Chapter 4.2

Having run unexpectedly into the marquis twice, her heart trembled for nothing when she left the house. However, as if her encounter with him were all a dream, Liv’s daily life was no different from usual. There was no notice of dismissal coming from the Vendons barony. If anything, Baroness Vendons sent a box of high-quality handmade snacks through an errand boy, saying she was sorry for not giving her the gift she was supposed to give.

“Liv, this is so delicious!”

She felt rewarded when she saw Coryda clapping her hands, liking it.

I hope this job will last for a long time. Liv, who was staring at Coryda while making such a hope inside, took out the gift that she had carefully prepared.

“Coryda, it’s your birthday present.”

Coryda, who knew about their tight circumstances, did not seem to have expected the gift at all. Coryda, who was staring at the wrapped gift with wide eyes, soon looked warily at Liv.

The sight of her sister looking at her face before she was happy to receive the gift was enough to make Liv’s heart heavy. Her sister grew up too early.

Liv deliberately put the present in Coryda’s hand with a brighter smile.

“We have plenty of money to live on this month, so don’t worry.”

“But Liv…”

“I told you it’s okay. Aren’t you curious about what’s inside?”

Coryda hesitated at the urging from Liv and then slowly opened the wrapper.

The cautious touch became faster as the content was revealed. And finally, a small ceramic music box appeared in the place where all the wrapping was peeled off. It was a music box with a cute white horse engraved on it.

“Wow!”

“Wind it up.”

With a blushing face, Coryda spinned the small handle on the side of the music box. The spring was twined with a squeak, and soon a monotonous but cute and bouncy melody came out. It was a lullaby that Coryda usually liked.

Looking at Coryda’s flushed face, Liv smiled quietly.

She was glad that a few months ago, when she found this music box in the store, she had her eyes on it as Coryda’s birthday present. She was worried that she wouldn’t have enough money, but thanks to the additional money from Brad, she had some extra money left even after buying the music box. She was thinking of preparing a generous dinner using the ingredients she bought with the remaining money.

Suddenly.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Liv! Liv! Are you home?”

“Wait a second, Coryda.”

Liv, who patted Coryda on the shoulder, hurried out to the front door. Outside the door stood a small middle-aged man. It was Pommel, the landlord.

“Oh, you are here. How many times I’ve walked in vain!”

“What’s the matter, sir?”

“It’s about the rent.”

He checked some paper and then handed it to Liv. Accepting the paper in confusion, she checked it and it was an invoice. Liv’s forehead crumpled in an instant.

“I’ve paid the rent for this month.”

“It has gone up since this month..”

“What? I never heard that!”

“That’s because you’re always away. I clearly have told Coryda!”

Coryda would have told her if she had heard such a notice. Pommel was a person who usually made rules that didn’t exist and eliminated the existing rules as he liked, saying that it was the authority of the landlord. The rent must have been decided suddenly, too.

Liv put her hand on her waist and opened her eyes wide.

“That’s unfair! This is a one-sided notice!”

“That is not my business, and I definitely informed it! I’ll especially give you time until the end of the month, so prepare the additional fee.”

“Mr. Pommel!”

“It didn’t raise much. That’s still the cheapest rent price in town! You can leave if you don’t like it!”

Pommel, who informed recklessly, turned around. It was because he knew that Liv and Coryda couldn’t do anything about it anyway.

Liv, who was opening her mouth in bewilderment, looked at the paper again.

She couldn’t believe that the rent would rise from this month right away, not from next month.

“… Liv.”

Liv, who was standing vacantly in front of the open front door, suddenly came to her senses and looked back. Coryda, so thin that it was unbelievable that she was 15 years old, was standing with the music box in both her hands.

Coryda, who was looking up at Liv with her clear eyes, held out the music box.

“Let’s sell this again.”

“This is your birthday present.”

She shook her head with a stiff look on her face on purpose, but Coryda replied without a blink.

“But the rent has gone up.”

“You don’t have to mind it.”

“You’ve spent a lot of money on my medicine this month. I also know about our family situation.”

“Coryda!”

“Liv, I’m not a little kid.”

No, you’re young.

Liv couldn’t bring herself to say the words that reached the top of her throat. The child-like figure who was happy eating handmade cookies disappeared, and Coryda, who looked more mature and calm than her, smiled.

“Liv. If you don’t pay the rent, Mr. Pommel will come every day, and when you’re not here, he’ll bother me. So let’s just pay quickly.”

Pommel’s harassment was just an excuse. An excuse to push Liv’s back so that she would resell the music box.

Even though she knew it clearly, Liv agonized over the music box for a moment. It was not that she didn’t have any extra money at all, but if she resold the music box, she would definitely get time to prepare for the sudden rise in rent.

However, it was just for a moment. Liv calmly took a deep breath and then closed the front door. Then she took the music box and put it on the table next to the bed.