CHAPTER 58…………………………………
“These days, hair is considered a standard of beauty, right?”
“Is that so?”
Irenes turned her gaze back toward the stall.
This time, unlike the other items, a comb in a transparent case caught her eye.
“What’s with that comb?”
“It’s better not to look at it for too long.”
The shopkeeper replied with an awkward smile.
“It seems poorly made… or maybe it’s under a strange curse.”
“A curse…?”
“Anyone who uses the comb ends up trying to hang themselves with their own hair.”
Irenes hastily put the comb down. She couldn’t understand why such an item would be displayed at a stall.
Unfortunately, her question was answered by the shopkeeper’s continued explanation.
“Actually, I left it here today too, but for some reason, it ended up back on display.”
“Huh?”
“Sometimes, things like this happen—it follows you.”
“……”
“How much is this?”
A voice from the side came—it was Laseil. She seemed interested in a hairpin with a crescent-shaped silver ornament.
‘But that…’
The purple gem set at its center sparkled oddly. She had thought it was cubic, but it turned out to be a real gemstone.
“If you buy it with the comb, it’s one coin; separately, it’s two coins.”
The shopkeeper subtly nudged Irenes with his gaze as he spoke. Irenes, without a second thought, replied:
“I-I’ll take it!”
“Thank you, customer!”
The shopkeeper smiled brightly as he handed over the comb and the hairpin. The comb had a purple decoration as well, making it feel like a matching pair with the hairpin.
“It reminds me of Sir Sieren.”
“Huh?”
Irenes, who had been lost in thought, was startled by Laseil’s words.
“It’s silver and purple. Sorry if it makes you uncomfortable…”
“No, no! It’s an honor.”
And she succeeded in managing her expression as best she could. She never expected Laseil to bring this up first. Somehow, she felt like their relationship had made a tiny bit of progress. Of course, there was still a long way to go before a deeper connection could form.
‘I wonder if Sir Zaen would think the same.’
Irenes turned her head, lost in thought. This time, she saw Laseil staring fixedly in the opposite direction.
“Sir Zaen? Should we go that way?”
“Yes, sounds good.”
They headed toward a place with small food stalls. The smell of fried dishes, mini pancakes, and other foods filled the air deliciously.
“I always wanted to try it when I was little.”
Laseil immediately bought a cup of fried food and smiled.
“Ellut gave me a bite at the festival back then, and it was so good.”
She added that she had decided she would eat one whole serving herself once she became an adult.
“Does it taste the same as back then?”
“Not as good as back then.”
As soon as they moved a bit away from the stall, this conversation happened. Laseil also mentioned that perhaps it tasted better as a child because of nostalgia. Irenes, listening, suddenly thought:
‘She really likes this territory.’
The past stories before arriving at the duke’s mansion were a topic Laseil always seemed to avoid. Naturally, Irenes had no intention of asking about it either. Laseil had always shown subtle discomfort whenever it was mentioned. But now, Laseil’s face seemed to be reflecting fond memories.
‘Well, everyone here seems so kind.’
Though they had only stayed briefly, that much was clear. No matter where they went, the locals were always warm and friendly, especially toward children.
“Where should we go next?”
Laseil asked beside her. Following her gaze, it seemed she had already decided where to go.
“Um, it’d be nice if you guided me wherever you want to go. I don’t know the place well.”
So Irenes replied like that. She wanted Laseil to enjoy the festival exactly as she had wanted as a child. And indeed, she didn’t know much about the area. Because the festival went almost all night, they had been wandering around continuously.
“They said they sprinkled fairy dust. Could it be real?”
“It’s probably fake. Maybe they just ground up seashells.”
While wandering the festival, they had small talk the whole time—from the state of the goods to the origins of the festival. At one point, Irenes suddenly thought:
‘This is the first time I’ve seen Sir Zaen so relaxed.’
She had never seen this in the capital. Laseil was always in uniform, always performing duties as head of the ducal guard of the Resean Duchy. She knew that Laseil’s demeanor had loosened a bit since arriving in the territory, but…
‘This is the first time she’s looked like this today.’
She seemed relaxed in many ways. After wandering around for a while, the festival was nearly over. The sky turned purple as shops gradually began to close.
“When did Sir Sieren start growing his hair?”
Laseil’s unexpected question came just before the festival ended. They had been talking so much that their topics were running low. Or perhaps the comb had suddenly reminded her.
“I’ve been growing it since I was little. I don’t remember exactly when.”
Irenes smiled awkwardly. It was half a lie—she did forget the exact age, but the reason she started growing it was still vivid. She could still hear Laseil’s voice from back then clearly.
“…?”
It seemed Laseil didn’t remember, though she appeared to have some inkling.
“Don’t you remember? On the day we first met.”
Irenes hesitated before asking.
“When I first visited the duke’s mansion.”
“Perhaps back then…”
Immediately after she said that, Laseil’s expression changed subtly, like someone recalling a very old memory.
“When it was short?”
“Yes!”
Excited that Laseil remembered, her voice brightened more than intended. Irenes coughed lightly and fell into thought. This was over ten years ago, before they even properly knew each other’s names.
At the time, Irenes was still the only heir of the Sieren ducal family. Education for succession was ongoing, as well as social connections. Visiting the Resean Duchy, with which their family already had ties, was part of that.
“Do you know to be careful not to be rude?”
That was the only advice the Duke of Sieren gave her. Well, he did give one more piece of information:
“There’s a newly hired maid, the same age as the second child, so she spends time with her like a friend. The Duke of Resean raises her like a sister, so be careful not to be rude.”
In any case, the main point was to avoid being impolite. Any other cautions were things Irenes had long since heard from visiting other noble families.
“Uh… is it here?”
The problem started after entering the Resean mansion. Compared to other families, even compared to the Sieren household, the mansion was enormous. She knew it was one of the oldest families in the empire, but not this big.
“Where is it?”
It was natural for Irenes to get lost. No matter how far she walked, she only saw the garden full of trees. Statues dotted the garden here and there, giving off a slightly eerie atmosphere.
‘What if I can’t find my way back?’
Panicked, Irenes quickly looked around. Everything looked unchanged. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but the sky seemed a little darker.
‘Could the sun be setting?’
Even though she knew there was still plenty of time before sunset, she couldn’t shake the thought.
‘Did I go the wrong way?’
Irenes immediately turned to look the other direction. Her anxiety increased since she had gotten separated from the servant.
“Ugh…”
A groan slipped out without her realizing it. Irenes kept spinning in place, unable to go anywhere.
“Who’s there?”
A sudden voice came from beside her. Already frightened, this was enough to terrify Irenes further.
“A g-ghost…”
She murmured softly in shock as she sank to the ground. Fortunately, she soon realized who the voice belonged to.
