Cassandra Hamel
“So, Master… wouldn’t it be better if I stayed behind?”
“H-Hana unnie alone should be more than enough…”
“Wouldn’t it be better if someone were here to look after you?”
“There won’t even be anyone to share meals with… Won’t you feel lonely?”
“Ah, and we already promised to do it every morning…”
Selena truly did not want to go. She poked half-heartedly at the breakfast the maid had brought, whining the entire time.
But I had already planned everything—raising my Slave Merchant rank through rentals, expanding my slave slots, and even using the bank draft for a Slave Summon. I could not afford to listen to her.
“I should’ve learned some travel magic…”
Selena kept trying to persuade me right up until Ronald, tired of waiting, finally came looking for us. In the end she left with Hana on the expedition to clean up the remaining bandits, still looking thoroughly disappointed.
“I do feel a little bad. I should get her something nice when she gets back.”
Watching Selena glance back over her shoulder as she walked away, I muttered to myself and returned to my room, trying to think of something that would make her happy.
“Hmm… what would be good… Telling her I won’t use her ass would probably make her happiest, but that’s not happening… so something else…”
I racked my brain for a long while, yet nothing came to mind that Selena particularly liked.
“Now that I think about it, I don’t even know what she likes… Haah… I should’ve asked earlier. For now I guess I’ll just go with things women generally like.”
We hadn’t known each other all that long, yet we’d already gone all the way. Realizing how little attention I’d paid her, I sat at the table and made a list of things women supposedly enjoyed.
“Clothes—I already bought a ton… Let’s see… Stuff I saw online that women like: designer bags, high heels, jewelry, perfume, cosmetics… Ah. I already promised to buy cosmetics. Completely forgot. So that one’s out.
Hmm… those are the main categories… Which one should I give her… We’ll keep moving around until we settle on a base, so a bag might not be ideal. High heels either—we walk a lot right now… The only things that wouldn’t get in the way are jewelry or perfume…”
I was still staring at the list when a knock sounded.
Knock knock.
Hmm? Who is it?
“Yes! Who is it!”
I called out while running through the short list of people who might come looking for me. A small voice answered from the other side of the door.
“The young lady has come to visit.”
Young lady? That would be Cassandra. Why would she suddenly…?
I had no real connection with her, so the unexpected visit left me puzzled. Still, we would be traveling together to Stonckul in a few days to meet Aiden. Getting on friendly terms now couldn’t hurt. I opened the door.
Beyond the smoothly opening door stood a young woman with long blue hair cascading down to her waist, her slender frame wrapped in a white dress with subtle embroidery. She was less “beautiful” and more “cute.”
The maid who had knocked and answered for her introduced us both.
“Mir-nim. This is Cassandra-nim, the Count’s daughter. Cassandra-nim, this is Mir-nim, guest of the Count and Sir Ronald.”
Once the maid finished, Cassandra looked me up and down, then lifted the hem of her dress slightly in greeting.
“A pleasure to meet you. I am Cassandra Hamel.”
She was pretty enough to draw the eye, but her figure was far from the lush curves I preferred. I returned the greeting while looking her over in turn.
“Ah. Yes. I’m Han Mir, currently imposing on your hospitality. Ah. Would you like to come in?”
I stepped aside. Cassandra smiled softly.
“Then I’ll impose for a moment. Ah, Lily. Please bring some refreshments.”
After giving the order to the maid who had come with her, Cassandra walked lightly into the room and sat demurely on the sofa by the table.
I took the seat opposite her.
“So… what brings you to see me…?”
At my question, Cassandra answered with that same gentle smile.
“I thought it only proper to greet Father’s guest, so I came to pay my respects. I hope I haven’t been a bother?”
I shook my head at her polite inquiry.
“Ah, not at all. A bother? Of course not.”
Cassandra let out a small laugh.
“Hehe. That’s a relief. I actually meant to visit yesterday, but you were out the entire time, so I couldn’t.”
Uh… well… “out”… wasn’t exactly accurate, but close enough…
“Ahaha… Y-yeah, that happened.”
I laughed awkwardly, remembering how I’d come straight back from shopping and rolled around with Selena. Cassandra’s eyes sparkled as she asked,
“I heard you went out early to look around Hamel. How did you find our city? Father still won’t let me help, so I haven’t contributed anything yet, but I’m still proud of it.”
Uh… what I saw yesterday… was basically just the shopping…
Faced with her pride-filled question, I couldn’t exactly say the only things I’d seen were sexy lingerie, a dwarven forge getting half-wrecked, and weapons. So I fumbled through the boasts Count Hamel had rattled off yesterday while trying to keep me here.
“Uh… it… it was full of life. Yes. Lots of people. Plenty of strange goods coming across the sea. Yes. That’s right. Ah. The food was delicious too.”
Cassandra smiled in satisfaction at the impressions I’d just invented.
“Hehe. Right? This is the place Father and our ancestors built. And the place I will make even more prosperous.”
She spoke with quiet resolve, gazing out the window as if she could see the heart of Hamel that wasn’t visible from here. Watching her made my chest tighten.
In a few days she would leave with me for Aiden, and I already knew her dream was all but impossible.
Of all people, she had to get tangled up with that bastard…
I was looking at Cassandra—destined to become part of Aiden’s “cock collection”—with pity when she turned from the window and spoke to me.
“How silly of me. Getting all sentimental in front of a guest. I’m sorry. Thinking about how I won’t be able to see it myself for a while just… got to me.”
Huh? Won’t be able to see it herself?
Remembering what Selena had said, I tilted my head in confusion.
Cassandra, who had just left me puzzled, pointed at the traces of my gift-list struggle and smoothly changed the subject.
“Is this a list of things you plan to buy for your companions?”
I couldn’t keep fretting in front of her, so I set the faint question aside for now and answered.
“They went out on an expedition for my sake, so I wanted to get them something. But I’m not sure what would make them happy.”
Cassandra smiled at my reply and toyed with the ring on her right ring finger.
“Of course. Men usually aren’t very good at this sort of thing. Still, don’t worry. Anything from someone you like is precious, no matter what it is.”
She was looking down at the ring with a strangely wistful expression. I said,
“Even so, I’d rather give them something they’ll actually like if I can.”
Cassandra thought for a moment, then offered,
“Hmm… Then would you like to choose together with me? I was already planning to look around the commercial district today.”
Sitting in my room fretting was less useful than picking things out with someone who actually knew what women liked—and who was well-versed in jewelry and perfume, my top candidates. I nodded.
“If you’d do that for me, I’d be truly grateful.”
A short while later, Cassandra led me to a somewhat shabby jewelry shop tucked in a corner of the commercial district.
“It can’t compare to a dwarf who specialized in gem-cutting, but the craftsman who runs this place is skilled enough that people come from the Eastern lands across the sea just to see him.”
After introducing the shop’s history, Cassandra stepped inside.
I followed. Under soft lighting, glittering precious metals surrounded a somewhat rough-looking old man with a loupe hanging beside one eye. He had been sketching something and now looked up to greet us.
Edmund Harvey… His status shows Jewel Craftsman S, so he really is a jeweler…
I was checking the status window of the old man—Edmund—who looked enough like a pirate that I would have believed it, when a deep voice filled the shop.
“What brings the young lady here?”
Edmund asked, pretending not to know her. Cassandra answered with a smile.
“Obviously I came to buy a few of your pieces, Elder.”
Hearing her bright voice, Edmund gave a short snort of laughter.
“If the young lady herself has come, I can’t very well show her ordinary goods. Follow me.”
With that, Edmund strode into a room behind a curtain.
We followed. Lavishly crafted jewelry boxes filled with gemstone sets greeted both me and Cassandra.
Whoa!
I knew next to nothing about jewelry, but my instincts screamed that these pieces were absurdly expensive. While I was still staring in awe, Edmund spoke.
“Go ahead and choose. Ah, by the way—this freeloader… this man next to you. Is he the young lady’s boyfriend?”