I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 80

CHAPTER 80

“Is it someone’s birthday?”

A week had passed since Elam’s visit.

As I continued my practice of not working diligently, not studying, and avoiding stress, I looked at Liena.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

She nodded lightly.

“Tomorrow is Betty’s birthday.”

“Oh, really.”

I turned my body halfway on the couch, where I had been lying down reading a novel.

“We should do something then!”

Liena smiled as if she had expected my response.

Then she approached me and lowered her voice.

Since there were only two of us in the room anyway.

“I talked to the mansion staff about this matter.”

“And?”

“I thought about throwing a surprise party that day.”

A surprise party!

My eyes lit up.

Yeah, why should all the incidents involving me be grave?

Things like this, small and enjoyable, should happen too.

I adjusted my posture and turned towards Liena.

“I agree.”

A surprise party sounds great. I nodded, then widened my eyes.

“So, there was a large order of ingredients this time.”

Didn’t the head chef come to me saying he wanted to order more stuff?

It seemed like the plan had been quietly in motion since then.

“Yes, the head chef is currently negotiating to get the ingredients Betty likes.”

Great, that’s great.

I smiled.

Then I realized something.

Gifts.

The highlight and necessity of the party were gifts.

“Liena, have you prepared a gift?”

“Yes, I prepared a ribbon she mentioned wanting.”

“What did others prepare?”

“Some prepared lace, others prepared novels, simple foods, and study pens and papers.”

Liena listed various items.

But each gift seemed to carry the thought of Betty.

Our Betty, loved by others as well?

Well, who would dislike someone like Betty, bright and talented?

“Uh-huh.”

I hummed, blinking.

What should I give her?

‘There are many things but…’

Since the last time I was sick, there were still piles of gifts everywhere.

Each one was valuable, so I couldn’t just give them to Betty as they were…

“Liena.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Let’s go out for a moment.”

I remembered something good to buy.

* * *

“This is the Byron shopping street.”

Liena pointed to the spacious shopping street.

“It’s the biggest shopping street in the capital. It’s close to the port, so you can find interesting items.”

Large shops lined both sides of the main street.

People were bustling around, buying and selling goods.

“I’ve never seen such a big shopping street before.”

I smiled at Liena.

“Have you only seen Miller’s shop?”

I nodded at Liena’s question.

I rarely left the palace, and even when I did, I hardly remembered.

And I had only been to the shopping street twice, both times to go to Miller’s shop.

‘The place where Miller’s shop was located wasn’t so much a shopping district as it was a residential area, so there wasn’t much of an atmosphere.’

But here was different.

Numerous shops, various goods, and even merchants and people bustled around the area.

I knew in my head that the capital of the Pandelion Empire gathered all sorts of goods.

But seeing it with my own eyes was a first. 

Back when I was in the early days of the Pandelion Empire, there wasn’t even a shopping district like this.

Just having a small market would have been a cause for celebration.

‘It must have flourished since the Good Empress’ time.’

Didn’t the current emperor, when he was still a prince, establish trade routes?

“Shall we go, Liena?”

“Yes, my lady.”

Today, we came to explore the market while buying a gift for Betty.

So, I wore ordinary clothes and changed my title.

I started walking down the street with Liena.

The energy was overflowing from all directions.

“Four silver coins for pearls from Velbartro!”

“We’re returning to our homeland tomorrow! So, today only, today only, this price!!“

“The boss has gone mad!! Ah, the boss has gone mad!”

…Are they still using those old marketing lines?

I used to say those things even when I worked at the top.

‘But there are so many interesting things to see.’

I hummed a little tune while looking around.

I didn’t expect window shopping to be this fun.

My heart was pounding.

Liena also looked around and quietly asked.

“My lady, do you have any other items in mind for a gift?”

“Yeah, I picked one, but I want to see other things too. Let’s start with gloves and a bonnet…”

As I counted the gift candidates with my fingers, someone stood in front of me.

‘Who is it?’

As soon as I raised my head, my face wrinkled.

Light brown hair and blue eyes that reminded me of someone.

It was Eben Floyd.

“Hello, Your-.”

Before Eben could greet me, he smiled as if he had discovered something.

“Lady.”

He’s quick on the uptake.

He understood my intentions by seeing me in different attire than usual and with only one maid.

“Nice to see you after a long time.”

Young Marquis Floyd was also dressed inconspicuously today.

I also omitted the title.

“Yes, it’s been a while since that day.”

‘But why did he start the conversation?’

Surely on the day of the ball, he would have been as proud as ever.

After the ball, I heard a few rumors about Lord Floyd from the servants who came to learn writing.

And my expectations were not wrong.

“Hmm, he’s a very noble person…”

“Every time he comes to the palace, it’s scary. Even a small mistake leads to a big commotion.”

“He’s one of the people with the most rumors in the palace.”

“At a previous hunting competition, Lord Floyd missed the victory, and since then, the servants of Lord Floyd have had swollen palms.”

‘Trash.’

To be exact, it was dog trash with nothing but pride.

What in the world had I seen in the past that made me like a guy who beat people up in anger?

Shell?

Anyway, wouldn’t it rot when it dies?

But somehow, the trash’s mouth twitched at the interpretation of my gaze.

“But, what’s happening here?”

“I’m here for a reason. Goodbye then.”

I don’t even want to deal with it anymore.

I tried to pass by quickly.

But-.

“Please wait a moment, lady.”

This guy blocked my way again.

“Can you spare me a moment of your time?”

“No.”

“Just a moment.”

I was restrained again.

The good feeling I had just a moment ago was hitting rock bottom in real time.

…Should I just bury it in the ground?

Did he notice my mood sinking?

I felt Liena behind me struggling.

“Phew.”

I need to hear the matter quickly and get rid of it.

“So what’s the matter?”

As soon as I agreed to listen, the young Marquis smiled brightly.

Don’t smile, it makes me want to hit you.

“I wanted to give you a gift, lady.”

“A gift?”

“Yes, you were ill a few days ago.”

Eben looked pained.

If someone had seen it, it was a beautiful face that would make them sigh.

But in my eyes, it just looked like trash writhing.

“I wanted to send a gift then, but I couldn’t.”

“….”

“…I am a sinner to you, lady.”

I feel it.

Liena, who raised a 9-year-old boy and never once had her face twisted, feels it too…!

But I’m the same, so I forced a wry smile.

“Lady, I realized that day.”

He, who doesn’t seem to realize in this direction, continued.

“What I lacked was the courage to approach you.”

It’s not courage that’s lacking, it’s character, you bastard.

“I realized only when you turned your back to me….”

I shook my head.

I no longer had the patience to see him begging like a man in a novel regretting.

But again, however it was interpreted, a bitter smile appeared on Eben’s face for a moment.

“I brought something to give to you as an apology.”

Saying that, he pulled out something from his pocket.

It was a small box that could contain jewelry.

“Would you please accept this, lady?”

He opened the box and handed it to me.

I was about to hit him with it.

“Huh?”

As soon as I saw what was inside, I froze.

No, why is this coming out here?!