Dachiso 12: [Today's Diary]

"Lucresia, do you know what you did wrong today?"

Lucresia raised one eyebrow at the question disguised as a scolding and pondered deeply.

What did I do wrong?

First, any physical injuries?

No.

What about mental ones? Hmm. This might take some thought.

But probably just a little startled, right?

The dried pollack turning yellow is none of my business.

That was her conclusion.

"Nothing."

"Ah... haa...."

The Duchess couldn't hold back her sigh.

The current Duke and Duchess didn't want to be authoritarian like the previous generation. They didn't want their daughter to endure the same pressures they had.

So they'd raised her quite freely.

No, too permissively?

Looking back now, it felt like neglect.

She recalled her daughter as a child. Graffiti on the mansion ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠walls when she didn't like her lessons, swapping sugar for salt before tea time with her mother, drawing a mustache on her dozing father.

Thinking about it, they all seemed like acts begging for affection.

But now, at this point where her daughter was just entering adulthood, showering her with affection as desired might backfire.

As long as it doesn't have the opposite effect...

Either way, all she could do was sigh. She had no idea what to do.

"Haa...."

"Why? What?"

Meanwhile, Lucresia was just as clueless as the Duchess about how to handle this. Having lived into her early thirties before regressing twelve years, she felt like she was being scolded by a sister-like figure.

Mom was this young?

She hadn't realized. Back then, the Duchess at this age had seemed like a towering mountain.

...And those breasts too.

Lucresia's gaze drifted from the Duchess's face down to her chest.

She'd once worried if hers would grow that big someday.

No need to worry, though.

She'd experienced it in the future—hers wouldn't get that enormous. Hers were decently sized even now, but the Duchess's were on the verge of spilling over.

"Daughter, where are you looking?"

"Ack!"

She must've stared too intently. The Duchess spread her hand to cover her cleavage, then arched one eyebrow.

She thought it was a pervy gaze.

"Ehehehe."

"...You really don't know what you did wrong?"

"Nope."

"Not even that you've put the duke's mansion in danger because of you?"

It was just as Lucresia had expected. The difference was that she trusted someone. But she couldn't explain everything here, so she bowed her head in apology for now.

"I'm sorry about that."

"...You know apologizing just to me isn't enough, right?"

"Yes. And..."

"Hm?"

"There won't be any of the troubles you're worried about. Probably."

Lucresia's pupils sparkled with conviction as she said it. The Duchess stared into those eyes, sighed, closed hers, and pinched her brow.

"I get it. Go on now."

"Yees~."

"Visit your father too, got it?"

"Yees, yees."

"Hey!"

"Understood, Your Grace."

"Lucresia!"

From the moment she'd been told to leave, Lucresia had been inching toward the door. She'd been plotting mischief all along.

"Uhihihi!"

Tadak-tadak—

She bolted out the door like a shot. The Duchess followed her into the hall, but her daughter was already a distant speck.

"Haa.... ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Who does she take after?"

Then, her old maid waiting outside chuckled and added,

"Who else?"

"Haa?"

"Nothing, Your Grace."

"You too...!"

The old maid gazed at the spot where the unseen young lady had passed, smiling faintly. The image of the Duchess as a child overlapped there.

"You pulled a prank or two in your youth as well, Madam."

"That... ahem."

"No one imagined you'd swing on the swing set, fly up, and hang from a tree."

"Kh-hm. Can't you drop it now, Emma? I'm getting old too, it's embarrassing...."

"Yees."

The old maid sometimes imagined it. The wild young lady someday meeting someone she loved, getting engaged, bearing a child. And one day smiling like a mother, just like the current Duchess.

"Someday, the young lady will recognize your true feelings too."

Just as the Duchess had met the kind duke, gotten engaged, had a child, and matured.

She would too.

Far off, the lady looked like a dot. Her lively expression suggested she'd pulled off another light prank somewhere.

I liked seeing her with that face.

"Lady!"

"Huh? Why are you in front of my room?"

The lady tilted her head curiously, her now waist-length hair brushing her cheek.

Time for a trim.

She'll ask me to cut it again soon.

As I thought that, she approached and nudged my shin with her shoe's toe, like she wanted something.

What?

"So, what about that thing?"

"That thing?"

Really, what? I tilted my head at the ceiling, pretending ignorance, and her face gradually turned demonic. No, in the sunset glow on her skin, she looked like a demon king now.

"That thing! You said you'd make chocolate snacks before Mom dragged me off!"

"...Ah."

"Ah?! What did you just say?! Ah?!"

I'd forgotten.

After the lady was hauled off by the Duchess, I'd been shuttling between merchant groups for makgeolli mid-distribution. I'd been waiting here to report the results.

How could I make such a mistake...!

I didn't want to excuse it as being too busy. I'd built expectations by saying I'd prepare it, then let her down—that was a mistake.

"I'm sorry, Lady! I'll prepare it right—"

"Forget it."

"Eh?"

Was she really disappointed? Peering ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠into her eyes late, they sparkled with calm and anticipation mixed.

But somehow...

Not expecting dessert?

She was expecting chocolate, but something else more.

"You have something to say, right?"

"Yes. Just now, the merchant groups..."

"Makgeolli?"

"...Yes. How did you know?"

I hadn't even mentioned going today.

"Hmm, intuition...?"

"Aha."

As expected, beast instincts. She nails everything on gut feeling just by breathing.

That's how she caught the crown prince's affair too...

"Your eyes look weird right now?"

"Ack!"

"Hmmm, I'll let it slide for now. Spill it quick."

"Phew...."

I sighed in relief from deep in my chest, organized my report mentally, and spoke.

"First, all the merchant groups reacted positively to makgeolli sales. But..."

"Yeah. But?"

"Umm... But they weren't too cooperative about the sales targets."

"Why?"

As soon as sales targets came up, her mood soured visibly.

Ugh, the legendary demon king is about to resurface.

Look at that single eyebrow arching smoothly. It could roll a ball.

"Spit it out already?"

"Ah! Most of the guild leaders seemed to want noble connections."

"Hm... 'Most' means some didn't?"

"Yes. Exactly one welcomed selling to commoners, in fact."

I'd run my legs off till they blurred, and only one? Pitiful. But that one was a godsend. Her expression softened a bit, and my pounding heart settled.

I took a small breath and added,

"It's a mid-tier group called Dachiso Merchant Group."

"Hm... First time hearing it. What kind of group?"

Honestly, when I first saw the name, I was skeptical. No Korean wouldn't know that brand.

So I'd tested it.

[Have you heard of kimchi?]

And my hunch was spot on.

[Wh-wh-what?! How?! Th-that?!]

She'd flung her long braided purple hair and shaken my shoulders wildly.

Anyway, after calming her, the talk went smoothly. Should be fine, right?

"Their goods aren't high-value enough for noble suppliers."

"Then?"

"But mid-quality at low prices makes them hugely popular with commoners."

"Oh ho."

Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Uh...?

Sudden gut feeling: These two must never meet.

It prickled my skin and thudded in my brain.

"......."

I recalled the reception room where I'd met the guild leader. Display cases ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠filling every space but the desk, stuffed with countless liquor varieties.

…No way!

I blurted desperately,

"I'll take responsibility and wrap it u—"

"Shall we meet them tomorrow?"

"p it...."

"What?"

"No.... Tomorrow.... Yes.... I'll prepare...."

I'm screwed.