CH 8
“Hurry, let’s go outside.” The entrance was bustling with numerous merchants, porters, and carriages.
“Oh, Eileen Yeong-ae. Good morning. Today, we have bracelets made of diamonds and hair ornaments made of high-purity rubies.”
“Perfect shoes and dresses! Custom-made over here! They’ll suit you perfectly! And here, try on some lace made by our artisans!”
“A box filled with gold coins. The box itself is made of high-purity gold…”
As soon as I stepped out, the barrage of offers for gifts began.
I patiently waited for them to finish their pitches, knowing from days of experience that they wouldn’t stop.
Finally, in a full of quiet, I asked, “So, who sent these?”
I knew the answer would be predictable, but I couldn’t quite believe it.
The merchants, eyes wide, replied in unison, “That would be…”
“Of course.”
“Duke Kashaar.”
I wanted to believe I had misheard, but the sheer absurdity of the piled-up gifts made it impossible.
I averted the sparkling gazes.
‘What on earth is happening?’
Just when I thought Kashaar had passed away and gone, this happened.
How shocked must I have been to have brought a baseball bat from a dream mart.
But the next day, instead of coldness, there were luxurious gifts.
“I mean, was making breakfast that impressive?” I could appreciate new foods, but this was too much.
Gifts kept piling up from morning till night.
At first, I tried to send them back.
“Duke Kashaar sent a letter,” Mikhail delivered the message.
The letter said, “If you don’t want to die, accept gracefully.”
It was a gift I couldn’t refuse from the start.
And so, it went on for three days.
Today, again, gifts from Kashaar were pouring in like delivery packages.
“Careful! These are dresses made of silk!” Madame Marong from the dress shop shouted as her assistants unloaded dresses from the luxurious carriage.
“That’s why the tailor measured me on the first day,” I thought.
But were dresses made so quickly?
They were adorned with gold leaf, silver thread, and colorful gems, dazzling my eyes.
“How much is all this? Eileen’s collection of jewels couldn’t compare.”
Selling these could provide pretty clothes for our prince, fine dining, and employ people to make the palace shine.
I must’ve drooled without realizing it.
Then, Madame Marong’s assistant asked me, “Miss Eileen, where should we put these?”
“Oh, the empty room at the end of the corridor on the left,” I said.
Hopefully, they didn’t notice the drool.
Trying to cover up clumsily, I pointed them in the right direction, and the heap of dresses was carried inside.
At this rate, the spare room would soon be filled with gifts.
“I’m tempted.
I trained my mind and body with a meditative breathing technique I’d seen somewhere.
With a little imagination.
I’m in the ruins of the pyramids, and I’ve seen it in movie , where touching a jewel or something ruins your life.
It was a split-second before my life was ruined.
And I felt like I was on the edge of stepping on a brick wall.
I thought, This is either a new kind of bullying, or it’s the beginning of forced debt collection.
Either that, or I got hit in the head and I’m really dead, and I’m going to have to pay for my medical bills.
My frustration deepened, but I couldn’t think of a way to resolve the situation.
Maybe we should meet and talk.
I could still hear the creepy voice in my head.
I didn’t want to do it in person. He was a character I liked, but…… was too handsome and too scary.
‘I’d have a heart attack if I saw him again.
I wanted to see the muscles under his shirt just once, but it didn’t mean I wanted to die.
“I’m not going to do this.
If they ask me later, I’ll just give them what I have.
I decided to keep it simple, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to live with my disfellowshipping.
“I, Eileen Youngae.”
“Yes?”
I hadn’t even realized the man had approached me.
It was Baron Schoppen, who had been carrying jewelry for three days.
“I’ve put all your gifts inside, but I have one question.”
“What is it?”
Schoppen rubbed his palms together and lowered his voice.
“What kind of relationship do you have with the Duke…?”
The room fell silent for a moment. Everyone was listening for my answer.
Everyone’s mouths were pressed, eager to ask.
“There is no any relationship”
“I also don’t really understand why Kashar is acting like that. Can you ask him for me? But be careful, you might get your head bitten off.” (Eileen said)
“I want to say this.
I was one hundred percent sincere.
Oh, feel free to be honest with me.
“It’s really nothing.”
I tried to explain myself, but no one seemed to believe me.
“Let’s just ignore it and go in.” (Schoppen said)
No matter what my excuse, the gifts would arrive by nightfall.
I turned to leave.
“Wow. Lots of people today!” (Louis said)
Louis bounced up and stood next to me.
He looked around in wonder at all the people.
“It must be a strange sight these days.
Louis’s reaction was understandable, as no one had ever visited the Cold Palace before.
But the surroundings were untouchable.
I tried to bait Louis into coming inside.
“Hey, Louis. I’ll make you a snack…….”
“Oh, Prince Louis. I’m Baron Schopenhauer Howard.”
He interrupted me, didn’t he?
I shot him a dumbfounded look, but Schoppen was focused on Louis.
Louis shook his head in disbelief that a grown man was talking to me.
“Umm?”
“There are gifts for you today, Louis and Evan. It’s from the Duke.” (Schoppen said)
Schoppen pulled out a large box. Inside were wooden blocks that looked like something a child would love.
“Wow!”
Louis’s eyes sparkled at the colorful blocks.
Other toys for children were unloaded from the carriage. Each one was a luxury item that only the nobility would play with.
Unlike Louis, who had a bright red color, my face gradually turned pale.
Louis held up the carriage and called out to me.
“Eileen, this is my gift!” (Louise said)
“That, Mr. Louis. Put that down because I’ll give you something better.” (Eilen said)
I forgot to buy toys for the two kids.
“I’ll bring them all to the Shark Family and Bororo, but you have to put those back. Please!” (Eileen said)
I shouted with that look on my face, but Louis was too young to read my mind.
“What? Why do you have to do that, he said he was giving it to me!” (Louis said)
Louis replied with an innocent face, but to me, the source of the toy was the most important thing.
“I can’t take any of them!
The toy Louis was holding looked like a death flag to me.
The look on my face must have scared Louis, because he started to cry.
“Can’t I have …… to play with it?”
“I’ll bring you something better tomorrow morning.”
“I want to play with this…….”
Louis clutched the model carriage preciously.
“No, dear Louis. You’ll regret that when you see the Vice President.
The penguin with the orange glasses was the children’s president.
But Louis, who hadn’t met the president yet, already had tears in his eyes like chicken poop.
“Hmmm, yeah…… I’m a good listener, and I ate the eggplant that Evan didn’t like.”
“Hmph, Louis……!”
I’d never seen him cry like that before, and I panicked.
I ran over and hugged Louis tightly, but he was still clutching the model carriage dearly.
He wants it so bad.
I didn’t have any other toys in the cold storage.
I thought back to the items I’d brought home from the grocery store the other day and felt a twinge of regret.
I should have brought a toy instead of self-defense products.
A baseball bat. Pepper spray. A tray.
I’d brought them just in case Kashar’s hindquarters kicked in.
But I was a seriously mediocre supporting character to stop him in his tracks.
I’ll die if I don’t rebel.
I promised myself that I would bring the toys in my dream tonight.
Either that or a model of a dinosaur.
I wiped away Louis’s tears, blaming myself for my indifference.
“This is just ……, because I’ll bring you a better toy tomorrow, okay?”
“Excited!”
Louis nodded at my words and immediately stopped crying.
A smile spread across my face at the sight of his beaming face.
I walked over to Schoppen as Louis played with a model of a carriage rolling on the floor and whispered.
“How much is that?” (Eileen said)
“……?”
“How much?”
“Well, 95 silver.”(Schoppen said)
The tiny model was two months’ worth of food for a commoner.
I wondered if Schoppen was scamming me, but the toy was so finely crafted in this world, that I thought it was worth it.
“That’s expensive.
I should sell Eileen’s jewelry collection.
I paid Schoppen with tears in my eyes.
“I bought this, not the Duke gave it to me as a gift. Do you understand?”
“Yes? Yes.”
I said with a serious face, and a flustered Schoppen nodded.
I was a little relieved to have a witness.
“Just as long as it’s not from Kashar.
Then she could return them all at once.
“Emma, are you keeping track of the gifts?” (Eileen asked)
“……? Oh, sure, I’ll help you move them!”
Emma replied, a beat late because she was distracted.
My eyes narrowed as I watched her hurry away.
Something was tugging at the hem of my dress from below.
It was Evan.
“Eileen, come with me.”
His small face was solemn.
I nodded, and Evan grabbed me by the hem of my dress and dragged me to the backyard.
“What’s wrong?”
What could be so important that he’d come all this way?
I was curious, but also nervous because this was the first time Evan had ever spoken directly to me.
The kid in front of me paused for a moment, then spoke up, the last thing I expected.
“You have a problem with the Duke?” (Evan asked)
How did you know that the person who visited that day was a duke? (Eileen asked)
When I opened my eyes wide and asked again, Evan nonchalantly replied.
“Because Emma kept talking about it, and the gifts that poured in were from him, and besides, the Duke is the only member of the royal family with red eyes.”
I’d forgotten that Emma had been asking me all day if I was seeing the Duke.
But Evan seemed to know more than she was letting on.
“Well, Louis and Evan both had formal education until their fourth birthdays.
I had underestimated the child’s memory.
It made sense, then, that Evan was acting this way.
The sudden visit of the strange person must have made him think something was wrong.
I decided to reassure him first.
“Don’t worry too much. I’ll make sure the Duke don’t lay a finger on you…….”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.” (Evan said)
Evan’s voice was firm, despite the sweetness in his tone.
Evan hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a small voice.
“I just thought …… you seemed a little, uh, weird.”
“Me?”
Up until this point, I had no idea what he was talking about.
Evan looked nervous even as he spoke.
I’ve never met Evan like this before.
This was the first time he had ever spoken to me directly or touched me.
I thought to myself, Just in case.
I leaned down and made eye contact with Evan.
“Are you worried about me right now?”
“…….”
Evan didn’t answer.
But his little earlobes were red.
Crazy. He’s so cute.’
I tried not to pull Evan into a hug.
I didn’t want to ruin the good vibes.
But my muscular body was already…….
“Evan-!”
“What, what are you doing!”
he screamed. A tiny body filled his arms.
Evan immediately struggled, but not with enough force to push me away.
This interval was so lovely.
I rubbed my cheek against his.
“Oh, Evan, it’s so nice to know you’re worried about me.”
“I’m not worried!”
Evan’s face flushed.
I knew in my head that I should let go, but I couldn’t help but be happy that he had opened up to me, even just a little.
“Thank you, Mr. Evan. Really.”
It was a greeting with multiple meanings.
Evan, who had been looking into my eyes for a while, suddenly turned his head away.
The wriggling feeling in my chest stopped. I held onto Evan for a long time after that.
“Get off me.”
“Hehe, okay.”
“If you don’t pull away now, I’ll never let you hold me again.”
Knowing when to put on and when to take off, I hurriedly stepped back.
Evan fluffed out his rumpled clothes and shot me a look.
“What happened with the Duke? I don’t think you were really seeing him.”
Evan seemed to realize I was acting.
But he didn’t know I knocked out Kashar.
I don’t know how to say this.
It’s so awkward to be honest, and I unconsciously scratched my cheek.
“Mmm, actually.”
“Be honest.”
“It’s not that…… we’re dating, it’s that…….”
Standing awkwardly in Evan’s shadow.
A low voice crossed between him and me.
“Not?”
“Yeah, yeah. That’s not it. ……?”
For a moment, I thought I’d misheard.
My head, stiffening sharply, jerked in the direction of the voice.
I made eye contact with red eyes.
“Hey Honey.”
Kashar’s harmonious face broke into a slow smile.
“Hijin-!”
I jerked back, holding Evan in my arms.
He’s scary and also handsome!
My heart was pounding as if it was about to burst with mixed emotions.
Before I knew it, he stood leaning against the wall, looking displeased with me.
“Isn’t it too extreme to freak out just from seeing your partner?” (Kashar said)
“Oh, right. You are, indeed.” (Eileen said)
I wondered if it was because of Evan.
He still seemed to be playing the lover.
“What brings you here……?” (Eileen asked)
I asked cautiously, and a look of disappointment crossed his face.
“I came to ask you out on a date.” (Kashar said)
Yikes.
The cool face broke into a joyful smile.
