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As Etienne stopped his hand and looked at Simon, he realized that Simon wasn’t making baseless claims.

“Do you know about that? Lady Dahlia… she eats steak every morning. She devours two pieces of steak without leaving a trace and then asks for dessert. Chocolate pudding, cream-topped croissants, pecan pie… She consumes a wide variety of items in an instant.”

“And what’s strange about that? Maybe she just has a big appetite. Are you jealous and talking about this now?”

“No! I know you don’t care, but Lady Dahlia has never eaten a full meal before. She has always expressed a dislike for feeling full and would only have a few apple slices for breakfast. But that’s not all. When choosing a dress for the banquet, she… she…”

Simon lowered his voice as if hesitant to bring up something significant.

“She said she dislikes anything too dull…!”

“That can’t be true.”

“That’s what I’m saying. It’s really strange, isn’t it?”

Etienne sighed as he handed over his shirt, glancing away. No matter how much he disliked it, Dahlia was still his wife. Simon couldn’t speak ill of her so casually.

Simon also realized this and lowered his head.

“I apologize. I misspoke…”

Upon hearing the apology, Etienne withdrew his sharp gaze.

“Never mind, go on. What other act is she putting on?”

“It didn’t seem like an act. It felt genuine. Since her return, she hasn’t uttered a single harsh word or raised a hand against the maids. She treats me with such impeccable manners, it’s almost chilling. And she even insisted on going personally to buy the dress. I tried to dissuade her, saying everything was already booked, but she mentioned knowing a boutique that might have something…”

Looking back over the past year, she always wore dark clothing. It seemed like she had no interest in the fashionable clothes or accessories of high society.

But suddenly, she claimed to know a boutique.

Etienne’s lip curled up slightly.

That can’t be true. It was clear that she was trying to dispose of hidden items. Or perhaps she was planning secret meetings with someone.

Seeing through the obvious, Etienne chuckled.

“Where on earth would Dahlia know a boutique?”

“I’m going too.”

“Where to?”

“The boutique.”

“Yes? Why are you going there?”

“To help her choose clothes, of course.”

“Huh?”

Simon blinked innocently.

* * *

As the carriage rattled along, I felt a surge of excitement. 

I didn’t expect to be granted permission, but surprisingly, Etienne readily agreed and now I am on my way to the boutique.

When asked where to go, I simply said anywhere would be fine, and suggested going to a place where shabby shops gathered.

Thanks to that, the carriage aimlessly wandered the streets. 

All I knew was that the boutique was somewhere in the southern vicinity. Who remembers the name of a boutique while reading a novel? It was something like “Ro… Ro something.”

Ah, who knows. What good does it do to worry? Sophie stumbled upon it by chance, so I’ll stumble upon it too.

Resigned, I focused on observing the outside scenery.

Everything that caught my eye was fascinating. The clear air, the smoke rising from the chimneys of houses, even the lively laughter coming from the alleys—it all felt like stepping into a game.

After spending the whole day wandering the streets, Penny, with a troubled expression, finally spoke.

“We’ve explored all the nearby areas. Where should we go now?”

“Have you really covered everything?”

“To the west, there is a similar town, but the distance is far, and the sun will set before we arrive.”

“I guess extras like me don’t get protagonist buffs after all?”

“What?”

“Never mind, but hey, are there any shops in those narrow alleys?”

The tip of my finger pointed to a very small alley. It was so narrow that even a carriage would struggle to pass through.

“Well, there are some shops there, but they’re unlikely to have a boutique.”

“Then let’s check them out too.”

“You want to go there? Those shady places can be dangerous. Besides, it’s highly unlikely to find a boutique in such a shabby area… How about choosing from designer Pierre’s clothes right now?”

“It’s fine. I’m not going alone, and we have the escort knights, right?”

“But…”

“Oh, you don’t trust me? Stop complaining and stop the carriage.”

I chuckled confidently.

As I stepped out of the carriage, the bustling sounds and smells of the lively town became vividly real. I was excited to explore every nook and cranny of the alleys.

I haven’t even traveled abroad, let alone within the country, but here I am, experiencing a fictional journey. I’m a true winner.

I linked my arm with Penny’s and grinned.

“Exciting, isn’t it?”

“Ahaha, yes…”

Penny also smiled awkwardly. Despite the awkwardness, we continued walking through the streets. The experience of seeing the scenery up close was a different kind of thrill. We moved our steps into the alley while listening to the conversations of passersby.

After walking for a while, Penny spoke up.

“Lady Dahlia, it feels too dark here. Let’s try another alley instead.”

I looked around again in response to her words. It seemed like we had ventured too deep, and my attention had been diverted.

The shops became scarce and scattered, and the alleyways that lacked sunlight were dimly lit.

“Yeah, if we pass through places like this, troublemakers always seem to appear out of nowhere…”

“Hey there, ladies.”

Right. Saying shit like that…

Dirty-looking men blocked the way ahead. There were five of them, with short beards, long beards, brown beards, black beards, and red beards.

Bearded brothers, what’s wrong?

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