Chapter Ten

Truthfully, I had thought that just looking at the tyrant would trigger some video memory, but there had been none. However, I had other things to worry about to think properly. If it was a random occurrence…

“I wonder if I’ll be able to see something today.”

To say that I was interested in the female protagonist Cheryl Diel and the tyrant Charlemagne Kalior’s affairs would be an understatement. I mean, my life and death depend on it. It was a little disappointing that there had been no video memories about him.

“Aside from that, I remember other things.”

I was on the road to the palace now. Usually, the nobility would pass this road on their carriages, which is why the streets were bustling. The closer it got to the palace, the fancier the various shops on the sides of the road became.

“Let’s see... where do they sell fruits?”

I was looking for two things—fruit and flowers. The tyrant hates grapefruit. It was a simple bit of information stuck in my memory; the thought that the tyrant picked at his food was hilarious.

And white flowers, too. No one knew why. That had also stuck because I’d thought it was strange that he’d hate a particular color. And now, those little pieces of information would come in handy.

From afar, I could make out a shop with a flashy sign—Godo’s Fruits. Is Godo his name? Weird. I hoped he sold products fine enough to bring to the palace. While humming, I made my way to the store. A chime announced my entrance.

“Welcome.”

I put on a haughty face like Scarlett would and nodded to the owner. It looked more like a department store than an ordinary shop. The owner seemed perfectly kempt too.

“How can I help you?”

“I’m looking for something to give to someone.”

I looked around at the fruit on display. The owner began to politely present various fruits in a way that suggested that he was used to describing them to the upper class.

“This is an Eastern fruit called Ursula. Legends say that a flower of the same name first bloomed from a mermaid’s heart.”

“Ursula?”

“Yes, ma’am. This fruit is sometimes found where that flower withers.”

A fruit like red jewels. This looks like a pomegranate. Except that each seed was the size of a grape.

“It’s so pretty,” I exclaimed.

The owner jumped at the bait. He lowered his voice as if telling a great secret. “Isn’t it? These are only for my most venerable customers’ eyes.”

“You have a good eye, then.”

“I’m honored, my lady.”

Well, Scarlett Arman was one of the most influential figures in the empire. It wouldn’t be too surprising that the owner recognized her. I gave him a cold smile, tried a sample, and moved on. It even tastes like a pomegranate. Was it good for women to like pomegranates? When I earn more money, I’ll buy those for myself.

I examined the fruits leisurely as various thoughts passed my mind. There was plenty of time. The meeting with the tyrant was scheduled for dinner. I left early to look around.

When I was done looking, I asked the owner coldly, “Are there any grapefruits?”

“Yes, my lady!”

He quickly returned with a juicy, orange-colored fruit in his hand.

“It smells nice.”

“These are one of my best goods.”

“No further comments on this one?”

For a second, the owner could not hide his confusion. He blinked a couple of times, then quickly put on a friendly smile.

“This grapefruit, my lady, is from the distant land of the Gers. Most of them grow grapefruit, but the best products come from their wilderness.”

“Oh.”

I nodded, trying to cram it inside my head.

“The grapefruit from the wilderness of the Gers, you say?”

Who even cared where the Gers were? But I needed something to say when I presented the tyrant with the grapefruit.

“Precisely. It is also one of the few products transported here by the White Wizards themselves.”

“Oh.”

I knew about the White Wizards. The White Wizards did freight businesses with their great teleportation magic. In other words, they were the delivery men. They only transport the best goods, though. They had been mentioned in the original novel a few times when the tyrant had gotten Cheryl food she had wanted to eat.

“Great.” I unwittingly smiled and bought a handful of grapefruits. I also visited a flower shop in the same manner. I told the flower shop owner, “I want this, this, and that.”

“Yes, my lady.”

I didn’t just buy the white flowers he was said to hate. I also took some time to choose some very small flowers with a pungent scent that I’m sure he would hate and had them made into a bouquet.

Finally, I placed the grapefruit in the middle of the bouquet and paid for them. Not with my inheritance, but with whatever was left of the money I was given to maintain a certain level of dignity.

“Your lover will surely adore it,” the flower shop owner said, smiling gently.

I just smiled. He’d surely hate it. The money they gave Scarlett wasn’t that much, to begin with. Besides, I have been busy looking around this strange new world so much that I might have overspent a little.

That was until I realized that none of the things I bought would actually be mine. That made me stop spending money immediately. Even though I was supposed to be a lady of the great Arman family, I was still broke. I really hoped that the grapefruit and the flowers would annoy the tyrant.

And that my words will be careful enough not to get me killed. As I sprinted to the palace—I was running a little late—I encountered some minor incidents.

First, a crying child! I plucked a pretty flower from the bouquet I had bought and gave it to him. Then I screeched loudly past a peddler, pretending to be mad again. And when a pickpocket tried to take my things, I chased him and gave him a good kick in the shin.

When I finally arrived at the palace gates, a frazzled man was waiting for me. He looked to be in his early thirties and might have been handsome if it weren’t for the dark circles that hung down to his chin.

“Lady Arman. Welcome to the palace,” he said. “It is my greatest honor to guide you around today. Please, call me Clover. I serve His Majesty as his chancellor.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Chancellor Clover.”

I hadn’t seen that chancellor at that ball. I guessed he had fallen asleep somewhere. He’s a workaholic. I knew from the novel that he had a habit of binge-sleeping. Nothing could wake the chancellor once he fell asleep.

“Thank you for your time.”

As the emperor’s fiancée, I was given a title equivalent to a viscount. That meant I had easy access in and out of the palace.

“This way, please.”

The chancellor’s deep green eyes scanned me delicately. Ignoring him, I looked around the palace grounds. “It’s a shame I’m here at night.”

A moonless world. This world was particularly dark at night.

“Usually, we have the magic lights on, but His Majesty has ordered us to turn them off tonight. You’ll see the palace in all its glory when you visit next time, my lady,” he explained languidly, then politely led me inside.

“Where are we going, exactly?”

I had only been told to walk to the palace, so I had no idea where the meeting would be held. A small smile briefly brushed Chancellor Clover’s lips at my question before it faded away.

“I am under orders not to tell you, my lady,” he said apologetically.

“Oh. All right…”

What the… Hitching up the bouquet, I managed to keep the smile on my lips from slipping away. This thing was quite heavy… Couldn’t we go any faster?

But a few moments later, I had to ask, “Um, Chancellor?”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Why are we stopping?”

I grumbled to myself that he was way too slow, but… I mean, we couldn’t just stop here!

“Isn’t this… a prison?”

“I was told that this was your first time at the palace. You seem to be familiar!” The chancellor clapped slowly.

Um… Excuse me? “Isn’t it obvious?”

“An excellent insight!”

Giving up on the conversation, I just smiled. “I see. I had better get going. His Majesty must be waiting for me in there, right?” Trying to compose my beating heart, I said as loudly as I could, like I was very excited, so loudly that spit sputtered out from my mouth. “Ugh.”