Chapter 21
“Waaahhh, my laaaady! Please don’t do this! The ducal house isn’t poor anymore!”
“I knew it! My mouth is cursed! Bad mouth! Bad mouth!”
Ah… I probably shouldn’t have said that.
As soon as the words left my mouth, the maids began wailing and gnashing their handkerchiefs in despair.
The knights standing quietly behind them looked at the scene with sympathetic eyes, as if watching a woman with a tragic story.
Suffocatingly pitiful atmosphere filled the air. I scratched my cheek awkwardly and declared that I would not spare money for the next place either before moving on.
Anyway, the next destination was—
“Welcome, customer! Are you looking for something in particular?”
“Show me men’s cufflinks.”
I was here to buy a gift for Cassian.
“Your Grace, a message has arrived from the Imperial Palace.”
The aide, Hans, delivered the letter.
Cassian checked the imperial seal and put on his rimmed glasses to hide his tired expression.
“How is the South?”
“The capital is scorching under the sun. Judging by the things creeping out of the shade, it seems summer is coming.”
“You still haven’t sent what I requested, have you?”
“Of course, the patient’s condition is the top priority, but keeping it delayed too long is not good either.”
Though it looked like a friendly greeting, the hidden meaning was different.
How much longer do you plan to drag this out? Are you even trying to catch signs of rebellion?
It was a reprimand.
“I suppose I should act more aggressively.”
From the western forest until now, Cassian had been monitoring Eveline, trying to uncover evidence of rebellion.
But he had gained nothing significant.
He found no suspicious traces—in fact, he only kept receiving help.
That made him feel both uneasy and grateful.
To repay her kindness, Cassian had even given Eveline a large sum of money.
By now, she was probably running around like a squirrel searching for acorns.
“What do you intend to do about the princess?”
“Keep her as she is—no, let her return to her original form and move freely. It’s time to wrap things up.”
“Excuse me?!”
“I’ll lure them into coming to us.”
He had received intelligence from an informant that the emperor had spread information about Eveline through a storyteller.
That meant it was only a matter of time before it reached their ears.
And if they had already heard it…
“What about the House of Duke Selldian and Viscount Hetius?”
“We were just about to report. Both groups that had been moving simultaneously have suddenly gone dark.”
“Both of them?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Then there’s a chance they’ll strike without warning.”
They would come to meet Eveline.
Where and when, no one knew—but as long as Eveline was in his hands, they couldn’t act recklessly.
They wouldn’t abduct the princess blindly, but they would attempt contact at the ducal estate.
“If anyone approaches, keep them under surveillance. Preferably capture them alive.”
“Yes, Your Grace. We will send word to the Valhalla Knights.”
At the same time, while Eveline was shopping—
“You mean she asked for a receipt even though she paid a deposit?”
Pavel, captain of the Valhalla Knights monitoring Eveline’s movements, frowned in confusion.
They had divided into civilians, employees, and escorts to observe her every action.
- She paid 3,000 gold and took 4 gold coins as change.
- She paid 280,000 gold at a lace shop and requested a receipt.
- She bought a necklace and bracelet for 5,490,000 gold and 17 silver, then asked them to verify the price.
Strange behavior kept repeating.
“Maybe there are rules we don’t know about?”
“That’s not how a proper noble lady behaves.”
Normally, noble ladies spent money regardless of price for appearance’s sake.
But Eveline was unusually obsessed with small change.
- Bought shoes. Paid 3,000,000 gold and demanded 48 silver in change.
Through the artifact, Pavel’s suspicion deepened.
“What on earth is she plotting?”
Then one knight offered an idea.
“Could it be a numerical code?”
“A numerical code?”
“Yes. If she’s leaving messages for locations…”
So that’s why she cared about change?
To test the theory, Pavel moved personally.
The subordinate’s guess turned out to be correct.
“She paid 280,000 gold at the lace shop, then entered the 28th district shopping street.”
“She bought jewelry for 5,490,017 silver—then entered the street marked ‘549’ and went into the 17th shop, a shoe store.”
“She bought shoes for 3,000,000 gold, received 48 silver in change, and then visited the 300–48 address block.”
Silence fell instantly.
“How is this even possible?”
What looked like meaningless spending was actually a sophisticated system.
“What about the dress shop incident where she paid 300 gold and received 4 gold coins?”
“That would mean she marked 4 locations among 3,000 shops.”
“And asking for receipts might mean she was identifying shops that issue guarantees.”
The knights grew restless.
“If there are hostile forces watching, isn’t this extremely dangerous?”
At that moment, a voice came through the artifact.
- Captain, I think we misunderstood. She says she was just trying not to waste His Grace’s money.
- Even as bait, this is too pitiful… she can’t even properly buy what she wants for his sake!
“Damn it! Idiots! You’ve been fooled by the northern witch!”
“Captain, she really is formidable. She’s even influencing trained knights.”
Pavel forced himself to stay calm.
“Everyone, calm down. Don’t forget our objective.”
Just then—
“Captain!”
“Shh.”
Someone appeared in front of Eveline.
A foreign-looking man tapped his wrist and gestured at it.
After a moment of hesitation, Eveline moved away.
The knights’ expressions sharpened.
“I’ll handle this.”
“No, I will. Block the escape routes.”
Pavel grabbed the man’s arm roughly.
“What did you say to that woman?”
“A-aah!”
“No point lying. I already know everything.”
The man quickly nodded and led him into a narrow alley.
And then—
“Sir… S-grade… fake watch… cheap! Cheap!”
He pulled out a cheap-looking watch and tried to sell it.
At the same time—
“Hah. Idiot.”
Hidden figures watching Pavel sneered.
Women in robes observed the Valhalla Knights like they were watching a comedy, then suddenly went serious.
“I’d love to stab him in the heart right now…”
“Don’t. This is Duke Hetius’s territory. The master’s safety comes first.”
One of them looked toward the main road.
Her sharp gaze searched for someone—and stopped midair.
“How much is this?”
There stood Eveline, eyes sparkling as she asked the price of fruit.
The dignified noble lady now looked like an innocent country girl who had just arrived in the capital.
As they watched her, longing filled the woman’s eyes.
How long had they searched?
Unable to find their master due to interference from the emperor and Cassian, they had finally learned through a storyteller that Eveline was in the Hetius ducal estate.
Tears of emotion filled their eyes as they watched her.
And then, one of them, almost entranced, said…
