Judith said with a faint smile.
“Erwin already has more than enough toys. Why would he go buy new ones?”
Franz nodded next to her. Then Cheraan and Bartholomew simultaneously sighed deeply as if they were frustrated.
“I’m not telling you to go buy some toys, I’m telling you to go on a date.”
“Franz, you still have a long way to go.”
As they exchanged words, Franz and Judith stared blankly at each other. Come to think of it, the two had never been out of the palace together except for official events, such as the founding of the nation.
Since it was obvious that if the King and Queen made any private moves, the entire palace would be turned upside down, the two of them were secretly trying their best to avoid taking arbitrary actions, even within the castle.
“If you go out on an inspection mission, Bartholomew will come with you, so it won’t be a burden to you two. Isn’t that right, Bartholomew?”
Bartholomew nodded in agreement.
A few days later, Franz and Judith went to the Place des Michiels. Since it was not an official inspection like the annual event, they were both dressed in plain clothes. They had removed the extravagant jewelry, gold buttons, and cuffs embroidered with royal emblems that would have been immediately recognizable as royalty.
Instead, Franz wore what was then popular with the young aristocrats of his age: a thin, tough silk lace cravat, a sharp-cut jacket that emphasized the shape of the waist, and a cloak that hung diagonally over one shoulder, reaching down to the knees in all weathers.
Judith wore a lavender dress with intricate embroidery along the shapely puffed skirt, and a short robe of sheer fabric worn like a cape.
She was wearing a cream-colored hat decorated with violets and dyed feathers to match the color of her dress. The courtiers, who were well-informed of the capital's fashions, had spent the previous several days gathering information about today's outing, so when they got out of the carriage, they looked like young lovers from noble families.
“Your Majesty, we will wait here.”
Bartholomew, who accompanied the knights, said. Today, they were also disguised as porters who would often be seen in the shopping district instead of wearing the armor that symbolizes the Combler.
Although they had at least two or three sharpened daggers and stilettos hidden beneath their thick leather vests, and the bundles they carried as if they were packs contained the swords of the Knights Templar instead of the odds and ends that could be sold at a street vendor, they looked quite presentable.
Franz turned around, giving Bartholomew a look that seemed to tell him not to worry. He saw Judith and his back walking arm in arm, but the two soon blended into the crowd and disappeared from Bartholomew’s sight. The disguise was so appropriate that it quickly became difficult to tell them apart when several more people dressed similarly appeared.
After months of extensive construction, the appearance of the Place de Michiel looked quite different from the last time they saw it.
Many shops had been refurbished under the pretext of construction, and each section, familiar to Franz and Judith as well as everyone in the capital, had been moved around, moved entirely out of the square, or merged together so that even locals could easily get lost.
“There are still some areas under construction.”
Judith said, glancing sideways at the dusty, bustling traffic of logs and materials for the skeleton.
“It can’t be helped since it’s a large-scale construction project. This area has a lot of particularly old buildings, so most of them have been ordered to be demolished.”
In the area where the commercial district had been formed for a long time, including Toschi Street where Samona's herbal medicine shop used to be, most of the buildings were demolished and rebuilt from the ground up. This was because if one or two weakened buildings were left as they were, the entire commercial district could be involved in a chain reaction if an accident occurred.
The construction was not going to be a short process, so providing temporary housing, food, clothing, etc. to the people was also a very important task for a while. The noisy construction that had completely changed the structure of the entire square was almost finished, and now only the area that Judith and Franz had passed by was left to be finished.
The toy stores that Cheraan had told them about were located in a place where jewelry stores used to be lined up. It had been a fancy place before, but now, perhaps to catch the eyes of children, each store had colorful signs and wall decorations, making it dizzying.
Judith glanced inside the largest of the stores and was astonished. Although the inside looked very spacious, it was crowded and there was no room to stand, and there were even people waiting in line outside.
“I think it would be a bit uncomfortable if there were too many people.”
Judith spoke in a small voice. Franz had the same thought, so the two of them walked quickly past the noisy store as if they had made a promise. Even in the meantime, the children holding their mother's and fathers' hands were stamping their feet and chattering incessantly as if they wanted to get inside as quickly as possible.
“How about there?”
Judith stood on tiptoe and looked out to see where Franz was pointing. A few shops similar to the one she had just passed by were followed by a single-story building with no particularly ornate decorations.
The plain and plain exterior walls stood out on the street lined with flashy and cute buildings that seemed to have made a promise. At first, they thought it was a toy store, but as they got closer, they saw dolls lined up on shelves beyond the glass walls.
“How is it? It looks quiet. It seems like there are no guests.”
“Shall we go in and take a look?”
As they opened the door, the glass bells rang and rang. The interior was quiet, and it seemed wider and more complex than it looked from the outside. When Franz and Judith poked their heads around the corner, a woman who seemed to be a clerk appeared in the space hidden by the protruding wall.
“Welcome, are you looking for a toy to give as a gift?”
Because of the distorted vision, she seemed to have burst through the wall. The two looked startled and nodded almost simultaneously. Fortunately, the clerk clearly did not recognize either Franz or Judith.
“What kind of toy are you looking for? Tell me how old the child is and what he or she likes, and I can help you find the perfect item.”
“Ah... Um, he’s a boy. He’s about five years old. He likes all kinds of toys... These days, he likes wooden dolls and things he can move with his hands.”
The clerk listened to Judith's explanation, nodding his head so earnestly that it seemed exaggerated. He said,
“Among the new toys that came in this time, there are wooden dolls that move by themselves when you wind them up. Shall I show you those first? Five-year-old boys also like to play with balls. There are also balls of various sizes and colors, made with careful care to prevent children from getting hurt, with the outer surface covered with soft yarn and leather. What do you think of those?”
The clerk paused for a moment, then looked at Judith and Franz's faces. Then he smiled so brightly that his teeth were visible.
“Oh, right. This is not the time. You can take your time and think about it while drinking tea. There is a separate room over there.”
Franz and Judith were both taken aback by the storm-like pace of speech. They had become accustomed to the slow, monotonous intonation characteristic of the aristocracy, so it took some time for them to follow the clerk's explanation.
But he had seen the same reaction from the two people more than once or twice. As if it was faster to show with actions than words, he was already walking toward the inner door on his own, step by step. Franz waved his hand urgently.
“Can I... take a look around?”
“Oh, of course. You can look around as much as you want. You can look around until the sun sets! Now, as you can see, there are dolls here that will make you sleepy just looking at them, and there are porcelain decorations here, and there is a doll house that the girls especially like.
These days, there are so many wonderful dollhouses. They have chimneys that can light real fires, and chefs with soot on their faces can carry freshly roasted duck to the table!”
“...That’s cool.”
“Then please take your time looking around and feel free to call me anytime if you need any help.”
The clerk, despite being very talkative, quickly left the place. Judith and Franz then sighed as if they had finally come to life, then looked at each other and burst into low laughter.
Looking closely at the shelves, it seemed that a lot of care had been put into the display. Depending on the type of fabric or the feel of the material when touched, the display was different, making it easy to look at.
Judith, who was gently touching the soft sheep doll that seemed to melt even her fingertips, suddenly thought of her second daughter, Yvianne. Until recently, she was a newborn baby, so there was no need to put a doll in her crib, but now she thought it was time to buy her a doll.
“Franz, look at this. How about giving it to Yvianne?”
The title 'Your Majesty' almost slipped out. Judith, who had been covering her lips with her fingertips, nodded, and Franz, who had been looking at the porcelain dolls from a distance, approached her with a faint smile.
"Something?"
“This is it, this sheep doll. It’s so soft.”
“It’s cute. How about this?”
What Franz picked up was a stuffed rabbit on the upper step. It was quite cute because it sagged when he picked it up, probably because it was stuffed with soft cotton.
“I don’t know why, but Yvianne seems to suit rabbits well.”
“You’re not thinking that way because of the rocking doll I made, are you?”
“Hmm, maybe that’s why. But if you like both, why don’t you buy them both?”
“Well... The other dolls are all cute too.”
A playful expression appeared on Franz's face as he blinked. He bent down slightly and whispered in Judith's ear.
“If you want, you can buy all the dolls here, but are you still worried?”
Judith glanced at the dolls lined up on the long shelf, laughed quietly, and gently caressed Franz's cheek. It was an affectionate touch.
“If we fill her room with so many dolls, our daughter might get lost among them. So I’m going to choose just one that Yvianne will really like.”
“Erwin already has more than enough toys. Why would he go buy new ones?”
Franz nodded next to her. Then Cheraan and Bartholomew simultaneously sighed deeply as if they were frustrated.
“I’m not telling you to go buy some toys, I’m telling you to go on a date.”
“Franz, you still have a long way to go.”
As they exchanged words, Franz and Judith stared blankly at each other. Come to think of it, the two had never been out of the palace together except for official events, such as the founding of the nation.
Since it was obvious that if the King and Queen made any private moves, the entire palace would be turned upside down, the two of them were secretly trying their best to avoid taking arbitrary actions, even within the castle.
“If you go out on an inspection mission, Bartholomew will come with you, so it won’t be a burden to you two. Isn’t that right, Bartholomew?”
Bartholomew nodded in agreement.
***
A few days later, Franz and Judith went to the Place des Michiels. Since it was not an official inspection like the annual event, they were both dressed in plain clothes. They had removed the extravagant jewelry, gold buttons, and cuffs embroidered with royal emblems that would have been immediately recognizable as royalty.
Instead, Franz wore what was then popular with the young aristocrats of his age: a thin, tough silk lace cravat, a sharp-cut jacket that emphasized the shape of the waist, and a cloak that hung diagonally over one shoulder, reaching down to the knees in all weathers.
Judith wore a lavender dress with intricate embroidery along the shapely puffed skirt, and a short robe of sheer fabric worn like a cape.
She was wearing a cream-colored hat decorated with violets and dyed feathers to match the color of her dress. The courtiers, who were well-informed of the capital's fashions, had spent the previous several days gathering information about today's outing, so when they got out of the carriage, they looked like young lovers from noble families.
“Your Majesty, we will wait here.”
Bartholomew, who accompanied the knights, said. Today, they were also disguised as porters who would often be seen in the shopping district instead of wearing the armor that symbolizes the Combler.
Although they had at least two or three sharpened daggers and stilettos hidden beneath their thick leather vests, and the bundles they carried as if they were packs contained the swords of the Knights Templar instead of the odds and ends that could be sold at a street vendor, they looked quite presentable.
Franz turned around, giving Bartholomew a look that seemed to tell him not to worry. He saw Judith and his back walking arm in arm, but the two soon blended into the crowd and disappeared from Bartholomew’s sight. The disguise was so appropriate that it quickly became difficult to tell them apart when several more people dressed similarly appeared.
After months of extensive construction, the appearance of the Place de Michiel looked quite different from the last time they saw it.
Many shops had been refurbished under the pretext of construction, and each section, familiar to Franz and Judith as well as everyone in the capital, had been moved around, moved entirely out of the square, or merged together so that even locals could easily get lost.
“There are still some areas under construction.”
Judith said, glancing sideways at the dusty, bustling traffic of logs and materials for the skeleton.
“It can’t be helped since it’s a large-scale construction project. This area has a lot of particularly old buildings, so most of them have been ordered to be demolished.”
In the area where the commercial district had been formed for a long time, including Toschi Street where Samona's herbal medicine shop used to be, most of the buildings were demolished and rebuilt from the ground up. This was because if one or two weakened buildings were left as they were, the entire commercial district could be involved in a chain reaction if an accident occurred.
The construction was not going to be a short process, so providing temporary housing, food, clothing, etc. to the people was also a very important task for a while. The noisy construction that had completely changed the structure of the entire square was almost finished, and now only the area that Judith and Franz had passed by was left to be finished.
The toy stores that Cheraan had told them about were located in a place where jewelry stores used to be lined up. It had been a fancy place before, but now, perhaps to catch the eyes of children, each store had colorful signs and wall decorations, making it dizzying.
Judith glanced inside the largest of the stores and was astonished. Although the inside looked very spacious, it was crowded and there was no room to stand, and there were even people waiting in line outside.
“I think it would be a bit uncomfortable if there were too many people.”
Judith spoke in a small voice. Franz had the same thought, so the two of them walked quickly past the noisy store as if they had made a promise. Even in the meantime, the children holding their mother's and fathers' hands were stamping their feet and chattering incessantly as if they wanted to get inside as quickly as possible.
“How about there?”
Judith stood on tiptoe and looked out to see where Franz was pointing. A few shops similar to the one she had just passed by were followed by a single-story building with no particularly ornate decorations.
The plain and plain exterior walls stood out on the street lined with flashy and cute buildings that seemed to have made a promise. At first, they thought it was a toy store, but as they got closer, they saw dolls lined up on shelves beyond the glass walls.
“How is it? It looks quiet. It seems like there are no guests.”
“Shall we go in and take a look?”
As they opened the door, the glass bells rang and rang. The interior was quiet, and it seemed wider and more complex than it looked from the outside. When Franz and Judith poked their heads around the corner, a woman who seemed to be a clerk appeared in the space hidden by the protruding wall.
“Welcome, are you looking for a toy to give as a gift?”
Because of the distorted vision, she seemed to have burst through the wall. The two looked startled and nodded almost simultaneously. Fortunately, the clerk clearly did not recognize either Franz or Judith.
“What kind of toy are you looking for? Tell me how old the child is and what he or she likes, and I can help you find the perfect item.”
“Ah... Um, he’s a boy. He’s about five years old. He likes all kinds of toys... These days, he likes wooden dolls and things he can move with his hands.”
The clerk listened to Judith's explanation, nodding his head so earnestly that it seemed exaggerated. He said,
“Among the new toys that came in this time, there are wooden dolls that move by themselves when you wind them up. Shall I show you those first? Five-year-old boys also like to play with balls. There are also balls of various sizes and colors, made with careful care to prevent children from getting hurt, with the outer surface covered with soft yarn and leather. What do you think of those?”
The clerk paused for a moment, then looked at Judith and Franz's faces. Then he smiled so brightly that his teeth were visible.
“Oh, right. This is not the time. You can take your time and think about it while drinking tea. There is a separate room over there.”
Franz and Judith were both taken aback by the storm-like pace of speech. They had become accustomed to the slow, monotonous intonation characteristic of the aristocracy, so it took some time for them to follow the clerk's explanation.
But he had seen the same reaction from the two people more than once or twice. As if it was faster to show with actions than words, he was already walking toward the inner door on his own, step by step. Franz waved his hand urgently.
“Can I... take a look around?”
“Oh, of course. You can look around as much as you want. You can look around until the sun sets! Now, as you can see, there are dolls here that will make you sleepy just looking at them, and there are porcelain decorations here, and there is a doll house that the girls especially like.
These days, there are so many wonderful dollhouses. They have chimneys that can light real fires, and chefs with soot on their faces can carry freshly roasted duck to the table!”
“...That’s cool.”
“Then please take your time looking around and feel free to call me anytime if you need any help.”
The clerk, despite being very talkative, quickly left the place. Judith and Franz then sighed as if they had finally come to life, then looked at each other and burst into low laughter.
Looking closely at the shelves, it seemed that a lot of care had been put into the display. Depending on the type of fabric or the feel of the material when touched, the display was different, making it easy to look at.
Judith, who was gently touching the soft sheep doll that seemed to melt even her fingertips, suddenly thought of her second daughter, Yvianne. Until recently, she was a newborn baby, so there was no need to put a doll in her crib, but now she thought it was time to buy her a doll.
“Franz, look at this. How about giving it to Yvianne?”
The title 'Your Majesty' almost slipped out. Judith, who had been covering her lips with her fingertips, nodded, and Franz, who had been looking at the porcelain dolls from a distance, approached her with a faint smile.
"Something?"
“This is it, this sheep doll. It’s so soft.”
“It’s cute. How about this?”
What Franz picked up was a stuffed rabbit on the upper step. It was quite cute because it sagged when he picked it up, probably because it was stuffed with soft cotton.
“I don’t know why, but Yvianne seems to suit rabbits well.”
“You’re not thinking that way because of the rocking doll I made, are you?”
“Hmm, maybe that’s why. But if you like both, why don’t you buy them both?”
“Well... The other dolls are all cute too.”
A playful expression appeared on Franz's face as he blinked. He bent down slightly and whispered in Judith's ear.
“If you want, you can buy all the dolls here, but are you still worried?”
Judith glanced at the dolls lined up on the long shelf, laughed quietly, and gently caressed Franz's cheek. It was an affectionate touch.
“If we fill her room with so many dolls, our daughter might get lost among them. So I’m going to choose just one that Yvianne will really like.”
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