MPBGS 16

Chapter : 16

Of course, my guilt eased a bit because Gabriel was my stepbrother. Taking Kanna’s husband away and someone who had a crush on Kanna falling for someone else—those feelings aren’t the same, are they? Not the same.

Setting aside that uneasy feeling, I half-responded to Kanna’s chatter, and before I knew it, the conversation had shifted to the topic of paintings.

“Paintings?”

“Yeah. They say it was donated to the temple.”

“Really? If it’s a painting of Donau after he died, I’d like to see it once.”

Right? I was curious how sacredly someone could depict a corpse and make people call it angelic or divine.

“Want to go see it? I can’t go, though.”

“Why? I can go with you…”

“Kanna!”

Henna quickly interrupted Kanna, who seemed about to insist on going together. Nice save, Henna!

Kanna, bewildered, nodded when she saw my grimace.

“Of course… it must be uncomfortable for you.”

Exactly. I’m curious, sure, but seeing it in person is different. I really don’t want to go look at a corpse painting. From a modern perspective, it’s… a bit criminal, isn’t it?

Of course, people in a fantasy-romance world like Kanna or Henna would see it differently. It’s the past, and there are religious traditions that ascribe a sacred meaning to death itself. Here, the temple calls it an angel, a blessing from God—it must be that kind of context.

“If you’re going to see it, we should go quickly.”

Gabriel probably wanted to take the painting down, so it might be destroyed soon.

Kanna and Henna decided to go to the temple to see the painting. I gave them plenty of money to enjoy themselves and buy treats along the way. Ten gold coins should be enough, right?

Since there could be pickpockets, or thugs demanding all their money, I split the coins between two pouches and gave one to each of them.

“Milady… you could even buy a house with this.”

No, Henna! How could you buy a house with this? How expensive are houses these days! …Ah, right, this is in a novel. But in most fantasy-romance novels, the protagonist throws around tens of thousands of gold. Are houses cheaper here?

“Really?”

“Yes. You can buy a house for about 5 gold.”

Whoa. Then the money I just gave them could buy two houses? Evangeline hasn’t spent much and keeps piles of gold in her room. Now I see why fantasy-romance heroines invest in real estate. Damn! If I’d only known the original story, instead of obsessing over a summoning ring, I could’ve been a property speculator.

“I have a lot of money too!”

Kanna proudly showed the contents of her pocket. There was one silver coin mixed with some copper coins. If you have a lot of money, why only one silver and no gold? Kanna isn’t a newbie… surely they pay her regularly, right?

“Henna, how much do servants usually get?”

“The Rohanson estate pays well, but other places usually pay about 4 silver a year.”

Four silver?

“Twenty silver coins equal one gold coin.”

Henna quickly added. I felt sorry for being such a clueless mistress. Good thing I couldn’t retain memories from before.

Twenty silver coins per gold coin… If their annual salary is 4 silver, they’d have to work five years to earn one gold? Whoa… so the ten gold coins I just gave would equal 50 years of work? No wonder Kanna and Henna were stunned when they got it.

But with prices like this, why does Evangeline have so much money?

Ah, thinking back, I remember from the diary that Evangeline’s mother was the daughter of a duke. So the money must have been secretly inherited from her without the wicked Count Rohanson knowing.

Then the money Kanna proudly showed is probably her salary too. One silver is actually quite a lot.

“Milady, I think you gave us too much.”

“It’s fine.”

Henna hesitated but didn’t plan to return any. Villainesses always win hearts with money. Besides, Kanna is a fantasy-romance heroine—how could she be penniless!

I felt a little bitter. Most fantasy-romance heroines are nobles, so why does Kanna belong to the minority?

Honestly, I don’t get why the social ranks in this fantasy-romance world are so downgraded. Maybe because it’s a bleak fantasy-romance? The heroine is a maid, the villainess isn’t a duke but a countess’s daughter, and the hero—or stepbrother—is a knight commander… No, Gabriel is definitely out as the hero. Kanna’s match must be a duke.

“All right, we’ll be off then.”

The prepared carriage of the count’s estate arrived to take them. I silently hoped my naïve girls wouldn’t get hurt, scammed, or into trouble with people… or the carriage.

“You know what to do, right?”

“Yes. We’ll make sure Sir Gabriel handles things properly.”

Since I suspected Gabriel might be the stepbrother, I asked them to confirm he was handling things correctly. If not, he’s out as a potential hero, just a stepbrother.

I had already sent a letter explaining that even if I couldn’t go, they’d be fine, and since Kanna is involved, she could explain things clearly.

“Are you sure it’s okay if I don’t go?”

“Yes. Besides, you’re always watching over us anyway.”

Kanna seemed to trust me almost religiously. I appreciated it, but I’m not a deity—I can’t always watch over her…

“They’ll be safe in the Rohanson carriage, so no one will pick a fight.”

Henna explained it to Kanna. Ah, I see.

Kanna must have had experience dealing with Evangeline. Talk about lip service.

The carriage rolled smoothly out of the Rohanson estate.

Adorned with the noble family crest, no one dared block the road, and they arrived quickly. Unless someone had two lives, no one attacks a noble’s carriage. Even if they did, nobles usually complain about being hit, not because the road was blocked.

Kanna admired the busy streets passing by the window.

“Unnie, shall we stop by the tailor? And buy some desserts to give to Milady!”

“Kanna, are you planning to spend the money Milady gave you?”

“Why not? She gave it to us to spend.”

Even if Milady knew prices, she wouldn’t have given less. And she wouldn’t care if we spent some or all of it. Even if Kanna bought a house while out, she would be fine with it.

Unnie is cautious because she doesn’t know Milady’s favor, but Milady is generous even if Kanna gets cheeky.

‘Unnie should know someday that Milady really cares for us.’

Of course, Kanna didn’t try to persuade Henna.

“Unnie, I’ve never been to a place like this before. I’m sorry.”

“Kanna…”

She hung her head, looking crushed. Acting this way made Henna feel protective, like she could fetch the sun from the sky for her. It might be a little weak, but it wasn’t a lie.

Kanna was sickly since birth and had been near death until recently, so she hadn’t seen bustling streets before. And she didn’t have money to go.

Henna probably hadn’t gone out much either, since she spent all she earned on Kanna.

“All right. We’ll stop by on the way back.”

“Thank you, Unnie! I’m so happy!”

Kanna beamed, and even Henna, who had been tense, smiled quietly.

She hoped her sister, who always sacrificed for her sick sibling, would finally spend money on herself. And that Kanna would buy gifts with money she earned herself, not just Milady’s money. Henna started thinking what Kanna could buy as a gift.

“But just for a little while. Milady will be waiting if we’re late.”

“Okay, I promise.”

Of course, Milady knew what Kanna and Henna were doing, but Kanna nodded obediently anyway.

‘Unnie can’t see, after all.’

Kanna poked the eye next to her. It blinked closed in surprise, then glared at her through tears.

Milady had left Kanna one eye. She would’ve been repulsed by the clustered, mold-like things around the estate or floating near Milady.

But this one eye, sticking out alone, was oddly cute. Maybe because Milady gave it.

This eye protected Kanna when Milady wasn’t around.

It had even scared off a maid snooping on the third floor.

Apparently, there was a rule not to go to the third floor, but the maid must have thought something valuable was in the Countess’s room.

She didn’t know Kanna and Henna were staying there. She only intended to scare them away.

She made the maid kneel, and the terrified girl begged for her life, offering all her possessions. Kanna didn’t intend to harm her. Seeing her cry reminded Kanna of when Donau was kidnapped, so she let her go. Henna later told her a rumor started:

‘The Countess’s ghost roams the third floor.’

Apparently, people said you had to give silver coins to escape the ghost. The source was obvious.

“We… have arrived.”

The driver called to Henna and Kanna. His voice trembled and he avoided their gaze, clearly intimidated by Henna.

Since becoming Milady’s aide, all the staff at the estate had been wary of Henna.

‘She’—Evangeline’s personal maid.

That’s what Henna was called now. Previously, a few had resigned in fear, and there was even a rumor that Daisy was sent to a convent after losing her sight. Compared to her, Henna’s calm demeanor stood out even more.

Kanna, staying close to Milady and not officially employed, was treated casually by people who didn’t know her. After talking normally and leaving, they’d always wonder, “Who was that girl?”

“Magnificent.”

Kanna, ignoring the driver’s nervousness, looked up at the main temple and remarked on its grandeur.