Chapter 9
Thud.
The door closed.
Ainar looked toward the seat where Rosie had been. On the table lay the sheet of paper she’d been writing on just moments before.
Had she forgotten it, or left it on purpose? Ainar picked up the paper with one hand and examined the contents.
Visit a boutique, eat a full-course meal at a famous restaurant, watch an opera, sleep in late, visit a night market, walk on the beach, learn to swim…
It was a travel plan that wasn’t particularly exceptional.
But…
Studying the paper carefully, Ainar spoke.
“Jerome.”
“Yes.”
A man dressed in the same black suit as the regular staff stepped forward and answered.
Ainar jerked his chin in the direction Rosie had gone.
“What do you think?”
“About what, sir?”
“Does she look like a commoner to you?”
“…The part where she insisted she was a commoner is suspicious, but it’s still too early to say anything definitive.”
“She’s a noble.”
At Jerome’s stiff answer, Ainar declared firmly:
“If she were truly a commoner, she wouldn’t have reacted to that little rudeness earlier. She was overly sensitive when asked about her connection to the key’s owner. She kept stressing that she was a commoner, trying to hide her status. Every bit of it reeks of suspicion.”
“…”
“Assign people to investigate her immediately. What she does here daily, what she eats. And what she did before coming here—her real reason for being here. Everything.”
Leaving aside everything else, there could not exist a true commoner who wore such shabby attire, sat in such a luxurious reception room, and leisurely wrote a list like this.
Especially not someone carrying the Rose Queen’s Key.
It was hard to imagine that someone holding that key would come here with no purpose other than leisure.
Over the years, the Rose Queen had frequently used this hotel to influence central politics.
The fact that the wine served at Vine Rose’s parties was high-quality red wine from the Gendersen Kingdom, or that the silk used in the curtains was produced in territories known for their pro-imperial stance—none of that was coincidence.
Outwardly it didn’t show, but Vine Rose had long taken an unmistakably pro-imperial position—something the hotel manager Ainar knew better than anyone.
Which meant this woman named Rosie must also have come with an imperial-related mission of some sort.
“If she had kept herself completely hidden like before, that would be one thing. But now that she’s shown herself, it won’t be long before we find clues about the Rose Queen.”
Until now, all they knew was that the princess had been staying here using that key, so the Rose Queen was presumed to be the princess or someone under her. But aside from that, there had been nothing.
Rosie’s appearance was noteworthy.
Ainar dropped the paper onto the table with a flick and rose from his seat.
“This is about to get interesting.”
And at that moment—
Rosie stood in front of a boutique.
It was already evening, but the boutique’s lights were still on.
Ding—
Rosie opened the door and stepped inside. It wasn’t quite as grand as the capital’s famous boutiques, but it was large and every displayed dress was beautiful.
“Is anyone here?”
Despite the sound of the door, no one came out. When Rosie cautiously called out, a twin-tailed girl—clearly a staff member—poked her head out from the back.
“Oh my, sorry! I didn’t hear because we have a customer in the back right now. Please take your time looking around—I’ll help you in just a moment!”
Peeking behind the girl, Rosie saw an elegantly dressed noblewoman admiring herself in a mirror.
Rosie nodded and turned her attention to the dresses.
Up close, the dresses were even more exquisite. She thought carefully about which one to buy.
There wasn’t enough time for a custom dress, but she didn’t need one anyway. She planned to buy several and wear them freely during her stay.
“Oh, this one!”
While browsing, Rosie gasped at a dress design she recognized—cute, short-hemmed dresses like the ones she’d seen when entering Baedos by carriage.
She was studying the one she liked best when the staff girl—finished with the previous customer—approached.
“Oh my, do you like that one?”
“It’s a style I couldn’t see in the capital.”
“Haha, that’s true. Even maids in the capital don’t wear dresses that short! Would you like to try it on?”
“Oh, well…”
Rosie hesitated.
It was adorable, but the design exposed everything below her knees, which felt… risky.
“Oh, don’t be shy. Unless you’re dealing with stuffy noble types, this hem length is totally normal in Baedos.”
The staff girl lowered her voice, glancing toward the noble customer.
“…Is that true?”
“Absolutely! And if you’ve come all the way to Baedos, shouldn’t you at least dip your feet in the sea once? You can’t do that in a long, heavy dress.”
She had a point.
And Rosie had even written “learn to swim” on her “Things to Do Before I Die” list. Wanting that, while insisting on a long, cumbersome dress, made no sense.
Rosie made up her mind.
“You’re right. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Then shall we try it on?”
“Sure.”
“Go ahead behind that curtain to change.”
Rosie took the dress and stepped into the small changing area.
“If you need help, just call me!”
Thankfully, the dress wasn’t complicated like the ones noblewomen wore. Just slip the head through and carefully push the arms in.
Rosie emerged—now wearing an airy mini dress very unlike her usual long skirts.
“…Huh?”
The staff girl was nowhere to be seen. The reception area was noisy—likely more noble customers had arrived.
Rosie looked around for a mirror.
She spotted one on the wall toward the interior reception. After a moment of hesitation, she headed toward it.
The further inside she walked, the longer and more lavish the displayed dresses became. As expected, the boutique arranged clothing by customer status.
Just as Rosie reached the mirror—
A loud crash echoed from inside, followed by a woman’s shout.
“You! Are you playing games with me? Do you know who I am? How dare you tell me to wait?!”
Startled, Rosie turned.
The same staff girl stood nervously before an enraged noblewoman.
“You said someone came earlier—what, was she the princess? Unless she’s royalty, she has no right to make me wait. Understand?”
Rosie guessed the situation easily.
She must have told the noblewoman to wait because another customer had arrived first.
A man beside the noblewoman—likely her escort—spoke soothingly:
“Come now, Sophia. We can’t expect decent service in a backwater town like this. Don’t sulk—let’s just go somewhere else. This is supposed to be a pleasant trip.”
“But Charles! This girl ordered me to wait! And I heard this is the best boutique in Baedos.”
Even the man’s consolation didn’t calm her.
…Looks like I’ll have to check the mirror later.
There was no point drawing attention to herself in this mess. Rosie sighed softly and turned around.
At that moment—
“You there.”
A man’s voice stopped her.
…Surely he doesn’t mean me?
She slowly turned her head—and locked eyes with the man, who beckoned her with his fingers.
“Come here.”
“…”
Why was he speaking so casually to a stranger?
Still, out of ingrained habit from years as a maid, Rosie walked toward him.
Facing her, the man said:
“A customer is here and you don’t even greet us? This staff is a disaster! Anyway, as you can see, my fiancée is very upset. You’ll be taking over and serving us from now on.”
