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Chapter 22: The House of Marquis Castiano
“Could that be... that person?”
The sun had already begun to sink low in the sky. I was just thinking that Luca and the others would probably arrive soon when a strange silence descended over Area 13 of West Main Street, which had been even busier than it was during the day.
At the same time, whispers spread among the crowd. People quietly exchanged words with their neighbors while looking toward a certain group that had entered the area.
Even the merchants running nearby stalls seemed tense. Some had even stepped away from their booths to personally greet the newcomers.
...Those definitely aren't ordinary civilians.
Е̄ nù m̂ā
Like the biblical tale of Moses parting the sea to let his people escape, the densely packed crowd that filled the avenue suddenly split into two, creating a clear path.
Curious, I leaned out from my stall to get a better look.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Armed men surrounded a small child with pale blond hair, who calmly walked down the center while observing his surroundings with obvious interest.
“Isn't that the heir of Marquis Castiano?”
“Why would someone like him come to a place like this...?”
“Probably visiting incognito. The street market in the North District should be wrapping up around this time anyway.”
Е́ nü ḿ а̀
I happened to overhear a merchant beside me discussing the matter with an acquaintance.
I didn't recognize the name Marquis Castiano, but a marquis was a great noble of exceptionally high rank. Though calling it an incognito visit seemed questionable considering the number of guards accompanying him, perhaps it made sense given that a noble heir was visiting a public market.
“Hey! He's starting to look at the stalls!”
The area became noisy again. Ignoring the commotion, the heir began inspecting the stalls one by one, starting from the first shop in Area 13.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The scene was simple enough: the heir of House Castiano would stop in front of a stall to examine the merchandise, while heavily armed guards surrounded him.
From a distance, it almost looked less like shopping and more like an intimidation operation. Still, every merchant desperately promoted the goods they had brought.
W̄е b n ŏ v̊.е̊l Е̌.ńūm̌ а̌
“Hmm, what kind of stall is this one?”
Area 13 of West Main Street was centered around a large fountain located at a crossroads connecting the northern and southern districts.
The stalls were arranged in a circle around the fountain, so the Castiano party was effectively making a complete circuit, examining every shop in turn.
“This stall offers some of the rarest goods in the world. We specialize primarily in sweets and games.”
The heir of House Castiano was a beautiful youth with pale blond hair and milky-white skin. His features were exceptionally refined, so androgynous that one could easily mistake him for either a boy or a girl.
As befitted a noble child, he wore clothing of a quality rarely seen among commoners. However, unlike nouveau riche social climbers who overloaded themselves with jewels and precious metals, his attire was elegant rather than gaudy.
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He looked about twelve or thirteen years old. In Japan, he'd probably be a middle-school student. Yet there was a mature composure about him that made him seem older than his years.
“Oh? You sell sweets?”
“Yes. They're called chocolate—a sweet confection with a rich aroma. Would you care to sample some?”
Perhaps because he was a noble, sweets were the first thing that caught his attention.
“Lord Rey, eating food from a commoner's stall... the Marquis would—”
“It's a little late to worry about that, isn't it? If Father says anything later, I'll explain it myself.”
Ẃe b n̆ о́v̊ е̊ l̈ E.n u ḿ а́
When I offered him a sample, Rey, the heir of House Castiano, seemed genuinely interested. His guards, on the other hand, looked decidedly uncomfortable. Some even glared at me as if to say, "Do you realize what you've done?"
“What is this sweet called?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“This is chocolate. It's made by crushing cacao beans and mixing them with sugar and vanilla before hardening it into a confection.”
The chocolate I had chosen as a sample wasn't one of the cheap varieties I'd considered selling before. It was premium chocolate purchased in Ginza.
Compared to before, I had considerably more money available now, so I figured that if I could bring the best, I should. I hadn't expected an opportunity to use it so soon.
“Hold the wrapper like this—yes, that's right. Then you eat it.”
W̌ ê b n о̃v̈e l Ẽ n ú m̀a
As a precaution, I first selected a chocolate from the box and tasted it myself in front of everyone.
...Yep. Still delicious.
Given that it cost several thousand yen per box and came from a luxury brand, it had a richness and sweetness unlike anything one normally experienced. It was the non-alcoholic variety, but the aroma was remarkably strong. I wondered whether that might be a problem.
“Well then, I'll try it.”
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With that, Rey took hold of the wrapped chocolate and popped it into his mouth.
