It was around noon when they finished up clearing the weeds, thanks to having two pairs of hands working on it, and the star of Atika, the merchant who traveled from house to house, came calling.
✦ ✦ ✦
She came riding a covered wagon, clip-clopping along. The traveling merchant approached slowly from the distance. Upon seeing Miyako and Fuuka, she waved her hand happily.
“Well, well, well. There really are two young ladies here. My merchant’s instincts were right.” The traveling merchant was a small girl with hair the color of an autumn wheat field, which was tied up in two buns. She had a cat’s smile. “I’m Shan Li. I look forward to doing business with you.”
She appeared to be from a clan from the Western Continent. She might sell us something rare, thought Miyako.
“Oh my, don’t you two look cute in your matching work clothes!”
“Heh heh. Matching with Fuuka-chan... It’s a little embarrassing hearing someone else say it! Thank you, sweetie!!”
Sweetie. When Miyako said that with a smile, the merchant girl Shan Li’s expression stiffened. Uh, huh? Did I say something I shouldn’t have?
“Sweetie?! Excuse me, I’m no little girl!!! 〇×★％〇％～!!”
“Oh, err, s-sorry?!”
Suddenly bombarded with words from the language of the Continent, Miyako panicked. I have no clue what she’s saying.
“For goodness’ sake, step aside, Miyako,” came Fuuka’s voice.
“Huh?” said Miyako. And when she turned around...
“Excuse me, Shan Li-san. ％×＆〇☆～?”
“〇☆！ ☆彡×％＆～”
Fuuka began speaking in fluent Continental. After studying every morning of every single day, Fuuka was proficient in Continental, and a feline smile soon returned to Shan Li’s face.
“Apparently Shan Li-san turned thirty this year,” said Fuuka, turning back around to Miyako.
“Oh, rea—... Wait, what?!”
“Really now, calling your elders ‘sweetie.’ Talk about disrespectful.”
“Indeed,” agreed Fuuka.
“When did you two become such peas in a pod? I mean, any way you look at her, Shan Li’s a teen—”
“Miyako?”
“A beautiful woman.”
“Much better.”
Miyako cradled her head as it spun in circles. Thirty? Really??? But she doesn’t look a day older than fifteen, if that???
“By way of an apology, every day for the next two weeks we’ll be buying ‘Big Sis Shan Li’s Daily Goodie Pack.’”
“Say what?!” Just when did that deal get made?! “Fuuka-chan, you can’t just...”
“Oh, girl, I’ve seen you around before, now that I think about it. You’re the Florences’ girl, aren’t you?”
Gulp. Miyako froze.
Shan Li smirked like a cat.
“I stopped by the Florence house yesterday, and they didn’t say anything about this place. In fact, all they yapped on about was ‘We’re so relieved that our little tomboy is in the capital now. She’s even engaged!’”
“Ah, um, about that...”
I’m keeping quiet to my family about the engagement getting canceled. They’d never expect that I’m so close by, so I thought I’d be able to keep them fooled for a little while. Only the driver that got us here knows we’re here, and I’ve bought his silence. He’s always wanted to live in the south, and as of yesterday he should have retired and gone straight on vacation.
“Uh-oh...”
“Hm? I’m not the type to run my mouth...” she said with her feline smile. “Not about my paying customers, that is.”
And so, it was decided that from that day on, they would purchase a regular order from Shan Li.
“I’ll knock the price right down, in recognition of Fuuka’s superb Continental negotiations.”
“Oh, thank you so much, Shan Li-san!”
“You’d make a fine merchant, Fuuka. Bye-bye!”
Miyako found Fuuka chuckling to herself victoriously to be so incredibly cute, oh my God, so she decided that this situation was okay too.
✦ ✦ ✦
“...Hold up, this stuff is actually really good!”
In the afternoon Miyako opened the jute bag that was the “Goodie Pack” they’d bought from Shan Li to have something to eat before they left to have a bath. There were eggs, milk, cheese, bread, vegetables (both root and otherwise), herbs, and to top it off, smoked meats and bacon.
“All this for that price?! You mean she’s not actually a crook?!”
“Hmph. I’ve never shopped before, but I take it she gave us a good deal?”
“You’re amazing, Fuuka-chan! Talk about haggling!!”
Miyako impulsively hugged Fuuka.
“Would you mind not hugging me like it’s no big deal, please?”
Fuuka glared at her in disgust.
“Huh.”
“Why are you acting shocked at that?”
“Well, you made me breakfast, and you helped me out with the weeds... But now you’ve gone back to acting cold...?”
“I-I don’t know what exactly you’re misunderstanding; I just decided that it would be more efficient to do those things.”
“No way! You definitely said that clearing the weeds ‘looked fun’!”
“The white magic and herbal medicines I studied are an essential part of who I am. I couldn’t let the servants see me working in the field when I was at my mansion, but as an aspiring practitioner of white magic, I’ve always dreamed of having a field to tend to.”
“Ehh, so then...”
“It’s not like I was doing it for you or anything. Got it, Miyako?” she said. “I’m definitely not happy.”
Miyako scratched her head at Fuuka as she turned her back on her.
“...Keep telling yourself that.”
“Did you say something?!”
“Nooothing.”
They decided to have an easy lunch, going with bread, cheese, and the re-seasoned leftovers from that morning’s soup.
Now then, when the afternoon comes let’s go for a bath.