Chapter 203: Why Are You There? (1)
「He was lonely.
No matter how much he shouted for freedom and equality, people couldn’t understand. They only nodded their heads in fear of the sword he held.
At first, he thought his words were getting through. But he realized that communication was better when they didn’t even speak the same language.
Dismantling of mystery.
The advancement of humanity.
Absolute freedom from God, obtained through these means.
The Sorcerer King advised him, who was in despair.
He said that three things must precede the spread of the freedom you desire.
First, money.
Second, knowledge.
Third, the elimination of distinctions in talent based on innate mana compatibility and advantages stemming from lineage.
Only when the world becomes truly ‘common’ will freedom and equality be possible.
He made up his mind.
If they won’t listen to his words, he would show them through action.
Even if they couldn’t understand freedom, they would surely appreciate it once they had it in their hands.
Therefore, he began to walk the lonely path once more. At the end of that path lay freedom, but the path itself was inevitably stained crimson with blood. 」
🔹🔹🔹
Lourens, the head of the Empire’s Special Intelligence Division, and Anje infiltrated the underground of the Mytilene Grand Auction House.
As they delved deeper,
“Try this.”
Princess Elena offered a street food skewer to both Administrative Duke Morning and Magic Marquis Wiseman.
Unfamiliar with such food, Wiseman politely declined with an ambiguous smile.
She wasn’t sure what kind of meat it was, and the pungent smell gave her pause.
Morning, however, was different.
“Oh my, this is Eastern Empire cuisine.”
Instead of immediately taking a bite, she examined the skewer, taking in its appearance and aroma.
“The slightly spicy scent that stimulates the salivary glands comes from a spice from the East.”
“Oh…”
“Observe the way the meat is cut. Slicing it into squares and skewering it alternately with vegetables is a common style in the East.”
“Please, try it and tell me how it tastes.”
Elena urged with a subtle nudge and a knowing smile. Morning, with a slight curl of her lips, took a bite.
Cooked hastily on the street with a magic brazier, the meat was unevenly cooked, with some parts overdone.
However, the experience of strolling down the street with the princess and the Magic Marquis, enjoying street food without a care for her ducal status, was uniquely delightful.
“And there’s something else. Is that a Southern-style fish sauce?”
Morning turned her gaze to the street vendor.
With three beauties enjoying his food, other customers were naturally drawn in. The vendor pulled out a large sauce container he had set aside.
“Ah, you have a keen eye. I used fish sauce instead of seasoning when marinating the meat. The Eastern spices are quite strong, so……”
“You wanted to add a subtle savory flavor?”
Morning interjected, finishing his sentence. The vendor couldn’t help but smile at her sparkling eyes.
She looked barely older than his own daughter, and her friendly demeanor warmed his heart.
“Yes. As someone from the South, I’m naturally drawn to these flavors.”
“It’s absolutely delightful.”
She was nothing like the stereotype of an Administrative Duke.
Elena and Wiseman exchanged surprised glances at Morning’s down-to-earth demeanor, which reminded them of a kind innkeeper’s daughter.
Although they were all part of the Empire’s elite, their paths rarely crossed due to their different affiliations.
If it weren’t for Cain, they would have never found themselves in such close proximity, enjoying each other’s company.
“Delightful indeed……”
Morning pulled the meat and vegetables off the skewer with her teeth and popped them into her mouth. Her cheeks puffed out adorably as she chewed.
She was acting quite unlike her usual self, which was rather endearing. Moreover, she was the shortest among the three.
After finishing her food, she picked one of each type of skewer displayed at the stall.
“I’ll take them all!”
“My lady, that’s quite a lot for three people. Are you sure?”
Morning paused, her eyes darting around.
She pictured Lourens and Anje, who were absent, and Aurelia and Cain, who she wasn’t particularly fond of.
With four more mouths to feed, she figured this amount might not even be enough.
“Of course.”
“Oh, thank you so much! Business has been slow lately, so I was worried.”
News of the Mytilene Summer Auction had attracted wealthy individuals from all over the continent.
One would expect booming business during such a peak season, but while renowned restaurants were packed, this particular stall was unusually quiet.
People who came all the way to the Mytilene Auction House sought unique culinary experiences, not common street food like skewers.
However, seeing Morning relish her food with such gusto, passersby began to show interest.
“Let this young lady have hers first, then I’ll get to you all!”
The stall owner couldn’t hide his excitement as he spoke.
And so, a line began to form.
As Morning clutched her bag filled with skewers and smiled,
“You there, commoner.”
A young man, flanked by two burly-looking men acting as his guards, called out to her after looking them up and down.
“I’ll give you the special privilege of presenting those skewers to me.”
“……?”
Morning tilted her head, momentarily confused.
The young man clicked his tongue.
“Tsk, how foolish. Do you not realize the honor of presenting food to a noble like myself?”
“Noble?”
“Behold, this garment crafted from silk.”
The young man, likely hailing from some rural backwater, sported a ridiculous outfit. Its outdated style would have landed him on the front page of the capital’s newspapers as the worst-dressed person the next day.
Morning’s eyes narrowed.
Oblivious to her reaction, the young nobleman grabbed his sleeve and thrust it forward.
“Wearing clothes made of Ketic Mountain silk, I must be a noble, wouldn’t you say?”
“Anyone with money can buy that, you know?”
Morning’s retort rendered the young man speechless. He let out a dramatic sigh, clutching his forehead.
“Oh dear. It seems educating ignorant commoners is also a noble’s duty. How many possess the refinement to pull off this silk like I do? Those nouveau riche could never hope to match this level of sophistication.”
“Aha, so you’re an old money noble, a blue blood?”
The young man smirked.
His exposed forearms, revealed as he pushed up his sleeves, were pale, as if they had never seen the sun.
And beneath the skin, blue veins were faintly visible.
That was the origin of the term ‘blue blood,’ used to refer to the old noble families of the Empire who owned vast tracts of land.
“Indeed. It seems you finally understand—”
“So, you, a blue blood nobleman, are trying to intimidate a child into giving up her food because you don’t want to wait in line?”
“……”
The young man was momentarily at a loss for words.
Morning’s blunt statement, delivered with a sweet smile, was nothing but the truth.
“And which esteemed noble family do you hail from?”
He had been taken aback when Morning referred to herself as a child. Considering her age, it was quite audacious.
And now,
Elena and Wiseman exchanged glances, recognizing the glint in Morning’s eyes as she inquired about his family.
They knew she was about to make him regret his actions.
“Allen of Baron Enges.”
“Oh my, Enges? A Baron family from the South known for their substantial iron ore mines. How bold of you.”
The young man flinched.
While Baron Enges was considered a prominent Baron family, their name wasn’t exactly common knowledge.
Yet, the girl before him recognized it instantly.
Normally, her companions would have intervened by now, but their passive observation made the situation all the more unsettling.
“Young Master.”
One of the men behind Allen leaned in and whispered.
“Why don’t we just smooth things over?”
“But……”
“That girl is sharp-tongued. Surely a few coins will suffice.”
His words were intentionally audible to everyone present.
The stall owner, who had just sold Morning a mountain of skewers, fidgeted nervously. The girl he had initially mistaken for someone’s daughter was proving to be quite formidable.
“My goodness, the blue blood nobleman resorting to bribery?”
Morning continued to provoke him, twisting the knife further. Meanwhile, Elena and Wiseman exchanged knowing glances.
Even with her double-digit rank, a princess was still a princess. Wiseman, letting out an internal sigh, was about to intervene.
Just then,
“How utterly pathetic, coveting a child’s food. It’s no wonder His Majesty favors the new nobility.”
A young man with blond hair approached, effortlessly parting the crowd that had gathered like storm clouds.
He too was accompanied by guards, but what was unusual was the presence of a woman among his entourage.
A woman with striking silver hair and golden eyes.
Her silver hair, a rarity on the continent, made her stand out.
“Judging by your crude speech, you must be one of those lowly Red Hands?”
Just as the old nobility were called ‘Blue Bloods,’ the new nobles, who earned their titles through trade, skill, or merit, were dubbed ‘Red Hands.’
The term stemmed from the calloused hands of merchants, warriors, and artisans who toiled with their hands, unlike the idle blue bloods.
“Lowly, you say? His Majesty declared everyone equal except for the imperial family. Your words are quite harsh, even for a foreigner.”
“……”
“To think a blue blood like yourself would behave so despicably.”
“You! State your name!”
As Allen Enges roared in anger, the newly arrived young nobleman turned to Morning with a gentle smile.
“Tucker Spencer.”
“Don’t tell me…… the Spencer Trading Company……?”
The blond man simply smiled in response.
Their exchange had established a clear hierarchy, not through displays of power, but through the weight of their names and the families they represented. However, the young blue blood refused to back down.
“I was merely offering this girl a chance to present her wares, why do you interfere?”
“Because everyone deserves freedom. And I’m the type to stand up for the freedom of others. I stepped in to be the sword that protects this young lady’s right to choose whether or not to give you her food.”
“Typical silver-tongued new money.”
As their verbal sparring continued, Morning frowned.
Witnessing the tiresome conflict between old and new money, a sight she had grown weary of back in the Empire, was the last thing she wanted to deal with at the Mytilene Auction House.
Just as she was about to excuse herself and slip away, Allen grabbed her wrist.
Swish━.
“You think you can escape now that this new money is on your side? Think again!”
Elena instinctively moved to intervene, but stopped short when she met Morning’s unwavering gaze.
Unaware of the shift in atmosphere, Allen continued his tirade.
“As a commoner, you should show respect to your betters!”
He tried to assert his dominance over Morning. It was ludicrous, considering such forced deference was no longer enforced even within the Empire, let alone in a foreign land.
But Morning didn’t resist.
Her wrist began to turn red under his grip.
Thud—
Suddenly, someone clasped Allen’s shoulder.
“Respect is earned, not demanded.”
Crrrrk—
“Aaargh!”
“Forcing it is called coercion. Learn some manners.”
Excruciating pain shot through Allen’s shoulder, radiating from his collarbone as if it were about to shatter. He instinctively released Morning’s wrist and cried out.
“Her— I mean, Cain-nim!”
Elena’s eyes sparkled as she addressed Cain, who had seemingly appeared out of thin air.
And then,
“Cain…?”
The silver-haired woman who had accompanied Tucker Spencer looked up.
Her bright, golden eyes.
Her all too familiar face.
Cain, who had rushed to Administrative Duke Morning’s side, was so shocked at the sight of her that he froze.
“Husband!”
“……You’re insane.”
Cain muttered a word he rarely used.
Olivia Rune Airian.
The same Olivia who had run away to the mercenary city of Antwerp, under the guise of investigating Hybolt’s assassination.
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