🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 006
“Too Many Burdens to Confess”
A few days later.
As usual, Dorothy visited her neighbor’s house.
“Hello…!”
She tried to greet her normally, but today Rose spoke first.
“Some furniture will be delivered to your house this afternoon.”
“Huh?”
And she spoke so fast that Dorothy didn’t even have time to ask a question.
“So just go back home today. You should check if the furniture suits your taste.”
Rose said this matter-of-factly, then closed the door.
Dorothy blinked at the closed front door.
“Furniture? What furniture?”
It must be a joke.
That was what she thought… until about two hours later.
Just as Rose had said, the furniture really arrived.
From a spacious bed to bedding, various matching armchairs and even a vase were delivered.
The armchair seemed to have been chosen with great care—it fit Dorothy’s figure perfectly.
Dorothy immediately headed over to her neighbor’s house.
“Hmm? You don’t like it?”
The door opened, and Rose asked nonchalantly.
“No, I like it! But why for me…?”
“Don’t ask, just accept it. Returns are out of the question.”
Dorothy pondered why Rose would send her furniture as a gift.
Soon, she found the answer.
“Could it be because of something I said recently?”
Dorothy asked, her eyes sparkling brightly.
Why were her eyes so big and clear?
Rose avoided her gaze and turned her head, but her ears still seemed to be listening.
“You remembered when I said the bed was really comfortable? You still remembered that?”
Dorothy’s innocent but sharp remark made Rose’s ears burn.
“You kept that in your heart, and it led you to send a gift?”
“……”
“And the vase and chair—you researched those separately because just sending the bed alone wasn’t enough?”
By now, Dorothy’s face and neck had turned bright red, almost ready to explode.
Shivering with embarrassment, Rose didn’t seem to notice as Dorothy continued chattering.
It was because Dorothy was genuinely touched by the unexpected gift.
“It must have been troublesome to check everything and request the delivery. How can I ever repay this? Thank you so much…”
“I didn’t go through all that for you! You don’t have to say thanks!”
In the end, Rose couldn’t handle Dorothy’s innocent, wide-eyed gaze and slammed the front door.
Knock, knock.
After the door closed, Dorothy knocked, and the door opened again.
“Are you embarrassed?”
“……”
Bang!
Having been sent away from her neighbor’s house, Dorothy made her way to the market.
She planned to give Rose a return gift.
“Miss, do you need anything? Or is there something you’d like me to do?”
Brandon asked her as they coincidentally met on the way to the market.
“……I haven’t done anything yet, so why are you offering to help me first?”
It was a request to help Rose return to the capital.
Dorothy hadn’t refused the request, but she hadn’t exactly agreed either.
Of course, she felt sorry for Rose’s situation.
She wanted to help her as much as she could.
The problem was that, no matter how much she thought, she didn’t know how to help.
Yet, recently, the siblings seemed desperate to give her a gift.
Strange. I haven’t done anything.
“You siblings really resemble each other. I haven’t done anything, yet you’re already offering payment first.”
“Ha-ha, saying I resemble my sister isn’t really a compliment… but there is some truth to it,” Brandon chuckled softly.
“They have a nature where debts or revenge must be repaid double to be satisfied.”
“I see.”
“So, is there really nothing you need? Even money would be fine.”
“I don’t need money.”
“Really?”
“I actually had a similar experience recently.”
Charles had planned to pay money and break off the engagement before even discussing it with her.
In the end, she received the money, and in hindsight, it was good for both sides…
“I understand why he did it, but looking back, it felt a bit unpleasant.”
That was why Dorothy didn’t want to receive money regarding Rose’s situation.
Brandon, surprised by Dorothy’s straightforwardness, momentarily fell silent.
“If you don’t need money, then is there anything else you need?”
“……Could you find someone for me?”
“Who?”
“My father.”
Asking Brandon to find her father was a somewhat impulsive decision.
“Your father? Did something happen to him?”
It was unexpected for Brandon too; he looked puzzled.
“Nothing in particular happened. I’ve lived with my mother alone since I was little.”
She didn’t exactly long for him.
Her mother raised her alone, without her father.
Knowing his name or whether he was alive or dead would be enough.
“Do you want to meet him?”
“No, I just want to know whether he’s alive or dead.”
“Is that all?”
After some thought, Dorothy concluded internally.
“Yes.”
After all, this was information that didn’t matter much to her either way.
Finding her father wouldn’t automatically make them a family.
That’s why she asked Brandon for help.
Even if he couldn’t find him, it wouldn’t affect her in the slightest.
“If it’s too hard to find him, you don’t have to.”
“That’s not an option.”
Apparently, Brandon was determined to help; he promised he would find him.
“Trust me. I’ll do whatever the lady asks.”
“……?”
Brandon smiled brightly as he spoke.
At the same time, cheers erupted around them.
Dorothy, on the other hand, was puzzled.
‘What’s going on?’
He was smiling more than usual, but he was the one who promised to help her.
It was only proper to show her gratitude.
“Ah, yes, thank you.”
Dorothy bowed politely.
Brandon looked slightly taken aback.
“……Not effective.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing.”
Brandon seemed flustered and awkwardly smiled.
Dorothy knew that Rose liked sweet desserts.
So, at the market, she bought a cake Rose would probably enjoy.
While she was at it, she also bought a bracelet that would suit her.
Carrying all her gifts, Dorothy headed home with a lighter heart.
“I’ll carry these for you.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Brandon, even carrying the items for her, looked relaxed, even whistling.
If not for his slightly flashy outfit, he could have passed for a local resident.
Watching him, Dorothy suddenly wondered.
‘He didn’t bring a guard?’
A noble would typically have guards.
Even wealthy non-nobles usually had at least one or two bodyguards.
Yet she hadn’t seen any guards nearby.
Traveling from the capital to Sahlbrums would normally require protection.
‘And does someone have a job where breaking doors is second nature?’
The Duke of Kaishuner.
That was all Dorothy knew.
Nobles didn’t obey the emperor.
The Empire had a parliamentary system.
The upper house was made of nobles, and the lower house of commoners.
Currently, the most powerful authority was the Speaker of the Parliament, even stronger than the emperor.
The Gorsaud Parliament was very secretive, so it was hard to find out members’ positions or activities.
That’s what she was thinking when…
“Wait a minute.”
Was she entering a quiet residential area?
“I think someone’s following us.”
“Huh?”
She quickly looked around, but no one seemed suspicious.
Brandon fidgeted with his cane as a habit, then walked decisively somewhere.
“Wait, wait! It hurts! Let go!”
He grabbed someone by the collar and dragged him across the ground.
No matter how much the man struggled, he didn’t budge.
The commotion drew the attention of passersby.
“……Charles?”
Dorothy recognized the man Brandon had grabbed.
“Do you know him?”
“Kind of.”
“Oh.”
Hearing that, Brandon released the man’s collar.
Charles quickly got up from the muddy ground.
“Do you know how expensive this outfit is?”
His clothes were ruined from being dragged on the ground.
Muttering, he tried to shake off the mud.
“Long time no see… a-hem… Dorothy.”
Charles, brushing off his clothes, awkwardly greeted her.
“I happened to see your face as I was passing by.”
