Chapter 5: Market

“The market?”

“Yeah, Mother asked me to go.”

“Couldn’t you just send the servants for that?”

“She specifically wanted me to do it…”

“…”

Reyna frowned, clearly displeased.

Fair enough.

She was a guest at the Axus Duchy.

It was only natural she’d feel annoyed at being tasked with an errand.

“Sigh, fine. If the Duchess said so, there must be a reason.”

“Thanks. To make up for it, I’ll have that dessert you liked ready for next week’s visit.”

“Alright. Anna?”

“Yes, my lady. You called?”

At Reyna’s call, a woman appeared before her in an instant.

Over 170 cm tall.

Dark brown hair and scarlet eyes.

A gentle aura but an expressionless face.

Anna Margret.

Reyna’s personal maid.

A character who never appeared in the original story.

“Hi, Anna.”

“Hello, Lord Ike. I’m glad you seem at peace today.”

Anna gave a faint smile, bowed to me, then turned back to Reyna.

“You heard the conversation, right? We’re heading to the market in the Axus Duchy. Prepare accordingly.”

“Understood, my lady.”

Anna nodded and vanished just as quickly.

How does she move like that in a maid outfit?

It seems like it’d flutter wildly with the slightest movement.

I wanted to ask her about it sometime.

“Alright, let’s go, Ike.”

“Huh? Don’t we need to wait for Anna?”

“She’ll catch up on her own, so don’t worry. Just don’t be surprised.”

…What does that mean?

Her last comment sparked my curiosity, but her expression told me she wouldn’t explain.

I quickly gave up and left the training ground with her.

“It’s a lively place.”

That was Reyna’s first comment upon arriving at the market.

“Yeah.”

I quietly agreed.

Honestly, I didn’t have much to say since it was my first time here too.

“Young Master, the items the Lady requested are likely in the next block.”

A middle-aged man standing behind Reyna and me whispered in my ear.

Slicked-back white hair and blue eyes.

His all-black suit gave off a refined, dignified air.

He was practically the image of a “gentleman” come to mind.

This was Alex, the butler assigned to escort me.

Another character absent from the original story.

“Thanks. But is it okay for you to come with me, Alex?”

A butler oversees and manages all household affairs.

He shouldn’t be leaving the estate so easily.

“It’s fine. The Lady ordered it.”

If that’s the case, it’s alright, but what is Mother thinking?

Sending Alex along for a simple market trip.

And even…

[‘Ike, since you’re going out, feel free to explore as much as you want.’]

Such an incomprehensible comment.

Does she want something specific?

“I don’t get it.”

“What’s that?”

“Oh, nothing.”

Lowered eyes, an unmoving mouth, a cold demeanor.

The Ice Princess I’d seen only once at the ball.

It’d be nice if she could relax a bit here.

But I knew well that wasn’t possible.

She was the eldest daughter of the Roselia Duchy.

She was taught to always act nobly in public.

No matter what, she upholds her family’s name and dignity with grace.

Even if it’s family she’s dealing with.

For Reyna, that was a rule.

“The shop is in the next block, so let’s buy what we need and head out.”

“Okay.”

Knowing this, I initially tried to use formal speech and be polite when we left the estate.

[‘Don’t worry about it. Just treat me like you always do.’]

But she rejected that, making me an exception to her rule.

“Is this it?”

We stopped in front of a sign that read “Aria.”

“Silk, right?”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Is Mother planning to make clothes?

“Welcome.”

As I slowly opened the door, a female shopkeeper greeted me.

Looking around, I saw countless dresses adorning the shop.

“Oh, you’re Lord Ike? Lady Nia told me about you.”

“Yes.”

The shopkeeper bowed after noticing the Axus Duchy crest on my chest.

“Here’s the silk.”

She brought out various types of silk and placed them on the counter.

“Will this do, Lord Ike?”

She smiled and asked, but I had nothing to say.

I didn’t know much about fabrics, and Mother hadn’t given me any specific instructions.

As I stood frozen, unable to respond, Alex stepped in.

“Hmm, this should be fine. We’ll take it all.”

“Thank you. The total is 25 platinum coins.”

“Young Master.”

I took a pouch of platinum coins from Alex and handed it to the shopkeeper.

“One, two, three… 25 platinum coins, confirmed. Thank you.”

I knew silk was a luxury fabric, but buying it directly made it sink in.

Last time I calculated, one platinum coin was worth about a million won.

So we just spent 25 million won?

In my original world, that’d be a year’s worth of medical expenses, spent in one go.

“Shall we head back?”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Alex took the neatly packed silk from the shopkeeper, and I turned to leave.

“Wait, Lord Ike?”

The shopkeeper called out to me.

“Hm?”

“I heard Lady Reyna of the Roselia Duchy came with you, is that right?”

“…How do you know that?”

Reyna was waiting outside.

She hadn’t even entered the shop, so how did she know?

“Lady Nia said she had a request for Lady Reyna too…”

Mother again?

“Tell me. I’d rather not bother her.”

“She insisted I speak to Lady Reyna directly…”

What is Mother thinking?

“…Alright.”

I opened the door and quietly called out.

“Reyna.”

“Yes, Lord Ike?”

“There’s a request for you. What do you want to do?”

“I’m not familiar with this shop at all.”

“Mother seems to have asked for something.”

“Sigh.”

Reyna frowned.

I felt bad seeing her like this so often today.

“I’ll hear them out.”

“Thanks.”

She sighed but entered the shop.

“You called for me?”

“Yes, you’re Lady Reyna of the Roselia Duchy, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“Well, um…”

The shopkeeper hesitated, even after Reyna arrived.

For some reason, she seemed to be glancing at me.

“Lord Ike, could you wait outside for a moment?”

Reyna, picking up on it, bowed slightly and asked.

“Alright. Just in case, Alex, stay here.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

I left the shop, feeling a bit lonely.

“What’s the request, my lady?”

“No idea. Seems like it’s a secret from me.”

As I closed the door, someone spoke to me.

Dressed in the same all-black suit as Alex, with neatly styled jet-black hair.

If Alex was a gentleman, this was a handsome young man.

“You’re not going in, Anna?”

It was Anna, disguised as a man.

“With Lord Alex there, it should be fine.”

“Right.”

When Reyna left the estate, Anna dressed as a man.

[‘My lady doesn’t like other escorts, and two women traveling together can cause issues.’]

A simple but undeniable reason.

“How did you end up serving the Roselia Duchy, Anna?”

When I first met Anna, I used formal speech, as usual.

But she refused it.

She said it wasn’t right for me, Reyna’s friend, to speak formally to her maid.

It wasn’t an actual rule, but it seemed to be her personal belief.

“It’s not like your family has served the Roselia Duchy for generations. You’re even a commoner.”

A maid is a personal aide serving high-ranking nobles.

Typically, it’s a role for daughters of noble families with some status.

So it was unusual for a commoner like Anna to be the personal maid of the Roselia Duchy’s eldest daughter.

“Why are you asking this now, Lord Ike?”

“Just bored?”

Of course, that wasn’t the real reason.

Anna never appeared in the original story.

A maid to a major character like Reyna should’ve shown up at least once.

Not knowing what changes this might cause, I had to cling to even small details.

“I have my circumstances…”

“Circumstances?”

“If you want to know, it’s best to ask Lady Reyna directly.”

“Come on…”

“Young Master, we’re done.”

Just as I was about to press Anna further, Alex opened the door.

Terrible timing.

I swallowed that thought quietly.

“Shall we head back?”

Reyna said as she exited the shop, and I nodded silently.

“What did you get?”

“Something I’d asked the Duchess for earlier.”

Reyna handed a packaged box to Anna, ending the conversation.

I was curious about its contents, but she clearly had no intention of telling me.

“Ready to go back?”

“Yes.”

Mother said we could explore the market freely, but honestly, time was tight.

Reyna needed to leave by 12:30.

It was just past 11:30 now.

We’d promised to see the lake today.

One hour left.

Return to the estate, head to the lake, and eat lunch.

No matter how I calculated, it was cutting it close.

So we needed to hurry…

“Oof?”

“Eek!”

Lost in calculations, I bumped into someone running from the opposite direction.