Chapter 10
“…Pardon?”
Rosie stared at the man, utterly dumbfounded by what he’d just said. The clerk stepped forward in just as much confusion.
“S-sir, she isn’t one of our employees…!”
“She isn’t?”
The man looked Rosie up and down, skeptical—then asked with an incredulous expression:
“So what, are you telling me she’s a customer who got here before us?”
His tone made it clear he thought the idea was absurd.
If someone had arrived early enough to keep them waiting, they would obviously have to be a noble. But Rosie’s attire was far too casual to be mistaken for one.
His eyes dragged slowly over her exposed shins with a sticky, unpleasant gaze. Rosie felt her mood sour.
“You seem displeased, but I’m also here as a customer.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
The man let out a disbelieving laugh—then immediately scowled.
“Ahead of us? And the one who got ahead of us was just a commoner woman?!”
He wasn’t angry about losing his place in line. He was angry that he’d lost it to a commoner.
He turned to the clerk with a frightening expression.
“Because of one lowly commoner, we, nobles, were made to wait? You’ve got some nerve, don’t you?”
The clerk trembled, but still managed to speak.
“S-sir, I’m very sorry, but our boutique has strict operational rules. Since we don’t have many employees, we must serve customers in the order they arrive…”
THUD!
The nobleman stomped his foot, clearly not appeased. The woman at his side stepped forward smugly.
“You’re too softhearted, dear. People like this need to be shown their place.”
Birds of a feather flock together—these two were a perfect pair. Rosie looked at them coolly and said:
“Shown their place? And how exactly do you plan to do that?”
The woman narrowed her eyes and stalked toward Rosie.
“Oh my, what did you just say? You dare speak like that to nobles? Have you lost your mind?”
But Rosie didn’t waver.
“By ‘showing us our place,’ do you mean you intend to hit us? Or punish us? What right exactly do you or this gentleman think you have?”
“…What?”
Both the employee and the noble pair stared at Rosie in shock. A commoner speaking so fearlessly to nobles was unthinkable.
“S-sir, miss… please stop,” the clerk whispered urgently to Rosie. “If they actually strike you, what will you do…?”
The clerk was terrified that Rosie might get hurt because of him.
Feeling victorious, the noblewoman shouted triumphantly:
“Hah! It’s too late to pretend to apologize. If you want forgiveness, you two should get on your knees and beg!”
“…”
Rosie stared at her coldly.
The noblewoman, misreading Rosie’s silence as surrender, lifted her chin with arrogance.
“What’s that look for? Didn’t I tell you? If you want forgiveness—kneel.”
The clerk looked between them in despair. At this point, he felt he should kneel and apologize just to stop this.
He slowly began to bend his knees.
But Rosie gently took hold of his shoulder.
“Don’t. You don’t need to do that.”
“B-but—”
“I have money.”
“…S-sorry?”
The clerk blinked in confusion. Why was she suddenly talking about money?
But Rosie’s reasoning was simple.
Even after the Anti-Discrimination Law was passed, imperial law still favored nobles. A noble could strike a commoner without reason and get away with paying a small fine.
But the opposite was also true.
Most commoners, dragged into unfair conflicts, couldn’t afford the fines and ended up in forced labor.
But Rosie had money now. Ten years of savings she was obligated to spend within three months.
This was exactly the kind of moment to use it.
Rosie straightened her back, lowering her chin slightly as she spoke.
“I’m disappointed.”
“…What?”
“To think noble lords would raise their voices and get worked up over something so trivial…”
“…!”
“It’s not very noble, is it?”
The woman’s face flushed bright red. The man’s expression also hardened.
Rosie continued, her tone calm and cutting.
“You’ve heard of the Anti-Discrimination Law, haven’t you? It might look useless, but it’s surprisingly helpful in situations like this.”
“…Who are you?”
The man’s expression twisted uneasily.
She was definitely a commoner, yet her posture, tone, and gaze held more authority than he—or even the woman beside him—ever did.
“Would it matter who I am?”
“Answer me!”
“Hm, why should I?”
“…”
His face stiffened.
At first he’d simply been angry that some insignificant commoner dared talk back. But the more he saw her, the more he wondered if she wasn’t an ordinary commoner at all.
Grinding his teeth, he finally asked:
“It seems we may have been discourteous. May I ask… from which trading company’s family the lady hails?”
If she wasn’t noble, she might be the daughter of a major merchant house.
In recent years, several trading companies had risen in power. If the girl in front of him belonged to one of them, her confidence made sense.
He glanced nervously at his companion Sophia, wondering what trouble he’d gotten himself into.
Rosie looked at him with thinly veiled contempt, then turned to the stunned clerk.
“I’d like to buy this dress.”
“…P-pardon?”
She pointed at the dress she was already wearing.
“This one.”
“Ah—yes!”
“And that one, and that one, and that one… mm, actually just give me everything hanging on that rack over there.”
“…A-all of it?”
“Yes. All of it.”
The clerk stared blankly as Rosie nodded firmly.
“A lady?”
The man’s sudden shift in attitude was laughable. Rosie intended to shut him up completely.
“How much is it?”
“O-one moment!”
While she waited, she opened her bag.
The clerk hurried back. “The total is 39 gold and 40 silver, ma’am!”
…Did she mishear?
She had intended to buy many outfits anyway, but the total being eight times what she expected made her freeze.
The nobles immediately stared at her.
Rosie cleared her throat and pulled out eight five-gold coins. If she hesitated now, those two would make another scene.
“…Keep the change. Instead, could you have everything delivered to my hotel?”
“O-of course! Right away!”
The clerk rushed off to gather the clothing.
Watching him, the noblewoman jabbed her companion in the ribs.
“Hmph, so she has money. Big deal. That doesn’t mean she can really talk to nobles like that, Charles.”
“Shh. Quiet, Sophia.”
Unlike noblemen, who increasingly relied on business with wealthy merchants, noblewomen still snubbed rich commoners.
Charles gave her a frustrated glare.
Soon, the clerk returned with bags full of clothing.
“I’ve packed everything, ma’am! May I ask which hotel you’re staying at? If it’s close, I can deliver them myself. If it’s far, I’ll have someone send them to you by tomorrow!”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry. It’s very close.”
“Really? Which hotel?”
Rosie smiled.
“Vine Rose.”
