Episode 061. Revenville Market
“Oh my gosh, how long has it been?”
Hanna’s steps, full of excitement, were as light as walking on clouds.
“Coming to the market with you on a weekday afternoon, I really couldn’t even imagine— Deborah?”
In the middle of pouring out absentmindedly, Hanna suddenly turned her head sharply to her side, noticing something strange.
Precisely, that empty side seat.
Her gaze, which had been looking around for the disappeared companion, soon discovered Deborah following a few steps behind and her eyebrows furrowed deeply.
“Deborah!”
At the tremendous shout that made several passersby flinch in surprise, Deborah, who had been walking dazedly, also startled and lifted her head.
“Why is the kid so spaced out…… Do you have something worrying you?”
The words that were sharply snapping ended up changing to a slightly worried tone.
Deborah realized she had been spacing out again and shook her head slightly.
“No, it’s my first time here…… It’s a bit overwhelming.”
When she awkwardly smiled with the corners of her mouth slightly raised, Hanna finally smiled brightly in response and started moving her steps again.
“Right. It’s your first time here, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
The scenery she hadn’t properly looked at because she was lost in thought.
Deborah finally took in the surrounding view slowly, as if examining it.
The orphanage where Deborah had been was located in a very small town quite far from the capital Denver.
There was a market that opened once every ten days, but honestly, it was embarrassing to even call it a market because the population was so small and it was so remote.
That’s why the largest market in Denver, ‘Revenville Market,’ felt extremely unfamiliar.
It was the first time in her life seeing so many people, but the bustling atmosphere, the spices and flower scents piercing her nose every time she passed a street, and the smells of freshly baked bread and various foods.
This place, full of sights and eats, was truly a paradise where anyone coming for the first time would be mesmerized and stare in awe.
Deborah too, if it weren’t for the worries floating in her head, would surely have been completely immersed in this moment.
“Ah, here it is!”
In the middle of walking side by side, Hanna stopped at a place with a red wooden sign hanging.
“Want to come in together?”
“No, I’ll wait here. Go ahead.”
“I have quite a lot to buy, so it might take a while…….”
The official reason for coming to the market today was to buy starch needed for ironing, but actually, the main purpose was to buy daily necessities on behalf of other maids.
Usually, it’s done by the most junior among the laundry maids, and today it was Hanna’s turn.
The reason Deborah, who wasn’t even a laundry maid, came along was because her day’s work ended too quickly.
She cleaned his bedroom as instructed and returned to the attic, but her mind went blank on what to do next.
At that moment, Hanna returned to the attic.
-Huh? Why are you here?
It was natural for Hannah to ask that, seeing her in the attic during a busy time.
She couldn’t say outright that she was assigned only to the duke’s bedroom for the time being—that suspicious statement—so she just fudged it by saying that due to yesterday’s incident, she was instructed to stand by for the afternoon today.
Fortunately, Hanna didn’t seem suspicious, and immediately invited her to go to the market together.
Anyway, if she stayed alone in the attic, it was obvious she’d just keep repeating unproductive thoughts, so she decided to come along thinking it would refresh her mind for a bit.
“I’ll be looking around nearby, so don’t worry and take your time with your errands.”
It was natural that it would take a while to buy everything on the list of errands from several people written on the paper.
Seeing Hanna looking sorry, Deborah said it was fine and soon turned her steps elsewhere.
She didn’t particularly plan to sightsee, but she thought if she lingered in front, Hanna wouldn’t be able to do her work comfortably.
Thinking that wandering around moderately to clear her head would roughly match the time, Deborah diligently moved her steps.
For the first while, she did cast her gaze here and there at the overwhelming scenery.
But literally, it was just her gaze there; her thoughts had already returned to the starting point.
-Until further instructions, for the time being, take charge only of the duke’s bedroom.
-It’s all the duke’s orders.
“…….”
She hadn’t particularly wished for such a thing.
Yesterday’s incident was something she wanted too, and after thousands of deliberations, she couldn’t push away the man who desired her.
No, honestly, she couldn’t deny that it was to some extent an impulsive act.
An act done without thinking at all about what would happen or change in the future because of it.
Of course, she didn’t think that just because they spent one night together, he would discuss such things with her in advance.
That would be nonsense.
However, she never thought he would give such an order right the next day.
Strictly speaking, instructions for maids’ duties fell under the authority of Mrs. Charlotte, who managed all female servants.
Occasionally, the lady of the house might give advice, but it’s only advice, and even that is rare.
Yet, the duke himself, not the grand lady Eleonora von Chester, directly instructed the adjustment of a low-rank maid’s duties, so anyone would see it as strange.
‘Did I think too complacently…….’
It was already spilled water, but her thoughts were already flowing there.
It was while she was pondering over thoughts like that.
“Waaah!”
Deborah snapped out of her complex thoughts and returned to reality at the sudden child’s crying sound.
Her gaze, following the sound and looking around, captured one crying child.
The girl, who seemed about six or seven, clutching something that looked like a pie tightly in her hand, was crying loudly with her mouth wide open, as if something was so sad.
‘Where are the parents……?’
A young child was crying in the middle of a crowded market, but strangely, there was no one around who looked like parents.
Wondering if perhaps she got separated from her parents in the crowd, Deborah first started moving her steps toward the opposite side where the child was.
When about three or four steps were left, someone suddenly lifted the crying child up.
The startled girl stopped crying and stared wide-eyed at the man who lifted her.
“Why is our little princess crying here?”
Perhaps liking the word princess, the girl moved her small lips and soon whispered softly.
“Mom is…… gone, uh, waa…….”
As she spoke, getting sad again, the man skillfully comforted the sniffling child.
“You got separated from mom? Then, shall we go find where mom is with uncle?”
Looking at the man smiling brightly, the child nodded vigorously, yes yes-.
The man then lifted the child high after a moment and sat her on his neck.
Kyaa- kya- The child was startled only at first, but soon started laughing while making sounds.
Just as the man was about to enter the crowded people with the child.
“Lizzy!”
A woman with a pale face came running forward, calling the child’s name.
“Mom!”
As soon as the child saw her mom, she wriggled, and when the man carefully put her down, she immediately burrowed into her mom’s arms.
In that short time, how worried she must have been; the child’s mom held her like that for a while, calming her startled heart.
The woman, regaining her senses, repeatedly bowed to the man beside her several times in gratitude and soon disappeared into the crowd again.
The man left behind tried to move his steps again but stopped and wore a momentarily awkward expression.
Probably because the pie the child was holding had molasses on it, his neat blue frock was completely messed up.
“…….”
Deborah, who unintentionally witnessed the whole situation while trying to help the child, hesitated for a moment.
Judging by his dressed appearance, he seemed to be on his way somewhere, but suddenly becoming like that must be quite awkward.
Deborah pondered for a moment and eventually approached closer.
“Um…….”
The man, who was looking around as if searching for something, turned his head sharply to the side at the cautious call.
The man seen right up close had thick black hair and blue eyes.
Deborah, who had been staring blankly at the eyes that somehow reminded her of someone, soon shook her head and handed the handkerchief she was holding to the man.
“I didn’t mean to watch, but I ended up seeing it.”
The man just stared blankly at Deborah, who added an explanatory note in front in case he might feel bad.
As if entranced by something, staring blankly for a long time.
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By Anna 💓
