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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: A Trip to the Market
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“This isn't just any old spot. It's an important… important… important… Ah! An important document!”
I almost got into big trouble because I couldn't think of the word.
As we were bickering, there was a knock at the door—a slightly urgent one.
“My lord, it's Leto.”
“Come in.”
Just as my uncle was warning me not to even think about stamping it, Leto entered.
He had a somewhat troubled look in his eyes.
“A visitor has arrived.”
“I have no appointments today. Send them away.”
My uncle waved his hand dismissively without a moment's hesitation.
“She says she's the daughter of the Green family. She's at the entrance, crying and begging to see you just once…”
“Why are you making me repeat myself?”
My uncle's voice turned icy.
“…My apologies. I'll send her away.”
“She's probably just sniveling in her carriage anyway. It's not like she's on the ground, wailing and throwing a fit. What a fuss over nothing. Just get rid of her.”
“Yes, I'll see to it at once.”
Leto bowed and left.
I went back to scooping up ice cream with my spoon.
The bottom was almost visible.
“Uncle.”
“What.”
“The market.”
“What?”
“The market.”
“…”
Hurry up.
I reached out from my seat and tugged on the hem of my uncle's clothes.
“I'm all done, so let's go to the flower shop. I want to get some for Grandfather and Ruspe, too.”
“Can't we go tomorrow?”
My uncle made it painfully obvious how annoyed he was.
He knows we're going to the imperial palace tomorrow!
“Mean uncle… tricky uncle… bad uncle… wicked uncle… ice cream piggy uncle… hippo uncle… lying uncle…”
I muttered, scraping my spoon against the bottom of the ice cream bowl again.
At that, my uncle surrendered. “Fine, fine. Let's go.”
I hopped down from the chair with a grin.
* * *
I stood still while Zenda got me ready to go out.
I held my arms out straight, and for the finishing touch, Zenda placed a gold plate necklace around my neck.
It was the gold necklace with my name on it that my uncle had put on me before.
Wait, why does it look bigger than last time?
“There, all done. Now I'll just check your ribbon one more time.”
“Zenda, do I have to wear this? I don't like the name tag.”
Zenda looked troubled.
“It's just a necklace, isn't it? Besides, you'll be in real trouble if you don't wear it. He said you must always wear it when you go out.”
“But when I wear this, everyone stares at me.”
“That's not because of the name tag, my lady. It's because you're so cute.”
“You just called it a name tag, too, Zenda.”
“Ah.”
Zenda gave a bashful smile, but it was too late.
At Zenda's earnest plea, I had no choice but to climb into the carriage, the gold plate clinking at my neck.
My uncle was dressed very casually in a shirt and black trousers.
But he looked really cool.
“You know, Uncle. If you made this name tag a little smaller…”
“Getting out?”
“N-No!”
My uncle is so mean. He's always threatening me.
Only after the carriage door closed did I relax and lean against Zenda.
We passed through the garden and were leaving the main gate when I saw another carriage at the entrance.
A woman was standing in front of it, waiting endlessly.
I could tell from her dress, but I couldn't really see her face.
But as our carriage emerged, she stepped out and blocked our path, seemingly without a care for the danger.
The carriage, not yet moving at full speed, came to a halt.
My eyes widened.
The woman ran to the side of the carriage.
“Marquis! It's me, Rosina Green. I came because I wanted to see you! I wish to apologize!”
Her voice was half-choked with tears.
Perhaps because the carriage was so high, all I could see was a black hat with a wide brim and a flower on it.
Huh, that voice?
I think I've heard it before, at the banquet.
My uncle yanked a cord, and the carriage moved to the side, its wheels beginning to roll again.
From outside, I heard someone shouting for her to move, and then a louder noise, as if she'd been caught by the gate guards.
“Uncle, that person keeps calling for you…”
My uncle, looking completely unfazed, didn't even glance at the window.
“Take this as a lesson. On how to dispose of trash.”
Not understanding what he meant, I looked at Zenda, who then covered my ears with both hands.
“Master. Forgive my presumption, but please use more refined language around the young lady. As long as you have entrusted her to my care, I will prevent anything that might harm her.”
Her hands muffled the sound, but I could still hear everything.
Zenda is so cool!
And I decided to store my uncle's personal demonstration of “how to dispose of trash” in my mind for now.
If someone blocks your carriage, ignore them.
I'll have to ask my uncle for the exact details later.
When Zenda lowered her hands from my ears, my uncle sighed that raising one little brat was this much work.
At the same time, the shout from outside, begging to meet him just once more, followed us.
The carriage left the woman behind and headed mercilessly toward the market.
But is it really okay to do this?
Since my uncle showed absolutely no interest, my own soon faded as well.
* * *
By the time the scene at the main gate had faded from my mind as I watched the scenery pass, the carriage had stopped in front of the carriage depot near the market entrance.
My uncle got out first, and as he lifted me down by my armpits, the market came into full view.
The delicious smell of food wafted into my nose.
“Wow, Uncle, look over there!”
I saw someone almost running, carrying a mountain of balloon-sized loaves of bread on a cart.
The bread on top wobbled as if it would fall at any moment, but somehow, it stayed put.
It was like watching a stunt.
“You said we were going to the flower shop.”
My uncle reminded me of my reason for coming to the market.
I nodded, then immediately turned my head to the side.
Wait a minute.
If we go to the flower shop now, we'll probably just buy flowers and go straight home, won't we?
My uncle would definitely do that.
He only took care of business at the banquet and left!
We didn't come out often, but my mom always went to the same flower shop.
And since we only ever bought flowers and went straight home, I know the exact way to the shop from here, but…!
I wanted to look around the market.
I didn't want to just buy flowers and go home like I did with Mom.
I'm seven years old now, so I wanted to see a bit more of the bigger world.
It's about time. Yep, yep.
To be honest, what I heard at the banquet—that my mom had raised me in hiding—was also weighing on my mind.
Why did Mom hide me?
I was never hiding.
I'm so curious, but if I ask, my uncle might remember what happened that day and get angry, so I should keep my mouth shut.
But that thought didn't last long.
“Stop scheming with that little brain of yours and lead the way. We're just buying flowers and leaving.”
My uncle said, looking at me sideways with a warning.
I, who had been huffing excitedly while planning where to go while pretending to head to the flower shop, could only deflate.
Maybe my uncle actually has the ability to read my mind.
How else could he block every single thing I think of?
“Un-cleee.”
“What.”
“The market…”
“What?”
“I've never looked around the market before…”
I couldn't think of a good way to persuade him. Oh no.
After struggling for a moment, I looked up at my uncle with a tearful expression.
My uncle's eyebrow twitched twice before he let out a deep sigh.
“Fine, fine. Let's go.”
My uncle's reluctant permission was granted.
Elated, I grabbed my uncle and stepped into the market.
* * *
He shouldn't have given in to those teary eyes.
He should have known when Aika's eyes suddenly started to sparkle.
Cassel swallowed a deep groan inwardly and touched his forehead.
“Hello!”
“Oh, hello there, little miss! To think I'd be greeted by a noble lady.”
“Good day, mister! Your hat is really cool!”
“Uh, huh? A good day to you, too! Your dress is quite dazzling!”
“Thank you!”
Because she had started greeting every merchant she made eye contact with.
If she got any friendlier, she looked ready to introduce herself.
And without any sense of danger, she was popping every little snack offered by the merchants she greeted into her mouth.
“Would you like to try one, little miss?”
With Cassel watching from behind, no one who valued their life would dare give her anything dangerous.
“Thank you! Wow, this is so delicious! I think it's the most delicious thing in the whole world!”
“My, what a sweet talker. You look just like a doll, must take after your father! Ack, th-that person is… Eek.”
The shopkeepers' faces turned pale as they belatedly noticed Aika's gold name plate.
