Just in case, I quickly racked my brain to remember Room 406…
‘Who is he?’
Nothing came to mind.
But judging by how insanely handsome he was, maybe he was someone as famous as a celebrity in this world.
‘Or else, why would he need to reveal his face like that? Unless he’s some kind of extreme narcissist…’
While I was still darting my eyes around, trying to figure out what to make of his bold “proof,” then the red-haired man I had treated stood up and quickly slung an arm over the black-haired guy’s shoulder.
“Ugh… Sorry for the late intro. This gentleman is Young Master Richard of the Everett family, haha.”
“Richard… Everett?”
“—What?!”
The black-haired man flinched like he was offended, but calmed down when the red-haired man whispered something in his ear.
‘What was that? Was it supposed to be a secret?’
I stayed quiet, observing, trying to make sense of it all.
‘But seriously, who or what is Everett supposed to be?’
Of course, I had no idea.
Still, based on everyone’s reactions, this guy seemed to be very well-known… and if I acted clueless, they might look down on me.
This world could be dangerous like that—your nose could be stolen while your eyes are open.
So I just nodded like I understood and let out a big, impressed “Ohh!”
“Yes, yes—I’ve heard of you. The heir to that famous family…”
Unfortunately, my imagination didn’t go far.
As I awkwardly pretended to know, the so-called Everett heir’s face twisted into an expression of pure annoyance.
‘Geez, even when I play along, he gets mad.’
While I cleared my throat awkwardly, the red-haired man pulled his master’s hood back over his head and said,
“Master, since this young lady helped save me, shouldn’t we at least offer her a token of gratitude?”
“…You little—”
The black-haired man growled at him, but the redhead just grinned at him like he was begging for a favor.
He also glanced over at me, as if trying to help out by giving me a hand.
“My personal knight was injured and treated by her… Surely, our young master wouldn’t just walk away after that.”
I quickly picked up on the hint and chimed in,
“Yes, yes. I’m sure someone from such a distinguished family would want to make amends… especially since you ran into a fragile young lady and all…”
A moment later, the black-haired guy bit his lip, pulled out a small pouch, and silently placed it in my hand with a glare—then turned around and walked away without a word.
He seemed seriously annoyed, but… it looked like I got my lost money back.
‘Man, money really does fix things.’
Feeling the weight of the pouch in my hand, my lips curved into a grin.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave, miss.”
The red-haired man winked at me, then politely followed his master out of the alley.
‘Is this guy’s healing ability insane or what?’
How else could he be walking so normally after losing that much blood?
Anyway, I happily opened the pouch—and my eyes widened in shock.
Because inside… was easily three times the amount of money I had lost.
* * *
‘See? Doing good really pays off.’
Humming a tune, I waited patiently at the place I promised to meet Annie.
Soon enough, Annie showed up, calling my name loudly.
“Young lady—!”
And behind her, a whole squad of uniformed men stormed into the alley I was standing in.
‘Whoa, she brought the whole neighborhood.’
Smiling sheepishly, I explained the situation to everyone and eventually sent the security force away.
Annie looked suspicious when I told her I “settled it peacefully,” but I just kept grinning like nothing happened.
Before long, we arrived at the herbalist’s shop.
“This must be the place?”
The sign had large letters: Cho’s Herbal Shop. Without hesitation, I pushed the door open.
But then—
‘Why is everyone staring at me?’
The moment I stepped inside, everyone looked at me like I didn’t belong there.
‘What the heck?’
It was definitely an herb store. Did I walk into the wrong place?
I stood there confused, not understanding the cold looks, until a large man in an apron walked up and said,
“…This shop is for commoners looking to buy herbs. Nobles like yourself should go next door, where they appeal to your kind—”
“Ahh.”
Then I understood.
Why the room had gone so quiet like cold water was dumped over it… Why the big guy looked so uneasy around me.
‘So it’s because I look like a noble.’
Respect and reverence might sound similar, but they mean different things.
Commoner healers may respect noble doctors, but they don’t admire them.
It was simple—nobles kept medical knowledge to themselves.
Now that nobles were even taking over medicinal herbs—something that used to belong to the commoners—these folks were understandably nervous.
‘I get why they’re uneasy…’
But I wasn’t about to let politics block my quest—especially as someone who didn’t even belong in this world.
So, trying to appear as ordinary as possible, I told the shopkeeper why I had come.
“I’m just here to look at herbs. I heard this place carries a wide variety. If possible, could you show me around?”
The shopkeeper looked surprised, stared at me for a moment, and then cleared his throat.
“Very well. Please follow me.”
I gently patted Annie’s worried hand and followed the big man through what felt like a maze of corridors.
Eventually, we arrived at a room full of herbs—shelves reaching all the way up to the ceiling.
‘Whoa. I wasn’t expecting this.’
Honestly, it was beyond what I imagined.
It was on a completely different level from the noble herb shops I’d seen in my memories.
Rare herbs I’d only ever seen in books were just… sitting there.
“This is our storage room. If you’re looking for something specific, or need herbs for a particular condition, I’ll do my best to get them for you.”
The shopkeeper spoke with just the right amount of politeness—neither too formal nor too stiff.
Bringing me back here was probably his way of letting me shop in peace, away from all the judgmental stares.
I gave him a small nod and started looking around comfortably.
‘Let’s start with the potion section.’
A sign on the top shelf warned that certain substances were toxic and should only be handled by staff.
‘Yeah, yeah, sure.’
They were always talking about pilgrimage this, sacred that—who could believe any of it?
‘Whoa. Deno, Zitra, Barem? They’ve got all of them?’
I was almost overwhelmed. This wasn’t like anything I’d seen in Dad’s lab.
Like a kid in a candy store, I tossed anything even remotely useful into my basket.
‘Oh? Even concentrated Salmatra?’
I grabbed every concentration level they had and smiled like a satisfied customer.
That’s when I noticed a stack of herbs on one side—and my eyes widened again.
A sign read: “Batio! Special Sale Today Only!”
‘Oh come on, now I have to.’
I grabbed a huge bunch without hesitation.
* * *
“Have you lost your mind?!”
“What do you mean, sir? Ah, you must be talking about that young lady’s incredible first-aid skills. She was amazing, wasn’t she?”
“I was talking about you!!”
Back at the estate, Chade glared furiously at his knight, Pon. As always, Pon just smiled innocently.
“What, Richard? Of all people, why him?!”
“But I had no choice, sir. I didn’t expect the young master to reveal his appearance so easily… I panicked.”
“….”
“Unless… you’re upset about the money? I mean, sure she misunderstood a bit, but she saved my life. Does that mean my life is worth so little to you?”
“…I told you, when we’re alone, just call me Chade.”
Chade cut him off, clearly not wanting to hear another word.
