Chapter 45
When I returned with a bright smile, Demian simply gave a slight smile and didn’t say much.
Fabian, having received his coin pouch back, immediately checked how many coins were left. My heart thumped nervously, hoping I had discreetly pocketed the right amount.
“I thought it would be expensive because the quality looked good, but it’s not as pricey as I expected.”
“That’s because the cover isn’t the original; it’s a newly added one,” I explained.
Fabian nodded at my words. Fortunately, it seemed we had passed without arousing any suspicion. We left the shop once again.
“It might be too early to visit the store directly. How about checking out a nearby tailor’s shop?”
The head maid hesitated and asked in an unsure voice. Considering we were in lands far from the capital, where the lord had disappeared, craftsmanship and clothing probably weren’t very developed. Even if it was a tailor’s shop, it probably wouldn’t be particularly luxurious. Still, Demian nodded.
“Chardena was originally famous for high-quality cashmere. Do they still produce it?”
“Though less than before, yes. They’re still trying to raise mountain goats, so the tradition hasn’t completely disappeared.”
“Then lead the way.”
Cashmere… I thought, feeling a twinge of desire. Winters in the imperial city were quite harsh, and I couldn’t help but feel tempted upon hearing that. Following the head maid, we walked along the street, which had grown crowded. To avoid bumping into others, we stayed close together.
A faint scent of soap came from Demian, which helped mask the smells of the street.
“Rose,”
I heard a whisper by my ear. I lifted my head. Being so close, it hurt my neck to meet his gaze. He wrapped one arm around my waist.
“May I take a look at that book?”
“Oh, of course.”
I handed him the book I had been holding carefully. But Demian didn’t take the book. Just as his fingers were about to touch the cover, he flinched.
“Ah.”
He let out a short, pained breath. Surprised, I looked at him, and he gave an awkward smile.
“It’s just a little shock from static electricity.”
“Wouldn’t it be fine if you touched it again?”
He shook his head with his eyes closed. His hair swayed lightly.
“It’s fine. I’ll look at it later.”
His hand moved away. I absentmindedly smoothed the book’s cover. The snow-white cover, made of leather, was very smooth and soft. The gold trim was firm and cold.
I rubbed the cover lightly, but no static electricity came to me.
The tailor’s shop was quaint, with a subtle, fresh floral scent indoors. Yet the interior felt outdated, stuck in the fashion of ten years ago: stuffy red velvet wallpaper and large golden pillars. All the staff were older.
Since they no longer took custom orders and only sold ready-made items, I purchased only a shawl and a pair of gloves. I had been curious about the dresses, but since both Demian and the head maid looked displeased at the mention of ready-made products, I had no choice.
‘Being the Crown Princess is inconvenient sometimes.’
I also gave a pair of gloves to everyone who came along: Fabian, the gatekeeper, the head maid, and Demian. Choosing Demian’s gloves was easy; they were made of deer leather on the outside, lined with cashmere inside.
“Until early last year, we used to accept custom orders…”
The head maid trailed off as we left the shop. I smiled lightly to cover it.
“It’s fine. I got good gloves, so it’s okay.”
Afterward, following Demian’s suggestion, we ate desserts topped with plenty of fruit and took a walk in a nearby park. The autumn breeze was crisp, and the tips of the leaves were slowly turning yellow.
But the park was also full of refugees. Despite the chilly weather, they all sat helplessly, and it looked pitiful. Seeing the rough cloths they covered themselves with, I remembered the cashmere gloves I had touched just a moment ago.
Once the Land of Death is purified, will they also have a place to return to?
Perhaps because I was staring too intently, Demian pulled me closer into his embrace.
We returned to Alain’s shop in the afternoon. The store was quiet as usual. Since the treasure hunters hadn’t visited yesterday, nothing inside had changed much. While Demian and I sat, Fabian helped Alain organize the inventory.
With nothing to do, we grew bored. The head maid and the gatekeeper also wandered about the counters. The gatekeeper picked up and put down various items, while the head maid suggested different ways to display them to Alain.
Perhaps from boredom—or fatigue from being up early and walking around—the tiredness caught up with me. Leaning slightly on the table, I asked Demian,
“Will the Baron come tomorrow?”
“He should.”
Demian answered softly. I nodded. As caretakers of the estate, it made sense to show our faces when the Crown Prince and Princess were visiting.
Of course, it would be better for us if they didn’t come, but it wasn’t something we could ignore. I watched as Alain eventually rearranged the merchandise according to the head maid’s suggestions.
I recalled how Mikhail had coveted my locket necklace. Focused on finding the book, I hadn’t looked at other things, so I stood up.
“Rose?”
“Now that I have the book, I want to see the other things too.”
I walked toward the display, and Demian followed. His gaze felt burdensome, but I didn’t show it since he would notice whatever I picked. Rings, statues, murals, reliefs on broken stones…
Yet nothing caught my eye like the locket necklace. I circled three times in frustration but returned to the table. It would be nice to find something I could use for trading instead of the locket. I sighed.
Demian didn’t seem impressed by anything either and remained silent. Seeing me so bored, he called Alain and the others. Alain hurried over and took out a stack of cards from the cabinet. They weren’t paper cards, but shiny, smooth, unusual ones.
“Are these artifacts too?”
“No, they’re crude replicas.”
Alain smiled as he spread the illustrated cards on the table. Though the pictures and patterns differed, they were basically playing cards. After playing various card games for a while, evening came quickly. After dinner, it would be time for the treasure hunters to arrive.
‘They should come today.’
As time passed, anxiety grew. Fabian seemed the same way, likely because he had suggested coming here in the first place. His gaze lingered on the door several times for no reason.
Then, thankfully, the door opened with the sound of the chime.
“Hey, how’s it going?”
A rough voice echoed through the quiet store, followed by noisy voices. It wasn’t just one person. When Demian glanced, a light sparked in his eyes. The smell of sweat and the street rushed into the shop.
“Ouch, my back!”
“Hey, someone go buy some brandy.”
A group of men and women barged in. They varied in height, but all were muscular. The first to enter was a bearded man, who grinned widely at Fabian.
“Well, well. Weren’t you supposed to be serving those nobles?”
Fabian turned pale and gestured for him to stop talking. But we had already seen the gesture. Demian laughed.
“Hahaha!”
His clear laughter immediately quieted the commotion. The bearded man looked at Demian.
“You brought him with you?”
“…Ha, yes.”
Fabian looked exasperated, then seemed to give up. His gaze remained fixed on Demian’s face.
“Hmm.”
He turned back to his group. Looking closely, I saw that three of them carried backpacks, which they set down on the shop floor with a heavy thud.
“Alain, check the merchandise first.”
A neat dismissal. I observed Demian’s expression. He didn’t look annoyed—rather, he seemed pleased. Alain hurried over to inspect the backpacks.
“Huh, this is all you have today?”
“We went deeper than usual, and this is all we got. That clumsy Harvey almost lost his head,” said the short man beside him, scratching his head with a laugh.
Alain sighed.
“Alright. I’ll check. Meanwhile, talk to the visitors. They’re important, so don’t act rudely.”
