Chapter 25

“……”

It didn’t seem to be a very helpful explanation.

Anyway, he stopped walking and looked back at Louise.

“Louise?”

“Yes?”

He was really shocked that Louise was even considering selling her hair.

It made him wonder if she felt threatened for their livelihood, and it shattered his pride as the head of the family.

There was no way he could stand by while the woman he lived with sold her hair for money.

This was not just about Louise, but also about Eloise and his mother.

“Please go back home first. I need to go back to the information dealer.”

“The information dealer?”

“Yes. I’ll escort you to the carriage.”

“Oh… But where is this information dealer located?”

“Luden.”

“Luden?”

“Luden?!”

Alec was slightly taken aback.

Louise and Eloise were startled by the mention of Luden, almost as if they were horrified.

“Is the information dealer you mentioned located in Luden? Are you sure it’s okay for you to go alone?”

“…Yes?”

Did I say something wrong?

Luden was the most bustling and glamorous place in the capital of the Rilt Empire.

All the most prominent aristocrats in high society frequented it, and it housed the shops of the most skilled artisans in various fields.

Moreover, it was home to the largest banks, department stores, and grocery stores in the Empire, as well as the townhouses of the aristocrats.

Seeing his puzzled expression, Louise spoke up.

“Oh, I was just worried you might be harassed there.”

…Ah.

Come to think of it, he did recall being harassed near Luden once before.

“That’s not a problem anymore. I’ve been there before.”

“Ah, then okay. But since you’re already out, why don’t you go with me—”

“Oh, no. I don’t want to go there.”

Eloise interrupted Louise, clinging to her arm like she was linking arms with her.

She looked like she was on the verge of tears, horrified at the thought of going to Luden.

“If we go there, I might run into other people. And I’m wearing this weird dress right now…”

“……”

Luden was a place frequented by high-ranking nobles.

Given their current fallen status, Eloise’s reluctance to go was understandable.

Not just Eloise, but the entire family was rotating through a few sets of clothes they managed to take with them when they were evicted.

After a moment of consideration, Louise said to him,

“Then I think it’s better if I stay here and look around a bit more with Eloise. Be careful, Alec.”

“Understood.”

Alec responded quietly.

In the light shining down, Louise’s hair gleamed brilliantly, catching his eye.

Even though it wasn’t his hair, the thought of it almost being cut off for money made him feel strange.

Alec thought he might as well pile up gold coins in a chest in their empty room.

‘Gideon.’

Before leaving the market, he summoned his minion.

[Growl?]

‘Follow my family secretly.’

They were too conspicuous, so he didn’t know what might happen.

* * *

Alec leaves for Luden, leaving me and Eloise alone in the marketplace.

Luden felt like a dragon’s lair to us, so I couldn’t help but feel uneasy about sending him there alone.

What if he gets hurt?

Especially if he runs into those nobles who look down on him the most?

The names of those vile people flashed through my mind.

‘But he should be okay. He’s already been there alone without any servants once before…’

I tried to push away my worries about Alec.

Was it just my imagination, or did the 10 gold in my hand feel heavy?

It was precious because I earned it myself, and I felt a weight that made me not want to spend it carelessly.

As I turned around, I glanced around and froze.

I had locked eyes with two children squatting in a distant corner.

They seemed to have been watching me for a while, and when I noticed them, they quickly ducked their heads in surprise.

I stared at them silently.

Their hair was tangled with dust, their faces were dirty, their lips were dry, their hands were caked with dirt, and their clothes were shabby.

They were really cute children, but they didn’t seem to be receiving proper care, which made my heart ache.

And the small round bowl placed in front of them.

There were many children like them everywhere in the Empire.

But in places like Luden, frequented by aristocrats, they were often driven away.

Are those children also part of an organization that exploits kids to beg?

There were said to be quite a few such organizations that exploited children.

It weighed on my heart, regardless of the situation of any child.

“Sis, what are you doing? Let’s go.”

“Oh, okay.”

When Eloise tugged at me, I reluctantly answered and started walking again.

We began looking for groceries to buy.

There were quite a few street snacks for sale, but surprisingly, Eloise didn’t ask me to buy anything.

It seemed the street vendors didn’t look as clean as those in Luden.

I found a decent shop and bought some potatoes, bread, and jerky for the 10 gold coins. Then, I handed a bundle of food to the children I had seen earlier.

Eloise looked at me with surprised eyes, and the children blinked their big eyes at me.

I knelt down to their eye level and placed the bundle in their hands.

“…You kids have such clear eyes. It’s cold, so go home early. This has jerky, bread, and potatoes in it.”

“……”

“Th-thank you.”

One child couldn’t bring themselves to speak, and the other thanked me, bewildered.

I smiled faintly.

Seeing the children happy made me feel a bit more at ease.

Then, I suddenly wondered if this act of kindness and sympathy was really for the children or for myself.

If I had just walked past them, I would have felt uneasy. Was I doing this for my own comfort…?

No, if the kids could have a full meal, that was all that mattered.

The children exchanged glances and then politely bowed.

“Thank you for the food.”

“You’re welcome.”

The children, who looked up at me one last time, soon disappeared somewhere.

As I started walking again, I heard Eloise muttering behind me.

“If you were going to do that, why did we shear the wool? Why did we come all the way here to sell the wool?”

I ignored Eloise’s words, pretending not to hear them.

I used the remaining money to buy more staple crops and returned home.

After all, we still had plenty of lamb at home.

“Potatoes again…”

Eloise whimpered a little in the carriage, but it didn’t matter.

There was no ingredient as versatile, delicious, and nutritious as potatoes.

Suddenly, I had a good idea and slyly tested Eloise.

“Do you want to eat something more delicious?”

“Huh?”

“Then how about you shear one sheep a day from tomorrow? Ten sheep will make 100 gold coins.”

“Me…?”

“Of course. The sheep are really gentle. Even a lady like you, who grew up delicately, can do it without getting hurt.”

“Really…?”

“Of course.”

I nodded twice, making it look very easy.

Still, Eloise seemed hesitant, so I threw in another bait.

“Then I’ll give you all the money from selling the wool.”

“Really?”

Seeing her interest piqued, I nodded even more enthusiastically.

While part of me wanted to offload the tedious labor onto Eloise, I also intended to help her become self-sufficient in the future.

But Eloise’s eyes narrowed.

“Do you think I’m stupid? Why do you think my brother went to the information dealer? He went to get money, so you wouldn’t have to sell your hair.”

“…”

My excited expression gradually faded.

Eloise wasn’t easily fooled, always thinking one step ahead.

She then looked out the window and muttered to herself.

“They don’t even love each other, yet he cares so much about her hair?”

* * *

Before I knew it, night had fallen.

After a simple late dinner with the family, I was reading a book in the drawing room when I decided to step outside.

‘When is he coming back?’

It was almost midnight, yet Alec had not returned.

Even though Luden was far, he would have been back by now if things had wrapped up quickly. It seemed the matter with the information dealer wasn’t resolved promptly.

‘But are there any more secrets worth selling to the information dealer?’

What kind of book did he read…?

I thought it was a one-time thing, but I was surprised when he said he would go again to the information dealer.

It was astonishing enough that the book he read had information about Prince Ridit’s location. I wondered what kind of deal he was making now…

As I paced outside, Alec’s words from earlier replayed in my mind.

“I can find more money even today. Even if things get worse, I don’t want you to sacrifice your hair.”

His concerned yet resolute words.

I recalled the peculiar flutter in my chest at that moment.

It seemed my talk of selling my hair had truly shocked him.

If he had let me sell my hair, I would have felt hurt in a different way…

I exhaled deeply and pressed my hand against my chest.

Even if he returned empty-handed, I just wanted him to come back soon.

Suddenly, I froze.

Something was approaching from the darkness far away.

Did I see it wrong?

I widened my eyes and focused.

The night was thick with fog, making everything blurry.

Through the murky air, I heard the sound of hooves striking the ground.

Clip-clop, clip-clop…

And the sound of wheels pressing against the damp ground.

A carriage?

Listening to the sound of the horse approaching through the foggy night felt like hearing a hallucination.

The faint sound of hooves gradually grew clearer, and a shape began to emerge through the dark mist.

Moonlight illuminated a white muzzle, dispersing the fog. A white mane fluttered in the wind.

Like a scene from a dream, a white horse galloped into my view in slow motion. There were two more horses behind it.

And the person magnificently steering the carriage was…

“Alec?”

I leaned forward, hardly believing my eyes.

The tall man, who looked unmistakably like Alec, halted the carriage and leaped down from the driver’s seat in one swift motion.

The black cloak draped over his shoulders fluttered majestically, like that of a knight.