Chapter 71

As cherry blossom petals danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

---

In the main street of the southern market, today, as usual, vigorous voices were flying about.

A woman with a shopping basket on her arm was stopped by the stern-faced vegetable shop owner, whom she had seen before.

Why did the word "plump" appear in the words used to sell daikon radishes?

She wasn't wearing thigh-high stockings today, but he still seemed to compare it to thighs.

"Wow, such beauty... Wait, are you trying to provoke me? My thighs are much slimmer and more supple! Don't compare me to some random daikon radish!"

At first, the gentle woman seemed to be quite meek, but her attitude changed as soon as she saw the daikon.

Perhaps she was particularly annoyed at being compared to a daikon, as she launched into a tirade with such force that the shop owner was taken aback.

And, as if to show off her legs, which she was proud of, she revealed her supple legs from her slit dress.

"Ooh!"

The surrounding men cheered at the sight.

Oh, she certainly has the confidence to show them off.

"But don't you think this part of the daikon is similar?"

The stern-faced shop owner, who was probably just trying to get a look at her legs, picked up another daikon.

"They're not similar at all! Are my legs that thick and distorted!?"

"Indeed, but this supple and fresh daikon would suit you, madam."

The slender shop owner, whom I had seen before, interjected between the stern-faced shop owner and the woman.

"Oh, you understand—wait, is that hair all over it!? My legs don't have any hair on them!"

"Whoa!"

The slender shop owner, who was hit and sent flying as he turned around, flew away easily, unlike the stern-faced shop owner.

Still, he clung to the daikon with all his might. Truly, the spirit of a professional merchant.

"My legs are smooth!"

"Have we passed through here before? Is it always like this?"

"Yeah, it is. It's best to leave quickly if you get caught up in it."

We passed by the vegetable shop, and Eric and I walked around, buying some sweets after our meal. It was a crispy, sugary bread, and it was delicious.

The market street was still lined with many shops, not haphazardly but neatly, with wide and clean roads. It must take a lot of effort to keep this place clean.

I looked around, searching for something interesting.

Then, I suddenly noticed a large, spiky green thing.

What is it? It has more vicious spines than a pineapple or durian.

"What is this?"

"I don't know either."

"You're useless."

"Shut up. Even I can't know all the ingredients in the capital. Besides, I'm not a noble of the capital."

I was about to ask the shop owner what this ingredient was, but he was busy with other customers.

"I've been having a run of bad luck lately. I've lost my wallet, my house burned down, and just when I thought my husband had found a job, it fell through. It's been a terrible time."

"That's bad luck. There's no other way to describe it."

"Exactly, exactly."

"That's why I have something for you."

"What is it?"

"A pot of good luck! With this, even a lady with bad luck will have good fortune. In other words, with this, you'll find your wallet, get a new house, and who knows, maybe even be noticed by a noble and given a mansion as a reward!"

"Really!? How much? I'll buy it!"

"This pot of good luck usually costs one gold coin."

"Wh-what? I don't have that kind of money."

"But for a lady with bad luck, I'll sell it to you for three silver coins!"

"I-I'll buy it!"

This is terrible. It's clearly a scam.

The luckless woman eagerly took out silver coins from her wallet and received the pot of good luck.

"This will bring me good luck."

Unaware that it was a scam, the woman embraced the pot as if it were her precious child.

When Eric and I gave her a disapproving look, the shop owner looked embarrassed.

"It's not a scam, okay?"

"But a pot of good luck... and the price..."

"It's worth three silver coins, okay?"

"Is that so? You're not lying?"

When Eric and I looked at him suspiciously, the shop owner scratched his head and looked away.

"If it were a scam, I'd charge more. Three silver coins is enough to make someone feel positive. Bad luck comes from a negative mindset."

I see. If it were a scam, they would charge more. It's a waste to get caught for a scam that only costs three silver coins.

Even if it's a lie, it might be for the woman's benefit.

People with bad luck often have a pessimistic outlook and miss opportunities. If you're always in a bad mood and looking down, nothing good will happen.

"Hey, do you like that woman?"

"Hey, she's a married woman."

"Shut up. If you're not a customer, go away!"

When Eric and I teased him, the shop owner turned red and shooed us away.

"I see. You want her to be happy."

The woman, who was our target, started running as if she had grown wings, looking much more positive than before.

"Uwaaaaa! The pot of good luck!"

She stumbled and the pot flew out of her hands, landing on the hard floor with a loud crash.

"......"

Her face, which had been happy, suddenly turned as if the world had ended.

There, on the ground, lay the shattered pot of good luck. The woman gathered the broken pieces as if to prevent her good luck from escaping.

She really is unlucky. Sometimes it's important to look down.

"Hey, go over there, shop owner. She might get hurt by the shards."

The shop owner ran over without a word.

I wonder how he will make that woman feel positive again.

---

Thirsty, I continued my stroll with a juice in hand.

This area is crowded thanks to the presence of butchers, vegetable shops, and a few fish shops.

Seafood is usually reserved for high-end restaurants and the royal family, but there are enough fish shops in the capital to meet the demand.

This is probably thanks to the ice queen's magical devices.

Could she make a cooler for me?

Well, the countryside is cool, and if it gets too hot, I can freeze the whole room. But if I overdo it, I get scolded.

Because of this, other shop owners also try hard to attract housewives who come to the fish shops. The market is like a battlefield with shouts echoing everywhere.

I noticed two girls, about my age, at the butcher's and vegetable shop.

"Mom is sick... We want to give her something nutritious."

They said in unison, looking up with big, teary eyes.

They looked a bit pale, probably because their mother was sick and not eating well.

What happened to their father? If he were around, they wouldn't be in this situation. He must have passed away early.

"But we don't have much money."

"Mom can't work anymore. And Dad is gone."

"Please, give us some nutritious food for one silver coin we earned together!"

"Oh, that's tough, girls."

"To work so hard for your mother, I'm moved."

The butcher and the vegetable shop owner, moved by the young girls' sad story, wiped away tears.

Then, they went to the back and came back with a large basket.

"Here, take it."

"Wait, but this big, delicious meat... I don't have enough money to pay for it..."

"It's okay, girls. You don't need to pay. Feed it to your mother quickly."

The butcher's owner forcefully handed them the basket.

"And here, from me. Nutritious vegetables and fruits. Take them all. Of course, you don't need to pay."

"But...!"

"Children shouldn't hesitate. If you're in trouble, you can always come to us."

"Thank you! Thank you!"

"Sure, sure, children's smiles are the best."

The twin girls bowed and ran off with the bulging basket, smiling.

The shop owners watched them go with warm expressions.

"The warmth of the capital."

"Yeah."

Eric and I also watched the twins run off with a gentle expression.

"If they are so devoted and kind to their mother, they'll be fine."

I nodded silently in agreement with Eric's words.

---

After a while, as Eric and I continued down the street, we heard a drawn-out female voice at a corner.

"Ran, Rin, did you buy a lot?"

The twins responded.

"Huh?"

Our voices overlapped in surprise.

Before we could process it, the twin girls were hugging the woman, calling her "Mom."

"Mom! Today, we got a big piece of meat for free!"

"We also got a lot of vegetables and fruits for free!"

The innocent twins smiled, unaware of the implications. If the shop owners heard this, they would cry.

"Wait, what? What about the illness?"

Eric managed to choke out.

"Oh, let's make a steak with lots of vegetables today. Dad is coming home, so it's perfect."

"Yay!"

The twins and their mother left, looking happy.

"Wait, didn't you say your father was dead?"

Eric's words, spoken as if in a daze, were unusually clear in my ears.

Ah, he must have been quite moved, so the shock is significant.

Me? Well, I'm used to this kind of thing.

Is this the battle between customers and shop owners in the capital? It's terrifying.

The story of the pot of good luck seemed to have a happy ending.

There's also a version where the mother appears in front of the shop owner, leaving him stunned, but I chose this one.

Are you starting to miss Elinora?