“Ah, I’m full.”

Daphne exhaled.

After wandering around the market and eating everything, she felt like her stomach was about to explode.

‘It’s time to go back soon.’

How zealously they had been walking around, the sun was already setting.

They should go back by now so they can get up early tomorrow morning and go back to Bertrand.

‘But it’s a pity to go back.’

Daphne looked around the market with lingering eyes. There were a lot of things they hadn’t seen yet and a lot of things they hadn’t eaten.

“Kael, shall we look around just one more place?”

The last place they went to was a place that sold exotic jewellery.

When the children came in, the employee who was trying to stop them also immediately backed down after seeing the clothes worn by the two.

‘Jewellery doesn’t inspire me much.’

It was jewellery that she was tired of seeing when she was in the imperial palace.

Hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of jewels moved back and forth around her and were just sitting there.

On top of that, she robbed a swindler who ran a jewellery store, so why did she ask to come here?

Daphne regretted it inwardly.

Still, the shiny things were pretty, so she was looking around diligently, and a ring caught her eye.

“Oh, this.”

It looked similar to the ring she saw while passing by a new department store when she lived in Korea.

It was a very famous brand ring that even Daphne, who was ignorant of brands, knew about.

It was so pretty that she stopped walking, but she just passed by because she knew it was a price she couldn’t even dream of.

‘Let’s try it on.’

Daphne wiggled her fingers. Now she could buy whatever she wanted.

Who would say anything if she bought them in different colors?

Rather, Zegman would praise her for doing well.

‘If you look at it this way, I’ve really changed a lot.’

Daphne giggled. And soon she turned around without lingering.

It was a ring made for adults, so it didn’t look like it would fit her finger.

She thought she could buy it anytime, so she didn’t covet it that much.

“Daphne.”

Kael called Daphne, who was looking at something else.

“I think my father will get upset if I don’t buy him a present, so how about this?”

What Kael chose was earrings made entirely of obsidian without any decoration.

‘Mister Zegman, you pierced your ears. Indeed, you seemed to care quite a bit about your appearance.’

After recovering to some extent, he lived in the military exercise hall, saying he had to rebuild his muscles.

Then, he was dragged back by Selma and trapped in his room again.

“It’s good?”

When Daphne smiled and nodded, Kael soon called the staff to pay the bill.

While talking about something more, Daphne looked at some jewels.

“We really have to go now.”

When they left the jewellery store, the sun was setting and the night was turning on one side of the sky.

But the market was not stained at night.

Each store lit a lantern, and the taverns that opened attracted customers with delicious smells.

Kael murmured at the sight.

“If our territory had a port, could it be this lively when spring comes?”

When night comes, they put boards on the windows and put them on again to prevent heat from escaping.

Can their territory, whose streets become quiet as if they were dead, be like this?

Glancing at Kael’s profile as if making an impossible wish, Daphne looked straight ahead and held Kael’s hand.

“You can do it. You have me?”

She could feel Kael’s gaze staring at her.

Daphne raised the corners of her mouth with a more confident face.

“I said I would find spring, and what else do you need besides an ice-free port?”

Bertrand had a port too. Trade was impossible because it was all frozen.

So they had to use ships only in the middle of the river that connected to other territories, and then all the goods had to be carried by wagon.

Thanks to this, trade goods were several times more expensive than those purchased in other territories.

But thanks to the transportation business she stole from Count Hins this time, you can now buy it cheaper than anywhere else.

“You can also have an ice-free port.”

“How?”

She could feel Kael laughing.

“You can take it away! Did you see that I stole the wheatfield from the Count of Brighton this time?”

It was a villainous line, but she couldn’t help it. Or take the territory where the port is, well.

Daphne turned her head to meet Kael’s gaze.

“Trust me. I’m your supporter.”

Didn’t she promise to support future information and the power to suppress the curse?

Kael laughed at Daphne’s words.

It was the most beautiful smile she had ever seen.

“Then a small gift for my dear supporter.”

What Kael presented was the jewellery set Daphne was looking at earlier.

Not only the ring she wanted, but also the necklace and earrings were packed in the luxurious box.

“I was thinking of just buying the necklace and earrings because I didn’t think the ring would fit. It felt empty without it.”

Then he took out the necklace and held it as if he would do it.

Daphne turned back, lifting her hair up.

“How did you know I wanted this?”

There were a few more jewels that she thought were pretty and stopped in front of. It wasn’t just this. How did he know?

“By instinct?”

Kael, who put the necklace on, replied. Daphne looked at the box, now containing only the ring and earrings.

She took out the ring and tried it on.

“As expected, it’s too big.”

“You can wear it when you grow up. Of course, I’ll buy you something better then.”

Kael’s words that spoke of the future as if it were natural made her laugh.

Daphne looked at the earrings left alone in the box.

“But why did you buy the earrings? I didn’t even get my ears pierced.”

“Eh?”

Kael was taken aback. When she showed her ears, he blinked as if he was even more baffled.

It could have been. Usually, young girls or fancy young ladies have had their ears pierced since they were young.

Daphne must have had her ears pierced too, he seemed to think.

“…I didn’t know.”

Kael replied sullenly.

“Why are you so sullen?”

Daphne laughed. He could not have known because her long hair always covered her ears.

“You can go back and pierce it for me.”

“Me?”

“Uh-huh.”

Daphne nodded. If it’s Kael, he’ll pierce her ear neatly so that it doesn’t hurt.

“Yes, I’ll do it for you.”

Kael readily answered, holding out his hand.

“Now, let’s go back.”

Daphne took Kael’s outstretched hand.

It was time to return to Bertrand.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

“Milady.”

Daphne raised her head at the sudden sound of her name being called.

“Ah.”

When she stopped writing the letter, ink flowed from the pen point and ruined the letter.

Daphne’s face wrinkled and she put the ruined letter aside.

“You’ve often been absent-minded after coming back from the South.”

“I know. Is this the aftereffect of the trip?”

Daphne took out a new letter paper, roughly answering Mariel’s question.

She didn’t know how many copies she had already written.

Her hands began to hurt.

“Wouldn’t it be okay to write it tomorrow?”

“No, it’s better to finish this as soon as possible.”

Daphne shook her head and focused on writing the letter again.

“And there are people who get upset about sending them early and sending them late.”

The stubbornness of the aristocracy. Daphne clicked her tongue.

Now Daphne was doing her job as the lady of the Bertrand Grand Duchy.

It was a reply to a thank-you letter.

Leon quickly arrived at the castle first, and Skitt worked hard.

Thanks to this, the swindler’s money was able to quickly find its owner.

In addition, more than a dozen thank-you letters were coming to the Shadow Castle a day because Count Coman and Count Brighton spoke so enthusiastically.

‘Count Brighton worked harder than I thought.’

Is it because she returned some of the money he had been swindled for?

Or is it because they wrapped and sent the swindler to him nicely?

Count Brighton really praised Kael with all his heart and soul.

‘Well, it’s probably more because of Count Theodore’s family than that.’

Due to their children’s work and this, the two count families were completely defeated.

Count Theodore, who was already bankrupt, gnashed his teeth at Count Brighton, who survived alone.

‘Actually, he’ll be more angry with me, but he can’t be angry with me.’

From the point of view of Count Theodore, Daphne, who caught the swindler as soon as he declared bankruptcy and made his own daughter do the same, would be more annoying.

However, he had no reason to be angry at Daphne, and his position was taken.

Even though she was a commoner, she was taken as a member of the imperial family, but she was now the Grand Duchess of Betrand.

So he poured out his anger to Count Brighton, the traitor who survived alone in front of him.

Count Brighton was also growling hard as if he could not lose.

‘As expected, Jay Jay1 is the best.’

It is a law to subdue the enemy as an enemy and only suck honey.

‘Like this.’

Daphne hummed as she looked at the stack of thank-you letters.

She made no enemies, removed the eyes of the emperor, obtained a wheatfield, and restored Kael’s honor.

One way or another, it was a gain.

“Milady, it’s time to take your medicine.”

“Is it that time already?”

When Daphne sealed the last letter, Mariel brought a piece of bread and a small potion bottle.

It was inflammatory medicine.

Kael kept his promise.

As soon as they returned to the Shadow Castle, he pierced Daphne’s ears.

“It doesn’t hurt much.”

Kael said, holding a needle that looked painful at first glance.

Daphne, who had closed her eyes tightly, opened her eyes and grumbled.

“It looks painful.”

“Don’t worry too much as it will be over sooner than you think.”

She was aware. She pierced her ears in her previous life.

She was nervous when she saw the needle even though she knew it would hurt for a very short time.

‘Uh, let’s just not look.’

Daphne closed her eyes again.

“You’ve put too much strength into your body.”

Kael said in a voice mixed with laughter.

“Miss Daphne, it’s better to open your eyes and look at me.”

“…Are you telling me to forget the pain with Your Grace’s face?”

“Yes.”

Kael laughed.

It was a little artificial, but it was a smile similar to the one he had shown in the South.

“Ow.”

It was ridiculous, but she was captivated by his real smile, and her ears were pierced in the midst of even more absurdity.

Indeed, it was a quick and swift movement worthy of a future swordmaster.

‘Oh, it hurts.’

While Daphne was shedding tears, Kael, who sat in a chair and looked at Daphne at eye level, stood up.

And muttered very quietly.

“Even if Miss Daphne doesn’t completely… call me.”

Kael raised his voice a little this time as he wrapped the needle in a cloth and placed it on the table.

“I know Miss Daphne likes my face.”

…I’m annoyed that I can’t refute it.

Daphne glared at Kael.

“By the way, you’re speaking formally again?”

You can’t just be confident.

When Daphne spoke to shake him, Kael, who was about to leave the room, stopped walking.

And then he grinned as he looked back.

“Then shall we speak casually again?”

afterword

1. 이이제이(以夷制夷)[]: subdue barbarians with barbarians, using a force to control another force