🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 21
Rita, who had been diligently accepting their attention, made a joking remark.
“I think I’m going to get indigestion. Everyone, please eat.”
“Oh my. I’m sorry—Mom went a bit overboard…….”
“Ah—s-sorry.”
“Oh dear, just eat comfortably.”
This time, everyone tried not to direct their gaze toward her.
Even so, whenever Rita so much as glanced at a seasoning bottle, they would quickly pass it to her before she could say anything, and when she seemed to enjoy a particular dish, they would subtly slide the plate closer to her. It still seemed that all their attention was focused on her.
It was burdensome, but she understood how they felt, so she didn’t dislike it. With a ticklish feeling, Rita continued her meal.
It’s a nostalgic taste.
Before she regained her memories, she had only been astonished by the refined and abundant dishes that were completely unfamiliar to her, but now that her memories had returned, most of them were foods from her past. Even though so much time had passed, the taste hadn’t changed much.
When the meal ended, the duchess hesitated before speaking.
“Lily, would you like to go shopping in town with Mom?”
“What?”
“You don’t really have many clothes to wear right now. We can have dresses tailored gradually, but how about going out and buying a few ready-made outfits for the time being? Now that you’ve come home, there must be plenty of other things you need too, right? We can shop, and while we’re at it, look around Laskail City together and see how much it’s changed over the years…….”
As the duchess cautiously made the suggestion, Richard broke in with a grin.
“Mother, don’t you need a porter and an escort? Take me along too.”
Leonhardt also smiled and encouraged her.
“I have things I need to take care of, so I can’t go with you…… but I think it’s a good idea. Lily, what do you think?”
Rita had never really gone shopping before and had no interest in clothes, but she couldn’t refuse the expectant look in her mother’s eyes.
“Okay, let’s go.”
The ducal carriages left Birch Castle under Leonhardt’s regretful farewell.
Although Richard was acting as an escort, aside from his martial ability he was still a young master, so two family knights followed as guards. One of them was Richard’s adjutant.
The duchess’s maid Nancy and Lilieta’s maid Hanna also came along to attend to them, turning what was supposed to be a simple outing into quite a large group. In the end, one carriage wasn’t enough, and they had to use two.
With the family crest boldly emblazoned on the carriages and the knights’ uniforms, they were bound to stand out wherever they went.
Right, this is what a noble’s outing was like. We’re going to draw a ton of attention.
Having grown accustomed to a life as Rita that was modest to the point of being discreet, she had momentarily forgotten. Lilieta steeled herself inwardly.
When I feel a lot of people’s eyes on me, my nerves get sharp, and if I’m not careful I might lash out at someone innocent again. I need to relax somehow. This isn’t a world with an Ashen Sun. There’s no need to be overly wary.
She wanted to hide any behavior that wasn’t “Lily-like” as much as possible, in case her family found it strange.
Even if I smell patchouli, I can’t kill anything. Even if I sense something suspicious or a stranger suddenly approaches, I can’t just shoot them in the head. Only arms or legs—just to subdue them.
As she made these resolutions while fiddling with the gun Leonhardt had given her, Richard, sitting across from her in the carriage, asked in confusion.
“Hey, why do you have a gun? It looks like something from Father’s collection in the storeroom…….”
“I got it from Leon oppa.”
So those were Dad’s collectibles.
No wonder Leon oppa didn’t seem particularly interested in them.
Rita belatedly recalled that the duke had been very fond of hunting.
Thinking back, it seemed that hobby had led her father to collect guns as well.
As she continued to dig through her memories, she also recalled her father holding her in his arms when she was little and letting her touch a revolver. Her mother had been horrified at the sight, and her father had gotten a tremendous scolding.
So my liking for guns comes from Dad?
With a newly reflective gaze, she looked down at the revolver with its silver body and ornate gold embellishments. By her standards it was an antique-level relic, but by this world’s standards it would probably be state-of-the-art.
……If I told him I like guns too, just like him, would he be happy?
A wave of longing washed over her. She wanted to see her father. Rita prayed that the duke, who had gone to the capital, would return soon.
Richard tilted his head.
“My brother gave you that?”
“I said I needed it.”
“Why do you need a gun?”
“It’s a weapon I’m familiar with and like. I feel at ease only when this is within reach.”
“Hmm…….”
Richard’s expression grew subtle. Since it was more or less the reaction she had expected, Rita simply smiled.
“Is it strange to call a gun a weapon?”
“That too, but…… you say you need a weapon to feel at ease? You?”
“It seems Leon oppa didn’t tell you what I’ve been doing all this time.”
“He just warned me not to pry since you’re uncomfortable talking about it.”
“Ah.”
“Since it came up, can I ask? Lily, where have you been, and how have you been living all this time?”
“Hmm, it’s a long story…….”
“Girls, we’ve arrived!”
As the carriage that had come to a stop opened its door, the duchess spoke cheerfully.
Lilieta stepped down from the carriage with Richard escorting her. They were in front of a large, luxurious dress shop, and just as expected, she immediately felt countless gazes on them.
People passing along the street stopped to peer at the ducal carriages and whispered among themselves. Since the Laskail family had lived in near-seclusion for the past ten years and hadn’t gone on outings like this, they were drawing even more attention.
We should get inside quickly.
Feeling her nerves sharpen, Lilieta hurried indoors.
The shop staff, astonished that the duchess—who had lived in seclusion ever since the ducal daughter went missing—had come in person, rushed out in a flurry to greet them.
“If you had summoned us, we would have come at once. What brings the duchess herself to our shop…….”
The madam designer, who had elegantly twisted her graying hair into an updo, trailed off mid-sentence. Her eyes widened as they fixed on Lilieta.
“Oh my, who is that beautiful young lady……?”
“This is our daughter.”
The duchess replied in a blissful voice. The madam designer’s mouth fell open.
“T-the Lady Laskail? Th-the one who disappeared ten years ago?”
“That’s right. She returned home safely a few days ago. So she needs clothes to wear.”
“Oh my goodness! Congratulations, Madam! Truly, congratulations!”
Clapping her hands in excitement, the madam designer quickly set her staff into motion. In no time at all, they were guided into a luxurious reception room.
While the duchess and the madam chatted animatedly, a makeshift changing area was set up in a corner of the reception room, and racks laden with elegant dresses and lavish gowns were wheeled in one after another.
Rita felt cold sweat run down her spine.
……So it really is the trend.
A faint scent of patchouli wafted from the clothes. As more garments were brought in, the fragrance grew stronger.
Biting her lip, Rita suppressed the urge to shoot the clothes hangers with her gun.
No, Rita Pascal. There’s no chance that monsters are hiding among those dresses. When I sense with Od, I don’t feel anything at all. There are hardly any monsters that could evade my detection. No—this is a world without monsters to begin with. Calm down.
“Ah—n-no!”
Hanna, who had been standing stiffly behind the sofa, suddenly let out a horrified cry and raised her voice.
Just as Nancy, the duchess’s maid, was about to rein in that rude and impudent behavior, Hanna shouted urgently.
“The clothes smell like patchouli! M-my lady absolutely hates that scent!”
“What?”
“What do you mean? Why patchouli…….”
As the duchess asked back and turned to look at Rita, she flinched in shock.
“Oh my, Lily!”
“Yes?”
“There’s blood on your lips! My goodness, what should we do!”
“Ah.”
Rita touched her lips, then hurriedly wiped away the blood with the back of her hand as she made an excuse.
“It’s nothing. My lips were just a bit dry…….”
“That’s not true, my lady! It’s because of the patchouli!”
Hanna shrieked and dashed toward the clothes rack.
“Please remove these immediately! Anything that smells of patchouli is unacceptable!”
Seeing Hanna make a scene and the pale-faced young lady wiping blood from her lips, the staff hurriedly wheeled the racks back out.
When Hanna flung the windows wide open and ventilated the room, the scent gradually faded. As it did, the anxious sensation also subsided.
Damn it—if the scent is this strong, is it unavoidable that I get sensitive even when detecting with Od?
Pressing at the corner of her mouth, Rita thanked Hanna.
“Thank you, Hanna.”
“Lily, are you all right?”
The duchess, her face drained of color, took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from the back of Rita’s hand. Rita quickly put on a smile.
“I’m fine, Mom. I’m just a bit sensitive to that smell, that’s all.”
