Chapter 14
Grace returned the bottle she had emptied neatly to the merchant.
“Ever since the invention of gates, distribution has improved and food culture has developed. It’s really wonderful.”
“Exactly!”
Benjamin’s eyes sparkled as he nodded vigorously in response to Grace’s words. It was an unusually big reaction for him.
Grace stiffened in surprise—it was the first time she had ever seen Benjamin this excited. Noticing her reaction, Benjamin quickly composed himself.
“Ah—no. I’m sorry.”
The gate was also one of the businesses invested in by the Felton ducal house. It was a magical device—simply put, a teleportation apparatus.
Its history wasn’t very long, so gates weren’t installed everywhere across the Empire. Still, thanks to their invention, distribution had undeniably become easier, and trading fresh ingredients was now possible.
‘Opening a gate is expensive, so you have to transport goods in bulk each time, though.’
Even setting aside that drawback, the advantages far outweighed it.
Grace thought Benjamin would naturally like gates. If the Felton ducal house’s primary source of income was magic stones, then gates were their second-largest.
However, his answer was unexpected.
“Long ago, my dream was to become a gate installer…”
“……”
“But I couldn’t achieve it.”
That was only natural. By Earth standards, he would have been the majority shareholder of Gate Co., Ltd.
“I wanted to install gates everywhere in the world. Still, I’m very happy that I can support that work as a duke.”
As he said this, Benjamin began popping cake pops—who knew where he’d bought them—into Grace’s mouth one after another, urging her to try more.
Grace, who normally refused to eat anything offered to her, was eating everything today, which seemed to make him happy.
‘What are you planning to do by fattening me up?’
Is this to make sure I don’t get attached?
She tried to be suspicious, but the cake pop already in her mouth was far too delicious. Grace chewed and swallowed diligently.
“Aren’t you eating any, Benny?”
“Just watching my wife eat is enough to fill me.”
At Benjamin’s words, Grace narrowed her eyes again. Only then did Benjamin dump the remaining cake pops from the bag into his own mouth.
“……”
He chewed for quite a while with his mouth covered. After glancing around, he spoke.
“My lady, may I leave you alone for a moment?”
“Why?”
“I’ll go buy some drinks.”
As he said that, Benjamin pointed to another stall. There were a lot of people—it seemed difficult to take Grace along.
“Alright.”
Grace didn’t feel any particular need to stick close to him, so she nodded readily.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.”
“Really, just a moment.”
“Yes.”
“You may look around elsewhere, but be careful of strangers.”
“…Alright.”
“There are people who look polished on the outside and talk well, but are hollow inside—like empty cream puffs. Those kinds of people—”
“Go on already.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Benjamin obediently left to buy drinks. Watching the back of his head as he gradually moved farther away, Grace thought, *Aren’t you yourself exactly that polished-on-the-outside empty cream puff type?*
‘Hmm.’
Only then, left alone, Grace wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth and looked around.
‘What’s that place?’
While everyone else was happily enjoying the festival, one old building stood out as strangely deserted.
Usually, it was best not to approach run-down places, but for some reason it caught her eye.
“Hmm.”
Grace glanced toward the direction Benjamin had gone. She could still see the back of his head.
‘He said it was fine to look around elsewhere.’
He’d find her on his own. Reaching that conclusion, Grace trotted over.
Near the place no one was visiting, several children were sitting huddled together.
“…?”
Grace looked around, wondering if there were any adults. One child tugged at the hem of her cloak.
“Are you going to buy something?”
The child, who looked about four years old, sniffled and looked up at her.
“What are you selling?”
“Um… soap.”
Grace shifted her gaze to the “products” they were selling.
‘It’s not pretty at all.’
She crouched down in front of the stall, picked up a bar of soap, and brought it close to her nose.
‘The scent isn’t distinctive either…’
If at least a different fragrance had been added, it might have helped, but it had a completely ordinary smell, no color—just transparent—and an odd shape.
“……”
Grace rested her chin in her hand and stared at the stall.
‘Should I buy this?’
Out of pity?
After staring at the utterly unmarketable soap for a while, Grace asked the children,
“Where is your guardian?”
“The teacher.”
“Teacher?”
“Yes.”
At the word “teacher,” Grace became certain that the old building was an orphanage and that these children belonged to it.
‘Could that so-called teacher be making the children…?’
Just as Grace’s face turned pale from the dreadful thought, a young woman came running urgently from afar, carrying a large bag.
The children noticed her and lit up.
“Teacher!”
“Sorry, kids. The shop I usually go to was crowded today…”
The woman who seemed to be the teacher handed out bread that looked a day old, one piece to each child. When she noticed Grace, she flinched.
“A-are you a customer?”
“I guess she’s a customer.”
“She *is* a customer!”
The child still gripping Grace’s cloak insisted stubbornly. The orphanage teacher grasped the situation and let out a short sigh.
“I’m sorry.”
“Oh—no, it’s fine.”
She seemed to know that the soap she’d put out wasn’t something that would sell.
“Are you the manager of this orphanage?”
“Ah, no. I’m not the manager. I was originally just a teacher.”
“…?”
Grace looked puzzled by the vague answer, but she couldn’t press further. The woman didn’t seem inclined to explain more.
Grace glanced at the old building.
‘If it’s an orphanage, it should be receiving donations.’
Even if the donations weren’t large, it shouldn’t be so bad that the children had to sit here selling soap that wouldn’t sell.
‘Ah.’
After noticing the woman’s chapped fingertips, Grace instantly understood the situation.
Whether the orphanage director had run away or not aside, it was clear that the person had embezzled the orphanage’s funds. Meanwhile, the woman called “teacher” was scraping together whatever money she could and even working side jobs to take care of the children because she couldn’t abandon them.
‘A world where kind people lose out…’
Grace pondered.
Should she just buy all the soap right here?
Or should she donate to the orphanage in the name of the duchess?
‘No, that’s not it.’
That would be a shallow solution.
Buying the soap would only help for today, and donating in the duchess’s name was something Grace wouldn’t be able to continue once she divorced.
‘Either restore the donations—or find a way for them to be self-sufficient even without them…’
Grace’s gaze returned to the soap. The children looked up at her with sparkling eyes.
The woman fidgeted nervously and spoke.
“Ah—did the children bring you all the way here? I’m really sorry.”
“What’s your name?”
“Yes?”
“Ah, I’m Grace… Linden. It’s polite to give my name first.”
Grace had almost introduced herself as Grace Felton, but corrected herself to her maiden name, Linden.
“I-I’m Cleta Dunn.”
“Alright, Dunn.”
Cleta nodded blankly.
“Dunn, to be honest, I have plenty of soap at home, so I don’t really need to buy any.”
Cleta nodded with a gloomy expression.
“But festivals are the perfect time to buy useless things.”
“……”
Grace looked toward the plaza. It was still just a little past lunchtime.
‘There’s still plenty of time…’
It felt like some kind of sign telling her not to just walk away, but to help.
“My lady, here you are.”
Just as Grace was forming a plan in her head, Benjamin came trotting over with two drinks mixed with cordial.
“…My lady?”
“……”
He took in the situation at a glance, then examined Grace’s unusually serious expression.
Grace murmured,
“Just a moment…”
“Yes?”
“Would it be alright if I did something else for a bit?”
“……”
At the words “something else,” Benjamin stared at her blankly. Grace hurriedly added,
“I—I mean… I know. I know it’s a festival, and that you’re not really the type to do things like this, Benny…”
She had been confident in front of Cleta, but for some reason, in front of Benjamin, Grace grew endlessly small and timid.
Her voice gradually faded.
Cleta, who had been caught between the two and watching the situation, called out to her.
“Ms. Linden?”
Benjamin’s eyebrow twitched upward slightly as he realized Grace was being called “Linden.”
“…Linden?”
“Ah, this is my husband.”
When Grace introduced Benjamin as her husband to Cleta, his eyebrow immediately settled back into place.
In his usual gentle voice, he said,
“I can do anything, my lady, so it’s fine. Don’t worry about me.”
“…Wouldn’t it be better if you just enjoyed the festival on your own, Benny?”
“What’s enjoyable about being alone? If I help, it’ll end quickly. Just tell me what to do. We can finish fast and go back to enjoying the festival.”
Of course, if I can be of help.
Benjamin smiled softly and nodded.
