealous woman¡». Ada-san would probably compliment me for what I did.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to Hen Inn on my next day off. I want to see Ada-san. And I¡¯m also tired.¡±


    Since I¡¯ve started working for His Highness Ludens, I avoided going out as much as possible because someone might try to make a pass at me.


    Luckily, I didn¡¯t come across any suspicious people or anyone who was looking at my conduct while I was Ayesha-marie.


    I¡¯ve felt rude glances aimed at me many times when I was Ann. This was the first time they¡¯ve come at me directly though.


    I was getting used to working as a secretary, so I decided to go to Hen Inn and was able to get my work done easier than before.


    ???????


    ¡°Lady Ann is quite used to us now. She¡¯s also doing her job properly. However¡­ I wish she was friendly towards us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I agree Lancel. But, I¡¯m glad that she¡¯s not coming onto us with ulterior motives. She¡¯s more approachable now.¡±


    ¡°One of the conditions wasn¡¯t, it¡¯s fine as long as you work probably, was it?¡±


    ¡°She probably doesn¡¯t want to deepen her relationship with us more than necessary. It¡¯s the smart thing to do.¡±


    The people at the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room talked as they liked.

 Chapter 61 - The Start of a Day Off

    The holiday I¡¯ve been waiting for¡­ It took a long time to get here.


    I was doing office work under His Highness Ludens, and they were probably waiting to see how I work, because the work I do isn¡¯t very difficult. The majority of my work consisted of making copies of documents. And sometimes I would also brew tea. This may be the first time I¡¯ve felt so relaxed.


    Oh, the tea was brewed by the maids in the room, so I made sure to tell them when I wanted to brew tea.


    If I don¡¯t cooperate with the girls around me, then my life here would be very uncomfortable¡­ I would actively ask His Highness and the others if I could ¡ºgive the leftover high-class sweets¡»to the maids. I didn¡¯t compliment the maids directly, but I did compliment them in front of His Highness Ludens. This was the point. They did look at me suspiciously because of that, but weren¡¯t directly assaulting or harassing me.


    The problem right now was that His Highness Ludens didn¡¯t leave the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room if there wasn¡¯t anything like a ball or night audience. It might be possible for Roberto-sama, Lancel-sama and Leyard-sama to leave early since they were close with His Highness, but I couldn¡¯t just say, ¡°I¡¯ll be off first,¡± and leave, so I accompanied him until he said, ¡°You can leave now.¡± As a reason, I always ran to the dining hall and made it there just before they closed. My hair was dishevelled, my dress was a mess and I could only eat rice.


    I got up early in the morning and returned late at night, so I had yet to meet my neighbours in the government residence. I was so mentally tired on days when I could go home early and just went straight to sleep. The only time I talked to Susan-obaasan as Ayesha-marie was when I wanted to ask her something. I wanted to have a normal conversation with someone¡­


    But, today is my day off.


    I also thought about staying in the government residence today, but I hadn¡¯t been to town in a long time, so I tied my hair up in a ponytail, put on the milk tea coloured dress and strolled around town. I took a deep breath and stretched my arms towards the sky.


    ¡°I feel good. The sky is blue and I also did my laundry today. Ayesha is great!¡±


    The parent and child, who were walking past me, looked at me and giggled.


    How nice.


    I¡¯m Ayesha right now, so no one would criticise me. I don¡¯t have to put on my noble mask.


    I wonder if I should eat something from a food cart today. I made some money after all.


    I bought a dumpling with sweet sauce on it, sat on a stone bench and stuffed my cheeks.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious to eat it this way!¡±


    I licked my lips before the sauce dripped out. That was a close one. I nearly stained my skirt.


    Luckily, I didn¡¯t know anyone, so no one would care if I behave badly. Eating food in a delicious way is the best.


    A shadow appeared before me for some reason while I was eating.


    ¡°Hey, oi. Is that you Ayesha? How are you?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±


    I swallowed the dumpling and looked up at the voice¡­¡­ Huh? That¡¯s a familiar face.


    Why is he here?!?!?!


    ¡°Is that you Dick-san? It has been a while.¡±


    I looked up and saw Dick-san¡¯s falcon-like eyes. He was wearing his black guard¡¯s uniform and a dark green cloak. He looked very handsome. He attracted everyone¡¯s attention with his hands fisted in the air. He was glistening gold in some places and he attracted people¡¯s attentions for better or for worse.


    He was acting friendly, but his eyes were sharp and they were locked on me.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Today¡¯s my day off, so I thought about going to the shop where Bobles-san¡¯s brother works. I could ask the same to you Dick-san, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I came to the Royal Capital for work. I was heading towards the ¡ºHen Inn¡»because I heard it was a good place to stay. Luckily, I also know guards in the 2nd station that¡¯s next to the inn.¡±


    We looked at each other and headed towards the same direction while nodding.


    Dick-san drew people¡¯s attention just by walking because he was so tall. I could tell that woman and children were glancing at him and following him with their eyes.


    (Is Dick-san famous? He is eye-catching. People like him are popular too. He has a high position in the guards after all. I¡¯ll be troubled if I get caught up in a rumour because of this.)


    I was walking next to him, but then I slowed down little by little until I was walking behind him.


    ¡°¡­ Oh, am I walking too fast?¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Am I going the right way?¡±


    ¡°You are.¡±


    My concerns weren¡¯t conveyed to Dick-san.


    In the end, I quickened my pace and lead him to Hen Inn.


    I didn¡¯t want to talk about private things with His Highness Ludens or Roberto-sama and the others, so I quickly looked for Ada-san.

 Chapter 62 - Girl Friend

    ¡°Ada-san.¡±


    Although I wasn¡¯t good at depending on people, I couldn¡¯t help but run up to Ada when I saw her glossy black hair.


    It was still day time, so I thought that I wouldn¡¯t be able to meet Ada-san, the star of the night, but I was reunited with her. My mood improved immensely.


    I¡¯ll introduce Dick-san to Master and Ada-san just in case.


    After serving the guests who came here for lunch, Ada-san took off her apron and sat in the chair next to me, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She was indeed a really reliable older sister.


    I had waited while having lunch with Dick-san until Ada-san became available. I bit into the firm green beans and the pork stew was only accompanied with hard rice¡­ But why are the meals Master makes so delicious?


    We chased Dick-san away to another seat by saying, ¡°We¡¯re going to have a girl talk,¡± and then we began to talk.


    First, I gave her a status report.


    I didn¡¯t speak about it in detail, but I did tell her that I was doing office work under a certain high-ranking noble. I talked about my delicate position between my noble employers and the other maids, and about the delicious yet unsatisfactory meals. I, who knew what it was like to talk to someone in Coolden, couldn¡¯t stop telling Ada-san things.


    I talked about everything all at once and drank the cup of water that was next to me.


    (¡­ Ah, it¡¯s so nice to have someone listen to me talk like this. I slightly remember that mother and I never ran out of things to talk about.)


    I was daydreaming about the past. When I came back to reality, Ada-san was looking at me with strong eyes. My heart raced even though we¡¯re both woman.


    ¡°So, Ayesha-chan you weren¡¯t living at the Royal Capital because you were in Coolden, but Roberto-sama dragged you back here because he had some business with you and now you work for a certain noble. Is this correct?¡±


    ¡°Umm, yes.¡±


    ¡°And you had complaints about your current lifestyle, so you spilled it to me, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t quit right away. I can¡¯t even complain to the people around me, I can¡¯t even vent¡­ I¡¯m sorry you have to listen to my selfishness¡­¡±


    I looked at my hands and they weren¡¯t as rough as before and the clothes I wore were also higher quality than what commoners wore.


    I know that my complaints sound selfish to someone who works hard every day until they set and the day passes in the blink of an eye. Having food, a place to live and work is a blessing for commoners, like the one I wanted to become, and I know that it¡¯s a luxury to want more.


    But, I wanted someone to listen to me complain.


    My words gradually became quieter and I naturally turn my gaze downwards.


    ¡°You¡¯re not being selfish. Come on, look up.¡±


    Ada-san¡¯s face was in front of mine again. She looked innocent, just like a mischievous child.


    ¡°Ayesha-chan chose to whine to me even though you have your reasons and you seem like you have a lot of secrets. This makes me happy. I¡¯m the one who meddled because I was worried. This means you trust me, right? Somehow, oh yes, it feels good because it¡¯s like I¡¯m your sister.¡±


    ¡°Sister? It would be better if you were my friend rather than my sister.¡±


    ¡°You think so? Then, we¡¯re f-r-i-e-n-d-s, right?¡±


    Ada-san spread her arms widely and hugged me with her charming body. I can feel the gazes of the jealous men in here. Well, I am monopolising her time.


    My face was red¡­ This is the first time that such an attractive lady has shown this much affection towards me. I¡¯ve made my first friend. As for Emery-san, she feels more like a mother.


    (I¡¯m happy too. It¡¯s a bit embarrassing though¡­ I¡¯m frozen on the spot.)


    ¡°Hey, how long are you guys going to keep doing this?¡±


    Dick-san had a weird look on his face. He had approached us even though he had been far away.


    I turned my head around and saw that I was being glared at by sharp eyes of raptors. Why are you threatening me? It¡¯s too intense. Yes, I couldn¡¯t say this out loud even though I thought it.


    ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it? They¡¯re probably jealous. Let¡¯s show them.¡±


    ¡°You know, you¡¯re the type to make more enemies, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°The cute and obedient Ayesha-chan is friends with someone like me, you know. And I wouldn¡¯t approach my enemies.¡±


    Ada-san, who was forcibly pulled away from me, pouted and didn¡¯t even try to hide her dissatisfaction towards Dick-san.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the station for a bit. I¡¯ll be leaving my luggage here. Ayesha, don¡¯t leave yet. Don¡¯t go home alone. Wait for me to come back. Do you understand? Hey, Master. Keep an eye on these two.¡±


    He made sure that Master was nodding in agreement before patting my head and leaving the Hen Inn.


    Why does Dick-san treat me like such a child? Doesn¡¯t he think it¡¯s rude to treat me like this even though I¡¯m already an adult?


    ¡°Even though I¡¯m already an adult. Do I look like a child?¡±


    I looked sideways as I muttered and I saw Ada-san and Master nodding.


    ¡°¡°¡­¡­ (You don¡¯t look like a child, but you probably look na?ve)¡­¡­¡±¡±


    I¡¯m a little shocked. I think I received some damage.


    ¡°*sob*¡±


    I¡¯ll cry!

 Chapter 63 - Standing Out

    This was the first time I¡¯ve ever cried crocodile tears just to see how the other person would react.


    On top of that, up until now, there has been no one that I could butter up to, even as a joke; and no one could see my face before.


    When I was at the Thousand House, I had no one to make up to and no one tried to get close to me. I did my best to keep a weak presence. I returned to my normal self whenever I snuck out of the estate.


    Now that I think about it, this is the first time I¡¯ve really felt like I was getting involved with people.


    Dick-san returned with Captain Weller while I was joking with Ada-san. For some reason there were 3 guards with them.


    ¡°Give me a break, Dick. I¡¯m finally off duty this afternoon. Let me nap.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Captain Weller. Sorry, but keep me company for a bit.¡±


    Oh my, how rare. I¡¯ve never seen Dick-san lower his head and talk formally before. Was the someone who he knew at the station, Captain Weller?


    But, I don¡¯t really want to meet the captain. Well, that red hair makes me uneasy. It reminds me of my Thousand House family.


    ¡°Mm. Hey Ayesha, Ada.¡±


    ¡°¡°Hello.¡±¡±


    Lunch was done and the restaurant was quite deserted right now. However, the guards and Dick-san had quite a presence in here even though they were only sitting down and talking.


    Ooh? Some men are avoiding them and quietly leaving Hen Inn. They were casting their eyes down a little. Dick-san and the guards, aren¡¯t you disturbing their business?


    ¡°Hey, you cheerful lads. Go check them out. You don¡¯t have to follow them too far.¡±


    ¡°¡°Roger.¡±¡±


    The three guards, who Captain Weller ordered with his chin, left the restaurant.


    ¡°Dick, is this fine?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. See, I told you didn¡¯t I? There were some suspicious guys here. The station is right next door and they were staring at Ayesha unpleasantly even though I was next to her. I haven¡¯t heard of the public order around here getting bad, so I was curious about what nasty motive they had,¡± Dick-san said as he looked at me.


    ¡­ Err, are they aiming at me?


    Dick-san spoke and sent me home before I could think too deeply into it, ¡°Ayesha, I¡¯m escorting you back so get ready to go home.¡± So that¡¯s what he meant when he told me to wait.


    ¡°See you later, Ayesha.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come again.¡±


    I waved to everyone. I can¡¯t believe promising to meet again was this pleasant!


    I was a little frustrated at being sent home by a guardian though.


    I walked home in a good mood.


    ???????


    ¡°¡­ Ayesha, you might not have noticed this but those guys were following you since I met you today.¡±


    ¡°¡­ (Scary) ¡­¡±


    Woah, I¡¯m getting goosebumps. I hugged myself.


    I looked beside me at Dick-san and he asked worriedly, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re just amateur flirts¡­ But stop walking around here while wearing that dress. You look like you can become their sugar mamas. Wear some clothes that are easy to move in. Wear some common clothes that aren¡¯t too eye-catching if you want to leave the Royal Palace residences and walk around the Royal Capital by yourself.¡±


    I walked in the Royal Palace gardens after leaving the residence, so I thought I couldn¡¯t walk around there in strange clothes, but seems like I¡¯ve failed.


    Well, merchants and servants go in and out of the Royal Palace, so it should be fine to just wear my uniform and formal dresses when I interact with nobles.


    ¡°It would be easier to run if you wear more common clothes.¡±


    Dick-san joked because I looked like I was brooding. He probably did that so I wouldn¡¯t feel down.


    My dress did look a little out of place when I looked around me. I was spending more time at the Royal Palace, so my common sense as a commoner was dulling.


    ¡°You too, Dick-san. Your outfit stands out as well, though in a different way than mine.¡±


    ¡°No matter what comes, I have power and money, so it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll be fine even if an unpleasant woman came onto me.¡±


    Yes, yes. It¡¯s so nice to be that confident. It¡¯s so great that you have power. I don¡¯t understand how he can be so bold and unembarrassed.


    ¡­ It¡¯s kind of frustrating.


    I don¡¯t think that me being close to commoners has anything to do with the fact that I want to kick Dick-san in the back as he patted mine while laughing through his nose, ¡°Hehe.¡±

 Chapter 64 - Reporter Dick-san

    He might have been considerate, but Dick-san is an adult man after all; and he is in the guards, so he had a better physique than normal people¡­¡­ That¡¯s right. This person walks really fast.


    He appeared to be walking slowly, but he was still much faster than me. Thus, I was trotting and occasionally running to keep up with him.


    He walked slowly when we headed to the Hen Inn because he was viewing the streets, but we were only returning to the Royal Palace right now. His pace was naturally faster.


    The sun was turning a deep orange as it turned to night.


    ¡°Dick-san, I can return by myself from here, so you don¡¯t have to send me all the way there.¡±


    ¡°I also have to report to the Royal Palace that I¡¯ve arrived at the Royal Capital, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    (Oh, what!? Dick-san also has business at the Royal Palace.)


    I felt bad that Dick-san was walking me back to the Royal Palace, but I was relieved when I heard this.


    A man rushed from behind and bumped into me when I stopped for a moment from being relieved.


    I grunted and stumbled because I¡¯d been caught off guard.


    ¡°Uoah.¡±


    ¡°Uh-oh, you ok?¡±


    Dick-san immediately grabbed my arm as I was stumbling. His body wasn¡¯t trembling at all even though he was holding my body with his other hand.


    Hah, I didn¡¯t fall down thanks to him.


    ¡­His hands were big and they were really thick and firm. This was called sword calluses and it wasn¡¯t possible to get this without wielding the sword a lot. He didn¡¯t seem to be putting any force into his hold, but his grip was firm and it hurt.


    I was surprised at being supported by a man and I was also surprised how trained a part of his body was.


    I realised that this person trained every day in order to acquire power that he could boast about.


    (I never realised this when he taught me self-defence.)


    There were countless numbers of fine burn marks and cuts on Bobles-san¡¯s and Master¡¯s arms and hands. They even had broken nails too. I could tell that their right hand, which they used to flip the frying pan, was extremely muscular.


    It was like that.


    Dick-san is also someone who hones his skills. As a result, he was able to climb to a top position in the guards.


    I¡¯m sorry for thinking you¡¯re crafty.


    He put so much effort into acquiring this, so he must still be doing the same.


    ¡°Why¡¯re you blanking out for? Even so, that was an unattractive scream. You should have shrieked.¡±


    Argh, I pouted.


    Dick-san, please study up on how to treat a lady. I clicked my tongue in my brain.


    I finally started to admire you and was about to praise you.


    I chased after Dick-san, who was walking briskly away.


    ???????


    ¡°Now, Ayesha. How¡¯s work?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. They¡¯re still making sure that I¡¯m getting used to work, so I don¡¯t have much work to do.¡± While facing the front, Dick-san asked that question like it was nothing.


    I also replied calmly.


    As we walked, I could see the large Royal Palace at the top of the town.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been nominated as the reporter to do the regular report from the guards. And even the 3rd Empire Prince asked me to come visit. What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I just told you I haven¡¯t done anything proper for work. I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    Dick-san put his hand to his chin and whispered, ¡°Then, what¡¯s going to happen from now¡­? He suddenly contacted me even though I¡¯ve never contacted him, so I thought it had to do with you, Ayesha.¡±


    His voice got so quiet towards the end that I could barely hear it.


    I don¡¯t know anything.


    Me becoming a commoner has been postponed (Or so I believe!). For now, I was working under the Imperial Prince and saving up money. This is my current situation.


    I¡¯m living in this unfamiliar Royal Palace and living everyday as I am instructed to.


    I believe that becoming a commoner is a positive thing. I need to obtain skills that would be useful to me.


    In the meantime, we arrived at the Royal Palace.


    We entered without any problems after the inspection at the gates.


    Dick-san dealt with the guards at the magnificent checkpoint. As expected from him.


    ¡°Thank you for walking me here.¡±


    I bowed politely at Dick-sam.


    ¡°See you later,¡± he waved his right hand and disappeared into the left-wing of the Royal Palace. He¡¯s probably going there because it¡¯s related to the guards. Well, I probably won¡¯t see him again.


    I headed towards the government residence located to the east of the middle palace.


    There was barely any sun shining on my body and the wind would occasionally blow, making me cold.


    I became friends with Ada-san.


    Dick-san¡­ Taught me self-defense, so I guess I could call him my master (?). Let¡¯s just only call him that in my mind, I feel like his pride would swell if I actually call him that.


    Now, it¡¯ll be nice if I knew more people in the Royal Palace. It¡¯ll be great if they could become my friends. But that seems hard. I can only proceed patiently.


    ???????


    The day after my holiday, when I met Dick-san again, my job was to make clean copies of documents and deliver things. Documents and memos came to the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room from all directions and I was to summarise them. I concluded that I was able to do office work to a certain extent.


    These documents and memos probably went through His Highness Ludens first, so that he could judge whether or not I could see them.


    I was extremely grateful that everyone was skilful at writing and I could understand what was being written even if it was scribbles.


    Even so, I understood that I didn¡¯t have enough ability to find the relations between documents and summarise.


    The reason for this was it took a lot of time for me to grasp the content of the document from just a few lines and I had to search up terms and place names I didn¡¯t know.


    (Ah, I have to go to the library and study up on place names and terms related to public order. I need a comprehensive knowledge of these things to summarise the documents.)


    The geography that I learnt from Ms. Dolcie only consisted of the major cities of Fernand Empire, special products and neighbouring kingdoms.


    It¡¯s hard to see what¡¯s under your nose¡­ As for the Royal Capital, I only know the area around the Thousand House and the central district.


    I¡¯ve never worried about public order before.


    I transcribed the place names and terms that I didn¡¯t know onto a piece of paper in between my work.


    His Highness Ludens ordered me, ¡°A guest is here, go brew some tea,¡± while I was so focused on work that I didn¡¯t even notice the sounds nor those around me. It seemed like a guest had visited sometime while I was concentrating. Is it alright for someone like me to brew the tea?


    I questioned as I quickly left the desk I was assigned and took the tea set from the maid in the room.


    I looked at the sofa and the black hair of the guest entered my eyes.


    (Huh?)


    I¡¯m bothered by this, but I have to get the tea to the guest first.


    I brewed tea elegantly like I always do. Yup, it¡¯s a nice colour.


    I poured tea for His Highness Ludens first and then the guest.


    ¡°Please enjoy your tea.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say more than I needed to and lined up the tea in front of His Highness Ludens.


    I was Lady Ann right now. There was no need for anyone to know about my origins.


    As I bowed and quickly stepped back, I felt a strong gaze on me. Don¡¯t look confused.


    ¡°Ouah?! Aah.¡±


    Pointing at someone was rude no matter if you were a noble or commoner.


    I frowned and looked at him; there sat Dick-san with his mouth wide open. My appearance was enough to surprise Dick-san.


    His Highness Ludens was sitting next to him while trying to suppress his laughter.


    We met again just like Dick-san had said.

 Chapter 65 - Lady Ann is Ayesha

    His Highness Ludens asked Dick-san a question with a wicked smile on his face. Good looking people looked good no matter what expression they had on their face, but wicked expressions made them a lot more good looking. His emerald-green eyes were shining more than usual. But, you can only do that expression here. You¡¯re aware that you¡¯re admired by many young ladies, aren¡¯t you?


    ¡°Mhm? Are you acquainted with Lady Ann?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Is this person called Lady Ann?¡¯


    (Ah, Dick-san, you can¡¯t return His Highness¡¯ question with another question, you know? Where did the confident and observant Dick-san go?)


    I walked back to the sofa and calmly bowed at Dick-san. By no means, did I smile at him.


    I¡¯m an office worker who is wearing an eggplant dress, so I¡¯ll just rebuke them in my mind.


    Dick-san was looking at me as if he was looking at a mysterious thing.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I am Ann du Deniswell. I work for His Highness Ludens.¡±


    Dick-san grasped my current situation from my appearance and played along with me. His face was tense and he had closed his opened mouth. He was really good at assessing the situation.


    ¡°I am here at the invitation of His Highness Ludens. I have heard rumours that someone I knew was at the Royal Palace, and I thought I could meet her¡­ But, it¡¯s an honour to meet you Lady Ann.¡± He replied with an extremely bright and sparkly smile; one I have never seen before. Woah, I can imagine him making passes at women like this. But, he just looks shady to me.


    I stood next to the sofa and ended up listening to them talk. Blonde hair and black hair, I really enjoyed the contrast of these two. A lion and a hawk.


    They would talk about the Coolden border situation and about the guards in their harmless and inoffensive conversation.


    They seem to be on good terms from what I was hearing. There probably weren¡¯t much people who could talk to the Imperial Prince like this, regardless of whether they were noble or commoner. His Highness Ludens seemed to be enjoying the conversation. He had certainly already won the heart of his subordinate.


    ¡°Deputy Captain-dono of the 2nd guard unit, thanks for telling me good things today. Please talk to me again.¡±


    ¡°If I have the chance.¡±


    Dick-san rose from his seat without saying too much, bowed gracefully and headed for the door so that he could leave. His fluid movement was beautiful.


    And he said in a whisper as he passed me, ¡°You¡¯re in disguise.¡±


    Ayaya, it¡¯s the normal Dick-san. He¡¯s whispering but his tone is sharp. It struck my heart. He had a more dangerous weapon than his hawk eyes.


    ¡°Farewell.¡±


    I hid the fact that I was panicking and saw Dick-san off with a graceful bow. I don¡¯t know if he knows this, but I¡¯m good at hiding my emotions.


    But, I¡¯ll have to explain this to him the next time I see him, don¡¯t I? He¡¯ll definitely ask about it if he finds me, so I might as well tell him first myself.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you glad you had a good meeting?¡±


    The ends of His Highness Ludens mouth were raised a little as he sipped his tea.


    I stayed quiet as I poured more tea into the empty cup.


    (Why did he purposely show the me who had become Lady Ann to Dick-san¡­?)


    My eyes must have said enough, but I silently returned to work without listening to His Highness Ludens¡¯ response.


    Because I had my hands full with my new job, you know? I still have more words to write, you know?


    I¡¯m so glad that Lancel-sama, Leyard-sama, and Roberto-sama weren¡¯t here. If Roberto-sama was here, I wonder what kind of banter he would have with Dick-san while using me as joke material.


    Ah, so that¡¯s why he called Dick-san while only he was here. He knew what would happen. Hmm, I have a better opinion of him now.


    I don¡¯t want to get Dick-san involved in this.


    Should I just think about doing my work properly for now?


    I quickly combed my black hair and began moving my hands again.


    ???????


    And thus, here I am at the library.


    It was a bit of a distance away from the Royal Palace, so I came here by carriage. There¡¯s a carriage for people who work at the Royal Palace and it had a small flag on it. This was probably because commoners also worked there and not just nobles who had their own carriages. I could ride the carriage without any problems when I showed the carriage permission slip signed by Roberto-sama. Riding this felt much better than riding the street carriage. But it was pretty extravagant since I was riding it alone.


    When I uselessly told them that, ¡°I want to go to the library,¡± His Highness¡¯ comrades told me that, ¡°The library in the Royal Palace is biased so it¡¯s better for you to go to the Royal Library if you want to find terms and maps.¡±


    I¡¯m curious about the bias books in the Royal Palace. I¡¯ll go there at the next chance.


    ¡°How nostalgic.¡± When I got off the carriage alone, those words naturally came out of my mouth.


    I¡¯ve walked down this road before as Lady Ayesha-marie of the Thousand House. It has only been about three months since then.


    And today I was Lady Ann with a black bobbed hairstyle and an eggplant coloured dress.


    ¡°I have to use my two hours effectively. I also won¡¯t go to the bookshelves aimed for commoners. I have to go to the national defence section for the maps and that¡¯s in the noble section.¡±


    I talked a lot to myself probably because I was alone.


    I¡¯ll be visiting the library for my own sake instead of for others. I can also go here whenever I have a break from work. I¡¯m so happy.


    I walked towards the entrance of the Royal Library.

 Chapter 66 - The Librarian, Earl Noir

    When I visited the library on a less popular day on New Year¡¯s Eve, it was as if the stone absorbed all the sounds around it and the wall was cold. But, today I felt like the stone wall was warm, even though it was the same place. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because the weather is different. It¡¯s probably because I felt differently now.


    Since before, I was only happy that I was allowed to go to the library.


    There were fewer visitors than I thought there would be when I entered the building. The weather was nice today, so the commoners were probably doing their laundry or field work. The only people here are the ones who like to read in their free time. Yup, the books smell nice.


    The walls in the Royal Library were still decorated with a lot of paintings; some of which had changed and I gazed at them.


    ¡°Paintings of portraits, landscapes and still-life. There¡¯s a lot of different paintings here like usual. How did they use their brush to get strokes like this? Do they have a standard for choosing paintings¡­? I¡¯ll try asking His Highness.¡±


    I was the only one who approached the paintings and appreciated them. Since it reduced my reading time, I only observed the paintings that I was interested in.


    The corridors and stairs at the Royal Palace were decorated with paintings and dane, but I would look suspicious if I looked at them too closely, so I didn¡¯t observe them. It¡¯s fine to look at them here.


    ¡°Did you find any good paintings, Ma¡¯am?¡± A voice called out to me from behind just like the last time I was here. Only one person who could do something like this came to my mind. It¡¯s probably that person, I guessed and turned around and of course, Earl Noir with his black hair and blue-eyes was there.


    There was no way he would know who I was since I was wearing my eggplant work dress and had black bobbed hair. There was no need for him to know, so I should leave.


    ¡°There are a lot of beautiful paintings.¡±


    Nobles were people who replied curtly; I smiled vaguely, covered my mouth with my hands and laughed, ¡°Ohoho.¡± I then proceeded to leave. I can¡¯t meet with people who know Ayesha-marie.


    He spoke to me again while my back was turned, ¡°You¡¯re not going to the geography section today, Lady Ann?¡±


    Huh? Calm, stay calm¡­¡­ I haven¡¯t told him my name, have I? My mind was like a storm of doubt and I turned around while looking calm.


    Earl Noir stood there while smiling and being surrounded by a gentle aura. I was deceived.


    (This person was also one of His Highness Ludens¡¯ comrades¡­)


    ¡°I heard from His Highness that you would be visiting today. I was looking forward to meeting you¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­ That¡¯s a wonderful outfit. I wouldn¡¯t have noticed that it was you, if I hadn¡¯t known about it beforehand.¡±


    Earl Noir calmly kept a slight distance between us as not to be rude, and quickly looked me up and down in confirmation. His eyes weren¡¯t blaming or condemning me, they were just confirming who I was. He talked to me in a gentle demeanour and I fully understood that this man wasn¡¯t ¡®the enemy¡¯. On the other hand, he wasn¡¯t necessarily my ally either since he was His Highness¡¯ acquaintance.


    Earl Noir informed me, ¡°I have prepared maps of the Royal Capital and Empire for you,¡± and guided me to a place that looked like a noble wouldn¡¯t enter.


    (I can only follow him like this, huh.)


    A number of people greeted Earl Noir as they passed us. He greeted them back regardless of their rank, since many different types of people visited the library.


    (He¡¯s a good person who¡¯s well-liked by everyone. But, he¡¯s His Highness¡¯ comrade. It¡¯s dangerous to get close to him more than necessary.)


    Meanwhile, we arrived at the place where only nobles can enter.


    I didn¡¯t have to show my I.D at the reception and could enter, probably because I was with Earl Noir.


    There were many books and large rolled up paper on a large desk next to a bookshelf. Those were the things he had prepared for me.


    I unrolled the large paper and saw that it was a big map of the Royal Capital.


    ¡°Pretty¡­¡±


    The Royal Palace and main buildings were depicted as drawings, the buildings were represented by squares, a big black line represented the border between the upper and lower districts and each district was represented by a different colour. At the centre of the map was a wide highway that lead towards the Royal Palace, the roads looked like branches and the alley like blood vessels. The place names were closely packed together in small writing. Of course, the Royal Palace occupied most of the space. Did they not draw the palace grounds in detail for national defence? The black part on the map bothered me the most. It looked like they drew a road, but it¡¯s completely filled in black. ¡­Where is this?


    ¡­ Ah, it¡¯s probably the slums where security is bad.


    I took out the memo I¡¯d written from the pocket of my eggplant dress and confirmed the place names.


    I looked for the place names while muttering them and Earl Noir explained what colour the plot of land was from the side. Ooh, Earl Noir knows a lot of things.


    I looked for the defence terms up in a book and Earl Noir would bring more books and explain them to me when I asked him questions. This person, he¡¯s better than a librarian!


    While I was studying, Earl Noir became someone whom I should respect. This person was like a dictionary.


    (It¡¯s been awhile since I¡¯ve studied like this. Ah, my head feels like it¡¯s going to burst. But I think I¡¯m smarter now.)


    I turned my head and rubbed my shoulders. This was something a noble lady wouldn¡¯t do in a place like this, but today I¡¯m Lady Ann.


    ¡°Do you understand the things you wanted to know now? The things I¡¯m about to say now is just me talking to myself. I might be meddling too much, but listen carefully.¡±


    I saw his sky-blue eyes shake faintly. Earl Noir continued to talk. Luckily, there was no one around us, only books.


    I might have hoped to hear this somewhere. I might know about this already.


    I straightened up and listened to what he had to say.

 Chapter 67 - Yield at the Royal Library

    Earl Noir informed me in with gentle eyes, ¡°The Earl is the same as usual. When I met him last time and before I could ask about you, he told me, ¡®I left her to a distant acquaintance to learn good mannerism¡¯. He seemed a bit lonely. And rest assure. Rumours about you have not circulated in the noble world. And as for your family, I heard that your eldest sister is getting married soon.¡±


    I was able to listen to that more calmly than I thought I would be able to. He didn¡¯t know who could be listening, so he didn¡¯t say my name even though he knew that Ayesha-marie was Lady Ann. I appreciate his thoughtfulness.


    ¡­ I see, so everyone¡¯s fine.


    My father already thinks of me as someone he left to someone else far away. He won¡¯t think that I¡¯m currently in the Royal Capital now, will he? I have to be careful so that I won¡¯t run into him. I promised them that I wouldn¡¯t cause the Thousand House any trouble after all. I haven¡¯t become a commoner yet, but I¡¯ll keep my promise.


    Earl Noir was only being considerate of me when he told me that my father seemed lonely. I didn¡¯t influence father¡¯s life much even if I¡¯m there or not. The topic about me was probably taboo in the Thousand House now. Family, huh¡­? This feels like we¡¯re talking about someone I knew long ago.


    I have barely thought about father and the Thousand House since I left. I didn¡¯t think about them on purpose. If I remembered them then I would feel small and uncomfortable. It was to the point that I purposely try not to think about how they¡¯re doing.


    Still, I¡¯m glad to learn that I wasn¡¯t bothering the Thousand House with my whereabouts. I was a bit relieved. Even I was unwilling to leave them with unpleasant feelings even though I¡¯ve left them.


    ¡­ I guess I look doubtful.


    Earl Noir, who was standing next to me, looked unsure and said, ¡°Should I not have said that?¡±


    ¡°Earl Noir-sama, thank you for telling me this.¡±


    I expressed my gratitude with the best expression a noble lady could use. I didn¡¯t show my emotions on my face. Even if I don¡¯t warn him not to, I don¡¯t think he would have anything to inform my father.


    I raised my face and smiled at him.


    Earl Noir watched as Lady Ann smiled¡­ (I¡¯ve caused you a lot of trouble just by telling His Highness about you haven¡¯t I?)1)


    He was aware that he was the culprit, but he never uttered it.


    ???????


    I was told that I couldn¡¯t borrow maps or books related to public order, but I asked to borrow the Royal Palace Paperwork Dictionary since I could. Of course, I didn¡¯t understand the terms that His Highness and the others used.


    I thanked Earl Noir again for many things and could finally visit the bookshelves aimed at commoners after I separated from him.


    (I don¡¯t have much time left. I¡¯ll just confirm what books are aimed at commoners today.)


    There were bookshelves a head taller than me lined up in a big space. It looked like a little maze.


    It was for commoners, but nobles could use this section too. Actually, high-ranking nobles didn¡¯t seem to have much use for books aimed at commoners, though.


    There were a lot of books here for entertainment than those for study. There seemed to be books with beautiful illustrations for children and love stories aimed for the general public as well.


    The book I want to read is a book on stars. Or was it constellations? I found out in Coolden that the arrangements of stars had names. I slept early and woke up early when I was Ayesha-marie, and I only thought the stars were pretty if I had the chance to look up at the night sky. I didn¡¯t have time to think more than that before. Even if I was awake at night to greet someone, I never went outside. So, when I walked at night with someone at Coolden, I didn¡¯t know what constellations was when we talked about it. It was a little frustrating that everyone knew what they were but I didn¡¯t, that was why I wanted to learn about them.


    I had to study things I didn¡¯t know. I¡¯ve been doing this since I was young. It was common sense. I improved my life with the knowledge I gained.


    Therefore, I looked for another librarian like Earl Noir. A book goddess with a green-grey badge attached to the left collar of her jacket, bingo!


    I looked around and found her. A lady with fluffy light brown hair was crunching near the foot of a bookshelf while holding six books. It looked like she was shelving the books that had been borrowed. I called out to her from behind, ¡°Mm. Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes?¡±


    She adjusted the six books in her arms, stood up and turned around. She also worked at the Royal Palace like me, since she had the eggplant coloured dress under her jacket. I felt a bit closer to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for books on constellations. Could you tell me where they are?¡± I said and she guided me to a place that was two bookshelves away.


    I kept standing and took out a book that I was curious about from the title. I flipped through the book. Hmm, there¡¯s this many constellations? So stars look like this. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think I could memorise this many constellations.


    In the book, I noticed a description for a star that was fixed and is used as a point of reference for other stars. ¡ºThe Guiding Star¡»¡­ I felt like I¡¯ve heard this before, or not? It floated at night in the north. If I look up at the night sky for a few nights, then even I would be able to remember it.


    My harvest from the Royal Library today was the Royal Palace Paperwork Dictionary and the guiding star.


    It¡¯ll be nice if I can come here again soon, I thought as I returned to the Royal Palace.

 Chapter 68

    I felt like I could finally understand the outline of my work from Earl Noir¡¯s explanations and the dictionary. I could find meaning to my work by knowing what I was involved in. Well, in my case, I don¡¯t get to state my own opinions. My job was to make sure everyone made progress with their work.


    I was happy that I was able to guess what the place was from just the enumerations of characters. And then, when I went to visit those places once I understood more about it.


    I felt like my work was coming to me bit by bit, and I finally felt as if I was getting to know myself. But it was still not enough.


    One day, after having a delicious, yet unsatisfactory lunch at the dining hall, like usual. ¡°I wonder if there are any flowers that I can use for my embroidery sketch¡­¡± and I wandered to the Royal Palace garden and found it.


    In the shade of a tree where the sun doesn¡¯t hit, a little further away from the sidewalk. The air felt cool.


    It was a place where chameleon plants grew.


    Chameleon plants, chameleon plants. It was a cute white flower with heart shaped leaves. In the middle were four small white petals. It was a flower with a fleecy point that was as long as a pinky finger. However, it emitted a peculiar scented juice that stuck to your hands, it was that. It was the thing that was good for your skin when it was made into tea and could be used in substitute for salves.


    (There¡¯s a lot of them. Is someone cultivating them here? When did it grow so much like this?)


    I approached it and looked around but no one was there and it was closed off like a flower bed. It seemed like they just grew all at once recently.


    ¡°Mm, let¡¯s ask about it.¡±


    I, who had managed to get free time, trotted back to the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room to question His Highness, Ludens, my superior.


    ???????


    ¡°Excuse me, Your Highness Ludens. I have a question that has nothing to do with work, is it alright for me to ask it?¡± I broached the subject when I judged that His Highness Ludens was taking a break from his work. I, who rarely talked about anything other than work, was making conversation with him. His Highness immediately made a face that said, ¡°What is it?¡± as he faced me.


    ¡°May I prune and take back the weeds from the Royal Palace garden?¡±


    ¡°What are you going to use it for?¡± He immediately responded. ¡°What is she thinking?¡± was shown on his face. Roberto-sama, who came to this room at noon, and the other escort knights in the room also made a weird face.


    I told them about the chameleon plants. ¡°It can be made into tea and is also considered a medicinal herb to the masses,¡± I¡¯d told them. I also told them that a large amount had grown in the gardens. I explained that I wanted to take them if they were going to be treated as weeds and disposed of.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do with those chameleon plants?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make medicine for haemostatic and rough hands. I¡¯ll ground the leaves, soak it in alcohol and extract the contents. I¡¯ll dry the parts that aren¡¯t extracted and make those into tea.¡±


    And if that feels good when I use it then I¡¯m going to sell some in town.


    I didn¡¯t tell His Highness that I wanted to sell it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll confirm whether or not we¡¯re using those chameleon plants in the Royal Palace. If it¡¯s not being used, then you can take as much as you want.¡±


    Yay, I have His Highness Ludens¡¯ confirmation.


    Then, Roberto-sama went to work to get that confirmation. He works fast, doesn¡¯t he? He¡¯s making a strange face like usual though.


    ???????


    The next day, I worked on getting the chameleon plants.


    This was something I wanted to do, so it was worth the trouble. I was extremely hyped up for a while.


    I had my lunch in half the time, so that it wouldn¡¯t interfere with my business and finished up all my work early. First of all I became Aisha and went shopping.


    I changed into a red tunic and blue trousers, so that people would only see me as a commoner and went to liquor store to buy cheap alcohol called High Shochu. I bought a mortar, wooden pestle and a large pot from the sundry store and returned home. It got dark in no time even though I only went to two stores.


    Ah, it¡¯s so nice to have money I can use freely at times like this. But in order to carry all the luggage, I tied the pot to my back with a string, I had the alcohol in my right hand and the mortar and wooden pestle in my left. My appearance was something that commoners rarely looked like and the rasping sound in my mind somehow disappeared. I wonder what people think when they see me like this, and chose to go back into the Royal Palace through the gate that the servants used. In the Royal Palace, I chose roads with the less amount of people so that I wouldn¡¯t meet anyone and went back to the government residence.


    The next day, I finished my work early and quickly returned to my room. I changed into Ayesha and went to where the chameleon plants were.


    I spread a little yellow sheet on the floor, extracted the root and flower from the chameleon plant and put the leaves on top of the sheet. I did nothing but this¡­ I was extremely thankful that the sun was out longer than it was in winter. I extracted enough leaves to cover the sheet. Then, I somehow managed to collect the sheet and carried it on my back.


    It was a little bulky and the government residence was a little distance away, but I somehow managed to carry it even though I was weak. I put it near the back door of the government residence. Susan-obasan was looking at me curiously.


    I quickly had dinner and continued to work on the chameleon plants. I can only work until curfew.


    I worked under the small light of the lamp. I quickly washed the heart leaves under the water at the back entrance, and put them in the mortar. Then did nothing but grind them. I put the paste into the pot which I had poured shochu in beforehand. I kept repeating these actions.


    My fingertips were dyed a greenish-brown colour probably because of the leaves. The colour didn¡¯t go away even though I washed my hands with soap. But His Highness wouldn¡¯t find out if I wore gloves, now would he? But a peculiar smell was softly radiating from my body¡­ Nope, don¡¯t mind, don¡¯t mind. I have to work on the chameleon plants while they¡¯re still fresh.


    ¡°Susan-obasan, what is this smell?!¡±


    A beautiful woman with a tall stature, freckles and dark reddish-brown hair that was tied up and ran to her waist was staring at the back entrance. She was covering her nose and mouth with her left hand. Her blue eyes were shining.


    (This is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone else at the government residence!)


    I explained to the freckled beauty that I was extracting from the chameleon plant. Her name is Natasha. She was one of the few female knights. When I returned from eating, she was looking for the smell that was drifting about and it eventually lead her to here.


    ¡°Can I help since you¡¯re going to make it into a salve? You can give me some medicine as thanks.¡±


    I let her, who was confident in her skills, join in and soon the pot was full. This was wonderful.


    The next day, I went to work at the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room like usual¡­ His Highness Ludens frowned every time he approached me. He couldn¡¯t stand it anymore after he¡¯d approached me five times and called out to me, ¡°I smell something strange from you. Leave early and bathe.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    (Ex-excuse me, this isn¡¯t something a gentlemen should say towards a lady.)


    I was speechless. But it wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t know what he was talking about so I couldn¡¯t answer.


    I bowed and left the room¡­ Well, I was mixing the extracts of the chameleon plant, so it¡¯s probably a good idea to take a bath after mixing them.


    The smell was so strong that His Highness had to say something about it. There were some people who saw me mix the contents of the large pot while the smell drifted in the air. It might have been inevitable that the rumours of ¡ºa witch living here¡»spread around for a while.


    Honestly, everyone¡¯s so rude.

 Chapter 69 - Women鈥檚 Meeting

    I mixed the pot with a long stick every evening for a week. I had a cloth covering my nose, mouth and eggplant dress. This was the origin of the witch rumor. I had to do what I had to do.


    The parts that I didn¡¯t put into the pot were spread out onto a sheet, so that they could dry for tea.


    ¡­ This wasn¡¯t something a noble lady did. I know this. Thankfully, Susan-obasan didn¡¯t say anything and only watched over me as I worked.


    As time went by, the components inside of the pot melted into the alcohol, and no particular odour remained. Only the harsh smell of alcohol drifted from the pot. The extracts from the chameleon plant that I got was passed through a cloth and added to water and glycerine and the salve was finished! I used it and could guarantee that it felt good on rough hands.


    I practiced the knowledge I had gained from books. The mixing ratio wasn¡¯t mentioned in books, so this was my original recipe.


    ¡°Natasha-san, I was able to make the medicine from chameleon plants thanks to your help. Please have some.¡±


    The freckled beauty, Natasha-san who I met because of the chameleon plant is my next-door neighbour. She was a mid-level knight, who was two years older than me, so she also worked as the night watchmen and she would often stay at the station since it was troublesome to come back late; thus she was only here once in every three days. We miss our timing splendidly.


    I asked Natasha-san to introduce me to a shop that the knights recommended and got them to purchase glycerine moisturiser. It felt good to be able to sell the extracts of chameleon plants that were no good originally. Even though I still have a lot of extracts left, I have a hunch that they¡¯ll sell.


    Natasha-san also introduced me to her friend who stayed at the same residence. My friends increased at once¡­ It¡¯s like a dream.


    I felt close to her probably because her name also ended in ¡®sha¡¯. She had a commoner-like attitude and didn¡¯t act like she was a baron¡¯s daughter at all so it was great. When I told her that even though I live here, I¡¯m from an Earl family, all she said was, ¡°Well, it happens a lot,¡± and didn¡¯t ask me about my family at all. She might also be reserved about her family.


    When I finally removed the chameleon plant dye from my hands, Natasha-san invited me to dinner.


    It was finally time to wear the thin short-sleeve eggplant coloured uniform that was designed for summer as spring came to an end and the signs of the bright summer sun appeared.


    ???????


    I went to the entrance of the government house a little before our appointed time.


    I wanted to give a good impression. It was a woman¡¯s meeting after all.


    I wore a simple, cool blue dress. I put my lily of the valley embroidery in my hair and tied it with a light blue ribbon to the left.


    Three ladies made their appearance while talking in cheerful voices.


    ¡°¡°¡°Nice to meet you.¡±¡±¡±


    One of them was Natasha-san. She wore a white open collar shirt and trousers that showed her body outline; she looked like a handsome man, but her woman appealed showed through somehow¡­ It seemed like a moe gap would appear. Next, a smiling young woman with fluffy blonde hair and a red hair ornament tied up at the top of her head. Her abundant chest was impressive. Her name was Harmie-san. The last person had glossy chestnut coloured hair and big eyes; her hair was tied into a braid. She was short but she made big gestures, it was cute to watch. Her name was Marietta-san. They were both civil officials.


    I¡¯m surprised that they¡¯re friends regardless of their status. Am I included in their group? My heart is racing.


    We received our food trays for dinner at the dining hall and sat down at a table near the walls. Tonight¡¯s main menu was river fish fried in breadcrumbs and herbs. Rosemary and rock salt go well together. I chose a strawberry jam cheesecake for dessert. Desserts were a must for females.


    I also gave Harmie-san and Marietta-san the chameleon plant medicine as a present and they were surprised for a while and then everyone continued their conversation. This was the first time I¡¯ve gotten together and conversed with girls in this way. I didn¡¯t know when I should join in. The conversation was full of surprising things.


    The three seem like they haven¡¯t met in a while and they were catching up. Everyone seem to be proud of their work and were living fulfilling lives while saying, ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± I felt that the root of their friendship was the hardships they faced while working alone at the Royal Palace, in other words, for their country. Yes, I can sympathise with that too.


    It was just¡­ Their royalty and respect for their country was aimed at the royalty and central figures. To me that was ??


    ¡°Where do you work, Ayesha-marie-san?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing miscellaneous duties under Marquis Roberto du Edenbach who works in government affairs,¡± I replied with the answer that has already been set up for me. Ayesha-marie was hired by Roberto-sama. I wasn¡¯t Lady Ann right now. I definitely couldn¡¯t say that I was working at His Highness Ludens¡¯ side.


    ¡°Ayesha-marie, your words are too stiff. You usually talk formal at work so you should relax a now. Or, you can¡¯t talk with commoners on equal footing?¡±


    ¡°There is no such thing¡­ I¡¯m not used to talking with girls in such a way.¡± I refused and stood up without thinking. ¡°Now, now,¡± they prompted me to sit again.


    ¡°So you work for that Roberto-sama?¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s good. Roberto-sama is such a gentlemen. And he¡¯s passionate about work.¡±


    (A gentlemen Roberto-sama doesn¡¯t exist in my mind¡­ Don¡¯t look at me with sparkling anticipation you two.)


    ¡°Come to think of it, I saw His Highness Ludens today around the time training was on. He¡¯s wonderful and dashing like always.¡±


    As expected of woman¡¯s top two attractions. Everyone who talks about them are enraptured. It was true that they were popular to people regardless of status and relations. It seemed that the three hardworking people here had no boyfriends. Whenever young ladies of this age gathered, it was only natural that they talked about wonderful gentlemen¡­


    After that, they continued to talk about wonderful people. Lancel-sama and Leyard-sama¡¯s names also popped up. The cheesecake was delicious but I was tired of agreeing with their words of compliments to wonderful people. I didn¡¯t have the courage to refute them.


    (They only look good, but they¡¯re not all that wonderful.)


    I complained in my mind many times. I¡¯m tired.


    ???????


    ¡°Lady Ann. Won¡¯t you give me some of the chameleon plant medicine? I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve completed it.¡± His Highness Ludens said while I was writing my work.


    He was observing me, wasn¡¯t he? I wonder if Cafule-san informed him.


    ¡°I think that Your Highness would prefer to use a much more effective medicine.¡±


    ¡°You put a lot of time and effort into making it, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯m curious about your masterpiece. But you don¡¯t seem like you¡¯d give me some at all. You¡¯re so cold.¡± His Highness Ludens put his pen down and smiled at me.


    (Black¡­ What an annoying person.)


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll give some to us as well, right?¡±


    (Yeah, yeah, Roberto-sama. He¡¯s also black.)


    ¡°¡­ Okay. I will give it to you another day.¡±


    Is it because I¡¯m close to them? I can¡¯t understand a single wonderful thing about His Highness Ludens, nor Roberto-sama and the others.


    They may do their work well, but they¡¯re not very obedient and they¡¯re troublesome people.


    (Everyone, you can¡¯t be fooled by their looks.)


    I could only shout in my mind over and over again.

 Chapter 70 - Favourite Type

    ¡°Hey, hey, what clique are you in Ayesha-chan? Who do you like?¡± I was suddenly asked while having dinner with Marietta-san whom I met at the dining hall. *COUGH*. I¡¯m proud of myself for swallowing the stew cooked from summer vegetables instead of spitting it out. I went straight to the dining hall today after work so I was still wearing the eggplant coloured office uniform, but I wanted to avoid getting red tomato stains on it.


    We were talking about our favourite menu until a little while ago¡­¡­


    Marietta-san stared at me with an excited expression on her face when I looked at her dubiously. Even if you¡¯re expecting an answer, nothing is coming out of my mouth.


    ¡°¡­ Errm¡­¡±


    ¡°You only listen to others and never join in yourself when we talk about this kind of things, right? Do you like someone from a hidden clique? Do you think that you have to hide what clique you¡¯re in? As you know, I¡¯m in Lancel-sama¡¯s clique. He doesn¡¯t act stuck up to commoners even though he¡¯s a knight. He¡¯s tall and his chest is broad¡­ Ahh, I want to hug him.¡±


    Marietta-san waved both her hands in front of her face. Her hair which were braided together shook around like a tail. Blood rushed to her face and it got red. She was probably imagining her small self hugging Lancel-sama¡¯s large frame. That was very girly and cute. She was a year older than me but she seemed a lot younger.


    ¡°Now, tell me.¡±


    As expected of an excellent civil official employed by the Royal Palace. She pointed at me and drew closer, making it hard for me to run away.


    (Eerrrr, think, me.)


    ¡°I like H-His Highness Ludens. Well, his face is out of this world, isn¡¯t it? (Let¡¯s not get into his personality) He¡¯s really attractive.¡±


    Random words came out of my mouth ~!! This is a lie~!!


    I kept a calm face but my voice got higher.


    I thought I¡¯d failed and looked at Marietta-san. She was shaking her face up and down while nodding, ¡°Uh-huh. I see, so it¡¯s like that.¡± She looked just like a town girl.


    ¡°Natasha is also in His Highness Ludens¡¯ clique,¡± and ¡°Leyard-sama is also attractive,¡± she kept saying, so I just nodded.


    For Marietta-san and Harmie-san, who were commoners, nobles were out of their reach and they could admire them as much as they want. It seemed that they let out their everyday stress by talking about dreamy men.


    When I asked her, ¡°Aren¡¯t there any dreamy men who aren¡¯t nobles?¡± she replied with, ¡°It¡¯s easier to talk about someone that everyone knows, that way we can all get into it.¡± They¡¯ve never meet the men before, so they could only use their imaginations to make the conversations exciting. It was different from the way my sisters, who were nobles from the Thousand House, talked about men. Because unlike my sisters, they can¡¯t get married to these men.


    Unlike nobles, it was a commoner¡¯s privilege to be able to purely enjoy encounters with the opposite sex. There were an overwhelming amount of commoners who can actually experience love like in novels.


    I managed to adjust myself to Marietta-san and I also felt that I could converse well now. It was really nice to eat with someone else. My tiredness from the day was blown away.


    ???????


    Dull rain clouds covered the sky and I couldn¡¯t see the sun¡¯s sparkling appearance at all. It was annoying how my hair frizzed because of the humidity.


    It was probably annoying to go out in this steady rain because His Highness Ludens, Roberto-sama, Lancel-sama and Leyard-sama were all in the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room.


    (Marietta-san, Harmie-san and Natasha-san would probably be happy if they saw this scene.)


    Everyone was diligently sitting at their own desks and writing something. Most people probably couldn¡¯t see these men working earnestly like this. I suddenly got chills because they looked so cool.


    I was also used to making copies of the memos and the boxes in which I sorted them into only contained the ones that I¡¯d just copied. Since I¡¯ve become freer lately, I added data that could be used onto the memo copies and added book titles and pages for reference. I wonder if it¡¯s helpful.


    I timed everyone¡¯s break.


    The maids were preparing tea so that everyone could have tea time. All they had to do now was prepare the hot water.


    His Highness Ludens looked up from his desk and glanced at his companions. He made eye contact with me in the end.


    I brewed some delicious tea.


    His Highness Ludens and everyone else sat down on the sofa.


    (I can give them the chameleon plant medicine now!)


    I put the chameleon plant medicine, which was placed in a much more expensive bottle than the one I¡¯d given to Natasha-san and her friends, in front of each of them. I was looking for a bottle that would be fine to give to His Highness, so it took time to prepare. I put 10 times the amount inside.


    ¡°This is the medicine I made from the chameleon plants. I think that the effects are considerably inferior to the one everyone uses, but please use it.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, this is medicine from the Royal Palace witch. Thank you.¡±


    (Huh? Witch?)


    ¡°Well, this is an honour. I can¡¯t believe that the person you like most is me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that mean?¡±


    ¡°¡ð¡ø¡Á¡Á¡«¡«¡«¡«!!!! I will tell you how I made the medicine!!!!¡± I cut off Roberto-sama¡¯s words in a way that was unbefitting of a lady.


    Why does His Highness Ludens know that, ¡°I like His Highness Ludens?¡± He said it in a tone that stated that he knew I was lying.


    ¡°Your face is getting red, Lady Ann.¡± His Highness Ludens said as he drank the tea and rested his chin on his hands. His gentle smiled looked forced. This is embarrassing~.


    Somehow I was forced to teach Roberto-sama, Lancel-sama and Leyard-sama how to make medicine from chameleon plants. I couldn¡¯t see His Highness Ludens¡¯ face properly.


    I only said those words when I was eating with Marietta-san. There was no one near us at that time. Which meant if someone heard this then they must have really good ears.


    At any rate, I had to be careful of what I say. I¡¯ve been a little careless since I left the Thousand House.


    I have to be careful of His Highness Ludens, since he seems to know about a lot of things.

 Chapter 71 - Errand Girl

    Being used to something was a horrible thing. I was still living at the Royal Palace while saying I hated it here. I lived in the government residence, did things by myself and didn¡¯t have to worry about the cost of living. You could say that I was living a blessed life. I was treated as a human. I wasn¡¯t treated crudely.


    I did receive some caustic remarks and complaints while walking around the Royal Palace as Lady Ann, because a lot of people knew that I worked under His Highness Ludens. Even so, the work I did was to find relevant matters from the memo I got from His Highness Ludens and his companions and compile them into one case. I was getting more important matters to work with and jobs worth doing had increased.


    I was by the side of high-ranked nobles, and I was nervous about having to keep up appearances since I was closer to a commoner than a noble, but it worked out somehow. I don¡¯t know if my abilities are better than I thought or if high-ranking nobles were just generous.


    I was glad that I wasn¡¯t tied by the bonds of my original house since I became the daughter of a noble who didn¡¯t live in the Royal Capital. To be honest, even if I don¡¯t become a commoner, my goal of living independently has been fulfilled¡­ Well, I don¡¯t know how long this will last.


    ???????


    His Highness Ludens, who knew that I acted as three people, Lady Ann, Ayesha-marie and Ayesha, used me to go on errands to the Royal Capital. Roberto-sama, Lancel-sama and even Leyard-sama¡­ Everyone, use your own servants instead of me! *FURIOUS*


    ¡°Aahh, it¡¯s hot. I¡¯m going to get sunburnt.¡±


    I was wearing the eggplant coloured dress today, but it was too hot to go out in a wig, so I tried my hair in a bun. It was stuffy in a wig, even though this kingdom wasn¡¯t that humid. It was terrible outside.


    I wiped sweat with my handkerchief while looking at the hand-drawn map.


    Roberto-sama had drawn this map. My errand was to buy madeleines from a popular confectionary store in the 2nd district¡­ His Highness Ludens may like sweets, but I don¡¯t think that person does. It seemed that he just wanted to, ¡°Check the popular goods.¡± The route was already decided. I couldn¡¯t get to the confectionary store unless I walked around town and walked across three bridges.


    And they gave me a specific route for some reason. I couldn¡¯t get to the place unless I walked around town and passed through three bridges. Even though the 2nd district was said to be safe, I think there must be a reason for why I walked such a distance alone. I could only think that they had some intention for making me walk this distance.


    To tell the truth, I only know a part of the Royal Capital, so I was extremely happy that I was able to walk around freely. But, you know, I wonder why people who have servants are using me as an errand girl¡­ Was I not an important worker?


    It was a nice walk since the 2nd district had a lot of shops. The designated confectionary store was on the most prosperous main street. Even I knew that the shortest way to get to the main street was by getting off at the Royal Library and walking there. So why did the map tell me to cross two bridges at the lower district where a lot of commoners live and walk around to the road that leads to the upper district?


    (I just had to head straight to my destination when I started this errand¡­ But is this detour some kind of harassment?!)


    I was forced to walk in the opposite direction of the main street when I got off the carriage. It was too much for me to walk here from the Royal Palace, so I took a carriage to the Royal Library.


    The number of people going to town increased as I moved away from the Royal Library which was located between the upper and lower districts. There were a lot of shops aimed at intelligential people near the library, such as bookstores and stationery shops. They were substituted with restaurants and food shops before long. There were a lot of wealthy houses near the first bridge.


    I entered a side road of the residential area because I found a sign board which showed the water place.


    There was a fountain where horses could rest and there was even space for little kids to play near the fountain. It looked a little bit like a park.


    I drank water to moisten my throat and dipped my handkerchief in the water. I sat in the shade and wiped sweat off my neck with the damp handkerchief. I watched the area in a daze and saw a young man talking to an old lady who was carrying a large load on her back. It seemed like he was going to carry the load for her.


    (He¡¯s good at looking after people. But, that old woman seems to be on her guard so she probably won¡¯t give it to him.) I thought as I walked back to the road I was on before.


    When I crossed the first bridge, my mixed feelings increased and the road had shops and houses. There were more terraced houses and apartment complexes like the government residence. It was a popular area and was buzzing with people. At the end of the residential area was the artisan area. I could hear the sounds of metal clinking and the smell of wood drifted about the place. Some unknown thing were hanging from the eaves.


    A map suddenly appeared in my head.


    (Ah, so this is the artisan town, Tantalum.)


    Seeing is believing¡­ Knowledge is obtained from actually experiencing it.


    This place name often appeared in the memos from His Highness Ludens and his companions. Mm, I also saw the name of the bridge recently. They could have told me this.


    I crossed the second bridge and entered the next district. It was a similar place to before. The smell of lunch getting closer added to the enjoyment of delicious food.


    I bought fried fish and a pickled onion baguette for lunch at the stalls. I also drank lemonade and finished recharging my energy.


    I suddenly saw a young man piggybacking a girl who appeared to be lost.


    (There are kind people here too.)


    Come on, hang in there me!


    I crossed the third bridge and entered the upper district. The quiet residential area changed into a somewhat expensive shopping area. There were the latest goods and luxury goods on the main street. There were a lot of dazzling stores, for example restaurants, western clothing stores and jewellery shops. There were carriages everywhere and more people were dressed up. The uniform for ladies at the Royal Palace was useful at times like this. It was fine to wear this uniform anywhere.


    A sweet smell floated in the air and I saw a cute western confectionary store that had girls coming in and out of it. That must be the store I was looking for. I read the sign and found out it was called Atari. I bought the biggest box of madeleines by showing them the instructions with Roberto-sama¡¯s signature on it. It¡¯ll be nice if they put this out for snacks at 3 o¡¯clock.


    I held the box and headed towards the Royal Library¡¯s carriage stop. I arrived there at a much shorter time than before.


    I returned to the Royal Palace and disguised myself as Lady Ann. I returned to the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room with the madeleines and tea had already been prepared. But, the person who would be brewing the tea is me.


    ¡°It seemed like you followed my map. Lady Ann, you can sit down here.¡±


    (They won¡¯t even say thanks for your hard work, or anything like that. I¡¯m nervous because I have to sit down with them all here.)


    I sat down in the corner as much as I could and watched them as they drank their tea before drinking mine.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hah, the scent of tea makes me feel relaxed. Just what you¡¯d expect from good tea leaves. I grabbed the prized madeleine. Lancel-sama is smiling. He probably took the first bite to taste it for poison, and seems to really like baked goods.


    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s talk about the roads you took in order.¡± Roberto-sama instructed and I began my explanation. They would sometimes ask questions, and I managed to answer what I remembered. I¡¯m glad I looked around everywhere since I knew this was an inspection. I don¡¯t want to say, ¡°I don¡¯t remember. I don¡¯t know.¡±


    The questioning and explanation finished and I could finally put the madeleine in my mouth. Oh, the madeleine is so delicious. They must have used fermented butter. It smells nice. The sweetness spreads throughout my mouth. It was worth going out in the hot weather to buy this.


    ¡°Lady Ann. I¡¯m giving you some advice. You better cool down your face since it¡¯s red from the sun.¡± Leyard-sama pointed out. Yes, I thought so too. It burns everywhere.


    ¡°Especially your nose and forehead.¡± Roberto-sama was relentless. His Highness Ludens was laughing. Lancel-sama was still eating. Leyard-sama who was pretending not to see anything.


    ¡­ Whose fault do you think it is that I got this burnt? I¡¯m going to buy a parasol! They¡¯ll definitely use me as an errand girl again!!


    I got redder on top of being sunburnt. I smiled while clenching my fists, ¡°Right.¡± I was trained by these people and was finally able to talk back.

 Chapter 72 - After Getting Sunburnt

    I rushed back to the government residence as soon as work finished. I went back to being Ayesha-maria and Susan-obasan called out to me as I was being noisy, ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s a nice tan you have there.¡±


    Ugh, her words prick me more¡­¡­ I wanted to grip my chest, but instead, I forced a smile and brushed it off, ¡°Ohoho,¡± before running to my room.


    After that, I applied a wet handkerchief to my face. It did its job, but it wasn¡¯t as effective as I thought it would be.


    ¡°I should only get red when I get sunburnt, but what should I do if I get tanned¡­¡±


    I checked my complexion in my hand mirror. It wouldn¡¯t do for a noble lady to get tanned.


    Fortunately, my skin only turns red when I get sunburnt. Even so, I¡¯ve never gotten this red before. I only went out to go home as soon as I finished work, so I¡¯ve never been outside for this long before.


    The salve made from the Chamaeleon plants contained alcohol so it was too dangerous to apply it on my face. I would probably get even redder.


    (Can¡¯t I do something about this?)


    I can¡¯t go into town and ask Ada-san about this.


    Ah, Marietta-san or Harmie-san might know something. Natasha-san was out more since she¡¯s a knight, but she didn¡¯t seem like the type to care if she got sunburnt or not.


    ¨D¨D¨D *KNOCK KNOCK*


    I visited Hermie-san who was closest to my room.


    ¡°Y~es, who is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Ayesha-marie. Mm, I want to ask you something.¡±


    The door immediately opened.


    ¡°¡­ Oh my? What happened to your face?¡± I immediately looked at the floor as soon as she asked me this. I slowly looked up and answered, ¡°I got sunburnt¡­ Do you know how to relieve it?¡±


    Hermie-san laughed cutely and said, ¡°It¡¯ll be okay. Wait in your room for a bit, ok?¡± before leaving the room. I heard her run somewhere.


    I waited in my room.


    Harmie-san came back and knocked on my door; she was holding a syrupy pale green thing in a semi-circular bowl. She mixed the thing that had the viscosity of porridge with a spoon.


    I invited Harmie-san in and she told me to sit on the chair, so I did. I don¡¯t know what she was going to do to me.


    ¡°Now, close your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    *SPREAD SPREAD*


    The syrupy pale green thing was smeared on my face.


    ¡°Erm, mmm, this-.¡±


    ¡°Now, now. You can¡¯t open your mouth, so close it.¡±


    Harmie-san forcefully smeared the pale green stuff onto my face.


    Ah, this smell. It¡¯s cucumber. The vegetable of summer. Cucumber, A.k.a, cucumis sativus. It seemed that this syrupy texture was made by combining flour in the kitchen. It was an easy to make face pack mixed with flour and grated cucumbers. It has a cooling and soothing effect. Oh, this was the perfect thing for me right now.


    ¡°Stay like this for a while. You were raised in a good place as a noble after all. This is proof that you spend all your time inside. You don¡¯t get sunburnt at all, that¡¯s why you turned this red.¡±


    (Yeah, I know. But it¡¯s not like I spent a lot of time outside in this season by choice.)


    I wiped the cucumber pack off after a while and put both hands to my cheeks. It isn¡¯t warm like before. Well, I¡¯m still a little red.


    After that, I met up with Marietta-san and the three of us went to the dining hall.


    Oh, helping each other out is a proof of friendship¡­ It was terrible, but I guess it was also good in a way.


    ???????


    The redness faded and my face returned to normal after a night.


    I changed into Lady Ann and went to work like usual.


    ¡°It healed in one night? That¡¯s good.¡±


    I lowered my head in silence.


    Roberto-sama, who was frank to me for better or for worse, was still going strong today. I know he doesn¡¯t mean to offend me¡­¡­ But, I want him to be careful of his words towards me like he was towards other noble children. Was he treating me like this because I¡¯m a half-commoner¡­? No, I wouldn¡¯t mind if he just ignored me either.


    ¡°Here, a present.¡±


    His Highness Ludens gave me a lovely parasol made from light blue cloth with white ruffles on the edges. It wasn¡¯t too flashy and the design matched with the eggplant coloured dress. Even so, I could tell that this was a luxury good.


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    I took it, but I guess this means that I¡¯ll be going out more often now. Though, I did want to buy my own parasol.


    After that, I went out to the Royal Capital once every few days. I always had a map with directions on it with me. And I had to submit something like a report when I returned.


    I was running errands without visiting the places and spots that interested me. It was like it was becoming somewhat black¡­ On top of that, my soles were wearing down.


    Yes, I made up my mind to buy shoes next time.


    I became familiar with the roads and shops since I walked around the Royal Capital a lot and I even heard rumours.


    The latest rumour was ¡ºThere¡¯s a handsome man who¡¯s kind to everyone¡». The person who I saw and thought was kind was actually him.

 Chapter 73 - Reward

    His Highness Ludens and Roberto-sama were sitting gracefully on the sofa of the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room with Cafule-san by their side, while Lady Ann was delivering documents to other departments.


    Cafule-san was their regular attendant for wherever these two went. It was normal, but his calmness might not be normal at all¡­


    ¡°Cafule, I would like the report on Lady Ann¡¯s outing yesterday,¡± Roberto-sama instructed in a calm voice.


    ¡°She followed the map that Edenbach-sama drew this time as well. She wore the Royal Palace uniform, but changed her hairstyle. She didn¡¯t get into any quarrels this time either, probably because of the uniform. She did wander into the back alleys, but returned to the main street straight away. She has perceived that she should avoid back alleys and unpopular places. She folded her parasol when she entered the lower parts of town and changed the way she walked so that she wouldn¡¯t appear as a noble. She bought lunch from a food stall again and ate tacos. She seemed interested in the restaurants, but still haven¡¯t entered them. She actively greeted people in the commoner¡¯s residential area. She hasn¡¯t gotten to the point of small talk yet, but she seemed really accustomed to greeting the residents in the lower part of town.¡±


    ¡°Did anyone try to talk to her?¡±


    ¡°The people return her greeting, but there isn¡¯t anyone we have to be cautious about at this point in time. She doesn¡¯t seem to think that she¡¯s simply taking a stroll through town as instructed by His Highness and the Masters.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Well, we don¡¯t know if someone is watching her from somewhere though.¡±


    ¡°Cafule, continue to guard her and patrol the town.¡±


    Cafule-san bowed courteously and left the room.


    His Highness Ludens and Roberto-sama, who remained in the room, reached for the tea provided to them by the maids in the room. Both of them smelt the tea and then drank it in an unsatisfactory manner. They can taste the difference in the tea made by Lady Ann and by the maids but didn¡¯t voice their opinions out loud; because they knew that she was constantly putting herself down, even if they praise her.


    ¡°Roberto, have you made progress with the bridge since then?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the enquires from her point of view were helpful. We tend to prioritise the needs of influential nobles, but if we can convince them then it¡¯s easy to change the priority order. Although, the deterioration of the bridge is quickly tied to the repair order, it¡¯s thanks to her that she noticed the opinions of those who use it. It¡¯s made out of wood, so we have to rebuild it often, and we didn¡¯t know that the citizens wouldn¡¯t mind if we build a robust stone bridge even if it takes time. We hadn¡¯t expected that a lot of people would use that bridge for things other than work.¡±


    ¡°From a commoner¡¯s point of view is it?¡±


    ¡°She also sees things from a noble¡¯s perspective, so it would be better to say that this is from the consumer¡¯s point of view.¡±


    The two exchanged glances.


    ¡°At any rate, the people¡¯s dissatisfaction is directly linked to the deterioration in security at the Royal Capital. It is our priority to solve their dissatisfaction now that we have a good relationship with the neighbouring kingdom,¡± His Highness Ludens summarised as he looked at the small chandelier that was hanging down from the ceiling. Lady Ann returned to the room shortly after this, so the conversation ended.


    ???????


    Summer became hotter. The sunlight became stronger and the shades darker.


    There were less people in the Royal Palace and I saw more people that I didn¡¯t know¡­


    A lot of people returned to their fiefs in summer for a holiday.


    There were no evening parties or balls in summer, thus the people who worked in related departments had nothing to do. There were fewer meetings for deciding important policies since there weren¡¯t many people around and the government officials could take breaks in turn.


    (Does His Highness Ludens not go to his villa in summer? Except for Lancel-sama, who is a knight, I wonder if the other people are leaving as well.)


    This had nothing to do with me since I didn¡¯t have a place to go on holiday to nor did I have a home to return to. If I can get time off then it¡¯ll be nice to go to Coolden. I organised the documents as I thought about other things.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t told you this have I? I¡¯ll be going to the villa in Hassan Bulgur. You¡¯ll be following Roberto¡¯s orders while I¡¯m there.¡±


    Hassan Bulgur was a plateau where the mountains received perpetual snow even in the summer. It¡¯s a natural fortress and I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s popular in summer because it¡¯s cool. Was the Royal Family going to be substituted? The speciality there is dairy products. It would be nice if I receive some sweets made from plenty of butter as a souvenir.


    Roberto-sama instructed me a distance away from my work desk and I looked at him, ¡°You will be patrolling the Royal Capital with someone from Fernand Empire 2nd Guard Station while His Highness is gone. If it¡¯s difficult for you to commute every day, then you can stay somewhere close to the station.¡±


    I heard these words clearly even though he wasn¡¯t close to me. I heard him even though he was filing out the document for his leave!


    Hah? Does that mean I have to patrol the Royal Capital with Captain Weller as Lady Ann? And this means that I can stay at the ¡ºHen Inn¡», right? Of course, I interpreted this as they were paying for my lodging.


    At any rate, the second half of what he said was a holiday for me, right? Well, I did have to submit a report as homework. I can only think of this as a reward. I have a better opinion of him now. It¡¯s a reward for working hard at a job I wasn¡¯t used to. I didn¡¯t know that I would be this happy about receiving a reward!


    I supressed my excitement and replied in a monotone before looking down, ¡°I understand.¡±


    (I can go see Ada-san. I can eat Master¡¯s delicious meals. I¡¯m so excited.)


    I packed my black bag as soon as I returned to my room that evening.

 Chapter 74 - Announced

    ¡°Ada-saan,¡± I called out in a loud voice as soon as I entered the Hen Inn and found her at the back of the restaurant. Lunch had already finished and there weren¡¯t any customers here anymore.


    I thought I saw a wave of fluttering black hair and Ada-san appeared before me. She grabbed both my hands and hopped up and down on the floor.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    (It¡¯s my first time doing this, but it¡¯s kind of fun bouncing on the spot.)


    I wrote a letter to Master at ¡ºHen Inn¡»and made a reservation for a room. Roberto-sama was the one who wrote a letter to the guard station.


    I was also one of the people who saw His Highness Ludens off, and I also left the Royal Palace after I saw that his group had left. I couldn¡¯t use the carriage from the Royal Palace, so I used the street carriage. Well, the Hen Inn isn¡¯t far from the carriage stop, after all.


    I held the black bag in both hands and the shoulder bag on my back¡­ Ah, I look the same as before. I thought and let out a sad voice. But, I feel more refreshed than I did before.


    The room Master had prepared for me was the usual room on the second floor at the back. I¡¯m so happy that he¡¯s being considerate of me.


    (The Hen Inn always gives off a good ambience no matter how many times I come here.)


    The only thing that Roberto-sama has done that I¡¯m grateful for is being brought to this inn.


    I promised Ada-san that we would take our time to talk after dinner and put my luggage in my room. Then I headed towards the Fernand Empire 2nd Guard Station.


    My outfit today was a one piece that commoners wore; it was bluish grey and had little d¨¦cor. I found it at the second hand store. It was a little too simple for a noble to wear, but it was perfect to use as a commoner¡¯s best outfit. ¡°This seems useful,¡± I thought when I saw it and immediately bought it. I also thought of embroidering a lily into the waist part. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have plenty of time at night during these 10 days.


    I wonder if I can give off a good impression in this bluish grey dress. I thought as I headed towards the entrance of the guard station. The two gatekeepers looked at me suspiciously because I looked out of place. It seemed like they wouldn¡¯t be kind to me just because I was a woman. I have passed the building a few times, but I never went inside. There are probably only men inside, woah, I¡¯m so nervous. It was hard to talk to the guards while working, unlike at the time at Hen Inn. They looked scarier than the knights at the Royal Palace and they were intense.


    Errr, pluck up your courage!


    ¡°I have come here to visit the Fernand Empire 2nd Guard Station as instructed by Marquis Roberto du Edenbach. I¡¯m sure he has already sent a letter here stating this. Please put me through to the person in charge.¡±


    Am I being too stiff? I thought as I bowed at the gatekeepers. One of them went inside and I waited for a while. My heart was pounding as I pretended that nothing was going on.


    The person who had appeared with his red rusty coloured hair was, of course, Captain Weller. It¡¯s rude to sigh when you see someone, you know.


    ¡°Hah. Ah, you really came. Anyway, come inside.¡±


    He spoke to the gatekeeper, ¡°Good job,¡± and then rapidly went inside. I could only trot after him after he¡¯d gained some distant.


    ???????


    The meals made by Master at Hen Inn were delicious no matter how many times I ate them. I had dinner at the counter. The small marinated fish with colourful vegetables wasn¡¯t too sour and the acidity was great for rousing my appetite. The tomato sauce with fresh basil and mincemeat was juicy and went well with the pasta; I couldn¡¯t stop eating it. I was aware that my mouth had turned red. However I couldn¡¯t stop and couldn¡¯t help but think that something was added into this.


    I became full from dinner and drank my mint tea while enjoying the lively atmosphere of the restaurant.


    It was similar to the Royal Palace¡¯s dining hall at dinner time, but it was comfortable to see people enjoy their food and drink without reservation.


    ¡°Ayesha, sorry for making you wait.¡±


    Ada-san sat down next to me.


    She looked beautiful with loose hair behind her ears. She wiped sweat from her forehead from working hard and gulped down lemon flavoured water. She didn¡¯t avert her eyes from me.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be able to meet each other every day for a while, right? I heard from Master that you¡¯ll be staying here for a while because of your job, but what do you do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m to accompany Captain Weller around the Royal Capital as instructed by Roberto-sama.¡±


    ¡°¡°¡­¡±¡±


    Ada-san wasn¡¯t the only one who went silent. Master did as well and he had a strange look on his face. Did I say something strange?


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous for a woman to do something like that, right? You can¡¯t. I forbid it. No ~~~~.¡±


    Ada-san shook my shoulders. Erm, everyone¡¯s attention is still on us, you know?


    ¡°¡­ What is that Roberto guy thinking? I¡¯m sure someone said he was a certain noble before¡­¡±


    I can still hear you even if you say it in a small voice, you know? You¡¯ll be guilty of blasphemy against Roberto-sama, you know?


    ¡°But this is the job I¡¯ve been instructed to do. I¡¯m sure Captain Weller will protect me should something happen.¡±


    ¡°Of course he would! I won¡¯t forgive him if something does happen!¡±


    ¡°(Yup, yup.)¡± Master nodded.


    I somehow managed to convince Ada-san and Master by explaining that Roberto-sama was also a gentlemen, so he wouldn¡¯t purposely put a woman in danger and the job was probably given to me as a holiday.


    I was to report where and what I did every day.


    I was extremely happy that they worried about me.


    It was going to be a fun 10 days and I couldn¡¯t stop smiling.

 Chapter 75 - Patrolling

    It¡¯s morning.


    I greeted the morning sun in a good mood and satisfied myself with a delicious breakfast. I don¡¯t know if we¡¯re patrolling today, or something, but we¡¯ll be walking a lot.


    I was waiting for Captain Weller outside the Fernand Empire 2nd Guard Station.


    The guards that were also going on patrols were glancing at me, making me feel embarrassed.


    ¡°Morning. You¡¯re actually here. Don¡¯t hesitate to tell me when you¡¯re tired.¡±


    Captain Weller was wearing a ten-gallon hat and his full blue knight uniform. Compared to him, I was wearing a brown sleeved tunic and blue trousers¡­ I was dressed really plainly. It has been a while since I¡¯ve worn my hair in a ponytail. I covered my hair with a blue scarf as recommended by Ada-san. I¡¯ll be covered from the sun with this.


    There was another person with Captain Weller; he was a tall and thin man. He also had slender eyes. His name was Bayne. Apparently he was here because ¡°I don¡¯t know what people would say if I walk around town together with a girl.¡± But I¡¯m sure that it was because Captain Weller felt anxious alone if something were to happen.


    I¡¯ve only walked around the main streets, but Captain Weller¡¯s patrol started in the backstreets. We even walked in the side streets where people were hanging their wet laundry. They walked slowly so I was able to ask them about things that I was curious about.


    It was fun to walk around by myself but it was also fun to walk around with other people.


    A lot of people called out to Captain Weller as we walked around probably because guards were familiar with the people around town. 1)


    ¡°Oh my, so you¡¯re with a girl today?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°I made too much, so take some with you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Captain, the ball got on the roof and I can¡¯t reach it, can you get it?¡±


    ¡°Kiddo, what¡¯re you doing? Fine.¡±


    He replied curtly to them even though they were showing him a lot of affection. Even so¡­


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not the Captain.¡±


    They tricked me.


    I always see his worn out figure at the Hen Inn so I thought he was just an old man. I apologized to him in my mind. He was the person who Roberto-sama chose to ask about my whereabouts. There was no way he wasn¡¯t an excellent person. He was probably really good at communicating with people.


    I¡¯ve only had brief conversations with people even while on my walks. Captain Weller was really close with the people in town.


    ¡°Captain Weller is really good at getting information. He¡¯s good at gaining people¡¯s trust. Well, he¡¯s also really skilful,¡± Bayne-san narrowed his eyes a little as he happily told me this. Captain Weller was a respectable superior.


    ???????


    We started our patrols in the afternoon and ended it at night.


    We had lunch at a popular restaurant in the lower district. The restaurant had set meals with fried meat, vegetables and stew. The flavouring was very crude; they used a lot of salt and the flavours were really diluted, but the meal sizes were large. There were people drinking alcohol at lunch and talking really loudly so I was nervous, but I was able to eat my meal peacefully because Captain Weller and Bryan-san were there. ¡°You¡¯re really brave, aren¡¯t you Ayesha?¡± they said. If I was by myself then I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to enter.  Thankfully, it was the captain¡¯s treat.


    I did desk work at the Guard Station in Captain Weller¡¯s office whenever it rained.


    I borrowed a desk at the corner and made a report about the places that we walked around. Captain Weller stuck around and intensely dealt with documents that weren¡¯t concluded yet. He didn¡¯t blame me even though he had to deal with extra work, a.k.a me, but he did complain.


    ¡°Ayesha, have you met the rumoured ¡ºKind Hottie¡»?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen someone like that from the distance¡­ Or not?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing a lot of comparisons, but I¡¯ve never actually met him.¡±


    I see. I often hear that it¡¯s like being with Captain Weller. People say, ¡°He¡¯s like the captain. He¡¯s definitely king and his looks are definitely up there. I get so excited when he says thanks. It¡¯s like I¡¯m young again.¡±


    ¡°Ayesha, you¡¯re close to Roberto-sama and he¡¯s admired by a lot of ladies. Does he also make your heart throb?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nervous about a lot of things, but he doesn¡¯t make my heart throb in that way. He¡¯s just someone I work with.¡±


    That¡¯s right. I have a lot of opportunities to meet beautiful people, but I¡¯m not aware of them. They won¡¯t have anything to do with me after I stop being a noble.


    I wonder if there¡¯s something wrong with me as a girl since my heart doesn¡¯t throb.


    ???????


    Captain Weller even took to me to places with bad public order and it became known that there was a girl walking around with him. I got better at walking and I could even keep walking without worrying about my soles wearing down. Unfortunately, I got tanned enough that it was hard to say that I was still fair-skinned. Parasols didn¡¯t suit commoners, so I had to use cucumber packs with Ada-san every night. The sun¡¯s rays are so frightening.


    I finally met the ¡ºKind Hottie¡»after I completed embroidering the lily on the ribbon of the bluish grey dress.


    A young man held his hand out to me when I somehow got separated from Captain Weller, lost and then stumbled and fell onto the pavement.


    He has ashy green eyes and soft white golden hair that went all the way down to his shoulders. I don¡¯t know anyone with these colours. I turned the pages in my mind, but he wasn¡¯t anywhere in the noble almanac.


    His eyes shook with worry as he looked at me.


    (Who is he?)


    I was frozen on the floor on all fours and couldn¡¯t reach out to the hand that was in front of me.


    I couldn¡¯t blink. I even forgot how to breathe.


    My heart stopped before it could throb.

 Chapter 76

    He looked like a noble even though he wasn¡¯t one and he was super handsome. Each part of his face fit perfectly. Other than the Imperial Prince, whom I knew, he was just like a prince from the fairy tales. This was the first time I¡¯ve even been so moved by seeing someone.


    He took my hand with a really elegant gesture.


    A long, slender finger gently patted my pants while I was on the pavement. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s bruised now since my knees are pulsating like my heart. But it¡¯s strange that it doesn¡¯t hurt.


    His soft white platinum hair brushed against my cheeks.


    ¡°Your bones seem fine. You can¡¯t stand up? Is no one with you¡­? It¡¯s not good for a girl to be in this area alone. Ok, you should go home by carriage.¡±


    His voice wasn¡¯t too low nor was it too high; it was just comfortable and it resounded in the depths of my ears. His ashy green eyes looked at me with worry and they were as transparent as glass.


    He didn¡¯t look older than me and was about 170 cm tall. His body didn¡¯t look bulky. Whose child is he? I feel like I¡¯m staring at him at a distance through glass; he doesn¡¯t feel real.


    Even so¡­ He said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± as he carried me in his arms.


    ¡°Kyaa,¡± I didn¡¯t know that I could let out such a cute sound and was brought back to reality.


    He held me in a princess hug, even though this was reality and not a dream and took me to the nearest carriage stop; it was extremely embarrassing. He left like the wind as soon as he put me in the carriage.


    ???????


    I was alone again. I dragged myself back to the Hen Inn from the familiar carriage stop while my leg was in pain.


    Ada-san came towards me as soon as I entered the restaurant and pulled my trousers up so that she could cool my red knee.


    Captain Weller and Bayne-san quickly rushed towards me and apologised for leaving me alone. They had received information about a fire and went running off. It was better to have more people help when there was a fire, even I know this. It would have been fine if I had just stayed where I was, but I was in the wrong because I found a lost child and spoke to him¡­ I walked around with the lost child and when I realised what was going on, I was alone in a place I didn¡¯t know. I want to say that it wasn¡¯t a bad district since my valuables didn¡¯t get stolen, but I did get pushed out of the way because they thought I was in the way.


    As a result, the¡ºKind Hottie¡»came to my rescue. This was what I had told the others.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that something good happened too. I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re safe,¡± Ada-san said. Captain Weller and his group looked like they had mixed feelings; it was a men¡¯s army.


    And then my summer holiday ended in a flash.


    ???????


    I returned to my normal duties at the Royal Capital, which had now became my daily life. I still had bruises on my knee.


    I have been told that it was good for some reason.


    ¡°Did you not ask the rumoured ¡ºKind Hottie¡»what his name was? That¡¯s too bad. You¡¯ll meet him again if you¡¯re fated to.¡±


    My report was shared amongst His Highness Ludens and his group as they sat in the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room.


    I even wrote that I became lost before they had the chance to hear it from someone else. I would be troubled if someone exaggerated the story. They would definitely make fun of me if I wrote that I was held in a princess hug so I ended the report by saying I was saved¡­ It seemed like they knew about it. I was bothered by how they were talking.


    The souvenir that His Highness Ludens brought back from the summer resort known for its dairy products was, of course, cookies made from plenty of butter and fragrant cheesecakes. He set aside the souvenirs for the maids in this room and the rest were our snacks for the day. I also got a little too. It went well with the strong tea. It¡¯s a souvenir from the Royal family, there¡¯s no way it wouldn¡¯t be delicious.


    ¡°Do you look dreamy lately because you met him? A maiden in love, huh? That¡¯s nice. Love makes a person more beautiful. You can ask me for advice anytime, Lady.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were a lady who didn¡¯t get fazed by anything, but I guess you do fall in love. I¡¯m glad.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just get excited. I¡¯ll be troubled if you don¡¯t do your work properly.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    *SLURRP*


    Ah, I slurped my tea. My actions spoke for me even though I hadn¡¯t denied it out loud. I think I¡¯m doing my work properly, you know?


    ¡­ Am I in love? Did I fall in love? Did I look like I was being dreamy?


    I¡¯m definitely interested in him. I remembered him and something about him made me curious. But I won¡¯t admit that it¡¯s love, because I think it¡¯s something else. I won¡¯t say what it is, but something is bugging me.


    I stopped frowning and deeply inhaled the scent of the tea. The fragrant smell of the tea calmed me down.


    I didn¡¯t have enough materials to conclude whether I¡¯m in love or not.


    I, who didn¡¯t dream of love, ignored their words and headed towards my walk around the Royal Capital.


    I had to gather more information.


    I became Lady Ann and went back to being Ayesha. My calves grew stronger and my freckles increased around the time I started hearing the sounds of insects. (Cry)

 Chapter 77 - Fortune Maiden

    I went to the part of town that had a lot of shops for nobles as Lady Ann, wearing my eggplant Royal Palace woman¡¯s secretary uniform with my parasol. I went to the commoner part of town as Ayesha, dressed lightly in a tunic and trousers.


    I have been strolling through the Royal Palace lately like this. Well, I mostly went to the commoner part of town as Ayesha.


    Since Captain Weller showed me around town, my face has become well-known to those who knew him for better or for worse and they welcomed me. Even on streets that I didn¡¯t walk through, I could walk through them, without getting excited, like the residents, probably because I got used to walking around town¡­¡­ Or so I think.


    At first, I followed His Highness Ludens¡¯ and the others¡¯ instructions of, ¡°Buy this,¡± but because the opinions in my reports were so interesting, I can now walk around the Royal Capital at will. But, I do try to go to the district that is written in the memo by His Highness Ludens and the others.


    There were still places I haven¡¯t visited yet since it was dangerous, but I could say that I have visited more places in the Royal Capital now compared to when I first started.


    I started off by buying His Highness Ludens and the others high-quality sweets, but now sometimes I return with commoner sweets. Commoner sweets are fragrant baked sweet potatoes, but they are unexpectedly popular with the maids.


    Hmm. Recently I feel like I spend more time outside of the Royal Palace than I do inside it.


    I heard when I was having tea at the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room that the knight that Lancel-sama had selected was progressing well and that they would soon be promoted from an Apprentice Knight to a real knight¡­ The person that Leyard-sama selected was chosen as a diplomat and she had solo musical performances in the Royal Palace¡­


    Apparently, the girls who were selected at the same time as me by His Highness Ludens and the others have started to show good results. Lancel-sama and Leyard-sama talk about them proudly.


    But, me?


    All I do is discuss with the citizens (the commoners) about what they¡¯re troubled about and report it to His Highness and the others, and then I just walk around town and tell them what needs to be repaired.


    Well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s useful to the people living in the Royal Capital. But, I think there are people other than me who could make reports like this.


    I also put their documents together, but I think other people can do it at that level too. ¡­ Is Roberto-sama even boasting about me to anyone?


    Unfortunately, there is no one who would say a word of gratitude or compliment towards me at present.


    ???????


    ¡°I go to the Royal Capital too much, so my recent holidays always end with me doing laundry and cleaning up my room.¡±


    Today too, I was sent out to the part of town for commoners, which I was familiar with, by myself. Those words just came out when I saw people taking in their laundry and fixing the flowerbeds on the main street.


    I haven¡¯t met the ¡ºKind Hottie¡», who I was interested in, since then.


    Then! If I am able to, I try to do kind things when I see those in need. Somehow, it feels like I was getting closer to him.


    The clatter that the artisans produced in the miscellaneous streets gave life to the Royal Capital.


    I got something back by getting involved with people. I learned how kind people were here.


    Hopefully, I can help someone next time.


    ???????


    The souvenir that I obtained yesterday was caramel candy.


    It looked a bit like Roberto-sama¡¯s eye colour when it¡¯s in a bright place. But it¡¯s not like I¡¯m aiming for him.


    The candy was transferred to a glass container and was one of the snacks for tea today.


    Tea was being brewed for His Highness Ludens and the others who were in the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room. I finished collecting the memos for everyone, so I went back to the room and got tea.


    ¡°Have you heard the recent rumours around the Royal Capital about a ¡ºFortune Maiden¡»?¡±


    (Huh? I haven¡¯t heard about it. I have a bad feeling since His Highness Ludens is grinning.)


    ¡°It¡¯s a good name, isn¡¯t it? It has a nice ring to it as when paired up with Kind Hottie. You¡¯ve had a hard time.¡±


    ¡°Leyard, did you spread that rumour?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re harming my reputation. In the first place, there¡¯s a rumour going around that if you meet this lady, she would treat you nicely and repair something that has broken. So, it¡¯s better to give her a nice name and improve her reputation.¡±


    Leyard-sama looked at me and winked.


    Eh, eeeeeh¨C?! Don¡¯t tell me that fortune maiden is me?! That¡¯s such an embarrassing name!


    I had confidence that my facial expression wouldn¡¯t change even though I was upset but I knew my ears were getting hot¡­ I¡¯m sure it was red.


    ¡°I have made it hard to identify her, so only a few people know who she is. It would be helpful if she wandered through the Royal Capital with peace of mind.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fully prepared, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s so like you Lancel.¡±


    ¡°If they are paired up, then we can identify him a bit more¡­ Lady Ann, Did you get any information about him?¡±


    Even if he suddenly talked to me, I don¡¯t have anything more to say than what I¡¯ve reported. I looked back at Roberto-sama in silence. I was already calm.


    ¡°I wanted more information on the¡ºKind Hottie¡», but I couldn¡¯t get it. As expected, I don¡¯t have the manpower for that.¡±


    His Highness Ludens¡¯ green eyes observed me without mercy.


    ¨C Stupid.  ¨C


    Yes, yes, I¡¯ll gather more information. I¡¯ll go find out more about him.


    ¡°Public order in the Royal Capital is protected. The infrastructure is also being maintained. However, it is impossible to deal with the daily dissatisfactions of the residents straight away. It would honestly be a great help if the Fortunate Lady continues to do her best.¡±


    ¡°God is quite mean since him and the maiden who has fallen in love haven¡¯t been reunited. I wonder if I should make a song this time. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll spread wide.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better for you to walk around the area where you met him last.¡±


    ¡°Security isn¡¯t really good there. A young lady who works around there alone must be really careful. I¡¯ll instruct the guards to give priority to patrolling around there.¡±


    It¡¯s good that they¡¯re being considerate, but the thing I¡¯m looking for hasn¡¯t changed. I know that they¡¯re busy and that they can¡¯t do it themselves because they¡¯re of high-standing, but it peeves me that they¡¯re leaving it to others too much.


    ¡­ I have to go to the place that I¡¯m scared of again, huh. Alone. Although, I am used to walking around the Royal Capital.


    I tossed the cameral candy into my mouth and chewed it; it broke with a crunching sound. I didn¡¯t mean to do that.


    His Highness Ludens and the others looked back at me with a startled look on their face.


    I was thinking hard about how to defend myself in that boorish area.


    My manners have seemingly become considerably worse than before probably because I strolled downtown a lot.


    ¡°Well, won¡¯t you be able to find out something about that?¡±


    The words Roberto-sama muttered resounded throughout the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room.


    It seems like he has expectations.

 Chapter 78 - Searching for a Person

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m tired. Where¡¯s the watering hole?¡±


    Since then, I purchased an old dark blue faded breastplate from the second-hand clothes shop. I wore it with my brown tunic and blue trousers and a lower servant girl from downtown is complete.


    In addition, my hair wasn¡¯t put up neatly and it was specked with dust from cleaning¡­ This was tough in the lingering heat. I was fine with doing work that servants do, and I wasn¡¯t opposed to leading the same life as commoners, but I was a noble lady. It was normal to be as clean as possible and it was tough to keep this dust on me. Where has my clean self gone¡­


    Right now, I feel a little dirty. I don¡¯t want to say that I¡¯m shabby, but it might be close. (Cry).


    (If it¡¯s like this, then I don¡¯t look like I have money, right? They¡¯ll also hesitate to attack me.)


    I came to the area where I fell over once again in this outfit. Located in the northwest part of the Royal Capital, this place is called Sabaleel. It wasn¡¯t that bad that it would be called the slums yet, but there are various impressions here since a lot of people who are employed as servants on cheap wages live here. A house, which was destroyed by a fire, has been left in its place. The owner didn¡¯t sell it off, nor did they rebuild it, so it has become a hangout for those who didn¡¯t have houses and those who were ill-bred.


    Strangers stood out in any area. I have to be vigilant.


    So, I meekly said, ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone,¡± and went into Sabaleel.


    I didn¡¯t want people at the Royal Palace to see my dirty appearance, so I went out of the gate early in the morning.


    ¡°Mm, excuse me. I¡¯d like to ask you something. I was helped by a person who looked like the ¡ºKind Hottie¡»from the rumours. I¡¯m looking for him because I want to thank him. Do you know where he is? Do you know anything about him?¡±


    I¡¯ve been asking a lot of people since morning in the area where I fell, but strangely, I have no leads on him.


    Those looks. No one would forget if they saw them. But even so.


    Even His Highness Ludens couldn¡¯t get much information on him, so there was no way I could easily obtain the information on him.


    (I wonder if he¡¯s not in this area often. But, I felt like he was familiar with this area. But I didn¡¯t look in the other areas either. I just have to be patient.)


    I bought bread at street stalls that looked free. A little bit of vegetables and a fried egg were stuffed between thin bread. It became a disappointing lunch, but that couldn¡¯t be helped. The meals I have had lately were too good. I should be thankful that I get to eat.


    I sat on a handy big rock in substitute of a chair and watched the people walking down the road.


    (If I stay in the same place for too long, then strange guys will single me out, so I should move soon. Let¡¯s go into the shade next time.)


    ¨D¨D *TUG TUG*


    The hem of my dark blue faded apron was caught on something.


    ¡°Hey, hey, Onee-chan. We meet again.¡±


    In front of me, was the lost child that I had escorted back some time ago. It was already healed but my leg was the cause.


    Apparently the boy¡¯s name was Kicker. That is to say, the moment we came here last time, he dashed away alone. He didn¡¯t respond even when I called out to him and I¡¯m the idiot who was reined in by a child¡¯s crying face.


    I¡¯m surprised he recognised me.


    ¡°Thanks for the other day. My mum got really angry when I got home. Because I didn¡¯t thank the person who helped me! She said. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll help you out if you¡¯re troubled with something.¡±


    He looked as delicate as a girl when he had his tear stained face, but the boy in front of me looked like a mischievous brat with black hair. His black hair was tied up in a simple ponytail and his blue eyes swirled in a friendly way.


    ¡°You might think I¡¯m doing something fun, but it¡¯s not fun at all. It¡¯s rather boring and hard. Do you still want to help me?¡±


    ¡°I know this area well. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be of help to you.¡±


    The underling me gained an underling. Well, there was nothing better than having more manpower when searching for someone. Let¡¯s gladly accept this kid¡¯s proposal.


    I patted his head a bit roughly and he looked up at me and smiled.


    Now, let¡¯s continue looking for him.


    ???????


    In the end, I got Kicker¡¯s help the next day too and we went around Sabaleel asking about the ¡ºKind Hottie¡».


    I bought thick fried bread from a stall for lunch and ate it with Kicker. I might have gotten a little heartburn.


    I was happy that I was able to have a pleasant stroll thanks to my excellent underling Kicker. Even the places that I thought were scary were normal for Kicker, and it didn¡¯t change much from other places if one knew how to defend themselves. Well, but a lot of garbage did fall down; we also heard people fighting and we did run around several times.


    When the fried bread had disappeared from my stomach, I took candy out from my pocket. It¡¯s break time. It was the candy that had the same colour as Roberto-sama¡¯s eyes that I bought before. I bought a little bit too much.


    ¡°Kicker, take out your hand¡­ Here you go.¡±


    I put a candy into his slightly dirty hands. I also took one.


    Kicker¡¯s eyes sparkled and he put the candy into his mouth as soon as he said, ¡°Can I eat this?¡± ¡°Yum, yummy,¡± he said as he jumped; I watched him and sat down on a nearby rock. My feet hurt more than normal since I was walking around at the robust Kicker¡¯s pace. I stared hazily at the ground.


    Someone stood behind me unnoticed, and made a shadow for me. I was surprised and a voice called out to me before long, ¡°The ones who are looking for me, is that you guys?¡±


    When I looked up, the soft white platinum hair of the Prince that wasn¡¯t the Imperial Prince was before me and his ashy green eyes were staring at me.


    The person I was looking for was in front of my eyes, but I couldn¡¯t do anything but be surprised. Still, I couldn¡¯t just keep staring at him. I stood up so I could say hello.

 Chapter 79 - Your Name

    Right now, the person in front of me is the ¡ºKind Hottie¡»who made me feel relaxed no matter how many times I saw him. I, who was used to seeing His Highness Ludens and the others, am giving him my stamp of approval. I think that anyone who looked at him would think that he is cool. Because I don¡¯t know how to say it¡­¡­ He wasn¡¯t just kind, he didn¡¯t look down on people, and he felt like a genuinely good person.


    I couldn¡¯t find anyone that resembled him in the noble almanac no matter how many times I turned the pages. So I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a noble¡­ Nobles absolutely have more good looking people. Honestly, who is he?


    I controlled my beating heart, stood in front of him and bowed politely.


    ¡°Thank you very much for carrying me all the way to the carriage when I fell over and hurt my leg the other day. You were a great help. I really wanted to meet you again so that I could thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s natural to help people who are troubled. You should take it easy. I remember you having the knee injury. You feel a little different today¡­¡­ Judging from how you look, you already seem fine. (Smile).¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. It¡¯s fine now thanks to you.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t used to being treated kindly, and I felt like I got the shivers. His soft tenor voice was pleasant.


    When I came back down to earth, Kicker was tugging the hem of my apron. I bent down, and he grinned and asked me a question in my ear, ¡°This person is the person you were looking for? He¡¯s super cool. Onee-chan, did you fall in love at first sight?¡±


    ¡°The first half is spot-on, the second half is wrong.¡±


    I tore my body away from Kicker¡¯s. He watched us as if he was looking at a heartwarming scene.


    ¡°Can I ask you a question? Why are you guys trying so hard to find me?¡±


    He tilted his head as if he was curious and took a step towards me; drawing his face closer to mine.


    I couldn¡¯t help but step back.


    ¡°I really wanted to know your name. And this kid helped me.¡±


    ¡°My name?!¡±


    ¡°Yes. Because even if you¡¯re kind to everyone, you always leave without telling them your name. I want to know about you, who no one else knows.¡±


    It¡¯s true that I want to know. I won¡¯t say that His Highness Ludens and the others asked me to find out who the ¡ºKind Hottie¡»is.


    (He looks like a good person so he will listen to a young lady¡¯s request, right?)


    I waited for his answer as I looked up nervously.


    ¡°I want to answer to your request, but I don¡¯t exist in this world. My name is meaningless¡­ You want to know who I am, don¡¯t you? But, you won¡¯t find me. I don¡¯t exist.¡± He uttered with a brief and delusional smile on his face.


    And like that, he turned his back to us and said, ¡°Even so, I¡¯m happy for your words of thanks,¡± as he walked away.


    I, who couldn¡¯t move because my brain wasn¡¯t working, forced my feet to move and chased after him. I stretched my hands out towards his back and spoke desperately, ¡°W-wait. It might be meaningless to you, but I want to know your name. So, please tell me it.¡±


    He looked back with a startled look on his face. Then he laughed and told me his name, ¡°My name is Be Away. Apparently it means ¡ºNot Here¡»in a distant kingdom. I don¡¯t like my name much, so I want you to call me Way. What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Way, is it? I¡¯m Aisha. As far as I¡¯m concerned, you are right here in front of me. It¡¯s not meaningless.¡±


    ¡°Aisha, right? Cute name.¡±


    Kyaa, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been told that my name is cute. My face just turned red.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you help people because you want them to notice your existence, Way? A lot of people have been helped by your kindness. I¡¯m also one of them. I also want to help people like you. Will you let me help you?¡±


    I, who was feeling hot, talked to Way feverishly before I knew it¡­ Huh, where did the calm me go?! Kicker¡¯s glance hurts. Why are his eyes asking me what I¡¯m doing?! Don¡¯t look at me with eyes like that.


    The kind him had only told me his name, but even I wanted to be a kind woman. Well, I think I will know where he¡¯s from and what he¡¯s trying to do if I stay with him. I genuinely want to know a little more about him. I want to know why he doesn¡¯t exist and why it¡¯s meaningless. And I can complete His Highness Ludens¡¯ instructions. I¡¯m hitting two birds with one stone. I rapidly began thinking about things happening before they actually happened.


    ¡°¡­ Something might be different about you. If you want to find me, then come find me. I¡¯ll meet you here at 9 tomorrow. If the little knight wants to come along, then he can.¡±


    Way walked away this time.


    He raised his right hand while he was leaving and four strong men appeared out of nowhere and surrounded him.


    (What¡¯s happening¡­?)


    They drew closer to him. Was I rash? I wonder if I shouldn¡¯t get involved with him.


    He¡¯s someone who says that he doesn¡¯t exist and that his name is meaningless, even though he¡¯s so bright. The things he wears aren¡¯t flashy nor are they plain. He looks as if he¡¯s a noble or at least someone wealthy. His behaviour wasn¡¯t noble-like, but he was considerate enough. He should be living a good life.


    It¡¯s important to know who he is, but I also want him to know about the value of his existence. I can¡¯t help it even if he thinks I¡¯m meddlesome.


    ¡°Kicker, thanks for today. What will you do tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m coming tomorrow too. It seems like this¡¯ll be fun.¡±


    ¡°Is it fine for you not to help out at home? You have work to do too, don¡¯t you Kicker?¡±


    ¡°I do my work properly.¡±


    Hmm, well I guess it¡¯s okay.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    I gave my remaining caramel candy to Kicker as a tip. He opened his eyes wide and skipped away.


    I felt great for the first time in ages when I saw Kicker smile as he took the candy away.


    ¡°Right, I¡¯ll do my best tomorrow too.¡±

 Chapter 80 - Cleaning Spree

    I¡¯m here. Sabaleel. I rode the carriage to Sabaleel every day, so I got along well with the uncle coachman, enough so that we started exchanging greetings.


    I was a bit cleaner today.


    Yesterday, I met Marietta-san and Harmie-san by chance when I came back to the government residence.


    ¡°What¡¯s with your appearance? Why are you so dusty?! You¡¯re too dirty,¡± they made a considerable fuss just like I thought they would and so I decided to clean my body with the large amount of hot water that I¡¯d prepared. I couldn¡¯t say that I wouldn¡¯t be able to work if I¡¯m too clean. I only avoided using fragrant soap and cleaned myself to a level that would be okay with girls of marriageable age. People in that area didn¡¯t have the lingering scent of soap on them.


    If I let my maiden pride talk, then even I wanted to be clean yesterday. I was so aware that I was dirty by Way¡¯s side that it was painful.


    So, I am cleaner than I was yesterday. After I left the government residence, I only put my hand to the ground and smeared it on my body.


    I couldn¡¯t let my guard down in Sabaleel, no matter how much Way protected me. Making sure that I didn¡¯t have any money and goods was a way to protect myself. I don¡¯t think I look like a wealthy lady.


    I was the first to arrive at the meeting place, so I wandered around a little.


    A lot of people have already started their day because a lot of servants lived in this district. A lot of people have already gone to the other districts to work.


    (Nobles start their mornings late. Is it common for commoners to work at this time?)


    The only people left in this area were ones who didn¡¯t work or those who helped the people in the area.


    ¡°Morning, Aisha.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Onee-chan. Way-san.¡±


    We¡¯re all here. Huh, I was the only one who he called onee-san.


    Now then, what are we doing?


    ???????


    The place that Way took us to was the burnt abandoned house. We picked up scraps of food and liquor bottles from the room that remained. He said, ¡°The public order would get worse if we leave it dirty.¡± We went around places like this and cleaned them up while helping the people who we saw along the way.


    (In short, this means he has time and money, huh.)


    I can admire having dirty clothes and hands. But, if you are a person pursuing your livelihood, then you wouldn¡¯t involve yourself in a place that has nothing to do with you. You won¡¯t have the time.


    After that, we unclogged the gutter and picked weeds in a vacant lot, well, I worked hard for the town. Kicker lamented, ¡°I didn¡¯t sign up for this.¡± Yup, I understand that feeling. Next time, I¡¯ll even tell Roberto-sama that they have to put in more work to clean up the Royal Capital.


    We went to Samansuki from Sabaleel while cleaning and had a late lunch.


    We headed to a shop that was intended for dirty workers and had white noodles made from flour and really salty soup. I was surprised that Way knew a shop like this.


    ¡°Way, even though you don¡¯t look like one, you¡¯re a commoner, aren¡¯t you? No, even amongst commoners, you¡¯re really devoted to this town. I really admire you. You also know a lot about this town.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to say that then Aisha, you don¡¯t look like a commoner at all, and you look as if you¡¯re some Ojou-sama.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that. I think so too.¡±


    *SHOCK* ¨D©`


    I was being doubted when I was the one who was supposed to be finding out more about him. ¡°Is that so? Ahahaha¡­¡± I could only brush it off with a laugh.


    ¡°Do you know that everyone calls you a kind hottie?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I also hear a lot about the fortune maiden lately. Is she perhaps¡­ You?¡±


    *SHOCK* ¨D¨D


    Why has it come to this? Dammit, this is bad. My, face, is it twitching?


    ¡°Maiden? Maiden and Onee-chan are different, right?¡±


    I have to get to know him more, I¡¯m getting my priorities mixed up. ¡°I¡¯m maiden enough, aren¡¯t I? Ahahaha¡­¡± I once again brushed it off with a laugh.


    The noodle soup was a treat from Way. Thanks for the meal.


    We cleaned in Samansuki district again in the afternoon. We picked up trash, cleaned the roadside of someone¡¯s vomit and plucked out the weeds. Sweat was flowing out.


    Way knew a lot about these things, but it was strange how no one can find out where he was from and what his name was. Because there were a lot of people, who said, ¡°Thank you very much for doing this,¡± to him. Fortunately, only a few people made fun of us. I wonder if it¡¯s because I¡¯m with Way, who is a man.


    A tired body wants something sweet. I, who was used to eating sweets in the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room, wanted sweets. I found a dry fruits store when I was loitering around. It suits being in a place like this. Dried fruits are something I learnt about in books. Apparently, they¡¯re really sweet¡­ I bought pineapple, a yellow fruit found in the southern kingdoms.


    The three of us ate small pieces of it as a snack.


    ¡°What is this? It¡¯s really sweet. This is the first time I¡¯ve eaten it. Yummy.¡±


    Kicker was skipping in excitement today as well. I wonder if, with this, our work for today has been rewarded.


    Mm, it¡¯s so sweet that it¡¯s going through my teeth. It was worth exerting myself. I feel like my tiredness has flown away.


    I met Way¡¯s eyes, and the two of us smiled. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s not a bad person.


    ???????


    We did this for three days in a row and went around the Royal Capital. Basically, we were cleaning. Sometimes, we helped people by showing them the way and carrying their luggage. Lately, I haven¡¯t been to the Royal Palace. I only went to the government residence and the dining hall.


    We worked really hard while sweating.


    Next, to me, Way worked really hard as if it was something normal and Kicker did his best (for the sake of sweets).


    ¡°Puu, I can¡¯t believe you guys are still doing this. This is my first time going around everywhere too.¡±


    (So he does have other work.)


    ¡°Any time now, oh yes. Why don¡¯t we go over there?¡±


    Way cheerfully walked ahead of us. I followed after him, and Kicker was gripping the hem of my apron.


    ¡°Hey, Onee-chan, are we going over there? Mum said I can¡¯t go near the river¡­¡± He said in a tiny voice so that only I could hear him.


    I spread the map I saw in the library in my mind. That place was blackened out, wasn¡¯t it?


    ¡°You can go home if you don¡¯t want to come. But, it looks like Way knows that place well. So it¡¯ll¡­ probably be fine if Way¡¯s with us.¡±


    Kicker was worried for a bit and replied, ¡°If Onee-chan is going, then I am too.¡±


    The houses on both sides of the streets gradually got shabbier. The infrastructure seemed to be barely functioning. I became anxious at carrying on ahead.


    Way stopped at the side of the river, which wasn¡¯t clean. The river has a small crumbling stone bridge on it. He looked back at us.


    ¡°From here on, is the slum called Most Dark. Are you prepared to come with me? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect you two.¡±


    Somehow, I can see a shadow over his gentle smile. But, it didn¡¯t look like a wicked smile. It seemed a bit lonely or as if he didn¡¯t expect anything from our replies. It was a deprecating smile.


    He was definitely someone tied to the slums. There were no lies in the serious way he had said, ¡°Protect.¡±


    I grasped Kicker¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Way, you¡¯re inviting us, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m excited because I¡¯ve never been here before,¡± I replied to Way with my best smile.


    I was pretending to be tough even at times like this. If I was a mere noble lady, then I would skilfully refuse. As for me, I don¡¯t have that charm.


    Ah, I remembered Dick-san¡¯s instructions of ¡®run away when they flinch¡¯. That¡¯s right. I can just run away if things get dangerous.


    We crossed the stone bridge and went into Most Dark.

 Chapter 81 - Most Dark

    I had only just crossed a bridge, but what¡¯s with this completely different atmosphere¡­?


    It felt very jumbled which was different from the feeling that I got in the well-maintained streets within the Royal Capital. The buildings didn¡¯t feel unified. There were beautiful brick buildings next to shabby houses. The intersections also crossed over several other streets as if they were made without thought. The smells of rotting garbage, cheap perfume and alcohol mixed together in the wind and floated all around the place.


    Many people were standing on the road with vacant eyes, there were also those who were glaring at us and some who were appraising us with their eyes. Strangely there was no sound. I wonder if this place gets livelier after dark.


    I felt a strong magnetic attraction that would make me one of these people if I wasn¡¯t careful. It seemed like the type of place that would swallow you whole for better or for worse. Is this the slum?


    Before I knew it, brawny men were following Way from the sides.


    Eeh, Way, the Prince who was more prince-like than the Imperial Prince is really familiar with this place.


    ¡°This is the dump of the Royal Capital. The place where people who could no longer stay in the surface gather. This is the place that they don¡¯t want to make public. The Royal Palace doesn¡¯t want to get involved with this place, so they rarely set foot in here since long ago. They¡¯ve left it alone,¡± I nodded at Way¡¯s bold words. I can tell by looking. It was completely different from the well-organised streets of the Royal Capital.


    Kicker hooked onto my arm and stuck to me.


    The forecast at Most Dark was terrible, and the bright sun rays didn¡¯t shine through here much. This condition alone was enough for the ordinary citizens of the Royal Capital to be frightened of this place.


    We reached a vast and profound mansion which stood out like a sore thumb when we walked along the poorly paved road. Way, Kicker and I were the only ones who went inside. The two men, who seemed to be guards, waited at the front door. There were only stern men inside of the mansion. They nodded when they saw Way.


    The only woman here was the one who brought the tea into a simple room, and I only saw her briefly; she looked reserved.


    ¡°Do you understand it now? I¡¯m a resident of Most Dark and the next in line to rule this place. My father, the current boss, will be retiring soon. If I succeed him, then I don¡¯t really have many chances to leave here. Regardless of my intentions, I would be completely involved in a job that others would think of as bad. So, I selfishly asked if I could go to the outside and do things that are considered to be good. I feel happy when I¡¯ve felt that I¡¯ve helped someone.¡±


    ¡°Heir to the boss? Then your existence isn¡¯t meaningless, is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a family register. I don¡¯t pay taxes, and I don¡¯t benefit from this kingdom. Family registers are only pieces of paper, but it proves my existence in this world. I don¡¯t have firm proof of my existence, so I¡¯m like a ghost.¡±


    (I¡¯m angry for some reason. Bragging about his misfortune? I have a family register, but my family treated me as if I wasn¡¯t there at all most the time (?!). I¡¯ve experienced it enough, so I know what it¡¯s like to not feel value in my existence and be helpless. But for him not to be able to realise how important he is to the people around him¡­ I don¡¯t know if this is extravagant or misfortune.)


    An awkward silence filled the room, and no one reached out to grab the tea. It was a comfortable sofa, but it feels uncomfortable.


    ¡°Way, I will go home today. And I¡¯ll come back here again. Please tell the person watching the stone bridge from the other side about this¡­ Kicker, let¡¯s go.¡±


    I left Way, who didn¡¯t seem like he wanted to control the slums and controlled my anger as I left the big mansion with Kicker, who didn¡¯t really know what was going on.


    We were guided by one of the guards through the streets of Most Dark and crossed the stone bridge; we were back at the starting point.


    Kicker let out a big sigh next to me. It¡¯s nerve-wrenching just walking through there, isn¡¯t it?


    Most Dark, the place that had been blackened out on the map I saw in the Royal Library. An area that was treated as if it didn¡¯t exist. The area which reminded me of the innermost feelings that Way and I wanted to forget.


    ¡°¡­¡­ I want to get rid of this blackened spot,¡± I muttered as I grasped my hand tightly.


    Then, I raised my head and laughed.


    ¡°Kicker, let¡¯s splurge on lunch today and eat the special.¡±


    ¡°I want to eat something sweet too.¡±


    I grabbed Kicker¡¯s hand and quickly ran away from Most Dark. My gloomy feelings should disappear when I¡¯m full.


    I can think about things later.


    However, I didn¡¯t know that Cafule-san was watching us from a distance.

 Chapter 82 - Good Listener

    The day after returning from Most Dark, I decided not to go to the Royal Palace so that I could change my mood and instead chose to spend my day off as I liked.


    I already feel tired.


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely feel better if I go to Hen Inn and see Ada-san. Taking a bath also sounds good.¡±


    I walked down the familiar road to Hen Inn as my ponytail swung side to side. I went to bed early yesterday and woke up late this morning, so my fatigue was utterly gone. But, I missed breakfast at the dining hall. Instead, I bought a fruit platter from a stall and ate it with my hands.


    When I entered Hen Inn, breakfast had already finished, and most of the guests had already left; the only sounds in the restaurant were the sounds of cleaning.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The Master stared at me in silence from behind the counter. Is there something on my face? I feel like he¡¯s staring at me more than usual.


    ¡°Hello? What time will Ada-san be at work today?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s on the late shift.¡±


    Hmm, so in the afternoon? Then I¡¯ll take a bath in the meantime. I said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± and left Hen Inn.


    ???????


    There was a famous bath house which I found when I walked around town before; they had a big bathtub and apparently a lot of men and women bathed there.


    I was interested in the bathhouse, but I was even more embarrassed, so I didn¡¯t think that I would be able to take a bath there. But, now is the time to go since I want to clean my whole body!


    ¨D¨D¨D Thus, I came.


    It¡¯s warm. I¡¯m in high spirits in many ways. My heart was still pounding. My body and mind are shiny. A change of pace means this, doesn¡¯t it?


    I soaked myself in the wide bathtub while hiding my body with a cloth and washed my body alongside other women who were also cleaning their bodies¡­ This was an unknown world to me. Having a lot of warm water felt very pleasant. There are a lot of different body types. Ufufu, my body is still childlike.


    ???????


    I returned to Hen Inn and had lunch.


    I had fried fish sandwiched between bread with an exquisite addition of pickles, green beans, corn and butter stir-fry. Great job as always, Master.


    Ah, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve eaten delicious food. I nodded every time I took a bite of my meal. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from smiling. Feeling happy is like this, isn¡¯t it?


    After my meal, I poured tea for Master and myself and slowly enjoyed the fragrance. It has also been a while since I could enjoy my meal slowly like this.


    When I was satisfied with my delicious meal, Ada-san came.


    ¡°Hey, Ayesha. Oh my, you¡¯re awfully relaxed today as well. But¡­ you have something to tell me, right? Your eyes are telling me that. Say, Master, I¡¯ll work overtime today so give me some time off now.¡±


    She made the decision herself without listening to the Master¡¯s reply and sat down next to me like she usually did.


    ¡°I met someone with a similar past to the one that I didn¡¯t want to remember, and I wondered if wanting to help him somehow is for my own satisfaction.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, is this about you? It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s for your own satisfaction or something else. You can just do what you want, you know? ¡­ Ayesha, you want to do something for them, don¡¯t you? If you want me to support you, then I¡¯ll say it, but I can see that you¡¯ve already made up your mind.¡±


    According to Ada-san, I¡¯ve already made up my mind for something. I was glad that she seemed to be taking this seriously and I also felt refreshed.


    I¡¯ve made up my mind.


    So I should act fast.


    ¡°Ada-san, thank you for listening to me. I¡¯ll come again.¡±


    ???????


    My day off ended and I returned to the Royal Castle. Everyone should still be working. I have to disguise myself.


    ¨D¨D¨D Ta-dah, it¡¯s been a long time since Lady Ann¡¯s made her appearance.


    ¡°Hello, everyone. I sent a message today saying that I would take the day off, but I have something to tell His Highness, Ludens. I would like to take some of your time,¡± I declared as soon as the knights opened the door for me. His Highness Ludens and Roberto-sama were the only two in the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room.


    I ignored the suspicious looks coming from Roberto-sama and the knights and bowed.


    His Highness Ludens, the only one who wasn¡¯t fazed at all, stood up from his office desk and invited me to the sofa.


    ¡°Is here good? Lady Ann?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you very much.¡±


    The both of us sat facing each other on the sofa and smiled.


    I can¡¯t get this unexpectedly stubborn Imperial Prince to commit to what I want to say if my request isn¡¯t firm.


    ¡°I think that reports on my behaviour have already been made to you, Your Highness. I would like your permission to create a map of the slum, Most Dark. The slums on the map in the Royal Library have been blackened out. In other words, this Kingdom doesn¡¯t really understand the state of the slums. Government officials aren¡¯t accepted in the slums, so I expect that it would be difficult to map it.¡±


    ¡°Up until now, things have somehow worked out even without the map of the slums. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be a problem even if we don¡¯t have one.¡±


    ¡°I know how important maps are because only approved people could look at it. Isn¡¯t it disappointing that there are still places you don¡¯t know about in this Kingdom? You might have wanted to make a map of the slums before but you couldn¡¯t. But, it¡¯s possible to make a map of it now. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a pity to miss this opportunity?¡±


    His Highness Ludens¡¯ eyes glowed. The corners of his mouth went up¡­ Did he take the bait?


    ¡°I haven¡¯t talked about this with the other person yet. I wanted your permission first. Because I wouldn¡¯t be able to do my job here if I make the map.¡±


    ¡°If they say it¡¯s okay for you to make it, then you can. I don¡¯t mind if you put the map before your work. But, you have to come here once a week to inform me of your progress.


    His Highness Ludens was snorting in front of me.


    Eeh, huuuuh ¨D¨D¨D.


    Did he understand my wish? He did.


    ¨D¨D¨D *RATTLE* ¨D¨D¨D


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    I saw Roberto-sama knock his chair down as he stood up.


    ¡°Have you become close with the Kind Hottie? Or you will become close to him? I hope that you use your noble status and his power well. Everything else depends on your efforts. The slums are wide.¡±


    I¡¯ve already prepared myself.


    His Highness exclaimed, ¡°You didn¡¯t bring any gifts today?¡± As for Roberto-sama, he was staring at me with a very sour face. ¡°Why are you burdening yourself with hardship?¡± His eyes stated.


    Making the map is the first step of my goal.


    I have no choice but to believe in what I can do!


    I stood up, bowed like a noble and smiled gracefully.

 Chapter 83

    I reported that the Kind Hottie was the next boss of the slum, Most Dark to His Highness Ludens.


    As I thought, there was a guard stationed at the entrance of Most Dark, and government officials, who went there to do their work, were chased away. Therefore, even though they had wanted to find out who Way was, the only thing they learnt was that he was an influential person in Most Dark. They were removed from Most Dark when they were trying to find out who he was.


    Having said that, it¡¯s not like no one can enter the slums, the Royal Capital residents who are trusted by those who live in the slums can enter. Well, and those who have connections.


    I might be protected by Way¡¯s power a little, but that place has the worst security out of all the places I¡¯ve been to, and I have to be more careful than usual. I left the most valuable thing I owned, the ring with the red jewel that Furore-sama had given me, at the government residence. I removed the ring from the fur string necklace I had and hid it in my socks. I packed a set of clothes for an overnight stay, including socks, and put them into the big black bag. I also put my extra cash in the bag, and then I stuffed it in a closet, and I was done. I hope people won¡¯t notice it like this.


    I put the sketchbook that I would use to draw the map in my backpack. I will look at the streets with my own eyes, make notes of how the roads are and sketch the actual landscape. I¡¯m not a professional cartographer, so I can¡¯t create beautiful maps that allow people to imagine the area like seen at the Royal Capital Library, but I want to at least draw the streets correctly.


    I only took enough money for food and the carriage fee. If it gets stolen, then I would have to walk home and miss a meal.


    ???????


    I went to Most Dark again.


    As soon as I entered, I called out to the scary looking fella on the stone bridge, ¡°I want to see Way.¡±


    As soon as he heard my request, I was reunited with Way at the big mansion.


    ¡°Hello, Ayesha. I hadn¡¯t expected you to see you again so soon.¡±


    ¡°I have to strike the iron while it¡¯s hot. Hello, Way.¡±


    His gentle and soothing aura was drifting about¡­ It¡¯s incredible that you can still feel his aura in a dangerous place like this.


    ¡°I have a favour to ask you Way since you are the most influential person in Most Dark. Please let me make a map of Most Dark.¡±


    I bowed deeply.


    ¡°Making a map means that people will know all the areas around here? It¡¯s more convenient for us if they don¡¯t. What advantage do we get if we give you permission?¡±


    ¡°Your streets will certainly be known. In other words, the existence of Most Dark will become clear. The Royal Capital won¡¯t be able to ignore it any more. The Royal Capital wants to obtain a map of this place so that they could protect this Kingdom. Do you know about this? The map in the Royal Library has the slums blackened out. It¡¯s like you said Way, it doesn¡¯t exist. Until now, both sides know that this place exists, but one side has been ignoring it, so why don¡¯t you take advantage of the map and interact with the Royal Palace? It¡¯s impossible for the Royal Palace to suddenly take control of the slums. They need your cooperation to do so. For example, how about negotiating with the map in exchange for maintenance of the roads here in Most Dark?¡±


    I don¡¯t know much about the infrastructure in Most Dark, but there were a lot of dirt roads, and they were in a mess. It didn¡¯t look like the residents here knew how to service the roads.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to ask them to service all the roads with just one map.¡±


    ¡°Then what if you could pay taxes and use a part of that to construct it?¡±


    ¡°You do know that people live here because they can¡¯t pay tax in the Royal Capital, right?¡±


    ¡°Then, you can collect money and use that towards building roads, can¡¯t you? You all do work that you can¡¯t publicly announce, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m sure you have quite a bit of money. If the roads in Most Dark become beautiful, then the security around here will also improve, and you¡¯ll be able to do different work.¡±


    Haahaah, I¡¯m tired from saying it all at once. Way urged me to sit on the sofa.


    ¡°The existence of Most Dark, which has been treated as non-existence because it has been blackened out on the map, will become evident. The Royal Capital can¡¯t ignore the existence of Most Dark. Doesn¡¯t that feel good?¡± I declared.


    The shady smile from Way disappeared.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I will feel better.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Even if the map is complete, I don¡¯t know how the interactions and negotiations will go. Still, if you want to make the map, then I want to help you. I¡¯ll make the arrangements so that you won¡¯t be harmed here.¡±


    We firmly squeezed each other¡¯s hands.


    We¡¯re comrades, aren¡¯t we?


    ???????


    I began making the map at the beginning of autumn when the heat was still lingering.


    Every day, I went to the street where Kicker lived by carriage and walked to Most Dark from there.


    In winter, I wore an old, thin coat, with layers of socks, a pair of boots and my hat and scarf; I sketched with my numb hands. I couldn¡¯t understand how the streets were connected, and I walked around them many times to double check and draw.


    I was chased by stray days and driven away by spiteful residents many times; but the residents who weren¡¯t interested in outsiders, slowly began talking to me as I continued to loiter around. I didn¡¯t walk around with Way much, but I didn¡¯t have restrictions on where I could go.


    Once, I was caught by an organisation that was hostile towards Way and them, but Captain Weller went to look for me since I hadn¡¯t returned home. They had long unkempt hair, and I was astonished when they had appeared because I didn¡¯t know who they were. I once again realised how strong Captain Weller was and the number of connections he had. Afterwards, Cafule-san-san was officially assigned to me as my guard. The memory of introducing Cafule-san to Way and having Way say, ¡°He can enter as long as he¡¯s by your side,¡± was still fresh in my mind. Way had given his approval because he had deeply regretted that he hadn¡¯t been able to protect me.


    I didn¡¯t tell anyone in Most Dark that I was a noble. I couldn¡¯t use my power as a noble. It might influence the map making if they distanced themselves from me if they found out I was a noble, and I would be troubled if I was kidnapped and a ransom note was sent to the Thousand House.


    During the time that I went to Most Dark, I became close enough to the residents that they would coax me for small change and they would put presents into my coat while I wasn¡¯t looking. I was especially close with the women. There were a lot of people who lived strongly, but there were also infants and those who were barely scraping by. There were no family registers for the infants. These children didn¡¯t exist like Way. When I saw a single mother with her child, I was reminded of my own childhood. I knew that charity wasn¡¯t salvation, but the parents and children have experienced temporary help from someone else.


    I worried about the residents when I went to Most Dark when it snowed. I worried about the residents who could not see doctors if a bad cold were to spread widely, and I shed tears for those who couldn¡¯t overcome the harsh winter.


    I went to the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room once a week, and I anguished over the gap between wealth and poverty while travelling to and from Most Dark for about five months.


    I had even learnt the foul language of the slums.

 Chapter 84 - Doing My Best

    In winter, I didn¡¯t participate in the nobles¡¯ ¡¸Ball to welcome the New Year¡¹. His Highness Ludens let me off. It was impossible for me to join in my current situation. It was also absurd to meet the Thousand House, and I don¡¯t have any lingering interests in the ball either.


    Instead, I watched fireworks from the ¡¸New Year Festival¡¹with Ada-san and Master at Hen Inn on New Year¡¯s Eve. Everyone at the government residence went home at the end of the year, so I was staying a few nights at Hen Inn. I was impressed by the fireworks that I wanted to see. Fireworks are big and pretty, and they come in so many different colours. I¡¯m glad I got to see them since I only heard the sound of the fireworks before.


    Looking back, I did really well in Most Dark this winter. I got used to being a little dirty, and I didn¡¯t flinch when I heard people yell. I didn¡¯t belittle myself excessively even if I saw drunkards or prostitutes. I¡¯ve become very bold.


    There was a lot of sketches and notes in front of me now that five months have passed.


    Now, it was time to put all this together and create a single map.


    I got Cafule-san to help me carry all the sketches and notes in my room to the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room. There was no space in my room to spread all these materials out, and maps were kept secret from other kingdoms. When creating a map, the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room was the best place to keep it safe.


    ???????


    ¡°It¡¯s an honour to be able to drink Lady Ann¡¯s tea again.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much for the compliment.¡±


    (I¡¯m also happy that I get to drink this kind of expensive tea again. I¡¯m also glad that my skills haven¡¯t rusted.)


    I went to the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room to work every day again.


    I went back to the good old days of brewing tea for His Highness Ludens and the others when I took a break from putting the map together. My black bobbed wig and the eggplant colour dress of a Royal Palace secretary were both a little depressing to me now.


    I drew a map of Most Dark on a large piece of paper based on the notes and sketches that I had. I drew on several pieces of paper and glued them together¡­ Ah well, a corner of the floor in the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room quickly became covered with papers before long.


    ¡°Lady Ann seems to be able to express herself better in the time we didn¡¯t see her. Unfortunately, her elegance and femininity seemed to have diminished¡­ Do you want to go on a date with me? I think you¡¯ll be able to learn the things you¡¯ve lost.¡±


    ¡°Lancel-sama, I¡¯m not that free. I¡¯ll have to refuse. Please ask someone else.¡±


    (Weird. In other words, he¡¯s saying I have no sex appeal, right? I already know that.)


    The sexy ladies at Most Dark often judged me severely, ¡°You need more, how do I say this-.¡± And ¡°Even though the goods are great.¡± Also, ¡°I can¡¯t let you pull in customers or be a prostitute.¡±


    They might have said such considerate words because they didn¡¯t want me to go down that path, but even I knew that I had no sex appeal and that people made fun of me because of it. But they did say that my gestures were graceful.


    In fact, the men at Most Dark never called out to me¡­ Well, I would only be troubled if scary-looking men called out to me, so I was glad it didn¡¯t happen. I have to be thankful that no one assaulted me.


    The thing I should do now is to complete the map and use that as a chance to introduce Way and His Highness Ludens. Many things should be set into motion once the map is complete.


    The map grew bigger and bigger while I was drawing and connecting the papers¡­ So, a separate room was prepared for me next to the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room so that I could make the map.


    I felt horrible for some reason. I thought that they would do fine without me since I wasn¡¯t in the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room much.


    I went to the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room at 10 and 3 o¡¯clock to prepare tea, but other than that, I did nothing but connect the papers together. When I didn¡¯t remember the roads, or when I was worried, I would go to Most Dark the next day to confirm, before drawing the streets again.


    I wasn¡¯t purposely making time to see Way! He has the same emotional scars as me, but that didn¡¯t make me fall in love with him! ¡®Cause I didn¡¯t want us to lick our wounds. I think that it¡¯s lovely that he looks like a Prince, but he was biased towards his own roots¡­ Or rather, sometimes I felt gloomy being around him since I was someone who had overcame many trials.


    ¨D¨D¨D *KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*


    ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m coming in.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve connected quite a lot of paper together. Is it nearly finished? ¡­Hey, oi, don¡¯t ignore me.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I lifted my voice at the presence and saw Roberto-sama. Ah, I didn¡¯t notice him because I was concentrating. I was kneeling on the ground while drawing and writing.


    His grumpy almond amber eyes were scary. I was getting nervous at how he was looking around the room.


    ¡°What are you going to do with this big piece of paper? It¡¯s too big to be used as a map.¡±


    ¡°This is only a draft. Based on this, I will make a copy of a map in the same size as the ones at the Royal Library; since I can¡¯t just draw it straight away. I was planning on giving the remaining paper to Way, who helped me in Most Dark. I¡¯m sure he can make use of this detailed map. The memos and sketches I did while walking around Most Dark will be burnt and disposed of.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I will tell His Highness. Cafule will go with you when you go there to give them this piece of paper, so make sure to let him know when. The only problem left would be the map of Most Dark in your head. You might get targeted by those who want that information.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I would remember all those roads. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll completely disappear somewhere.¡±


    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s good. Forgetting about it is for your own good. Next, I want to make an adjustment to the meeting that His Highness and Be Away will have. Tell him that I want Cafule there when they meet. I heard about this before, but are you sure you don¡¯t want to be at the meeting?¡±


    ¡°My job is to make this map. I have arranged the meeting, so I¡¯ll leave everything to everyone else. A mere lower-positioned noble can only do this much.¡±


    I plan on knowing my place.


    I really didn¡¯t want extra work.


    Now then, let¡¯s work harder for a little bit longer. I can do this.

 Chapter 85 - Better Results Than Expected

    The flower greeting season was already half over, and the cold got harsher. And there¡¯s still no news of the flowers blooming yet.


    My birthday is nearly here. Looking back on the past, I can say I was independent.


    From then on, I was utterly absorbed in copying the map. The map that I saw at the Royal Library was so beautifully drawn, anyone who saw it could tell where the streets were.


    I thought that I could draw pretty well since I sketched embroideries, but I wasn¡¯t drawing what I saw, and I had to choose the thickness of the lines. Flowers were fine, but it was difficult to draw a picture map with the main building outlined. The Royal Palace probably didn¡¯t require me to do this, but I wanted to test my skills. I spent every day feeling as if my head would explode from how much I was troubling myself over this.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want it to be put together with the map in the Royal Library even if it¡¯s complete.¡±


    I spent the whole day drawing the map. It felt as if my days were passing by like a dream.


    I devoted all my time copying the map, except for when I ate and slept, and even on holidays I would only clean and then go back to copying. Recently, I haven¡¯t been able to enjoy the scenery outside. Neither have I experienced the bright spring sun that peeked through the thick clouds. If I weren¡¯t aware of it, then I wouldn¡¯t have known that spring was here.


    I¡¯ve almost finished inking the one-meter-square paper, and once I add the colour, it would finally be complete.


    I wanted to look at the real scenery once more before colouring the map in and went to Most Dark.


    I didn¡¯t have to get dirty or feel scared anymore since I was used to being here, but whenever I come here, I would always feel gloomy.


    Now that I know more people here, I wanted to help women who can¡¯t earn money without using their body. I really didn¡¯t understand where it was coming from. I think that because I was blessed in life, I want to help those who are in a more difficult situation than I.


    Is there nothing I can do¡­? Forgive me for thinking this.


    I took a deep breath in front of the black-penned map and slid a thin brush on the paper.


    There were few bright colours in Most Dark. There was a lot of dull brown and grey in the town. They had stone pavements and dirt roads, and even the buildings looked like that. The only ones who had a lot of colours on them were the prostitutes. Way didn¡¯t wear many colours, but the men around him did, and the colours on the clothes of the people in Most Dark were faded.


    ¡°The city itself is plain. I¡¯ll keep it as it is, but I¡¯ll also add in some colour, so it doesn¡¯t look too lonely.¡±


    I added faint red, yellow and orange onto the map. Still, it looked better than just having it plain black.


    I started talking to myself more, probably because I worked alone a lot.


    I quietly moved my brush as I aimed for completion.


    ???????


    ¡°I guess it looks like this. Finished.¡±


    I stretched with both my hands up. My behaviour is a bit bad, but it¡¯s finished, and no one is here, so it should be fine.


    I was able to understand things. It¡¯s probably fine even if this was put in the Royal Library.


    If someone saw this, then they would probably say, ¡°You¡¯ve produced decent results, and you¡¯ve served the Royal Family as a noble.¡± I made a map of the slum which even the officials have a hard time trying to infiltrate. I created a connection between the boss of the slums and the Royal Family.


    I believe His Highness Ludens already knows why I tried so hard to make this map.


    ¡°This time I¡¯ll be a commoner.¡±


    This time, I won¡¯t let them say any quibbles.


    I might have shown them that I¡¯m competent. But, I think that His Highness Ludens¡¯ would be able to find more qualified people if he went to search in different villages instead of just amongst nobles.


    I didn¡¯t feel the need to be an elegant and refined noble. For better or for worse, I learnt from interacting with the slums that being dirty and being helpless was also part of living. Even so, I met charming people who did their best to live.


    I¡¯ve never had much money. I love delicious food. A hygienic lifestyle felt comfortable. But still, if I wanted to live freely, then I had to be a commoner. These thoughts have not changed.


    ¡°Your Highness Ludens, I don¡¯t want to be used by you.¡±


    I started preparing with the finished map.


    ???????


    The next day, everyone was at the Royal Capital¡¯s Public Order Consolation Room. His Highness Ludens, Roberto-sama, Lancel-sama, and Leyard-sama all looked brighter than usual. They weren¡¯t in formal wear, but they were neater than usual. This showed how much they appreciated my map. I couldn¡¯t help but be nervous seeing them dressed like this.


    Incidentally, I was in my usual black bob wig, and the eggplant coloured Royal Women¡¯s uniform.


    (Fuu, calm down.)


    I loosened my tightened fists and let out a quiet breath.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze was focused on the map I drew, that was spread out on the low stand. It was a bit funny to see four tall people standing as if their heads were close together.


    ¡°Hmm, this is pretty well made, isn¡¯t it? I only asked you to make a simple map, but you¡¯ve gone above expectations.¡±


    ¡°Woah! You¡¯re right, Your Highness. This is just like a painting. If I knew that Lady Ann was this talented, then I would have had her join as my subordinate.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to understand. It¡¯s a little different from a practical map, but it seems like you¡¯ve drawn the main building here.¡±


    ¡°Lady Ann, did you try to imitate the map in the Royal Library? I hadn¡¯t expected something like this¡­ But, it¡¯s certainly well drawn.¡±


    (Kyaa, I did it! They praised me.)


    I calmed myself down so that I wouldn¡¯t grin. I did an excellent job to be able to get these people to compliment me!


    But¡­what do they mean when they say that this wasn¡¯t the kind of map they wanted?


    ¡°Erm, the only maps I¡¯ve seen are the ones in the Royal Library¡­ But are there other kinds as well?¡±


    ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡­¡±¡±¡±


    It seems like I¡¯ve screwed up. But well, I screwed up in a good way, so it¡¯s okay.


    ¡°You were able to draw something to this level, so I¡¯m sure you put your heart and soul into this, Lady Ann. I will gladly accept this map. I will have to reward you for this since you did draw a map which is worthy of being preserved in the library. Tell me what you want.¡±


    His Highness Ludens¡¯ green eyes stared at me as if he saw right through me. I was surprised that my heart thumped in my chest.


    ¡°This map is a result of me serving the Royal Family as a noble. I would like to be a commoner now. Please dismiss me.¡±


    I stared back at him with my light-brown eyes without flinching. I wasn¡¯t wearing a gorgeous dress, but I gave him my best bow. I hope I can convey how serious I am¡­


    I continued to stay in the same pose with my head down. How long has it been?


    ¡°You went to the slums to complete all this work, Ann du Deniswell, or rather, Ayesha-maria Org du Thousand, I shall grant your wish. I won¡¯t go back on my word. You can really become one. Aah! I really wanted to keep you by my side. I thought that you would want to remain as a noble if you knew what the slums were like. Too bad.¡±


    His snorted, but his eyes weren¡¯t smiling. It was a feast for my eyes, but yeah, this person is scary after all.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said that her going to the slums will have the opposite effect. It is Your Highness who said she would work harder and become more passionate if she saw what the slums life is like. You said that her results would improve. And, the 2nd Imperial Guards Vice-Captain, Dick Eigorn, has sent a petition wishing for a secretary. You want to be a commoner right? Do you want it?¡±


    Roberto-sama¡¯s grumpy amber eyes pierced at me. His voice didn¡¯t conceal his displeasure at all.


    (Huh? Are they reluctant to let me go?)


    ¡°Does that mean I¡¯ll be working at the garrisons in Coolden? Yes, I accept.¡±


    I think my happiness oozed out into my voice. Oh, my face must look slovenly right now. I can¡¯t control my emotions.


    Trying to hide my smile, I put both hands to my cheeks.


    ¡°Wow, you look thrilled. You got your wish, after all.¡±


    ¡°No one can stop it anymore. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen His Highness¡¯ bitter laughter.¡±


    ¡°Lancel, don¡¯t say it.¡±


    ¡°Lady Ann, will you make everyone tea?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    My feet felt light, and I began brewing tea for everyone. I am confident that I can brew delicious tea today! I¡¯ll let you taste the best tea!


    On this day, I couldn¡¯t help but be excited about the future.

 Chapter 86 - Contract

    Some time had passed since His Highness Ludens¡¯ declaration. Did he mean it when he said ¡°I approve of you being a commoner¡±? I doubted, as I continued my usual days. Apparently, the procedures were progressing without me knowing.


    I came to the entrance of Most Dark to deliver the huge map draft, which I had presented to the Royal family and on a carriage at that. Cafule-san and two other guards were with me. Today, I was wearing a ponytail with the milk tea dress. That is to say, I came here as a noble under the command of His Highness Ludens.


    I thought that Cafule-san was a simple person who could fit in anywhere, but he didn¡¯t look inferior next to the guards His Highness had assigned to us. Isn¡¯t he actually a very accomplished person? I began to think.


    ¡°Oi, what are you doing?¡± Sure enough, the scary gatekeeper of Most Dark called out to us. He had called out to me before when I had first started making the map, but then after that he just let me in quietly. His deep voice, which I hadn¡¯t heard for a long time, sent chills down my back.


    ¡°Umm, I¡¯ve been coming here for a while now. My name is Ayesha. I¡¯m sure Way-san told you that I was visiting today. Could you let us in?¡±


    He glanced at me from head to town and then let us through, ¡°Aah.¡± We couldn¡¯t ride the carriage after we went through, so we walked. The map was still big even though it was folded, so Cafula-san and another guard carried it for me. Even I could tell that the other guard was casually holding his sword on top of his long coat.


    (If you do that, then you¡¯ll provoke the people here.)


    I quietly proceeded down the familiar road. We drew the attention of the residents of Most Dark because we were different from them.


    ???????


    ¡°So this is what the map was based on. Alright. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve passed this to you. I have filled as much as I can from my trips here. I¡¯m sure you know this place very well, but I would be happy if it could be of use to you. The picture map that was created based on this will be stored in the Royal Library, so please go see it if you have time. You and the residents of Most Dark will be able to see the map if you follow the procedures. If you have any questions, please contact His Highness.¡±


    We came to the parlour that I had used before as His Highness Ludens¡¯ messengers. I feel like he¡¯s been looking at me with doubt this whole time.


    Way, who had officially become the boss of Most Dark, looked sadder than he did before. His silver hair still made him look like a Prince.


    (A Prince covered in darkness will also be popular.)


    ¡°Alright. Then, this ends the conversation with you acting as a messenger for His Highness Ludens¡¯ right? Is this how you really look as Ayesha?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    (Real¡­? I just cleaned up and wore better clothes.)


    ¡°Are you asking if I¡¯m a noble? For now, I am. Did I not tell you? I was born between a noble and a commoner. My existence is half-baked and weak. I want the answer to what I asked you before as Ayesha. Please lend me one of the buildings near the entrance of Most Dark.¡±


    ¡°You said you wanted to use it as a place for women who had nowhere to go?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Then, I want to teach them how to read and write. And turn it into a school for embroidery.¡±


    ¡°Boss, if guys like that go in and out of the entrance then the security here would-!!¡±


    ¡°Residents from Sabaleel and other districts can come in and out of here because it¡¯s at the entrance. You¡¯ve talked with His Highness Ludens¡¯, have you not? If he begins development here, then people would visit even if you don¡¯t want them to. I want to make a place where women can regain themselves. I want a place where they can avoid the rain. You don¡¯t protect weak women, do you? You are bias towards men in this place.¡±


    Way pondered a little. I could feel a slight tension in the room which had become dead silent.


    ¡°You are correct. I will lend you one of the buildings, but it won¡¯t be cheap. This isn¡¯t a charity. Do you have money to pay for it?¡±


    I pulled the strap around my neck from under my dress and removed it. There was a ring with a red jewel on the strap. It was the ring I¡¯d received from Furore-sama upon our parting. She would probably be grumpy if she found out that I was using it for poor people, but I was the owner of this ring now. I will use it effectively.


    ¡°First, this. It¡¯s pretty valuable.¡±


    I slide it across the table to Way. He picked up the ring and examined it. Then his expression became serious.


    ¡°This will pay for it momentarily, but I don¡¯t know if it will cover all future costs.¡±


    ¨D¨D BANG


    Slamming my hands on the table, I said.


    ¡°I, Ayesha-maria Org du Thousand, may only be a half-blood noble, but won¡¯t you accept the ring that I¡¯m staking my pride on?¡±


    I ignored the noise around us. The only person I had to persuade was Way. I stared at him as he smiled beautifully even while looking serious.


    A lot of thoughts were probably swirling around in his head at high-speed. He replied in a bashful and kind voice, ¡°I believe you Ayesha. You¡¯ll still come here to pay for rent in the future, right? You¡¯re always welcome here.¡±


    (Is he going to believe in Ayesha even though she¡¯s not a noble?)


    I used my first and last ¡®noble¡¯ card¡­ But, he trusted Ayesha.


    ¡°Fufu,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. There¡¯s no need for me to be a noble. I knew that they were relaxing.


    ¡°Thank you very much. I won¡¯t be a noble soon. I¡¯ll see you later, Way.¡±


    I was delighted that I could give back to the women who had helped me make the map of Most Dark.


    I had secured the building. I could fix the inside with the money I¡¯d earned while working under His Highness Ludens. Of course, I wasn¡¯t making a lodging place out of charity. I will get them to pay me back once they¡¯ve finished their studies and work. If they can¡¯t pay it back, then they could pay it back by doing housework. There were no limits to the future.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I left Way who had that look on his face and returned to the Royal Palace in excitement.