CH 5

Chapter 5 – Encounter (1)

Translator: Lioness

Alice stood up from her seat and took a step ahead. From the way she walked lightly, it was clear that she was the daughter of a noble family.

“I will see you.”

As soon as her Alice came out, a single knight escorting her was seen. The other of hers was looking at her with her chubby face.

‘The escort is Benedict, and the bad guy is Lesir.’

Alice already knew all the circumstances of the Marquis and in fact, she did not go out because of concern of affecting the original story. Rather, she was afraid of the Marquis simply because he was her money line.

After she had judged the two knights, Alice climbed onto the carriage, escorted by Benedict. I was nervous that I might hear voices, but I didn’t hear anything as I passed through the Marquis’ front door. My fears were unfounded.

Alice said she was going to the largest jewelry store in the capital. Since she had a problem with the Crown Princess regarding with jewels, she thought it would be best to solve it with jewels.

‘Then, money is the best Gems that can be exchanged for money are also the best. Isn’t anything shiny the best?’

Alice laughed briskly as she tapped her pocket hidden in her arms. With the money she received from the Marquis, she planned to buy a present for the Crown Princess and take the remnants. She looked around and saw the largest jewelry shop.

She had a reason for going to the main street. A festival takes place near the jewelry store. Festivals were common among the nobles of the Erha Empire, but people from other empires did not. Among the events taking place throughout the capital, the biggest festival, the fireworks display, takes place in the center of the capital.

‘If I go there, I can meet all the powerful people who can fly, as they say.’

She was, of course, worried that people would show interest in her because of her yesterday’s matter, but now that the original story was over, Alice, who had nothing to hesitate about, decided to move on without reluctance. When she wants something, she boldly approaches and gets it. That was Alice’s plan.

“Do I know someone who can help me?”

She had a hunch that she would be able to see someone wherever she goes. Inside the rocking carriage, her thoughts deepened.

She even hypothesized that she will vanish from this world after the completion of the original story. Seeing that she was fine now, the hypothesis is deleted. Even if the original story was over, the story continues. The main characters became happy, and now the supporting characters will leave in search of happiness. The world wouldn’t pay attention if only one of her moved in it.

‘Therefore, I waited.’

She let the original plot take its place. She waited patiently for four years. She didn’t want to die Alice was well aware that when she was first possessed, the voice she heard in her ear was not normal, so she decided to live like a rat.

That voice in her probably couldn’t find where she was. She couldn’t be heard unless she moved from the Marquis, so she shut herself up. But she couldn’t stay still any longer now that the original story was over.

She had to run away quickly. Before the heroine of that voice found her. She just felt like she should. The terrifying sound of that voice was powerful enough to bring her out of this empire.

​

‘Somehow, I have to find someone who can help me by participating in the imperial banquet.’

She had to find someone to take her to another empire. For that to happen, it is essential to apologize to the crown princess.

“Well, because I’m sorry.”

I couldn’t forget the face on which her tears fell. Alice felt sorry that she made a woman who seemed mild-mannered, cry. She said that was her role and that her story would end only when she completed the mission, but Alice still felt a heavy burden of guilt on the side of her heart. The Crown Princess was too kind for her to pretend she didn’t know.

“Yes, because I am a good daughter.”

‘I must have wanted myself to be nice because I made everyone here just like that.’

A sigh escaped her.

As she continued to think about this and that, Alice, who had been sitting quietly, felt the carriage tilt with a ‘thud’.

“What is going on?”

He heard Benedict riding his horse and asking the coachman.

“The wagon wheel turned to another direction.”

“The wheel?”

“Yes, I think we need to stop and do some repairs.”

When she heard a rattling sound outside her, Alice couldn’t stand it any longer thus she went outside. The commoners, who had come to watch the commotion, whispered in a rather loud voice that she could heard.

“What, she wasn’t a noble lady?”

“I know. What is the point of a commoner riding a carriage like that?”

“Isn’t that it?”

Benedict’s shoulders twitched when he heard whispers about Alice. Alice, on the other hand was calm, but Benedict blushed as if he had been insulted. In contrast, Lesir rather raised his lips. As if Alice should have listened to her.

“Do not come out.”

“It’s frustrating. I’ll go to the bakery store over there for a second.”

Repairing the wagon wheel seemed to take quite a while.

“I will come with you.”

“It’s okay, I can go alone.”

Alice waved her hand at Benedict’s words and walked toward the bakery without hesitation. Benedict, who kept a close eye on the bakery shop in the distance, did not take his eyes off it even after Alice entered the confectionary shop. Lesir was saying nonsense to the coachman.

As Alice walked into the store, the clerk quickly recognized her and approached her.

“My lady?”

“Uh, how are you?”

As Alice laughed, she replied. It was a surprise to everyone in the Hamilton family who knew her. How does Alice, who doesn’t come out of the house, know the clerk at a confectionery shop on the outskirts of the capital?

“Thanks to the lady, I was able to show my mother to the councilor.”

“I’m glad it worked out.”

Externally, the clerk who was known to have resigned from Hamilton Street was actually the one who Alice sent out with pocket money. She was too talented to work as the Hamilton family’s servant, so Alice put her in one of the shops owned by the Marquis.

‘It was a good choice.’

Alice hadn’t just been stuck around the house for the past four years, doing nothing. She had been at the Marquis’ side, helping him with his papers while everyone else slept. When the Marquis realized she wasn’t getting the respect she deserved from the house’s servants, he nudged her to do something more visible, but she refused.

“You don’t have to. Just leave it alone.”

Under the Marquis’ connivance, Alice worked alongside the Marquis from time to time and realized her talent. She had a knack for making money. The marquis, who first noticed her talent, tried to placate, tease and persuade her, but to no avail, Alice didn’t get away from the Marquis. Because she was afraid to step directly into the original story and mess it up.

She wondered if she was swept away by the original story and had problems. Alice then confined herself by the Marquis’s side, and she finally saw the end. When she came out, the world was beautiful. And when she came out to hear that there was a problem with the carriage, Alice decided that she must stop by the bakery shop.

‘The time has come to collect my money.’

Among the stores run by the Marquis of Hamilton, there were quite a few that passed into Alice’s possession. And in fact, all of those stores were making huge profits. However, Alice did not step forward and she moved behind the Marquis of Hamilton, so no one knew of her abilities except for the Marquis.

The clerk who had greeted her earlier had no idea that the store belonged to her and that she would be signing the checkout papers. The owner didn’t even look at her when she walked in, because he picked the loudest people and put them in front of the owner. It was the first rule of Alice’s shop. Pretend you don’t see her.

“What is the most delicious snack?”

“Please follow me.”

Following the clerk’s guidance, there were a variety of cookies, cakes, and bread on the display stand. Alice looked into the display case as her eyes twinkled. It wasn’t long before she made up her mind to buy the one cinnamon cookie she had left. Alice beckoned her clerk.

“This—”

“This one.”

Someone jumped out and intercepted her words.

“Hey!”

Alice spoke up at the thick voice heard next to her. Because she saw a man’s hand. Where her man pointed was the cinnamon cookies she was trying to buy.

“Hey, Rani. Did you call me?”

Alice opened her eyes wide in surprise when she saw the man’s face.

Lawrence Littenverk.

He was the duke of the neighboring empire, the Nakran Empire, and a person who had visited the Erha Empire for the birthday party of the Crown Princess. A troubled look crossed her face as she recognized his face.

It’s been a while since she had an accident at a banquet hall, and she called the Duke from another empire using, ‘Hey’. Lawrence’s expression did not change, but Alice noticed his displeasure.

‘No, so what if he was a Duke?’

No matter how duke he was, she couldn’t let him take the sweets of her choice first.

“This is what I will buy.”