TLDH~31

Chapter 31

That day, Lilliana seemed to have had a great time playing with me.

I suppose she would have.

I had fully utilized the skills I honed playing with the younger kids at the orphanage.

Anyway, Lilliana invited me to the Count’s house again the following week. I happily played with her all day and left before nightfall, but to my horror, the exact same carriage from the first week appeared.

So, I was too scared to go to the auction house.

I’ve said it repeatedly, but even as a regressor, I was still only six years old.

I thought about asking Bennett for a guard, but that would have revealed my movements too much, which was problematic.

While I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, the next week arrived, and for the third time, I said I would go, partly to protect Lilliana’s haughty pride.

But again, I couldn’t make it to the auction house.

This time, it wasn’t because the carriage followed me, but because Lilliana cried the entire time, begging me to stay over.

And so the fourth week came, and I was only able to leave the Count’s house late in the evening again, but only after promising about a hundred times that I would come to play again next week.

*Sigh.*

I’m dying.

I felt completely drained, slumping against the carriage window and gazing outside.

Even though I left at roughly the same time, the sun seemed to set at a different pace each day.

Summer really didn’t have much time left.

I felt impatient.

But no matter how much I thought about it, no other solution came to mind.

Even if I asked Hail for help, I was the only one who knew about that item, and it didn’t even have a name, so I had no choice but to go see it and buy it myself.

It’s not like I could buy all the swords at that auction house either.

‘I have no money, that’s the problem.’

A mere 10 gold coins. Even if I sold the jewels, I’d only get about 10 more gold coins.

Scraping together my remaining allowance only gave me 2 gold coins.

It was a tight amount, no matter how I looked at it.

*Sigh, I have so many future expenses.*

Once I go to the capital, Onè, and can move freely, I really need to properly fill my coffers, I thought, turning my head.

‘But for now, what should I do?’

I let out a long sigh, thinking again about how to get to the auction house.

Lately, because of this, I had even temporarily postponed chasing out Arina.

Of course, it also helped that Arina had been keeping a low profile lately, whether she was being cautious or not.

‘The perceptiveness of a Grade 2 maid.’

On top of that, I needed to ask Paul about grandfather’s illness.

‘It’s hard to see Paul’s face lately, too.’

I assumed he was busy researching the willow bark, but grandfather’s Ixtus was still ticking like a time bomb.

I needed to make the treatment quickly.

But on weekdays, I had lessons, and on weekends, I was busy playing with Lilliana, so I hadn’t had time to think about anything else.

I needed to make sure grandfather exercised too.

By evening, this small, weak body was busy collapsing into sleep.

‘I wish I were a bit healthier.’

I let out a long, drawn-out sigh, thinking of my childhood days when I could stay up for several nights in a row without any problem.

“Haaaah.”

Perhaps my exaggerated, long sigh, meant to blow the carriage roof off, sounded concerning, as Hail, who had been looking out the window, turned her head towards me.
“Ah, I just feel a bit stuffy inside.”
“Do you have something on your mind?”
“Huh?”

Hail stared intently at my face when I said I felt stuffy.
“You’ve seemed worried about something for the past few weeks.”

‘She’s like a ghost.’

Well, Hail was the one who’s been by my side all this time.

If she had even a little interest in me, she couldn’t have missed the fact that I was worried and pondering over something.

I *was* tearing my hair out all the time, after all.
“Just…”

I scratched the back of my head and tried to brush it off by turning away.

But despite my evasive answer, Hail persistently asked again.
“Is there somewhere you want to go?”

Huh.

Is she really a ghost?

I whipped my head around to look at her, astonished by how accurately she guessed.
“Yeah.”

Then, I nodded my head vigorously, as if all my previous hesitation and worrying had been for nothing.
“So, help me out, Hail.”

At my blunt request for help, Hail nodded confidently.

As if to say, just trust me. She looked reliable.

* * *

‘If I had known it would be this easy, I would have told her sooner.’

That was my brief thought after finishing my explanation to Hail.

The words flowed out surprisingly easily, making my four weeks of worrying seem pointless, and Hail accepted my request more readily than I expected.

Of course, there was a condition.
“In return, please promote me to a Grade 3 maid.”

‘I was planning to promote you to Grade 2.’

I readily nodded at her modest request.
“Sure! Okay.”

I had originally planned to promote Hail to that position after getting rid of Arina and Linzy anyway.

A request like this wasn’t a burden.

I was worried she might ask for something else.

‘No, maybe Hail is truly smart.’

Hail knew better than anyone that I had no money, so getting a promotion and a raise was more efficient for her.

Gaining trust from me, getting money from the family…

‘She’s wise, Hail.’

And to be honest, the fact that Hail set terms like that actually put me more at ease.

If she had agreed to help without any conditions for such an unreasonable request, I would have found it more suspicious.

‘The human heart, huh.’

I shook my head, not quite understanding my own feelings.
“So, can we go today?”
“No, I don’t think it’ll be possible today.”
“……Why?”

At my question, my face sulky and eyebrows drooping, Hail wordlessly pointed past the carriage towards the coachman and shrugged her shoulders.
“The preparations aren’t ready yet..”
“Ah.”

Wondering if she had something else in mind, I blinked, and Hail nodded with a faint smile.

So she has a method.

Anyway, Hail would know the capital, Onè, better than I do.
“Then, next week?”
“Yes.”

Seeing Hail’s reliable expression as she nodded, I also nodded firmly.

The plan was set in motion.

Ah, but wait a moment.
“But Hail, how did you know? That I had somewhere to go?”
“The money pouch inside your skirt.”
“Ah.”

The money pouch I had been carrying inside my skirt, jingling for four weeks straight.
“Ha.”

So I’d been practically announcing to the whole world, ‘I have something to buy!’

It occurred to me that being a regressor doesn’t necessarily mean you’re smart in every way, and I shrugged my shoulders.

Still, it was because of that Hail figured it out.

So, even if I looked a little foolish, it was fine.

* * *

“Nothing out of the ordinary?”
“Uh, no, there wasn’t, Ma’am.”

Elin, who had called Arina in after Letitia returned home, crossed her arms and stared intently at her.
“……”

Under that silent, staring gaze, Arina felt her stomach churning uncomfortably.

She felt she needed to make some excuse, but the words wouldn’t come out.
“It’s just…”

Breathing heavily, she clenched her interlaced fingers tightly.

Looking at Arina’s trembling fingertips, Elin let out a short, dissatisfied sigh and raised her head.
“Arina.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Was my instruction too difficult for you?”
“No, not at all.”

Arina shook her head, but Elin still looked unconvinced.
“Then why couldn’t you follow the Young Lady again today? I distinctly told you not to leave her side for a single moment, didn’t I, Arina?”
“It’s just…”

Trailing off, Arina bit her lip.

Even if she tried to speak, she had nothing to say.

Frankly, she was going crazy herself.

‘Just why isn’t it having any effect?’

She felt like pounding her chest in frustration.

They said it should show effects even with minimal use, but it had absolutely no effect on Letitia.
“I… I am trying my best.”
“Will trying alone be enough?”
“……”
“There needs to be results.”

Arina gritted her teeth at Elin’s uncharacteristic coldness.

If she lost this connection too…

She would have nowhere left to go.

She was already being shunned by Letitia herself.

Feeling rushed, she took a sharp breath.
“I’ll try harder…….”

But Elin cut off Arina’s words with a sigh.
“Arina, if your abilities aren’t up to it, wouldn’t it be better to quit now?”
“Miss Elin.”
“There are plenty of other girls eyeing that position.”

Elin continued, looking at Arina.
“Until now, I’ve been stopping Lady Belia from wanting to replace you with another girl, but if things continue like this, it will be difficult. It might be better for you to go down to the estate……”

No.

At the mention of the estate, Arina frantically shook her head.
“I, I’ll definitely stick to her this time. I don’t want to go to the estate. That place……”

Although the Eshier family’s estate was certainly not small, it was nothing compared to the Imperial Capital.

What was the reason she ended up serving that wretched illegitimate child, Letitia?

It was all because she didn’t want to leave the capital.

And now, all that effort from that single moment might become worthless.

Feeling her mind go blank, Arina shook her head at Elin.
“Give me a week, no, ten days! If you do, I’ll bring you the news that Lady Belia wants.”