“I’ll return as quickly as possible.”

“You can take your time. What’s important is that you explain the situation thoroughly to Father and accurately relay his opinions.”

The secretary who had accompanied Serena seemed uncomfortable leaving her side, having been assisting the Marquis with practical matters. However, Serena herself didn’t appear particularly concerned.

“I understand your worry, but even without you, there are other attendants here, and they’ve promised to take good care of me, so nothing will happen while I’m here.”

“But they’re merely servants who came to attend to you. If contract discussions suddenly arise while I’m away…”

Serena let out a small laugh. A subtle smile bloomed on her pretty face, which had remained emotionless like a perfectly crafted doll.

“So?”

“P-pardon?”

“Without you, what? Does that make a significant difference?”

How amusing. Serena found the secretary’s underlying sense of superiority pathetic. It was both ridiculous and laughable that he still viewed her as a childish girl just because he had learned some work at her father’s side.

No matter how many years he had served as her father’s secretary, it couldn’t compare to Serena, for whom family affairs had been part of life since birth.

Her seemingly pleased expression and voice tinged with laughter appeared merely friendly, but the secretary felt chills down his spine. He had misjudged her based on her still youthful appearance. With this sudden realization, he hastily tucked the letter away and straightened his posture.

“Not at all. I merely follow your orders, my lady.”

Serena stared at him silently before waving her hand dismissively.

“Presumptuous without knowing his place.”

Changing into comfortable indoor clothes, Serena lamented inwardly. She already knew many attendants still treated her merely as the young lady of the family. That wasn’t entirely incorrect, so she didn’t blame them. 

Besides, she hadn’t started working to gain anyone’s recognition. However, it would be problematic if such behavior that showed a lack of understanding of boundaries accumulated and interfered with her work.

Thinking she needed to establish some discipline, she enjoyed the gentle massage from the maid who was kneading her shoulders, feeling relaxed.

“My lady, what shall we do about tomorrow’s schedule?”

The maid Daisy carefully inquired about plans after finishing arranging the bedding. Sitting on the inviting bed, Serena fell into thought for a moment.

“Since I’ve unintentionally received a vacation, I should use it productively, shouldn’t I?”

With no knowledge of when the Duke would return, and considering it would take several days for a response to the letter sent to her father, she needed to make a show of enjoying herself in the meantime. After giving instructions for several activities, Serena lay down on the bed with an enigmatic smile.

* * *

An ornate carriage traveled along the neatly maintained road before gradually slowing down. Stepping out of the stopped carriage, Serena gazed at the Éclassique shopping district, which overwhelmed visitors with its splendor from the very buildings.

“Azure may be chaotic, but it’s certainly not a boring city.”

The Éclassique shopping district, known for handling only the most expensive and high-quality goods in Azure, was quiet unlike other bustling areas of Azure.

Éclassique was a massive market evaluated to have higher quality and variety of goods even compared to the capital. 

However, due to the nature of the merchandise, the main customers were nobles or high-ranking officials, so the number of visitors wasn’t particularly high. Of course, the transaction amounts exchanged inside were beyond imagination.

During her academy days, it had been something of a tradition for noble children to visit Éclassique on days when outings were permitted, seeking freedom from their usual constraints, so the place was familiar to Serena. 

In truth, she hadn’t visited often, preferring to stay at the academy engaged in more productive activities unless absolutely necessary.

“Where shall we go first, my lady?”

At Daisy’s question, Serena moved without hesitation. She had already thoroughly researched the stores here, so there was no need for deliberation.

It was a simple market survey. She wanted to see the actual sales status of items she had only understood through documents until now, and since northern and southern regions likely had different preferences, she wanted to observe those differences as well.

Serena deliberately revealed her identity to store owners while extracting the information she wanted. 

Using her family name was the most effective way to obtain reliable information, and above all, she wanted the Duke, who was surely receiving reports from somewhere, to quickly learn that she was actively exploring various parts of Azure.

Serena visited only shops not directly managed by the Duke’s family throughout Éclassique, and only after touring all the major stores did she head toward the deepest part of the district with somewhat satisfied feelings.

Next to the entrance of the shop boasting the longest history in Éclassique hung an elegant ‘Shop Association President’ mark.

“Welcome, my lady.”

After examining imported magical vessel material samples circulating in Azure for quite some time without stating any particular purpose for her visit, Serena quietly lowered her voice to the owner.

“Where can I find a jewelry store with the most skilled craftsman here?”

“All craftsmen in Éclassique boast exceptional skills, so you won’t be disappointed wherever you go.”

“I want a jewelry store with an attached craftsman’s workshop. I’d prefer to avoid overly famous shops, as I want to avoid commonplace designs. I’m looking for a craftsman who creates original pieces, regardless of price or timeframe.”

“Ah, perhaps?”

“That’s right. I’d like you to recommend ‘the Shop Beyond the Curtain.'”

The shop owner realized that Serena had deliberately visited his shop, the one with the longest tradition in Éclassique, to ask about this. If that was the case, her choice was correct. No one knew the shops of Éclassique as thoroughly as he did.

Especially since she had specifically mentioned ‘the Shop Beyond the Curtain.’ This meant she was looking for the entrance to a secret market accessible only to special individuals, not the shops prominently displayed along the main street.

“You’re aware of the conditions, I presume?”

“Of course.”

First, one must be an adult.

Second, one must belong to a family with at least the rank of Count.

Third, one must have transaction records of at least 400 gold within the last three months in Éclassique.

The secret market, which selected shops solely based on the craftsman’s ability and the value of goods, had gained a reputation as the empire’s finest market despite its limited accessibility. A place free from anyone’s interference. A market that existed yet didn’t exist.

Since shop owners’ backgrounds or the sources of goods were occasionally questionable, no one officially acknowledged its existence. However, no one denied that goods from there occasionally flowed into the imperial palace through unofficial routes.

“You seem to have already satisfied the first two conditions, and for the last one, here.”

At Serena’s nod, Daisy presented a stack of papers. These were receipts for items Serena had purchased while touring Éclassique today.

The shop owner and association president inwardly shook his head at Serena’s boldness in meeting the third condition by spending such an amount in half a day, let alone a full day. 

Moreover, looking at the contents, she hadn’t just bought expensive luxury items but had swept up magical research materials, nearly depleting Éclassique’s inventory.

‘It’ll be quite a struggle to replenish this quantity for a while.’

The association president concealed his dismay and continued his explanation politely while returning the receipts.

“You may be accompanied by only one person, limited to someone employed by your family. When you exit, show this token to the coachman of the carriage with a black flag. The jewelry store with the most skilled craftsman you were looking for earlier is at Beresht 3.”

“Thank you.”

An entry token with a torn curtain pattern made of gold on black wood was placed in Serena’s hand. Although the token was only valid for a week, making it not particularly cost-effective, cost-effectiveness was meaningless to those who sought this place.

The carriage with the black flag carrying Serena began to move toward Beresht 3, a place that didn’t exist in official records.