Before I’d noticed, I had fallen asleep while thinking and it was morning in an instant. Is it still dawn?
I didn’t need to get up early to do the washing so I went back to sleep. How long has it been since I’ve slept in?
“Ah, how extravagant. Just like an Ojou-sama.”
I woke up once again, got dressed and walked downstairs to the restaurant.
It seemed that in the morning, the restaurant only served food for inn guests.
The master made breakfast and a few men were doing chores.
I received a tray with freshly baked bread, vegetable consommé and fried eggs, and sat at the counter away from everyone.
(Yup, it smells delicious.)
It seemed that the Hen Inn was thriving and I was lucky to be able to stay here so suddenly.
It was probably popular because one could stay here safely while enjoying delicious food.
I would like to stay here whenever I’m in the Royal Capital.
“Ayesha-chan, morning.”
I heard a voice from behind me, it was Ada. Her glossy black hair was also beautiful today. Her untied long straight hair yesterday was sexy, but having her waist-length hair tied up in a ponytail gave her the aura of a reliable onee-san.
“Good morning, Ada-san.”
I stopped eating and lowered my head. I thought that it would be rude to greet her while sitting on my chair, but at the same time, I thought it would be fine since no one else around me looked like they would get up to greet someone. I still didn’t understand the boundaries of commoner etiquette very well.
“Sorry for disturbing your meal. Yes, this.”
A single envelope was placed in front of my eyes and I reflexively looked at Ada.
There she stood grinning.
“This is addressed to the Master’s brother. He lives in Coolden. Ayesha-chan, you said you didn’t have any acquaintances there, didn’t you? It is written in there that the person who works as the manager of the guards dining hall will be your guarantor. The Master wrote it. Wouldn’t it be good for you to live near the guards? Be sure to rely on him.”
I looked perplexed while meeting the master’s eyes.
He nodded in agreement.
“Eh, but… To go this far…”
“This is just something we wanted to do. Don’t worry about it. If you’re bothered by it, then come stay here whenever you’re at the Royal Capital. Now I’m going to give you my advice. You should speak in a more casual way. Be careful of men who are too nice. Ignore jealous woman.”
Ada said in one breath. She waved her hands and went back to work.
Should I say I was helped…?
I gently bowed towards the backs of Master and Ada.
Listening to the conversations yesterday, I wondered if I should use father’s introduction letter to secure a safe place to live.
If possible, I wanted to live in a place where commoners would live and become a complete commoner; because I wanted to live while forgetting about nobility.
Yes, the Empire’s guards certainly occupied Coolden.
The large deep forest to the north of Coolden was the cornerstone for forestry, but at the same time, the edge of the forest connected to the steep rocky borders of the neighbouring kingdom, Nebracia. Therefore, the guards were stationed there so that they could immediately respond to the beasts that live deep in the forest (they rarely approached the city) or illegal immigrants (hooligans and smugglers occasionally sneak through the borders).
If I thought about it as if it was like the inn here, then it was probably safer to live near the guards.
I don’t even have enough money to live for one month on father’s money alone. Therefore, it was necessary for me to secure a source of income before I spend it all. I wish to find work as a seamstress, but I don’t think that working as a seamstress alone would give me a satisfactory income. I would appreciate it if I could be of use at the Master’s brother’s dining hall when I can’t find a job anywhere… But I can’t go that far when relying on him, now can I?
(Self-reliance, be independent. First, go look for a job at the Commerce Guild in Coolden.)
When I finished eating breakfast, I asked the Master for the bill, thanked him for the introduction letter and quickly left the Hen Inn.
◊♦◊♦◊♦◊
If I go out from the front door, then I’d have to pass the guards station even if I don’t want to, so I went out the backdoor of the inn in order not to meet the guards.
They didn’t seem like bad people, but yeah…
I thought I was overly self-conscious, but I was sure that Captain Weller was trying to find out my destination and I wanted to avoid that. His questioning yesterday felt no different than exposing me.
I took the two bags and followed the map to the place where Ada said the carriage stop would be. I was brought here by a carriage yesterday, but it didn’t seem like that far of a walk.
Fortunately, I couldn’t see anyone that looked like they were sent by Roberto-sama to observe me.
This was the time when carriages from all directions gathered here. There were people other than me who were loitering around the stop with big bags.
I bought a ticket at the reception and boarded a carriage with a dull-ash cover that was headed for Coolden.
There was someone who pulled me up when I was tottering towards the carriage with my big bag. It was nice to have people who helped others riding in the same carriage as me for a short while.
Before long, the carriage became fully occupied and it departed.
Hmm, this carriage might have more vibration on my butt than any other carriage I’ve ridden.
I understood that these vibrations started when we left the Royal Capital. The rhythm of the horse also seemed less nimble.
The cover at the back of the carriage flipped over slightly and I could see the outside scenery.
I could see the outer wall that surrounded the Royal Capital.
(That’s the Royal Capital’s outer wall, isn’t it? I haven’t seen it since I went to Haupht for the Harvest Festival.)
I thought something would well up inside me, but it didn’t. I didn’t have any attachments to the Royal Capital. That’s it.
The carriage did nothing but advance along the road outside of the Royal Capital. The sky was bright, but it felt cold probably because we were headed in the north-west direction. At the Royal Capital, marigolds were blooming to signal the start of spring, but the flowers in Coolden were still buds.
The carriage shook for 4 hours and arrived at its destination, Coolden.
My heart was pounding probably because I came to a place I knew nothing about. The feeling of the air that clung to my body felt different.
I got off the carriage in the plaza near the entrance of the city.
I instinctively took a deep breath. The air felt great probably because Coolden had a lot of greenery.
My face went slightly pink from being exposed to the cold air.
Because this was a city made for forestry, the buildings in the vicinity either looked like log houses or were built with red brick. There were also a lot of roadside trees.
Overall, it was a pretty city. Seems like I’ll like it.
(Alright, my first destination is the Empire Guards!)
I grasped my bag with both hands and began to walk with my eyes glistening.
I’m back and releases should be back to normal!!!
Translator: Blushy
Editor: Sam