I polished each gleaming gold coin one by one with a cloth before slipping them into the little handbag my nanny had made for me. This pink handbag, complete with ribbons and even a bunny face, was meant for children—affectionately nicknamed “Tosuni.” It felt childish to me, but out of respect for my nanny’s heartfelt effort, I cherished and used it carefully.
“Miss, aren’t you just going to deposit them at the bank anyway?”
My nanny, watching my antics, shot me a look that said, “What’s the point of polishing them?”
But it just feels different!
Shiny money makes me feel good!
How magnificent is that radiant golden glow?
And besides…
“Not going to the bank today, actually.”
I replied primly, and my nanny’s eyes widened in surprise.
“You’re packing them into the bag to carry them out, aren’t you?”
“Yep.”
“You’re taking money out but not depositing it… You don’t mean you’re going to spend it, do you?”
“Of course. Why else would I carry money if not to spend it?”
What, to just look at it?
“Good heavens! What’s gotten into you?”
“Why so shocked?”
“Miss, don’t you know what your father calls you these days?”
“…”
How could I not? It was a rather unflattering nickname, yet one that perfectly captured my behavior.
Espin the Greedy.
That’s how Father had been referring to me lately.
Still, I couldn’t help it.
As the protagonist, one must always prepare for the future.
Shouldn’t I earn money like everyone else does?
The key part was that I wanted to do less work myself.
‘I have no desire to repeat the cutthroat life of the modern world.’
I needed someone to toil like an ox in my place.
After much deliberation, I decided on investment over starting a business.
Using my transmigrator’s privilege, I selected suitable investment opportunities, but there was a hitch.
At the time, being only nine years old, I had no capital to invest with.
The only way to get money at that age was one thing: allowance.
From then on, I scraped together every ounce of my soul to wheedle allowances out of people.
Fortunately, I had a father who loved me dearly—a total pushover.
“Father, you’ve worked so hard. Let me massage your shoulders for you.”
I went behind him and kneaded with my tiny, fern-like hands.
“Our Espin is so kind.”
“Am I kind, Father?”
“Of course.”
Father smiled as if my actions were utterly endearing.
Good, time to ease into the main request.
“Then give me an allowance!”
I beamed brightly as I demanded my reward.
Father’s eyes rounded in surprise, then his expression shifted to one assuming I must want something specific.
“Alright, I will.”
He agreed readily, his gaze overflowing with affection, as if my boldness was the cutest thing.
“Here, your allowance.”
“Wooow!”
I immediately counted the gold coins he’d given me, then held out my hand again.
“Father, this isn’t enough. Give me more!”
At my sparkling plea, Father froze for a moment.
“…It seems our Espin has a lot of things she wants.”
“I like money. I like it a lot.”
I answered boldly.
“…”
After that, whenever I had the chance, I’d come up with all sorts of excuses to cadge allowances from those around me.
“Give me an allowance!”
“I don’t like copper! I don’t like silver! I like gold!”
“The shiny gold coins are begging to come to me.”
“Oh dear, my pockets are empty. Won’t someone fill them?”
“Goodness, Tosuni is hungry—who won’t give her some sparkling gold coins?”
I pulled every cheeky trick in the book, tenaciously gathering allowances.
“Espin, your father says his back is breaking from giving you allowances these days.”
As my greed for money grew more blatant, Father sighed.
‘Hmm, so that’s how you’re playing it…’
“Father!”
I stood before him and clenched both fists resolutely.
“W-What is it?”
Father flinched at my determined expression.
Recalling a children’s song from my previous life, I enthusiastically shrugged my shoulders in a dance.
“Cheer up! Espin’s here for you!”
Father froze, utterly baffled by my out-of-the-blue performance.
I kept smiling brightly, singing and cheering him on.
“…”
Gradually, Father’s face twisted into an expression that was neither a smile nor tears.
That day, I belted out “Father, cheer up!” with all my might.
“You won’t starve anywhere you go…”
Father sighed deeply.
From then on, he began calling me Espin the Greedy.
Two years passed like that, and I became notorious in our estate as a little miser.
“What are you planning to spend the money on, Miss?”
My nanny seemed concerned, given that I’d only ever saved before and now intended to spend.
“I have my uses for it.”
“You don’t want to tell me?”
Even to my nanny, I couldn’t reveal it.
“Yeah, it’s a secret.”
I stuffed Tosuni full of gold coins and tied it securely so nothing would spill.
Slinging the bag over my shoulder.
“Nanny, I’m heading out.”
“Do I not need to come with you?”
She looked quite worried about me going out with money.
“It’s fine. Billy’s coming along.”
Billy was a former adventurer hired as a coachman specifically for my sake.
The capital’s security was decent, but my parents fretted endlessly because I loved wandering outside.
In the end, they found a coachman who could double as a bodyguard.
They opted for a coachman over a dedicated knight escort because knights were such high-end personnel.
‘Plus, having a knight escort in the capital feels a bit ostentatious.’
Anyway, Billy had earned solid trust from my parents and nanny.
Apparently, he handled my colt-like energy well.
I’m the one who plays nicely with him, though.
“Alright then? Be careful and come back safe.”
As expected, mentioning Billy put her at ease, and she readily bid me farewell.
I waved to my nanny and headed to the entrance.
“Good morning.”
Billy, waiting with the carriage ready, greeted me cheerfully first.
“Good morning to you too, Billy!”
At my greeting, Billy smiled warmly and opened the carriage door.
I hopped in promptly.
“Shall we head there?”
Once I was settled, Billy asked about today’s destination.
There.
The vague reference was our secret spot, known only to me and Billy.
‘He really reads my mind like a book.’
“Yes, there.”
“Understood.”
Billy smiled in response and closed the door.
Soon, the carriage set off.
* * *
“We’ve arrived.”
I bounced out through the door Billy opened.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. Shall we go inside?”
Billy replied amiably and extended his hand to me.
‘Ugh, I’m eleven now—practically grown—and he still treats me like a kid.’
Contrary to my inner grumbling, I nodded obediently and took Billy’s hand.
There was a heartbreaking story behind this, too.
This world, a romance-fantasy realm, fascinated me endlessly.
It had a medieval European vibe, but more than the gritty realism, it felt like a vibrant game screen brought to life—full of dazzling splendor.
Antique yet sparkling, you could say.
So, whenever I went out, I’d lose myself in wonder, darting off to sightsee or stopping dead in my tracks, captivated.
I’d stare in a trance, oblivious to time passing.
As a result, my parents would panic when they suddenly lost track of me—a frequent occurrence.
The first time they lost me, they were worried sick; later, they got angry.
Even when I insisted I could find my way home alone, they didn’t believe me.
“Espin, if you wander off on your own or get separated from us one more time, I won’t give you any more allowance. You’ll never get those gold coins you love again!”
In the end, Father issued an ultimatum.
“Espin! You disappeared on your own again!”
But old habits die hard.
Even my greed couldn’t override my instincts.
My body would just leap toward anything new before I could stop it—there was nothing I could do.
“I’m sorry…”
“Espin, what are we going to do with you…”
Father let out a heavy sigh.
He clutched his head as if nursing a migraine.
That’s when Mother, who had been sitting silently with a blank expression, spoke up.
“Espin.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Feeling guilty, I adopted a meek posture.
“From now on, whenever you go outside, you must hold an adult’s hand without fail.”
Mother said in a calm tone.
“Mother, I’m all grown up now. How can I hold hands at my age?”
I protested playfully, but Mother’s eyes flashed sharply.
“Would you prefer a leash, then?”
The menace in her voice suggested she might actually collar me.
“…”
When I first transmigrated here, she had seemed so delicate…
The epitome of a romance-fantasy noble lady—elegant and refined, that’s what I’d felt.
“You choose: hand or leash.”
Faced with Mother’s deadly serious glare, I meekly conceded to the hand.
‘To think at my age, I still have to hold an adult’s hand when going out.’
Billy, gripping my hand with just the right amount of firmness, led me into the building.
We passed through the bustling interior and arrived at the appointed spot.
Knock knock.
“Come in.”
Permission came from within.
Before opening the door, Billy asked,
“Shall I wait here? Or come in with you?”
His intuition was spot-on.
Billy knew instinctively when to step forward and when to step back, without being told.
“You can come in today.”
It was content that wouldn’t matter if he heard, anyway.
‘And I need to rope Billy in, too.’
Billy shot me a briefly puzzled look but soon nodded calmly in agreement.
As we opened the door and entered, a young woman with long red hair tied in a ponytail rose from her seat.
“Hello, Delia.”
“Welcome. I’ve been waiting.”
Recognizing me, Delia gestured toward the sofa in front.
At the signal to sit, I settled on the sofa, while Billy stood behind me.
“Billy, sit down too.”
I said, patting the spot beside me.
“I’m fine, thank you.”
Billy smiled politely, and I didn’t press further.
In the meantime, she rummaged through a drawer, retrieved some documents, and sat across from me.
“It’s been a while, Lady Espin.”
“Sooner than I expected.”
“The request was quite vague, so we thought we’d take longer, but luck was on our side.”
Delia flashed a professional smile.
“So, did you find them?”
“Here is the information on the two people you requested. That’ll be five gold coins.”
‘Five gold coins!’
It wasn’t exorbitant, but it wasn’t cheap either.
I wanted to haggle, if I were honest.
‘But today, building trust is key.’
“Cheaper than I thought?”
Contrary to my inwardly tearful reluctance at the expense, I spoke as nonchalantly as possible.
“They were ordinary folk, and you only asked for their current residences. If you’d wanted a full background check, it would have cost more.”
Delia’s crisp explanation was intimidating.
I wondered how much proper intel would run.
I opened Tosuni, which I’d placed on my lap.
The entrance to the plump, barely-fastened Tosuni gaped open, revealing the glittering gold coins inside.
I pulled out five and handed them over to Delia with feigned generosity.
“Here you go.”
My hand was trembling because the coins were heavy—that’s all.
Definitely not because it pained me to part with them.
