Dale led me to a huge flower garden on one side of the shopping street.
A place that sells weed to be precise.
“First of all, this amount of seeds is enough and the gardening supplies are enough as well.”
Because we have to save money.
With our hands full of gardening supplies, Dale and I headed to the next store.
It was an underground bank disguised as a store.
“I kept it in the name of Anne Hart.”
I have recovered items that I deposited under an alias.
I sold some of it and turned it into money, and put the rest in my bag.
"jewelry."
Dale said looking at me.
“When did you see that?”
“I just saw them.”
Dale seemed more interested in me than I realized.
He's nice and friendly, but he doesn't change his facial expressions so I didn't think he would be interested.
“Do you like jewelry?”
“I was like that when I was in the duchy, but not now.”
The reason I collected the jewels in the Duke's house in the first place was to prepare for the future, and to raise money to escape from the Emperor.
“You like them though.”
“Because who doesn't love jewelry?”
I smiled a little at Dale's serious question.
He looked like he was seriously thinking about something.
“Do you want more jewelry?”
"certainly."
But it becomes a burden sometimes.
When I collected some jewelry, it became a burden when I moved around a lot.
So I spent a lot of money on a bag that could hold infinite space.
“Does Dale like jewelry too?”
From the way he looked sad, it seemed like jewelry was a shared interest between him and me.
I looked at the jewelry and raised one corner of my mouth.
* * *
Adeline welcomed me in luxurious clothes as if she were the owner of the palace.
“Thank you for coming to my tea party, Anne.”
“'It's a simple tea party.'”
"……What?"
Adeline's expression hardened.
I was watching the palace and forgot to care about Adeline's story.
What did she say?
Adeline stared at me annoyed.
“I'm sorry, I got my words mixed up.”
I smiled.
Because she can't doubt a smiling face.
“I can come anytime as long as Adeline asks.
I meant something like that.”
"Yes……."
“I did not know the etiquette that befits a nobleman, so I made a mistake.
I hope you understand.”
“Oh, well… something like that.
Of course, a commoner like Miss Anne wouldn’t be used to that.”
Adeline fiddled with her fan and made a puzzled expression.
She fiddled with it for a while, then smiled brightly and opened the door.
“Ouch.”
Bajjik!
At that time, the door hit a woman standing near the open door with great force.
Her hair was brown and she was wearing shabby black clothes.
"Are you well?"
I quickly walked over and helped her up.
She was a woman with a slim body and droopy eyes like a puppy's.
It's a face I haven't seen among the people who came to my house the last time.
“Ah, thank you.”
The woman trembled and could barely get up.
'She doesn't have an apron so she's not a maid but who is she?'
I understand that the lord has no money to hire a maid.
In a poor estate where there was no money to pay wages properly, having servants was a luxury.
“If it is Adeline Kydland, she lives in the mansion now, and there is still an exchange between the two properties.”
When I asked Dale that day, he said it had been a long time since Adeline had been at the palace.
'It seems that Adeline Kydland is getting some money from Lord Kydland in exchange for staying here.'
I quickly discovered why Adeline was so powerful in someone else's territory.
“Sofia, it's you again!”
“Oh, I'm sorry, sister.”
sister?
At that time, Adeline gripped the arm of the woman who was called Sophia tightly.
“Oh, sister...”
"Sofia!
What are you!"
Suddenly he met Adeline's eyes.
She released her grip in an instant, digging her nails into the girl's skin.
“Sophia, how can you make your sister worry like this!”
"……my sister?"
“I told you that you are weak and you shouldn't walk around like this, look how tired your eyes are.
There are a lot of guests from outside today, so you can't walk around freely, I'm really worried.”
Her voice was soft and affectionate.
Adeline cleaned Sophia's dress herself.
"You can go to your room, okay?
If you're bored, you can go to your sister's bedroom."
"truly?"
“This is crazy, of course not……!”
At that, Adeline looked around and made eye contact with me again.
“Don't be silly, Sofia, go put some medicine on your paws and get some rest.
Okay?”
“Thank you, sister……!”
Sophia bowed and disappeared.
'Sister?'
I tilted my head.
* * *
The tea party was led by Adeline as expected.
'Are you going to publicly ostracize me this time?'
The only difference was that the people sitting at the table were not the same neighbors as before, but rather wealthy women.
I was sitting to Adeline's right.
“Today is Adeline’s birthday, right?”
“Oh my God, how did you know and organize all this?
I told you not to do it.”
I took a sip of tea.
Although they didn't tell me, everyone at the table seemed to know that today's tea party was to celebrate Adeline's birthday.
The assembled guests appear to be either members of the neighboring nobility or maidens of the upper classes, most of whom were her followers, who were allied with Viscount Kydland.
Kydland was a wealthy estate, and was a distributor of only the highest quality metals produced there.
Adeline looked at me and smiled.
“I told you I didn't need anything because it's just a small banquet, but... they're all very pretty, aren't they, Anne?”
She touched me lightly and smiled.
“You brought me gifts this way, but it would be rude not to accept them, so I should accept them, right?”
“Of course, Adeline, please take a look at my gift first.”
Everyone rushed forward and handed her their gifts.
Most of it was jewelry.
But when Adeline saw the same thing one after another, she couldn't hide her bored expression.
“Thank you for everything, then.”
She finally looked at me as if she had been waiting.
“Did Anne bring me a present?”
“……”
“It's okay, Anne, if you didn't bring a gift.”
Adeline smiled sweetly.
“But no matter what, it’s Adeline’s birthday……”
“I agree.” “She was invited to the party as a favor from Adeline, but isn’t that very rude?”
The assembled crowd started laughing.
“I asked my father to bring me an expensive face cream that is only available in other kingdoms, please remember that!”
“Thank you, of course I'll remember that, Sally.”
“Aww thank you!”
“Adeline, you have such a good heart, how could you let that mean girl who stole your man……”
“Shh.”
Adeline frowned.
“It's rude of you to talk like that to Anne.”
Adeline looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
“I'm sorry, they're not usually like this, but they're my friends, so I guess I can't defend Anne.”
"I know."
I nodded and put the cake in my mouth.
It tasted good.
But Adeline's expression did not look satisfied.
“Haha, haha……Act as if you were at home, Miss Anne.”
I smiled gently.
That's when I stood up.
“Are you leaving already?
“I asked you to stay.”
"no."
Adeline furrowed her eyebrows together in momentary embarrassment.
“It is a misunderstanding that I did not prepare a gift for Adeline.”
She looked at the woman who shook Adeline fiercely like a dog wagging its tail.
Then I took out the box I had been hiding.
When I opened it, all eyes were on me.
I smiled at them.
“Of course I have a gift for you, Adeline.”
At the same time, Adeline's brow wrinkled like a leaf.
***
“And remember, for indeed remembrance benefits the believers.”
- Glory be to God
- Praise be to God
- There is no god but God
- God is great
- I ask God for forgiveness
- There is no power nor strength except in God
- Glory be to God and praise be to Him
- Glory be to God Almighty