I Thought It Was a Common Transmigration - Chapter 20

“What is that?”

“That’s Peridot, one of the most popular bakeries in the capital. Some of their products are famously hard to find, even if you line up before the store opens.”

“Wow…… is it that good?”

“I don’t know because I haven’t tried it, but they say that when noble ladies visit other houses, they always send their servants to buy strawberry tarts from there.”

I was very tempted, but I wondered if I should go to the trouble of sending servants.

After all, we needed to eat, not tea or cake.

I took Anna to a restaurant with a nice outdoor terrace.

The restaurant was next to a park with lots of lush green foliage, so we could enjoy our food in the fresh air.

The food was expensive because it was a restaurant where nobles came and went, but I was willing to pay for Anna, who followed me around without any hassle.

‘I’m happy that I can eat to my heart’s content without worrying about money.’

I still clearly remember in my previous life, I used to pack lunches to save money.

When I sat alone in the bathroom eating my lunch, some people would open the window in annoyance, while others would look at me as if seeing something strange.

‘Yes, just having a lot of money is enough to make you happy, so let’s trust in money instead of expecting something emotional from others.’

I tried to convince myself to be strong.

But even as I thought that, I couldn’t help but feel bitter: if someone else could earn the favor of others so easily, why was it so hard for me?

But it wasn’t time to get frustrated. I shared a plate of bread and sea bass with cheese and ham with Anna, and we chatted about this and that, and I played the fool to get to the point.

“You said that commoners don’t have carriages at home, so what do they take when they travel?”

“They rent carriages, or they pay to ride on long-distance carriages.”

“And when they stop along the way, do they stay at inns?”

“Those who can afford it stay in inns, and those who can’t often sleep on the streets.”

If I’m going to run away, I need to know how to take a long-distance carriage ride and how to stay at an inn.

“Wow, that’s interesting. Where do you take a long-distance carriage? I’ve never seen one before.”

“Of course you have, because a long-distance carriage looks nothing like a noble’s carriage. Think of it as a covered carriage.”

“Yuck. That’s going to be a bad ride.”

“That’s why everyone packs motion sickness pills. In the capital, the place where the long-distance carriages gather is near the South Gate.”

Okay. Long-distance carriages near the south gate of the capital. Take motion sickness pills.

“If you want to stay at an inn or something, do you send someone to make reservations?”

“Usually you just walk into any inn you see and if there’s a room, you stay, if not, you don’t. People who don’t have money sleep in stables.”

“You sleep in a stable? Why? Are inns expensive?”

“The cheap ones are around 3,000 sennas a night, but the expensive ones can go up to 7,000 sennas, so they’re expensive for commoners.”

I should be able to get an inn for around 5,000 sennas a night, right? I’ve got it in my head.

I ended the conversation about traveling with a look of wonder on my face, like a young lady who doesn’t know a thing about the world—which is true.

There were many things I wanted to ask, but I knew that Anna, a maid of the Ludwig family, would post a report of my outing, and a long tail is bound to get stepped on.

“Is there anything else you need?”

“No. I just came out today to sell the jewelry I removed from my clothes and open the safe, and your company made me feel much better, so thank you, Anna.”

Anna’s expression barely changed at my thanks, but I could tell after spending months with her, that she was a little surprised.

I could only hope that it was a positive thing.

***

Once I started to seriously consider running away, I realized that as a mansion dweller, I had to actively use the library to get information about how to live in the world.

Luckily, the people in this house don’t seem to care about what I read in the library.

So today, I’ve been holed up in the library since morning, searching for books on survival and reading them.

I was just getting started on “How to Tell the Difference Between Sea Beans and Soybeans” when Anna appeared out of nowhere and quietly called out to me.

“Yes, Anna, what is it?”

“I will escort you to the Duchess’s drawing room, miss.”

“Why, is someone looking for me?”

“Yes. The jeweler is here, and the Duchess has asked me to also bring you.”

The “also” part made me think that Lizé was already there.

To be honest, I didn’t want to see Lizé or Killian just yet, but the Duchess had asked me to come.

Besides, there’s a jeweler.

‘Yes. I’d better do everything at once while I still can, in preparation for my runaway.’

Emotions fade away. It’s a fool’s errand to get caught up in feelings that will fade away and miss the important things.

“Okay, let’s go.”

I left the book with the librarian and followed Anna into the Duchess’ parlor.

In the parlor were not only the Duchess and Lizé, but also Cliff and Killian.

They were already spreading out the jeweler’s wares and selecting something for Lizé.

I really didn’t want to get in the middle of all that cheerfulness, but I smiled as if I didn’t care.

“I am here, Mother.”

“Ah, Edith, welcome.”

Unlike the welcoming Duchess, Killian’s gaze towards me was still cold.

Well, at least he looked at me though not in greeting. A far cry from our wedding day, when he didn’t even turn his head towards me.

“This is Mr. Felix Eppart, owner of Eppart, a jeweler with whom our family has done business for many years. I’ve called you in because we’ve had some good stuff come in for a while, so if you like what you see, take your pick.”

“Thank you.”

On one couch sat the Duchess, Lizé, and Cliff, and on the other, Mr. Felix the jeweler and Killian.

I had no choice but to sit next to Killian.

After a few awkward moments, they resumed playing princess, asking Lizé to try this and that.

“Don’t you think this sapphire goes so well with Lizé’s eyes?”

“I agree, what about this pearl necklace?”

“The white pearl necklace I bought her last time wasn’t bad, but I think this one looks better with the creamy color.”

Lizé continued to fiddle with her hands, while the Duchess and Cliff seemed excited.

Killian, for some reason, was not actively participating, only occasionally pointing at something that looked good.

As I watched, I remembered reading this episode in the original story.

‘Oh, this is it, the jeweler episode where Edith is humiliated!’

In the original story, the people at the jeweler only cared about Lizé. When Lizé sees this, she offers Edith a small necklace, but Edith furiously rejects it, asking, “Where did that little thing come from?”

Whenever someone puts jewelry on Lizé, she says, “I’ll have that one,” without even looking at it.

The jeweler is at a loss and says, “Everything in here is a one-of-a-kind,” and Cliff writes a blank check for every piece of jewelry except the necklace that Lizé recommended to Edith.

‘At the time, I thought it was funny, but now that I’m in her shoes, I get it. It must have hurt her pride.’

Of course, Edith’s attitude wasn’t right, but maybe she had been hurt so badly that she had no choice but to act that way.

I mean, why do you bring people in in the first place and then treat them like they’re a bunch of dirt?

While I was thinking about the original story, Lizé, as if embarrassed that people only recommended jewelry to her, suddenly pointed to one of the necklaces and said, “I think this necklace would look great on Edith!”

The original episode went ahead without my interruption.

The necklace Lizé pointed to was a thin gold necklace with a small red gemstone in the shape of a teardrop.

‘I thought Edith refused because Lizé chose something strange for her, but it’s pretty! Does Edith hate it because Lizé chose it?’

The jewelry was on the smaller side of what the jeweler had laid out, but honestly, from a modern perspective, I’d rather have something like this than a couture accessory with a bunch of big gems.

“Oh my gosh, that’s so pretty! Is this…… ruby?”

I said that because the only red gemstone I knew was a ruby, and luckily it was a ruby.

“You both have great taste, it’s a top-grade ruby. The gold chain design and bezel setting were done by one of our best craftsmen.”

There’s no way I can figure out what’s so great about it, but I guess that means it’s pretty and expensive.

I stared at the ruby for a while, admiring its vivid, clear red color.

“Why don’t you try it on?”

“Try it, Edith. It can feel different from what you see.”

The jeweler and Lizé encouraged.

I smiled nervously and reached for the necklace.

But someone picked it up before I did.

“Killian……?”

Without a word, he unclasped the necklace.

I wondered what was wrong with him, but then I noticed the Duchess watching from the other side with a proud face.