Chapter 33 – Flowers of the North Sea (5)

Erzsebet was so nervous that her hands were sweaty as she entered a man’s room for the first time in her life.
If it had been an invitation to a meeting or a formal reception by the lord in charge of a city, it might not have been thought of as a big deal, but the situation is different now.
The store with the most questions in Parenzia Academy. It is the suspicious man’s extremely personal space.
It was as if I had suddenly been exposed to the secret about Lewis that I had always wanted to know.

“Take off your shoes in front of him.”
“Yes? “Shoes?”
“Please understand even if it’s a bit unfamiliar. “I used to live like this.”

To the right of the counter where the store’s business was conducted, I went up a circular, steep staircase, and at the end of it, there was a door in front of a space about half a pyeong in size.
While Luis was looking for the keys, Erzébet carefully took his feet out of the shoes he was wearing.
I was briefly worried that there might be a smell.

Slam!

“Please come in. “Because this is the only space where just the two of us can talk.”

When he opened the door, the second floor of the concession stand was a space with a quite unfamiliar atmosphere.
Contrary to expectations, it was very clean rather than dirty.
However, in her life, Erzsebet had never seen such an angular, yet simple, and at the same time cold impression of an interior.

Rather than a carpet on a wooden floor, which is a commonly used architectural style, square shiny marble tiles.
A black rectangular metal block stands on one side of the space that appears to be the living room, and on the other side is a low, long sofa.
There was a long glass light attached to the ceiling, but the light was off, perhaps for decoration.

Aside from that, there were many other items that were difficult to classify as simple crafts.
There were long rubber bands twisted together with metal nailed to the ends sticking out of the corners, and there was also a square block that looked like a typewriter had been pressed flat.

“Please wait. “I’ll bring the car.”

Saying that, Lewis left the kitchen, the space for cooking food, and went into the cooking room right next to the door.
Erzsebet, who was sitting on the sofa in an uncomfortable position looking around here and there, finally realized what the strangeness felt in this place was.

‘Here is… ‘It is not a space created for living.’

The furniture, the unfamiliar cooking utensils in the kitchen, and even the decorations whose purpose I didn’t know were all things that had never been touched in everyday life.
It was like an exhibition hall that existed for ornamental purposes or to recall memories.

Unlike the first floor, where light poured in through large glass windows on three sides, the second floor, which was obviously Lewis’ main living space, had only one window in front of the entrance through the door.
Outside, all I could see was the sky and trees, not the Parenzia building.
As if they were trying to hide the fact that this was inside the academy.

‘How can people live in a place like this…? … ‘And that for several years.’

Nowhere in Farencia. No, there is no workshop in any city in Penheim that makes furniture or houses like this.

Even though her butt was pressed against the very soft sofa, Erzsebet’s body became rigid.
The atmosphere given by the space itself took his breath away. This was because the feelings of the person who created them were conveyed intact.

Just like an oil painting that was distorted because the detailed brushstrokes were not completed, all the objects created one by one by retracing fragments of memories were extremely crude.
The finish of metal, the cut of wood, or the discolored part of melted glass.
At best, it was like a bizarre sculpture created by a blacksmith’s apprentice mixing miscellaneous iron as a joke.
However, even if we do not understand its original purpose, it is clear what kind of desperate feeling we had living in this space and decorating the room.

“Here you go. “It’s the same as what’s sold at the cafe below, so it’ll be pretty good.”
“…”
“It’s not tap water.”

Lewis brought out tea and refreshments.
Even after seeing him casually sitting on the floor, Erzsebet couldn’t bring herself to point out his manners.
As usual, his attitude was somewhat frivolous and irritable, but his dark eyes were infinitely deep and profound.

“So what do you want to say?”
“That is…”

At first, I tried to threaten him not to touch Pii carelessly.
As a bonus, I wanted to tell Adela to stop getting close to her. If other nobles see you smiling in front of Louis, your chances of getting married will be completely blocked.

“Pi—.”
“Why does he keep clinging to me? “Aren’t you going away?”

But when I saw this house and saw him living in such a space without any problems, I felt pity and sympathy deep within my heart.
It felt strange to start a campaign just by touching a bird.

Maybe I just need to be patient for a little bit——

If only it gave Lewis as little rest as he did in resting in the carriage.
With a more relaxed attitude, Erzsebet took a sip of the tea in her cup. As the warm tea flowed down his neck, his mind regained its composure.

“Do you live with ventilation?”
“Yes?”
“Keep the windows open during sunny times. “I also put a bowl of water out there because Pi might come visit.”

Now I see that this man has no vitality at all. Still, he touched Pii every day, and it was like an immature child begging to raise an animal.

“I will send you food via the servant, so please don’t give me strange bread or anything like that at the cafe. “Because I have bad habits.”
“No… What business is that…”
“And clean more often. Put some plants in the room. “It’s so dull that I can’t even sit there for a long time.”

Contrary to her original purpose, Erzsebet, who had just finished speaking, got up from her seat more or less.

“And–.”

However, no matter how much I endured, I couldn’t forgive one thing, so I added one word.

“Don’t touch my breasts like a pervert. Even if Pii likes that much, it’s prohibited.”

***

After the princess left, I looked at the pole shade she left next to her and thought.

‘Could it be that I got caught?’

No matter how much I thought about it, that was the only thing that made sense.
She dropped Adela at her stall, and this time she also took the polar hued water she was raising and her food. It’s ridiculous.

“Tsk, it looks like you were abandoned.”
“Pi—.”
“By the way, why is your master such a bleak person? “I can’t help but praise this wonderful house.”
“Pi—.”

I pressed my hand against her sofa, where she had been sitting a moment ago.
This ultimate softness. I tried so hard to create a mattress-like texture.
It seems that people in this world have a slightly different aesthetic sense than people on Earth.
Perhaps because they were familiar with splendid buildings modeled after the Renaissance and Baroque styles, neither Liv nor Erzsebet seemed particularly impressed when they saw my house.

Going one step further, it’s better to clean than to live with the window open.

“Is Ji my mother?”

She was a woman I could never understand.

***

Spring rain fell. The nimbostratus clouds accompanied by light raindrops glowed a beautiful purple color in conjunction with the evening sunset.
There were quite a few students in the cafe today as well.
As raindrops began to fall, some people waited for attendants, while others purchased umbrellas at the store.
A few couples, men and women who did not appear to be friends, looked at the sky, let out a small exclamation, then held hands and walked quickly back to the dormitory.

Although business is usually not good on rainy days, there were surprisingly many customers.
Certainly, the location in the center of the academy is good, and the luxurious interior and Adella must have played a big role.
To this extent, it was established quite successfully.

But contrary to my laziness, Adela’s expression grew darker as the days passed.

“Excuse me… Teacher.”
“Huh?”
“Do you have time this evening?”

I’m not sure why. Adela has been quite popular among students recently.
She was also told that she had received invitations from several noblemen who knew she had not yet made her social debut.
Herzé Bette also said that Adela was different from before and she praised me every time she came to see me.
However, whenever I was with the princess, she would keep looking at me with a very depressed expression.

“What’s going on?”
“Just… “I have something I want to say.”
“Can’t we do it now?”
“I want to talk when it’s just the two of us.”

Do you mean to ask for a raise in salary?
I nodded indifferently.

“Then, I’ll stay for a little while after the deadline ends.”
“Yes.”

When she caught sight of Adela’s back with her head bowed as she turned around, I realized that I had definitely been looking at her like she was young.
She didn’t pay much attention when she stole her lips to instill karma.
Well, what does it matter now?

As promised, a few hours later, as the last customer drinking her coffee opened her umbrella and went out, Adela took off her apron and came towards me.

“What do you have to say?”
“That is…”

Just as she was about to open her lips and say something, the door burst open and someone came in.
It was an unexpected guest with an expression as dark as a black umbrella.

“Viscount Ruhilen?”
“Store owner. “I have something to talk about for a moment, is that okay?”

I had doubts again. Could it be that Darling is trying to express her displeasure with me opening her cafe?
Another cafe in the Parencia Academy, Gourmonde, was owned by her, so it was a competitor.
Darling trudged in, took a quick look inside her room, and winked at Adela.

“I have something to talk with the store owner, so please leave for a moment.”
“Yes? But…”
“Is this important business?”

She nodded her head to my question. It was suspicious, but seeing as she never threatened to open a snack bar or close down the cafe, it seemed like she didn’t have that specific purpose in mind.
I had no choice but to send Adela first.

“I’ll lend you an umbrella, so leave work first today.”
“Teacher…”
“Let’s talk tomorrow. Are you fine?”
“Yes…”

She bowed her head and walked out of her store. Darling watched until the end as Adela disappeared from her sight, then sat down.

Then he took out her necklace and tapped the red jewel in the center three times.
In an instant, magical power spread into the air and enveloped the two of us.

“What is this?”
“It’s an artifact with soundproofing and invisibility magic.”

To the extent of using something like this? I became even more curious about the business that came to visit me.

“Did something happen?”
“You can say that.”

Darling pressed his small forehead and let me know that something troublesome had happened.

“Ha… “Standard owner.”
“Yes.”
“Do you have a personal relationship with the chairman?”
“What… You could say yes. “For now.”
“Right. “Look at this.”

What she held out to her was a map. She has a map with all the regions of the Kingdom of Fenheim drawn.
Darling pointed to one of these places—a Frankish city further above Thessalon.

“The chairman went on a gambling expedition and lost all his money and ended up in debt, so he was detained here.”
“Yes?”
“It’s a commercial city called Alsace, and the Martinica merchants, who are quite famous in the North Sea, run an underground auction house.”
“… “You went there and got caught gambling?”
“Yes. “It looks like she can’t come out because she doesn’t have money, but if things continue like this, all of Lehel’s tangible and intangible assets will be pawned by that company.”

For example, Merak Matap or the position of chairman of the board of directors of Parenzia.
This is absurd. Aren’t you enjoying life too much?

“What are you going to do?”
“The first thing to do is to pay the money at the Ruhilen Merchant Bank and have your personal property delivered to you, and we plan to file a separate bill from the chairman himself later. “Because I don’t want other forces coming into Parenzia.”

But. Even though the chairman looks like that, he is one of the grand dukes.
The reason she exists at the top of Parencia Academy is simply because Lehel Darad is almost the only person among the nobles who can maintain political neutrality.
What family in the world would dare to tell Yoon Hoe-gong to leave the ship alone? It’s impossible for anyone but me.

“So why did you come to see me?”
“Would you like to go with me?”

Darling extended his white gloved hand to me.

“There is no suitable escort to travel to the north. “Even in Alsace, we don’t know how the negotiations will proceed.”
“… What about Parencia’s military history? “There are guards at the academy as well.”
“It’s not the Knights Templar, how much help can they be? It’s been ten years since I’ve ever properly picked up a spear. Besides, unless it is a time of war, there is no case in which we lead troops into another city.”
“Are you planning on doing something to the cafeteria when I’m not around?”
“I’m going with you, so why would I do something strange? “Aren’t you leaving behind the daughter of the Rochear family like last time?”

You knew that too.

“Don’t let the case be embarrassing.”

Although I was nervous, I eventually nodded.

“When does it leave?”
“The faster the better.”
“Then…”

I guess I can go after I finish talking with Adela.

“We’ll leave tomorrow night.”