Ael instinctively curled up her body.

Elize had been in a good mood for the past few days. It was no wonder, as her meetings with the Grand Duke were becoming more frequent.

As the two met more often, the Viscount couple became more attentive to Elize’s moods, granting her whatever she wished.

“The Grand Duke must be waiting for my reply, and you want me to write a letter on this low-quality, coarse paper? What will he think of me!”

Ael peeked her head out slightly, and saw Elize shouting at Maya, her dedicated maid. Maya spoke with difficulty, unable to raise her head.

“B-but I bought the reply stationery exactly as you ordered, my lady…”

“So you bought something that commoners use?”

Listening to the conversation, Ael could understand what was happening. Recently, Elize had been writing letters to the Grand Duke frequently.

Although the Grand Duke’s replies were much less frequent and shorter compared to Elize’s letters, she didn’t seem to mind much.

After all, she was the only woman the Grand Duke was meeting privately these days, no matter what anyone said.

“Elize, what’s the matter?”

“Mother! This stupid girl can’t even run a simple errand properly!”

When the Viscountess appeared, Elize shouted again.

“I’m sorry, my lady. I’ll go back and buy the proper one.”

Maya kept bowing her head and apologizing, but Elize couldn’t contain her anger and kept fuming. Then her eyes met Ael’s, who was standing at the end of the corridor.

“Lida! Come here!”

Elize called Ael as if she had a good idea.

“Go buy some reply stationery. At least you should be able to distinguish what kind of paper is suitable to send to the Grand Duke.”

“Yes, hurry along now. The Grand Duke must be waiting for our Elize’s reply, so we must be quick. Now, Elize. Don’t be angry, calm down. We haven’t decided what hair ornament you’ll wear for this weekend’s soirée yet. Being angry like this isn’t good for your skin.”

The Viscountess skillfully soothed Elize and led her into the room. Ael watched them for a moment before heading towards the Viscount’s room. It seemed like today was going to be a long day.

* * *

“Excuse me, coming through!”

Ael raised her voice as she squeezed between people.

The central square, usually bustling, was especially crowded today.

From what she overheard, several ships from the Ash Company had arrived since morning, attracting not only cargo wagons but also merchants who traded with them.

After struggling through the crowd, Ael finally managed to slip into a quiet alley and checked the envelope tucked inside her clothes.

‘It mustn’t get wrinkled.’

She remembered Elize’s anger when she had brought ordinary paper. Because of that, Ael had to go to the paper shop and buy the highest quality stationery with patterns, even including color and fragrance.

If there was any consolation, it was that the Viscount had given her money without complaint when told it was for Elize’s errand.

However, that money was barely enough just to buy the stationery.

‘If at least some money had been left for the carriage fare back, I wouldn’t have to worry about it getting wrinkled like this.’

Ael carefully held the envelope and looked out of the alley. The main street was still full of people and carriages.

‘I should wait a bit before moving.’

Ael stood in the alley and waited.

The small book that she still couldn’t understand and that troubled her was still in her bag, but she didn’t want to take it out.

Today, she kept remembering what Elize had said about her bride price.

A thousand guilders.

A sum that could be considered large or small depending on perspective. For a moment, Ael wondered what it would be like if she had a thousand guilders. Would her parents give up on her marriage if she gave them a thousand guilders?

‘Not likely.’

They would still be bothered by the fact that her unmarried older sister remained.

Ael’s imagination continued. Then what if she asked some man to give her parents a thousand guilders and fake a marriage?

If she pretended to get married and left for somewhere far away…

Ael turned her head and looked at the sails of the ships visible beyond the houses between the alleys.

Seagulls flew frantically, and the flag at the top of the mast fluttered in the wind. Whenever she felt suffocated, Ael habitually looked at things swaying in the wind. Because that was how she could see the wind.

Ever since she first saw a map in her life.

Ever since she knew there was a bigger and wider world beyond Denertum.

Ael had always imagined leaving for far away.

But it was nothing more than imagination.

There was no way for her to leave this place.

In Denertum, women always had to move with their husbands or male family members. Otherwise, except for the very young or old, they were treated as women with immoral professions.

It wasn’t just movement that was difficult.

‘You can’t even own your own property.’

At least common women worked in places that needed many hands, like markets or restaurants. But no bank would accept their deposits without a signature in the guardian column.

Of course, the guardian column was usually filled with the name of a husband or father.

In the case of orphans, it was the law of Denertum that even an official appointed by the government office had to be named as a guardian.

And since these guardians also had authority over their deposits, they couldn’t be said to be entirely their own.

It was somewhat better for noble women. At least they could claim ownership of things they received as gifts.

Everyone was like that. They could only own what was given to them by someone else.

Conversely, that’s why Ael still owned nothing. She had never received anything as a gift in her life.

Looking at the fluttering imperial flag, Ael recalled her childhood imagination after a long time.

‘I can’t own anything under Denertum’s law.’

Ael’s gaze slowly turned downward. The newly built building of the Ash Company came into view beyond the low houses.

‘Then would it be possible under imperial law?’

As Ael’s imagination was about to continue…

“Catch that guy!”

A shout was heard from the opposite end of the alley.

‘What’s that?’

Startled by the urgent voice, Ael turned her head. Not just Ael, but others standing at the entrance of the alley to avoid the bustle of the central square also turned to look in the direction of the sound.

Someone was running from the other end of the alley. Even from a distance, it was clear that he was a vagrant.

He was running so fiercely that people backed away, pressing themselves against the alley walls to avoid being hit, even before he got close.

It wasn’t just his fierce momentum that was frightening. His expression was too fierce and cold to be simply called a vagrant’s face, making it scary to look at.

“Catch that man!”

Another desperate voice was heard from behind the running vagrant.

There stood a middle-aged woman with a bewildered look on her face. Ael turned her gaze back to the vagrant.

He was clutching something tightly to his chest. It seemed he had stolen something from that woman and was running away.

People pressed themselves against the walls as much as possible, not wanting to get involved in troublesome affairs.

For a brief moment, Ael hesitated.

What should I do?

She too didn’t want to get involved in complicated matters. She needed to get home quickly. Besides, what if she tried to help and ended up being retaliated against by the person being chased? But…

“Please help!”

When the woman’s voice was heard again, Ael found herself moving before she knew it.

Someone is in a difficult situation and asking for help. Then it’s right to help.

Before she could think, Ael’s feet moved forward, tripping the passing man.

“Ugh!”

The man, who had expected Ael to step aside like everyone else, stumbled forward with a loud cry, caught off guard by the unexpected obstacle.

At the same time, Ael’s body rolled on the ground too. The man had been running so fast that Ael, who had tripped him, fell along with him.

“Eek!”

The man, who had been writhing for a moment, quickly got up, grabbed what he had dropped, and tried to run away again.

She couldn’t let him get away like this.

Ael hurriedly got up to grab the man, but she felt a stinging pain in her ankle, probably injured when she had tripped him earlier.

In that time, the man had already moved several steps away. At this rate, she would lose him.

Thinking about how she could hold onto that person even a little, Ael reached into her bag this time.

She grabbed the book she had brought to read on the way. Ael threw it at the man with all her might.