Chapter_45

Translator: Yonnee

After finishing her meal, Cecilia turned her gaze casually and spotted the vest resting on the low dresser.

It was the vest that Russell had lent her.

‘I forgot to return that.’

She recalled that Joy, the hunter, had worn a vest of the same color and style.

Yesterday, she had also seen another man in the outer castle wearing a similar vest.

‘Then, was that man a hunter too?’

“Helen.”

“Yes, Madam.”

“Do all the hunters wear the same vest?”

“Yes, Madam.”

“Is there any significance to it?”

“It serves as armor for the hunters.”

“They wear leather vests as armor? Does that really provide enough protection?”

“It’s a vest made from the specially treated hide of a black bear mutant. It’s tough, durable, yet lightweight. No one has ever been injured because that armor failed.”

“…Really? So, is it valuable?”

“Obtaining the hide of a black bear mutant is challenging. That vest is likely one of the hunters’ most prized possessions.”

At that, Cecilia thought, ‘I’d better return the vest soon.’

“Madam, His Lordship has a message for you.”

Cecilia was thinking about Russell, so she was momentarily caught off guard when Helen mentioned him.

“What message?”

“Yesterday, some goods were purchased when the caravan arrived. He said if there’s anything among them that you need, you’re welcome to take it.”

Cecilia felt indifferent.

‘I doubt there’s anything I need.’

She had casually glanced over the caravan’s wagons yesterday.

Most of the items on display were materials used for crafting or building things.

There weren’t any accessories, perfumes, or cosmetics, which were the things that interested her.

And she hadn’t been able to buy any silk.

Her nanny would know what to bring back efficiently if she sent her, but she couldn’t send someone who was injured.

‘Maybe I’ll go take a look, just for the sake of curiosity.’

“Is it alright if I go to check now?”

“Yes, Madam. I’ll escort you.”

Cecilia followed Helen down to the storage area.

As soon as they entered, a scent of dried plants filled the air.

Along the walls of the storage room were rows of shelves made only of basic planks and pillars.

On each shelf, baskets were placed, and from a glance, it seemed they were filled with dried plants.

“What are all those?”

“Food supplies and herbs. They’ve been dried in preparation for winter.”

Cecilia nodded.

‘In the grand duchy, I ate fresh vegetables grown in greenhouses during winter, but it must be difficult here due to the extreme cold.’

Of course, greenhouse-grown vegetables were accessible only to the nobility.

Even though she had spent two winters here in Lagos Castle in her past life, Cecilia knew nothing about the lives of the people in the castle.

Thus, she couldn’t quite grasp what it was like to live in isolation for two months.

‘All I remember from those two winters is seeing endless snow.’

Which meant, in essence, that she hadn’t felt any significant discomfort.

‘I think I was fairly content with the food I ate here. The diet didn’t suddenly become sparse just because it was winter.’

If the meals had been lacking, she wouldn’t have been able to endure nearly two years in Lagos Castle.

At that time, her nanny and the maids from the grand duchy had been responsible for her meals.

Even though spices could be sourced through the Ewen Guild, other ingredients would have had to come from Lagos Castle.

No matter how much spice is added, if the primary ingredients are poor, a proper dish can’t be made.

‘The food supplies here in Lagos Castle… the quality is high.’

After eating meals prepared by the Lagos Castle chef lately, she had confirmed this.

Initially, she found the food bland due to the minimal use of spices, but over time, she appreciated the mild and clean flavors.

Cecilia felt a subtle sense of discrepancy.

It was similar to the feeling she had experienced when her bathwater, ordered early in the morning, had been promptly delivered.

She had assumed the place was extremely poor, but it didn’t seem as impoverished as she had thought.

‘No, that’s not it. After all, this is the castle of a lord. I was simply trapped in the narrow-minded perspective of the continent’s high society. It’s only natural for a lord to have access to fine things.’

The upper classes in the grand duchy even regarded the outskirts of their own fiefdoms as backward.

So, it was no surprise what they thought of Lagos.

Grand Duke Jericho must have viewed sending Cecilia here as a shocking adjustment.

‘Hmph. I’m living just fine here.’

This time, she was determined not to send a letter to Grand Duke Jericho.

In that case, it would likely be the grand duke’s side that would grow anxious first.

‘But… even though I came just to look around, it seems there’s still nothing here that I’d actually want to take.’

Cecilia’s eyes landed on a wooden box that caught her attention.

For a storage container, it looked rather luxurious.

The surface of the wood was polished with oil, giving it a sheen, and each of the four corners was adorned with decorative copper fittings.

“What’s inside that box?”

“Would you like to check, Madam?”

Helen’s answer was politely indirect.

Cecilia was familiar with this kind of speech.

Nobles generally preferred to speak ambiguously.

Cecilia felt more curiosity about Helen’s manner of answering than the item inside the box.

“Open it.”

 

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