It was my first day off since starting work at the castle. Although I ended up on an unwanted dawn hike, at least I managed to reach the village bright and early thanks to that little detour. By the time I arrived, the streets were already bustling, shops open and people moving about energetically.
“Mm, something smells delicious!”
Entranced by the savory aroma of grilled meat drifting through the crisp morning air, I found myself standing helplessly before a street vendor. For my stomach—starving after skipping breakfast and climbing a mountain—the smell was simply too tempting to resist. Before I knew it, I had already bought a glistening, juicy skewer and popped it into my mouth.
Alright, now it was time for nourishment of the intellectual variety. As Leon had promised, finding the Swalter residence wasn’t difficult at all.
“Bell, you made it!”
“Yup.”
Leon ran towards me the instant I approached his mansion, as if he’d been eagerly awaiting my arrival. For a moment, I could almost see a tail wagging enthusiastically behind him—probably a hallucination brought on by spending every day around companions who genuinely had tails.
“Why did you take so long? Do you know how bored I’ve been, stuck at home every day off?”
“Why torture yourself like that?”
“Because I was worried you’d drop by while I wasn’t home.”
Wow, it seemed he’d really been waiting desperately to hear from me. But who asked him to? Keeping my expression indifferent, I silently conveyed my skepticism.
“Honestly, if you hadn’t shown up this week either, I was planning to come find you at the castle myself.”
“Figured as much. That’s why I decided to come down.”
Even though I’d only met Leon once, I’d already seen signs of his clingy side. Yep, coming down this weekend was definitely the right choice.
“Anyway, where’s the book? That’s what I came for.”
“I’ve set it aside, but don’t tell me you’re planning to just grab it and leave right away?”
That was exactly my original intention, so I stayed quiet.
“Come on, hang out with me today at least.”
“Sorry, but it’s been a while since I visited the village. I’ve got a ton of shopping to do.”
“Perfect, let me guide you around! You won’t find anyone who knows this village better than me.”
“Hmm…”
Honestly, I was a little tempted. Having a local guide sounded better than wandering aimlessly around an unfamiliar place. Noticing my hesitation, Leon quickly seized the opportunity and pointed at the skewer in my hand.
“You got that skewer from the bearded man at the village entrance, right? Sure, the lamb skewers there are good, but their real specialty is offal skewers. They marinate fresh, tender innards overnight in spicy seasonings, then grill them perfectly. The flavor is unbelievably tender and savory.”
“Really? I didn’t see that option.”
“It’s a secret menu for regulars—you have to specifically ask for it.”
“Alright, you’re hired.”
He definitely seemed like he’d be helpful during shopping. Judging by how persistently he chased after what he wanted, he’d probably be pretty good at bargaining as well.
Unfortunately, that assumption would prove to be a major miscalculation.
“Leon! Out for some fun today?”
“Yes! How’s your wrist? Has it fully healed?”
“Of course! Thanks to that ointment you brought me, it healed up in no time!”
This was already the seventh encounter like this since we’d left the Swalter mansion, and we hadn’t even cleared the first alley yet. Leon—that brat—was clearly a born social butterfly, a fact I’d sensed the moment he boldly asked me to be friends at our first meeting. But that wasn’t even the worst of it…
“And who’s your friend here? Never seen this face around before.”
“Ah, this is my friend from another village. They’re just visiting today.”
“Really? But you’ve never left the village, Leon. How could you have made a friend elsewhere? Anyway, your friend sure is lovely.”
And there lay the bigger issue. Sure, my good looks naturally drew attention, but normally people wouldn’t dare approach or casually strike up a conversation with me—unless they were delinquents or annoying flirts.
However, having Leon glued to my side meant anyone talking to him inevitably showed interest in me too. And the cherry on top was that Leon was an atrocious liar. Every time he said I was from another village, his face twitched nervously. The entire situation was becoming unbearably awkward.
“Leon, this isn’t working. Let’s split up today.”
“What? But we haven’t even gone into a single shop yet!”
“You can honestly say that after witnessing this mess?”
I tilted my chin toward yet another enthusiastic man waving as he approached us, clearly fixated on Leon. Leon’s expression instantly drooped.
“If this keeps up, I won’t be able to buy anything today. I’m already pressed for time as it is.”
“But… when will we—”
“Today was mainly for shopping, so let me finish my errands first. Next time, we can spend the day relaxing instead.”
“When exactly is ‘next time’? You’re not gonna wait forever again, right?”
Good grief, was he really tearing up? Leon’s downcast eyes and pleading expression put a heavy strain on my conscience. Well, I guess this was my karma for befriending him in the first place.
“I’ll come on my next day off, alright? Don’t waste your time hanging around, waiting for me. Just enjoy yourself.”
“Okay, I promise.”
“And, um… Thanks for trying to help me today.”
With an awkward yet sincere pat on his shoulder, I watched Leon finally walk away smiling. At last, I could focus on shopping in peace. Goodbye for now, Mr. Social Butterfly.
My first stop was the bookstore, where I quickly gathered every new release I’d missed. Even after strictly limiting my selections, my bag rapidly filled to the brim. Satisfied with my book haul, I then entered a charming little general store overflowing with cute trinkets and accessories.
“I wonder if they have what Elizabeth asked for here…?”
When I’d mentioned my day off, Elizabeth had discreetly asked me to run a small errand: finding a cushion filled with catnip.
“I’ll trust you won’t ask any tasteless questions about its purpose.”
Elizabeth’s alluring wink from that moment lingered vividly in my mind. Thankfully, locating a catnip cushion was easier than expected. But this shop was full of irresistible things—I couldn’t help myself.
“Might as well grab gifts for everyone else while I’m here.”
Who knew when I’d get another chance to come out and shop freely? If that beast had any sense, he’d never let go of someone as talented as me. But still… you never know. Maybe he really was blind enough to overlook a gem like myself.
Carefully browsing, I chose suitable presents for each of my companions. It took a fair amount of time, but finding perfect items for each of them turned out to be unexpectedly enjoyable. Finally, after grabbing a chew toy for Gold, I headed to the cashier.
“I’d like to pay, please.”
While the shopkeeper cheerfully tallied everything up, my eyes fell upon a vase tucked away in a corner. Crafted from elegant white porcelain and delicately adorned with glass rose vines, it suddenly brought Kalz’s sarcastic voice from the greenhouse vividly to mind.
“Do we even have a proper vase for roses anymore? I doubt it. Someone broke ours recently, after all.”
Well, since I was already blamed for breaking the last one, I might as well replace it. Sure, it wasn’t as exquisite as the original, crafted by that famous artisan Bluebell, but it would suit the greenhouse roses perfectly. Resolutely, I placed the vase onto the counter.
“Please add this as well.”
“Certainly! Thank you!”
When I left the shop, I must’ve looked like a traveling merchant, arms loaded with bags. Although I’d wanted to explore more, my arms were simply too full.
“It’s already this late? I should hurry back.”
But just as I picked up my pace toward the castle, I noticed “it” displayed enticingly on an outdoor stall. My feet came to an immediate halt. Perhaps it was because I hadn’t seen it in so long, but “it” looked even more tempting than usual.
“No, I shouldn’t… I still have to climb that mountain…”
I muttered all the reasons why I shouldn’t buy it, yet my feet refused to budge. Oh, to hell with it! I had to buy this! Even if my arms fell off, I’d carry it back in my teeth if I had to.
Thus, I added one final item to my already overflowing shopping list.
