***

Chirp chirp- The next morning, I woke up to the morning sunlight and sparrow chirping, struggling to get up, but my eyes wouldn’t open. It was because of all the crying I did yesterday. My head felt heavy too.

“Ugh, I’m dying. It’s incredibly swollen.”

As I approached the mirror, what I saw was a face puffed up like a balloon. Anyone could tell it was the face of someone who had cried mercilessly the day before. My eyes were even worse, so swollen that even my double eyelids had disappeared.

But to think that even such a swollen face is pretty. As I was marveling anew at Lora’s beauty, there was a knock at the door.

Knock knock-

“My lady, it’s Irena.”

“Come in.”

Irena came in to wake me up but stepped back in shock when she saw my appearance.

“Oh my! My lady, I’ll bring something for a compress.”

“Is it that serious?”

“Well… You’re still pretty though.”

It was serious, that’s what she meant. As Irena left and I was pressing around my eyes in front of the mirror, there was another knock.

Knock knock-

“You’re back already? Come in. Oh, it’s Demian.”

It wasn’t Irena returning quickly, but Demian.

He strode up to me and stared intently at my face.

“My lady, have you been crying?”

“Hmm. Something happened yesterday.”

“At the tea party?”

“How did you know? But why are you here?”

“Sigh, why do you just take it there? We’ve received a message from the Helena merchant group.”

He let out a soft sigh, and I, who hadn’t actually just taken it, had nothing to say.

“Turn it on. Demian, are you not a butler but a messenger?”

“Don’t say strange things with that swollen face.”

“Saying strange things to your master-“

Whoosh-

Before I could finish speaking, he turned on the image sphere. The light entered my eyes directly before I had a chance to defend.

“Ah, it’s bright! Demian! What are you doing?”

“Didn’t you tell me to turn it on?”

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you? Do you want to fight?”

“What childish nonsense is that?”

“Ah, um, it’s nice to see you two getting along so well in the morning, but could you stop fighting and pay attention to me? Gasp! My lady, what happened to your face?”

Casto, who had been watching our fight through the image sphere, interrupted Demian’s words. Then he was shocked when he saw my face as I turned.

“What? It’s just cute. Don’t ask. Anyway, what’s the matter? Is there a problem?”

I asked him, full of irritation.

“No, calling yourself cute, my lady, really. Hahaha. What matter? You look beautiful today as always.”

I glared at him as he contradicted me with a strange expression, and he quickly changed his words.

“So why did you call?”

“Of course, I’m calling to let you know we’ve sold all the goods.”

“Already?”

“Of course! Who do you think I am? I’m the Hel-“

Knock knock-

“Who is it?”

“My lady. It’s me! And Administrator Dawson is here too.”

Irena and Dawson conveniently interrupted Casto’s boasting.

“Come in. You’ve arrived at a good time. You can listen together.”

“Hello, my lady. What’s wrong with your eyes?”

Dawson, who had entered the room, widened his eyes when he saw me. At this point, I was genuinely annoyed.

“Please, just leave it. That’s why you’re not popular with women.”

“What? What did I do…? And what do you mean I’m not popular with women.”

Dawson, who got scolded for asking unnecessarily for the third time, looked hurt as if I had hit a sore spot.

“Haha. My lady, come this way. I’ve brought some ice for your eyes.”

“Okay.”

Irena, with a troubled expression, soothed me as I threw a tantrum and laid me down on the sofa.

I obediently lay down on the sofa as she instructed and placed the ice pack Irena had made on my eyes.

Irena, seemingly concerned about her lady lying down in front of men, brought a blanket and wrapped me up like a caterpillar.

The three men watched this series of events as if dumbfounded, and we paid no attention to them.

“Irena. Are you done?”

“Yes! My lady!”

I could hear the satisfaction in her tone. It was truly admirable to see her working so diligently.

“Now, continue with your report. You said you sold the goods?”

“Yes.”

Somehow, his voice seemed less enthusiastic than before. He couldn’t tolerate listlessness.

“You know I’m listening with my ears, right? Report properly.”

“Sigh, I contacted the Asuka Empire and sold the goods.”

I was about to comment on Casto’s sigh, but I perked up my ears at the words that followed.

“How many times the price did they buy them for?”

“A thousand times.”

“Oh, well done.”

To be honest, I had expected it could be sold for this much, so it wasn’t that surprising. It was a monopoly on the item, after all. Moreover, considering that I had bought it at 10% of the market price, it was sold for a hundred times the original price.

“…Is that all?”

“Hm? What else?”

So I praised him casually. Then Casto, looking frustrated, beat his chest and complained.

“Do you know how much effort I put into selling these like this…! Ah! And by the way, have you ever contacted the Empire to let them know that the Epine Count’s family has the five-colored stones and oak stems?”

“The Empire? Ah.”

Before meeting Casto, I had told Dawson to inform the Asuka Empire’s foreign affairs department that we had the goods, just in case. And since Dawson hadn’t said anything special afterward, I had forgotten about it.

“Yes. I think so. If Dawson didn’t cancel it?”

“Ah! I forgot about that.”

Dawson said innocently. Casto grabbed the back of his neck.

“That’s what gave me a headache. They were being stubborn, thinking there were two places to buy from. But who am I? I’m the Helena merchant group’s…”

And he immediately went into self-praise. There was no reason to listen to that strange boasting to the end, so I interrupted him midway.

“So what is it you want to say?”

“Just for you to know. Which is the best merchant group in the Empire.”

“Casto. Did I tell you I don’t like repeating myself, or not? I know you’re not the type to waste time on such boasts.”

I removed the ice pack from my eyes and looked at him straight on. Casto took a step back with a slightly flustered look.

“Well, since when did you know me so well? I’m just saying, if you have any good deals in the future, let me know first, that’s all.”

“That’s not it. Speak quickly. I’m not in a good mood today, you know?”

As I thrust my face into the screen and threatened him, I could see him startled, leaning back as if he was about to fall over.

“Yes, my lady, please don’t come at me with that face. It’s scary.”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing. What did I say?”

Just as I was about to say something to Casto, annoyed by his evasiveness.

“Are you leaving the Count’s family?”

He beat me to it.

“What, you built up all that suspense just to ask that?”

“Well, it could be a sensitive issue.”

“It’s not really that sensitive. Yes, I’m planning to leave the capital.”

I calmly answered Casto’s question. At the same time, everyone’s attention in the room focused on me. Their expressions were varied. I smiled quietly.