Chapter 24: I’ll quickly search for a shop!

The sky is a clear, piercing blue, and today is pleasantly sunny.

Rosa, inhaling the lingering morning air, raised her voice.

‘Now, let’s set out to find a shop!’

From the porch of the mansion, Helena followed Rosa, quickly boarding the carriage.

‘Miss, there’s no need to hurry; the shops won’t escape.’

‘No, Helena, opportunities are fleeting. Direct the carriage towards the main street.’

Rosa gave instructions to the coachman in a firm voice.

‘Miss, have you already decided on the location of the shop? Your father only mentioned it yesterday.’

Indeed, Rosa had been given permission by her father last night. She had obtained funds by withdrawing money from the safe.

‘I had a rough idea of the shop’s location. If it’s on the main street of the capital, people of all classes will gather without distinction. Moreover, there’s a square at the center where people gather.’

‘Won’t shops in such locations be popular?’

Helena’s question was valid.

‘They may become popular or go out of business; it varies. Besides, if you venture a bit into the side streets, the prices of establishments should decrease. Since I want to buy without revealing my identity, I want to avoid places like eateries. The smell of food lingers.’

‘Miss, have you already thought this far ahead?’

‘By the way,changing the topic, but the escort knight your father hired as a bodyguard for you is desperately chasing the carriage from behind. What will you do?’

Rosa hastily stopped the carriage on the cobblestone street.

She had completely forgotten that her father had hired him for Rosa’s protection.

‘Sorry, Tom. I completely forgot about you.’

‘No, my name is Hugh Atkin.’

Despite chasing the carriage at full speed, he wasn’t out of breath.

Hiring him for Rosa’s protection meant he was likely skilled.

However, even with the arrival of the bodyguard, Rosa couldn’t prevent the future poisoning.

‘Yes, Hugh. I’ll remember. I’m sorry.’

‘No need to apologize. Please feel free to address me however you like.’

very humble and polite.

‘Understood. By the way, are you planning to walk through the streets with that sword hanging by your side?’

The bodyguard, with a stoic expression and amber eyes in his black hair, had a well-defined face. But, with broad shoulders, tall stature, and being a bodyguard, he took up space in the carriage, and being looked down upon could be intimidating.

‘Yes, just having the sword at my waist can be a deterrent.’

‘While that’s true, you’re a bodyguard, so you need to stay close to me.’

“Yes.”

“Today, I plan to buy a shop. Just having you by my side makes it seem like a threat. I intend to buy properties where commoners run the shops, along with the land.”

Hugh slightly furrowed his brow. He must be puzzled. He had been assigned to stick close to Rosa by her father.

During this exchange, the carriage entered a square with a fountain in the center, circling clockwise.

With eyesight better than in her previous life, Rosa spotted a row of shops for commoners on the left side of the alley, away from the central square and main street.

Rosa instructed the coachman to enter the alley. The shop was quickly found.

‘Hugh, put on this cloak and hide the sword at your waist, please.’

Rosa told Hugh and instructed Helena to buy a cloak by giving her money.

Helena quickly procured a cloak that fit the knight perfectly and at an affordable price.

As expected, Helena is quite capable. It might be a shame to keep her as just my maid.)

Rosa immediately had Hugh wear the cloak and get off the carriage.

With Hugh standing behind her, Rosa was shielded from the sunlight.

“Troublesome, isn’t it? You stand out quite a bit. You can walk a bit away.”

Amber eyes are rare in this country. He probably has mixed foreign blood.

“The further I get from the young lady, the higher the risk becomes.”

The knight answers with a serious look.

“That’s not really the case, you know? I have plans for poisoning.”

“Huh?”

The knight looked puzzled. Seeing his unexpectedly youthful expressions, Rosa thought he might still be young.

As the carriage had entered the alley quite a bit, Rosa walked in the direction of the central square.

“Miss, are you planning to have a shop in this alley rather than the main street?”

Helena asked surprisingly.

“Yes, since I deal with bath bombs, even if it’s lined with jewelers and dress designers on the main street, it’ll stand out. It’s not just about having a good location.”

“You’ve thought this far ahead.”

Helena nodded approvingly.

After walking for a while, the central square with the main street became visible.

“Around here is good. A shop is visible from the main street, and it’s nearby.”

Just as Rosa said this, she noticed a small fabric store.

“Oh, that looks good. Let’s ask the shop owner. How much will they sell it for? It’s convenient if the shop owner also holds the rights to the land, but it makes the purchase easier.”

Saying that, Rosa briskly moved towards the shop.

“Miss, isn’t that shop a bit small?”

“But the frontage isn’t that narrow. Besides, it seems convenient that the neighboring shop has gone out of business.”

“Convenient? Ah, I see. You plan to rebuild the shop on the land of two stores.”

“No, that’s not it. Didn’t I say I wanted to buy without revealing my identity? Besides, a timber-framed shop has a charming atmosphere, right? It’ll be cute if it’s decorated with potted flowers. There’s no need to demolish it. I’ll explain the details after successfully purchasing the shop.”

Helena looked surprised.

“Miss, I’m interested, but I’m just a maid, so you don’t need to explain unless it’s your command.”

“What are you saying? You’re supposed to be my right-hand person.”

“Yes?”

Ignoring Helena’s surprise, Rosa went into the shop. As expected, the bodyguard followed from behind.

“Hugh, stay!”

When Rosa called out, the bodyguard stopped instantly.

“Hey, Hugh, look at the shopkeeper.”

The elderly woman who came out of the shop looked frightened upon seeing Hugh.

“Are you here to evict us, or is it a protection fee?”

Trembling, she asked Rosa.

Hearing that, Hugh immediately moved away from the storefront and stood on the other side of the street.

(It’s probably not just Hugh’s fault. I look like a villain, and Helena seems cold and expressionless most of the time. We must be a scary group.)

Rosa tried to present the softest smile possible.

However, it seemed like a failure, and the elderly shop owner hurriedly came out from the back of the store, bowing low to greet them.

(Now, how should I resolve this misunderstanding?)

The unfortunately beautiful Rosa felt a twinge of the remaining maiden’s heart.