Chapter 5

One evening, when Bertine was out.

Ignacio visited Bertine's room looking somewhat flustered. Bertine was just setting out the food she and Dorothe had bought, and they were having dinner. Eating bread, dried meat, apples, and water, Bertine looked quite tired.

The moment Ignacio entered the room and saw this,

"I deeply apologize for the lack of proper guidance and consideration."

he bowed his head.

"Did the guards tell you?"

"The guards said that not even water was provided, which is truly..."

"Dinner was delivered just a while ago, but I couldn't bring myself to eat something made by people who treated me like that. Food is something you can only eat if you trust the person who made it, right?"

Ignacio nodded regretfully.

"So, Ignacio, I think I'll leave here tomorrow. If I stay, I'll just be seen as a woman who's squatting here, trying to become a wife. That would be too miserable, wouldn't it? I intended to wait for the Lord's return, but it's enough now."

"Miss Juana, I understand that you have reasons why you can't return to your home country, but what about going to the Empire? I will do my best to help you."

Bertine smiled sadly.

"Doing that would give the Empire an excuse to criticize the Kingdom of Sanlouan. My father is the Chancellor. I can't do that. I will try to make it here in this country."

While eating bread and drinking water, the young noblewoman's plea was touching, and Ignacio accepted Bertine's request. Moreover, he said, "I will introduce you to a reliable landlord. Please take this letter of introduction."

That night, Dorothe and Bertine packed their belongings, and the next morning, they had the guards they had become close to load their luggage onto a carriage. Bertine left Cecilio's mansion with the carriage carrying herself, Dorothe, and the servants she had brought.

A few hours later.

Dorothe, wearing clothes she had bought in the United Southern States, was shopping. Dorothe bought a few more dresses like the ones worn by middle-class women in this country and returned to the carriage. The carriage had already been replaced with a used, ordinary one. The five fine carriages her father had prepared were sold as soon as they left Cecilio's mansion. The fine carriages sold for a good price, adding new gold coins to Bertine's purse. She also started selling the expensive items her father had given her, starting with the bulkier ones.

She entrusted a letter to her father, roughly explaining the situation, to the five servants who had followed her to this country, and gave them some gold coins as travel money, urging them to return home. The servants, who had shed tears over Bertine's misfortune, were happy to be able to return home and left for the port in a carriage she had hired.

"Dorothe, I'm so glad you learned the official language of the United Southern States."

"Back then, I was just supposed to be your language partner, but now I'm truly grateful."

"Hey, Dorothe, what do you think Father will do when he reads the letter saying I won't return home?"

"Lord, as the Chancellor, might not be able to tell you to come back. But I'm here, Miss."

"As long as you're with me, I can do anything."

After they were alone, Bertine read the letter of introduction Ignacio had given her and tore it up without hesitation.

"It said to treat me with respect because I'm the daughter of a marquis in the Kingdom of Sanlouan. There's nothing good about being recognized. From the perspective of the people in this country, I'm just a woman from a defeated country trying to become the wife of their hero."

"Indeed, the people of this country might think, 'Why?'"

"Let's go around to landlords without revealing our identities. You'll be the main character, and I'll be the maid."

At a rental agency on the outskirts of the capital.

Bertine wore a white cap and a maid's dress to look like a maid. She walked behind Dorothe with her head down as they visited landlords. The first two agencies didn't have suitable properties, but the third one showed them a property that met their needs.

That night.

Bertine and Dorothe were in a small house.

It had a small front yard and a reasonably large backyard. The old house, which seemed to get good sunlight, had been a shop and residence for an elderly couple who had run a general store until two months ago.

"Let's figure out what's in demand in this country before deciding on a business. We'll be fine as long as we take our time. We can survive for a while."

"I'm sure you'll do well, Miss."

"I learned that after a war, people first want delicious food, then beautiful things, and finally something to soothe their hearts. There must be business opportunities there."

Dorothe prepared a simple dinner, and Bertine helped, albeit clumsily. They toasted with cheap wine. Slightly tipsy, Bertine declared with a determined look.

"Dorothe, watch me. I'll show you that 'a Sanlouan will always pick something up when they fall.'"

"That's something people from other countries say as an insult. But I'm starting to look forward to it. I need to get better at cooking, too."

"Thank you, Dorothe."

And so, the life of the former marquis's daughter and her maid began.

Cecilio Bonifacio, the representative of the United Southern States, returned ten days after Bertine left his mansion. Upon hearing from Ignacio and the guards about how Bertine de Juana had left, he was furious.

"Call all the servants together!"

The servants, called to the master's office, lined up with pale faces, looking down. Cecilio, who had returned from a flood site and was tired, was fueled by anger.

"As long as you do foolish things like this, the United Southern States will be seen as a barbaric country. Why can't you understand that? To treat a woman who came to enemy territory on the orders of her country like that is outrageous. It's hard to believe that such foolishness could happen in my mansion. Did no one think of her as a victim?"

"I'm sorry!"

The head maid and butler bowed their heads first, followed by the others.

"There will be no second time. If you soil the face of the United Southern States again, everyone will face appropriate punishment. Be prepared. I will go and apologize to the young lady first thing tomorrow. That's all. You may leave."

Cecilio Bonifacio said this, running his fingers through his black hair down to his shoulders. He then turned his icy blue eyes to Ignacio, who bowed uncomfortably.

"I introduced her to a reliable landlord and gave her a letter of introduction, so her whereabouts should be known soon."

"You didn't escort her. This is enemy territory, and she wouldn't know her way around."

"She strongly refused."

"Ah... I see. That's enough. You may leave. Oh, right, Bianca is banned from entering this mansion for a while. It was my mistake to overlook her because she is the daughter of a powerful clan leader. It's a grave misunderstanding for her to act as if she's my fiancée. I will file a complaint with the clan leader."

Cecilio remained angry even after he was alone, but eventually, he slammed his hands on his desk.

He had aimed to protect the people of this country from hunger and to make it a rich country on par with the Empire in terms of academic and cultural aspects. The Centaur Empire had taken advantage of the ignorance of the people of this country, buying iron ore, gold ore, silver ore, and grains at low prices. Cecilio had hated the way they acted like colonial rulers.

That's why, even after succeeding his father, he was not satisfied with being a clan leader. He negotiated with the leaders of the dozens of tribes and united them into one country.

Aiming for an equal relationship with the Empire, he went to the Empire, endured being looked down upon, and learned their way of thinking and the structure of their society.

It took him ten years to unite the tribes, fight against the Empire, and finally win at the age of thirty-five. Yet, he couldn't even manage his own servants.

"I'll go and apologize first thing tomorrow."

Muttering this, Cecilio managed to change his mindset.

The next morning.

"She hasn't come? The young noblewoman with the letter of introduction from Ignacio?"

"No, such a person hasn't come."

Hearing the landlord's words, Cecilio was stunned.

The country was celebrating the victory in the war. If the young lady had been harmed by the rowdy celebrators, he would have to act quickly. He immediately ordered a search for the young noblewoman.

However, no landlord who had received a visit from a noblewoman like Bertine could be found, and she had vanished without a trace.