-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: You're Truly Ignorant
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Kuaaak!"
The sound of flesh bursting rang out, red blood spraying in all directions.
The woman standing before it welcomed the blood over her entire body, as if greeting rain falling from the sky.
Blood spread across her snow-white skin. Her crimson dress was dyed an even deeper, more vivid shade of red.
Yet even this thickly staining blood could not color her red eyes.
The woman gently licked the drop of blood at her lips, then spat on the floor with a furrowed brow.
"Truly... such a greedy taste."
With a slight nod, several shadowy figures emerged from the darkness.
They appeared without a sound, quietly gathering the lifeless corpse.
The woman flicked her finger lightly. The blood clinging to her body and dress slowly lost its color and vanished.
As if she had never been drenched in blood from the start, she stepped out the door without the slightest dishevelment, impeccably composed.
One of her subordinates waiting there bowed his head in greeting.
"I greet the Mistress."
"What is it?"
"By any chance... are you still having trouble sleeping?"
One of her eyebrows arched. Soon, a cold smile formed at her lips.
"You know that's obvious."
As her eyes gradually cooled, the man's face began to twist physically.
"Are you mocking me?"
"No. It's just... we seem to have found something that might serve as a small companion for your rest..."
Even amid the agony of his skin contorting, the man did not lose his composure.
"Speak."
"Lately, an incense sold in the empire has been all the rage. Everyone raves about its remarkable effects."
"Incense?"
"Yes. It's quite expensive, but it's already hugely popular among the nobles."
Her eyes slowly narrowed. She indifferently pointed one finger at the man.
"Cough—"
With just that light gesture, red blood streamed from the man's nose and eyes.
"After all that buildup, it's just incense?"
Blood surged from between his ears and lips as well.
"Urk... It doesn't seem like ordinary incense."
On the verge of death, the man tremblingly drew a finely wrapped leather box from his bosom and presented it to her.
"Pl-please... regain your composure..."
The woman let out a short, incredulous scoff.
He surely knew full well that mere incense couldn't lull her to sleep.
Yet his stubborn insistence, even staking his life on it, shifted her interest to the small incense in his hand.
She lifted it with half-curious eyes.
Bringing it close to her face, she slowly inhaled, gently closing her eyes.
"Hmm..."
Soon, an eerie yet beautiful smile curved her lips.
"The scent isn't bad."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Ugh."
A sudden chill swept over me, making my whole body tremble.
I scowled deeply and glared at Isabel, who was rolling around beside me.
"What's wrong, Bella?"
"...Did you just touch me?"
"Huh? No, I didn't. You hate being touched."
Seeing Isabel's puzzled expression, it didn't seem like she'd laid a hand on me.
Was it just my imagination, then? Shaking off the vague feeling, I focused back on the herbs in my hand.
"By the way, Bella, you haven't been going out to the streets much lately?"
"Ah... circumstances changed a bit."
After signing the contract, the herbs I could supply to the village were limited to five per day.
Not a huge quantity to begin with, and it was labor-intensive work. So I'd decided to stockpile a week's worth and sell them all at once.
That naturally meant fewer days out on the streets.
Plus, I had the rented temperature-control magic tool from the merchant, so I figured I'd put it to good use this time.
It was a bit worn for some reason, but the cooling and heating functions worked reliably enough—no real complaints.
"Did something good happen? Can't you whisper it just to your big sis?"
I hesitated at Isabel's eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Only Uncle Hans knew about the contract with the merchant.
If word reached the Director, it could spell all sorts of headaches. That's why I'd hidden the contract and the magic tool where no one could easily find them.
"No, it's fine if it's inconvenient to say."
Isabel flashed her usual mischievous smile and deftly changed the subject.
But in the corner of her eyes lingered a faint hurt she couldn't voice.
"Um... could you keep it secret from the Director?"
Isabel's brown eyes sparkled as she nodded vigorously.
"Of course! Why would I tell that woman?"
There was no real reason to hide it from Isabel.
Above all, I couldn't make the remedies without her help—she was practically my precious business partner.
Besides, she hated the Director just as much, so it should be fine.
"Truth is... about a month ago, my remedies got a contract."
"What? Really?"
"Yeah. I even have the contract paper."
Isabel's eyes widened, unable to hide her shock.
Well, anyone would be surprised to hear an eight-year-old had signed a contract.
"So half of what I make goes to the client."
"Wow... you're amazing, Bella."
Isabel's eyes shone as she heaped on the praise without holding back. Her words lifted my spirits before I knew it.
"But... how'd you get the Director's permission?"
"Huh?"
Her sudden mention of the Director threw me off.
"You have the contract, right? So you got her approval?"
"No. I signed it myself. With my fingerprint too."
"Huh?"
Isabel tilted her head, looking baffled.
"You signed the contract yourself?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"Uh, um..."
Isabel pondered deeply for a moment, hesitating, before cautiously speaking up.
"I don't know much about the law, but... under imperial law, you can't sign contracts until you're over fifteen."
"...What?"
"There are exceptions, sure. But I've heard they're extremely rare."
No way.
I'd definitely pressed my thumbprint and formally drawn up the contract with the merchant.
We each kept a copy, and I'd hidden mine away with the magic tool.
"Maybe I got it wrong. Anyway, it worked out, right, Bella?"
Isabel gave an awkward laugh and lightly smacked her own head.
Yeah. Isabel must've been mistaken.
Villagers like us rarely got proper lessons on imperial law.
She had to be wrong. No other explanation.
But why, then?
The small seed of unease planted deep in my chest showed no sign of fading.
On the contrary, it gnawed at me from within, slowly swelling its presence.
"...Senior, hold on a sec."
"Huh?"
Leaving my puzzled senior behind, I bolted into the hallway.
My frantic footsteps led to the one place here I least wanted to go.
I knocked twice on the door.
The Director's voice soon called from within, "Come in."
Steadying my trembling heart, I opened the door. The opulently decorated Director's office filled my view.
"Bella."
The Director welcomed me with an inscrutable smile.
Was it my imagination? She seemed to be wearing even more jewelry than before.
"What brings you here?"
"I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"If I want to sign a contract, how do I do it?"
She would know.
Even exiled to this remote village now, she had once been an imperial noble.
"You're truly ignorant."
A venomous smile played at the Director's lips.
"Until you turn fifteen, you can't sign any contract without my permission."
In that instant, my mind went blank.
Without a thought, I bolted out of the orphanage.
I pushed through the sparsely populated woods to the spot where I'd hidden my safe.
For a while, I carefully dug up the dry soil. Soon, the shovel tip hit something solid.
I lifted the cover and opened the box. Inside lay another small leather case.
I carefully opened it. A brooch with a green gem holding a faint glow caught my eye.
Seeing the gem eased my heart a little. I clutched the brooch to my chest like a lifeline.
『Soon enough, you'll realize I'm the lucky one in this deal.』
The merchant's offhand words suddenly resurfaced.
"No way."
I hadn't doubted much.
Neither the contract he offered.
Nor this brooch he gave me.
I'd accepted it all without suspicion.
His words to me, the warm affirmations calling me a fine merchant—they'd built the greatest trust of all, so I'd let my guard down completely.
Even though I knew better than to trust others so easily...
The long-forgotten warmth had unwittingly opened my heart.
I gripped the gem tightly.
It was a ways off, but a nearby village had a trader who dealt in all sorts of goods.
He might recognize it.
If I said the noble Director had introduced me, he wouldn't easily dismiss a child as lying.
Clutching my anxious, jittery heart, I set out cautiously.
I prayed those warm words of affirmation were not all lies.
Hoping against hope, I walked on endlessly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"What, bringing me a fake like this?"
"A fake?"
"This is Sabrite? Ridiculous. That gem wouldn't emit such powerless light."
The old man with wispy white hair tossed the gem back at me with an irritated expression.
"Coming so late at night... it's not even worth a hundred lune. Tsk."
His mocking tone stabbed at my ears.
At his words, my fists clenched tight.