"Today, Sophia's parents are coming back, and we want to welcome them even if it's just with a cake," I explained.
"Why didn't you say so from the beginning?"
Vladilena seemed oddly pleased for some reason hearing my explanation. Indeed, our actions seemed quite endearing, even to me who proposed it. But if she knew the underlying reason for this welcoming party, Vladilena might not think of us as innocent children who simply enjoy celebrating.
For me, this welcoming was like a prayer for them to return without any lack. Especially after learning that my own mother was a victim of a planned murder rather than a mere robbery. Added to that, Vladilena's father's overly cautious behavior, which in my opinion was excessive when directed towards those not directly involved in the party's political activities.
"So what?" I asked in return.
"Why do you think I bought so many cakes? Of course, my intention is the same!"
"Do you know that Sophia's parents are coming back?" Sophia asked.
Vladilena puffed out her chest. "Of course!"
"How did you ...?" Sophia suddenly turned to me. "Oh, not surprising."
"Don't accuse me like that! I didn't tell her anything at all," I retorted. "Sophia, do you forget who instructed the knights to guard your parents' carriage?"
"Duke Elrich..." Sophia exclaimed. "Oh, right! Lena's full name is Lena Elrich, isn't it?"
"Vladilena Elrich!" she stated her name outright.
"That's what I meant." Sophia smiled happily. "It turns out, it's nice to have a rich friend."
Upon hearing that, Vladilena turned to me with a furrowed brow. "You're a bad influence," she said.
She accused me as if I was the reason Sophia could talk like that. Being self-aware, I wouldn't deny it. It seemed like Sophia was imitating what I had said in the treehouse that day.
"Sophia is being honest," I countered. "That's not a bad influence."
Strangely, Vladilena's expression grew even more disdainful towards me. It was as if she was thinking, "I never expected someone's mindset to be like this," deep inside. Despite Sophia's words being meant as a compliment. After all, the praise was for Vladilena herself. She was a wealthy and royal girl even to her newly-acquainted friend. If she continued to be friendly like this, I was sure she would have many friends at the Academy.
Vladilena then said, "Sophia, maybe it's best if you reduce hanging out with Martha."
"Eh, why?"
"Lena is just jealous, Sophia," I said. "Not many girls are lucky enough to have a friend like me."
"Oh, really?" Sophia responded. She turned to Vladilena. "Although, when you think about it, there's hardly any advantage to being friends with Martha."
Hey!
"Martha is mischievous, selfish, a troublemaker, and eats a lot... even though she wants to be a lady," she added.
I'm not sure why eating a lot was mentioned, but somehow it felt like a natural thing to be said.
"A lady? Martha?" Vladilena suppressed a laugh. "I think those two words are impossible to put together."
How rude.
"Alright, let's stop there. So, how much for the cakes?" I asked.
"Oh, no need. Our goal is the same anyway." Vladilena went to the cashier. She placed both of her cake boxes on the counter. "These, and the ones that girl ate, how much in total?"
"Altogether, it's 662 urvel and 50 kovc."
Vladilena pulled out a wallet from her crossbody bag. It was a leather wallet with a stiff design that typically belonged to adults. For a fashionable girl like Vladilena, I almost couldn't believe that the wallet was hers. However, you can't judge someone's wallet just by their appearance, because the main value of a wallet lies in its contents. I could see several bills of five hundred and one thousand urvel notes.
After paying and receiving the change, Vladilena returned to us with a radiant smile. "Let's go, back home!"
Following Vladilena, we were led to the back of the store. There was Mr. Coachman and his horse-drawn carriage. He was a mustached man wearing a slender coat that reached his knees. He seemed to be chatting with one of the store employees, then immediately bowed respectfully to us as we approached.
"Are you finished with your shopping, Miss?"
"Yes." Vladilena glanced briefly at the Store Employee. "How about your matters?"
"We were just having a casual chat," Mr. Coachman replied. "Is Miss ready to depart now, or would you like to stop by another store?"
"No need. Let's head straight there."
"Alright."
It felt chilly. Despite Vladilena's friendly attitude towards us, there seemed to be a coldness in the air. Maybe she had an issue with Mr. Coachman? Well, it's better not to ask. After all, thanks to Vladilena, we didn't have to walk back home.
The horse-drawn carriage we used was a covered wagon with four wheels. Since there were no steps provided, we had to climb straight onto the door, which was about knee-high. The weight made the carriage lean toward the side where I was getting in. Once inside, the wagon swayed slightly.
Vladilena chuckled. "Fat."
I suppose being overweight isn't an issue for a child. However, I did seem heavier than both Sophia and Vladilena.
"Fat means healthy," I retorted.
"If it's farm animal, that might be true," Vladilena replied. "For humans, it usually means greedy."
Hey, that's rude for fat people!
When it was Sophia's turn to get in, the carriage didn't sway at all. Damn, how could I get offended by such a trivial thing?
"Well, Martha has been addicted to Swiss rolls lately. It's not strange if her weight has gone up," Sophia sat next to Vladilena, across from me. "Just to balance things out."
Are you saying my weight is the same as both of yours combined? It seems like their behavior towards me is getting cheekier day by day. Besides, this horse-drawn carriage has four wheels. It won't tilt even if the three of us sit on the same side.
The carriage jolted, and the scenery outside began to move. The distance between the cake shop and my house wasn't too far, and it's not a coincidence that both were located on the main road. Therefore, there won't be much to tell along the way, as it would be a short journey.
Or maybe not.
The horse-drawn carriage slowed down. More accurately, it came to a complete stop right at that moment. I peered out of the right window to figure out our location. It could be that the coachman took a wrong turn or forgot to turn. However, the road we were on was correct. There should be a bridge on the left ahead, and then we would turn there.
I looked out of the left window. On that bridge, there was another horse-drawn carriage accompanied by a group of knight cavalry. They were stationary, causing a traffic jam.
"Engine failure?"
"How can a horse-drawn carriage have engine failure?"
"You don't need to comment on Martha's remarks every time, Lena," Sophia retorted. "It's never-ending."
Vladilena and Sophia sat at the front facing the back of the carriage. To get a better view of what was happening on the bridge, Vladilena stood up and stuck her head out of the window.
"Hey, isn't that your parents' carriage procession, Sophia?"
Sophia jumped up from her seat and squeezed her way to the window. She disregarded Vladilena's protest of discomfort as her head bumped against the window frame. Sophia kept asking, "Where?" instead of looking for it herself.
I felt sorry for Vladilena. Just seeing her, I could sense her discomfort. So, I suggested that we get off the carriage and walk closer to the bridge. If we stayed as silent as the knightly procession over there, it meant we weren't making any effort to clear this traffic jam.
"Miss, please stay inside! It's dangerous!"
However, the coachman immediately gave a warning right before Vladilena asked to get off. What made him declare that it was dangerous made us curious. The three of us crowded around the left window to see what was happening.
The knightly cavalry dismounted their horses. The reason was clear – there was another armed group that had surrounded them on the narrow bridge.