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Chapter 25
Elka checked Diana’s outfit over and over again.
“Hmm, this should be fine. No one would find it suspicious.”
With her thick white hair loosely braided into a single plait, a finely woven linen blouse, and a heavy wool dress layered over it, Diana looked exactly like a respectable village girl no matter how one looked at her.
After fastening the shawl draped over Diana’s shoulders with a wolf-patterned brooch, Elka finally sat down. At that moment, the sled began gliding smoothly over the snow.
The speed was much faster than Diana had expected, and she squeezed her eyes shut. But she opened them again almost immediately. With her eyes closed, the speed felt twice as fast, so she decided it was better to look at the distant scenery instead.
At first glance, the land looked like a vast white snowfield, but on closer inspection, traces of greenery could be seen here and there.
“Elka. When spring comes to Norbert, flowers will bloom too, right?”
“Of course! The flowers of Islant are stronger than any others. They can’t bloom unless they generate heat themselves and melt the snow.”
Islant? The unfamiliar name made Diana tilt her head, and Elka took the opportunity to explain.
“It’s better to use that name outside the castle. Norbert is a name the Empire imposed unilaterally, so the locals aren’t used to it.”
Ah, so that was why. Diana hurriedly reviewed what she had been calling this land whenever she spoke in front of others.
Foreigners who insisted on using a name they had made up themselves instead of the proper name passed down by generations—there was no way such people would be looked upon kindly.
Islant.
Diana silently repeated the name several times.
It suited a land filled with ice better than anything else.
What announced the arrival of spring in Islant wasn’t the cracking of glaciers or the dripping of melted icicles from the eaves, but a single small, modest yellow flower.
With a face full of pride, Elka introduced the seasons of Islant.
“When spring comes, flowers bloom everywhere—wetlands, plains, you name it. In summer, instead of flowers, all kinds of wild berries grow. If you pick basketfuls and make jam or preserve them in sugar, they’ll last all the way through the following winter!”
Just listening made saliva pool in Diana’s mouth, and even Sasha—who was usually subdued—sparkled with excitement.
As Diana imagined low, delicate wildflowers scattered across wide fields like splashed paint, people carrying baskets on their arms while picking small fruits, and the sweet-and-sour scents drifting from kitchens, the sled quietly passed the boundary stones of the market near Fenrir Castle.
Even though Walter hadn’t pulled on the reins, the reindeer knew it was time to stop and slowed down on its own. Elka stared back and forth between the reindeer and a stall piled high with carrots, her face full of disbelief.
“Walter, did you not feed him this morning?”
The reindeer had stopped right in front of a vegetable stall.
The affectionate creature that had been rubbing against Diana before departure was nowhere to be seen. Instead, it wore a resolute expression, as if to say it wouldn’t move a single step unless fresh carrots were produced immediately. Diana burst out laughing.
Walter glared at the reindeer as though he were about to eat it alive, but the reindeer didn’t even twitch its antlers.
In the end, unable to stand it any longer, Diana picked up the biggest, brightest carrot from the stall.
She hadn’t exchanged the ducat gold coins yet, but surely she could buy one carrot for the reindeer that had safely brought them to the market.
“How much is it?”
The merchant confidently held up his fingers. As Diana rummaged through her purse, her fingers froze.
She thought the merchant must be joking.
But instead of laughing it off with something like, “It’s usually a hundred gold, but I’ll give it to you for one gold since you’re special!”, the merchant just stared at her as if asking why she wasn’t paying already.
“Th-that seems far too expensive…”
“If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.”
The reindeer, completely unconcerned with human affairs, poked Diana’s side insistently with its damp nose. In the end, Diana had no choice but to pay the absurd price.
“This is the first time in my life I’ve ever bought a carrot this expensive… Are you sure it isn’t actually some other kind of vegetable?”
It was a reasonable suspicion—but the moment the reindeer took a big, crunchy bite and the fresh carrot scent filled the cold, clear air, Diana’s expression darkened even further.
Now that they had properly arrived at the market, Diana’s head swiveled nonstop, trying to take in as much as possible—unfamiliar roads, unfamiliar buildings, unfamiliar faces.
Each sharply peaked roof was blanketed in thick white snow like a heavy cotton quilt. The icicles hanging from the eaves looked like ornate decorations adorning that snowy cover.
“Watch your head!”
Someone suddenly popped out from a rooftop, and the piled-up snow slid straight down and crashed onto the ground.
When the worker knocked down the icicles with a long pole, the sound of shattering glass and something smashing echoed for quite a while.
The sight reminded Diana of a recent moment of danger, and her complexion paled instantly.
“Erno… he’s safe, right…?”
He has to be. Believing that was all she could do. Praying toward the mountain range where Erno would be, Diana steeled her heart once more.
“Rare fruits imported from the far south!”
“Fresh fish! Fresh fish for sale!”
“Goods freshly brought in by the Valdamir Trading Company! Take a look!”
“Hey there! How about some warm mulled wine? We’ve got hearty hot stew too—warms both body and soul! Empty rooms, empty stables, empty baths available!”
Vendors shouted from every direction. Elka stood close behind Diana as if shielding her from the crowd. Thanks to that, Diana was able to look around the market with a much greater sense of ease.
“Huh? Sister Elka!”
From afar, a hostel runner wearing an apron waved at Elka. She recognized him and walked over with a pleased expression.
Sasha slipped over and summed up their relationship in a single word.
“Elkson. Lady Elka’s younger brother.”
Now that she thought about it, his build was unusually large. He looked like the inn’s signboard had grown arms and legs, and Diana stifled a laugh.
As if the timing were perfect, Walter casually handed the reindeer’s reins to Elkson. There was no way they could drag a reindeer and sled into a trading company building.
“Oh! Brother Walter! It’s been ages! You look great! And you too—it’s been a while. Those antlers are still magnificent. Beer for you, carrots for the reindeer?”
Without even answering, Walter fled straight into the inn as if escaping. Elka shook her head with a sigh. He really did hate crowded places.
“Haa… Let that bear of a man drown himself in ale or honey from midday onward. Let’s go by ourselves. The Valdamir Trading Company is right nearby.”
“A trading company? And one run by Miss Veronica? You’re going there? Why?”
Elkson, who had seemed to follow Walter inside, scratched the back of his head and cut in.
“Veronica? You don’t mean that Veronica I know?”
Why was that name suddenly coming up here? Diana’s voice cracked with tension.
The real reason she had come to the market today went beyond buying gardening supplies.
Aquila had explained the value of ducat gold coins and recommended exchanging them for currency commonly used by trading companies instead of spending them as-is. Once again, Elka had effortlessly recommended a particular company.
She had agreed too hastily, hearing it described as a massive trading company that practically controlled Islant’s entire economy. Now regret and anxiety welled up inside Diana, and she forced herself to calm her trembling heart.
“Elka? And this lady is…?”
Seeing Diana’s reaction, Elkson asked in confusion.
“…She is Her Grace the Archduchess. She came out quietly today, so don’t even dream of making a fuss.”
Elka lowered her voice as she introduced her. Elkson, who had assumed she was merely a new maid from the castle, stared at Diana with eyes that looked ready to pop out.
Working at an inn naturally sharpened one’s eye for people—especially for Elkson, who took pride in his judgment.
But no matter how he looked at it, the small woman before him appeared to be, at best, the well-bred daughter of a wealthy merchant who had come along with her parents.
Even as those thoughts crossed his mind, the ingrained instincts of an experienced inn runner made him bow deeply.
“O-oh! I’m terribly sorry for not recognizing such a distinguished guest… My apologies. I’m Elkson. I sincerely welcome you to the Antler Inn. Um… that is…”
“Just call me Diana. As Elka said, I came out quietly today. More importantly, could you tell me about the trading company run by Miss Veronica?”
For some reason, she had a very bad feeling about this.
