Chapter 7 — 

This was an outrageously dangerous suggestion. For herself, and for the deer-like beauty.

Rita fiercely battled between desire and reason before finally opening her mouth.

Yes, humans have reason! That’s what sets them apart from beasts!

“Ah, no, my house isn’t… that big!”

“I’m not big either.”

“I-I’m not from a rich family!”

“I can tell.”

“I can find you a nice, comfortable inn!”

“You can be comfortable at your house too.”

Having finally chosen the rational option, Rita desperately tried to persuade Deer, hoping to avoid a possible heart attack—or the risk of the deer boy’s chastity being threatened—but Deer seemed to have already made up his mind.

‘As expected of a high-ranking noble. He goes all-in without hesitation…’

Eventually, Rita gave up and sighed.

Fine then, flower deer, do whatever you want. I’ll just… try really, really hard to suppress my dangerous impulses.

“Actually, that house isn’t mine. It’s Margaret’s. Since we’re already out here, let’s go ask her! But if Margaret says no, there’s nothing I can do.”

With that firm resolve, Rita led the quietly standing Deer toward Margaret’s bakery.

But this wasn’t without a plan.

If she knew Margaret, she would absolutely refuse Deer’s suggestion. Margaret wasn’t a fan of Deer—at least, not as much as Rita was.

Meaning, she wouldn’t crumble under Deer’s beauty!

If Margaret rejected him, Deer would have no choice but to back down. Crisis solved.

And instead of anything dangerous happening, they could just eat Margaret’s amazing croissants and go home.

But the moment Rita reached the bakery, her optimistic plan crumbled into dust.

“Aigoo, Rita!”

The neighbor, who’d been pacing helplessly in front of the bakery, called out in a distressed voice the moment she saw Rita.

Hearing her name, Margaret also turned toward Rita.

Her cheek was swollen, as if she’d been struck, but she attempted a calm, composed smile.

“You’re here, Rita? I’m sorry. As you can see, the shop is a mess, so I have nothing to give you today.”

The bakery was in ruins.

Furniture broken, overturned, unusable.
All the bread Margaret had lovingly baked this morning lay scattered on the dirty floor.

Covered in dirt, some clearly stepped on—footprints pressed into them. Margaret was quietly picking them up one by one.

Rita froze in place, staring blankly at the scene.

Deer felt her hand slip from his, and glanced at her briefly.

“Who… did this?”

“Well, you see—Caleb did!”

“No need to say that in front of the kid!”

“She should know!”

Ignoring Margaret’s attempt to stop her, the neighbor recounted what had happened.

Caleb had marched in with his family’s thugs, demanding Margaret immediately pay all the overdue stall fees.

When Margaret said she didn’t have the money yet, they wrecked the shop and ruined the goods.

And the stall fee itself was absurdly overpriced—but what could anyone do?

Caleb’s family controlled most of the commercial district here. Anyone wanting to sell anything had no choice but to pay them.

“But then…”

The neighbor hesitated, glancing at Rita before continuing.

“He said… if she can’t pay, then she should hand over you, Rita…”

“—!”

Only then did Rita remember who Caleb was.

That aquatic creature she’d punched yesterday. The one who kept rambling about engagements, marriage, and nonsense.

He had mentioned his name. She’d erased it from her memory because it wasn’t important.

“That pathetic bastard…”

Since he couldn’t get to Rita, he targeted her guardian—Margaret.

Being the rich brat he was, he had probably used good medicine and recovered quickly from the beating she gave him.

‘Should’ve hit him harder.’

Even after getting beaten like that, he still hadn’t learned not to mess with a crazy woman? Is his head just decoration? Fine then—she could crack it open next time.

Grinding her teeth lightly, Rita sighed and joined Margaret in picking up the bread.

“…I’m sorry, Margaret.”

The people of Igraine were all warm and kind, but Margaret was especially so—both to Rita, and to the original ‘Rita’.

To the original, Margaret had been the one who took in a war orphan and raised her.
To Rita, in this new world, she was the first person to give her a warm meal.

Even if that kindness wasn’t meant for her.

And perhaps, it was thanks to Margaret that she had been able to adapt so quickly.

Both Deer and Rita were the type who couldn’t bear to leave a debt unpaid.

Rita silently vowed that she would repay Margaret’s kindness somehow.

“You have nothing to apologize for. Shouldn’t you be heading back now?”

Margaret smiled gently.

She was right—Deer and Rita had only been allowed out with the physician’s permission. They needed to return soon.

Even if Deer healed quickly, he was still a patient. And Rita’s face was still a disaster.

Originally, they’d planned to just send word to the duke’s household and return immediately.

But seeing Margaret like this—how could Rita just walk away?

“I’ll help a little and then go back to finish my treatment.”

“All right. You still look like you’re in a lot of pain.”

“…It’s much better now.”

Her forced brightness only made Rita’s chest ache more.

She quietly righted the overturned furniture.

Watching her, Deer also began helping clean the shop.

***

“ What will you do?”
Deer asked as they walked back toward the clinic.

Rita, still troubled, answered after some thought.

“Meet that Kale or Basil or whatever his name is, and settle this.”

Deer looked at her swollen, bruised face and asked,

“Using your fists?”

“…No.”

She knew well that fists wouldn’t solve this.
Even if she broke his skull today, what would stop him from coming after Margaret again later? She couldn’t just turn him into a vegetable.

Even if fists were closer than the law, fists had limits.

“He wants me, so… I’ll meet him and maybe… convince him by saying I’ll marry him…”

Deer let out a soft laugh.

“You really are…”

“Really what?”

“…fearless.”

Rita might think Caleb was easy to handle—but she was a woman, and he was a man.

He could overpower her before she even tried to “convince” him.
He could knock her out or restrain her the moment she stepped into his place.

Even without that, men and women had differences in strength.

Honestly, if he wanted to lecture her, he should’ve started when she was fist-fighting him yesterday. Deer had never seen a woman who fought like that.

“People who use money and power to crush others must be crushed by greater money and greater power.”

He spoke calmly.

Oddly mild words coming from a man who, in the novel, would burn down the world for the throne and the heroine.

But… he wasn’t wrong.

Oppressors who relied on wealth and authority always bowed before someone with more.

The problem was…

“I don’t have anything.”

Rita mumbled.

She had nothing.
A commoner, no powerful connections, unemployed.
Even if she began earning money now, it would be far too late for Margaret.

‘Why did I reincarnate as a broke commoner? Other transmigration heroines become princesses or noble ladies. Why am I penniless with no abilities?!’

Pouting in frustration, Rita missed the glance Deer gave her before he spoke.

“…I’m a duke, you know.”

Yes—the Duke of Melinger.

His duchy governed the entire southern region of the empire. One of the empire’s two main pillars.

Unmatched wealth. Absolute authority.

And they were currently inside his territory.

He was the lord of every city here. Everything was effectively his.

‘I thought he wouldn’t want to get involved in something like this…’

That was why she hadn’t asked.

She thought he would consider it beneath him.

Even if this world didn’t discriminate strongly by class, surely a duke would have some sense of superiority.

‘I really thought he’d brush it off.’

But the look in Deer’s eyes was earnest. He meant every word.

Rita didn’t know why he was willing to go this far, but…

“Will you help me?”

…If he was offering, she had zero intention of refusing!
With a duke behind her, she could grind that Basil-Kale-Whatever sea cucumber into dust!

Deer nodded without hesitation.

“ If you want it.”

“…Why?”

“ I told you. I will not forget your noble act.”

‘Noble…’

The word still made her shiver with secondhand embarrassment, but he was a knight—she’d tolerate it.

‘Fine. This is his way of repaying me for saving his life.’

That was perfectly acceptable.

“Please help me, Your Grace!”

Like someone challenging him to a duel, Rita declared boldly.
Deer nodded again—and even reached out to gently pat her head.

“…”

“…”

It seemed unconscious—Deer paused faintly.

Then, with a ‘why not?’ kind of expression, he shamelessly patted her head again.

Her hair wasn’t well cared for. Definitely not the silky type one would want to pet.

Yet Deer kept patting.

Feeling a little embarrassed, Rita cleared her throat.

“What should I do, then?”

“You…”

Deer withdrew his hand and looked at her.
Specifically—at the cracked wound near her lips.

“ First… don’t get hurt.”

“…Huh?”

Rita stared at him, bewildered.