Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Chapter 80

When they arrived at the dressmaker’s shop, Cullen ordered the items. The shop owner, recognizing Cullen, tried to leverage the situation.

“Oh dear, we’re out of stock at the moment. Why don’t you bring the young lady back another time…?” the owner suggested.

“She can’t come. Just bring out what you have.”

“Then, please give me the delivery address, and we’ll send the items once they’re ready.”

Cullen shook his head, finding the owner’s attempt to extract information pitiful. It wasn’t that he didn’t want the lady to reconcile with her husband, but security was paramount. He rationalized his decision and turned to leave.

“If that’s the case, there’s no choice.”

The shop owner, realizing she might lose a sale, scolded her staff loudly. “Oh my, you should have spoken up if we had stock. We almost let a valuable customer leave empty-handed.”

She gestured to a chair. “Please sit and wait. Would you like some tea?”

“If it takes too long, I’ll leave,” Cullen said, his patience wearing thin.

“Just put everything in a box. Make sure the bottles are well-packed to prevent breakage. Quickly now,” the owner instructed her staff.

The owner gave Cullen a once-over. “Sir Knight, do you need anything else?” she asked.

“No,” Cullen replied, watching the staff pack the items.

The shopkeeper’s skillful maneuvering came into play next. “Is there no lady you’re fond of? Or perhaps a fiancée?” she inquired.

At the mention of a lady, Cullen’s gaze inadvertently scanned the shop. Sensing an opportunity, the owner continued quickly. “Having a pretty ribbon can be surprisingly handy. It can be used to tie flowers together, or to keep a young lady’s hair in place when it gets unruly…”

Of course, the owner didn’t care that a knight’s calloused hands wouldn’t be skilled in tying bouquets or a woman’s hair.

She continued her sales pitch. “Take one. When will a busy knight like you have another chance to come to a place like this?

“Hey, make sure to pack everything carefully,” she scolded her hapless staff to buy time and then whispered tempting offers to Cullen. “What color is the lady’s hair? If it’s blonde, a blue ribbon would be perfect. For brown hair, a green ribbon…”

“Just give me a neutral color,” Cullen interrupted.

“There’s no such thing as a neutral color. We have seven shades of blue alone.”

“……”

Whatever her original hair color, she’d probably dye it or wear a wig to match the Margravine’s platinum blonde. But Cullen, no matter how much he was eyeing the silk ribbons, wasn’t about to mention the Margravine’s unique hair color.

“I’ll take this one,” Cullen finally decided.

“Yes, yes, a pink hue goes well with any hair color. But lace is more fashionable than smooth satin.”

The shop owner, annoyed that she had managed to sell only one more expensive lace ribbon after all that effort, kept a fake smile plastered on her face.

“My assistants will help you with the rest. I’ll take my leave.”

Maintaining her fake business smile, the owner quickly disappeared. With the owner gone, the staff worked even faster. Thanks to them, Cullen received the items quickly.

After handing the purchases into the carriage, they set off again for the Cladnier mansion. The clock tower chimed 3 PM, its solemn toll seeming to rebuke Cullen. Why did he do such a useless thing?

Cullen, hearing the imagined reprimand, fingered the ribbon he had tucked into his chest. He considered tossing it out onto the road. But his hand hesitated, and before he knew it, the carriage had reached the narrow path.

Gella and the lady alighted from the carriage. Now all they had to do was pass through the cabin to return to the mansion.

“Oh? It’s a wolf-eye mushroom!” Gella shrieked, spotting a green mushroom growing at the base of a tree. She quickly lifted her skirt and fumbled to retrieve the dagger strapped to her leg.

That dagger wasn’t meant for such use… Cullen frowned as he watched from behind, but Gella was too excited, her face flushed.

“This is incredibly rare; there’s nothing better for antidotes than a wolf-eye mushroom.”

Well, they had returned earlier than scheduled, so it was fine. Cullen glanced around. There was no one around, just the sound of insects in the underbrush.

“Don’t dull the blade. Be gentle,” Cullen said, warning her as her dagger struck the tree stump, all the while keeping his guard up.

Tall trees blocked the sunlight, and the damp ground beneath was lush with undergrowth. This place muffled footsteps, so Cullen carefully scanned the surroundings again. Above, the dense canopy barely let any light through, with only the faint chirping of birds breaking the silence.

“……!”

Then it happened. Cullen heard a sudden, sharp intake of breath.

He whipped his head towards the sound, but the veiled lady stood motionless.

I couldn’t have heard wrong, he thought, puzzled. “Are you alright?” he asked softly, scrutinizing her more closely.

Something was off. Even the most poised person shows slight movement when breathing. But she…

“Gella, something’s wrong with her,” Cullen said urgently.

As he spoke, the lady wavered. He reached out to steady her, and she was rigid as a log. He caught her in his arms, and Gella, from a distance, gasped loudly.

“Oh, oh no! Let me help!” Gella cried, shoving the mushroom into her pocket and rushing over. She took the lady from Cullen, lifting her effortlessly.

“I’ll take care of her. See you later!” Gella said hastily, carrying the lady towards the cabin.

Cullen stood frozen, watching the lady’s limp arm sway despite the veil that couldn’t hide her distress.

“Madam, are you alright?” Gella asked with concern.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Miesa replied. Thankfully, she regained her composure quickly, even before they reached the mansion.

“Was it the sound of the bird that startled you?” Gella asked, recalling the faint chirping she had also heard. It seemed distant and harmless, but perhaps it had affected Miesa differently.

“Yes. I don’t want to go out anymore. Not even to the greenhouse. What if I encounter a bird?” Miesa’s voice was filled with an almost venomous emphasis on the word “bird.”

Gella hesitated, then softly asked, “Madam, may I ask why you are so afraid of birds?”

Instead of answering, Miesa patted Gella’s shoulder. “I’ll walk from here.”

“Are you sure? I can carry you to the entrance.”

“We’re almost there,” Miesa insisted.

In the dim underground passage, Miesa adjusted her veil, tidied her clothes, and began to walk slowly.

“Even if you get soot all over you from the fireplace?”

“Fine. By the way, what about the cosmetics?”

“Oh…” Gella had managed to grab the wolf-eye mushroom but had forgotten the cosmetics in the rush. Feeling guilty, she said, “Sir Cullen must have taken care of them. I’ll go and get them later.”

“Alright,” Miesa said, continuing to walk. She added firmly, “Make sure no one knows it was me.”

“Yes, understood,” Gella replied.

They reached the end of the passage and climbed the ladder toward the fireplace.

Eirik, waiting by the fireplace, heard faint noises and bent down to open the secret door at the bottom. Miesa’s veil appeared first, and he helped her out carefully to avoid any injury. He also offered a hand to Gella.

“Did you enjoy yourselves?”

“Yes,” Miesa replied.

Noticing the unusual redness around her nose and eyes, Eirik squinted in concern.

Miesa quickly explained the situation. “When we got out of the carriage, there were lots of trees. I heard birds chirping above, and I was so scared I couldn’t move. Gella had to carry me.”

“I see.”

However, Gella’s expression looked troubled. Seeing this, Miesa urgently grabbed Eirik’s arm.

“Gella found some mushrooms that are good for antidotes and was picking them for me. Please don’t scold her.”

“Well…”

Eirik glanced at Gella again, noting the dirt on her knees and hands. It seemed to confirm her story.

“Master, these are wolf-eye mushrooms,” Gella explained, pulling them out of her skirt pocket. “They were growing over there. Their scientific name is something complicated, but they’re called wolf-eye because they look like a wolf’s eyes. They’re known for their antidote properties but are very hard to find.”

Eirik raised an eyebrow and sighed, then turned to Miesa. “Alright. Since my wife explained everything first, so I’ll pretend it never happened.”

“Thank you,” Miesa said with a smile.

Eirik helped Miesa change her clothes and sent her upstairs to the third floor.

***