The Necromance of Love and Death: Defeated Early in the Game, I Reincarnated as a Tragic Villainous Noble and Rebel Against the Scenario with My Beloved Using My Modern and Game Knowledge - Chapter 20

“Kuro! Hurry! Hurry!”

“I got it.”

Vio clung to my left arm, practically dragging me along as we boarded the carriage.

Today was the long-awaited day of our sightseeing trip in the royal capital.

Madame Corantine wasn’t coming along—she had a private tea party with her friends in the capital. That meant today’s trip was a date with just me and Vio.

I’m sure the tea party was real, but more than likely, Madame Corantine had given us space out of consideration.

“Arnaud, hurry up! Hurry!”

Vio leaned out the window, urging Arnaud along.

“My apologies for the delay,” he said.

Once Arnaud took his seat as the coachman, the carriage finally set off.

“Hey, Kuro, where are we going today?”

“I was thinking we’d sneak into the downtown area today.”

“Downtown?”

“Yeah. Last time, we only saw the wealthier district from inside the carriage. This time, we’re going to blend in as commoners and explore the more crowded areas.”

“That’s why we changed outfits!”

Vio’s usual dress was replaced with a blouse and skirt, making her look like the daughter of a wealthy commoner. I, too, looked just like a rich commoner’s child.

Even the carriage was a plain one without any noble crests. This way, no one would suspect we were aristocrats.

Of course, for safety reasons, Arnaud was coming along, but that was unavoidable.

“Today, Vio is a commoner’s young lady.”

“That sounds fun!”

Good. It looked like Vio was enjoying this. The effort Arnaud and I put into planning this date yesterday was worth it.

The carriage left the noble district and passed through the wall that separated the affluent area from the downtown streets. The moment we did, a lively wave of voices flooded in.

“Cheap and delicious! How about some sausage stew?”

“Shoe shining services here!”

“Grilled pork skewers! Come and get ‘em!”

“The market’s set up in East Square today! You don’t want to miss it!”

“Did you see it?”

“A dragon! So close up! It was amazing!”

“Want to try the famous Royal Capital Sausage Marmetano?”

Street vendors called out to customers, people chatted excitedly, and all these noises blended into one big, lively buzz. Even with the windows shut, it was like being hit by a wave of sound.

And the smells—something delicious was definitely in the air. Just like Vio, I was getting more and more excited about the bustling downtown scene.

“Everyone looks like they’re having so much fun! Kuro, where are we going first?”

“Let’s start by checking out the shops. We’ll actually go inside and look around.”

“Oh my!”

Vio gasped dramatically, covering her open mouth with her hand.

She had a point—nobles usually summoned merchants to their estates rather than visiting their shops. This was a first for me too, and I couldn’t help but feel a little thrill of excitement.

“Young master, young lady, we have arrived.”

After some time, the carriage came to a stop.

“Here we are.”

Arnaud opened the door. As always, I stepped out first and offered my left hand to Vio.

“Thank you, Kuro.”

Vio placed her hand in mine and gracefully stepped down from the carriage.

“What kind of shop is this?”

“It’s a jewelry store. I thought we might find something that suits you, Vio.”

“Oh, how lovely!”

“Welcome.”

Passing through the door Arnaud held open, we stepped inside. Unlike the noisy streets outside, the store had a quiet, refined atmosphere.

Just past the entrance stood a grim-faced guard in black, scanning the shop with sharp eyes. I counted three of them in total. Probably here to prevent theft.

“Welcome. How may I assist you today?”

As I was admiring the guards, a plump, soft-spoken merchant emerged from the back of the store.

“I’d like to buy something that suits this young lady.”

For a brief moment, the merchant narrowed his eyes, studying both me and Vio. Then, when he noticed Arnaud, his expression relaxed as if reassured.

“My, what an honor to meet such a lovely young lady! With beauty that outshines even the finest gems, I’m sure anything would suit you. Please, this way. Our most exquisite jewels are waiting just for you.”

“Oh my, how delightful,” Vio said, lifting her chin in satisfaction.

This might turn into a big shopping spree. Oh well, that’s fine.

“Hmm?”

As I escorted Vio deeper into the shop, something caught my eye.

It was a silver ring displayed prominently at the center of the store.

That’s… a Mana Ring?

Why would something like that be here?