My Contract Husband Resembles the Male Protagonist - Chapter 21
The place Dale guided me to was a massive herb garden on one side of the market street. Specifically, it was a place that sold herbs.
“Seeds, for now, are enough. Seedlings, too, just this amount for now.”
We had to save money for now.
With hands full of materials for cultivating a field, Dale and I headed to the next shop.
It was a secret bank disguised as a store.
“I stored them as Anne Hart.”
After giving a pseudonym, I retrieved the items I had left deposited.
Some were sold to make currency, and the rest I packed into my bag.
“Jewelry.”
Dale, who had been silently observing me, spoke up.
“When did you see them?”
“Just saw them.”
Dale seemed more interested in me than I expected.
Despite being kind and friendly, his facial expressions weren’t very diverse, so I thought he wouldn’t be interested.
“Do you like gems?”
“When I was a duchess, yes. Not anymore.”
Originally, I collected gems in the duchy to prepare for the future and gather funds to escape from the Emperor.
“You seem to like them.”
“Everyone likes jewelry.”
I chuckled slightly at Dale’s serious question. He seemed to be contemplating something seriously.
“Do you want more jewelry?”
“It would be nice.”
But it’s too cumbersome.
I’d bought a few pieces, but since I moved so often, they became a burden.
So I spent a lot of money and bought a bag that could hold an infinite amount.
Eventually, it became insufficient, so I entrusted it to a safe.
“I wonder if Dale likes them too?”
Seeing him in a dilemma made me think that jewels might be a shared interest between Dale and me.
“And others might have to be interested too,”
I thought as I looked at the gems retrieved from the safe.
***
Adelaine welcomed me in extravagant attire, as if she were the mistress of the castle.
“Thank you for coming to my tea party, Anne.”
“Oh, it’s just a tea party.”
“What did you say?”
Adelaine’s expression stiffened.
I had forgotten to focus on her story while admiring the castle. What was she saying?
Adelaine looked at me with a bewildered expression.
“I’m sorry. I got confused with my words. It’s nothing challenging.”
I chuckled.
You can’t spit on a smiling face.
“If it’s Adelaine’s invitation, I can come anytime. Something like that.”
“Oh…”
“I didn’t know proper etiquette for nobles, so I made a mistake. Please understand.”
“Oh, well. It’s obvious. Commoners like you, Miss Anne, wouldn’t be familiar with it.”
Adelaine made a dismissive gesture with her fan, wearing a somewhat pointed expression.
She fumbled for a moment, then smiled brightly and held the door open.
“Come on in. Welcome.”
Thud!
A woman standing near the door slammed her body against the open door, very hard.
She had brown hair and wore a shabby black sweatshirt.
“Are you okay?”
I quickly approached and helped her up. She had a thin body with puppy-like drooping eyes.
I hadn’t seen her face among the people who visited our house last time.
“Uh, th-thank you.”
She trembled and struggled to get up.
‘No apron. She’s not a maid. Who is she?’
The Lord’s estate couldn’t afford to hire maids separately.
When I came to Grunwald, it was clear that people like the Lord’s aides were directly involved in real estate transactions for the same reason—lack of money to pay proper wages.
Lavishness was a luxury in a poor territory that couldn’t even afford to pay its workers properly.
‘If it’s Adelaine Kiedland, she is currently residing in the Lord’s estate. The two territories are still in communication.’
Not long ago, when I asked Dale, he mentioned that Adelaine had been staying at the Lord’s estate for a while.
“Adelaine Kiedland seems to receive some support from Lord Kiedland in exchange for staying here.”
I quickly understood Adelaine’s assertiveness in someone else’s territory.
“Sophia! Again!”
“Oh, I-I’m sorry, unnie.”
Unnie?
At that moment, Adelaine grabbed the arm of the girl she called Sophia as if tearing it apart.
“Hey, unnie…”
“Sophia! What on earth!”
Suddenly, Adelaine and my eyes met.
She released the force that seemed ready to scratch the skin with her nails in an instant.
“What the hell, Sophia. How can you worry your unnie like this!?”
