As Long As You Are Happy

‘So, she wasn’t planning on hiding it like some secret and told her the truth.’

The viscountess glanced at the flustered Irina as though wondering if Delphia was really serious and Irina immediately nodded her head in spite of herself. 

Because though she was flustered, nothing could change the fact that Irina wanted to head downtown. 

“I’m just expressing my thoughts. Knowledge? It’s important. It indeed is. But it would be better if Irina could experience everything she learns in person. At least, that’s what I think.”

Delphia’s eyes shone. 

“Don’t you agree, madam? No matter how knowledgeable she is, I personally believe that she would have to experience carrying gold coins and buying things with them firsthand at least once.”

“That’s true but…”

The viscountess began to argue.

“Wouldn’t her knowledge only truly shine through when she applies it? That’s all I’m suggesting and since we are on the topic! If she could go downtown, buy some things, play around a little and eat some delicious things today…”

“Enough.”

The Viscountess of Alphington covered Delphia’s mouth before she could make any more noise. 

“I got it.”

Still, she sighed and nodded as though finding some sense in Delphia’s words. 

“Then, shall we head downtown this afternoon?”

Irina never thought it would work but it did!

Irina nodded with a spark in her eyes. 

As though finding Irina adorable, the viscountess let out a small smile. 

“Alright, well then, Miss Irina, please head upstairs and change into your outdoor clothes. I shall go and get the duke’s permission.”

His grace, the duke. 

Just as she was about to head to her room, Irina stopped when he was brought up in their conversation. 

Was the duke here?

“Dame Delphia, could I ask for your escort?”

“Of course. I’ll go inform the head coachman…”

“Well, could the duke come along as well?”

It had been a few days since the charity auction.

But Irina had not caught even a glimpse of the duke after that day.

However, she heard that the emperor had been frequently summoning the duke to the Imperial Palace for the past few days to the point it seemed as though the duke was living there.

And since they were already heading downtown, Irina thought it would be nice if he came with them. 

“Would that be too difficult?”

“Well.”

The viscountess and Delphia glanced at each other as if they felt troubled by Irina’s suggestion.

“That will probably be difficult. The duke has been working very hard lately. Still, should we try asking him?”

“Oh, nevermind.”

Irina shook her head.

“We can’t make busy people busier. If that’s the case, let me go change my clothes.”

Immediately climbing up the stairs, she rushed into her room, closed the door behind her and caught her breath.

“…..”

Why did she ask if the duke could accompany her?

She knew he was busy. 

‘Did I make myself look too needy for no reason?’

Recalling how troubled the viscountess and Delphia looked earlier, Irina was a little embarrassed. 

‘I just thought it would be nice if he could come along.’

She felt a little disappointed. 

Not any more or less.

***

“We’ve arrived.”

The coachman announced their arrival downtown.

Wow, Irina’s eyes widened when she pulled the curtains back to look out the carriage windows. 

‘We’re really downtown.’

Walking along the smooth stone roads, the clothes the passersby were wearing looked nowhere near dirty or ripped. 

The shops were neatly lined along the street and she could see people dressed in beautiful clothes enjoying tea on their terraces. 

This place looked completely different from the slums where dirty people sporting squalid clothes would giggle to themselves when they see women in rags along the muddy roads. 

This was a completely different world. 

“Miss Irina, watch your step.”

Even after coming down the steps of the carriage while using the hand Delphia offered for support, Irina could stop herself from gawking at her surroundings. 

“Could you wait here while getting something for yourself to eat? I plan for us to return before dinner.”

“Alright, then I shall wait for you here, madam.”

After handing the coachman some coins, the Viscountess of Alphington approached the two.

“Well, where shall we visit first? Do either of you have anywhere you’d like to go first?”

“I’ve been wanting to drop by Bill’s weapons store but what about you, Miss Irina?”

“I’m not sure.”

She didn’t even know what stores there were here because this was her first time downtown. 

“Then, is there anything you wish to buy? Or is there anything you need?”

Anything she needed… 

Even back when she lived in that inn in the slums, all she wanted was enough time for her to sleep and food. 

Or clothes that would fit her measurements. 

But now she was already wearing pretty clothes and getting enough sleep.

This was enough for her.

“I don’t think there is.”

“Then, what would you like to eat? There is delicious food in the restaurant there and tasty desserts in the tea houses over there.”

Irina shook her head again. 

It was thanks to Mister Bayden that she never had anything to complain about when it came to her food. 

“We–ell.”

Tilting her head with a groan, Delphia’s eyes sparkled as though she realised something. 

“Ah! Then should we go search for what Miss Irina might like?”

What she liked.

She had many things she liked.

Warm stew, the sight of the sky after dawn and before the morning came, having many books to read, the kind people of the Winfried estate and the duke.

“…..”

Irina nodded.

Thinking she succeeded, Delphia’s expression lit up. 

“Well then, where should we visit first?”

“… I would like to visit a bookstore.”

“A bookstore is a good idea! Shall we visit the biggest one here first?”

“Since we’ve come all the way here, I should check whether any new textbooks have arrived.”

Knowing the way, Delphia and the Viscountess of Alphington walked ahead of her. 

And Irina slowly followed after the two. 

With the thought that it was a shame that the duke did not come along as well lingering in the back of her mind. 

To sum it up, their visit to the bookstore was a disappointment.

“Ah, I was wondering where he bought so many books from!”

Grumbling, Delphia dropped the packages that contained the various items they had bought so far atop the terrace of a teahouse.

“I never expected the one behind it to be the duke himself!”

Irina grinned softly when she overheard Delphia grumbling to herself. 

In whichever bookstore they visited, the bookshelves were empty. Several of them had even locked their doors, announcing that they were closed for the day.

It was to the point people might mistake the bookstores for furniture shops specialising in bookshelves.

Eventually, Delphia could not stop herself from questioning the owner of the fifth bookstore they visited.

“What’s with the bookstores in the capital nowadays? Why are all their bookshelves empty?”

“Hm? Didn’t you know?”

The owner of the bookstore answered Delphia nonchalantly. 

“The Duke of Winfried had recently bought all the books in the capital. I had been worried because our sales had been down but thanks to him, we’re in the green.”

“Urgh, why didn’t I know that?”

Delphia pulled at her hair to express her frustration at how much time she had wasted.

Irina patted Delphia’s back. 

“But at least we got to visit many other stores and shopped as much as we wanted.”

After finally deciding to stop wasting their time trying at the fifth bookstore, the three travelled ,from shop to shop along the street to look around and bought a ton of things along the way. 

And she had a lot of fun too.

“It is thanks to you, Dame Delphia, that I learned that my favourite colour is blue.”

It was on that day did Irina learn that she had a preference towards certain colours.

‘Come to think of it, the dress I wear the most often is blue in colour.’

It was either that or the white dress embroidered with blue flowers. 

Also, when she thought about it more, she realised that she would often look up at the sky whenever she was frustrated.

“That might be true, but no matter how I think about it, you have too few desires, Miss Irina! It’d be nice if you could be a little greedier!”

“Haha.”

“Just look at yourself!”

Hng, Delphia slammed her forehead against the table with a whine before raising her head.

“Hold on, Viscountess Alphington. Were you aware, madam?”

“I was. Because the duke already mentioned that he bought all the books in the capital.”

After having ordered some tea from the waiter, the Viscountess of Alphington smiled.

“But I didn’t think that he meant it literally.”

“…..”

She could not bring herself to say anything. Delphia scoffed and bit her lips. 

“Ha, who would have thought that he actually bought out all the bookstores? I thought he would only buy a reasonable number of books.”

Hearing Delphia, the Viscountess of Alphington nodded her head.

And Irina smiled to herself awkwardly. 

‘No wonder I found it strange.’

She had always wondered what was going on. Books she had never touched before disappeared at some point and new books took their place. 

She thought it was the viscountess who had been caring for her but it had been the duke all along. 

A question suddenly popped up in her mind. 

“Well, what happened to the rest of the books? Some of the books from before must still remain.”

Although her study may be large, it could not possibly hold all the books in the capital.

“Ah, about that.”

As she received the tea handed to her by the server, Delphia spoke. 

“He had them donated to orphanages and academies. So that the children there can read them as much as they like.”

After giving her reply, Delphia downed her share of iced tea in one mouth before getting up.

“Then, I shall bring our packages to the carriage now.”

She lifted the packages at her feet at one go. 

“It’ll be annoying and cumbersome to carry these around for the rest of the time.”

It so happened that they were sitting in a teahouse situated near the square where the carriage had been parked. Irina asked. 

“Do you need any help, Dame?”

The dress shops, street vendors and weapon stores. 

They had stopped by so many stores that the packages must have been very heavy. 

“It’s alright. These might look big but the packages are not heavy.”

Delphia grinned as she flashed a wink. 

“You two can rest. I’ll go visit another store in the meantime. Even if I don’t have the time to do it today, I have to check those three places.”

Replying playfully, Delphia lifted all the packages with ease before disappearing into the square.

“Uhm, pardon me.”

Not long after Delphia left, a lady approached them and spoke.

Who was she? Irina could only blink.

“Are you perhaps, Wendell Alphington?”

“Benny?”

As they scanned the other’s faces, the eyes of both women grew at the same time. 

“Oh my god, dear heavens!”

“I never thought we’d meet here like this!”

Talking to an old acquaintance, Viscountess Alphington smiled as brightly as a little girl.

“How many years has it been?”

“It’s been over five years. We didn’t manage to catch each other when we were in Beryl.”

“Right, we didn’t.”

Ah, smiling as she spoke, the Viscountess of Alphington suddenly widened her eyes.

“Oh, something must have come over me. I should have introduced you two to each other first. This is the Lady of Count Leonid, Lady Leonid and the student I am currently teaching.”

This time, the viscountess turned towards Irina. 

“Lady Leonid, this is my good friend, Viscountess Benny Marselt.”

‘Oh, what’s going on?’

Irina blinked at her spot.

For some reason, after she was introduced, the viscountess’ eyes flitted around anxiously.