IWPU 25

Chapter 25

Marie looked down and shouted.

Beneath my feet, a child sat collapsed, covered in an unidentified red liquid. Next to the child, who looked pale and terrified, was a toppled container—presumably the source of the liquid.

“U-Uhh…”

The child was frozen in fear, mouth opening and closing without words. Marie placed her hands on her hips and yelled at the child, visibly furious.

“Do you even know who this lady is?”

“Marie.”

“This lady is—huh?”

I cut Marie off mid-sentence and called her name. She turned to look at me, wide-eyed. I shook my head at her, and she looked confused. Honestly, she had nearly turned into one of those stereotypical villainous noblewomen you’d find in a novel or comic.

I felt my face flush from secondhand embarrassment.

It wasn’t because I didn’t want to be seen as a bad noblewoman. Back then, I’d done far worse without hesitation. I wasn’t suddenly scared of being hated either. If I feared insults, I wouldn’t have cast out the blood relatives of the Piseon family like I did. I had no intention of pretending to be kind now.

The reason I stopped Marie was simple—seeing a noblewoman flaunt her status at a scared child was just too cringeworthy.

“Rai!”

A man ran toward us, calling the child’s name. His appearance was a bit disheveled, as if he’d rushed over. His pale gray-blue eyes met mine, flickering with surprise.

“Lady Elient?”

“Master… Master!” the child cried, bursting into tears upon seeing the man’s face. Crawling over, the child clung to his pant leg, smearing red stains shaped like maple leaves across his dark gray suit.

“Rai!”

“Are you okay?”

“We brought the master!”

Four or five more children came running from the same direction the man had appeared, forming a protective circle around the child called Rai. The man, now surrounded by noisy children, bowed deeply to me.

“I’m terribly sorry, Lady Elient.”

His apology was formal. The noisy children fell silent, sneaking behind him and stealing glances at me. The crying child, still sniffling, also hid behind him. The man didn’t move a muscle, keeping his head lowered—clearly waiting for me to respond.

I stared down at the back of his head for a while, saying nothing. His posture remained unshaken. Broad shoulders, tall frame, a perfectly upright stance—he didn’t look like a merchant at all.

“It’s been a week, Evan Ri.”

He looked up, meeting my eyes.

“There are many eyes watching. I recommend you change your clothes first,” he said.

He was right. Several people were already watching us from a distance.

This was a shopping district frequented by nobles. Gossip among them spread like wildfire. Appearing like this—disheveled and stained—in front of them was like handing them material for rumors. I wasn’t afraid of gossip, but unnecessary complications weren’t worth the trouble.

I nodded, and he started walking.

As he moved, the children trailed behind him. I followed as well, supported by Marie.

Evan led me to one of the buildings owned by the Piseon family. I didn’t know the exact extent of their wealth. Back then, I was too busy chasing the crown prince to care, and now, I had no interest in it since it no longer felt like mine. Technically, what I inherited from my grandfather wasn’t the family’s wealth but a portion of his personal fortune.

Still, I assumed this building belonged to the Piseon family because the first floor housed one of their jewelry stores.

The Piseon family owned various types of stores—large and diverse enough that even someone uninterested like me knew a few. The jewelry shop had been one of my favorites back in my lavish days. I had assumed it was established after I became empress, but apparently, it had existed even before then.

Instead of guiding me through the front entrance connected to the jewelry store, Evan led me inside through a rear door, which opened directly to the third floor.

He brought me to a large room that looked like a parlor, then left with Marie. Because of the red stains on my clothes, I couldn’t even sit on the sofa, so I wandered around the room.

The parlor wasn’t flashy, but it had a classic elegance. For a room above a jewelry shop, it was surprisingly modest. I took my time observing it—after all, I had nothing else to do while waiting for Evan and Marie to return.

The room was decorated in soft pastel tones. The ivory sofa brightened the space, despite the absence of large windows. The shelves were also a similar ivory color. To avoid making the room feel bland, vivid decorations were placed strategically around the room.

Something’s off…

The more I looked around, the more puzzled I felt.

Jewelry had been Evan’s most successful business after taking over the guild. While times might have changed, the fact that the shop still existed suggested that he was still focused on that venture.

Back then, Evan’s top-selling businesses included dresses, jewelry, and cosmetics—all luxury goods for women. Unlike other Piseon stores that bore the family name, these luxury stores used the brand name “Luiacha.”

Luiacha catered to noblewomen, with the slogan “Only you are special,” targeting their vanity perfectly. Among noble ladies, not owning at least one Luiacha product was considered unfashionable. They were desperate to own more, even bankrupting their families in the process.

I didn’t go bankrupt, but I had spent more on Luiacha products than anyone. Looking back, it was ridiculous. But Evan’s marketing genius was undeniable—he understood the psychology of women perfectly.

Perhaps that’s why the parlor’s interior felt overwhelmingly feminine.

Was he secretly feminine despite his knight-like appearance? …No, that’s unlikely.

I hadn’t spoken to him properly, but he never struck me as effeminate. Perhaps this space was used by his lover or wife. As far as I knew, the head of the Piseon guild wasn’t married, so it was more likely to be a lover.

“Young Lady.”

While I was speculating, Marie returned, arms full of dresses.

“There were so many dresses on this floor! It took me a while to pick out the ones that would suit you best.”

She laid them on the sofa one by one. The colorful gowns were extravagant enough for a formal party.

“A bit much.”

“Should I go pick something else?”

Marie looked crestfallen.

I picked the simplest-looking one. Its cool silk texture felt expensive—suitable even for a palace banquet. The meticulous stitching and genuine jewels matched the style of the Luiacha products from back then.

“This was on this floor?”

“Yes, the master said to take as much as we needed.”

Marie tilted her head, not understanding the implication. The presence of both jewelry and dresses suggested that Luiacha might be making a comeback. I gestured to Marie.

“This one.”

“Yes!”

She beamed. It seemed she was glad not to have to make another trip. While a little too formal for everyday wear, it wasn’t over-the-top.

I changed with Marie’s help.

“It suits you perfectly!”

Marie clapped in admiration. The soft orange dress wasn’t as flashy as it had looked. Though trimmed with gemstones at the sleeves and hem, their small size and matching color made them subtle.

“Should I do your hair too?”

She looked at me with shining eyes. Though my current hairstyle didn’t clash with the dress, her eager expression made me sit down.

Marie happily started styling my hair.

“My heart was pounding just thinking about dressing you up when I saw those dresses.”

She chattered cheerfully, clearly enjoying herself.

“They all looked so perfect for you—it was hard narrowing them down! I never realized how frustrating it is to have only two hands.”

“Were there only dresses?”

“Yes, only dresses in that room. Do you need something else?”

“No.”

Is Evan preparing to relaunch Luiacha?

There was no real problem with that. In fact, the bigger the Piseon guild grew, the better it was for me. Still, I couldn’t shake the strange feeling.

Like I’m missing something important.

Back then, I had spent an astronomical amount—nearly on par with the national budget—just to satisfy my vanity. Of course, I couldn’t dip into public funds. I used my private allowance and personal fortune for my indulgences.

The inheritance I received from my grandfather and the Marchioness was considerable, but still not enough to support such extravagance. Yet I never felt the lack, right up until I was confined. It was as if my fortune were a bottomless well.