TCMGF 61

Chapter 61

Anyway, that festival was nothing more than entertainment for the guests, the sort where the duke and duchess, as hosts, didn’t even need to show up.

Which meant that if we felt like it, we could pretend to be ordinary people and blend right in.

“Since everyone wears masks, no one will notice if we slip in among them.”

Michele, who had been looking particularly smug these past few days, eagerly gave his opinion.

“I heard this from my estate management professor at the academy—back when he traveled abroad disguised as some clueless young man, there were always people trying to rip him off.”

Well, sure. If you look like an easy mark, people will treat you worse.

“So if Uncle and Aunt wander around looking naïve and lively, wouldn’t shady merchants be more likely to approach?”

And thus, Ezekiel and I decided on our undercover concept:

“A foolish newlywed couple from out of town.”

So it was settled.

The masquerade festival was the hallmark summer celebration of the city of Vetra.

They closed off the city’s widest street, illuminating the night sky with countless little lights—a sight you could be sure would appear in every travel catalog.

It was the grand highlight that marked the end of the long summer holiday, so the number of participants was beyond measure.

Ezekiel and I deliberately threw ourselves into the massive crowd.

The festival was alive with people swarming like moths to a flame.

And I threw myself into acting.

“Woooow! Look over there! Isn’t that amazing, darling?”

How bold could a person become behind a mask? Tonight, I would find out.

“What are you doing? Act along already.”

Thanks to Ezekiel being a whole head taller than everyone else, the merchants were already eyeing us.

If we stood out just a little more, we’d look like prime prey to shady vendors.

Wearing the couple masks Anna had picked out for us, I clung to Ezekiel’s arm. He forced a grin, playing his part.

Meeting my expectant gaze, he did his best to act like a lovestruck, foolish husband.

“If there’s anything you like, just say so, darling… I-I’ll buy it all for you.”

“Kyaa! I love it!”

Please, someone scam us quickly so we can stop this nonsense.

Ezekiel, too, seemed desperate to be done. He muttered under his breath:

“I wanted our real first date to be somewhere carefully chosen…”

“Isn’t it fun, though, to act so differently from usual?”

“Only if I can survive the embarrassment without my soul wearing thin.”

There were so many people that, of course, we weren’t the only ones undercover.

“Michele is disguised as Alfredo’s grandson and wandering around with him.”

“That suits them.”

If Alfredo was moving, then his intelligence network must also be in play. I decided to probe casually.

“You’ve got a lot of informants. You spread them out too, didn’t you?”

Even at sensitive topics, my husband no longer reacted as sharply as before.

“I did. I only hope there aren’t too many businesses or individuals caught in tonight’s crackdown.”

And then, at last, the bait came.

“You there, you two lovebirds!”

Was he calling us?

“Before the main music starts, why not grab a quick bite?”

A middle-aged man with a mustache called out from in front of a tavern, coaxing us in with suspicious enthusiasm.

“Come on, we’ll treat you well.”

Pretending to hesitate, I let him shove us inside.

“You won’t regret it!”

Whether this place was legitimate or shady, we’d soon see.

“What’s on the menu?”

“Fried food and pasta.”

Ezekiel, who had enjoyed Vetra’s cuisine longer than I had, recommended the best options. Feeling reassured to have a local by my side, I agreed. We ordered seafood fritters and squid-ink pasta.

“But isn’t it strange there are no prices on the menu?”

“…That’s suspicious.”

Half-doubting, we waited. At least the food didn’t take long.

“One plate of seafood fritters and squid-ink pasta!”

The fritters, five pieces total, came on a saucer barely larger than a teacup. The pasta looked like three bites’ worth wrapped around a fork.

“Not much, is it? Just a light snack indeed.”

Even so, Ezekiel casually peeled the batter off a shrimp, head and all, and placed it in front of me.

Like a chick being fed by its mother bird, I accepted and ate it.

“I’ll peel one for you too. It doesn’t sit right if I’m the only one being fed.”

“You’ll dirty your hands.”

“I want you to know how it feels to be fed. Here, say ah—”

We bickered playfully as we quickly polished off the fritters. Sharing the pasta bite by bite, the plate was soon empty.

The taste wasn’t bad—but the real issue was the bill.

“One hundred gold for the fritters, three hundred for the pasta.”

The amount made my neck tingle.

‘That tiny fritter costs nearly twenty gold each? Are you kidding me?’

Ezekiel, too, couldn’t hide his disgust. His heavy anger was obvious even behind the mask.

The man who had lured us in grew nervous under Ezekiel’s glare, but still demanded payment.

“Ahem. That’ll be four hundred gold.”

At that, Ezekiel finally snapped.

“Normally, fritters are five gold apiece and pasta fifty. That’s fifty-five total.”

Thinking us naïve outsiders, the man was startled to hear the exact price. But only for a moment. He quickly changed his tune.

“Ha! You must be mistaken. When was it ever only fifty-five gold?”

“What?”

He was blatantly trying to gaslight us.

“You must’ve eaten at some new place selling cheap on purpose. You’re confused.”

Ezekiel’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“You think I’m a fool, do you?”

“Hey now, keep your voice down! Other customers are here!”

I, too, was fuming. I could’ve revealed our identities and demanded justice on the spot.

“Hold it in. Let’s deal with them all at once later.”

What good would it do to crush them with authority now? Better to take the long view than indulge in momentary satisfaction.

I placed my hand on Ezekiel’s shoulder, and his anger dissipated surprisingly quickly. Squeezing my hand, he swallowed his frustration.

“…You’re right.”

So, still undercover, we paid and left. I had a bad feeling this wouldn’t be the last such place tonight.

Sadly, I was right.

“Excuse me! How is this acceptable? There was metal wire in my food!”

“We maintain our food very cleanly, ma’am.”

The vendor dismissed the complaint bluntly and vanished behind the stall. Worse yet, that stall was operating illegally—without any permit from us.

“They’re selling cicchetti illegally and even lowering the quality.”

“And thanks to their greed, the people’s anger will come back at our domain.”

Whenever I lost my temper, Ezekiel stopped me.

“This is exhausting.”

“Indeed. Who would’ve thought we’d find six such places already?”

I was overheating, but I couldn’t remove my mask without risking being recognized.

“I worry about Michele and the butler too.”

“Ah, heavens. Just how many more are like this?”

Not long after, Michele returned from his patrol with the news we expected.

“They all deserve to be shut down.”

He declared flatly. Judging by his first words the moment he arrived, he must’ve suffered plenty too.

“Three gold for a single piece of candy? Why not just say a bag costs one acre?”

At that, I clicked my tongue. Our contract marriage settlement was one hundred acres, after all.

“They tried to charge me inflated prices, but as soon as the butler showed up, the price suddenly dropped back to normal.”

“So they pick and choose their targets.”

“They even ignored me when I glared. Just wait. Once I’m heir, I won’t let them off.”

I soothed the fuming Michele, and together we left the noisy streets filled with music.

As we turned corners, Butler Alfredo whistled each time. Likely a signal to summon scattered informants.

When I stared at him, he jumped in surprise, then quickly switched to whistling a full sea shanty instead.

“Ha-ha, suddenly the tune just came to me, you see?”

Impressed by his quick wit, I clapped for him.