Chapter 5 - An Impolite Stranger

I had assumed it would be a simple outing, but my father seemed eager to buy everything I laid my eyes on.

This is rather uncomfortable.

Though shopping had become an unavoidable part of my new life, I didn't want to recklessly spend money without thoughtful consideration. I preferred to purchase things that truly appealed to my taste.

Is he testing my patience, I wonder?

All I wanted was to return home, but the reality was that I was the duke's daughter. Being dependent on my father meant I couldn't rebel against his will, as it would only lead to trouble.

It's my fault for not creating a means to be independent of him.

I sighed, and then something peculiar caught my eye – a bizarre porcelain rabbit that had appeared in front of my face.

Perhaps if I accidentally break it, I won't be scolded.

Reluctantly, I accepted the rabbit without any other option. My father looked at me with a peculiar expression.

"Let's go."

For some reason, his demeanor seemed more relaxed than before. If someone who knew him had witnessed this, they might have thought he had good news.

'I wonder if he's pleased to have annoyed me… or perhaps not.

I sighed, glancing at all the things he had bought. Maybe he used shopping as a way to relieve stress. I followed him in silence, careful not to worsen his mood.

Then, something else captured my attention—a person, this time.

She's carrying a sword.

In the empire, gender roles were strictly defined, making it rare to come across swordswomen. Consequently, she naturally stood out.

I know that the steady stream of swordswomen stopped after Sir Yulia, the first empress's captain of guards, went missing...

People around us started murmuring, but I couldn't help but hope to see more women wielding swords. Just then, my father also noticed the swordswoman and stopped in his tracks.

"Wait here for a minute."

He approached the woman who had caught everyone's attention.

Does he know her?

As they disappeared into the crowd, people's conversations shifted.

"Was that person Duke Floyen?"

Though they were whispering, their words were still audible. The unwelcome gazes from the crowd made me feel uncomfortable.

I just want to find a quiet place to rest…

I cautiously moved away from the crowd, but my movements did not go unnoticed by Geraldine, my escort knight and older cousin.

"Where do you think you're going, Jubelian?"

I frowned at Geraldine, who regarded me with suspicion, probably thinking I was planning mischief.

"There are many people here. Please show some respect, Sir Geraldine."

He sulked at my remark but quickly regained composure, embarrassed by his behavior.

"So, where are you going, Lady Jubelian?" he asked more respectfully this time.

"I want to buy something from that shop."

Geraldine's expression hardened when I carelessly pointed to a lonesome shop at the street's corner.

"Are you sure that's... where you want to go?"

His tone was strange, and when I turned to look at the shop, I immediately regretted my choice. The sign read "Growling Bear Armor Specialty Shop."

Oh, why did I point to a place like that?

As I was regretting my actions, Geraldine spoke sarcastically, "I will respect the lady's wishes."

Unable to change my decision now, I simply nodded and replied, "Thank you."

I entered the store with Geraldine, and the owner, who possessed the physique of a bear, greeted us.

"Welcome to... huh? An angel in our store?"

Even though the shop was mostly empty, his exaggerated praise still embarrassed me.

"Oh, I..."

"What do you need?"

I can't say I don't need anything if I'm here...

I glanced at Geraldine, but he was already engrossed in something else.

"Oh, I love this gauntlet!" he gushed.

He's here to protect me, but he's just shopping for himself.

"Price?"

Although he uttered only one word, his cold and aloof voice sent shivers down my spine. I discreetly looked to the side and noticed a man in a black cloak, his entire body concealed. His face, too, remained hidden under a hood.

He looks a bit suspicious...

"Ten silver coins, sir!"

In response to the owner's lively voice, the man searched through his pocket.

He's quite tall, and I can tell he's a handsome guy just by looking at his nose...

At that moment, his red eyes, barely visible under the hood, met mine. I quickly averted my gaze, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Perhaps I should apologize...

But before I could say anything, he spoke in a distasteful tone.

"What are you looking at?"

Wow, how rude.

It's true that I had stolen a glance at him first, displaying bad manners, but I didn't feel like apologizing to someone who spoke so impolitely to a stranger.

"Oh, um... I was looking at the same thing you're buying right now." As I answered, the shop owner stiffened.

"Miss, you want to... buy this?"

Wait a minute, is that armor polish?

Realizing what I was looking at, I tried to maintain a serious expression. Knights were usually associated with armor, but they didn't have to wear it unless they were going to war. In other words, armor polish was useless to me.

"Yes, I need it!" I declared loudly regardless. I didn't want to admit that I had been secretly glancing at the cloaked man.

"It's a shame that the decorative armors in my house have lost their luster," I expressed my disappointment to the shop owner.

He nodded, seemingly understanding my concern, but then he made an unexpected statement. "Of course, but one would not be enough to shine everything in a house." I tried to refuse his assumption, but it appeared that the owner didn't hear me as he continued speaking. "Wait here. I'll go through the warehouse to find more!"

I realized I had impulsively made a purchase I didn't actually need.

Here I am, buying useless armor polish... I can't criticize Father when I'm doing the same thing.

I sighed, acknowledging my own shortcomings. Nearby, a man placed a gold coin on the table to buy his polish. Normally, I would have ignored him if he had paid a smaller amount, but a gold coin was of significant value - enough to feed a commoner's family for two weeks.

"Hey, what about change?" I shouted after him, but he didn't respond. "Change!" I followed him and shouted even louder.

He should have heard me, and I began to wonder if he was deaf or had misunderstood the price from the owner. I felt a tinge of sympathy for him.

"Hey, can you hear me?" I inquired once more.

At that moment, the man stopped and turned to stare at me.

Okay, so he's not deaf.

Despite feeling embarrassed about causing a scene, I explained, "I think you heard the wrong thing from the owner. The amount you paid is ten times the price."

However, before I could clarify the situation, the man left the shop.

Is he just incredibly rich or something?

Geraldine, my escort knight, called for me, wanting to know what was going on.

"My lady, what's happening?"

"Um... this guy..."

I tried to explain, but the man in the hood took the opportunity to leave.

He must be really wealthy.

I frowned in embarrassment when the shop owner's voice echoed again.

"Hahaha, miss! It turns out that we have ten more of these."

"No, I don't need ten..."

I attempted to inform him that I didn't need that many, but the owner was insistent and wouldn't listen.

"One gold coin for all of these! Oh, you have already done the math!"

A single gold coin—the same amount the hooded man had paid before departing.

Despite my efforts to clarify the misunderstanding, the owner continued to make his own assumptions.

"By the way, did that guy take my stuff without paying?"

"No, you're mistaken..."

"That damned bastard!"

The owner started cursing at the man. My attempts to intervene were futile until he finally stopped to listen.

"That one gold coin was paid by him!" I finally burst out.

The owner became embarrassed. "Is that so? You should have told me earlier."

What? Is he blaming me now? I've been trying to tell him all this time!

Fed up with the situation, I decided never to set foot in that shop again.

* * *

A short-haired woman waited anxiously next to a parked carriage in a vacant lot.

Where is he?

When the man finally arrived, she sighed in relief.

"My Lord, I have informed Duke Floyen of your appointment."

"Good."

Though his voice retained its usual coldness, there was a hint of annoyance. The woman noticed and asked, "Did something happen?"

"Hey, can you hear me?"

The man's mind wandered back to the woman in the shop. She had shown no fear, even when facing a vicious dog that warned people to stay away with bared teeth. He had felt annoyed for a moment, but when he turned to meet her eyes, all animosity vanished. Recalling the recent encounter, the young man furrowed his brow.

"Nothing happened."

* * *

Ah, I'm so tired.

With frustration lingering, I left the shop. As I walked, I tried to come up with ways to recover from today's events.

"Where have you been, Jubelian?"

For some reason, my father wore a displeased expression. I promptly replied, "Oh, I bought something."

My father turned to Geraldine, who carried the purchased goods. "And what is that?"

"It's armor polish."

Geraldine's answer caused my father to glance at me with a slight frown. He then sighed and said, "Let's go."

I know I bought something unnecessary, but he can't really berate me, can he? If he has a conscience, that is.

I continued to follow my father for what seemed like hours. When a flight of stairs appeared before me, my composure threatened to crumble.

Ugh, stairs!

My feet throbbed from following him all day.

I just need to endure a little longer.

I tried to ignore the pain and instead imagined the bright future I would have after inheriting my father's wealth.

Wait, what's happening?

A tingling sensation in the back of my head and speckles of black dots in my eyesight alarmed me. My legs lost their strength as I attempted another step.

"Help!"

Thankfully, I didn't fall because I grabbed onto something in front of me.

Phew, I survived.

As my eyesight returned to normal, I looked up to see what I was holding and froze in fear.

"What are you doing?"

Although I was tired, I couldn't believe I had latched onto my father's arm.