Chapter 33 – Flower of the North Sea (5)

Erzebert’s palms were sweating as she entered a man’s private quarters for the first time.

Had it been an official invitation or the formal hospitality of a city lord, she might not have thought much of it. But this was different.

The store within Farencia Academy was already mysterious enough. On top of that, this was Louis’s deeply personal space.

It felt as if she had suddenly stepped into the secrets she had always been curious about.

“Take off your shoes at the entrance.”

“What? My shoes?”

“It might be unfamiliar, but please understand. This is how I live.”

Following the steep circular stairs on the right side of the store counter, they reached a small area with a door.

While Louis searched for the key, Erzebert carefully slipped off her shoes, momentarily worrying if her feet might smell.

Click!

“Come in. This is the only place we can talk privately.”

As he opened the door, the second floor revealed a surprisingly unfamiliar atmosphere.

Contrary to expectations, it was very clean rather than dirty.

However, Erzebert had never seen such a stark, simplistic, and cold interior in her life.

Instead of the typical wooden floor with a carpet, the floor was covered with glossy, square marble tiles.

In what appeared to be the living room, there was a black, rectangular metal object standing in one corner, and a long, low sofa opposite it.

The ceiling had a long glass light fixture, but it was turned off, likely for decoration.

There were many items that seemed too simple to be considered crafts.

In the corner, there was a string of braided rubber with a metal end sticking out, and a flat, square block resembling a pressed typewriter.

“Wait a moment. I’ll bring some tea.”

With that, Louis went into the small pantry next to the door instead of the kitchen.

As she sat uncomfortably on the sofa, looking around, Erzebert realized what felt so out of place.

This is… not a space made for living.

The furniture, the unfamiliar kitchen tools, the unknown decorations—all seemed untouched and unused.

It felt more like an exhibition hall or a space meant to evoke memories.

Unlike the first floor, which had large windows letting in plenty of light, the second floor had only one small window by the entrance.

Outside, only the sky and trees were visible, as if to obscure the fact that they were within the academy.

How could someone live here… for years?

There was no place like this in Farencia. No, nowhere in Pennheim had a workshop that made such furniture or houses.

Even while sitting on the incredibly soft sofa, Erzebert’s body was rigid.

The atmosphere of the space itself was suffocating. It conveyed the creator’s emotions all too clearly.

Every item in the room, made from fragmented memories like an unfinished oil painting, was crude and rough.

The metal finishes, the cuts in the wood, the discolored glass melded together—at best, they were like the amateur creations of a blacksmith’s apprentice using scrap metal for practice.

Though she didn’t understand their original purpose, the desperate feelings behind living and decorating this space were unmistakable.

“Here you go. The tea is the same as what we sell downstairs, so it should be decent.”

“…”

“It’s not tap water.”

Louis set down tea and snacks. Even though he sat on the floor without any care for propriety, Erzebert couldn’t bring herself to comment on his manners.

Despite his usual annoying and frivolous demeanor, his deep black eyes were profoundly calm.

“So, what did you want to say?”

“Well…”

Initially, she had intended to warn him not to touch Phi recklessly.

Additionally, she wanted to tell him to keep Adela at a distance, as her smiling face when near him could ruin her marriage prospects if seen by other nobles.

“Phi—.”

“Why does this bird keep clinging to me? Shoo.”

But seeing this house, seeing him living nonchalantly in such a space, stirred feelings of sympathy and compassion deep within her.

Nagging him about touching a bird felt petty.

Maybe if she just endured a bit, it could provide him with a small comfort similar to the rest she found in the carriage.

With a somewhat softened demeanor, Erzebert took a sip of tea. The warm liquid soothed her throat, bringing a sense of calm.

“Do you ventilate this place?”

“Excuse me?”

“Open the windows when the sun is out. Phi might visit, so leave out a water dish.”

It seemed this man had no domestic skills. Yet he interacted with Phi daily, like a child insisting on keeping a pet.

“I’ll send food through my servants. Don’t give him strange bread from the café; it’s bad for his habits.”

“What are you getting at…?”

“And clean regularly. Put some plants in here. It’s too dreary to stay long.”

Having diverted from her original purpose, Erzebert stood up quietly.

“And—”

No matter how much she endured, there was one thing she couldn’t overlook.

“Don’t touch his chest like that. Even if Phi likes it, it’s forbidden.”

***

After the princess left, I looked at the brightly colored bird she had left behind.

Did I just get dumped with this?

It seemed like the only explanation. First, she dropped Adela at the store, and now she was telling me to take care of her bird, too. Ridiculous.

“Looks like you’ve been abandoned.”

“Phi—.”

“By the way, why is your owner so cold? She didn’t even compliment my fantastic house.”

“Phi—.”

I pressed the sofa she had just sat on with my hand.

This extreme softness—how hard I had worked to create a texture like a mattress.

Apparently, people in this world had different aesthetic senses than those on Earth.

Both Liv and Erzebert showed no sign of being impressed by my house, inspired by Renaissance and Baroque architecture.

To top it off, she lectured me about opening windows and cleaning.

“Is she my mom or something?”

I just couldn’t understand that woman.

***

Spring rain fell, casting a beautiful purple hue as the evening twilight blended with the light drizzle.

There were quite a few students in the café today.

As the light rain began to fall, some waited for their servants, while others bought umbrellas from the store.

A few pairs of boys and girls, who didn’t seem to be friends, looked at the sky in awe before quickly walking back to the dorms, hand in hand.

Usually, business wasn’t great on rainy days, but surprisingly, there were many customers.

The central location within the academy, the sophisticated interior, and Adela’s presence likely played significant roles.

The café seemed to be doing quite well, but contrary to my relief, Adela’s expression grew darker by the day.

“Um… Teacher.”

“Hm?”

“Are you free this evening?”

I wasn’t sure why. Lately, Adela had become quite popular among the students.

She had even received invitations from several nobles who knew she hadn’t debuted in society yet.

Erzebert also praised her whenever she visited, noting how much Adela had changed.

However, Adela always seemed downcast, especially when I was with the princess.

“What is it?”

“I just… have something to tell you.”

“Can’t you say it now?”

“I want to talk when it’s just the two of us.”

Maybe she wants a raise.

I nodded casually.

“Alright, stay a bit after closing.”

“Yes.”

Seeing her bow and walk away, I realized I had been seeing her as a child.

I hadn’t thought much about it when she kissed me to infuse Karma.

Well, not that it matters now.

A few hours later, as the last customer opened their umbrella and left, Adela approached me, having removed her apron.

“What is it you wanted to say?”

“That is…”

As she hesitated, the door suddenly opened, and someone walked in.

With a dark expression matching their black umbrella, it was an unexpected guest.

“Lady Ruhillen?”

“Store owner. I have something to discuss with you.”

I was immediately suspicious. Was Darling upset about me opening the café?

She owned another café, Gourmond, within Farencia Academy, so this place was essentially competition.

Darling walked in, glanced around, and gestured to Adela.

“I need to talk to the store owner. Can you step out for a moment?”

“What? But…”

“Is it urgent?”

She nodded, and while it seemed suspicious, it didn’t appear to be about demanding the closure of my café.

Reluctantly, I decided to let Adela go first.

“Take an umbrella and head home early.”

“Teacher…”

“We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”

“Alright…”

Adela left, her head hung low. Darling watched her until she was out of sight before sitting down.

She then took out a necklace and tapped the red gem in the center three times.

Immediately, a magical aura spread through the air, enveloping us.

“What is this?”

“It’s an artifact with soundproofing and invisibility spells.”

An artifact for such a purpose? Her reason for coming seemed all the more intriguing.

“What’s happened?”

“You could say trouble has arisen.”

Darling pressed her small forehead, indicating a serious issue.

“Haa… Store owner.”

“Yes?”

“Do you have a personal connection with the headmistress?”

“Well… you could say that.”

“I see. Take a look at this.”

She handed me a map, showing all regions of the Pennheim Kingdom.

Darling pointed to a city in the Frank region, north of Thessalon.

“The headmistress went on a gambling trip and lost all her money. She’s stuck there in debt.”

“What?”

“Alsace is a commercial city. The Martiniqua Trading Company, famous in the North Sea, runs an underground auction there.”

“She went there and got caught up in gambling?”

“Yes. She can’t leave because she has no money. If this continues, all her assets will be seized by that trading company.”

For instance, the Merak Tower or her position as headmistress of Farencia.

I couldn’t believe it. She was living too recklessly.

“What will you do?”

“First, the Ruhillen Trading Company will pay her debt to secure her release. Then we’ll claim the debt from her later. She doesn’t want another power taking over Farencia.”

Despite her reckless behavior, the headmistress was still one of the dukes.

She remained at the top of Farencia Academy because she was one of the few who could maintain political neutrality among the nobles.

No family would dare interfere with the Reincarnation Duke, except perhaps me.

“So why did you come to me?”

“Will you come with me?”

Darling extended a gloved hand.

“I need protection for the journey north. The negotiations in Alsace might also be unpredictable.”

“What about Farencia’s guards? The academy has security.”

“They aren’t knights. They haven’t wielded a spear in nearly a decade. Besides, we can’t mobilize them outside the academy without a war.”

“Are you planning something for my store while I’m gone?”

“I’ll be with you. Why would I do something like that? Also, you’re leaving the young lady of the Rochear family behind again.”

She knew that too.

“You’ll be well compensated.”

Reluctantly, I nodded.

“When do we leave?”

“As soon as possible.”

“Then…”

I would need to speak with Adela before we leave.

“Let’s depart tomorrow night.”