Hunter and Mad Scien Chapter 156

Mrs. Lux spoke in a more cheerful voice as if to comfort Esperanza, who was answering with an awkward smile.

"Don't worry about the count. Millen went with him, so it can't be anything dangerous. And he's the type who would return alive like a ghost even from dangerous places."

"Do you think so?"

"Of course!"

If it were the level of danger of a wild boar, that would be the case. Even with ordinary assassins, she could be fairly at ease. The pocket watch and cane that Cider always carried had devices to prepare for sudden attacks, and Millen was said to be a marksman who could hold his own.

But what was targeting Cider wasn't such things. Esperanza bit her lips while looking at Mrs. Lux's comfortable smile.

"Of course you'd be worried about the count? I'm more worried about you, miss. Look at that child Annie. She was making a fuss this morning too, saying she was worried about you."

The place Mrs. Lux pointed to was the garden beyond the window. Annie was chattering nonstop with her friend Madeline about sothing that seed so interesting. It wasn't close enough to hear the content, but just looking at her complexion, she seed much better than when she was at Avondale.

"Oh my."

Mrs. Lux, who had just said as if to show that she was full of worry, blushed embarrassedly. But Esperanza didn't mind and quietly watched Annie's excited face. Soon other friends approached and talked with Annie about sothing while sharing luggage to carry. Even though Annie, who practically did maid work, had no reason to help her friends with odd jobs in her spare ti, she readily shared the heavy luggage and showed a bright smile.

"Miss? What are you thinking about?"

"Annie didn't have any friends at Avondale."

"Well, she's only worked at the Nine Holder mansion until now. Most maids are like that. The maids on the Avondale side never co up to Nine Holder either."

So it must have taken considerable courage for Annie to follow Esperanza to Avondale. Not knowing a single person... and even Esperanza hadn't been able to take care of Annie.

She decided on today's task. She couldn't stay inside the house forever.

Annie, who ca in with sweat beads on her forehead, discovered Esperanza and wiped her forehead with her sleeve.

"Annie, I have sowhere to go with you today."

"What? Now?"

"Yes, now."

"Where are we going?"

Where to, the place Annie had talked about like a dream palace.

"Mayton Hall."

Annie's eyes widened.

"Really? You're taking

with you?"

"So put on your outdoor clothes. No wait, do you want to wear my clothes?"

"What?"

Annie firmly declined that. It wasn't just because it was burdenso. Annie didn't want the gap between her and her friends to widen. Even after work was divided between odd-job maids and lady's maids, she had tried to maintain unchanged relationships with her friends, and visually confirming that gap was absolutely not what Annie wanted.

Although Annie didn't tell Esperanza all these inner circumstances, she could roughly understand just from glancing at her passing friends.

"Then co out wearing the best clothes you have."

She should also prepare gifts for Annie's friends to share.

The steam carriage slowly crossed Upper Lane. When the carriage door closed, Annie couldn't hide her excitent and fidgeted. Shortly after, coachman Taylor stopped the steam carriage in front of Mayton Hall.

"Mr. Taylor, then please pick us up at three o'clock!"

While Annie was seeing off the coachman, Esperanza narrowed her eyes and examined the shops. Clothing stores where upper-class young ladies shopped would be burdenso, but she hadn't brought her to buy clothes suitable for Annie's circumstances.

"Annie. From now on, I'm going to buy you clothes, but think of them as clothes to wear when you want to crush the spirit of soone you really hate, and choose them."

"What? ? You're buying clothes for ?"

"Otherwise, why would I have brought you?"

"Of course to help you choose your clothes, miss!"

"I don't need new clothes."

She had already had many made at Avondale, and she should be able to return by next winter.

Wait...

'I should be able to return, right?'

Rather, in the past when she knew nothing, she could vaguely be confident, but the more she knew, the more uncertain the future beca.

When shadows fell on Esperanza's face, Annie quickly grabbed Esperanza's arm and led her.

"Then this way."

Since Mayton Hall was a high-end shopping district for the upper class, it was easy to find quality outdoor clothes. And surprisingly, as they went deeper inside, they could also find ready-made clothes at slightly lower prices. Not all gentlen and ladies were well-off. In such stores, you could also see young dancers and opera singers choosing clothes with shining eyes.

Annie went into such a store and chose appropriate clothes for each season. Her skill in finding only clothes that had good materials and solid weaving but didn't follow trends or weather while suiting her well was outstanding. A certain lady who had been watching blankly grabbed Annie and asked if she couldn't choose so clothes for her daughter. Annie chose a couple of suitable outfits by eye and ca out.

"That's amazing."

Annie, who ca out changed into the new clothes she bought, winked.

"The second daughter of a poor family has to inherit only clothes others have worn all her life if she doesn't have skills like this."

"Your family isn't that poor."

"My parents are strict. They think won beco corrupt if they covet pretty clothes."

Annie said that's partly why she beca more obsessed with pretty clothes. In rebellion against her mother who wore ascetic black clothes and wielded a switch, and her father who clicked his tongue behind her.

Esperanza quietly nodded. Then the answer was clear. What's more fun than what others tell you not to do?

"Let's buy a hat and shoes too."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's to cheer

up."

She had a lot of money but nowhere to spend it. Of course, she didn't recklessly distribute future banknotes like last ti. There were many smart people in this country. Last ti she was caught by the duke, so it was fortunate, but if Pri Minister Tempton had found it, it would have been twice as troubleso.

So where did this money co from?

Well, after playing gas for several years, you accumulate so gems with good liquidity. There are also so gems that can never be exchanged for money.

Leaving the worry about what to buy to Annie, Esperanza unhesitatingly opened her wallet. The accumulated purchases were unhesitatingly put into her inventory.

The two people who bought ribbons and hats for Annie's friends including Madeline, and Annie's new shoes, bought ice cream each at the ice cream shop at the end of the hall.

"There are so many people here even though it's winter."

Annie stuck out her tongue as they erged from the bustling line. Esperanza sat on a bench and nodded.

"Well, ice cream is originally a winter snack..."

The rooms of people who ca all the way here to buy ice cream would be warm even in winter.

Esperanza didn't say that much. Today she didn't want to think such complicated thoughts. Even if it was shallow, she wanted to just enjoy this abundance.

This store's ice cream held good mories.

The cold taste that lted instantly on the tongue tip, noble ladies and boys and girls standing in line. Sunlight breaking into multiple colors above the glass ceiling. The bustling scenery of Mayton Hall.

The smile visible under the hat's shadow. Regular cane sounds. The rustling sumr dress and the ugly doll held in arms. The wordplay thrown casually contained affectionate feelings, and the steps walked in matching pace were leisurely.

'I'll try to guess what you might like.'

A subtle voice had led Esperanza to this store. Brief pleasure that disappeared the mont it was put in the mouth.

Would all the mories from this world also lt away like a spoonful of ice cream put in the mouth? Would she soday doubt herself, wondering if such things had ever happened?

Would Cider too?

She stared blankly until the last remaining spoonful completely lted and beca water. The sweet liquid flowing down over the spoon seed to have no value at all.

She knew it. She knew it, but she was newly suffocated. Such an ending. Was she running toward just such a thing?

Her vision briefly blurred. Esperanza was startled and quickly wiped around her eyes with her sleeve.

"Miss, are you okay?"

"Ah. I'm fine."

Coming to Mayton Hall seed to have been the wrong choice. No. Wherever else it had been, the conclusion would have been the sa. Esperanza shook her head to clear her thoughts.

Yes, rather such an ending would be fortunate. It's better than an ending where Cider dies before she can even return.

When she smiled thinking that, Annie's face slightly distorted.

"Miss, um..."

Annie, who was about to say sothing, closed her mouth. It wasn't that she was now reading Esperanza's mood. It was because young ladies in fancy outdoor attire were approaching. Annie whispered in Esperanza's ear.

"I'll go buy so sweets from that store next door."

Even though she said that, she was clearly avoiding in case being with a maid would cause trouble.

'That doesn't matter at all though.'

But before she could say that, Annie had already gone into the sweet shop, so Esperanza decided to just greet the two ladies she hadn't seen in a long ti.

"My goodness, you ca up to Nine Holder without any word?"

Although many things had happened during this ti, fortunately Esperanza also rembered these two ladies' nas.

The cheerful one was Lucinda Maxwell, and the slightly more modest one was Sylvia Humphrey. Since she had been acquainted with Sylvia even before coming to the past, it was fortunate to et these two people of all people. Esperanza inwardly sighed with relief and got up from her seat.

"It's been a long ti."

"Nice to see you! I never thought we'd et in a place like this. The season is over too, yet you ca to Nine Holder at such a ti. I an, when soone like Lord Avondale moves, there's bound to be an article."

When the na of the person she was looking for ca up, Esperanza reflexively perked up her ears. Which newspaper had an article that she still couldn't find his whereabouts? A bitter smile ca naturally.

"I ca to Nine Holder alone. Lord Avondale had business."

"Oh my, I see. Weren't you bored? You should have contacted us!"

"I was too busy."

Despite the insincere excuse, the two didn't bother to pry further. Stories close to trivial personal matters were exchanged. Since there was no great intimacy between them, the two returned after ending with such words.

"Setting us aside, didn't you contact Cordelia either? She would be really happy to see you."

Unfortunately, only then did Esperanza rember that Cordelia was in Nine Holder. And also the fact that she had left Jack in Cordelia's care.

She realized how narrow her thinking had beco, how cornered she was.

Annie, who had been running with an armful of sweet sets, widened her eyes. Esperanza forced a smile. The corner of her mouth twisted.

"Shall we go back now?"