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Chapter 16
Sadness is one thing, business is another.
Money is like that. I waited until the groom’s tears finally subsided and handed him the ring.
“You did commission this, so you still need to pay.”
“Y-yes! Of course! I don’t have much, but at least this…”
He shyly offered a pouch of trangs in his hand.
Even at a glance, the amount seemed small. I wondered if it was okay to sell a legendary blue pearl from the Valoran Duke for this price.
His face as he handed me the pearls flashed through my mind.
‘Forever, waiting.’
It almost sounded like his voice was echoing in my ears.
No, I’m the one who accepted the commission knowing he didn’t have much. If I refuse now, how much would it hurt him? He just came from his final farewell with the one he loves…
“Alright! Go! Yeah!”
“?”
I was lost in thought as I looked at the trangs in the groom’s hands when the doorbell clanged, drowned out by a cheerful voice.
“Po-Pony?”
“Who?”
Pony?
The groom blinked in surprise, standing up. I felt the same. The delicate young lady entering the shop, her skirts fluttering, was supposedly Pony, the Kanz Baron’s daughter?
She was small and frail, tears dripping like chicken droppings down her face. Her dark brown hair matched her brown eyes. Yet, she carried an oddly incongruous backpack on her back and threw herself into the groom’s arms.
“My love!”
“Pony, how…?”
“I can’t live without you.”
“I—I feel the same, but today, the Kanz Baron…”
“Stop!”
Pony put her index finger to his lips as if to say “stop talking.”
I could do nothing but watch them, like a scene from a skit unfolding before my eyes.
“Let’s leave the Empire together.”
“?!”
“?!”
The groom and I probably widened our eyes about one and a half times. Her sudden declaration was enough to shock us.
She wasn’t a commoner, nor a slave. She was a noble with all the privileges of the Empire…
“I don’t care for an Empire without you.”
“…Alright!”
I must be going crazy. What does “alright” even mean?
The groom, completely smitten by Pony’s sweet words, wore a look as if he had just made a grand promise.
That’s not the look you should be giving.
“Let’s leave, Pony!”
“Alright!”
“So… you’ll help us, right, Lady Serna Troid?”
“Excuse me?”
I was watching this ridiculous skit unfold, and suddenly Pony looked at me and asked for help.
Help with what? Escaping the Empire? For the sake of their love? Why me?
“I don’t think I can help.”
“Lady Troid, how could you not?”
“I’m not very interested in illegal activities.”
“But we’re customers of Serenade.”
“I sell jewelry, not midnight escapes.”
I flatly refused. I didn’t want to get involved in anything strange. I even turned my body away so that making eye contact with the groom wouldn’t weaken me.
I don’t recklessly involve myself in annoying or dangerous matters.
It’s a shame for them, but this isn’t my business. I have no way to help, and I certainly don’t want to end up on bad terms with the Kanz family.
“My father only sees me as a face of the Kanz family.”
“……”
“Outside, he pretends to care, to love me, but at home his attitude changes completely.”
“Kanz young lady.”
“I don’t want to be called by the family name, nor live miserably in a loveless house anymore.”
“Huh… still, some things just can’t be done. I can’t help you.”
Pony Kanz’s words didn’t matter if they were true or not. Again, I had no intention of involving myself.
“This.”
Pony Kanz handed me the incongruous backpack she was carrying. I had my eyes closed, trying to avoid looking, but when I felt her gentle tapping on my hand, I opened my eyes and took the backpack.
“What’s this?”
“Open it.”
With reluctance, I fumbled with the buttons and peeked inside.
“Huh?”
Countless trangs glittered inside the worn bag.
Even without counting, I could tell it was an enormous amount. The bag sagged from the weight of the trangs.
“This is the payment for the ring. You understand the rest without me saying it, right?”
“Are you trying to lure me with this?”
“…….”
How much is this? Even if Serenade worked for several days selling, it wouldn’t amount to this.
The heavy bag awakened a strange sense of justice in me and strengthened my resolve to help these two cross the Empire’s borders safely.
Money is truly powerful.
Watching the trangs glint in the bag, Anna’s disapproving gaze felt like it came from far away.
What? So what if a merchant makes money?
This isn’t illegal. People emigrate to other countries all the time. The only flaw is that Pony, a Kanz young lady, is fleeing secretly without her father’s knowledge.
“Pony, because of me…”
“Don’t cry, my love. Let’s go to the T-ho Kingdom and live happily.”
“Pony!”
The power of money is incredible.
The skit they were performing now looked like a romantic movie. But this money… it’s not stolen, right? Ill-gotten money would be a crime even for the receiver.
“I sold all my jewels and valuables to make this money.”
Seeing my suspicious gaze, Pony Kanz quickly answered.
“Haha. But where do you want to go?”
“The T-ho Kingdom. My friend lives there and will help us.”
“Ah~ the T-ho Kingdom.”
I had heard of it.
It’s where Tania, my close friend, once lived. A country bordering the Valoran estate, far from the capital. Disputes big and small never ceased along its borders.
“Don’t tell me…”
“It’s dangerous because fighting never stops there.”
I briefly considered returning the backpack.
The thought of the Valoran Duke crossed my mind. If he came along, it might not be so dangerous, but crossing the border into the T-ho Kingdom isn’t something he could help with. Of course, he wouldn’t immediately agree if asked either.
“Do you have a plan?”
“Yes, I do.”
Alright, let’s hear it.
‘Anna. Please take care of this.’
‘My lady, your expression looks strange.’
‘I… it’s fine… I am. Don’t come to meet us. It feels like we’re going to die.’
So, the carriage carried me, Pony Kanz, and the groom.
Pony’s plan:
-
Obtain uniforms from the Valoran knights and go near the border.
-
Pretend to be knights and provoke the T-ho Kingdom’s knights.
-
When a fight breaks out, the border will be unguarded, and they’ll slip through into the kingdom.
Who would be fooled into thinking these three are knights?
A young, tiny groom. A frail girl. And a woman recently resurrected from a skeleton.
Even so, we were heading toward the Valoran estate. I couldn’t give up the trangs Pony had given me.
“First, we need the uniforms, right, Pony?”
The groom asked worriedly.
Each estate had a strange trend—selling knight uniforms to commoners like jerseys of famous athletes. At first, this caused confusion between actual knights and the commoners wearing the uniforms. Now, however, badges and emblems are issued to prevent that.
“We can buy the uniforms at the shops, but will that fool anyone?”
“How about pretending we’re drunk? Then the uniforms don’t have to be complete.”
“Ah…”
While going through this chaotic plan, the carriage jolted to a stop.
“Looks like we’ve arrived.”
“Time is short, so let’s each do our part.”
Unable to resist the temptation of money, I decided to get this done quickly.
I took charge of clothing, Pony the weapons, and the groom got a short-haired wig. After a quick trip through the market:
“The uniforms are surprisingly high-quality.”
The Valoran knights’ signature gray uniforms.
“We got light weapons. None of us can actually use them.”
Three thin, plain, long swords. And…
“I… got a wig.”
Wow. The wig Pony got was a simple black short-cut. But mine…
“What’s the deal with this wig?”
My brown wig was a frizzy, overcooked mess, the kind you wouldn’t see even in a ’90s salon. The poor groom spent 100 trangs on it.
I had to wear it because Pony’s urgent gestures insisted we leave.
“The oversized uniform, tiny body, awkward sword, and ridiculous wig… Perfectly stupid-looking knight.”
“Pfft.”
Are you laughing?
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t, but…”
“Change the wig.”
“Fine. Time is short, so let’s head for the border.”
“Pony, come with me.”
Do they really…?
We rode through the city for a while. By sunset, the sky turned golden-orange, the perfect time to pretend we’re drunk.
“Don’t forget your lines. Understood?”
“Lady Troid, I’ll never forget the help you gave me this time.”
“You better not. Look at me.”
She bit her lips nervously. I made a joke to ease her tension, and she finally gave a small smile.
“When you two settle in the T-ho Kingdom, you must invite me.”
“Of course. I’ll definitely write.”
It was funny to see them say goodbye in such ridiculous costumes, but once they reached the knights’ camp, we might not even be able to meet their eyes. So we gave our farewell early.
“Then, let’s begin.”
At my signal, we locked arms and staggered forward. We decided to sing a cheerful song.
“Forward~ march ahead~ endlessly~”
We sang the Valoran knights’ song we’d practiced in the carriage. I tried a deep voice for the male parts, which came out strange, but the groom’s voice covered it.
Except for the guards, everyone seemed free-spirited. Small houses were nearby, and a pub had a sign with beer.
We arrived near the border and hid at the far end to avoid the Valoran knights, looking at the T-ho Kingdom knights beyond the mana wall.
“What? Why are you all so ugly?”
“?”
The groom delivered the first line, and the plan began. He was pretending to be tame but was doing it well. Pony shook from laughter, barely holding it in.
“Look at your faces. Ugh, so ugly, tsk.”
They spat over the mana wall as rehearsed.
Yet, the T-ho knights’ faces didn’t change. The groom got anxious and started adding weird ad-libs:
“You don’t have a lover.”
Well, you don’t say.
“You haven’t kissed anyone, right?”
Of course he has.
“You…”
“Enough.”
Good heavens. It actually worked?
