“Why!”

 

Has this money-loving person gone crazy?

 

A door-to-door vendor, who loves money and would sell all kinds of information and goods for the sake of money, actually rejected money!

 

If she clearly understood ‘ch11’ but was unwilling to sell it, it’s no different from saying that using cheats wouldn’t work.

 

‘Why? Is it because I’m a supporting character?’

 

However, <Zenon’s Heart> was a magic item that Marquis Velks created after he bought a <Mana Centrifuge> from a door-to-door vendor.

 

If she said that Heloise couldn’t purchase it because she wasn’t Sienna, that would purely be a lie.

 

“Don’t you know?”

 

“I’m asking because I don’t know!”

 

Heloise grew impatient.

 

If the door-to-door vendor didn’t have ch11, she would have to go on a <Dungeon Expedition> and meet The Dragon of the Lark Valley.

 

The Dragon? Dragon?

 

That wasn’t as ridiculous as a cheat.

 

If she was willing to, Sienna, who had magic training or knight training, could participate in the <Dungeon Expedition>, while extras such as Heloise and other young ladies dominated the parties and occasionally appeared in the <Concour>.

 

The door-to-door vendor stared at Heloise’s hand, which was holding the purse, and opened her mouth.

 

“Then you’re the key to creating unnecessary trouble.”

 

“What?”

 

“A kid like you buying cheats? What kind of antics are you up to?”

 

“……”

 

Upon hearing her words, Heloise dropped the pouch in her hand.

 

Along with a “Clang!”, the gold in the pouch fell to the ground and rolled around.

 

‘Key?’

 

The woman’s gaze was staring straight into Heloise’s eyes.

 

Flustered, Heloise shied away from her gaze.

 

“What does that mean?”

 

She narrowed her eyes as if she could see through Heloise, and her lips curled up in an ominous smile.

 

“I can’t believe that you’re walking around the world so openly, unlike your kinsfolk. You have quite a big liver.”

[T/N: having a big liver means to be daring and bold]

 

“Kinsfolk…?”

 

Heloise’s family, the Viscounty of Lorca, were active in society.

 

“That’s not it.”

 

As if she knew Heloise’s thoughts were heading in the wrong direction, the door-to-door vendor denied it.

 

“Then what are you talking about?”

 

“Don’t you know about your birth.”

 

The only thing she knew about Heloise’s birth was that she’s an orphan abandoned at St. Thalia monastery.

 

‘Even so, they’re my kinsfolk?’

 

Even though she was adopted, just like how Heloise’s family would only be the family of the Lorca Viscounty, if she had kinsfolk, it would be the Viscount Lorca couple and not her biological parents.

 

Her words should have been dismissed as nonsense, but the door-to-door vendor was someone that knew many things, so it bothered Heloise.

 

When Heloise stepped back warily, the door-to-door vendor looked at her ambiguously and left behind a sentence.

 

“I’ll give you a piece of advice, you’d better not expose your presence to those who covet you.”

 

As she said that, her expression while looking at Heloise was filled with disgust, as if she were looking at a bug.

 

⋄────∘°❃°∘────⋄

 

After her outing to the square ended in vain, Heloise’s expression when returning was so strange that everyone at home asked her what had happened.

 

It continued all the way till Tuesday night, and it was a mess overall. Wednesday morning dawned upon her.

 

It was the day she would go to Zenon.

 

When she woke up in the morning, the maids seemed excited for some reason.

 

“Did something happen?”

 

When Heloise asked the maid that was combing her hair, she shook her head.

 

Just then the maid that was choosing a hairpin beside her poked her in the ribs with a laugh.

 

“It’s nothing much, my lady. Apparently, she’ll be meeting her boyfriend for a date during the Founding Festival.”

 

“Founding Festival?”

 

“Hey! Why are you saying that? Didn’t I say that it’s a secret!”

 

The maid that was arranging her hair slapped the back of the maid that’s choosing a hairpin.

 

The maid laughed despite the beating, and hurriedly continued to tease her.

 

“There’s a tree-lined street in front of the Felipe Bridge, right? Recently, the spring flowers there have been blooming, and it seemed like it would all bloom during the Founding Festival. Walking down a tree-lined street with spring flowers with your lover is no different from being the Flower Maiden.”

 

At that, the cheeks of the maid that was arranging her hair, flushed red like a flower.

 

Her troubled feelings were displayed on her frowning forehead, but thinking about it made her happy and she lost control over the corners of her mouth

 

“Don’t say that. The Flower Maiden this year will be our Young Lady Heloise.”

 

“Ah, I’m not going out for that.”

 

“What?”

 

The maids’ eyes widened, and Heloise waved her hands with a serene smile.

 

The Flower Maiden was a contest to select the most beautiful noble lady of the year, and simply put, the winner was determined by the person with the highest [Charm] stat.

 

Her mother asked if she wanted to participate, but Heloise refused.

 

As the [Charm] stat goes up when dancing or studying, so usually before watching the ending, those that were seventeen or eighteen were more likely to be chosen

 

Heloise didn’t want to participate and become a second fiddle when there’s no possibility of her being selected, and neither did she want to participate and stand out in such a tiring event.

 

“But aren’t you old enough to participate starting from this year?”

 

“I can participate from this year onwards, but that doesn’t mean that I’ll get the first place.”

 

“Oh, my! Getting the first place isn’t everything.”

 

The maid exclaimed that it’s regrettable, but it’s a carriage that had already passed by and river water that had already flown away.

 

Heloise shrugged her shoulders with an expression like nothing had happened and leaned back on the chair.

 

In any case, Zenon wouldn’t care if she was wearing a straw mat or gold, but the maids in particular were always troubled.

 

She was feeling bored while being attended to by the maids.

 

Heloise pointed at something that was eye-catching.

 

“Oh, and…”

 

It was a bracelet that was protruding out of the overflowing jewellery box.

 

“I want to wear this, too.”

 

“That’s unexpected. Didn’t you say that you don’t like wearing earrings or bracelets because they’re cumbersome?”

 

“I’ve been liking things like this these days.”

 

The bracelet in question had protective magic and she had received it as a birthday gift from a relative when she was a child.

 

Feeling uncomfortable due to the door-to-door vendor’s tone, which seemed to imply that something was going to happen to her, Heloise noticed the bracelet that she normally wouldn’t have given a second glance.

 

The maid that was starting to adorn Heloise saw her as a little sister and doted on her, and wanted to help her put on the bracelet.

 

But Heloise snatched the bracelet from her.

 

“No, I’ll wear it.”

 

‘This should make it safer.’

 

Though she didn’t like the simple and slightly tacky design of a large gem embedded in the center of a thick ring, there’s nothing she could do.

 

She didn’t believe everything that the door-to-door vendor said, but at the very least, she didn’t need to ignore the warnings given, right?

 

She needed to be careful about everything.

 

Yeah, it’s because of that.

 

Arriving at Langbert Mansion after being adequately adorned, Heloise naturally visited Zenon’s room and was greeted with an empty room.

 

“What?”

 

“Miss! The Young Master isn’t currently in his room.”

 

The maid, who was a step late, guided Heloise.

 

“Then? Why is he at another place today?”

 

“Today…”

 

The maid blurted out her words while she was talking.

 

“He’s in the rose maze.”

 

Ah. Heloise could guess Zenon’s mood today.

 

But why?

 

There’s no reason for Zenon to be upset. There’s no reason for him to stay there when he clearly knew that Heloise would be coming over.

 

The maid muttered quickly in a low voice, as if she was answering Heloise’s question.

 

“Before Miss arrived, the Marquis of Velks visited.”

 

“I see…”

 

How coincidental. The Marquis of Velks must have bothered Zenon.

 

That mister really has nothing better to do, to visit and dig at his nephew before leaving practically everyday.

 

That’s the nephew who took everything from me.

 

He shouldn’t be doing that if he had a conscience.

 

Well, if he had a conscience, he wouldn’t have stolen Zenon’s place in the first place.

 

Upon hearing the maid’s worried remark to take good care of the young master, Heloise nodded and entered the rose labyrinth.

 

She strode in and spotted a dry fountain soon after.

 

Heloise was worried that he’s using magic again, but it’s fortunate that that wasn’t the case.

 

Zenon sat on the fountain and quietly stared at the bottom of the dry fountain.

 

“Zenon.”

 

“…….”

 

Zenon looked back without saying a word.

 

The gaze that met hers was lifeless.

 

This kid, did he get discouraged after meeting his annoying uncle?

 

“Why are you here?”

 

“……”

 

“You didn’t use magic, did you? You’d better be careful if you don’t want to eat apple soup.”

 

“……”

 

It doesn’t seem to be the usual dejection.

 

Heloise had no choice but to take a seat beside Zenon and bring up the topic of the Founding Festival by herself.

 

“What do you usually do during the Founding Festival?”

 

“Stay at home.”

 

It was the first answer he’d given.

 

“Why?”

 

“Because there’s nothing to do.”

 

“Why does Young Lord Lionerik… Oh.”

 

Zenon, who’s the successor of his family, had to attend important national events such as the ‘Founding Festival’.

 

But the fact that he’s here? In his home, the Langbert Mansion?

 

Heloise realised that she had made a slip of the tongue.

 

It was not that Zenon didn’t go because he had nothing to do, but because he’s trapped here.

 

Heloise naturally came to a conclusion with the maid’s report that the Marquis of Velks visited

 

The Duke of Lionerik’s vacancy was probably filled by the Marquis of Velks.

 

He’s probably here to tell his nephew about it, and also to jab at him while he’s here.

 

Zenon was right to be in a bad mood.

 

“I see. So you’d stay at home.”

 

“……”

 

Zenon remained silent again.

 

The spring weather was warm, but there was a chilly breeze that swept through the rose maze.

 

It was pretty dreary.

 

As she looked at Zenon, who was staring at the dry fountain, a thought suddenly occurred to Heloise, so she raised this suggestion.

 

“I’ll be at home that day, too”

 

“Why would you? Aren’t you going to participate in the Flower Maiden contest?”

 

“Haha. Why would I become the Flower Maiden? There are a lot of other sisters, too. Anyways, if you’re going to be at home, how about going out together?”

[T/N: They’re going on their first date AHH omg >.<]

 

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