Chapter Twelve: Golden Lady
Estelle
"The Inn is not as busy in the mornings compared to nights," I said as I roamed my eyes around. There are a few people here right now and most of them are just taking a doze or eating their breakfast.
Later on, Joan handed me a wet jar and I became the one who wiped it off and placed it on the counter.
After yawning, she answered me, "It is much livelier during the night, no? That's because our Inn is here for the beers that are much more enjoyable during the sun is down."
I nodded and did my chores.
"Well for Estelle, I'm guessing that the reason why she thinks that it's livelier at night is because a certain someone is here to visit her," Sarah teased as she put both of his elbows on the counter and leaned towards me with a smirk on her face. I just rolled my eyes in a fun way.
Speaking of that certain man, that Azval... did I make him worry?
I hope he's not still in that forest wondering where I went. But on second thought, he would have at least checked if I was already here at the inn right?
"D-Did someone went here looking for me? Perhaps... him?" I asked while already wiping the counter but avoiding their playful gaze.
"And who is this him? Do you mean Sir Mercenary?" Edith who just finished serving appeared in front of us and gasped. "Why would he come looking for you? Perhaps you ditched on him?"
The three of them looked at me with round eyes and just stared at me for a couple of seconds as if they were intrigued by my answer. I bowed my head.
"No way! His looks are my type, why would do that?" Sarah said with a playful disgust on his face. Joan who is quite timid did also the same before she went back on washing the jars.
"So do I," Edith murmured.
"It's not really that bad, I swear!" I defended myself which luckily lightened up the mood around us.
These girls...
"I didn't mean to leave him behind. I just got lost but eventually, I found myself here. There are no means to let him know that I am safe but I just hope that he's still not finding me."
"What a case," Edith said and went back to greet the customers who just arrived, and so did Sarah. They all still look lively even though we stayed up all night during the Feast last night. I am not certain if they really did sleep but the celebration was so loud the entire night so would've slept so soundly?
"Where's Adela?" I asked Joan but before she could answer me, Cecil, who was walking down the stairs, did it.
"Adela only works during the night, dear."
She went beside us and helped me wiping up the plates and utensils.
"This is an open secret already but I guess you still don't know this as you are still new here."
"What is it?" Joan handed me another set of plates and I started to wipe it while Cecil helped me.
"She's a daughter of a Baron," Edith whispered as she appeared out of nowhere. Cecil and Joan nod their heads in agreement. Me, on the other hand, stopped wiping the plate and looked at them with awe.
Really? She's of nobility? If that's the case, why is she still working here?
I scratched my head.
Who am I to judge her for working at an Inn when I, myself, worked at a café when I didn't even struggle financially?
"Maybe she just wanted an escape," I whispered to myself but I guess Cecil heard it.
"That's the case at first but now, it's more than that," she sat on a chair Joan gave her. She continued to help me wiping the other plates in that state while also telling me Adela's story. "Their house is near to crumble. Adela's mother is quite the gambling addict and it only worsened with the recent passed of Adela's father, the Baron. Her brother considered sending her to marry rich, even if the groom was old. Adela refused and told her brother that she'll help the estate by bringing home rias on her own."
"The recent Baron is quite the looker, too! He's handsome!" Sarah interrupted as soon as she arrived near us and immediately left also when she got the ordered plates. The three of us chuckled.
"The pay she is earning here is simply not enough, of course, to cover the debts made by the baroness." That was the last thing Cecil said when she stood up and accompanied a couple who entered our inn and needed accommodation.
I didn't know she was having it hard. She is a good friend. That made my brows even closer together.
I should have taken her last night with me!
That way, even at the slightest moment, she would escape that reality. Just like what Sophie is doing to me whenever I feel down.
"Don't fret. She's stronger than you think she is." Joan gently tapped my shoulder and later on, handed me another tower of plates. "I hope your body is also stronger since the plates and jars are never-ending."
My shoulders dropped. That's right, I still have my debt, too and the one I should worry about is myself and the situation that I am in right now.
"Finally, a break!" Edith shouted as she flipped the sign of the inn from 'Open' to 'Closed'.
Since this is my first day working here in the morning, I asked Joan how many hours is the break and she said that it will last around three to four hours. I saw Sarah around the corner of the inn taking a nap while Cecil was managing The expenses on the other side.
"I'll take a nap. Wake me up when it's already time to open again," Joan said while yawning and walking up to the second floor where our rooms are located. Edith nodded and gave her a small push.
"Come to think of it... I think this is our first time working together in the morning. Or is it not?" Edith said while scratching her hair. I avoided her gaze.
That's because I am only here during the nights...
"That's right. I think it's strange, too," Sarah added, "but it seems like no one's missing when we're working in the mornings. Estelle here just decided to one day wake up in the morning and attend her morning work."
I faked a laugh while gently rocking my chair back and forth due to nervousness.
Stop overthinking those already, please.
"Why don't you two put this on Estelle's hair?"
Once again, Cecil saved the day. She handed me a round brown jar and it was quite heavy. Sarah and Edith immediately went to my side when I opened the lid. A sweet aroma welcomed the three of us.
"Let's do it!" Sarah told Edith and snatched the jar from me.
Wait is that a dye?!
Edith immediately rushed to her room and when she got back, she got tools on her hands. "Let's do it," she said and the both of them led me to a chair near us and started working on my hair.
"W-Why do I need to dye it?" I asked and the both of them giggled while Cecil was the one who answered my question.
"Dear, such a strange hair color and eye combination will raise doubt in the people of this kingdom. As you have already noticed, there is no one here have the same odd combination as yours."
"You are sometimes the talk in this Inn and when conversing with the customers, they would sometimes mention your appearance," Sarah said as the both of them started to apply the dye on my hair already. Edith nodded.
I already noticed that since I entered this world but I didn't know that it would be a great issue to the point that they needed to dye my hair. I thought that we would just think of me as someone foreign who went to this land.
"You see, foreigners are very rare in this land. The current emperor is not that very welcoming, you see," Edith whispered as a customer who stayed in the inn suddenly went down and asked Cecil for some assistance. Sarah was about to help Cecil in her stead but Cecil told her to continue what she was doing with my hair and gave her a small potion.
"Rare? So it means that there are still people with odd combinations like me," I said.
I cannot believe that those words came out of my mouth. I didn't think that a day would come when I would say that my hair and eye color were odd because it's really just normal and nothing special back in my world.
"Yeah. The fugitives, criminals, and witches from the neighboring empires," Sarah said while handing me a glass of milk she prepared along with hers and Edith's. She also placed a bread on the table in front of us.
"Sorry?" I asked before I sipped.
"They are the only ones who can enter this empire without getting caught in the border, you see." Edith took a break and Sarah switched with her. "Now, the question is... are you any of those three?"
I stopped midway through getting a bite from my bread. I am not any of those!
"Criminal is such a huge offense, the posters of your face will be posted everywhere. Maybe you're in the fugitive category or the witch one. You have a debt to settle to Sir Mercenary right?"
Picking any two out of the three you gave doesn't make the situation better, you guys...
I just stayed silent for a moment but after I took a bite from the bread, a thought suddenly appeared in my mind.
If Amalia was once Master Hagas' apprentice then she is knowledgeable about magic and maybe... witchcraft? If that's the case then it's not possible since she successfully made our existence swap!
"I think I just got caught up in a Witch's scheme," I said and then smiled bitterly at the both of them. They looked at each other and later on, looked at me with pity.
Edit carefully hugged me while Sarah gently rubbed my shoulders up and down.
"You could've told us earlier that you were cursed."
Edith acted like she was about to cry. Meanwhile, when I already understood the situation, I had a hard time stopping myself from laughing.
"N-No, I'm not cursed. Really! It's just that the witch and I switched places."
"Then you are cursed! Poor you, dealing with strangers in a strange land."
You're wrong, Sarah. I am actually the one who triggered this situation that I am in right now.
I let out a chuckle.
"But I got to know all of you and worked in this incredible place!" I energetically said which made the two of them almost hug me but I gestured to do not because the dye would stick to their clothes.
They just continued to dye my hair in excitement and told me that they'd do their best to make the dye in my hair shinier and presentable for a long time.
While doing so, the three of us would talk about some things regarding the Empire that they called the Naefaren Empire which is named after the Kingdom of Naefaren since the Emperor lives there. It is located in the North.
They also told me that there are 10 Kingdoms under the Empire right now but they only told me the four powerful ones: The Astorias Kingdom which we are part of, the Waessatra in the West, Naefaren in the North and Kroubet Kingdom in the South.
I was so attentive to the details they would tell me about and when I heard about the latest talk in town, which is a dragon on the South was awakened and it might put the whole Empire in danger, that's when Master Hagas' last words hit me.
That's why he said that I should stay alive, huh?
"But don't worry too much about that rumor! It's been years since a dragon successfully created chaos on the land and the royal family would definitely defend us. Especially the second prince!" Sarah exclaimed and screamed.
"The rumors said that he's a war craze one but he's good-looking! Unlike the Crown Prince who's always seen in public, the second prince is always at war with different Empires to defend ours. But I heard, since the last war that he went to and led was successful, the peace would be maintained in the kingdom for a while."
"The Crown Prince is good looking so his brother is definitely one also," Edith said and later on the both of them went in front of me. "Here's a mirror. I didn't know a golden dye would suit you, Estelle! Look, look!"
When I looked at my reflection in the mirror that Edith was holding, I almost didn't recognize myself. I looked so foreign now in my eyes but compared to the two in front of me now, they say that I am like a native to the Western land.
"The Western land is known for having golden hair and I think Cecil has a dye like this because it was sent to her by my uncle who's working in the West. Oh, I think you still didn't know this but I am Cecil's niece," Edith said while she handed me the mirror. I looked at her with awe in my eyes but I was not really surprised since I guessed that she was someone related to Cecil. Not only that she's more casual on Cecil but she also kind of resembles her.
After a while, I brought back my gaze on my reflection.
I can't get enough of this hair color! When I go back to my world, I would suggest this hair color to my stylist. I think that it suits me.
Since it's kind of wet still, I just kept on looking at it without touching them.
"Estelle, can you look up? I'm gonna put this potion in your eyes," Sarah said as she opened the potion Cecil gave her earlier. I followed her instructions. "Unlike the dye, this potion would only last for 24 hours so you should be aware of it."
I blinked both of my eyes when she already put the drop on it.
"What's this for?" I asked.
"This one's for your eye color to change. I think this is a golden one too."
Sarah put the potion in my hands while I gasped.
While looking at the mirror, I saw my eye color change from dark brown to a golden one. Magic is really something!
"Thank you! I looked like someone holy," I joked but to my surprise, no one laughed except for me. I put down the mirror and looked at them. They both looked so shocked.
"Is this really okay, Sarah?" Edith asked. Sarah looked at her and faked a smile.
"I don't know, too..." Sarah replied and looked at me because I was confused once again. I need them to explain what's going on.
"You see, the only one in this whole land with both golden eyes and hair is the descendants of the Saintess from the West."
"Don't you girls worry too much. A lot of people are copying the descendant's look nowadays. Especially in the West, the last time I visited."
Cecil who just went down told us. It made the three of us sigh in relief.
"Dear, can you face me? I would like to take a look."
Excitedly, Sarah and Edith held me both on my shoulders and turned me around to face Cecil. I also wear my most thankful smile and expression.
A reaction that we didn't expect from Cecil appeared on her face as her smile slowly faded. The three of us looked at each other as if asking if we had done something wrong.
Cecil slowly went in our direction and scanned my face. When she finished analyzing my look she chuckled a bit which made the three of us stop holding our breaths.
"I have this idea that you kind of resemble her but I didn't know that if you both have the same hair and eye combination, the resemblance would be this much!"
"The Holy Flower of the West. Princess Sina!" Cecil added and I saw Sarah and Edith placed their hands to cover their mouths.
"Does Princess Sina looked like Estelle?" Sarah asked while still mumbling our names. Cecil nodded and I could see some tears in her eyes.
"I used to be the Princess's maid when she was just a child and I am sure that the resemblance to Estelle is quite large!"
My eyes widened due to surprise but sooner, it became gentler. Once again she reminded me of someone, Nana...
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