“I’m thinking of going downtown tomorrow.”
A few days later, I carefully started the conversation at dinner. Bastian is sitting at the center and Leonhardt across from me looked at me at the same time. They both have curiosity in their eyes.
I continued talking while gently wiping my mouth with a napkin.
“I am actually set to go earlier, but I’m a little behind schedule.”
However, with Leonhardt’s appearance, I felt distraught, and I was busy studying moonstone and life stone in my own way.
Bastian nodded at my response.
“Come to think of it, you said you’d buy stuff for the annex yourself.”
“Yes.”
This time, Leonhardt, who is right across from me , laughed with his chin resting on one hand.
“Oh, so you want to come with me, our baby?”
“Huh?”
“If you have a lot to buy, you’ll have a lot of luggage, but I’ll do everything by magic. No, I can just teleport. While we’re at it, we stop by the candy store that you used to love, our baby.”
Leonhardt grinned and chirped.
Aside from anything else, just like the candy shops, it is clear that they still regard me as an 11-year-old kid.
Bastian laughed as he heard it.
“Candy store?”
“Is there any problem with that?”
“Well, you’ve been out of the house for 10 years, and your level of IQ has stopped there.”
He turned his head and looked at me. It was a honey-dropping look that turned cold.
“Amel, let’s go and look around together. If there’s a store you want, I’ll buy it for you.”
Ah so you intend to buy a store, not a mere product.
“I heard there’s a nice dessert place nearby, so you can take over it.”
“Or do you want me to buy a lot of downtown land and put your name on it?”
His hand that is on the table utensils were relax.
So, just by looking at it, he is rather sincere with what he said.
“Are you crazy? Do you think our baby would like that?”
“I am talking to Amel.”
Leonhardt let out a mocking laugh.
Bastian picked up the knife and cut the meat.
“Amel’s coming with me, so you stay at home. You can go back to the tower.”
“Who are you to say that? Huh?!”
“It’s up to me. This is my home.”
A vicious spirit sank again between my two brothers. I don’t feel good about this. Leonhardt, who changed his posture cruelly, is acting sarcastic.
“Why would our noble Duke have time to wander around? Don’t you have any work to do?”
“You may not know but I’m very competent, I can take care of both my work and my family.”
“What?”
“It means I’m different from anyone who’s been stuck in the tower for more than a decade, my dear brother.”
“Are you done talking?”
Boogsh! In no time, the plate that is right in front of the Bastian flew.
This time it wasn’t ice. It was filled with electricity.
In an instant, Bastian paused after losing the meal that was right in front of him. He warned in a lower voice.
“There’s a limit of me letting things aside, Leonhardt.”
“Would you like to test who will be taken care of.”
Yeah, well, I thought it would be a good evening. If they don’t fight even for a day, I’ll get a splinter in my mouth. Just fight for it, you crazy b*s*t*rds. Besides, in the first place, they both had great ideas.
“Umm, brothers?”
The two men who are growling verbally looked at me at the same time.
I shrugged with a gentle smile.
“I’m going alone.”
I’ll ask you guys to come with me sometime.
Both were hardened on the spot due to my refusal. As if they couldn’t believe they heard that.
“…going alone?”
“No, our baby. You know how dangerous the world is.”
Hmm, no. You just simply ignored the two most dangerous people and then hammered a wedge in them.
“You both are staying here at home.”
Watching the two men’s facial expressions collapse, I lifted the wine glass coyly.
“And Leon?”
“Hmm?”
“Get rid of the fallen dishes.”
How old are you? For you to throw a plate like that?
***
The annex has been hustling since morning.
“Miss, what kind of clothes do you want?”
“I’m going around for a long time, so light clothes it is, Lily.”
“I’ll put the organized items in my bag!”
“Thank you, Nicky.”
It is my first day out of the mansion.
I couldn’t sleep at all yesterday, but my face was full of life.
Vivian, who is fixing my hair, picked out her head.
“Miss, do you like going out that much?”
“Huh?”
“You’ve been smiling since then!”
You know, spending money is exciting as it is.
I replaced my answer with a single shrug.
I only wore relatively comfortable clothes and tied my hair to feel light.
The maids who stepped back in unison clapped their seals.
“Madam, I don’t think the world needs the sun. You simply shine.”
“If you were born during the Great War, the whole country would have fought for you.”
“How can you be so beautiful in such a modest outfit? Your features are clearer than my future.”
Honey filled gaze of the maids is looking at me. Our Maltese have a variety of silly comments as expected.
In a short while, Mina said, who is touching her chin.
“I’m sure they’re all good, but I’d like to fix one.”
“What? She’s perfect enough!”
“Mina, do you have strained eyes?”
The admiring maids rushed in. Mina, who had remained calm, seriously added.
“No, we have to fix just one thing.”
“…….”
“Her heart.”
Then he grabbed his left breast and pretended to collapse. It is such a silly thing to say. The maids looked at her with axes, and started laughing among themselves, saying that she was right.
Maybe I will do CPR alone every day because my heart is broken because of them. Oh, my. You, too? Well me too.
…yes, as long as I am happy. Before my ears bleed, Butler Heinley knocked on the door as I thought.
“Lady, the Duke is waiting in his office.”
“Oh, yeah, I’ll be there soon.”
I decided to send my greetings to Bastian before going downtown.
After packing a thin outer garment, I headed straight to the office of the main building. Bastian, who is signing the document, welcomed me.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes, all I have to do is leave.”
“I wish I could come with you.”
“I can’t make you accompany me every time. I have to learn the capital for now.”
Bastian nodded reluctantly with my unwavering response. He had a disappointed expression on his face.
His sister looked pretty unfair when she announced that she is going out alone a few days ago, but she firmly refused to join her until the end.
Again, the full moon stone project is an escape route for me to get out of this house. I couldn’t take my brothers with me for this important job.
Instead, Bastian assigned me an escort for safety reasons. Genuzia Hamilton.
It was the red ponytail woman who accompanied me in the carriage the day I was kidnapped from the eastern village. Turns out she is the deputy commander of the First Knights of Cedric.
After finishing the document Bastian was looking at, he took off his glasses. He crossed his hands and stared at me.
“I called because I had something to give you.”
He stuck something out. It was a long box with a purple ribbon.
“What is it?”
“Check it out.”
Bastian did a chin-up. I opened the box with a puzzled look on my face.
Inside was a dagger a little smaller than the palm of the hand. It has a delicate silver style, and has a blue jeweled handle. At first glance, it is obviously expensive.
“…what’s this?”
When asked in surprise, Bastian stood up without a word and stood right in front of me.
“Look, Amel.”
He took my hand up and put it on his side of the neck. I felt a slight pulse.
“Oh, my God, what the…”
At that time, I rolled my eyes in bewilderment.
“This is the carotid artery.”
Pardon?
“Two words is enough to kill someone.”
What?
“That’s why just poke them here.”
Are you teaching me how to kill people? I was speechless and felt bewildered. Whether my face crumpled or not, Bastian stared at me with a serious look on his face.
“I put poison on the dagger. If one gets stabbed, they’ll be dead in a minute. So, if they do anything atrocious to you, put a knife in them first. Don’t think about cleaning up.”
I opened my mouth and felt dumbfounded. Sir, I’m not going to the battlefield. It’s just a busy street. It’s a busy street where 10-year-old Young Ladies go out with their mother.
But Bastian didn’t seem at all inclined and can not fathom my thoughts.
He squeezed the dagger into my hand with the most affectionate face in the world.
“So my lovely sister, how are you doing?”
I’m going crazy.
***
Bastian from carotid artery to temple to back of neck. He told me step by step that I would score a goal even if I hit him once.
If I go downtown twice, it’ll probably happen.
I went down to the first floor after the 10 minutes of a quick murder tutorial. A woman is waiting for me downstairs.
We greeted each other politely. Her red straight hair that is tied up so high was fluffy.
“Good day, my lady.”
“Good morning, Jen.”
“But what do you have in your hands?”
When Genuzia saw the dagger in my hand, she asked. I rolled my eyes and answered.
“…my brother’s love?”
Genuzia’s cool eyes blinked quickly. “I guess there is such a thing.”
I climbed into a pre-prepared carriage, accompanied by her tilting head. It was the smallest and most modest carriage in the duchy.
My family wanted me to ride in a carriage that has a large family pattern, but my side politely refused.
Then we’ll get all kinds of attention as soon as we get to the downtown area.
“Miss, where should we stop first?”
As we approached the main street, Monica across my seat asked me. I went through the list that I have brought.
“Let’s go order for now.”
The first purchase is for the staff.
During the five years of the annex’s vacancy, Amelia’s furniture and others were replaced periodically, but their furniture wasn’t changed at all.
Maybe it’s because they couldn’t spend the budget without the owner.
Still, it is too much for maids to share the same bed for more than 10 years.
I thought I had enough money in the annex, so I am going to spend it properly.
“Is there a good furniture store?”
“Furniture store?”
“Yes, where you can place a large order if possible.”
Monica tilted her head curiously, but she didn’t ask any questions. I just told the carriage driver to go to a big furniture store on the main street.
Then the wagon turned straight ahead and started to run to its destination.