As the wind blew in the empty space, a strong sandstorm arose.
"And...”
Simone looked out from inside the carriage and let out a soulless exclamation.
Hertine is a nearby village that can be seen immediately after taking a carriage ride for about 10 minutes from the Illeston Mansion.
Her first impression of this place was, well, what should she say?
Simone couldn't express herself, so she just said whatever came out of her mouth.
“It’s a big deal.”
Everything she could see was literally a big deal, a sight, and a mess.
Is this what it would be like if a bomb fell?
Or is this what it feels like to see an old civilization that prospered and disappeared a long time ago?
Is this really the territory where the Grand Duke's mansion is located?
Old and crumbling buildings that have been neglected for a long time, streets full of dirt and trash.
The streets were full of the smell of alcohol, cigarettes, and a foul smell.
“Is this the Grand Duke’s territory?”
As Simone muttered in disbelief, Bam, the escort knight who came to open the carriage door, spoke bitterly.
“300 years ago, it was a place called a city. No, they say it still had the appearance of a city until just 200 years ago.”
Of course, he never saw it at night, but the bricks and structures still visible here and there show that this village once prospered as a city.
“Do you see traces of broken bricks here and there? They say that those used to be the flooring materials of this village. Now it’s either used as a windbreak when starting a fire or it’s all broken down and gone.”
Simone looked around.
At first, there must have been streets that were well-maintained using the highest quality building materials so that it could be considered an Grand Duke's domain. Nowadays, it is difficult to find the original appearance of both the bricks on the floor and the colorful street lights.
Everything collapsed and people sat roughly on the collapsed buildings, frowning in the hot sunlight.
It was a very painful sight for anyone who owned this territory.
“Of course, since the current master became the head of the family, guards have been set up here and there and support supplies are coming in. It is said that when the previous head of the family was there, the door to the mansion was locked and he gave up all support and management of the estate.”
Bam shrugged his shoulders.
“This is a story I heard from my parents. Well, even now, the guards and Hana Merchant Marine are monopolizing the support supplies, so not much has changed.”
“Do you know well about this town?”
“I’m also from the village of Hertin. After my parents passed away, I became a tenant of Illeston Mansion through the introduction of a middleman.”
The knight opened the carriage door.
“Oh, the knight came into the mansion on its own?”
When Osek, another escort knight, asked, Bam shrugged his shoulders.
“It was no different from coercion. You had nowhere to go?”
Unless you are a person who has nowhere to go in the first place, you will not want to enter the Illeston Mansion as a servant.
Like Anna and other servants, Bam lost his parents and wandered around the streets before entering the mansion with the feeling that he was reaching for the last straw.
“Anyway, I was born and lived in this village for a long time. So there are a lot of things I picked up.”
“Oh, that’s good.”
Simone got out of the carriage. The moment she appeared, people's eyes were focused on Simone.
“Then I can ask Bam if I have any questions.”
The gaze was not only burdensome but also fiercely threatening.
As if something would definitely happen the moment she passed between them.
But it wasn't unexpected.
'Well, I heard it's an incredibly poor place.'
Since a well-dressed woman appeared proudly in such a deserted village, it was natural that she would stand out.
Simone walked without hesitation.
“Then shall we take a look?”
See it or not. There are two sturdy guards, or rather, guards, with her, so there is nothing to be afraid of.
However, Simone, who was trying to walk with courage, suddenly felt that her shoulders suddenly became heavy.
“Ugh!”
As soon as Simone took one step, she stopped.
“Simone? Why are you doing that?”
“Oh, no.. Ugh! for a moment."
“Why, why! Are you sick?”
Simone raised her hand to stop Anna from approaching.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.”
Simone's face suddenly darkened.
What is this familiar weight?
"Ha."
Die
It was the ghost who used to go to the orphanage together. She leaned close to Simone's back and shoulder, as she always did, and whispered close to her ear.
Let's die together
Ah, it’s been a while since she heard this sound of metal. There was a time when she was so hungry that Simone overheard her telling her to die.
'That's all in the past.'
“Wow, it’s heavy.”
"What?"
“Umm, no, no.”
Simone answered urgently and continued walking.
She wanted to pretend not to know as much as possible.
How is the ghost still there?
As soon as she left the mansion, she clung to her as if she were waiting for her.
No, did the ghost really wait?
The moment the ghost clung to her, she couldn't hide her agitation.
She hadn't seen it for a while so she thought it might have disappeared naturally, but no.
Since the mansion is riddled with a 300-year-old curse, these little ghosts must have been too scared to come inside.
“..Let's go."
'Yes. Stick together, stick together.'
Simone walked away again with a resigned expression.
It's nice and nice to meet the ghost after a long time.
After living inside, she found this ghost familiar and cute.
Anna and her guards followed her. With every step Simone took, eyes were persistently following her.
Although they knew this, neither Simone nor Anna nor the guards pretended to know it.
Anna approached quickly and asked.
“Simone, where do you want to go first? I will guide you!”
“Let’s go buy the most important hair dye first.”
"Ah yes! Then you should go there!”
Anna pointed to a store in the village. In general, it was the cleanest and most colorful store among the old wooden buildings.
“I understand that magic hair dye is only sold there!”
At Anna's words, Simone walked towards that place, and Bam, the guard who was following them, quietly whispered behind her in a voice that only Simone could hear.
“You have to be careful. They charge quite high prices there. Especially for someone like Simone who doesn’t even know your face and looks rich.”
He trembled and looked exhausted as if he had experienced it a few times.
“Are you saying that people who openly reveal their money are uncomfortable?”
Simone stood tall. Then she glanced back at the night.
“Are you suddenly acting really friendly?”
"Yes? Ahaha....”
Night avoided Simone’s gaze and scratched her temple.
“Did you? I guess I thought I had become more comfortable without realizing it since we were seeing each other face-to-face every day. Hehe, sorry.”
"No. Do it like you do now.”
He was a guard knight who always guarded Simone's room. He seemed to be around the same age as Simone, and they often said hello to each other as they came and went, he was also the one who moved Anna and Simone into their room during the disguised rat incident.
Even though she was a commoner, she didn't want to be seen as someone wearing an armband, and Seo Hyun-jung didn't have that cold personality.
“I need to be introduced to the village as well. Take it easy. Be polite.”
"Yes! Of course."
Bam answered coolly and smiled. Simone didn't notice him because he was always standing guard at the door with a nervous expression on his face, but when he came outside, Simone saw that he seemed to have a very lively personality just like his age.
When Simone and her group arrived at the hair dye shop and opened the door, the owner, who had been sitting lazily with sleepy eyes, looked Simone up and down, his expression changed, and he came running out in a huff.
“Come on - oh! Oh my, Miss! Welcome!"
The owner's pupils between the half-moon-shaped eyelids moved quickly, checking her, her attendants, and her escort knight.
Others may think that they are dressed lightly, but the owner's eyes cannot deceive him. Juliana Endo's pattern was sewn onto the dress. Among them, that red pattern is only found on dresses coming from the main store in the capital.
The Juliana Endos main store is famous for selling dresses only to nobles and judging by the shape, it was clear that although it was a ready-made dress, it was from an aristocratic family.
“How did a noblewoman come to such a shabby place?”
A smiling face, even hands rubbing together as if flattering. This is a typical picture of a merchant in a novel.
Every time she saw this kind of unnatural motion, Simone felt like she was in the middle of a novel.
“Oh, I came to buy hair dye.”
Simone let the misunderstanding slip by and looked around the store.
She thought it was a hair dye store, but it turned out that not only did they sell dyes, but they also sold colorful fabrics, silks, and colored maps.
'If they sell these items in a place like this, will anyone be able to find them?'
A store that sells such luxury items in this town where only people live from day to day. She had a question and wanted to ask Bam, but the owner was too close to ask.
“Where is the magic hair dye?”
"Oh my! That expensive one! Are you the first person other than the Grand Duke to find magic hair dye here?”
“...Grand Duke?”
Why is Grand Duke Illeston suddenly here? When Simone tilted her head, the owner responded excitedly.
'If they sell these items in a place like this, will anyone be able to find them?'
A store that sells such luxury items in this town where only people live from day to day. She had a question and wanted to ask Bam, but the owner was too close to ask.
“Where is the magic hair dye?”
"Oh my! That expensive one! Are you the first person other than the Grand Duke to find magic hair dye here?”
“...Grand Duke?”
Why is Grand Duke Illeston suddenly here? When Simone tilted her head, the owner responded excitedly.
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