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Chapter 56
“Phew…”
As the town house drew closer, Ariel let out a long breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
This was the first time she had ever visited a noble estate that wasn’t the Cadelion residence.
Not long after, a guard’s deep, authoritative voice rang out.
“We’ll need to inspect your carriage. Please state the purpose of your visit.”
Pulling the curtain back just enough to peek outside, Ariel gave the guard a quick glance before checking herself over one last time.
Brown hair? Check.
She raised a hand to her forehead, feeling the wide brim of her hat.
Hat? Check.
Eyes, nose, mouth? Check.
…Well, of course they were there.
Satisfied that nothing looked out of place, she opened her bag and took out the invitation that the Head of House Etia had sent to Felix Trading Company.
The knight accepted the letter.
The moment he read it, he froze.
He checked it once.
Then twice.
Then a third time before silently stepping aside.
“Thank you.”
Leaving behind the guard, who continued staring suspiciously at the carriage, they crossed the sprawling gardens. Before long, the carriage came to a smooth stop.
Instead of the coachman opening the door, a beastman already waiting outside the mansion did so.
“Are you the Merchant Guild Master?”
Not wanting to speak any more than necessary, Ariel simply nodded.
The man smiled warmly.
“Haha, I see. It’s an honor to meet you. Ah, it seemed Lady Merchant wished to keep this meeting confidential, so instead of the head butler, I came personally.”
Wow… they really put thought into this.
Although they belonged to different professions, an executive aide ranked about the same as—or even higher than—the head butler.
That alone showed just how seriously House Etia was treating this meeting.
Ariel’s fingertips began to grow cold from nervousness.
At least the dress concealed the trembling of her legs.
For that, she felt deeply grateful.
As they walked toward the mansion, the aide spoke cautiously.
“If this arrangement made you uncomfortable, we’ll correct it immediately next time.”
“It’s fine. I actually prefer it this way.”
Ariel answered quickly.
The fewer people who saw her face, the better.
“Then let me properly introduce myself. I am Elader Sharik, personal aide to Lady Karin Etia, Head of House Etia.”
“A pleasure to meet you. I am Vian West.”
Maintaining an expressionless face, Ariel gave a small nod.
In contrast, her heart was pounding wildly.
Truthfully, keeping her composure was torture.
The mansion’s garden overflowed with brilliant blue flowers.
She clenched her teeth and kept her lips tightly shut.
If she opened her mouth even once, she was certain the awe on her face would become impossible to hide.
“This way, please. I’ll escort you to the drawing room.”
While not quite as magnificent as the Cadelion estate, House Etia’s town house was still enormous.
Elegant paintings decorated every hallway, and the mansion’s blue-themed interior exuded refined luxury.
Fortunately, thanks to the head butler at the Cadelion estate having practically forced lessons on architecture, interior design, and the value of noble residences upon her, Ariel was far less overwhelmed than she otherwise would have been.
Oh… that’s a work by Dorjas Giyu.
His signature technique uses countless tiny dots to create incredibly delicate lines…
Whenever she spotted works by artists she recognized, she even found herself smiling.
Eventually, after passing several reception rooms, Elader stopped—not at the grand reception room reserved for the most honored guests, but before a dark navy door even farther inside.
He knocked.
“I’ve brought Lord Vian West.”
A voice invited them inside.
The door opened.
The reception room beyond was unimaginably vast and lavish.
But the most eye-catching sight was the beautiful person seated in the center.
Long dark-purple hair was tied neatly high behind their head.
…Ah.
So that’s why.
The instant Ariel saw them, she finally understood why there had always been such heated debate over the gender of House Etia’s head.
Sharp eyes.
A high, elegant nose.
Features both striking and refined.
They carried an unmistakably androgynous beauty.
Neither “handsome” nor “beautiful” seemed sufficient.
They were simply…
Stunning.
The door clicked shut behind her.
Karin Etia smiled warmly, narrowing their eyes as they extended a hand.
“I am Karin Etia, Head of House Etia.”
Ariel discreetly wiped her sweaty palm against her dress before accepting the handshake.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Lady Karin Etia. I am Vian West, Guild Master of Felix Trading Company.”
Karin quietly studied the mysterious merchant everyone had been talking about.
Rumor had painted the guild master as one of the four great merchants of the continent.
Some claimed they were a fat, crafty businessman who had swallowed a hundred snakes.
Others imagined an elderly sage seasoned by decades of experience.
Reality looked nothing like those stories.
Instead…
A squirrel…?
The merchant reminded Karin of a squirrel warily eyeing a stranger.
One trying very hard to stand up straight, puff out its chest, and appear dignified.
Their slightly upturned eyes only reinforced the image.
A proud little squirrel.
One that looked at least eight years younger than Karin had expected.
The sort that would bury an acorn…
…and then spend the next day frantically searching for where it had hidden it.
…This beastman runs an entire merchant company?
Karin blinked in disbelief.
I suppose I should invite them to sit…
Ariel watched Karin with barely concealed hope.
Standing politely until the host sat down, as etiquette demanded, was far more exhausting than she’d expected.
Yet Karin remained standing.
Without saying a word.
…Is this some kind of psychological battle?
If we’re going to have a battle of nerves… couldn’t we at least do it sitting down?
Completely unaware that Karin was seriously contemplating whether she belonged to the squirrel race or not, Ariel subtly glanced toward the nearest chair, desperate to free her aching legs.
After a long silence, Karin finally spoke.
“It may be rude to ask… but are you, by any chance, a squirrel?”
“No, I’m not.”
Ariel smiled gently.
Hidden within that graceful smile was a heartfelt plea.
Please let me sit.
“Oh.”
Only then did Karin realize her guest was still standing.
She quickly sat on the sofa.
Ariel immediately followed.
Not a squirrel… perhaps a chipmunk?
Judging from that smile, the merchant clearly hadn’t appreciated being mistaken for a squirrel.
Well, that’s understandable. Species like pigeons and crows tend to be sensitive about those distinctions too.
After all…
Squirrels and chipmunks were entirely different races.
Must be a chipmunk.
Remembering that asking a beastman merchant’s race was considered impolite, Karin wisely decided not to pursue the matter.
Having reached a completely ridiculous conclusion, she addressed the nervous young woman in a much lighter tone.
“You can relax now.”
All thoughts of intimidating the famous merchant were promptly folded up…
…and tossed straight into the trash.
“If someone saw you right now, they’d think I was about to eat you alive.”
She added casually,
“If I really intended to overwhelm you, I’d have started before your carriage even entered the estate.”
To be fair, Karin had never truly intended to go that far.
She had considered asserting a little dominance—but only inside the reception room.
Still, having already thrown both those intentions and her conscience into the metaphorical trash, she simply smiled innocently at the merchant seated across from her.
More importantly…
I need to feed this child.
Looking closer, Karin noticed just how painfully thin the girl’s arms and legs were.
At this point, calling her ‘skinny’ almost feels like an understatement.
She clicked her tongue.
What in the world was her family doing?
How little did they feed this poor girl for her to become this thin?
Unaware that Ian had already worked hard to restore weight to the once skeletal Ariel, Karin silently condemned the girl’s supposed guardians.
She suddenly had an overwhelming urge to feed her.
With cheeks that small…
Wouldn’t she look exactly like a squirrel stuffing acorns into its mouth?
Without realizing it, Karin’s hand moved on its own.
“This lemonade is from Lesia.”
She placed the glass in front of Ariel.
Only then did Ariel finally notice the table overflowing with desserts.
That’s… the lemonade I always drink whenever I visit Lesia.
Seeing something familiar in such an extravagant room made her strangely happy.
Watching the young lady’s cheeks puff out as she drank, Karin smiled with satisfaction before offering another plate.
“And these cream puffs were brought from Atlea.”
Huh?
That’s my favorite item there too!
Ariel’s eyes widened.
They actually went all the way to Atlea to buy these?
As delicious food filled her stomach, her tension gradually melted away.
As expected…
Nothing calmed the nerves better than good food.
Seeing that, Karin happily pushed over more desserts.
“Oh, and the green grape ade and the crème brûlée came from a café called Ganache.”
Ariel froze halfway through scooping up a spoonful of crème brûlée.
Someone actually knows Ganache?
It was a tiny hidden café tucked away in an alley, far from the main streets.
Only true food lovers knew about it.
Even then, the regular customers were few.
“Oh… you know Ganache? Hardly anyone has heard of it, so I assumed you wouldn’t.”
“I happened upon it by chance once,” Karin replied with a smile. “The crème brûlée was so good that I make a point of visiting every time I come to the continent.”
Ah…
Were you the person who always sat there reading the newspaper?
A vague memory surfaced.
Purple hair.
A newspaper in hand.
Always seated by the window.
“Haha. I have a discerning palate.”
Karin took another sip of lemonade.
“I enjoy traveling purely for good food.”
Then she grinned.
“After all, isn’t the whole point of life to eat well… and enjoy yourself?”
Ariel couldn’t have agreed more.
