Chapter 23

I didn’t expect much anyway.

My mother-in-law got up and walked down the hill without even looking back at me.

Even though the path was gently sloped, her steps were smooth and graceful, as if she were walking on flat ground.

Is this what it means to be born a noble?

I soon returned to the mansion and gathered the necessary items for shearing the sheep: a suitable day, a sack, and gloves.

As it was a house that raised sheep, the storage had quite a few tools related to sheep.

I had never done it before, but I didn’t want to just sit around doing nothing.

‘I need to do something productive.’

Although Alec had managed to bring in some money by chance, I couldn’t keep relying on my husband.

Eventually, that money would run out too.

We would soon need to buy groceries and daily necessities.

Fortunately, wool was an item that could be easily bought and sold.

I thought about asking Eloise or Alec to join me, but in the end, I left the mansion alone.

‘I can always ask for help if it gets too difficult.’

I tied my hat securely and fastened my voluminous dress with a string before approaching the sheep.

I chose the slowest and gentlest-looking sheep and touched its wool.

The outside was a bit yellowish, as if covered in dirt, but inside it was very white and fluffy.

I gently patted the sheep.

“I’ll wax you gently, so stay still for a bit.”

Baa—

The sheep bleated its characteristic sound, even though it probably didn’t understand my words.

I used a large blade, resembling a razor, to shear the wool. Seeing the fluffy wool pile up made me feel quite good.

Even after shearing just one sheep, I had a significant amount of wool.

After preparing to leave, I gathered the wool.

Fortunately, there was a cart in the storage, so I could take the wool to the market without a carriage.

As I headed upstairs to find Alec, he happened to be coming down to the first floor.

“Alec?”

“…Louise.”

Noticing me at the same time, he approached with a slightly puzzled look.

He seemed curious about my intention to go somewhere, judging by my outdoor attire.

He tilted his head slightly.

“Where are you going?”

“Yes. What were you doing? Can you come to the market with me if you’re free?”

“The market?”

“Yes. It’s my first time going alone, and I have to carry the wool. Will you come with me?”

I was a bit worried.

He had previously refused my request to share a room.

Would he really refuse to accompany me to the market, even with the load to carry?

“Wool? Did you shear the sheep?”

“Oh, I tried shearing one to see if I could sell the wool.”

“I see. Shall we leave now?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Fortunately, he nodded quietly.

Sparkle.

My eyes brightened as I looked at Alec.

Is this, perhaps, a date just the two of us…?

At home, there was no chance to spend time alone, as other family members were always around.

I was excited at the thought of spending some quality time together on the way to the market.

‘Oh dear, I’m being silly.’

Just as I turned my head, blushing slightly.

“The market?!”

A voice suddenly erupted between Alec and me.

“What? Where are you going?”

Eloise, who had been lounging in the parlor, rushed out.

I clamped my mouth shut and averted my gaze.

‘What? Are you planning to come along? Just go back and play with your mother.’

Grab.

But my sister-in-law clutched my arm tightly, her eyes shimmering pitifully.

“Take me with you.”

“…”

Why do bad premonitions always come true?

“I want to go somewhere with lots of people. It’s too boring here…”

I glanced at Alec. At that moment, our eyes met as he was also looking at me.

“…”

Right.

Alec was at a loss too.

“Hmm…”

Pretending to consider, I turned slightly away from Eloise and spoke worriedly.

“The market here isn’t as clean as the capital. You might not be able to handle it, Eloise.”

“Really?”

Her eyebrows furrowed as if she had just seen something dirty.

I inwardly smiled with relief.

“So, you stay safely at home.”

“…Okay.”

Finally, Eloise let go of my arm, looking a bit sullen.

Whew, we almost had our couple’s date interrupted.

As I was about to leave again, my sister-in-law grabbed my arm tightly once more.

“No! I’ll just come with you.”

“…”

“But it’s so boring staying at home all the time…”

D*mn it.

I bit my lip and turned fully, giving her a narrow-eyed look.

I couldn’t bring myself to say that Alec and I wanted to go alone.

* * *

We took a carriage that traveled along a path through the woods.

The carriage, which stopped at a nearby market and continued to the capital, was filled with strangers.

It must have been Eloise’s first time riding a carriage with other people, as she clung tightly to my arm, not letting go.

Even before we arrived at the market, Eloise’s eyebrows were furrowed in visible displeasure.

She pushed me toward the window, determined not to touch anyone else.

My eyes narrowed.

“Eloise? Should I let you sit on my lap?”

“Really? Can I?”

“No, of course not. If you’re really uncomfortable, I’ll switch places with you.”

“No way. If this carriage suddenly tips over, no one will be able to catch me. I prefer the middle.”

“…”

Her words made me clench my fists involuntarily.

I could feel Alec’s eyes on me and Eloise as he listened to our conversation.

Soon, he turned to look out the window again.

I glanced at him, sitting opposite.

Once I started looking at his face, it was hard to look away.

‘Honestly, it’s been three years, but he still looks so handsome.’

How do I never get tired of this?

Of course, we were nothing more than a window-dressing couple and names on a registry.

The only good thing is that in all my previous lives and this one, I’ve never seen a man as handsome as him in real life.

After getting off the carriage, we headed to a store that dealt with wool.

Eloise clung to my arm the entire time we walked through the market.

“Sister. Why are there so many people here, and why is it so dirty?”

“That’s because you’ve only lived in clean places, Eloise.”

“This market is completely different from what I know. Sniff.”

Eloise looked like she was about to cry.

I suppressed my urge to knock some sense into her and replied.

“I told you it wasn’t a good idea to come. Now that you know what it’s like, don’t follow me here again.”

“…Sniff.”

Despite my cold tone, she clung to me even more tightly.

Thinking about the intruder ruining our date, I sighed inwardly and looked up at Alec.

He was dazzlingly white.

In this shabby and worn-out place, he alone was shining.

People passing by were staring at him in a daze.

Even a commoner child, only about three or four years old, couldn’t take their eyes off us.

“Wow. He looks like an angel.”

…Right?

The members of the Brent family were renowned for their beauty in social circles.

If there was a standout presence among the chandeliers and various dresses of the grand ballroom, it was Alec and me.

…Although Alec attracted a bit more attention than I did.

For someone like him to be in a market, where nobility rarely ventured, it must have been quite shocking for the onlookers.

I looked around the market again.

If it weren’t for losing our title and having our assets seized by the tyrant, we wouldn’t have had to walk here.

Women pulling carts, children following their mothers, men busy carrying loads.

There was no leisure in the faces and postures of the people in the bustling market.

They were marked by the hardships of life and the worries of making a living.

“…”

Nearly four years of exploitation and oppression had taken their toll.

Law and order were no longer on the people’s side, and the value of labor continued to plummet.

Taxes soared frighteningly with each passing quarter.

Even the nobility were not exempt, and our family had to continuously sell off land.

Alec had taken on most of the taxes himself to lessen the burden on the tenants, so our wealth diminished even faster.

Compared to when the tyrant first ascended to the throne four years ago, our family’s assets had dwindled to less than one-tenth.

But our losses were nothing compared to those of the commoners.

Compared to those who truly struggled to make ends meet…

“Ah, it seems that’s the store.”

His sudden exclamation startled me, and I turned to look.

A store with a sheep painted on its glass window caught my eye.