SWST 03

Chapter 03

I went straight back to the market.

<Karulai Market>

I noticed a market sign I hadn’t seen before.
It was the name that appeared often in the original story—the market where the Sword Spirit shows up and devours goods.
The locals here consider the spirit story nothing more than a legend, but later, when Dotchef gathers his companions and returns here, he encounters that very spirit.
Of course, that’s a story that happens long after Bloody Mary has fallen.
For now, it’s just a peaceful market.

“The shop I noticed earlier…”
I scanned the market to find the shop I had noticed before.

“Here it is.”
Up close, the groceries in the shop didn’t look particularly fresh.
Not that they were worse than the neighboring shops, of course—they were still much better.

“Huh? You’re Halara, right?”
At that moment, the shop owner, a man with a bushy beard, approached.
‘Does he know me?’
Well, it made sense. This was a street where poor commoners lived even within the territory. It would be stranger if he didn’t know.
But I couldn’t pretend to know him either.

“Hello.”
I greeted him first.

“Eh??”
The man let out a high-pitched, startled sound.

“Why… why are you like this?”
“Eh? What… is this a dream?”
Did I have a bad relationship with Halara?
Why would he react like that?

“Did I happen to speak informally? Are we close? I’m sorry—I’ve been so out of it lately that my memory’s hazy.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Uh… then…”
What kind of relationship is this?

“I know you, miss. But you don’t know me~! Because you’re famous in our village. Haha!”
Thankfully, this was the first time we met.
I quickly forced a smile to calm my surprise.

“I’ll come by often from now on.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. Your store here seems to have the best and most diverse groceries in this market.”
I smiled sweetly, flattering him a bit.
Getting friendly with market owners was my specialty.
At my in-laws’, I had to carefully inspect the ingredients for every offering on the ancestral altar, which made grocery shopping a stressful ordeal.

“Oh my, our village beauty will come to my shop often? What a thing! So the rumor that you never touch market food was just a rumor after all~!”
“Hahaha!”
Classic Halara gossip. That rumor probably wasn’t entirely false.
Inside his shabby house, there were a few cigars discarded on the ashtray. Surely, those were offerings from noblemen—probably the best food as well.
‘Don’t give her clothes or expensive items. Or at least give jewelry that’s easy to sell.’
I sighed inwardly and gave the shop owner a friendly smile.

“I’ll start buying groceries here regularly from now on.”
“Good, good. Ah, the goods have arrived! Take your time looking around and tell me what you want.”
“Yes.”
The man ran off to check the recently arrived wagon, leaving me to quietly examine the groceries.

‘Fruit is expensive, potatoes and grains are relatively cheap.’
As expected of the Bloody Mary estate, which belonged to a knightly family.
Unlike other great noble estates, most of Bloody Mary’s land was used for wheat and potato farming.
Quickly perishable fruits were grown on a very small scale, and flowers were rare.
It was the ultimate cost-effective setup.
Being on the fringes of the Holy Empire, trade was not active, and even that was limited by strict inspections, making merchant visits infrequent.
This closed-off estate management made the Bloody Mary estate a massive fortress, but it was also a disadvantage for acquiring luxury goods or cultural perks.

“Still, it’s nice that vegetables are diverse.”
At least carrots and onions were reasonably priced.

Just then, I noticed a man grabbing a ridiculously expensive apple—ten times the price of a carrot.
His long hair fell over his eyes.
‘Did he get splashed with water?’
His hair was wet, as if he’d been doused. His clothes were ordinary commoner shirts with ties, dirt-stained and yellowed.
But even a cheap shirt couldn’t hide his physique—it was no accident.
‘A mercenary, maybe?’
Judging by the sword at his waist, that seemed correct.
Since Bloody Mary often went to war, they were always short on knights. There were reportedly several mercenary groups employed in this estate.

The mercenary grabbed another large apple with his rough hands.
My eyes followed his movements. Despite the apple’s size, it fit perfectly in his hand.

“That one…”
But I couldn’t help myself.

“Take a different apple, please.”
“……?”
“This one. Don’t be fooled by its appearance—it’s already dry and mealy inside. It may look shiny because of oil polish, but the stem is rotten. It may not be spoiled, but biting into it will ruin your mood.”

“Hm, most of them are similar.”
I sifted through the basket of apples.

“Ah, this one’s fine. Take this one. I haven’t tasted it myself, but it should be fresher than the others.”
I handed him a small, perfectly ripened apple.
Without a word, the mercenary took it.

Crunch!
He immediately crushed the apple I gave him.

“Hey! Why would you crush such an expensive apple?”
It smashed like a snack onto the floor.
Even if the mercenary earned well, I hadn’t expected him to be this extravagant.

“If you’re not buying it, don’t touch it! I can talk to the owner…”
But he ignored me completely, turned, and disappeared into the crowd.

“Hey!”
Without paying!
I hurried after him, but he was already lost among the people.

“Wait!”
Then I heard a voice from behind. The shop owner was staring at me with a stern look.

“Halara, do you know that mercenary who just left? He didn’t pay for the goods, you know.”
“Ah… um, well…”
“If someone takes something, someone has to pay, right?”
Yes, of course…
I awkwardly pulled out my wallet from the shopping basket.
Later, I would definitely find that mercenary and make him pay!

Three days had passed since Halara had appeared at the Bloody Mary Duke’s residence.
Carlos, the steward of the great Bloody Mary household, was holding his head and taking deep breaths.
He was a respected figure among the house staff and had assisted with major family affairs since his father’s generation.
And yet, for the first time, he had made a mistake.

“Carlos, you can do this. You can get through it. Father, please watch over me.”
He opened a pocket watch containing his father’s photo, looking at it as he muttered a self-affirmation.

Though he had experienced various matters while serving the family, this was his first time doing surveillance.

“It’s not too difficult. I’m not chasing a trained knight—just a single woman.”

After Francesca ordered him to investigate Halara, he had initially commanded the household staff to gather information.
But all they could report was that she was an unmatched beauty who charmed many men, earning her the nickname “siren” in the village.
She didn’t work outside the house except to meet men, so the staff could only learn so much.

Finally, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
‘She said she’s not pregnant, but I can’t leave any doubts.’
Since this was the lady’s command, he intended to carry it out perfectly.
Disappointing his mistress would mean losing his qualification as a steward!

Swallowing the tears gathering in his eyes, Carlos left the ducal castle.
For someone who had only stayed inside the castle, it felt like a rare outing.

The farther he got from the castle, the faster his heart beat.

‘It’s that woman.’

It didn’t take long for him to find Halara. She stood out because of her appearance.
Her outfit was far simpler than when she had first visited a few days ago—a single plain dress and her hair tied back neatly.
Ironically, the modest outfit highlighted her striking appearance.

‘She’s probably freeloading off rich men.’
He’d heard she had been inundated with suitors from a young age, and was accustomed to being pampered.
She probably had never done menial work.

Carlos clicked his tongue in disdain.
Pathetic.
She was exactly the type he hated most: someone who freeloads without effort.

‘Was I overreacting? She probably just tried to hit the young master for money.’
And then fled when intimidated by the family’s authority.
He exhaled in relief.
It seemed the matter would be simpler than he thought.
Considering her behavior, she probably charmed men other than young master Dotchef. Capturing just one of them would make things easier.

‘After the young masters, I, Carlos, have the most determination in the household.’
He straightened his clothes and settled in, ready to spend nights outside until he caught her in the act.

“Ah!”
At that moment, a middle-aged woman popped out from the neighboring house.
She seemed like a neighbor. What could she be saying?
Hopefully, something about the men she frequently interacted with.

Carlos pressed himself against the fence, ears alert, hiding behind it.