Chapter 20 - CHAPTER 20

"What is that?"

"It's one of the most popular bakeries in the capital. Some of the products there are famous for being hard to buy even before the store opens."

"Wow. . . . .Is it that delicious?"

"I don't know because I haven't tried it either, but on days when the ladies visit other houses, they always ask their servants to buy strawberry tarts from there."

It was very tempting, but I didn't know if I wanted to put my servants through the trouble. Just wanted to eat it. After all, we were supposed to be eating, not tea or cake. I took Anna to a restaurant with a nice outdoor terrace. the restaurant is located next to a park with lots of bright green leaves, so we were able to enjoy our food on the terrace in the fresh air. The food was expensive because it was a restaurant where nobles people came and went, but I was willing to pay for Anna, who followed me around without sign of annoyance or being bothered.

'I'm happy that I can buy and eat as much as I want without worrying about money.'

I could still remember packing my lunch boxes to save money in my previous life. I'd sit alone in the pantry and eating my lunch, and someone would open the window in annoyance, and someone would look at me as if I were a loser.

'Yeah, just having a lot of money makes me happy. i'd rather trust my money than expect something emotional from someone else.'

I tried to convince myself to be cheerful. But I couldn't help but feel bittersweet about it. If someone else can earn the favor of others so easily, why is it so hard for me? but it wasn't time to get frustrated. I shared a plate of bread and sea bass with cheese and ham with Anna, chatting about this and that, and playing dumb to get to the point.

"I heard that commoners don't have carriages at home? Then what do you ride when you go on a trip?"

"I rent a carriage, and I pay for a long-distance carriage."

"Then do you stay at the inn in the middle of the way?"

"Those who have money stay in inns, and those who don't have money stay homeless."

If i planned to run at night, I have to know in advance how to ride a long-distance carriage and how to stay at an inn.

"Wow, that's amazing. Where do you ride the long-distance carriage? I've never seen it before."

"I'm sure you are. Because long-distance carriages are completely different from noble carriages. Think of it as a wagon with a roof."

"Ugh. I don't think the ride will be very comfortable, right?"

"That's why everyone says they take motion sickness medicine. The place where long-distance carriages from the capital gather is near the south gate."

Okay. A long-distance carriage near the south gate of the capital. Prepare the medicine for motion sickness in advance.

"If you want to stay at an inn or something, do you send someone to make a reservation?"

"Usually, they just go into an inn they can see and stay if there is a room available, or if there's no room left, then you can't. Those who don't have money sometimes sleep in the stable."

"Sleeping in a stable? why? is the inn expensive?"

"The cheap ones are around 3,000 sena a night, but the expensive ones are up to 7,000 sena, so it's expensive for commoners."

The inn fee should be about 5,000 sena per night, right? I input completed in my head. I finished the conversation about the trip with a strange face like a young child who doesn't know anything about the world, although it's true. There were many questions I wanted to ask, but Anna is a servant of the Ludwig family. There's no way she won't post a related report on my outing today, and the longest tail gets stepped on.

"Don't you need anything else?"

"No. Today, I'm just here to dispose of some of the jewelry I took off on my clothes and open a safe. Thanks to Anna, I feel much better now. Thank you."

Anna's expression barely changed in response to my thanks, but I could tell she was still a little surprised that because we'd been together for months. I could only hope it was on the positive side.

* * *

'Once I started seriously thinking about 'run at night, I started to use the library to get information about how to survive in this world, since I've been only living in a mansion.'

Fortunately, the people in this house didn't seem to care what kind of books I read in the library. So even today, I have been stuck in the library since the morning, finding books with the content necessary for survival and reading them. So I'm sitting there for a while, trying to figure out how to distinguish between fresh and old soy beans, and Anna, who suddenly appeared, quietly calls out to me.

"Huh? Anna? What's the matter?"

"I will escort you to the Duchess's drawing room. miss."

"Why? The duchess looking for me?"

"Yes. The jeweler is here, and the lady asked me to bring you, too."

The part that she said 'the lady asked to bring me to' made me think that Lizzy maybe already been there. To be honest, I didn't want to see Lizzy or Killian yet, but the Duchess called, and I couldn't help but go. Besides, isn't it a 'jewelry'?

'Well. If you think about the day you're going to run away at night, you should rip it off in advance when you can.'

Emotions fade away one day. It's stupid to miss something important because you're buried the feelings that will disappear.

"Okay, let's go."

I left the book with the librarian and followed Anna into the duchess's drawing room. In the drawing room, not only did the Duchess and Lizzy were there, but Cliff and Killian were also there. They were already unfolding the products brought by the jeweler and choosing the ones that would suit Lizzy. . . . .I really didn't want to interrupt the cheerfulness atmosphere, but I smiled and pretended not to notice.

"Did you called, Mother."

"Ah, Edith! Come in."

Unlike the Duchess, who welcomed her warmly, Killian's gaze was still cold. No, did you look at me when I came. Compared to the wedding day, you didn't even turn your head. It's a great improvement.

"This is Mr. Felix Eppard, owner of the jewelry store , who has traded a business with our family for many years. it's been a while since they had any good stuff come it, so I've invited you to pick out something you like."

"Thank you."

The Duchess, Lizzy, and Cliff sat on the side of the sofa, and Mr. Felix(the jeweler) and Killian sat across from them. I had no choice but to sit next to Killian. After a moment of awkwardness, they started playing princess again, trying this and that on Lizzy.

"Don't you think this sapphire goes so well with Lizzy's eyes?"

"I see. what about this pearl necklace?"

"Oh, that looks good on her, too! The white pearl necklace i bought for her last time wasn't bad either, but I think it looks better with the cream color."

Lizzy kept waving her hands, and the Duchess and Cliff seemed excited. Killian hasn't been actively involved, maybe because of me. He only pointed with his fingertips at what seemed okay from time to time. Watching it reminded me of reading this episode in the original.

'Oh, this is it! the jeweler episode where Edith was humiliated!'

Even in the original work, the people of the duchy only cared about Lizzy. Unable to see the figure, Lizzy offers Edith a small necklace, but Edith coldly refused, asking where she offered something like that. And every time someone placed jewelry on Lizzy, she just spat out, "I'll want that, too," without even looking. The jeweler is puzzled and says, 'all the item here is only one piece each,' and Cliff buys all the jewelry there on the spot with a blank check. Leaving only one necklace that Lizzy recommended to Edith. Killian throws the necklace, saying, "There's nothing i can do because this is the only thing left." And Edith was so angry.

'I only thought it was exhilarating at the time, but now that I'm in Edith's position, I could understand why. It's must have been hurting her pride so much.'

Of course, Edith's attitude wasn't right, but maybe she had been hurt so badly that she had no choice but to make that attitude. Why would they bring her in the first place and treat her like a barley sack? I was dazed thinking about the original, but I wondered if it was embarrassing for people to recommend jewelry to me, and Lizzy pointed to a necklace and said.

"I think this necklace would look good on Edith!"

Even if I didn't mess around, the original episode progressed steadily. The necklace Lizzy pointed out was a thin gold necklace with a red gemstone in shape like a small drop of water.

'I wondered if Edith refused because Lizzy chose something strange, but it's pretty! As expected, did Edith hate it because it was just chosen by Lizzy?'

The necklace was smaller among the jewelry had on display by the jeweler, but honestly, from a modern point view, I'd rather have something like this than a couture accessory with a bunch of big gems.

"Oh, that's so pretty! This is. . . . .is it a ruby?"

I took a look because I only knew Ruby as a red gem, but luckily, it's was really a ruby.

"Both of you have a good eye. This is the highest rated Ruby. The gold band design and bezel setting were also done by our best craftsman."

There's no way I can figure out what's great, but it's pretty and expensive anyway. In fact, the vivid and transparent red rubies were pretty, so I started into it for a while.

"Why don't you try it on?"

"Yes, Edith. It may be different from what you see."

The jeweler and Lizzy recommended it. I smiled tremblingly and reached for the necklace. but there was someone who picked up the necklace before me.

"Killian. . . . .?"

He undid the clasp on the necklace. I wondered why he was doing this all of a sudden, but I noticed the Duchess watching from the other side with an excited face.