Esperanza nodded a beat late.
There was an implicit rule that unmarried ladies attending banquets should not dance consecutively with the sa person. In the relatively open Nine Holder, such rules weren't strictly applied even at ordinary balls, except for a few formal receptions. But the further you went into the provinces, the stricter the adherence to these rules.
Cider pointed with his eyes at the noble ladies sitting in groups of three or five and added.
"In other words, the noble ladies have their eyes blazing with vigilance in case any incidents occur in this already narrow city."
Festival night—the perfect day for excited and loosened young people to cause irresponsible incidents.
"In Nine Holder, it wasn't that kind of festival atmosphere at all."
"These festivals are naturally a bit different in each region. Do you want to take a look?"
Esperanza shook her head.
"Not particularly to that extent..."
"Good thinking. It's boring."
His voice disparaging his own region's festival was quite resolute. Esperanza giggled.
They crossed a street lined with low buildings about three stories tall, heading to the opposite side of the square from the clock tower. The small city with steam passenger carriages was similar to the city where Esperanza had lived when she was a novice hunter. Co to think of it, was that place around here too? Actually, she didn't rember well.
"This way."
A sign with brick-colored fra and gold lettering. Inside the window leaking yellow light, books were densely packed. When Cider opened the door, the bell attached to the door made a clear sound. A young man blinked while removing his glasses.
"Ah, ah. Lord Avondale."
"Do you handle Tisbia language scripture?"
"Yes. Of course. Which edition are you looking for?"
"All of them that you have."
"Well now..."
The man clicked his tongue and went inside. Groaning "oh my, oh my" while tapping his back as if for others to hear. Esperanza stood blankly near the door, then started pulling out random books from the bookshelf and skimming through them. Cider pulled the yellow gas lamp the shop owner had been using closer.
"He's taking a while."
It was the mont when Cider, who had been skimming through the book over Esperanza's shoulder, muttered.
"Aaaaah!"
The man scread along with a crashing sound.
"Wait."
Cider, who had tapped Esperanza's shoulder as she took a combat stance almost simultaneously with the scream, said.
"That person is normally like that."
"...Ah."
Esperanza sheepishly put away her gun. Cider picked up the book that had fallen to the floor and placed it in her empty hands.
"It'll take quite a while! Oh dear. When will I ever clean all this up?"
"A disaster brought on by collecting desires beyond one's ans."
"Lord Avondale! I can hear everything!"
That was said intending to be heard. Cider shrugged his shoulders in response. It was a response that would never reach the bookstore owner buried in piles of books deep in the bookshelf.
"Since he said it would take a long ti, wouldn't it be good to go commission parts in the anti?"
Cider, who hadn't thought to divide his ti to that extent, pondered for a mont.
"Will you co along?"
Esperanza rolled her eyes around. At her suspicious reaction, Cider unconsciously tried to look back, but she caught him with her fingertips and answered.
"...Thank you, but no. I don't get along well with blacksmiths."
Cider squinted suspiciously, then lightly tapped near her ear. Esperanza drew a circle on the back of Cider's hand as her response.
"I'll wait while finishing reading this."
"Do as you please."
The chi bell rang, and Cider went outside with the regular sound of his cane. Esperanza opened the book again.
'Soone is definitely watching.'
She could feel the gaze. Even after quite so ti had passed since Cider left, it remained fixed on this side, so what the other party was targeting was Esperanza.
But there was no hostility. It was persistent like observation, yet cautious. Esperanza closed the book and pretended to enter the bookshelf while glancing sideways at the window.
No suspicious people were visible. An assassin? An intelligence agent sent by the Duke? Or had 'they' decided to give up geographical advantage and face Esperanza at Avondale?
Esperanza leaned against the bookshelf and crossed out the last possibility. A black robe from her inventory covered her body. Her presence diminished accordingly. Esperanza circled around to the opposite side of the bookshelf like that.
This small bookstore had only one door. The watcher would have thought they could monitor Esperanza by just guarding that door. That judgnt was correct. For now.
Esperanza, who had hidden behind the bookshelf, used the small gap between the bookshelf and wall to check outside the window.
First, there was no one among the people visible in front. Right side, no. Left side... a carriage?
They were watching from inside a carriage.
A triumphant smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
However, finding the watcher's location didn't change the situation. She was like a rat in a trap right now anyway. If she opened the bookstore door and went out, the watcher would imdiately start the carriage. There was nothing she could do while the watcher leisurely escaped.
She could chase if she wanted to, but being so conspicuous wouldn't be good for Esperanza either.
What to do.
Should she try breaking the carriage wheels? If the wheels broke and the carriage lost balance, the person inside would have no choice but to look out. How about trying to talk to them then?
It didn't seem bad. Good. Open the door, and when the carriage starts, simultaneously shoot air with light magic to break the carriage wheels.
One. Two.
"I found them! Huh, what? Where did you go?"
Before she could count to three, the bookstore owner ca rushing out.
Tsk. Esperanza clicked her tongue. The carriage had departed.
"What, is there a book you like?"
"No."
"Oh, I see. Ah. The scriptures are here. I have all the editions from the past 100 years, but I couldn't find the 1707 edition."
Esperanza, who received four books with a lukewarm expression, opened them one by one to examine the front parts of the books. Indeed, except for the 1707 edition, everything was there.
"You did well."
As she tried to turn around with the books, the bookstore owner hurriedly grabbed her.
"No. Count Avondale hasn't co, but you're leaving first? It must be heavy. Shall I send them to the mansion?"
"No need. He's here."
Just then, the door opened with a bell sound.
Cider, who had approached with large strides, planted his cane in front of the bookstore owner's feet. Then, without even glancing at the bookstore owner, he asked Esperanza.
"Did you find them?"
"No."
The bookstore owner pushed the books toward Esperanza as if to say 'then what are these?' Cider received the books and nodded.
"What happened?"
"I was about to go out, but right then he said he had found all the books."
"Oh dear."
I don't know what it is, but did I do sothing wrong? The bookstore owner rolled his eyes around.
"It's not your fault, so don't worry about it, Coleman."
"Coleman?"
"The butler's... grandson, was it?"
Co to think of it, he did seem to resemble him. Esperanza said while opening the bookstore door.
"He was in a carriage. Do you happen to find people by looking at carriage shapes or sothing?"
"Impossible."
As expected.
"It wasn't a steam carriage but just a regular carriage?"
"Yes. Just a carriage. A black four-wheeled carriage, and it was ordinary. The door never opened either."
"If there's a purpose, they'll appear again."
"Then we should just walk around a bit more."
Cider's lips curved under his hat.
"Good idea. It looked like they were preparing for the festival, shall we go take a look?"
Long fingers wrapped in black gloves lightly took Esperanza's hand and placed it on his arm. When Esperanza flinched and curled her fingers, Cider whispered in a low voice.
"Why are you being conscious of it now?"
"...I wasn't being conscious."
Esperanza said with emphasis. Her voice trembled slightly at the end. Her fingertips, spread out defiantly, pressed firmly on the button above the formal sleeve.
"As if."
??????°??☆????°??????
Inside the black carriage.
"Are you alright?"
"...Ah. Yes. I'm sorry for causing you concern, Mrs. Boyle, Miss Boyle."
Mrs. Boyle smiled while covering the corner of her mouth. While invisibly nudging her daughter's side with her elbow. The gentleman clearly saw this but deliberately pretended not to notice.
"Not at all. More than that, what did you see that made you suddenly stop the carriage?"
The gentleman briefly moved his lips while choosing his words. However, what he said was completely different from what the two ladies expected.
"I thought I saw soone I know."
"Oh my. Didn't you say you had no connections in Riton?"
Mrs. Boyle's voice beca anxious. Recently, this young gentleman she had t by chance had won the favor of the Boyle family mbers with his handso appearance and luxurious attire. He was currently staying at the Boyle mansion and had many mysterious aspects, but just combining the visible points, he was undoubtedly an enormous rich man. Moreover, the unconsciously arrogant attitude he showed.
'Of course, investigation would be necessary.'
There were swindlers in the world who looked like dukes. However, the gaze and attitude shown unconsciously were not easy to fake.
She didn't know what kind of person the gentleman before her was, but finding such a wealthy young gentleman in a place like Riton was close to impossible.
'Since he's never been to parties, there's no chance to compare Louise with Lavinia Wilcott.'
Even his unsociable tendencies seed like advantages. Mrs. Boyle's eyes glead.
"Yes. I have no connections in Riton, but there is soone I'm looking for."
"Soone you're looking for? Perhaps we could be of help?"
Feeling like her side would bruise, Louise Boyle quickly spoke up.
"Mother knows everyone in Riton society. If you tell us who it is, we'll help you."
"No, it's fine."
The man turned his gaze to look out the carriage window. He could see a woman with a nimble build wearing a calm autumn dress under the clock tower. He could recognize her just from her back view.
His lips drew a faint curve. Louise's eyes widened at the first smile she had seen.
"I found her."
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