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Chapter : 22
“A hundred years’ worth of deliveries… that must be an enormous amount of money. No—did the old lady really pay all of that?”
Lyla nodded again and again.
“Don’t tell me she intended to receive food deliveries across two generations? Just what kind of grocery store is that?”
Lyla instinctively tried to nod again, then quickly shook her head.
“I don’t know either. She didn’t tell me what kind of shop it was.”
Right. Charlotte herself couldn’t understand what Countess No was thinking, so it was only natural that Lyla—the penguin—wouldn’t know either.
Even though she had left behind a wardrobe full of clothes and jewelry, she hadn’t left a single coin.
Instead of a normal tenant, she had signed a contract with someone like Pierce.
Countess No was definitely a very… unique person.
“Haah. She could’ve just made a 50-year delivery contract and left the remaining money to me. Then we could’ve happily bought that fish and eaten it.”
Saying it out loud only made her feel more pitiful.
With zero living expenses, she might even have to sell the earrings and necklaces left by the countess.
At that moment, a sharp electric sting shot through her wrist as if it had been shocked.
Sssshhk—thud.
“Gah!”
A rough shout came from behind her. Startled, Charlotte spun around.
A blond man was crouched on the ground, covering his right eye with a large hand.
“Damn it… that damn sparrow. I help, and it attacks me?”
His irritated voice was rough with anger.
Another sharp jolt ran through her wrist—strong, intense—right there in the street, not the ballroom filled with jealousy and tension.
This was a real warning about danger.
Danger! Run!
Charlotte quickly scooped Lyla up and tucked her under her arm before sprinting.
“Hey! Wait!”
The blond man roared loudly behind her.
But Charlotte only looked forward, pushing through the crowd.
Wait? Why would she wait?
If a warning signal appears and someone is behind you, it clearly means they’re an assassin trying to kill you.
She had to return to the safe mansion. Lock the entrance with the magical security system and go up to the seventh floor.
But the direction she ran in was the opposite of home.
Worse, this was her first time outside since arriving in this world, so she had no idea how the streets and alleys connected.
“If I’d known this would happen, I should’ve gotten a map and memorized the streets…”
Helpless, she weaved through crowds, hiding among people like a game of hide-and-seek.
It was useless to regret it now—but she still regretted it.
“Even if I was angry at Pierce, I should’ve just stayed home…”
Thud.
Distracted by a glance behind her, Charlotte collided with someone and fell backward.
“Ugh!”
Her bottom hurt badly. Frowning, she looked up at the person she had hit.
In novels, someone like a thug or a heroic male lead usually appears at times like this.
“Ow… my back… who pushed me?”
But it was just a plump middle-aged woman from the neighborhood.
People nearby, startled by the collision, hurried over and helped her up.
“Are you okay?”
“Did you get hurt?”
“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”
Just as she hurried to respond, Lyla’s scream rang out.
“Squeeeek (Aaah!)!”
Charlotte quickly looked around.
Lyla, who had been beside her just moments ago, was gone.
Instead, she saw a hooded figure running into an alley between people’s heads.
“Squeak squeak! (Lady!)”
“Lyla!”
Charlotte pushed through the crowd.
“Chirp chirp! (Lady!)”
A sparrow circled above her head, shouting. Charlotte ran toward the alley where Lyla had been taken and ordered Luke:
“Follow them!”
“Chirp chirp chirp (I cannot leave your side).”
“If you don’t find out where Lyla was taken, you’ll be kicked out!”
Luke hesitated, flapping his wings, then shot toward the alley.
Charlotte ran after him.
Why would someone kidnap a penguin that wouldn’t even fetch a high price? Other than being cute… it didn’t have much ability… ah, no—it did have useful household skills.
So they kidnapped Lyla for that?
No—but only she knew about that skill. Not even Rakal knew.
Then… was Lyla taken hostage because of her?
Was this an attempt to lure her out? Poisoner? Assassin?
Charlotte shook off the thought and kept running.
Regardless of the reason, she couldn’t leave Lyla alone.
Kidnapped pets were rarely returned.
So Lyla, don’t cry.
If you cry, you’re too cute—they’ll sell you for a high price.
“Chirp chirp chirp!”
Luke’s voice echoed ahead.
A hooded figure was running down the alley, blocking off attacks from the aggressively swooping sparrow.
That guy—he’s the kidnapper!
Just as Charlotte tried to speed up, she nearly collided with someone stepping out of a nearby door.
“Ah!”
A solid box the size of a brick flew into her vision. Without thinking, she grabbed it and threw it with all her strength.
Thud.
The box struck the back of the fleeing man’s head. He staggered and fell forward over the box.
Charlotte rushed over and lifted his cloak.
Inside, she found a small sack wriggling.
“Lyla!”
She untied the sack and a tear-soaked penguin appeared.
“Squeak squeak! (Lady!)”
“It’s okay, don’t worry!”
“Damn it, what the—!”
Thud.
The kidnapper, who had been clutching his head and glaring at her, rolled his eyes back and fainted.
Charlotte hugged Lyla tightly, then turned sharply.
“Charlotte, are you hurt?”
A man holding a black gentleman’s cane looked down at her with concern.
“…Why are you here, Rakal?”
As the sun rose higher, the sunlight grew hotter.
Even so, the heated square was packed with festival crowds.
Tourists from the capital filled the streets, making everything noisy and chaotic.
But Charlotte sat calmly in a teahouse on the second floor, a teacup placed neatly in front of her.
Her eyes rolled toward a broken box nearby.
The outer container, meant to protect its contents, had been sturdy—but the inside was a disaster.
The mask inside had cracked badly from the impact.
Decorative jewels had scattered like colored beans around it.
“I’m sorry.”
Like a child who had done something wrong, Charlotte apologized quietly.
In her rush to save Lyla, she had thrown the first thing she grabbed…
Who would’ve thought it was Rakal’s mask box from a specialty shop?
“It’s fine.”
Rakal took a graceful sip of tea.
Even in sunlight, this man seemed to shine brighter.
As Charlotte reflected on what “truly noble” meant, Rakal spoke again.
“It’s only natural that you wouldn’t know that shop specializes in masks.”
Right. She was new to this street too—it was natural she didn’t know.
“I will need to inform Marquis Lapace that I cannot attend tonight’s masquerade ball.”
“Is… that so?”
Rakal glanced at the broken mask.
“It would be inappropriate to attend wearing a damaged mask.”
“Um… couldn’t you just buy a new one?”
Masks were everywhere during the festival. Surely they could find one before tonight.
Rakal’s smile was elegant—but strangely cold.
“That mask was a specially commissioned piece. Quite expensive.”
“…I see.”
So this was truly noble society. Of course they wouldn’t wear something anyone could buy.
Then something occurred to her.
“Why were you at a mask shop, Rakal?”
Wasn’t Rakal Staratua the emperor’s eldest son and a duke?
He should have countless servants.
Why would he personally go out?
“…I was curious.”
“Curious about what?”
“About how well the mask was made.”
“No.”
“About who the man you said you were meeting was.”
“…Ah.”
“And if I was lucky, I thought I might run into you and that man.”
Charlotte instinctively glanced at Lyla beside her. Lyla was currently hanging by the window, watching the street outside.
She had only said it as a joke—so he wouldn’t question who she was meeting.
Did he really care that much?
Feeling a bit guilty, Charlotte pointed beside her.
“The man I’m meeting is that one.”
“Pardon?”
“Lyla is male.”
Rakal stared at her, then gave a helpless laugh.
“Were you teasing me?”
“No. I didn’t expect you to actually be curious.”
She had only said “man” because she couldn’t exactly say she was going out with a penguin.
“It was simple curiosity—as a friend.”
“Yes, yes. Enough curiosity to personally come to a mask shop.”
“Charlotte.”
At his flat tone, she smirked slightly.
“Squeak squeak! (Lady, that bad man was caught!)”
Lyla tapped the window excitedly.
They both turned their gaze outside.
The acrobat who had kidnapped Lyla had been captured, and the capital guards were searching the troupe’s stage, causing chaos.
The acrobatic troupe had realized Lyla understood human speech and had tried to sell her to a noble in the provinces after the festival.
…Wait. Come to think of it, wasn’t this the same troupe that Charlotte had thrown a dagger at yesterday—and hit Rakal’s carriage?
