Chapter 4

Bertine and Dorothe realized that night that they were in enemy territory.

First, the meals were not served promptly. When they did arrive, they were in small quantities and unreasonably cold.

That evening’s dinner was a completely cold stew.

For breakfast, there were two dry round bread rolls and lukewarm tea.

No one came to clean. There was no hot water for washing, not even tea.

Lunch, finally served around two in the afternoon, was a small, cold, and dry stir-fry.

The worst part was that they weren’t being given no food at all. It seemed as if the kitchen was trying to say they had done their job.

Unable to bear it any longer, on the fourth day at noon, Bertine, accompanied by Dorothe, went to the butler in the servants’ quarters to complain about the situation. However, the elderly butler responded with a fake smile and polite but condescending words.

"That was very rude of us. I will speak to the kitchen. However, please refrain from such improper behavior. It will be said that 'the imperial young lady is coming to the servants’ quarters to beg for food.'"

The nearby maids giggled at this.

Bertine, her face red with humiliation and anger, raised her head firmly and said, "Then I will leave it to you," before returning to her room. Dorothe was trembling with anger, but Bertine couldn’t bear the thought of the other servants she had brought also suffering from hunger and thirst.

"That butler is old enough to have seen the days when the empire exploited the south. He must have many reasons to dislike us. It’s fine, we’ll manage on our own."

"But we are not from the empire."

"To them, the Centaur Empire and the Sunlun Kingdom are the same. We might even be more disliked for being seen as the empire’s leeches."

Bertine took out the currency from her homeland from her luggage and spoke to the guard standing in front of the door with a smile.

"I would like to go out to exchange money. The food and water are not being delivered properly, so I want to go out and buy them myself. Also, I would like you to inform Lord Ignacio about the treatment issue."

She remained polite. It would do no good to earn the guards' resentment here.

"Food and water? That can’t be..."

"If it is, it will only cause trouble if I collapse from hunger. Please let me go out."

The guard started to make excuses, saying things like, "We were on different shifts and didn’t know about the food," and "We were only asked to guard you."

"Of course, I don’t blame you. I was the one who had a disagreement with Lord Ignacio’s fiancée."

At this, the two guards suddenly said, "Fiancée? There’s no such person..."

"Miss Bianca is just saying that on her own."

They gave off the impression that they didn’t like her.

(I see. That girl is not the fiancée. But even knowing that, it doesn’t matter now. Lord Ignacio wants the compensation more than me.)

"Can I go out to shop?"

"We will accompany you."

Bertine nodded with a smile that was a perfect example of a noble young lady.

"I appreciate it. Thank you. I can rely on you."

Bertine had learned the official language of the Union, which had dozens of languages, because her father believed, "We can’t afford to underestimate trade with the resource-rich Union, which has precious gems and other underground resources." Her father had always said, "You can’t stand out by doing the same as others. Besides, there’s no guarantee that the south won’t become more powerful than the empire someday." She had learned the language of this country as a matter of course, and now it was really helping her.

The carriage she had arrived in was prepared, and the servant she had brought took the reins. As she went out with the mounted guards, the fresh air and clear blue sky healed her troubled heart.

"First, I want to go to a money changer."

"That’s over there. I’ll show you the way."

"Thank you."

The guards had begun to follow her instructions without resistance. She maintained a calm smile but consciously exuded the aura of someone in a position of power. The guards, who seemed to be from a common background, were gradually being drawn in by her presence.

The man named Siro, who ran a money-changing and loan business, quickly appraised Bertine, who entered in an imperial-style dress.

(This is clearly a noble from the empire, and a high-ranking one at that.)

He inwardly smiled, thinking he had a good customer. Siro greeted her with a business smile and asked, "How may I assist you?"

"I would like to exchange money. Please change these imperial gold coins into this country’s silver and copper coins."

When the twenty imperial gold coins were exchanged into silver and copper coins at the specified rate, a small pile of coins appeared on Siro’s desk.

"And if you could tell me how much this gem is worth."

She showed him a ruby pendant known as "pigeon’s blood," a vivid red. In the empire, it was said to be worth thirty large gold coins.

"Well, there is a slight issue with the color, so I would say twenty large gold coins."

(Come on, bite!) Siro glanced at Bertine. But she smiled wryly and said, "Oh my. In the empire, it was said to be worth forty large gold coins. It’s quite cheap here. I’m disappointed, but I’ll look for another shop."

She reached for the pendant.

"Please wait. If you have a pressing need, I can offer twenty-five large gold coins."

"I don’t have a pressing need. I just want a fancy dress. This is a precious item given to me by my grandmother, and I’m not willing to sell it cheaply. It seems we don’t have a deal."

"Then how about thirty large gold coins?"

"Thirty-five. It’s worth that much."

"Thirty-two!"

"Thirty-three. I can’t go any higher."

The huge profit he had hoped for was gone, but Siro decided to settle for a reasonable profit. The guards, who had been listening to the negotiation, were surprised and whispered to each other.

"Hey, isn’t the countess’s daughter a bit too good at negotiating?"

"Yeah, I’m surprised too. She’s really skilled."

Dorothe was inwardly smiling.

In the Sunlun Kingdom, even nobles negotiate prices as a matter of course. In a small country where business is the foundation, it would be a disadvantage to consider this vulgar.

Bertine, in Dorothe’s eyes, was still a bit too soft in negotiations, but she was satisfied that (she can do it after all).

Bertine put the large gold coins she received in exchange for the ruby pendant into a small, high-quality bag and left the shop. Next, she went to a small goods store. She sold an unused embroidered handkerchief for four small silver coins, then bought twenty plain white silk handkerchiefs after browsing around.

"Next, let’s buy food and water."

"My lady, we will definitely speak to the kitchen."

The guard tried to stop her again, but the butler was far less trustworthy than the honest guards.

"Thank you, guards. But it’s fine. I’ll buy it myself."

(I can’t have them put garbage in it again.) She held back her words.

She smiled calmly at the awkward guards and said, "I’m not blaming you," before heading to the grocery store. At the grocery store, she bought food that could be eaten without cooking and a barrel of water.

When they returned to the mansion, she handed a small bottle of distilled liquor to each of the guards.

"No, we can’t accept that."

"No, you might have to accompany me again. It’s a token of my gratitude."

The guards, flustered by Bertine’s gentle smile, said, "Then we will accept it. Thank you," and put the bottles in their pockets.

The servants who had come from Sunlun were crammed into one room and were completely exhausted. She gave them the food and water and encouraged them, "I’ll send you back home soon. Hang in there," before returning to her room and letting out a small sigh.

"Well, what should I do next?"

"My lady, even if the servants return, I will stay. I will make sure you can live in this country. I’m worried about you alone."

"Dorothe..."

Bertine had been holding back, but Dorothe’s words were so touching and grateful that she covered her face with her hands to hide the tears that were about to fall. Despite her strong demeanor, the cold treatment and hunger in this mansion had taken a greater toll on her spirit than she had imagined.

"Ha. I’m still too weak to cry. I should write a letter to Father to inform him that 'Lord Ignacio wants the compensation more than me.'"