Chapter 11: The Butler and Lilith
As I approached the tailor to get fitted for some trendy clothes from this world, I asked for recommendations, and they suggested frills. That was the end of my approach. I insisted on keeping it simple: two shirts, two pairs of trousers, a jacket, and some sleepwear. I also ordered some underwear and a winter coat.
It was expensive, but I still had money left. Considering the cost of women’s clothing in the royal palace, men’s clothes were relatively cheap. For now, I had no plans to buy outrageously expensive weapons or armor, and I was confident that even with my purchases, I wouldn’t spend as much as my sister.
The clothes would be ready in a week. They mentioned that sourcing fabric and lace and doing intricate embroidery would take time. I felt a bit disheartened to hear that some people even insisted on dyeing the fabric themselves. That was definitely not going to happen.
By the way, I learned that bright colors were reserved for the nobility, while commoners were expected to wear muted or lighter shades. It made sense that they couldn’t afford vibrant dyes.
Adventurers sometimes wore eye-catching colors to make a name for themselves, but that was an accepted practice.
To keep things simple, I chose white for the shirts and black and charcoal gray for the jacket and trousers. The design had some embroidery that made it look like a three-piece suit, so I could live with that. But seriously, no knee-length trousers or buttoned socks, please!
Normally, the finished clothes would be delivered to your house with a tab, but since I didn’t have a house in this town, I decided to come back in ten days with the money.
“Miss!”
While I was enjoying my second cup of tea and chatting about trivial matters, an elderly man burst in, showing me some embroidery samples.
“Note!”
“Miss, you’re safe!”
He wore a black suit, had white hair, a monocle, and a silver pocket watch. A butler, perhaps? The usually composed elderly man made a beeline for Leon. There were plenty of things to comment on, but for now, I just listened.
“Miss?”
Hmm?
“This Note has been serving our family, no, the Adelheid family, since my childhood. But what happened? Why are you here?” Leon asked, explaining to me before turning to the butler.
No, that’s not what I was most curious about.
“I apologize; I took the liberty of contacting you,” the shopkeeper bowed his head.
“Teim, there’s no need to apologize. It was a sound decision. —You, it seems you have pursuers?” A red-haired woman entered calmly, guided by a maid. Her bombshell statement caught me off guard. Why was someone who seemed to have pursuers so leisurely giving a tour of the town?
“I was certainly expelled from my home, but I don’t recall doing anything to become a wanted person.”
“I know, you’re always so upright. But your younger brother seems to be quite anxious about your well-being. That sly man not only unjustly ousted you but also fabricated another crime against you.”
It seemed there was some family turmoil going on. But seriously, why was that guy hanging around here? And someone should really question the “Miss” remarks!
“Don’t dawdle; get out of town quickly. Everything is arranged.”
“I have no reason to flee.”
“Miss, it’s a strategic retreat.”
“Hmm…”
Leon began to ponder as the butler smiled at him.
Is this some kind of comedy?
“Lord Jean, I’m sorry for dragging you into this. You don’t need to worry about the cost of the clothes; please keep this matter confidential.”
“I have no one to talk to,” I replied curtly to Teim’s whisper. I mean, it was my own fault for getting involved by calling out to them at the well; it wasn’t Teim’s fault. I couldn’t deny that it was a case of unavoidable circumstances.
“Ah, enough already! We need to hurry. Get in the carriage quietly!” The woman delivered a swift blow to Leon’s stomach.
“Ugh…” Leon doubled over, clutching his abdomen. Wait, he looked strong, but he’s weak?
“Lilith, the young lady is injured!”
“Oh, my bad…” Note rushed to help.
Indeed, blood was seeping through the front of his shirt. It seemed the earlier blow had reopened a wound.
“Then why aren’t you using a potion?!” the woman exclaimed, and she had a point.
“Since the young lady has distanced herself from the Adelheid family, I cannot use any of the family’s resources.”
“…”
“…”
Is this person going to be okay? I mean, why was she offering a tour of the town with an injury like that?
“…” I silently pulled a potion from my bag and handed it to her.
“Oh? Thank you. Um, who are you?”
“Jean.”
I had no intention of using polite language anymore.
The butler took the potion from the woman and gave it to Leon. Generally, potions are either drunk or applied to wounds. It’s more effective to drink them since they bond with the magic power in the body.
“Thanks. I’m Lilith from the Divaland family. Here, take this. If you find yourself in trouble, feel free to visit. However, since it’s known that I’m close to Leon, it might be noisy around me, so it’s probably best to keep your distance for a while.”
She handed me a ring she had slipped off her finger. Was she saying to show it when I visited her house?
“I’ll take it for now, but I don’t live in the royal capital. Can you recommend a place for lunch? Also, what’s with the ‘young lady’ thing?”
I asked, hoping she knew of a good restaurant while voicing my biggest question.
“Lunch, huh? I’m not well-versed in places that serve food other than taverns that serve alcohol at night.”
“In that case, how about Romano?” The butler answered in place of the thoughtful woman. Okay, but what about the ‘young lady’?
“She’s a woman. Leon’s real name is Adelheid Le Leora. Well, she doesn’t have much of a chest and has a fierce look, so many people think she’s stronger than the average man, and that’s why she’s called Leon.”
He explained with a smirk.
“…” I still couldn’t wrap my head around that! Also, the “Le” indicates a duke’s household. If it were “Ra,” it would be a royal family, and “Ri” would be the first duke’s household. There used to be three duke households, but now there are only two. It’s like a tongue twister!
Next door was a shop selling sheets and towels, so I got a letter of introduction from the shopkeeper Teim and moved on. I wasn’t getting involved in any family drama.
When I asked the shopkeeper if this place was safe, he said that while Leon wasn’t well-received by the nobility and children might cry, she was popular among commoners, so it should be fine. He also mentioned that there were only vague sightings from the square to here.
At the fabric shop, there were no incidents, and I bought several sheets and a bed cover for the guest room. Since I had no plans to use the guest room, I intended to drape it over my bed. I also bought a large quantity of towels and bath towels since Rishu would be using them too.
I declined the offer to have them delivered to the inn and left the shop. Apparently, deliveries are usually handled by servants. If I hadn’t had the letter of introduction, I probably would have been mistaken for some servant. Though, I had a strong feeling I wouldn’t have been able to shop without it.
I chose a secluded spot for my exploration and used [Storage]. Now, onto the bookstore, or rather, food!