CH 4

Chapter 4 – Preparing To Go Out

Translator: Lioness

Speaking in a deliberate brazen manner, the Marquis was at loss for words, sighing then opening his mouth with seriousness.

“How are you going to apologize?”

At the words of the marquis, Alice held her hands tightly and whispered with her eyes sparkling.

“I will apologize to Her Highness, the Crown Princess, for being short-tempered and impulsive.”

“The Crown Princess was unwell because of you…”

“What about that…”

“Alice!”

Her impudent attitude made the marquis roar again. Alice spat out her first words, covering her ringing ears.

“Even so, the Crown Princess will see me apologizing to her because she’s a good person.”

“I bet she wouldn’t do that.”

If she had the personality of a crown princess, she couldn’t help but accept Alice’s apology. Of course, after accepting, she will weep again. The reason was not that she was a good person, but because Alice is the daughter of Marquess Hamilton. No matter what anyone says, the Hamilton Marquess was a rich family in name and reality. The imperial family of the Erha Empire could not ignore rich people.

If all goes well, she should be able to enter the palace. If all goes well.

“So, I guess I must apologize. It’s my fault, so I have to beg.”

At her grin, the Marquis looked at her with strange eyes. As the gaze reached her cheek, she rolled her eyes as it felt a prick on her cheek for some reason. After thinking for a while, he decided.

“The next banquet is tonight. Do you think you can go tonight?”

“No, today, Father had gone to fix the problem I created, and I have to talk to the Crown Princess, too. Well, I can go tomorrow.”

“You know well.”

“So, I want you to lift the curfew from today.”

“Why is that?!”

“I cannot go empty-handed while apologizing so please give me money to buy something expensive.”

Alice raised her chin as she casually responded to the gaze of the marquis, who was looking at her with suspiciousness. She had to go out, unconditionally.

Today was the second day of the banquet where more people wandered from other empires around the capital.

‘Why?’

Because it’s a gorgeous day with the most things to see. The event to recognize the parade in the fireworks display was all today. So, of course, people from other empires would wander around. Among them, it was necessary to find someone who would help her escape from this empire.

“Do you mean to say that you were rude to the Crown Princess to use as an excuse to go out?”

“That is why I am going to solve it!”

“How are you going to solve it?! Ask for a lot of money? Aren’t you trying to get money for a gift?”

In fact, among the money Alice had collected, there was some money she received through that way.

‘Still, it’s unfair!’

“That is why if you had given me a lot of money then it’d have been better.”

“How much do you think your allowance is? Don’t you think that 100 gold coins for a month’s pocket money are too much when you’re not buying a dress or jewels!”

Alice’s mouth fell shut at the Marquis’ words. She pouted her lips because it was true. Ten gold coins could feed a commoner for three months. Many commoners never saw a single gold coin in their lives, and Alice’s pocket money was a hundred, and only for a month’s allowance.

The reason why she, who received so much money from him, accumulated money like a stickler, was because of variables. Because she never knew what would happen while she was on her way to another empire. Alice wanted to refrain from getting into trouble with money. When she was silent, the Marquis, who thought she was reflecting, spoke.

“That’s okay, there will be people who recognize your face because of what you did yesterday, but what are you going to do with that?”

“I’ll go disguised as a commoner, so I don’t get caught.”

“What?”

The Marquis’s jaw dropped when she heard that a noblewoman like her would go out in a commoner’s clothes. As Alice gazed at him, his widened mouth closed in its mouth as if a fly wouldn’t be noticed if it went in.

“Hmm, hmm.”

Her Marquis cleared his throat and asked her again.

“Why should I believe you and let you go?”

“You have to believe me. If something goes wrong, the Marquis will also be at stake.”

It was. It would be the Marquis who would be at a disadvantage if Alice continued to create problems out there. That’s why the Marquis was happy inside when Alice offered to apologize.

‘I think he had become more alerted….’

Whether it was alright for her to go outside was another matter, but the Marquis decided to try it one time.

“Go with two knights.”

“Can I designate those knights too?”

“Do you even know the family knights?”

“Of course, I do, but I couldn’t call for them for fear that they may be harmed because of someone like me.”

“Then you have to prepare a little earlier…”

She could hear the click of his tongue, but she couldn’t help it; she’d only been dying for the original story to be finished, and he wouldn’t believe her unless said in a pitiful tone. Still, knowing the affectionate concern in the Marquis’s heart, Alice didn’t let that falter her.

“Anyway, you know. Then prepare yourself.”

The Marquis thought there would be no problem with sending the two knights along. Until now, Alice had only been stuck in the house, and she had never gone outside with a knight accompanying her, so the Marquis decided to trust the knights. The knights will stop her anyways if she did something wrong.

He had also calculated that Alice, who had never been out of the house, would come back to the Marquis’s house, shivering. The Marquis knew Alice well. Yesterday was the first time she’d ever left the banquet, so it was natural for her to make a mess. The Alice he knew was a quiet, home-loving girl. And a girl who laves money, of course.

“Please attach Sir Benedict and Sir Lesir.”

“I got it.”

As Nabut bowed and Alice left the room, the Marquis summoned a knight who was standing outside. At the Marquis’ command, the knight went out and brought Benedict and Lesir in.

“We heard you called us, Your Excellency.”

As the two stood in front of them, the Marquis sighed and said,

“You guys must have heard it too. You probably heard it on your way.”

The Marquis, who noticed that the two had already heard everything from the silent appearance of the two, showed a determined attitude. As if otherwise the knights would ignore his words.

“The fate of our Marquis family is at stake. Only when Alice personally apologizes will there be a hole to survive. As long as Alice she would, just trust her.”

“Marquis. That doesn’t sound like a very good idea.”

Benedict was taken aback by Lesir’s words and grabbed his collar, but Lesir opened his mouth again.

“It’s hard to believe that Lady is willing to apologize for her actions until now. I have a suspicion that she was going to the banquet again to harm Her Highness, again.”

“Then what should I do?! There’s no other way than for that child to come forward and apologize! What an insult to the imperial family!”

“Isn’t she an adopted daughter? Adoption is also a way.”

When Lesir spoke, Benedict opened his eyes wide in surprise, but he couldn’t say anything in front of the Marquis, so he held it down.

“That can’t be done.”

Rather, Lesir raised his voice to the Marquis who spoke firmly.

“You have to decide for the Marquis. Do you know how much the reputation of the marquis has been damaged by this incident, my lady?”

“That still cannot be done.”

“The reason—!”

“All right. Marquis.”

Benedict stepped forward while interrupting Lesir, who continued to rebel.

“Then can we go out with the lady?”

“If you think he’s going to cause trouble, knock him out and bring him back to the Marquis. It’s my first time out on the streets of the capital, and I’m a little worried.”

“Knocking her out?”

“I’m telling you to bring her to me by any means.”

“All right.”

Benedict looked at Lesir, who responded quickly, with an absurd look. After his head hurt, the little boy gestured toward them and sent them outside.

“Ha.”

Remembering a promise made a long, long time ago, the Marquis shook his head. He never thought in his dreams that a covenant made long ago would hold him back.

​

“My lady, I am ready.”

Alice, wearing the light dress that commoners like to wear, raised her head at the butler’s words. The butler smiled at the lively appearance, then corrected his expression. For some time, Alice always had a timid expression and a vain smile. People put her expression into her eyes rather than her beauty first.

So she hadn’t been told that Alice was beautiful. It also helped that she didn’t go outside the Marquis. But seeing her look like that, she wondered if the most beautiful woman in the empire would change.

‘What am I thinking….’

No way. The butler soon gave up on that idea because Alice was losing more than half of her beauty with her timid attitude.

“Where are the knights?”

“They’re waiting for you to change into plain clothes.”

“Good.”