Chapter 5
“An hour. How about you go to a nice restaurant and have a meal during that time? You can eat some meat and drink a little alcohol.”
As she handed over five bills, the man gestured towards the remaining stack of money.
“Prices have gone up a lot these days. After all, isn’t it wartime?”
“……”
Hermia quietly added three more bills.
“There are always big and small wars happening at the borders. The Müller Kingdom is a small country caught between two empires.”
“How about three hours instead of one? For fifteen bills.”
“…Two hours.”
In the end, the man, now holding 1.3 million Persos, left with a satisfied expression.
She had intended to spend only about 500,000 Persos, but the loss turned out to be greater than expected. Hermia tightened the string with trembling hands.
“Th-that thief just bought my entire month’s salary in just two hours!”
Then, while watching Andy jump up and down, she hesitantly pulled out two more bills.
“I’m sorry. Please use this for now. This is really all my savings.”
“My mouth isn’t that expensive, so don’t worry.”
Despite saying that, Andy accepted the money and tucked it into his pocket.
‘I’ve already spent a third of my entire savings…’
Hermia dragged her weary body into the market.
The tightly packed shops lining both sides of the street and the bustling people moving in between were a sight she hadn’t seen in a long time.
Here, dignity, manners, and modesty were of no use. The people who shouted, ran, and made noise all seemed genuinely happy.
Only then did her mood improve slightly. For a view worth 1.5 million Persos, it wasn’t too bad after all.
“Miss, shall we buy a crepe each?”
Andy was looking around excitedly as if he had never suggested such a thing before.
‘No way. I need to save the remaining money for that thief lady and the brooch.’
She clearly shouted that in her mind, but when she regained her senses, she found herself tasting chocolate in her mouth.
“……?”
Had something entered my mouth? She had no memory of it. As she blinked her eyes, she noticed she was holding an apple pie.
When did I buy this? Confused as she looked down at it, Andy finished paying with a big grin.
“Today’s treat is on me!”
‘That’s money I gave you.’
Anyway, concluding that she had already paid for it, she began to eat it mindlessly. By the time she licked off the jam as if to eat her fingers too, they had arrived in front of a bookstore.
Hermia carefully stepped inside. The first thing she saw was a shelf filled with yellow books. They were all that book.
The claim of its fame was not an exaggeration; there were plenty stacked outside on the shelves for sale as well. In just a brief moment of looking around, a girl picked up one of the books and hopped away joyfully.
Hermia walked to the counter holding the same book that the girl had chosen—two copies: one for herself and one for the burnt Irene.
“I heard volume two has come out; is it not here?”
As she handed over a bill while asking, the bookstore owner lazily presented a thick ledger.
[-List of reservations for Stolen Lady Volume 2-]
The names densely lined up below seemed endless as she flipped through page after page.
“The first edition sold out as soon as it was released. If you place a reservation now, you should receive it in about two months.”
“But there are so many copies of volume one?”
When she asked in surprise, the bookstore owner tossed her change and a pen as if annoyed.
“Volume one has been out for half a year already. Recently, distinguished people like you have been reading it, so we brought in more copies. Now hurry up and write your name down; I’m busy.”
‘Why is he so unfriendly?’
If it were her mother, she would have poked him in the eye with that pen. Thinking this way, she opened to the last page of the ledger.
Just as she was writing ‘Herm…’ without much thought, an unfamiliar voice interjected beside her.
“Are you writing your real name?”
“Oh.”
Only then did she notice that other reservation names were written down.
[I am Princess
Prudish Young Lady
Busty Beauty
I am Bell]
The list started with nicknames but grew increasingly strange towards the back.
[Bell♡William
Bell♡Absolutely Jade
William♡Jade]
She almost wrote ‘Hermia Vansen’ without thinking but hesitated for a moment before crossing it out and writing a new name instead.
[Mrs. R]
‘Hmm… Is this too blatant?’
While contemplating whether to rewrite it again, she heard a small chuckle from beside her. It was the man who had interrupted earlier.
“Rockford Lady? How bold.”
Turning her head, she saw a blonde man wearing round toy glasses. He even whistled briefly.
“Isn’t an assertive woman bad?”
“Not at all. Totally my type.”
He grinned cheekily while leaning on the shelf with his elbow.
“Seriously.”
What’s this guy? Acting cool with those ridiculous glasses.
Muttering inwardly, Hermia slightly frowned and observed him. Even though half his face was covered, his well-defined nose and attractive lips were impressive.
But who knows? There might be buttonhole or sparrow-like eyes hidden behind those glasses. Moreover, his casual posture and tone already indicated what kind of first impression he made on her.
Thus came her quick conclusion: he was just another guy who used to pester women daily when he was still common folk.
“Excuse me, do I know you?”
After finishing her judgment in her mind, an irritable response naturally slipped out.
“……”
It would be normal for typical thugs to back off at this point. If he could associate ‘R’ with the Rockford family, he surely wouldn’t be unaware that she was the esteemed daughter of the Vansen family.
The man quietly stroked his chin. It seemed he was also scrutinizing her, just as she had observed him.
“The Count’s daughter is walking around with chocolate on her lips…”
“Ugh.”
Hermia rubbed her jaw with the back of her hand, not even thinking to take out a handkerchief.
The bespectacled man watched this scene with amusement and crossed his arms.
“Tell me, what do you think of a man asking a woman with a fiancé out on a date?”
“Terrible.”
“Then how about having a cup of coffee with the worst kind of man? If you pay this time…”
“A pervert and a beggar?”
“True about the pervert, but…”
Hermia coldly cut him off and turned her head to look for Andy. She was engrossed in a book she had picked up from the adult section in the distance.
“Andy!”
“Whoa. Ah, yes! Miss! I’m coming!”
Just as she was about to leave the bookstore while ignoring the persistent gaze following her, she heard a voice.
“Hey, noble lady!”
It wasn’t the bespectacled man; it was the bookstore owner.
“You need to leave a reservation deposit!”
“A reservation deposit?”
“If you just write your name and don’t come back to buy it, I’m the only one who loses out after ordering in bulk.”
What kind of reservation deposit is needed for a single book…?
Hermia stood at the counter with a skeptical expression.
“How much?”
“The book costs 10,000 Persos. Just so you know, if you don’t come to pick it up, it won’t be refunded.”
“Here you go. I just need to come back in two months, right?”
“If you pay 30,000 Persos, I can move your order up a bit.”
The owner still wore a sulky expression as he confidently extended his hand.
“For 50,000 Persos, it won’t be two months but next week.”
“……”
“If you give me 100,000 Persos, I can deliver it to your home within two days…”
“Sir.”
Hermia quietly interrupted the owner’s words.
“Do I look like an ignorant lady who doesn’t understand how things work just because I’m dressed nicely and behaving politely?”
“…What?”
She stood tall and stared at the owner for a long moment without saying anything.
A tense atmosphere filled the bookstore, and a bead of sweat trickled down the owner’s temple.
“…20,000. Make it one month instead of two.”
“Oh, yes. Understood. Please come back in one month.”
Hmph. With a scoff, Hermia confidently walked out of the store.
“Pfft!”
The man who had been alternating between watching the dazed owner and Hermia suddenly burst into laughter.
“So you’re just a smart aleck lady.”
Then at some point, he abruptly stopped laughing and swiftly grabbed the owner’s hand as he was about to put money into the cash register.
Despite his slender build, his strong grip tightened around the owner’s wrist, causing pain to contort the owner’s face.
“Ow! What are you doing?”
“You need to conduct business honestly. Volume 2. You have spare copies set aside, don’t you?”
“I-I have no idea what you’re talking about. Get out before I call the police for obstruction of business!”
At that, the man made an annoyed sound before releasing his grip and stepping back.
“The public authority would be troublesome. Not for me but for you.”
He reopened the book he had been reading and leaned against the wall while quietly informing,
“I’ll finish reading this and then leave peacefully; just wait.”
“What? You think you can read without buying? Do you think this is a library?”
The bookstore owner’s face turned red with anger but suddenly fell silent. He had locked eyes with those reddish-brown irises behind the glasses.
In the Müller Kingdom, such reddish eyes only meant one thing: they belonged exclusively to royalty. The owner’s complexion gradually paled as he recognized those royal eyes.
“Excuse me, but are you… the prince…?”
“I lost all my money on my way here. It seems I was pickpocketed inside Postberry. As a local resident, you bear some moral responsibility. Cover the cost of two books.”
The man returned his gaze to the book calmly and announced,
“It was an important scene that got interrupted.”
[Count Jacob Vince had a greedy half-brother.]
“Oh. So it starts from here. His name is Arno Vince… Does that mean he’s Arnold Vansen?”
Gerald narrowed his eyes sharply.
—
Hermia walked along the clean and quiet streets of Rundberry while counting her remaining money.
After giving 1.5 million Persos combined to the bandit and Andy and spending 40,000 Persos at the bookstore, she had about 340 million left.
‘I should buy the smallest brooch possible. Damn it.’
The disappointed face of the Countess already flashed in her mind. Habitually, her stomach began to ache slightly.
With a small sigh, she reached a store whose sign was lavishly adorned.
A few soldiers on guard outside noticed them but Hermia was too preoccupied with her finances to see them as she passed by.
“Welcome, Lady Hermia.”
As expected from a place selling valuables, the doorman wearing a long sword at his waist greeted her respectfully. Hermia received his formal greeting before stepping inside.
Inside Rundberry’s largest jewelry store were more than ten employees. They stood rigidly until they saw her and each wore surprised expressions.
Perhaps it was because it was her first time visiting without her mother; she could only vaguely speculate about their reactions.
“Oh dear! You’ve come at the worst time!”
Soon after, Madame Sophia—the shop owner—came rushing over with delight.
“Good afternoon, Madame Sophia.”
“It’s always such a beautiful afternoon for me as well, Lady Hermia.”
After exchanging pleasantries that felt cliché, Sophia immediately grabbed Hermia’s arm and whispered,
“By the way, Duke Walter is here right now! He’s choosing jewels on the second floor!”
