Chapter 26: 26

Strolling in the Royal Capital

Sheila and her friends proceeded on the cobblestone pavement.

The goal was to get to a store where sweets were sold by weight. Zechs, who had no interest in sweets, was following at the end of the line, despite his dissatisfaction.

Cody tilted his head when he noticed Sheila staring down at the gray cobblestones.

“You find the cobblestones interesting? The stores around here are interesting, too, selling all kinds of things, you know? Look, there are even street performers in front of the fountain in the square.”

“Yeah, it’s amazing. When I was traveling by carriage to the capital, I was amazed at how well paved the streets were. In other cities, the carriages were so bumpy that I sometimes hit my head against the window.”

In contrast, when she returned to Felix’s place for the weekend, she recalled that she didn’t notice any bumps.

“I don’t know much about it because I have never left the capital, but I have heard that the former king had the lords of other territories thoroughly improve the roads. But since there are differences between rich and poor in each territory, the budgets spent on road maintenance may have differed.”

Come to think of it, she remembered on the road trip that the clothing and body shape of the territory’s people were surprisingly different depending on the territory. Felix also told her that it depends on whether the territory was rich or not, but she had no idea that it affected even these things.

“It doesn’t matter, so hurry up and finish shopping. Look, I can see it now.”

Zechs jerked his chin as if to say there it was, and ahead of him was a colorful store that looked like a toy box.

“Whoa.”

An unusual circular window on the outer wall with pink and light blue stripes. Sheila approached as if she were being sucked in.

The pastry store had an array of unusual sweets even in the building’s frontage.

Huge sticks of bread and pies in the shape of hats. Ribbon-shaped cookies were glistening with strawberry jam and marmalade on the surface.

The interior of the store was like a different world once you stepped inside.

On either side of the narrow aisle were colorful sweets. There were fluffy candies called marshmallows and chocolates. In particular, there were many kinds of candies. Red, yellow, and a wide variety of shapes made her heart dance just by looking at them. If she bought as many as she could, she would go bankrupt.

“You’re really like a woman, so bright-eyed for something sweet. Seriously, be careful not to be targeted by strange men.”

“It’s okay. I’m a man among men, aren’t I?”

She nodded back firmly and turned around to find a bag of cookies in his arms as well.

“Huh? Are you buying some too, Zechs?”

“This is souvenirs. For Arin-chan.”

“Hmph. You’re working quite hard, aren’t you?”

She didn’t expect Zechs to buy sweets after being in such a hurry. Cody smiled wryly at his friend’s shrewdness.

Sheila noticed that in one corner of the store, there were other items for sale besides sweets. Square tea canisters were neatly lined up.

“Souvenirs….?”

After pondering for a moment, she called for an employee. She didn’t know what kind of tea leaves to buy, so she chose one with a less astringent taste and also some amber honey to go with it.

She paid the bill for the cookies, florentines, and madeleines filled with seasonal fruit. She’d spent about half of her allowance all at once, but she managed to have enough to go to the diner.

Sheila left the store with a big smile on her face.

“Looks like you got what you wanted.”

“Yes! Oh, and there’s another place I want to stop by. Will you go with me?”

“Ehhh, I’m already hungry.”

Zechs rubbed his stomach with a frown. He seemed to be really hungry, and his appearance was somewhat melancholy.

Cody also checked the clock in the square and made a difficult face.

“Well….. if it’s quick, it might be okay, but if we’re going to the diner, it’s going to be just before curfew. Do you already know what you’re going to buy?”

“I’m going to the diner! That’s my final decision!”

Zechs was absolutely adamant about not giving in, and he moved his face closer to hers.

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She was able to relax today only because he invited her, and she had no intention of breaking their original schedule and being selfish.

“Hmm. I want to choose carefully, so I think I won’t do it today. I’ve been thinking about it, and I don’t think I can afford it anyway.”

“Really? I’m sorry Zechs was so selfish. I’ll go shopping with you again next time.”

“Thank you, Cody.”

The three of them started walking again. This time, Zechs was leading the way with great enthusiasm.

The streets were very beautiful as the sun began to set, with the bricks turning a beautiful shade of red. She was so engrossed in the cobblestones earlier that she didn’t notice the various stores lining both sides of the street.

The store with the hanging intestines was a butcher shop. Some stores sold lots of jars. She wondered what that store, crowded with young girls, was selling.

Sheila, who had been looking around with a sense of curiosity, suddenly stopped. Her friends, who should have been walking in front of her all along, were nowhere to be seen. Realizing that she had been left alone in a place she wasn’t familiar with, Sheila turned pale at once.

‘W-What should I do?’

She looked to her right and left, but she didn’t see any familiar faces. She ran down the road she had been on, thinking that they might just be ahead of her, but she couldn’t see Cody and Zechs.

‘I-I’m lost…. I’m old enough to know better….’

Was there someplace like a refuge for lost children? Or should they have decided in advance on a prominent building as a landmark in case one of them got lost?

‘If I stay in the candy shop, maybe they will come back.’

But in a case like this, some people said it was a standard rule not to move from the spot.

Passersby would give her a disapproving look if she stopped in the middle of the street, so Sheila moved to the end of the street. There was a little girl there, looking equally crestfallen.

She looked as if she was about to start crying at any moment. Considering the fact that there was no one nearby who looked like a guardian, the child was clearly lost.

Even though they were both lost, Sheila was much older. Well, she had the thought that it would work out somehow, so she immediately called out to the child.

“What’s wrong? Did you lose your mother?”

The girl’s face distorted as if she was about to cry. Sheila smiled to reassure her.

“Don’t worry. I’ll stay with you and look for her. What is your name?”

When she gently stroked her head, her moist blue eyes looked up.

“I’m Abby…. Are you a knight, Sister?”

“That’s a nice name, Abby. I’m Sheila. I’m not an older sister, I’m an older brother, and I’m still an apprentice knight, but I’m going to be a knight someday. So, Abby, don’t worry, leave it to me.”

“….. Yes.”

Tears spilled out from her blue eyes, as if she had loosened her tension. Sheila hugged her small shoulders and patted her back as if to soothe her.

Although it was nice to undertake this mission with a smile….

‘What’s a lost child doing protecting a lost child….?’

She didn’t even know where to take the rescued lost child. She wasn’t familiar with the geography of the area, so she had no idea where to go.

Laughing idly, Sheila was at a loss inside.

At that moment.

“――Isn’t that Sheila over there?”

Sheila’s ears picked up a familiar voice from the crowd. When she turned around, she saw exactly who she had imagined.

“As expected, it was Seiryuu-senpai――and Leidyrune-senpai?”

Seiryuu had black hair, black eyes, and a cool appearance. Behind him, Leidyrune, with his long black hair and pale purple eyes, was standing sullenly with his arms crossed.

They weren’t in the same grade, and she’d never seen them side by side. They were probably not particularly close, too. So why on earth would they be together?

More than the relief of finding an acquaintance, the discomfort of the combination in front of her prevailed, causing her to tilt her head with a furrowed brow.

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