The Ugly Wife of the Shady Duke - Chapter 71.2
🥀⚔️🥀⚔️🥀⚔️🥀⚔️🥀⚔️🥀⚔️🥀⚔️🥀⚔️🥀⚔️🥀
‘Well, there were crossword puzzles and number games. Playing those helped pass the time.’
Beyond that, there were quite a few horrific, even tragic incidents. They described events not covered in the novels, and Grace was considerably shaken by them.
“…Hm, there were more brutal incidents than I expected. But more than those, there was a kidnapping case…”
As Grace was about to talk about the content she had read, the carriage jolted fiercely, shaking its interior.
“…Are, are you okay?!”
The Viscount, visibly alarmed, gazed at a flustered Grace. Fortunately, thanks to Benjamin’s quick reflexes, grabbing her as the carriage rocked, she was unharmed.
“Yes, thanks to His Excellency.”
“What happened? Did the carriage break?”
Benjamin, quickly releasing his hold on Grace, peered out of the window. The Viscounty’s street seemed more crowded than usual, almost filled with carriages.
With an awkward smile, the Viscount explained.
“It’s the time when traders move vigorously within the Linden territory for business, so it gets crowded. Grace, you used to love this time when you were a child, didn’t you?”
Perhaps trying to lighten the tense atmosphere from the sudden incident, the Viscount turned the conversation to Grace. She nodded in agreement.
“Yes, I think I did. There were merchants who brought fascinating items, after all.”
“Right. You always ended up buying some useless stuff back then.”
“… “
“I’d love to hear directly from My lady about what she purchased.”
“…Really?”
Grace wondered if Benjamin’s comment was just polite conversation. She worried that if she actually detailed each purchase later, she might end up looking quite silly.
“Yes, really.”
Yet, Benjamin, seemingly sincere, nodded slowly and then tapped in the direction of the coachman.
“The carriage is still a bit shaky. It seems the wheel might have loosened from that earlier jolt.”
Eventually, as the carriage came to a halt, Benjamin was the first to step out, extending his hand to Grace.
“We’re not far from the Viscount’s residence now. How about taking a stroll through the marketplace?”
Grace looked down at Benjamin with a surprised expression.
“My Lady doesn’t want to?”
“No, no, it’s not that. It’s just… quite unexpected.”
“I got curious from our conversation. I was wondering what might interest My Lady around this time of year.”
Benjamin smiled brightly.
“If I pay attention now, maybe next time I’ll score some points with you. Don’t you think?”
“What points are you trying to earn exactly?”
Grace asked, teasingly. Still, Benjamin responded calmly.
“If you’re curious, how about taking my hand?”
“…”
In the end, Grace found herself unable to resist taking Benjamin’s hand. Not that she had any real intention of refusing.
The mild jolts from the carriage had been uncomfortable, and given the influx of merchants, her curiosity had been piqued.
‘Now exactly was ‘that’ time of the year.’
Every year, the Linden Viscounty had periods when merchants would stay for an extended time. It was the Viscounty’s prime moneymaking season and was almost like a festival.
‘Most of the residents of the Linden Viscounty probably preferred this period of the year over the actual festivals.’
It was a difference in perception, shaped by infrastructure.
“It won’t be that exciting, especially when compared to the festivals in the capital. Because it’s of a smaller scale.”
“It would still be more fun than the Northern Nights.”
“That feels a bit unfair when you put it that way, Your Excellency.”
“Haha.”
As Grace alighted from the carriage with Benjamin’s escort, a familiar landscape greeted her.
The Linden Viscounty was situated in the southwest. It was quite remote, so it wasn’t actually a hub for trade, but this very remoteness fortuitously shielded it from the dominance of larger trade factions.
‘Should I say it attracts merchants with unique items, or perhaps merchants trying to offload less in-demand goods?’
The intertwining of these factors meant that while the Linden Viscounty had a relatively active merchant trade, its overall development lagged behind.
‘Maybe they’d make more money by capitalizing on the local lake legends and diving into tourism.’
Regardless, the Linden Viscounty was fortunate to remain unaffected by the western contamination incident. Its land was still vibrant with life, and the faces of its inhabitants appeared cheerful.
‘That’s really a blessing. The Viscounty’s main asset is its land, after all.’
Grace surveyed her surroundings and approached the nearest stall. The vendor seemed to have stepped inside for a moment and was out of sight. She pointed to something on display.
“Look at this, Your Excellency.”
“What is it?”
“Well, it seems like preserved fruits. They also appear to sell seeds and plantlings.”
The preservation suggested that the climate or region might not be ideal for selling the fruits as they were.
‘But why does it look familiar?’
Though Grace was certain neither her current self’s memories nor the original story contained any mention of this fruit, she felt an odd sense of déjà vu.
🥀⚔️🥀⚔️🥀⚔️🥀⚔️🥀⚔️🥀⚔️🥀⚔️🥀⚔️🥀⚔️🥀
