After a brief pause, the duke let out a laugh, his handsome face lighting up with amusement.
“Well, I suppose it’s obvious. I’ve lost. I can’t believe I was bested by a little girl, even when she was holding back. She has tremendous potential, Victoria.”
“Indeed, Your Grace. I suspect it won’t be long before her skills surpass my own,” I said in agreement.
“As frustrating as it is, I shall keep my promise. I won’t tell my father or brother about you, no matter how persistently they may ask. To be honest, I had no intention of saying anything, even without this match. It’s clear Jeffrey loves you deeply, so I want to protect you, too.”
“Your Grace…” Jeff’s eyes were filled with emotion. Nonna looked dissatisfied. All I felt was relief.
After that, the four of us had tea together and chatted, but Lord Cedric only wanted to talk about hand-to-hand combat. He peppered Nonna with questions about her education in Shenese martial arts.
“I see… Shenese martial arts… I suppose I can’t just invite an instructor from Shen to come teach me.”
“The Shenese love their country, so I’m not sure they’d travel so far away,” Nonna said. She was chatting with the duke as if he was her own personal guest.
Once teatime ended, Lord Cedric left with a smile on his face.
After we saw the duke off, Jeff came over to me, looking relieved and happy. “Now we don’t have to worry about Lord Cedric letting the secret of your identity slip, Anna. That means we can go to the ball together.”
“That’s right. I’ll prepare myself for it to ensure I don’t draw too much attention,” I said.
“What about me? I don’t have to go, do I?” Nonna asked.
“You don’t, because you’re twelve. The minimum age to attend is fifteen,” Jeff said.
“Phew!”
And so, our family’s worries were resolved for the time being. Now all we had to do was wait for the ball.
The workshop where my ointments would be made finally began operating a few days after the match between Lord Cedric and Nonna.
The Mother Superior asked me to come up with a good name for it. I said, “How about simply The Ointment Workshop?” but Nonna and Miss Elizabeth, who were both with me, immediately shot down my suggestion.
“That doesn’t tell you very much about the product,” Elizabeth said.
“I think so, too, Mom,” Nonna chimed in.
“How about Asher’s Ointments instead?” Elizabeth proposed.
“Oh, that’s a good idea! It makes it clear who’s running it,” Nonna said enthusiastically.
“Right?”
And just like that, my workshop had a name thanks to Nonna and her friend. That was perfectly all right with me, since I’d always thought the efficacy of our products was more important than the name of the place selling them.
“The craftsman our family uses could make the sign for your store. He made the signs for the shoemaker and bag shops my father sponsors, and he has a great reputation,” Elizabeth said.
“Oh, I didn’t know your father did that sort of thing, Elizabeth,” Nonna said.
“Yes, he invests in all sorts of businesses,” she replied.
I dismissed the girls’ conversation as typical children’s chatter, but the very next day, a letter arrived from Elizabeth’s father, Earl McGrey, reading, My beloved daughter told me her friend’s family is starting a workshop, and I would be pleased to gift you a sign.
“Jeff, is it normal for a friend’s parent to send gifts like this?” I asked.
“I think Earl McGrey must’ve heard about the ointment’s reputation. He’s a shrewd businessman, so he might be looking to establish a connection with the product. A few people at the castle even mentioned it to me. They said, ‘I’m glad that famous ointment is finally going into production! Now we can get it more easily.’”
“You mean the knights?”
“Yes. They’re excited about the ointment since it isn’t just good for healing dry and chapped skin—it also heals cuts beautifully.”
“The Enlokam family’s medicine really does work wonders, doesn’t it?” I said.
“Yes, the medicine in Shen—well, that family’s medicine—is truly remarkable,” Jeff agreed.
“I’m amazed they taught me how to make it. They could’ve easily said it was a family secret, and then I would’ve had to give up.”
“The medicine our kingdom buys from them is exorbitantly expensive. So expensive that it’s shocking, really. The Enlokams must have decided there was no harm in teaching us the basics of making ointments, since we buy from them in bulk anyway.”
The sign for Asher’s Ointments arrived the day before the workshop was set to open. It featured a design of medicinal herbs and a jar, with the words ASHER’S OINTMENTS embossed in gold leaf.
I could tell that the sign had taken a lot of money and care to craft.
The women who were going to work here all gazed at it, happy smiles on their faces.
“This will be our new workplace, won’t it, Lady Asher?”
“Yes, it will. And I’m looking forward to working with all of you.”
There were ten women standing before me, wearing matching white aprons. They were all brimming with enthusiasm.
I couldn’t help but be moved by the sight. I’ve come so far…
I never imagined I would be doing something to help others like this. Back when I worked in Hagl, I’d thought my sole purpose was to follow orders and complete my missions; I could have never envisioned this.
As I was lost in thought, Riley, one of my guards, called out to me.
“Lady Asher, it’s about time we returned to the estate.”
“Oh, right. I need to be back before the ladies from the dress shop arrive.”
I couldn’t decide what to wear to the ball, so Jeff had consulted with Lady Blythe, Lord Edward’s wife, about the matter on my behalf. She had kindly offered to come over with a tailor from her usual dress shop.
Lady Blythe came over shortly after I returned home, looking very happy indeed.
“Welcome, Lady Blythe.”
“Thank you so much for having me, Anna. I’ve been looking forward to this. I haven’t had many opportunities to do this sort of thing since my daughter got married.”
Lady Blythe’s glossy black hair was done up in an elegant bun, and she wore a high-necked, deep-green dress that matched the color of her eyes. It was a very tasteful design.