Ch#135
Meanwhile, Selina couldn't hide her surprised expression upon seeing the cart.
"So, you're buying all of these for Teleportation Circles?"
"Yeah! Since Selina's doing a friend sale."
"Even so, I didn't expect you'd buy this many......"
"Gasp, can't I buy a lot......?"
Selina shook her head.
"No, it's fine. Just in case, let me ask my parents. There's a Communication Orb on the second floor."
"Communication Orb?"
Veil interjected.
"You have a Communication Orb at home?"
Selina nodded.
Veil unconsciously looked up at the upstairs railing.
Calling them nouveau riche, her house was indeed plastered with all sorts of luxury items and expensive goods.
But to think they even had a Communication Orb.
In Talochioum, Communication Orbs were expensive and rare.
They even required a possession permit to use, making them hard to obtain for most.
"How'd they get the permit? I heard it's nearly impossible without connections to the Imperial Family."
"I don't know much either. They probably spent money on it."
Selina shrugged nonchalantly and continued.
"My parents have a lot of money. Anyway, this way."
As Selina started up to the second floor, Tie hurriedly followed.
Lucarion and Ppuppue climbed the stairs as if waiting for this.
Veil slowly surveyed the mansion's first floor while watching the children disappear up the stairs.
The cart placed in front of the stairs came into view.
At the same time, he felt peculiar gazes directed at him.
‘......Well, well. What an odd atmosphere.’
A crooked smile formed on Veil's lips.
Three in the kitchen, two in the basement.
One outside the entrance and presences in the back yard too.
Even though it was a house where the child lived alone without parents, there were over nine servants in total.
Yet to Veil's eyes, not a single one among them had a normal expression.
They all had rotten fish eyes, either looking at their master as if she were a nuisance.
He had already witnessed a spectacle upon entering.
‘What a hassle, suddenly wanting breakfast! She could've just eaten on her own.’
Recalling the woman who had brazenly spouted such words without regard for listening ears, even more interest surfaced on Veil's face.
"This is why kids need their parents around."
Veil murmured softly and approached the cart.
He lightly lifted and set down a sack of gold coins before heading up the stairs.
* * *
"Selina, who were those apron people from earlier?"
Tie asked upon arriving in the room with the Communication Orb.
Selina's eyes widened round, and for some reason, she avoided Tie's gaze.
"Th, those are the servants who work at the house."
"Servants?"
"People who do cleaning and cooking. I told you yesterday, right? My parents are often away on business trips, so I live alone."
Tie nodded.
Selina's parents ran several large merchant guilds.
So they were away from home more often than not.
But yesterday, when asked how she had been managing, Selina had answered listlessly.
‘Just staying home.’
‘Alone? Then how do you eat? Kids can't just eat fried eggs and ramen; you need a balanced diet......!’
‘I don't cook, so I'm not sure.’
‘Then?’
‘There are people at home who do it for me. They clean and take me to the tutorial hall every morning......’
But contrary to her words, Selina's expression had been incredibly dark.
She had been a happy squirrel during the corn-eating game.
Now she looked like a squirrel who had suddenly lost all her acorns.
Tie quietly watched Selina operate the Communication Orb, recalling yesterday.
Then Selina turned with a troubled face.
"It's taking time to turn on since it's been a while. We might have to wait a bit."
Tie waved her hand as if to say not to worry.
"Okay!"
And said to Lucarion sitting beside her.
"Kkamangi, let's wait a little!"
"......As long as it takes."
Selina, who had approached, sneakily glanced at Lucarion.
"By the way, who's this young master?"
"Young master?"
Tie's mouth fell open wide.
But soon a realization struck.
Young lady and young master both started with 'young.'
That meant young master must be a word like young lady!
Proud of her deduction, Tie replied.
"Yeah, Kkamangi young master is Tie's friend! Say hi!"
Selina shyly bowed her head slightly. Then she asked.
"But how come you're together with this young master so early in the morning?"
Tie giggled hehe.
"Yeah, we live together!"
"Wow, really?"
Curiosity lit up Selina's face.
The girl looked at her with sparkling eyes, as if surprised.
"I didn't know, but Tie's amazing. Already has a political marriage partner."
"Poli......?"
Tie looked at Lucarion quizzically.
But Lucarion didn't answer, merely furrowing his brow with a sullen expression.
Selina laughed.
"It's okay! I heard everyone on Rosewell Street does that. Betrothing from infancy."
"Betrothal......?"
Tie's face grew even more puzzled.
What was betrothal? Not konnyaku jelly.
Moreover, with Lucarion sighing beside her nonstop, she grew even more curious.
In the end, Tie stepped in.
"Tie doesn't know what betrothal is. But the reason we live together isn't betrothal; it's because Tie is a mercena......"
That was when.
Groooowl-
A massive rumble echoed through the room, and Selina's face turned bright red.
"That was......"
Groooowl-
Another similar sound followed.
This time from Tie's stomach.
Just then, Veil slowly appeared from outside the door.
"Shouldn't you two eat something? The Communication Orb will take a while to activate."
Selina, who had frozen, hurriedly nodded.
* * *
Tie, who had gone down to the dining room, sat at the table swinging her legs.
In the open kitchen, the people Selina called 'servants' were moving about.
"Why is this so dirty? Didn't you wash it?"
"H, we always wash in the morning! If I knew, I'd have done it last night. Suddenly coming with all this stuff and demanding food......"
Tie tilted her head.
They were supposed to be the people taking care of Selina.
But their voices didn't sound kind or gentle at all.
Meanwhile, Selina sat across from her with her head bowed again.
That was when.
"Noble, huh?"
"No, those commoners from next door."
The faint voices from the kitchen suddenly became crystal clear.
Turning her head, a transparent tube extended from Lucarion's fingertip toward the kitchen.
Riding the tube, the servants' conversation came through more vividly.
"Why's the tin can playing with kids like that? The baron couple would burst a vein if they knew; they sent her to the imperial tutorial hall......"
"Shh! What if they hear."
"They're commoners, so who cares if they hear. And they won't anyway."
"True? But did you see the cart? Loaded with money...... Maybe some noble bastard or something?"
"Dunno, who cares. Anyway, the Head Maid will take the gold coins later...... No. Talk later, let's serve this quick."
The kitchen grew busy.
Soon, two servants walked toward Tie and Selina.
Plates were slammed down in front of the two children.
Tie stared at her plate in shock, eyes widening.
‘This is......’
Charred black bacon.
Bread that looked moldy enough to believe it was.
Even butter slathered with someone else's remnants.
Veil glared sharply at the servants, but they just smirked and said.
"It's a bit shabby. We didn't prepare breakfast since we didn't know you'd come."
At that moment.
A wave of mana pulsed involuntarily from Tie's body—pop!
And.
"Anyway, the dumb miss eats whatever we serve sloppily, right? Gloomy and can't even tell her baron parents. What can she do if she doesn't eat what we give?"
The servant who had unwittingly blurted out her true feelings froze in place.
Then gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth.
