Chapter 50
“Children shouldn’t say things like that. Besides, we elderly people living alone have been feeling lonely, so it worked out well. Stay here with us.”
Thanks to the kind elderly couple, Laszlo felt relieved and immediately headed to the mercenary guild. He recalled overhearing a conversation between his father and his friend when he was younger.
“They say that ordinary boys start carrying out missions for the Mercenary Guild as early as ten years old. But it seems my son here is still unable to pull himself away from the threads of his mother’s apron, ha.”
Without knowing what an important boy in the guild had actually done, Laszlo walked over and demanded to become one.
The rough-looking men stared at him, as if ready to devour him. But Laszlo did not back down.
He instinctively knew that retreating would only lead to worse results.
“You have some courage, boy. Well, let’s give you a chance. What’s your name?”
“…Laszlo. It’s Lazlo.”
He gave them the name of the hero from a storybook that his nanny used to read to him when he was little.
From that day on, Lazlo became a errand boy for a small mercenary guild, delivering messages and transporting mysterious items.
The following year, he began accompanying mercenaries on long journeys, sharing meals, carrying their equipment, and performing other unusual tasks. He even kept watch during suspicious missions or followed people for surveillance.
Naturally, it wasn't long before he picked up the sword himself.
First, he needed to protect himself. Then he aimed to become a full-fledged mercenary to earn better money.
Lost in these memories, Laszlo remained silent until Linnea asked him again, pushing him persistently.
"How did you live? Huh?"
"How? I survived somehow."
“Don’t be vague! I barely remember the old lady with the meat pies when we stayed at her house.”
“They were good people. If they had lived a little longer, I could have rewarded them appropriately.”
The elderly couple who took them in died sooner than expected. The grandfather died when Laszlo was fifteen, and the grandmother followed him three years later, when he was eighteen.
Although life had improved somewhat thanks to the money Laszlo had earned, he always regretted not being able to do more for them.
“There was only one window, and the house was so small that it got dark very quickly at sunset. But we were happy there.”
Although they were not related by blood, the elderly couple cared for Laszlo and Linnea with love. It was this love that prevented Laszlo from becoming completely cynical.
“If they hadn’t taken care of you, it would have been difficult for me to go out and work. They saved us.”
“Yes, I know. But honestly, as long as you were with me, I didn’t care about anything else.”
Thinking about the unforgettable taste of meat pies, Linnea finished the pie she was holding.
“Ah, that was delicious. So what should we eat next? There’s a place on the other side of the bridge that sells grilled chicken skewers. Do you want to go there?”
While crossing the noisy bridge filled with portrait painters and passersby, Laszlo suddenly stopped.
'Hmm? I feel like I just heard a voice that sounds exactly like Idil's...?'
Although it seemed impossible, he couldn't help but look around.
Instead of Idell's voice, a sharp, jarring female voice reached his ears. He followed the curious glances of passersby and quickly found the source.
As if drawn by an unseen force, Laszlo walked towards the commotion. Then he made a definitive remark.
“So, the famous Idyll Canyon was not only sold as a second wife to an old man, but also turned into a mercenary’s mistress?”
The words struck a sensitive chord for reasons he did not understand, and he found himself responding without thinking.
“I didn’t know I had a mistress.”
The woman's face turned pale with shock, but Laszlo's eyes were only looking at Edel.
She looked visibly agitated, and when Laszlo noticed that Daisy was holding onto Edel's sleeve tightly, he quickly understood the situation.
'Ah, right. They said they're going out today. It's their first outing since they came to our place. I can't let them get involved in something like that.'
Although part of him wanted to turn the boisterous woman’s family and relationships upside down, he backed down for the sake of Idil, to preserve her peace.
Using the public's curiosity as a pretext, he suggested they all visit a private portrait painting studio.
It turned out to be a good decision. He enjoyed taking a selfie with the ever-wonderful Linnea, and it was a pleasure to see Marco – a quiet but loyal man – taken in the same frame as his daughter.
When it was Edel's turn to stand up again, supposedly to send a picture to Barbara, Laszlo found himself fascinated by her.
Her smile was like the glow of the evening sun on a clear day – radiant and captivating.
"It's over! Oh, who should I give this picture to?"
"Give it to me."
When Laszlo received the completed photograph, he was delighted by how lifelike it was, and almost identical to the real Edel.
"Thank you again, sir."
“Ah… well, there’s no need to thank me multiple times. After all, it might even be for my own good.”
Although Laszlo said this, feeling a little guilty, Idel responded with a gentle smile.
After returning to the palace, Laszlo put the picture in his desk drawer, and often pulled it out to look at it while sighing.
“I should send it to Mrs. Celestine, but it would be strange to do so now… I think I’ll keep it for the time being.”
It seemed like a perfectly reasonable excuse to him.
**
As Linnea's personal maid, Edel had a lot to do, none of which was unexpected, but still presented a challenge.
For the first five days, Linnea was shown what was appropriate and what was not, as well as items that were inappropriate for a young lady from the Count's household.
The next five days were spent sorting Linnea’s possessions into three categories: “to keep,” “to sell,” and “to dispose of.”
Once the clutter was cleared away, Linnea's wardrobe and jewelry box looked remarkably empty.
Thus, an unavoidable task loomed on the horizon.
“Now that we have emptied everything, it is time to fill it again.”
Linnea announced this with unusual seriousness, then smiled at Idil as if to say that she trusted her.
That afternoon, employees from a tailor shop visited the palace.
“Grateful to meet you. I’m Dora, a tailor from the Dynamis boutique.”
Linnea summoned a seamstress from one of the workshops recommended by Idil, and it was fortunate that her choice fell on .
“I would like to order a picnic outfit, a picnic dress, and an evening dress, one of each.”
“Great! Please browse our catalog and choose a design. Once you have done that, I will take your measurements right away.”
When Dora heard that Linnea wanted three outfits at once, she couldn't hide her excitement. But faced with the multiple catalogs that were handed to her, Linnea seemed confused.
After Idel sensed this, she gently placed her hand on Linnea's shoulder and whispered.
"Do you want me to help you?"
“Ah! Yes, please! What should we choose first?”
"It doesn't really matter, but how about starting to wear picnic clothes?"
"Okay, let's do that."
Linnea began browsing the catalog of casual dresses. She was surprised to see designs completely different from those suggested by Marsha's favorite tailor.
“You already have two light-colored dresses, so I advise you to choose a more subdued color to achieve balance.”
“Hmm, yes, that makes sense. What about this green one? I think it looks nice. What do you think?”
Linnea pointed to a simple green dress, and Dora smiled awkwardly before going inside.
“Alternatively, how about this white muslin dress? Muslin is perfect for summer! We have a limited stock of premium muslin, and I think it will suit you beautifully. In fact, some of our customers have had their eyes on it, but I think it’s perfect for you.”
Her words were phrased as if she were offering a rare privilege, and Linnea seemed half-convinced.
However, Linnea already owned a white muslin dress. Moreover, muslin was beginning to lose popularity, and adding another similar dress wouldn't offer much variety to her wardrobe.
"She's obviously trying to offload excess stock," thought Idell, seeing Dora's intentions firsthand.
It's likely that Dora heard rumors about Linnea before she came here—that she was a commoner, unfamiliar with aristocratic fashion trends, and unable to distinguish between high-quality and low-quality materials. Even this was probably a charitable summary.
Idell shook her head skillfully, attracting Linnea's attention.
“You already have a white muslin dress. In my opinion, the green color you chose looks much better. It will complement your turquoise eyes beautifully.”
Dora quickly intervened again, trying to steer Linnea away from the simpler option.
“Of course, the green dress would look good. But don’t you think it’s a little too simple? If you don’t like muslin, how about this design? It’s one of our newest additions this season.”
The dress Dora referred to was extremely daring. Although nautical-inspired patterns were in vogue, this dress took the theme to the extreme with dark blue horizontal stripes and a sailor collar.
But Idell realized that it would only suit a limited number of occasions and would soon become known as “that dress”.
And it would probably be very expensive, thought Idell, anger boiling inside her.
It was clear that Dora intended to exploit Linnea's naivety to make a big profit.