“Is the carriage ready?”
Jezebel had been busy since the morning preparing to go to the park, where the twins Swell and Silke, apart from her eldest daughter Felicia and her second son Bernard, who had gone to school to accompany her, were getting ready.
The reason for the nobility to stroll in the park was not to enjoy the sunshine, but to show off their economic power and to hear the latest gossip.
As such, the wealthy nobility living in the town of Hosha often brought their children to the park on weekday afternoons.
There, they checked out other women’s wives and their children’s looks, personalities, and how well they grew up. Sometimes they would estimate how expensive the dresses they were wearing were.
“Yes. Oh, by the way, my lady. There was mail at the door this morning.”
The servant handed Jezebel a purple envelope. Jezebel looked at it, deciding it wasn’t important, and then glared at the toying Swell.
“Leave it in the dining room, I’ll read it when I get back to the mansion. ”
“……It’s not so much important mail as it is a surprise.”
“Surprising? Who?”
“The Baron of Quito.”
At the mention of the Baron of Quito, her attention was drawn to the purple envelope; if this was the man, he was a celebrity in the town of Hosha.
“Baron Quito?”
Jezebel repeated in surprise.
“Yes, my lady.”
“You mean the Baron of Quito I know?”
“Yes. The Baron of Quito, the chess master!”
“Him? Why all of a sudden?”
Jezebel’s curiosity was piqued, and she tore open the envelope and looked inside.
As she stood there reading the letter, her expression hardened. This was not a good sign, so I turned my attention back to the book and pretended not to notice.
“…… Lisa.”
After reading the letter quickly, Jezebel immediately called out to me.
“Lisa!”
I thought about sneaking away to my room, but I knew that wasn’t a good idea, so I got to my feet. It was best to get in front of Jezebel before she became more uncomfortable.
My fingertips tingled as I looked at Jezebel’s distorted face.
“Yes.”
“On your latest errand. Did you meet Baron Quito?”
It must have been then……. met Euric and Yune of House Fenton, but no other nobles.
“No.”
“Don’t lie.”
“I really am.”
“Then why does Baron Quito know you?”
I was just as puzzled.
I racked my brain for a moment and remembered going down to the village immediately after meeting Yurik and Yune.
As soon as I got down to the marketplace, I took care of Jezebel’s errand.
I then had some time to wander around the marketplace and……. Distracted by the hustle and bustle of the market, I soon found myself in a crowded area where people were playing chess.
[1 gold coin to enter, 10 gold coins to win].
I read the words scrawled on a wooden board. As I looked around, I thought about the fountain pen I had been coveting. I should have given it up for a pittance, but here was my chance.
“I’ll take it, I’ll take it!
I looked at the chessboard and without much thought, I paid one gold coin.
“Are you sure you want to play?
My opponent asked, and I nodded firmly.
Pushing my way through the crowd and taking my seat, I was immediately aware of the stares I was receiving.
The onlookers weren’t making any unnecessary comments because I was a Noble, but they seemed to be laughing at the appearance of a mere 10-year-old girl.
I fidgeted with my phone, wondering if this would interrupt my game.
‘Miss. How bold of you to move your phone here in the first place?
‘…….’
I moved my pieces in silence. The opening progressed steadily. The crowd’s initially suspicious stares changed. As we moved into the middlegame, the game became more exciting.
By now, the crowd had grown even larger. Some people had heard the rumours and had come to watch from afar.
‘And I won, so I bought a fountain pen.
I wonder if Baron Quito was among those onlookers.
“Come on, tell me the truth.”
I shook my head as Jezebel berated me.
“I was just trying out for a chess match in town.”
“…….”
Jezebel was quiet, at a loss for words. Her pale face stayed that way for a while.
“……From now on, chess is forbidden.”
“What?”
“No chess when we’re out, and no reading, either! No, I think you should just come with us.”
“…….”
Something like this.
“What are you doing? Get ready.”
“What? Chung, are you sure……!”
“Beatty. Get Lisa a dress, now!”
Before I could finish my sentence, Jezebel had her maid wash me off. It happened in a matter of ten minutes. I barely had time to think. Before I knew it, I stood before Jezebel, clean and fresh.
“What the hell,” I said, “what just happened?
Jezebel took one look at me and headed out the door. She’s really going? Really?
“Mother, are you really going to take her along?”
Silke complained.
“Yes, I am.”
“Just let her stay at the mansion, it’s not like a few games of chess with her will make any difference.”
“I know.”
Silke, shut your mouth.”
“Mother!”
“Shut up. Lisa, why aren’t you in the carriage already?”
Jezebel pointed at me, standing there in a daze.
“It’s …….”
I scrambled to my feet and climbed into the carriage.
I fidgeted awkwardly in my seat and looked out the window. There was another carriage in front of us, heading down the hill.
It was a little far away and hard to make out, but I knew it was the Fenton family carriage by its colour and livery.
Soon Yune’s face peeked out of the Fenton carriage window. Yune is jumping up and down and smiling, wondering what’s so exciting.
Next to her is Euric, tugging at Yune’s clothes to make sure she doesn’t fall.
They’re not going to the park, are they?
* * *
There were many women walking around in the park, all of them wearing fancy dresses and expensive things to show off.
Jezebel was one of them.
“Lisa.”
Jezebel called to me as I followed her.
“Be somewhere else. But don’t leave this park.”
“Somewhere else?”
“Why don’t you look at the lake, and sleep there. But if anyone comes up to you and asks which family you are, never mention Marsen.”
I ignored Swell and Silke, who sneered at me from behind, and slipped out of the room.
As soon as I was out of earshot, Jezebel turned to the group of noblewomen gathered in front of me and smiled. She left me alone with only one maid to keep watch.
“Lady. Are you all right?”
Beatty asked.
“Not to leave the park, it’s confinement.”
“But I can’t go against my mistress’s wishes.”
“I know, because if you do, you’ll get in trouble.”
Jezebel was right, I should take a nap by the lake. I turned and walked briskly through the large park.
I had to stop a few times to adjust my tight dress, but it wasn’t long before I reached the lake. Luckily, it was quiet and perfect for a nap.
“I’ll take a nap here, wake me up when it’s time.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll wake you up in an hour, right?”
“Yeah. But I don’t have a rug……. can you get me one? I thought there was a rug vendor outside the park earlier.”
“But I can’t leave you alone.”
“I’ll stay right here. Please, I can’t sleep on the ground, can I?”
I pleaded, and Beatty hesitated a moment, then nodded, and soon she was off to the lakeshore to buy a rug.
When she was completely out of sight, I looked around and leaned against a nearby tree for support.
I fumbled in my pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. It was the letter from Baron Cato that Jezebel had read and discarded on the floor earlier. Just as she was about to unfold the paper she had snatched up before leaving the mansion,
“Huh?!”
I heard a girl’s voice in the distance. I hastily hid the letter I was holding behind my back.
“It’s my neighbour!”
The voice belonged to none other than Yune Fenton. And standing next to her was a male lead, looking at me with a sneer on his face.
He couldn’t possibly be coming my way, could he?
“Hi, sis!”
Sure enough, Yune came running up to me, beaming.
“What are you doing? Hurry up!”
Yune waved at Eurik and the maids, who stood still. I stood up slowly, thinking I would join her.
“…….”
“Where are you going, big sister?”
Yune asked, her eyes full of curiosity and innocence.
“Well, I thought you might be uncomfortable in your seat. ”
“The seat? Uncomfortable? It’s got a great view!”
“I’m going somewhere else…….”
I said, avoiding Euric’s gaze as he stared at me wordlessly.
“Really? Then I’ll go with you!”
“Huh?”
“I want to stay with you!”
Yune’s stubbornness was not easily broken.
“Yune. She might not feel comfortable being with you.”
Euric spoke up, his honesty slowly erasing Yune’s smile. As I stood up to leave, Yune stared at me.
It was as if she was actually asking me if I was uncomfortable.
“Sis, am I uncomfortable? Is that why you don’t want to be with Yune?”
“…….”
“Really?”
Shit.
