Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Chapter 28

A few days passed. During lunch, Miesa suddenly spoke up.

“I want to go outside.”

Surprised by her request, Eirik paused with his fork mid-air. Miesa quickly explained her reasons.

“From the stories Gella reads to me, it sounds like there are a lot of people living along the streets.”

“Do you want to visit the slums?” he asked.

“No, I want to see the shops. They sound like they’re just buildings lined up without gardens.”

“That’s true for the shopping district,” he said, contemplating for a moment. As he helped clean up the table after their meal, he added, “Then, dear, would you like to take a carriage ride around the city? You can see the sights through the curtains.”

“Yes,” Miesa answered, her face lighting up with excitement. Eirik, watching her, gently cupped her cheek and pressed his lips to hers.

Even though it was still daylight, Miesa had grown used to such contact and didn’t mind. She just smiled brightly, thrilled about going out.

Eirik, suppressing something within himself, frowned slightly before letting go and saying, “It will take some time to prepare for the outing, so please wait.”

A while later, Eirik returned, lifting Miesa in his arms as he left the bedroom. A servant must have informed the household of their outing because Margravine Cladnier and her maids followed them to the front of the mansion.

Ignoring the worried looks from the line of servants, Eirik put Miesa, who was pretending to be asleep, into the carriage first.

“She might get anxious if she wakes up in an unfamiliar place,” Margravine Cladnier said.

“She’ll be fine with me,” Eirik assured.

“Still, take Gella with you. It’s better to have two people looking after her than one,” his mother insisted.

After a brief moment of consideration, Eirik agreed and instructed Gella to join them in the carriage.

Though their departure was slightly delayed, the carriage finally left the margravate, leaving behind the relieved farewells of Margravine Cladnier and the servants.

They rode down a quiet, tree-lined street for a while before Eirik knocked on the carriage wall. The carriage soon stopped, and the coachman approached the window.

“Stop at the square first to drop one person off, then take a slow tour around the city,” Eirik instructed.

Realizing she was the one to be dropped off, Gella blinked in surprise.

“Then return to the square in about three hours to pick her up and bring her back,” he added.

“Understood, sir,” the coachman responded respectfully before returning to his seat.

Eirik looked at Gella and said simply, “Enjoy your outing and return on time.”

Not knowing the reason behind this sudden break, Gella glanced outside while Eirik sat quietly, and Miesa continued pretending to sleep with her head resting on his lap. Silence filled the carriage until they reached the square.

“Three hours, right?” Gella asked as she got out of the carriage. Despite her suspicions about her young master’s motives, she followed his orders and stepped down in front of the fountain.

“This is the busiest road,” Eirik said, leaving a small gap in the thick curtain for her to look through. Miesa slowly woke up and turned toward the window, squinting against the bright light.

“That white building on the hill is the temple where we held our wedding. Do you remember?” he asked.

“I don’t remember. I was under sedatives then,” she mumbled, too engrossed in the view outside to say much more.

“I see. That’s where we first met,” Eirik said softly.

Eirik watched her profile, then pulled her onto his lap.

“How is it? Is it more comfortable to sightsee this way?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied briefly, continuing to look out the window. The sunlight filtering through the slightly open curtains made her platinum hair shine.

“If you have any questions, feel free to ask,” he said.

“Yes,” Miesa responded, still engrossed in the view outside.

As he gently stroked her hair, Eirik pondered what the world looked like through her eyes.

People, carriages, and shops—all familiar to him but likely astonishing and new to Miesa. He wanted to ask her thoughts but decided not to disturb her. Resting his chin on her head, he looked at the scenes she was absorbing.

Her soft hair tickled his chin as the carriage rattled. It reminded him of watching guests in the parlor through a crack in the door with his sister when they were young.

Just as those moments were memorable for him, he hoped these sights would be cherished memories for her. He smiled, holding her snugly to keep her steady.

“What’s that place over there?” Miesa asked, her initial surprise having calmed down enough for her to ask questions.

Eirik followed her pointing finger and answered each inquiry, “That’s a shop that sells hats and clothes. Are you curious about the inside?”

He hesitated, wondering if it would be okay. But Miesa shook her head.

“No. Going out would complicate things.”

He felt sorry for her restrained curiosity. As he pondered what to do, he heard her muttering to herself.

“It’s strange.”

“What is?”

“The carriage is moving, but when I shake my head, it feels strange.”

Even such small things were new discoveries for her. She shook her head gently a few more times, fascinated by the bouncing motion, then pointed out the window again.

“What’s that over there?”

“Those are street vendors. They usually sell low-quality goods from their carts.”

“What kind of goods are considered low-quality by Cladnier standards?”

At first, he didn’t understand what she meant. Then she asked, “Are they still usable?”

Realizing the implication, Eirik smiled wryly. “You grew up in the palace, seeing only the best. Our family isn’t that badly off, you know.”

Her face showed disbelief, and Eirik sighed, starting to explain in detail.

“We have two iron mines in our territory… now three.”

Accumulating wealth wasn’t their top priority, but the Cladnier family was quite affluent. They continued to trade through the northern seaport, and pelts from the blue fox, found only in the frontier, were one of their main sources of income.

“It’s just that my parents dislike luxury, so we don’t have many extravagant items at home. Oh, wait,” he paused, chuckling as he realized something.

“Are you misunderstanding because of the food shortage? It’s because the young men who were supposed to be hunting and farming came back all at once after being away for twelve years.”

“Ah…”

“It was difficult to quickly provide food for over 17,000 men. Production had significantly decreased in their absence,” he explained.

Turning in his embrace, Miesa looked at him, absorbing his words.

“The war also reduced trading volumes, and tax collection dropped, temporarily depleting our funds. But that issue has been resolved.”

Seeing her listen intently, Eirik realized her misunderstanding was genuine. A wry smile spread across his face.

“Now that everyone has resumed their work, there should be no problems after the next harvest season.”

He didn’t mention the abundance of blue foxes in the mountains due to the hunters being away from their jobs for so long. The more he spoke, the more he felt like a man trying to impress his lover with tales of wealth.

“Unintentionally, I seem to have worried you. Have you experienced any actual discomfort during your stay?”

Miesa shook her head but then murmured, “I thought there wasn’t enough food, so I left some snacks.”

“Oh my,” Eirik’s face turned serious. He immediately pulled her close and knocked on the carriage wall to summon the coachman.

“Do you know the shop that sells pastries near the Baltier River?”

“Yes, I’ve been there on errands. Shall I stop by?”

Eirik nodded, and the carriage began to move towards the river.

The riverside area, known for its beautiful scenery, was lined with upscale shops. When the carriage stopped, Eirik gave Miesa time to recline on the seat before speaking softly.

“I’ll pick out some pastries you might like. Please stay quietly in the carriage.”

“Can I look out the window? Just a little, like before?” she asked.

“Yes, I’ve replaced the curtains with thicker ones, so you won’t be seen from outside,” he reassured her.

Seeing her cautiousness, Eirik felt confident she would be safe. He stepped out of the carriage and gave the coachman strict instructions.

“Stand guard by the door and do not open it under any circumstances.”

“Yes, sir. Don’t worry,” the coachman replied, standing vigilantly by the carriage.

Eirik surveyed the area to ensure there were no potential threats before walking away. Miesa quietly got up and checked the coachman’s position before sticking to the opposite window.

So, this place isn’t poor after all.

Despite growing up in the desolate Celia Palace, she knew it wasn’t a typical living environment. Her standards were still those of the royal palace.

She found it amusing that, despite not having been treated like royalty, her expectations remained high. Despite being treated poorly by the palace staff, she maintained a sense of royal pride. But true peace came to her only after she was no longer considered royalty.