BERTINE’S lady’s maid, Dorothée, couldn’t be more overjoyed inside. Conducting price negotiations was the most basic of basics in her homeland, the Kingdom of San Luenne. Even the nobles knew better than to accept a price at face value. For it was a small nation that came into existence solely on the basis of its strength in commerce. If one thought such an attitude vulgar, one would find themselves quickly falling behind others.
From Dorothée’s perspective, Lady Bertine still had a long way to go when it came to negotiations. But she can do it if she tries. All she needed was the opportunity. And it was good enough for her.
✦ ✦ ✦
BERTINE shut away the proceeds from the pendant’s sale in her small but high-quality bag and exited the shop. Her next destination was a general store. There, she sold off her unused, embroidered handkerchief for four small silver coins. After perusing the various wares on display, she bought twenty plain, white silk handkerchiefs.
“Now it’s time to buy food and water,” she said.
“My lady, we will be certain to admonish the kitchen, so you really needn’t purchase them.”
The two guards tried to stop her again. Though she believed in their honest natures, she didn’t trust the butler a whit. He was different from them.
“Thank you, kind sirs,” she said to the guards. “But you need not worry. I insist on buying everything myself before we return.”
I fear next time they will send us a meal with rubbish in it. She managed to swallow the words before they inadvertently escaped. When she noticed the uncomfortable expressions on the guards’ faces, she smiled broadly at them to assure them she didn’t think poorly of them at all. Then she turned toward the grocer’s and entered the building. She bought foodstuffs that didn’t require cooking, several casks of water, and a few other supplies.
It was her last stop, so she returned to the manse with the two guards.
“You went to a great deal of trouble on my behalf, so please take this as a token of my appreciation.” She handed a small bottle of a distilled spirit to each one.
“No, my lady, we can’t accept this.”
“Please. I may require your assistance again. Do allow me to express my gratitude with this.”
The gentle smile on Bertine’s face flustered them because it amplified her beauty.
“Then we gladly accept your gift. Thank you very much.”
Each man tucked his bottle away inside his breast pocket.
✦ ✦ ✦
THE five servants she’d brought with her from San Luenne had been allotted one room, and they were all awfully emaciated. After she handed over the food and water to them, she gave them some words of encouragement.
“I’ll make sure to send you all back home soon, so please be patient just a little longer.”
Then she returned to her own room. Once inside, she sighed softly.
“Right, then, what’s my next step?”
“My lady, I shall remain even if the others leave. I will personally see to it that you survive in this country. Otherwise, I fear my nerves will never recover from my concern for you.”
“Dorothée, I…”
Up until this moment, Bertine had been doing her best to endure the situation. But Dorothée’s words made her so happy and thankful she felt tears spring to her eyes. She hurriedly covered her face with both hands to hide them. Though she had put on a brave face throughout their stay here, the frosty reception and overpowering hunger she’d experienced chipped away at her soul more than she could have imagined.
“Good lord. I’m clearly still just a babe in the woods if something as trifling as this makes me cry,” Bertine said. “Since I have time to sob, then it means I have time to write to Father and let him know in uncertain terms that His Excellency would much rather have reparations than me.”