As we sat inside the carriage, Isabelle reached into her purse and handed me a cube.
"Here, I still can't figure out that puzzle." She said in her annoyed voice.
"I told you, you have to start with this part first," I said, pointing to the sides.
Belle watched as I rotated the cube, aligning the pieces. "Done," I said after a moment, handing it back with a grin.
"How do you come up with so many of these things?" Belle asked, looking at me with a puzzled expression.
"Reading books," I replied, trying to sound casual.
I couldn't tell her they were from my past life. Since I was still just a kid here, I'd been making puzzles like jigsaws, cube puzzles, and other Earthly items to help my boredom. Belle sometimes borrowed them.
"I prefer swords over books. Anyway, guess what—I heard Roswell's going to start training me next week!" she said excitedly.
"Really!? That's amazing. Can I join your training too?" I asked, my eyes widening in excitement.
She gave me a thoughtful look. "I don't know you still young. Maybe I should ask Father?"
"Please," I replied eagerly ignoring the fact that your just two years older than me. Having an instructor sounded great. I'd could finally get a chance to learn and practice combat techniques in this world.
...
When we arrived in Linberg, we stepped out of the carriage and immediately took in the vibrant energy of the city. Linberg lies in the southeastern part of Valeria, bordered by mountains to the north through west and the sea to the south. It relied heavily on fishing and sea trade, which under the influence and management of our family.
We entered a large building along with Sir Roswell, where my mother's order awaited. An employee greeted us.
"How are you, Lady Belle?" Then, turning to me, she added, "Good afternoon, Sir Lucian."
I nodded in her greetings as Belle responded warmly, "I'm fine, we're here to pick up Mother's order."
The employee checked her notebook. "Found it! I'll bring it out. This may take a few minutes—I apologize for the wait."
"That's alright," Belle replied.
While we waited, a girl with brown hair and bright yellow eyes appeared and greeted my sister.
"Hello, Belle! It's so good to see you!" she said with a cheerful smile.
"Mary! Nice to see you too," Belle replied, then grinned as she looked at me. "This is my little brother, Lucy. Isn't he cute?"
Ignoring her, I introduced myself, "Good to meet you, Lady Mary. You can call me Lucian."
"It's great to finally meet you, Lucian. Belle talks about you often," Mary replied.
"Really? I hope she hasn't been saying anything too bad," I said, glancing at Belle.
Mary laughed. "Not at all! You don't come to town often, so it's nice to finally see you."
"You're right. I'll try to visit more often in the future."
Belle interrupted, "Enough talking. Mary, want to go to Lana's Pastry while we wait?"
"Sure! They just got a new cake," Mary replied, eyes lit up.
"Really? I can't wait to try it," Belle said, and the two left, laughing as they headed to the bakery.
Mary Goldhart was the daughter of the owner of Hartstone Trading Company, one of the most influential businesses in Valeria.
"I'm going to check out some books," I told Sir Roswell.
"I'll come with you—" he started, but I interrupted, "It's fine; the bookstore is just across the road. Just keep an eye on my sister."
He hesitated before nodding. "Alright, but don't go too far."
...
I entered the bookstore and approached the man at the counter.
"Do you have a detailed map of Valeria and neighboring countries? Also, I'm looking for books on famous individuals, history, and similar topics." I handed him a list I'd prepared.
He looked at me, surprised. "You're quite young to be interested in these kinds of books."
I grinned. "I've got money, mister. That's all that matters, right?"
He chuckled. "Alright, young patron. Let me see what I can find." After a while, he returned with three books and two scrolls. As I paid and was about to leave, he called out, "Please come again, young patron!"
As I stepped outside and walked, I noticed a commotion in the corner of a dark alley. Three boys were harassing someone, so I walked over and called out, "Hey, could you stop that?"
One of the boys sneered at me. "Ha! Why would we—"
Before he could finish, I swung my bag at his face. He fell backward, landing on the ground as my bag tore open, scattering my books across the ground.
"You little brat!" the bleeding boy yelled, furious as he prepared to hit me.
"Stop, or I'll scream," I warned, pointing toward a nearby guard on the road.
The boy's friend held him back, eyeing me warily. "Let's go. He looks like he's from a noble family."
With a glare, the bleeding boy spat at the girl, "Lucky brat," before they retreated down the alley. I bent down to gather my scattered books.
"I didn't need your help," the skinny girl said, looking about my age as she helped me collect my things.
She's right; I can't beat them without getting hurt, and besides, they'd just mess with her later.
In my past life, I often saw beggars, the poor, and homeless people in the places where I grew up and in my line of work. Yet I rarely interacted with them or offered help for various reasons. Thinking to myself, I realize I just helped her out of curiosity. With my family name, talents, and skills, maybe I can change something, even if just a little. Silly me.
"These got dirty," I muttered, brushing off the books. "Here." I handed her some coins and a piece of paper.
"I can't—" she started, but I interrupted, "Just take it. You need it more than I do."
She looked at the paper, reading aloud, "Lu- LuLu's School?"
"It's a place where you can learn and get free meals every weekend," I explained.
After a pause, she looked up at me and said, "Thank you, sir. What's your name?"
"Lucian," I replied with a small smile.
...
As I walked up to the building, I spotted Belle waiting by the entrance and Sir Roswell behind.
"You're late! Where did you get that?" she exclaimed, eyeing the dirty books in my arms.
"Are you alright young lord." He ask
"Yeah I'm alright I just went to the bookstore. Then Something happened that why they got a bit messy," I replied, trying to brush it off.
Belle rolled her eyes but quickly brightened. "Well, we're done here, and I got a piece of cake for you!" She held out a small, wrapped package.
I grabbed the cake with a grin. "Thanks, Belle."
Just as we were about to leave, Mary appeared from the other room.
"You're leaving?" she asked, glancing at us with curiosity.
"Yeah, we got the order, also it's getting dark. We need to head back, or mother will be mad," Belle replied.
"I wish we had chat more today but i understand." Then she looked at me and said, "See you at your party, Lucian,"
"Yes, I'll see you then," I replied, returning her smile.
With that, we said our goodbyes and departed. The evening air cool against my skin as we made our way home.