Chapter 83: Eve Festival (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 83: Eve Festival (1)
Meisel frowned, not quite understanding what he meant.
“It’s a pity, isn’t it? If such an unfortunate incident were to happen again, as the Merchant Association President, I might come under suspicion, wouldn’t I?”
Gelfry tapped his plump fingers on the desk.
“Fortunately, if there’s another mastermind like last time, my innocence will be proven. Was it a woman in a hood, you said?”
‘Cause a disturbance at the lakeside shopping district similar to the last one.’
Gelfry’s demand was clear.
Last time, Gelfry had been used by Meisel without knowing any better, but this time, he intended to use her in reverse to cause trouble without getting his own hands dirty.
“Anyway, Lady Meisel, unlike me, you have no reason to be suspected. We’re just helping each other out.”
Having caught the gist of it, Meisel turned the gears in her head for a moment, weighing her gains and losses.
“It’s difficult right now. I need to get in touch with…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll give you plenty of time.”
Gelfry’s lips curled into a smirk.
He intended to aim for the most dramatic timing, so there was still plenty of time to spare.
“In return, you must make sure the investment is recovered. Got it?”
“Of course. Starting today, you’ll see Alcent begging for money. Though, of course, he won’t be able to borrow a single coin from anyone.”
Gelfry had laughed heartily and made that guarantee back then.
But as one could see, he had failed to seize the Northern News from Alcent.
“Who the hell lent him the money…?”
With no particular suspect in mind, he vented his frustration pointlessly.
*
With only a few days left until the opening of the lakeside shopping district, I became incredibly busy.
This was because the arrival date of the delegation was drawing closer.
It was foolish of me, but I had only just realized quite late that entertaining the delegation was also the role of the Grand Duchess.
“What would I have done if Sir Perel hadn't told me!”
If Perel hadn't noticed and informed me when I innocently asked where the delegation would be staying, it really would have been a disaster.
“Annette, you don’t need to worry about it.”
Loik, who had initially spoken as if it were no big deal, hurriedly waved his hands when I glared at him, asking if he was still trying to interfere with my role as the mistress of the house.
“Anyway, those guys—I mean, the delegation—can just be shoved into any room in the Guest Castle.”
“Fine. Even if I concede a hundred times and agree not to hold a ball or a banquet, we still have to host a formal dinner. We also need to select the servants who will attend to the guests.”
“Whitley can handle that much…”
“You went through all that trouble to bring the delegation here, so we have to treat them well! How can you dump such a big task on Whitley?”
“No, it’s not that I’m dumping it on him…”
Looking at Loik’s aggrieved expression, I truly felt that if I hadn't brought this up now, the delegation might have suffered the same treatment I did on my first day at the Grand Duke’s Castle.
“Whitley. First, check the Guest Castle thoroughly to see if any repairs are needed. Especially whether the curtains or bedding need to be replaced.”
“Yes, Your Highness the Consort.”
“Sir Perel, please contact the delegation and find out more about the party that’s coming.”
“Find out more… you say?”
“Things like whether there are foods they prefer or must avoid, if they have any chronic illnesses, or if there are any special precautions we should take. Try to find out their minor tastes in as much detail as possible through their secretaries or aides.”
“Understood.”
“Reta, tell Benet to pick out some maids who will stay at the Guest Castle for the time being. If we’re short-handed, include the commuting maids as well.”
“Understood, Your Highness the Consort.”
“And the Grand Duke…!”
While the others received their tasks and withdrew from the room, Loik, who had been sitting there awkwardly, looked at me with eyes shining as if asking me to give him something to do as well.
“Go and reflect on your actions.”
Loik muttered with a slightly wronged face.
“This is my office, though…”
*
A few more days passed quickly, and finally, the Eve Festival for the shopping district’s opening arrived.
Mr. Barnes arrived at the lakeside with a fluttering heart, holding the hands of his wife and son.
Upon hearing that invitations to the Eve Festival would be distributed to subscribers, he had purchased 30 copies of the Northern News, and he had finally won the luck of the draw.
Mr. Barnes’s shoulders were squared with pride after receiving rare praise from his wife.
It was around dusk.
The entrance to the lakeside was bustling with people waiting to enter.
A moment later, the lights on the trees in the forest visible beyond the iron gates turned on all at once, brightly illuminating the lakeside.
The crowd let out gasps of anticipation.
At the same time, the guards, having received a signal from someone inside, opened the massive iron gates to both sides.
“Please show your invitations one by one. We will assist you with your entry.”
Young staff members standing at the gate, dressed in neat uniforms, greeted them.
After a brief verification, Mr. Barnes’s family finally stepped inside the lakeside.
Following the lights that brightly illuminated the forest, they walked a short distance until the lake finally revealed itself. Above the vast surface of the water, a long fountain stream was spouting upward, looking like a whale blowing water.
“My word, is that a fountain on the lake?”
“I’ve never seen such a tall stream of water before!”
Everyone marveled as they looked around.
On both sides of the massive lakeside, charming shops and stores stood in rows.
The shop owners and employees who had come out to stand in front of their stores greeted them all at once.
“Goodness, it’s like a world apart!”
Mr. Barnes nodded as he looked at his wife, whose mouth was hanging open just like his.
“Where should we look first?”
While some people strolled slowly along the lakeside, others, urged by their children, looked around the snack shops first, and some hurried to claim the outdoor tables set up in front of the cafes.
The couple was eventually led by their young son toward the shopping district first.
“That must be where they sell snacks.”
The shopping district was clearly divided into sections at a glance.
Each store had a picture signboard hanging alongside its name so that the products could be easily identified.
The son immediately recognized the drawing of a thick sausage in the distance.
“Dad! Buy me a sausage!”
As they approached the front of the store, the owner greeted them with a bright smile.
On the display stand in front of the shop, the menu items were also drawn as pictures for easy recognition.
The son, who couldn't read, pointed at a picture and chose his menu.
“Give me three of these.”
It was when Mr. Barnes handed over a Danir to pay for the sausages.
“Oh, dear!”
The shop owner made a troubled sound.
“What’s the matter?”
“I’m sorry. I was so preoccupied with the preparations that I haven't prepared any change…”
“Hmph, what should we do then?”
Neither Mr. Barnes nor his wife had brought any change either.
“Please wait a moment! Jerome! Jerome!”
When the shop owner leaned out from behind the counter and called for someone, a young man in a uniform who had been walking around the shopping district ran over immediately.
“I realized I didn't prepare any change. Can you exchange this at the Management Office?”
“Wait a moment, I have some with me.”
As if he had prepared in advance, Jerome pulled out a small pouch containing 10 Eknang and exchanged it for the shop owner’s Danir.
“Thanks!”
“Don’t mention it.”
As the young man with a gentle look smiled, even the customers waiting in line behind them wore pleased expressions.
Seeing that even his wife’s cheeks had flushed, Mr. Barnes asked with a slight pout.
“Are you an employee here?”
“I am a staff member of the Shopping District Management Office. If you need anything while looking around the shopping district, you can always look for people dressed like me.”
“Oh, even his voice is…”
He heard the two women standing behind him whispering.
“Excuse me, do you happen to know where they sell those picnic mats?”
The wife asked Jerome a bit shyly.
In one area of the lakeside, many people were sitting on similar picnic mats.
“Ah, those are items available for rental at the Management Office.”
“Rental?”
“If you go to the picnic area, a staff member will guide you. If you wish to purchase one instead of renting, the third shop in Area B sells picnic supplies.”
“Oh, how kind. Thank you.”
Jerome, who nodded with a bright smile, left the spot after being called by another shop owner.
The Barnes family laid out a mat with the guidance of a staff member in the picnic area and enjoyed the lakeside scenery while drinking tea delivered from the cafe next door.
“Dad! Buy me that too!”
The son, who had finished his snack early, squirmed and pointed at the children on the neighboring mat.
“What is that?”
The children were kneading small balls of wool into shapes and attaching things like eyes and a tail to them.
“We bought it at that shop right behind us.”
The woman on the neighboring mat, who had overheard the conversation, told them the location of the shop, saying it was a Sheep Crafting Kit.
“Dad! Hurry!”
In the end, Mr. Barnes took his son’s hand and headed back toward the shopping district.
*
“Wow! Look at that. The sheep dolls are much more popular than I thought.”
Cecilia and I were watching the people while standing on the second-floor terrace of the Management Office.
“It’s dangerous if you lean out like that.”
Tiern gestured with a furrowed brow.