“That girl, she didn’t even say one word about the recipe….”
“I’d rather look around the room. It’s nothing else, it’s a recipe for mana supplement…… It’s a medicine that’s much more valuable than a hair regrowth agent.”
“If things go well, you will probably be an Imperial Pharmacist, right? Then will you give me the other drug you developed?”
“Yes. Why don’t we get the recipe first and then talk about it?”
“Sheesh, okay. I’ll try to seduce her roommate first.”
On her way back to the dorm, Cicline stopped at the conversation she heard coming from the hallway. It was clear that it was the voice of Peter and another test taker.
She hid behind a wall in the hallway and clenched her lips.
‘The Little Madam was right. I have to be careful so the recipe is not stolen.’
After all, he had approached her earlier with a purpose.
Fortunately, the recipe and herbs written down in the room and in the practical laboratory were cleaned up, so no traces could be found. But there was no certainty if her roommate was included in their schemes.
She couldn’t even accuse him of trying to steal the recipe. Unless there is solid evidence there is a high probability that Peter will not be disciplined because Viscount Lenkins family has a strong influence on this area.
‘First of all, I have to keep the recipe safe.’
Cicline grabbed her bag and ran to the lab. She took a medicine, which temporarily raises her body temperature, and went to the doctor to get a report on fever.
He issued a statement without any confirmation because the doctor was also having a hard time due to the high number of patients with contagious fever.
Cicline immediately went to the management office of the examinee’s dormitory.
“……I’m candidate #34, Cicline Renny. I would like to use one dormitory room by myself.”
“I can’t let you use one alone.”
“I had a contagious fever …….it’s pretty strong, even medicine didn’t work much to bring it down.”
When Cicline shook the empty vial and presented a report, the officer frowned and gave out a single room with a cloth covering his nose and mouth.
* * *
“Father, mother! Please let me out! I have to go to the Imperial Salon!”
Bang!
Bang Bang!
Penelope knocked on the door and shouted whales, but there was no reply. She bit her lips thinking that she should get out of the room by all means.
She proudly shouted to the bratty Princess that she must go to the literature salon, and if she didn’t show up, she was sure to be treated like a coward.
“……What should I do? I have to figure out a way.”
Penelope frowned and shook her head. Aunt Neils declared she would not help anymore and her father completely turned his mind
Will the road to the Imperial Palace be blocked forever like this?
“No! There must be a way.”
Penelope opened the window and looked outside. For some reason, a carriage, all covered in red cloth, was standing in front of the mansion.
There she saw a lady in a black veil coming down. The knights, as well as all the servants of the manor, fell flat on their faces as if revering her.
The woman, with a deep, swampy dark green hair and alluring red lips, raised her head and looked at Penelope, their eyes met. She was a woman with a strange mysterious aura.
Just like a witch in fairy tales.
Penelope’s heart tightened, and she curled her body down. If it was that woman, she thought that somehow she could get herself out of here.
Bang Bang!
“Anyone there?”
Penelope ran back to the door and knocked again. A maid who could not stand any longer ran up and said.
“Lady, the Master said never to open the door. I’m sorry.”
“Okay, who is that woman who just arrived?”
“……Wait a minute. I’ll look into it.”
Penelope sat on the sofa with her arms crossed and waited. It was not before long that the maid brought the answer.
“She’s called the Marquise of Baluk.”
“……Baluk?”
“Yes, it’s said to be a family that leads a very large commercial guild. I don’t know exactly, but maybe it’s the Master’s new business partner. Well then, I’ll……”
Penelope tilted her head. Not long ago, she was scolded for not recognizing the Duchess of Bellstein, so she was locked in her room and forced to study the genealogy of the nobles.
There were only two Dukes in the Tyra Empire, but there were dozens of Marquis, so it was impossible to memorize them all. Penelope, who had been looking for a Marquisate Baluk with her fingers in the thick book, was unable to exercise patience and quit…
After a while, the door was opened.
“Lady, the Master is looking for you.”
“Really?”
Penelope ran around in excitement. She wondered if the Lady who got off the carriage earlier had called for her.
Raven, who had been watching Penelope from the corner, moved together to the study of the Marquis.
‘What was that just now?’
It was because he had very familiar and unpleasant energy from the woman earlier. That was the energy of death, but it soon disappeared like a lie.
The Marquis said to his daughter, who was approaching.
“Penelope, go to the Imperial Literature Salon.”
“Yes, re-re-re-really? Thank you, Father!”
Penelope jumped with joy and hugged the Marquis. Her prediction was correct. It must have been that the strange woman from earlier was a real hope that fell down from the skies.
But the Marquis soon had a bitter face.
Due to support flowing out one after another, he tried to get borrowed money while asking around, but there was no place that wanted to reach a helping hand to Cavill.
However, the Marquise Baluk, who runs a large merchant guild, readily offered to lend him a large sum of money. Moreover, when she said that she was invited to the Imperial Literature Salon, she even offered to take his daughter that longs to go.
“The Marquise got in her carriage first, you can go along with her.”
“Oh, I have to pack my dress and stuff, right now?”
“You know that you’re going to as a Young Lady of the Marquis, right?”
“I know. I’m going as a member of Marquisate Baluk, right?”
“Yes. The madam said she needs a child by her side to help with errands……”
Penelope jumped.
“……What? Wait a minute. Do you want me to do errands like a maid?”
“……Wasn’t the purpose just to visit the salon?”
“Oh, you don’t even know my heart……What good is it if I am a maid? Would Father like for his only daughter to be a mere maid?”
As Penelope whined with an upset face, the Marquis of Cavill spoke again.
“This child, then what, should you just not go? Do we even have to go this far so you can just go the that Salon?”
“……Sniff.”
Penelope, who burst into tears, wiped the tears again and waved her father’s hand.
“Can’t you just ask her if she can take me as a child to accompany her, like a foster daughter?”
“……Well. Stay there I will check again and come back.”
“I will go, too.”
The Marquis together with Penelope, met the Marquise of Baluk and asked again.
“Madam, with all due respect, why don’t you just take our daughter as a companion? Because my child has grown up so preciously she has never done anything like an errand.”
“That’s right. I’ll be a good companion.”
The Marquise, looking down at father and daughter from the carriage, raised her eyebrows over the veil and smiled at Penelope’s words. Although she had a benevolent face, it was a smile that felt somehow eerie.
“……I think you misunderstood something. Don’t worry, I don’t plan on making the Young Lady work. I don’t have any children, so I’m lonely, and I was just trying to show the little one around the Imperial Palace.”
Marquise Baluk shoot an alluring smile and lovingly stroked Penelope’s cheek, when she approached, as if the child was very lovely.
Penelope was surprised because her hands were surprisingly cold, but she didn’t care. The scent of strong perfume and the sight of expensive jewelry had already made Penelope’s heart pound with awe.
“Should we ride right away? I’ll stop in the downtown area to buy a dress for you on the way.”
“I……Are you sure?”
“……Oh no, you don’t have to.”
Marquis Cavill said so because he was worried that the amount he owed to Baluk would further increase.
“It’s okay. I’m not going to ask you to repay the price of the dress, because the Young Lady is cute. I have always wanted a daughter like this.”
The Marquis of Baluk muffled her speech as if there was a story behind such words.
“Well, how did I come to meet such a precious relationship? Thank you so much. I will surely repay the kindness that Baluk has done to our Cavill.”
The Marquis expressed his sincere gratitude. Now everyone turned their backs on Cavill and only Baluk held out their hand.
“Father, I will be right back.”
“Yes, have a safe trip. Penelope.”
Penelope was hugged by the Marquis, and quickly climbed onto the carriage.
As if she was already her daughter, she clang to Madame Baluk’s side with excitement.
The Marquis ordered Penelope’s maid and escort knights to follow them, and then turned away.
“She’s a woman with very strange powers.”
The Marquis realized that he had moved as if possessed by something after Marquise Baluk and Penelope left. Although this was their second meeting, every time he met the Marquise he felt somewhat hazy and lightheaded.
But there were no regrets. Who in the world would lend him a lot of money like that?
The Marquise of Baluk would have had the luxury of running a large merchant guild. Thanks to her, he thought Penelope’s wish had come true.
The exotic red carriage was already far away.
Then the Marquise of Cavill who was returning from an outing got out of her carriage. Seeing the red carriage moving away from the house, she asked in doubts.
“Honey, what is that carriage?”
“It’s the Marquise of Baluk to which we are very grateful. Thanks to her, the crisis was averted, and she even took Penelope to the Imperial Palace Literature Salon.”
“……What? I’m grateful for the money she lent us, but why Penelope?”
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“Madam Baluk is childless, so she is fond of our Penelope.”
“Oh my God, you……Are you out of your mind? Sending our daughter to a stranger?”
“Don’t you know about the Baluk Merchant Guild? It is said to be a great guild that unfolds around the empire. I’ve even seen their certificate of rights! Don’t be clueless, and let’s go inside.”
The Marquise looked at the carriage in tears and followed her husband into the manor.
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