(Tl Note :- Happy Chapter 100 (/≧▽≦)/ ╰(*°▽°*)╯)
The confrontation with him didn’t continue much longer due to the aide who came to see the Crown Prince, and it ended rather roughly...
But why was it that the more I walked, the heavier the burden on my back felt?
No, it really seemed like I had taken quite a hit.
Even the moment I left the royal palace, I couldn’t erase the conversation of those two from my mind.
“In the end, Salt is doomed to fall.”
Thinking that brought an indescribably complicated feeling.
Of course, it wasn’t like I was completely unaware of this fact. Duke Blaire had been gradually informing me about the situation related to Salt.
Since he had supported the Salt citizens with food aid, perhaps knowing that I was worried about them, he shared the information he obtained as much as he could within his limits.
Because of that, I knew that Raiden was showing military force toward Salt and that the Salt king was trying to resolve the situation through Lemaya.
Still, I didn’t take any particular action.
Because what concerned me were not the vested interests who should rightfully take responsibility, but the powerless people who would be innocently sacrificed.
Besides, in the original story...
[The ‘last’ king of Salt, Verga, realized he could no longer resist Kletan’s army and surrendered willingly.
Raiden spread out a map in front of Verga’s eyes and erased the name Salt.]
Though there were some minor disturbances, Kletan eventually entered Salt without bloodshed.
Most of the citizens had already been greatly harmed by a long famine and an epidemic.
So I was even less concerned.
The famine and epidemic had been somewhat mitigated thanks to Duke Blaire’s help, so I felt I had done what I could within my limits.
“Then that’s enough, right? So why am I still worrying like this?”
I let out a deep sigh.
At that moment.
“Why are you late?”
A familiar voice pierced through my thoughts.
Realizing I had arrived at the place where the carriages were waiting, I spotted a familiar figure and gave a shy smile.
“Oh, Ian.”
Right.
Only then did I remember I came out much later than the others.
“Sorry. Have you been waiting long?”
“More than waiting... I thought something had happened.”
Since I was late without any word, it was natural for Ian to think so.
Hesitating for a moment, I slowly headed toward the carriage.
“It’s nothing serious...”
I briefly explained the whole situation that had happened so far.
Ian, who had been quietly listening, soon asked with a stern face.
“So you met His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“Yes. Fortunately, it wasn’t a long conversation, but I guess I was quite unlucky today. Oh, would you like to see this?”
Showing him my broken-heeled shoe with a playful smile, his expression grew even more serious.
I showed it to make him laugh... but maybe it wasn’t very funny?
Whether he knew my thoughts or not, a stiff voice came from him.
“Don’t tell me you walked all the way here barefoot...”
“Yes, but since it’s the royal palace, there were no glass shards or stones or anything. Hahaha!”
“That’s not the problem, sigh...”
“Oh, I’m fine. Since I’m a distant relative of Duke Blaire, not Salt, when I grew up in the countryside, I sometimes wore shoes with holes. Haha!”
Having arrived right in front of the carriage, I calmed him down and slowly got in.
“Um, Ian.”
Just before departure, hesitating for a moment, I carefully parted my lips toward him.
“Yes?”
Wondering if I was bothering him too much, I finally blurted out what I wanted to say.
“Are you busy today?”
“…Why do you ask?”
“Hmm.”
To be honest, my mind was too cluttered to want to go straight back to the duke’s residence.
“…I thought it’d be better to fix the shoes before going back.”
I made a somewhat plausible excuse and wiggled my toes deliberately.
“There should be spare shoes at the villa in Hwangdo.”
“Oh, that’s true, but…”
Huh? Stopping mid-sentence, I suddenly wondered how Ian, who was out on his first field work, knew about the spare shoes at the Hwangdo villa. Did Liam or Bonita sneakily tell him?
I looked at him suspiciously for a moment but quickly remembered that was not the important thing right now and shook my head.
“Oh, that’s true, but… I was thinking maybe I could just buy some comfortable shoes nearby. Just cheap ones, anything.”
Besides, the villa only had shoes as expensive as the ones I wore today, which was burdensome.
But buying a pair of comfortable shoes from the market was easy.
Considering the money I had earned so far, spending some outside would also help stimulate the local economy.
“Besides, I don’t want to be left alone, lost in thought!”
While internally sighing, Ian’s question came back.
“You mean not the high-end shopping district where nobles visit, but the market?”
“Yes, actually, I heard those who attended the tea party are going shopping together, so we should avoid that place.”
He even invited me to go along, but I declined, making an excuse that I was tired.
No more unnecessary chatter, please!
“...Then let’s go there. I’m well familiar with the geography of the Pirna commercial district.”
“The Pirna commercial district?”
“It’s the name of a nearby market.”
Surprised by this information coming naturally from him, my eyes widened.
I hadn’t asked his exact origin before, so I didn’t know Ian was actually from Hwangdo?
Since he seemed familiar with the Duke Blaire’s territory, I had naturally assumed he was born and raised there...
“Now that I think about it, I never heard anything about Ian before.”
The carriage departed, and I glanced sideways at him sitting next to me.
But...
“It might be rude to pry into the work of someone who doesn’t talk about their main job.”
Since I also felt very awkward when acquaintances asked personal questions during business relations, I was especially cautious.
Also, I didn’t want to make Ian, who had already been very kind to me, uncomfortable.
Anyway, Ian was not bluffing when he said he knew this area well. After getting off the carriage, he quickly led me to a street full of shoe shops.
“Cheap, cheap! Only 3,000 tri for a pair! Made domestically! Handmade shoes from the finest Minotaur leather on a season-off sale!”
“Don’t go there! Come this way! Unlike those unscrupulous shops selling goods from Alra or Tes disguised as domestic products, this is a genuine luxury store!”
...Yeah, we really came to the market.
I often came to markets like this in Salt, but this was my first time in a market in the Kletan Empire.
But aggressive hawking was just as fierce here as there. I got intimidated and hid behind Ian.
“How about these shoes? They’re cheap, but judging by the leather condition, they don’t look bad.”
Stopping in front of a stall, Ian recommended a new pair made domestically, and only then did I breathe a sigh of relief and joke around.
“I’ll have to avoid high heels from now on. Hmm, now... what should I do?”
Still not ready to return to the duke’s residence, I aimlessly turned my gaze toward the bustling crowd.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“I’m not, maybe because I picked up a lot at the tea party. If you’re hungry, Ian, shall we go eat something?”
“I’m not hungry either. Or... do you not want to go to the villa?”
I didn’t feel like going home in this mood.
After some thought, I gave a reluctant answer.
“Um... yeah.”
After a moment of silence, Ian looked me straight in the eyes.
“How about the public library?”
“The public library?”
“There’s a public library nearby. If you like reading books...”
Since Ian had often seen me reading, he was probably making that suggestion.
And if it was something like that... then he truly understood me!
“I want to go!”
A library in Kletan, especially one located in Hwangdo.
It must be quite large and have a vast collection of books, so why had I never thought of visiting there before?
Excited quickly, I gave him an expectant look.
“Can we go right now?”
Without a word, Ian took the lead, showing his broad back.