A distance where Ariana and the peddler’s conversation would not be overheard.

‘How unusual.’

Ariana took her eyes off Rosalin and approached the peddler.

Negotiating with the peddler was not difficult. She had often helped her merchant husband, Ingou Alfreh, and had to negotiate often when assisting the third prince.

Ariana sold the jewelry at a good price and bought a sharp knife at a cheap price. It was with the thought that she might need it to protect herself someday.

After sending off the peddler, she checked the money bag as soon as she returned to her room.

22 gold.

This was the first time Ariana had personally had so much money.

It was difficult to carry around 22 gold.

‘If I carry this around, someone might discover it. I should entrust it to a reliable bank…’

To go to the bank, she had to leave the mansion. She could order Rosalin to call the peddler, but she couldn’t entrust her with such a large sum of money.

And calling in a banker was also risky. There were swindlers who pretended to be bankers, created fake accounts, and stole the money.

‘I have to avoid any conspicuous behavior until I go to the capital. Should I bury this under a tree for now?’

While she was thinking about which tree to bury it under so that it would not attract the attention of the mansion’s people, someone knocked on the door.

Ariana quickly hid the money bag in her underskirt pocket, got into bed, pulled the blanket up to her neck, and answered.

“Come in.”

The visitor was Rosalin.

“What is it?”

“I thought you might have something else for me to do.”

“Why would you think that? Did my mother secretly instruct you to do something?”

“The Duchess is stingy.”

She had tried to surprise her by abruptly asking, but Rosalin did not get flustered and calmly replied.

“If I were to tell on you, all that would come back to me would be nothing, and if she happened to be in a good mood and rewarded me, she would just throw a few coins at me.”

Rosalin’s words were true.

Rachel was not generous to her employees.

“But you promised me one piece of jewelry just for calling the peddler, and two pieces afterward. What good would it do for me to get on your bad side when you’re giving me so much valuable stuff?”

Rosalin was shrewd, unlike her innocent appearance, and Ariana liked that about her.

A maid who cleverly calculated what would benefit her was more useful than maids who obediently did everything, sacrificing themselves just because the owner of the mansion told them to.

As long as Ariana had something to give Rosalin, she wouldn’t run off to Rachel and tell her everything about Ariana’s actions.

‘I have to use people who can be used.’
One cannot accomplish everything alone. Especially in the current situation, trapped in the Duke Bronthe family, an ally was needed.

‘To turn a blind eye because of fear of betrayal despite its worth is also a foolish act.’

Ariana determined her mind and pulled out a money bag.

“I have to leave this money with the bank.”

“I recommend Braden Bank. Although it’s not old, it’s trustworthy, and I’ve heard that it’s convenient because it has branches in every big city.”

Ariana thought the same.

Braden Bank was not that famous at this point, but in a few years, it would become the most trustworthy bank.

However, it was strange that Rosalyn, a mere maid, knew that fact. She seemed to be more than just a commoner.

There were one or two suspicious points, but since she had decided to use her, she did not dig deep. Investigating Rosalyn’s background was beyond her reach.

Ariana also considered the possibility that Rosalyn might run away with the gold coins. But two hours later, Rosalyn returned after creating an account at Braden Bank.

“It’s the account certificate. I set the password myself…….”

Rosalyn told Ariana the password for the account.

The account certificate was a medallion the size of two fingers with the account number written on it, and Braden Bank’s seal stamped on the back. Ariana touched her very own account certificate with a newfound feeling.

Now Ariana had enough funds to escape.

+++

Late at night.

A maid leaving Rachel’s room, wearing her hood deep, left the mansion. The maid climbed into a shabby carriage waiting outside and headed somewhere.

The place where the carriage stopped was a dangerous area deep inside the slums, where people engaged in all sorts of filthy businesses gathered.

The maid, trembling with fear, went into a tavern, handed a silver coin to the tavern owner, and whispered something. The grimfaced tavern owner nodded and led the maid inside.

As the maid waited in the inner room for a moment, a young man came in. He was a young man with an unremarkable appearance.

The maid handed him a gold coin and said,

“Day after tomorrow, 3 in the afternoon. The pergola beside the pond in the center of Bronthe forest.”

The young man tossed the gold coin up and caught it, amused, and asked,

“Who’s the target?”

“A woman with skyblue hair and white skin.”

“I’ve heard quite a bit about a woman with skyblue hair and white skin. The second daughter of Bronthe?”

The maid’s pupils quivered for a moment, but she soon hardened her expression and spoke in a low voice,

“You’d better watch your mouth. You do know that our master’s eyes are everywhere, don’t you?”

“Of course. In this western city, who dares to defy the Bronthe family?”

“Do it right, and you’ll receive five times what you have now.”