CPSMBD Chapter 78

Chapter 78

Shortly after breakfast, the Crown Prince, Head Chamberlain Dominic, and I set out for Abelfaum Market, accompanied by Priest Fel.

We led two horses, carrying our goods for sale.

I deliberately slowed my pace, trying to keep as much distance as possible from Priest Fel. As my steps grew slower, I naturally fell behind the group.

Velasquez's incessant chatter echoed in my head.

[I told you not to get friendly with that priest! Why are you traveling together?]

'It wasn't my choice...' I thought back.

[You should have made some excuse to keep your distance.]

I get it! I'll make sure we never move together again.'

As I endured Velasquez's endless nagging, Priest Fel suddenly turned around.

Our eyes met, and he stared at me as if I were his intended target.

'What's wrong?'

I flashed an awkward smile at Priest Fel. Instead of turning away, he unexpectedly slowed his pace to match mine.

‘Oh no... why is he coming this way? Did he discover Velasquez's presence?'

A cold sweat trickled down my back as Priest Fel fell into step beside me.

"I apologize. I should have matched my pace to yours, Lady Violetta. I failed to be considerate."

 "Oh! No, please don't worry. Feel free to walk at your own pace."

Phew. What a relief. I'd been terrified he'd discovered Velasquez's identity.

"No, it's only natural that your stamina wouldn't match that of grown men... I was too focused on leading the way... My oversight. I'm truly sorry."

Priest Fel apparently thought I'd fallen behind due to exhaustion. Though completely wrong, his considerate attitude was genuinely touching.

[Master! Get away from that sinister, ugly Artium priest immediately!]

Sinister? Who's really the sinister one here? Besides, I couldn't agree at all with calling Priest Fel ugly.

"Oh my, I just noticed how heavy your bag looks," Priest Fel continued. "No wonder you were falling behind. I should have realized sooner. Please, allow me to carry it for you."

"No, really, it's my bag. I can manage."

"Please, I insist. It would shame me as a priest of Artium to ignore a lady carrying such a heavy burden when I'm perfectly capable of helping."

Despite my protests, Priest Fel firmly took my luggage.

Though I kept looking for opportunities to distance myself, his constant attention and matching pace left me no choice but to walk alongside him until we reached our destination.

So much for Velasquez's warnings.

Only after leading us to a prime spot in the market's interior did Priest Fel depart for his own destination.

After getting our vendor permits from the market merchant association, we unpacked our goods.

The display looked quite impressive once we'd carefully arranged all the daily necessities and luxury items we'd brought from the capital.

Finally, I felt like a true merchant.

I, Violetta Estrisen, vowed to approach sales with the mindset of a great merchant as I surveyed our wares.

'I'm going to sell every last item before leaving this spot.'

The truth was, I had no desire to lug these heavy goods back to our lodgings.

Though I'd told Priest Fel it was fine, the load had indeed been quite heavy.

But I couldn't very well burden His Highness, who had only recently recovered, nor did I have any expectations of help from Dominic, who had forfeited during the team-building event.

That's why I'd been so grateful when Priest Fel offered to carry my bag. If not for Velasquez's warnings, I might have been eager to befriend him.

As I stood lost in thought, a woman approached our stall, carefully examining our merchandise. Our first potential customer!

She picked up an elegant handkerchief and turned to the Crown Prince.

"Excuse me, what material is this handkerchief made of? It's so soft, I don't think it's linen."

The Crown Prince glanced briefly at the item in her hand before replying.

"I don't know much about women's accessories."

"Oh... I see," the woman said, taken aback.

Still fondling the handkerchief with interest, she tried again:

"Well, how much does it cost?"

"I'm not sure," His Highness replied, abruptly turning his gaze away.

His manner was cold and dismissive.

'Did I really just witness that?' I thought, incredulous. How could a vendor not know the price of his own goods? And that brusque response, as if the customer were an annoyance?

'Does His Highness actually intend to sell anything?'

It certainly didn't seem so.

The woman stood frozen for a moment, still holding the handkerchief, her expression souring.

"I... see. Well then." She tossed the handkerchief back onto the stall and hurried away.

"Wait! Please, just a moment!" I called after her, but it was too late.

I tried to call after her, but she was already far away, disappointment clear on her face.

I glared at the Crown Prince with reproachful eyes.

He sat there with perfect posture, arms crossed, radiating an incredibly imperious air.

He showed not even the slightest effort or will to sell anything.

In fact, his entire demeanor seemed designed to ward people away.

To make matters worse, Dominic had long since disappeared, distracted by the array of food stalls nearby.

He'd claimed he was just going to grab a quick snack, but I suspected we wouldn't see him again until he'd sampled every edible item in the market.

Noticing my disapproving stare, His Highness spoke up.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"How do you expect anyone to buy anything if you just sit there with your arms crossed? And how could you tell a customer you don't know anything about the merchandise?"

"Then what would you have me do? I can't answer questions about things I don't know."

"..."

I sighed deeply. If we were going to pose as merchants, shouldn't we at least make a minimal effort to act the part?

Still, all hope wasn't lost. I noticed several women in the crowd stealing glances at His Highness, their eyes drawn to our stall. Even here, the Crown Prince's beauty shone through.

I even spotted a few men sneaking peeks.

We had succeeded in attracting attention, at least. But the Prince's icy expression and unfriendly attitude were keeping potential customers at bay.

'If we could just put that handsome face to good use, we could probably sell out within the hour,' I mused. But His Highness showed absolutely no inclination to do so.

Perhaps he hadn't yet realized his looks could be such a powerful asset.

Finally, I decided to offer some advice. "If you can't bring yourself to sell, at least try smiling. I'll handle the rest."

The Crown Prince's brow furrowed deeply at my words.

"If you can't sell anything, at least try smiling. I'll handle everything else."

"Yes, that's exactly what I expect. At least while we're here, pretend you're an entertainer and smile."

"I refuse."

"Good grief. Why can't you put that handsome face of yours to use? If you won't, you might as well give it to me."

I shook my head, muttering under my breath. His Highness must have overheard, because he turned to look at me, the corners of his mouth twitching upward.

"You... think I'm handsome?"

It seemed even the Crown Prince wasn't immune to compliments about his appearance.

'How fascinating that he still seems pleased to hear it, when he must have heard it countless times.'"

I wouldn't know myself, but those people over there seem to think the merchant leader is quite handsome.

I subtly nodded toward the people stealing glances at him.

The Crown Prince, who had been smiling contentedly just moments ago, now wore a disinterested expression.

'His moods are particularly volatile today.'