Chapter 49
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: A Leisurely Market Stroll
Two days had passed since Eirana arrived at Parkro Ducal Castle.
During that time, Eirana had enjoyed a fairly leisurely stay.
To be precise, she had nothing to do.
On this trip, Eirana was merely Lea's bodyguard.
Lea, meanwhile, was busy mingling with the daughters of other noble houses alongside Benea.
Since she was always under strict protection, there was no particular need for Eirana to focus on guarding her.
In her spare time, Lea mostly spent moments with Winses.
Winses, perpetually swamped with work and rarely able to tend to his sister, made time to see Lea frequently even amid his duties.
With Winses's own guards present, Eirana had nothing to do there either.
Nor was there any reason to drag Lea aside for lessons here.
In the end, it was as good as Eirana having received a vacation for the first time in ages.
Nearly a year had slipped by since she set out on her journey.
After settling in the capital, she had taken over all of Lea's education, leaving no room for relaxed downtime.
"It's been a while since I've had time to just lounge like this."
Eirana murmured softly, sprawled on the room's sofa.
In response, Silver Fang, perched atop her stomach, stretched lazily and replied.
-One year isn't that long. Aren't you making a fuss over nothing?
A year felt long to humans, but to Eirana and Silver Fang, who had lived far longer, it was scarcely any time at all.
Eirana grabbed Silver Fang by the scruff of the neck and shoved him aside.
"You idiot. The density of life in that one year is what matters."
Silver Fang tilted his head at her words but soon nodded in understanding.
Just then, as they were idly passing the time with nothing to do, the door opened and Leria entered.
"Eirana, are you busy by any chance?"
"No, I don't have anything particular to do."
"Then, want to come stroll through the market with me?"
Eirana gave her an odd look at the sudden invitation but soon rose from her seat and nodded.
"Sure, why not?"
She had been curious about the market herself.
Leria burst into a delighted smile at Eirana's agreement and helped her prepare for the outing.
Dressed in light outing clothes, Eirana stepped out of the ducal castle and asked,
"Why the market all of a sudden?"
"I've been thinking of preparing a birthday gift for Deid."
Leria tilted her head, nibbling on her thumb.
"Deid?"
"I mean Duke Parkro."
Clearing up Eirana's confusion, Leria clasped her hands behind her back.
"Since it's been a while since I visited, I figured I'd prepare a gift while I'm here."
"Would someone of the duke's stature be satisfied with something from the local market?"
"Hmm... Deid used to love apples. So I was thinking of baking him a simple apple pie."
Eirana stifled a chuckle inside as she watched Leria answer with an innocent smile.
'She's like a grandma.'
It was the picture of a simple grandmother preparing something for a long-awaited grandchild.
Not behavior befitting someone turning sixty this year, but considering Leria's true age, it wasn't all that strange.
As they wandered the market together, Leria hummed a cheerful tune.
She was picking out ingredients herself, chatting with merchants, fully enjoying the market street.
Watching Leria carefully select apples displayed in front of a fruit stall, Eirana remarked,
"You look happy."
"Do I?"
Leria glanced back at her words.
"I figured after thousands of years, most people get numb to simple things like this."
Yet Leria seemed genuinely thrilled by something as mundane as browsing a market.
Considering the vast experiences she must have accumulated over such a lifetime, it was quite remarkable.
"Hmm."
Leria picked up an apple, inspecting it from every angle before speaking.
"You're right. Market shopping isn't all that exciting on its own."
It was just a trivial daily errand.
Even that had become dull and dry for her.
"But strolling through the market with family like this? It's a first for me. That's why I'm enjoying it so much right now."
Eirana scratched her cheek at the response.
Leria, with a faint smile, bought a few apples from the fruit stall and stepped out.
With all her shopping done, she stretched with a satisfied "Ahh—" and turned to Eirana.
"Eirana, let me treat you to some cake. I know a great place."
The place Leria led her to was a fairly large cafe in a bustling district.
Though adorned with quite luxurious interiors, the shop bore traces of age, prompting a puzzled look from Eirana.
"It looks pretty old."
"It opened about two hundred years ago."
Eirana whistled at the answer.
Considering it was human-run, that was an impressive history.
Inside the cafe, it was packed with what appeared to be noble guests.
Mostly teenage girls in their mid-to-late teens, likely visitors to Parkro Ducal Castle.
As this was a public setting, Leria guided Eirana inside in her role as a maid.
The moment Eirana entered, numerous gazes fixed upon her.
The beautiful tutor to Princess Lea was already quite the topic in high society.
Having shown her face to many during this visit, more patrons in the cafe recognized her than expected.
'Feels like I'm about to get dragged into something annoying.'
As Eirana grumbled inwardly, Leria escorted her to an empty window seat.
Then she headed to the counter to place their order.
In the meantime, Eirana surveyed the cafe interior.
Girls around Lea's age clustered in groups, chatting animatedly—a scene that made the place feel like a miniature social hall.
As Eirana grew even more convinced trouble was brewing, the shop door chimed open again with a jingle.
Eirana reflexively glanced over to see an elderly gentleman enter, dressed in a worn but tidy suit.
He seemed slightly flustered by the lively atmosphere filled with girls and walked through the cafe searching for an empty seat.
After circling the interior with soft steps, he looked troubled upon finding none.
Then his eyes landed on Eirana, seated by the window with her chin propped up, and his face lit with surprise.
As he paused before her, narrowing her brows, he approached cautiously, doffed his derby hat, and asked politely,
"Miss, since there are no seats, would it be alright if I joined you?"
At the abrupt request, Eirana gave the old man a quick once-over.
Judging him harmless, she nodded.
He gave a grateful slight bow and took the seat across from her.
'Leria's taking a while.'
Was it because of the crowd? Feeling a touch bored as she waited, the old man opposite her spoke up.
"A face I haven't seen around Helrn... Are you perhaps a visitor here for Duke Parkro's birthday?"
Eirana nodded in response, seizing the chance to alleviate her boredom.
"Something like that. Why do you ask?"
Even at her somewhat curt reply, the old man chuckled heartily.
"Folks my age tend to get awfully curious. Plus..."
He paused briefly before adding,
"You bear a striking resemblance to someone I know. Couldn't help but ask."
Eirana stared straight at him.
Just then, a small commotion erupted from one corner of the shop.
Turning with furrowed brows, Eirana saw three girls in elegant outing dresses blocking Leria's path.
The haughty girls had Leria wearing a deeply troubled smile.
The annoyance she'd dreaded had arrived.
Grumbling inwardly, Eirana rose and approached.
Even the clerk had stepped in to defuse things, but the disturbance showed no signs of calming.
"What's going on?"
As Eirana drew near and asked, the girl in the center glanced at her and snapped,
"Who are you?"
Her sharp tone aimed to seize the initiative, but Eirana didn't blink, merely folding her arms.
"Name's Eirana. And you are?"
The girl bristled at the near-insolent address but flinched at Eirana's icy gaze.
Stung by the sense of being cowed, she raised her voice defiantly.
"I'm the daughter of the Tobid Marquis House. Judging by your name, you must be Princess Lea's tutor."
Tobid Marquis House—a powerful crown prince faction noble in central politics.
And as the marquis, who had one son and one daughter, doted on his girl, this meant she was his cherished daughter.
Eirana's expression turned indifferent as the girl touted her status without giving her name.
"So?"
Eirana didn't even know who the Tobid Marquis was.
Let alone how many children he had.
Even if she did, it wouldn't have fazed her.
Flustered by Eirana's impassive reaction, the girl pressed on.
A tutor was still just a tutor, no matter to a crown prince faction leader's daughter.
Knowing that, she'd tried leveraging her status—only to pick the wrong target.
Had there been no onlookers, the girl might already be rolling on the floor after a beating from Eirana.
Though rattled, she soon twisted her face into a venomous sneer.
As if suffering some grave discourtesy, she cut straight to the point.
"For someone who's Princess Lea's tutor, your maid's manners are atrocious. Utterly lacking in decorum!"
The two girls beside her nodded vigorously.
Eirana tilted her head at the sight.
Leria was kind, gracious, and overflowing with courtesy.
-Shouldn't the master be learning manners from Leria instead?
Silver Fang voiced his doubt.
Vowing to deal with him later, Eirana scanned the surroundings.
The noble girls of similar age had already gathered, eyes gleaming.
'No allies here.'
They seemed to be using Leria as an excuse to pick a fight with her.
Eirana was currently the most famous figure in high society.
And close to the crown prince, no less.
Naturally, she had become an object of envy among the noble girls active in those circles.
They'd been itching for a chance to humiliate her, and here she was in a cafe full of them, accompanied by a maid.
To the clustered noble girls, Eirana looked like easy prey.
This was their ploy to shame her and tarnish her reputation.
Of course, Eirana couldn't care less about high society reputation, but she wasn't good-natured enough to laugh off malice aimed her way.
'How should I crush them?'
As Eirana pondered darkly, Leria tried to intervene.
"Um..."
"How rude! A mere maid, butting in like that!"
Another noble girl beside the Tobid daughter barked at Leria.
A vein throbbed visibly on Eirana's forehead.
'You're dead. I'm going to smash you to pieces.'
As she growled inwardly,
"Such a racket."
All eyes turned to the elderly gentleman who had waded into the commotion's center with a troubled look.
"Ladies, ganging up to trouble someone isn't proper behavior."
He scanned the room with a gentle admonition.
It wasn't aimed solely at the three girls bothering Eirana.
It included the other noble girls whispering and watching.
All of them had been eyeing Eirana's humiliation eagerly.
Eirana glanced sidelong at the old man, while the clerks wore panicked expressions.
The Tobid daughter eyed his attire appraisingly.
A neat but shabby suit. Her face twisted in disdain.
"Who are you? Why are you butting in?"
"Just an old timer. And a regular here, so... a bit of commotion isn't good for the shop."
Despite her scornful gaze, the old man responded with calm composure.
The girls in the shop murmured at the sight of him.
And openly disparaged him where he could hear.
"What a pathetic old fool."
"Right, right. Look at his clothes. What house is he even from?"
"Daring to challenge the Tobid Marquis House from some nobody family. Senile, probably."
The girls, treating the shop like their private social hall, bristled at this intruder into their world.
Humiliating celebrities was prime entertainment at such gatherings.
This old man disrupting their game irked them.
As the Tobid daughter's face grew even smugger,
A man who seemed to be the owner rushed out anxiously from the back.
Simultaneously, the cafe door opened to reveal a neatly suited middle-aged man.
Both halted before the old gentleman and spoke in unison.
"D-Duke! It's been too long!"
"Your Grace, we heard a disturbance and came out. Is there a problem?"
The room's atmosphere froze cold.
"I was in the mood for this place after ages."
The old man—Duke Parkro—chuckled heartily, greeting the owner.
The owner had dashed out upon hearing of the uproar, only to sprint full-tilt when told the duke had gotten caught in it.
'He was the duke?'
As Eirana wore an incredulous expression, the noble girls paled white.
The middle-aged man, apparently the duke's attendant, scowled distastefully at them.
"Jern."
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Return a few of their gifts."
Duke Parkro spoke mildly with a warm smile.
The noble girls, grasping the implication, turned ashen.
They had all fallen out of favor with the kingdom's premier noble house.
'He holds a grudge.'
As Eirana mused at the duke's hearty laugh as if nothing had happened, he approached her.
"Well then, Miss Eirana."
Pausing, he regarded Leria, who had come to Eirana's side, and said,
"If you have time, would you care to join me for a chat in the annex?"