Chapter 15

***

I am so shocked, but Monica is still Monica.

In that time, she got a contract that is neither a price negotiation nor a discount.

Instead of accusing Adolf of fraudulent charges, it said that all items sold from them in the next 20 years would be delivered to Cedric Duchy and had 50% discount.

Though this is a contract, but in fact, it is a slave contract.

“Monica.”

“Yes, miss.”

“I won’t mess with you anymore.”

I didn’t mean to do anything, but I’ll never go against her no matter what happens.

Thanks to Genuzia and Monica’s performance, Mr. Adolf promised to send all 20 beds by tomorrow.

It is a little saddening to see him crawling while giving me the purchase confirmation.

So who told you to cheat?

In the carriage leaving the furniture store, Monica smiled pleasantly at me.

“I didn’t think you’d buy all the maid’s bed.”

“I happened to see it, and they are so old. This is the least I could do.”

“The kids will love it when they get to know it.”

She felt flattered all for nothing.

“Oh, right. It’s a secret until it’s delivered okay? It will be a surprise for them all.”

“Of course.”

On my request, she replied, “I will then.”

“Where are we going next?”

She’s been meticulously writing down what I bought in her notebook.

As expected, not everyone can manage their finances. I can’t believe she’s writing down the list of purchases.

After rolling my eyes for a while, I grinned.

“There’s still one more important thing left.”

Actually, the real outing is just beginning. So far, all of that is just a warm-up.

“The most important thing?”

I smiled insidiously at Monica’s dubious expression on her face.

It is time to go find Full Moon Stone, which is today’s real goal.

I glanced at my watch with a smile on my face.

The mineral market that sells Full Moon Stone only opens after sunset. There are still about two hours left before the opening.

It’s not far from the main street, so I can get there in about 30 minutes even if I take my time.

However, it is a very secretive market, so it needed a little preparation.

Maybe it’s time to get it off my chest.

“Monica, Gen, come here.”

I lowered my voice and let the two people come to me. While they blink their dubious gaze, they both approached me.

“Listen carefully.”

I said it with a serious look.

“I’m going to the mineral market in a few minutes.”

“Pardon?!”

“What?!”

As soon as I finished speaking, the two of them stared at me in surprise.

Their eyes were about to pop out.

Of course, it is an expected response. The mineral market is certainly not the right place for an aristocrat to go.

If downtown is a children’s playground, I guess the mineral market is like the final dungeon?

But it is necessary for my plan.

Because I’m not just going to buy Full Moon Stone, I’m going to buy and distribute it exclusively.

I’m all set for today, babies.

I smiled with a confident look on my face.

“I’m going to buy Full Moon Stone, but I need you two to help me.”

Monica and Jen exchanged shocked glances.

It was Monica who opened her mouth first.

“Well, my lady. If you’re thinking of purchasing Full Moon Stone, you’d better proceed through the duchy…”

“No, I’m going to go all by myself. Of course, it’s all a secret from my brothers.”

“Can you cooperate?”

The two of them shut themselves up as if they had noticed something different in my grim look.

I opened my eyes wider and looked at Gen and Monica alternately.

The two person, caught in my gaze, nodded slowly, with a grim look on their faces.

Of course, they should.

I had a satisfactory smile on my lips.

“Okay, then, but at first.”

I straightened my waist and put my hands on my waist in high spirits.

“Take off your clothes first.”

* * *

“Oh, miss. Do I have to do this…?”

Monica’s trembling voice rang in her ears. It was already the fifth question.

“Aish, stay still. The make up is getting messed up.”

Strictly letting go of her threats, I gently rubbed Monica’s cheek with the tip of the brush.

Each time the brush stroked her fair skin, Monica’s eyelashes quivered. It is also a bonus that she twitched with her eyes closed.

“It’s almost over. Be patient.”

“B-but this one.”

“Oho. In the first place, this should be the basics.”

“But… you told Ms. Hamilton to change clothes.”

“It is because Gen is so big and scary. But Monica isn’t. Even if she does this, she will have a bad impression.”

In an unpopulated back alley, I am putting makeup on Monica’s face by myself.

“And, it’s finally done.”

After I finished brushing, I took a step back and nodded with satisfaction.

Now, Monica’s look is so insidious that it is impossible to think of her as a maid of duke’s residence.

Her long wavy hair, and old dark robes draped all the way to her toes, and crucially a large scar across the bridge of her nose.

At first glance, she looked like a member of a gang who is traveling through a back alley.

It’s much better than I thought.

“Maybe I should have done arts…”

“Ahm, a-are you all right?”

Monica asked uneasily as she is murmuring in confidence.

Well, obviously, she’s acting a little clumsy.

I can’t help it. Monica is born as a nobleman, but she’s not used to this kind of thing.

I gave her a thumbs up.

“You’re perfect on the outside. Just a bit awkward with your speaking skills but I think we can change it.”

“T-the way I talk?”

“A little more clumsy and uncultured?”

Monica breathed and breathed out some kind of spell.

“Not sophisticated?”

It’s embarrassing, right? It’s all like that at first.

Looking at Monica’s expression of contemplation, she seemed to be in a difficult situation.

Well, that’s possible. She’s Monica that is raised with aristocratic manners.

In fact, I didn’t expect much from her. At first glance, Monica is far from words such as “cool” or “badass.”

At that moment, the carriage door opened from behind and Genuzia walked out hesitating.

“Madam, I’m all dressed up.”

“Wow.”

I turned my back and let out a gasp. She is definitely close to 180cm tall, so she is born like that even though she changed her clothes.

When she took off her knight’s clothes and put on her dark leather light armor and robes, she looked like a guild member.

“Both are cool, both look perfect.”

Unlike my heartfelt applause, the two still acted awkward.

“Aish, be confident.”

In order to explain this outrageous appearance, it is necessary for them to know about the mineral market.

In this world, jewelry and ornaments are necessities of the nobility. Finely crafted jewels and splendid ornaments meant wealth and honor for a noble.

Naturally, a large-scale jewelry market developed, and there are numerous jewelry craftsmen and salespeople. The nobles are enthusiastic about more unique and rare gems.

But if there is light, there is darkness.

Coincidentally, the minerals that are the source of all jewelry were held tight by the back alley guilds.

From mineral extraction to distribution, those are not easily obtained without going through them. If the crafted jewels belong to the sunny land, the raw material of minerals are from the shadows.

This is also to balance all of the things.

For this reason, the ‘mineral market’ is virtually a guild-to-guild transaction.

It is so secretive that I could not find a place that had the most information about it.

Of course, the Duke’s intelligence team would have been quick to spot it, but I am going to keep this as a secret.

So I borrowed some help from the original novel. We are going to visit the mineral market today with three people.

There is only one goal, Full Moon Stone.

“Ma’am, is this really okay? Think about it again.”

“Aha.”

“……”

“I’ve thought of it again, so let’s go.”

I interrupted Genuzia’s restless words and put on my robes too. Because the robe is large, my simple dress is covered all over.

Today, I purposely brought more modest clothes to visit this mineral market.

If I wore a dress with frills or lace, I will be exposed as a noble girl before I even go through the entrance. Then, before I even see the full moon stone, I would have been cut at the entrance.

“Monica, Gen, listen. We are a small guild from now on.”

“Guild?”

“Yes, I am the guild leader. Monica and Gen are the guild members.”

The two of them swallowed their dry saliva due to my sullen tone.

“The operation is simple. Find the Opera Top among the guild members and ask the master to show you around.”

“……”

“I’ll take care of everything from then on.”

Once they meet the Opera Top master, the story is easy from then on. There’s a repertoire I have prepared.

Their role is to help me keep my identity secret until I meet him.

Monica clasped her hands together as if she is so nervous.

“G-guild member you say. Can I really do it? I’ve never met him.”

“I’ve seen him briefly while working as a mercenary in the past, but I guess it’s natural to mimic them because I have ran into them before…”

They both seem to be a little nervous that they felt falling apart.

But now I can’t turn my back. From now on, the only thing I can trust is my confidence.

I reached out and tapped the two of them on the shoulder.

“I believe you, my lieges.”