QBSLB 32

Chapter 32

At my confident words, Benny gaped at me in disbelief.

Of course, I wasn’t asking for help for free.

I pulled two gold coins from my pocket.

“…!”

Among the jobs commoners could have, being a maid was considered fairly decent, and the monthly wage was five gold coins.

If you make someone work, you should pay them properly.

Just as expected, the other maids who had been glancing our way let out envious exclamations.

Being paid half a month’s wages for shelling beans for just half a day was an incredibly good deal.

“B-But, little madam… where did you get that kind of money…?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

Benny swallowed hard, her eyes glued to the gold coins.

“H-However, if the madam finds out that you went out, it’ll be a big problem…”

Lowering her voice, she added in a whisper,

“And there’s no way the other maids will keep their mouths shut…!”

“Don’t worry about that.”

I pressed the gold coins into her hand and said confidently,

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Y-You’re giving me the money in advance? What if I take it and don’t do the work?”

But that wasn’t the end.

Smiling, I handed her two more gold coins.

“And lend me a maid’s uniform. No—just give it to me. This is the payment for that.”

Once again, envious gasps rippled through the room.

Benny had barely helped me and already earned four gold coins in an instant.

Meanwhile, she flailed her hands in shock.

“W-What?! A maid’s uniform only costs thirty silver!”

“Just take it.”

“But… why…?”

“You send your wages to your older sister, don’t you?”

Benny’s face flushed bright red.

“H-How did you know that…?”

Her stockings were patched in several places.

For a commoner, her wages weren’t particularly low, and she had neither parents nor married children to support.

That meant most of her earnings were probably being sent to her sister.

“Buy yourself a new maid’s uniform with this.”

It was compensation for giving me her old one.

“M-Madam…”

Her dark eyes shimmered with emotion as she looked at me.

As I left the kitchen, leaving behind her gaze full of loyalty, I turned back and asked,

“Oh, by the way—where does your sister live?”

* * *

Wearing Benny’s worn maid’s uniform, I headed toward a domed arena.

It was a structure similar to the Colosseum in Rome.

“Chimera races behind your family’s back! Masks for sale, masks!”

“Hot dogs for spectators! Only three silver!”

Since crowds gathered here, the area in front of the arena was packed with vendors pushing carts.

People really are the same everywhere.

I lifted my cheap silver mask and thought so.

Today, there was no need to buy an expensive disguise artifact.

Even though chimera racing was legal, it was still essentially gambling.

People often lost their fortunes by betting large sums.

Perhaps because of that, most spectators wore masks to hide their faces.

The race was open to everyone—nobles and commoners alike—so people’s appearances varied widely.

Thanks to that, there was no real risk of my identity being exposed despite my maid outfit and mask.

The arena had four entrances—north, south, east, and west—and betting tickets for the chimera race could be purchased in front of each.

I walked toward Gate No. 2, where a line had formed.

“Betting tickets start at just ten silver! Of course, you can buy more if you’d like!”

There were twenty chimeras participating in the race.

They were numbered from 1 to 20.

The favorite this round was Lucky Number 7.

“This chimera was created by a top graduate of the Academy!”

Above twenty crystal projection orbs, hologram-like images of the chimeras appeared.

The mage tower merchant selling the tickets shouted loudly,

“It’s the largest one and has sturdy thighs perfectly suited for obstacle racing!”

“Wow… it really looks strong!”

“Wasn’t there a size limit? Number 7 looks especially big.”

As if aware of the attention, the hologram of Chimera No. 7 opened its mouth wide.

Naturally, most of the betting tickets piled up on Number 7.

“Life is an adventure!”

Some people occasionally bet on Number 3 instead.

It was considered the second-most promising candidate after Number 7.

“If Number 7 trips and falls, all that money’s mine!”

I walked straight toward the counter.

“So, how much will our little maid bet? Ten silver? Or maybe go big with one gold?”

Seeing my maid attire, the merchant asked with thinly veiled condescension.

I answered calmly,

“Thirty-four gold.”

Oooh.

A wave of astonished murmurs swept through the crowd.

It might not have been much by noble standards, but to commoners, it was an enormous sum.

The merchant quickly changed his attitude, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

“Haha! That’s quite a bet! And honestly, there’s never been a race with such an obvious outcome! Then of course, Number 7—”

“No.”

I grinned and pointed at Number 10.

A chimera that looked like a crumpled ostrich, barely holding itself together even in the hologram.

“Number 10. Thirty-four gold. I’m betting everything.”

For a moment, silence fell over the area.

Then—

Chaos erupted.

“Hahaha! What an idiot!”

Someone laughed.

“Oh my, that young lady doesn’t know anything. Someone should stop her.”

Someone else pitied me.

And someone…

“Hmm…”

Watched quietly from within the crowd, eyes glinting.

Of course, there was no way I could have noticed that.

* * *

After carefully taking the betting ticket for Chimera No. 10, I was about to head inside the arena.

You can’t just walk past hot dogs…

I spent the remaining silver in my pocket and happily munched on one.

“That maid is really enjoying her food.”

“Should we buy one too, dear?”

I was generously adding extra tomato sauce at the hot dog cart when—

“It’s the Second Prince!”

At the shout, I paused mid-bite and turned my head.

In the distance, a man with brilliant blond hair—the unmistakable mark of royalty—was approaching.

The Second Prince was one of the more significant antagonists in the novel.

I narrowed my eyes as I studied him.

Somewhat handsome, if a bit ambiguous.

And more than anything, that obnoxious expression—subtly enjoying the sight of people bowing to him.

It’s exactly like the original description…

Wearing masks here was, of course, meant to hide one’s identity.

But it was also meant to let commoners fully enjoy this once-a-year event.

If someone of such high status showed up, everyone had to bow and observe proper etiquette.

Yet he deliberately revealed his identity and strolled slowly through the crowd—just to receive people’s greetings.

Then, as a child bent over to bow, a toy slipped from the child’s pocket and fell to the ground.

The Second Prince gestured to the attendant beside him.

The attendant hurriedly picked up the toy, brushed it off, and handed it to the prince.

The Second Prince smiled benevolently and handed it back to the child, as if bestowing a gift.

“Oh my… how kind.”

“I heard he’s always so humble and kind to commoners!”

Munch, munch.

I chewed my hot dog, watching the scene with an expressionless face.

The Second Prince’s group quietly headed toward the back of the arena.

After finishing my hot dog at last, I slipped discreetly into the alley behind the arena.

Just as expected.

There, in the empty space, the Second Prince was complaining, attended by servants and guards.

“A handkerchief. With disinfectant.”

At the cold, arrogant command, a servant hurried to present one.

After wiping the hand that had held the child’s toy, he casually dropped the handkerchief to the ground.

“Throw it away.”

He spat the words with contempt.

“A filthy commoner touched it.”

Figures.

I wiped the tomato sauce from the corner of my mouth and thought.

An extreme narcissist, with a belief in his own superiority over everyone else.

That was the defining trait of the Second Prince and the Princess.

Because their mother, Empress Carlota, had always told them:

“You are noble beings who inherit both imperial and royal blood.”
“You are special, different from others.”
“My son is destined to stand at the very top of the world.”

Having grown up hearing such things, it was only natural that everyone else looked like nothing more than insects to them.

Just then, the servant who had picked up the handkerchief asked cautiously,

“Y-Your Highness… are you truly going to place 1,000 gold on Horse Number 7?”

“1,000 gold?”

I sucked in a sharp breath from behind the alley.

Even for a prince, that was an enormous amount.