Translator: Nox

Chapter 9

The innkeeper waited until she saw Seo-ah disappear inside the mansion before turning back to the coachman. The moment she faced him, the kindhearted innkeeper evaporated, replaced by a cold-eyed brothel madam.

“Where is she from?”

“I don’t know exactly, but she’s definitely not from Norfolk.”

“You’re sure?”

As she lit a cigarette and asked sharply, the coachman quickly added an explanation.

“If she’s from Norfolk, she must have been holed up in some backwater village her whole life. She doesn’t know the first thing about the world. She’s constantly on edge, and she’s awkward even at counting money. I mean, can you believe she paid a hundred thousand Kerete for a carriage ride?”

“…….”

“And just look at her face. It’s on a different level. Besides, if she were from Norfolk, how could she not know the pleasure districts of Pelfe? She walked right in, fully believing this place was an inn.”

“…….”

When the madam remained silent, only puffing on her cigarette, the coachman grew impatient.

“Hey, she’s good, isn’t she! Honestly, she’s more than good—she’s better than Anna from Amang Rose. You don’t even have to strip her to see it. Dress her up like a fairy, and men will be falling over themselves with bloodshot eyes just to get a taste of her. You can name your price. If we play this right, she might even take down Katrin.”

“Keep your voice down.”

“Let’s not act like amateurs. You led her in with a sweet smile, didn’t you?”

“I said, lower your voice. So, what about her companions?”

“I first saw her at Fallsman International Port. She was alone from the start, dressed exactly like that. By sheer luck, she boarded the train to Pelfe. I followed her on and kept a close watch, but she definitely had no one with her.”

“Then why was she dressed like that? She’s not mentally unstable or anything, is she?”

“We watched her closely at first just in case, but she didn’t seem crazy. It looked more like those were literally the only clothes she owned.”

“The only clothes she has? …Well, the poorer, the better. But what do you think she’s doing in Pelfe? You followed her.”

The coachman hesitated, about to mention that the woman had gone to Pelfe Bank.

Pelfe Bank.

A place where most people couldn’t even open an account, let alone a vault.

However, it was highly unlikely that a woman who knew nothing of the world and was dressed so shabbily would have an account or a vault there. Since she was so clueless, she might have gone there looking for a job. Either way, the coachman decided to leave the bank out of it. He felt that bringing it up would only give the madam an excuse to lower his payment.

“Actually, I lost her for a bit at first. I found her again, but that’s why it got so late. It looked like she was looking for work.”

The madam smoked in silence, seemingly lost in thought. When she finally nodded and turned away, the coachman grinned and bowed deeply.

“Thank you very much!”

She didn’t bother responding as she strode toward the mansion. When a waiter brought over an ashtray, she crushed out her cigarette and spoke as if spitting out the words.

“Fifty million Kerete.”

“Yes, Madam.”

As she climbed the mansion stairs, she thought of the woman’s face—the woman she had just bought for fifty million.

A smile naturally formed on her lips. She agreed with the coachman; if dressed like a fairy, she could name any price. The moment she saw the mysterious woman who had appeared without warning, she had wanted to cheer.

She should show her off to Katrin, who had been bragging about being contacted by a real big shot.

Behind her, she heard the coachman’s snickering laughter.

“At least she’s got an eye for talent.”

The sounds of their laughter seeped into the perfume-laden air of the mansion before fading away.

---

Seo-ah followed the employee, glancing around the inn. The interior was just as beautiful as the exterior. Heavy curtains hung at every window, the lamps were shaped like flower petals, and every small ornament placed throughout was delicate. The carpets on the floor were as plush as those she had seen at Pelfe Bank, and the clothes of the people she occasionally passed were just as lavish as the innkeeper’s.

Faint laughter and the sound of music drifting from somewhere reached her ears.

Is a place like this really only a hundred thousand Kerete?

However, as she followed the employee up the stairs and through a narrowing corridor, the laughter grew distant and the air began to feel strangely chilly. The delicate decorations vanished, and just as they entered a plain space that contained only the bare essentials, the employee stopped.

“Is it here?”

At her cautious question, the employee nodded, unlocked the door with a key, and stepped into the dim room to light a lamp.

Seo-ah didn’t enter immediately, instead peeking inside. Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—it wasn’t overwhelmingly luxurious. Just as ships and trains had different classes of seating based on price, this place seemed to be the same.

“What are you doing, not going in?”

Just then, she heard a voice along with the sound of someone approaching. The innkeeper walked up with a kind smile. She stepped into the room ahead of Seo-ah and gave a small shiver.

“It’s getting chilly at night, maybe because autumn is coming. Turn the heat up a bit.”

“Yes, Madam.”

She gestured to Seo-ah from inside the room.

“I told you to come in.”

Entering the room, Seo-ah saw a small, square space.

There was a standing coat rack, a small bed just big enough for one person, a vanity, a mirror, and a tall brazier installed in the corner.

As she looked around, the innkeeper opened a small door and pointed inside.

“It’s a bit small, but you can wash up here.”

Then, she suddenly turned to Seo-ah and frowned.

“Oh, take that coat off. It’s chilly at night, but it’s not coat weather yet. Don’t you have anything else to wear?”

“…….”

“Well, come on. It makes me feel hot just looking at you.”

“I’ll do it.”

At the impatient urging, as if the woman intended to undress her herself, Seo-ah turned her back and took off the coat. As she hung it on the rack, the madam passed by her and asked.

“Have you eaten?”

“…….”

“Since you’re not answering, I guess you haven’t. I’ll leave some food outside the door, so wash up and eat.”

“…Yes. Thank you.”

The innkeeper replied, “Don’t mention it,” and led the employee out of the room.

Click.

Seo-ah stood still for a few seconds after the door closed. First, she locked the door and made sure to slide the bolt into place. After checking the lock on the window and closing the curtains tightly, she examined the room once more. She checked the bathroom as well, but there seemed to be nothing unusual.

The only unique thing was the heating unit in the corner; she had no idea how it worked. However, given the faint warmth radiating from it, it seemed to be connected to the outside of the room.

Being ignorant of the world meant she had no idea what she should be suspicious of.

In the end, Seo-ah decided to stop her pointless worrying. Even if she left because she was suspicious, where would she go at this time of night?

She took off the stifling dress and the stockings. Then she hurried to the bathroom to wash. There was only cold water, but it felt refreshing. She changed into the dress she had been wearing as pajamas and was hanging up her washed underwear and stockings when she heard someone outside.

“I’m leaving your meal and pajamas here.”

Only after the footsteps faded did she unlock the door and crack it open. After peering out while keeping the bolt partially engaged and confirming nothing was amiss, she fully opened the door.

In front of the door sat a tray of food and a set of neatly folded white clothes. She brought them into the room and sat down; the scent of food was overwhelming even before she lifted the cover.

Underneath the cover was a bowl of steaming food.

Am I being overly suspicious?

She stirred the reddish meat soup with a spoon and took a tiny bite, almost as if just tasting it. It was only one bite, but she felt warmth spread from her head to her toes. Only then did she realize this was her first meal of the day.

She emptied the bowl of meat soup in an instant. Once she finished eating, a wave of drowsiness hit her. Because someone had been watching her, she hadn’t been able to sleep properly during the three-day train ride to Pelfe. The pajamas looked comfortable, but she didn’t even have the strength to change. All she could manage was to brush her teeth with heavy hands, tidy up the dishes, and push them to the side.

And just as she was about to lie down on the bed.

Knock, knock, knock.

“…….”

Someone knocked on the door.

She hadn’t sensed anyone approaching at all.