Maylily - Chapter 92

She arrived at the first stop, Melden, around lunchtime. After getting down in the middle of the city, Maylily sent the hired carriage away and entered a street lined with jewelers. Watching the people bustling back and forth, Maylily pressed her grip tighter around her luggage.

Melden was a wealthy trading city located north of Roden. Even though Cartia bordered Riverton to the south, she had deliberately traveled in the opposite direction partly to confuse any possible pursuit by the Count of Everscourt, but her main purpose was to resell the sapphire necklace.

Although she’d received it as a gift from the Count, the expensive jewel had never once felt like it truly belonged to her. At first, she’d thought of leaving it behind in the vanity drawer, but Maylily soon changed her mind.

She had no way of knowing how much money it would take to settle in Cartia and give birth to and raise the child in her womb. Moreover, once she gave birth, she wouldn’t be able to work for years at a time. She needed to secure as much money as possible.

Since the Count also bore responsibility for the situation she was in, she decided to sell the necklace as a way of holding him accountable.

“It looks like a custom piece ordered from a jeweler in Aberque. If you tried to sell this in Roden, it could be treated as stolen goods and word might go straight to the Count of Everscourt. Anyone can see the Count isn’t someone who’d resell jewelry because he’s short on money.”

It was Michele who’d recommended Melden after hearing Maylily’s plan. He said that most luxury goods and precious metals imported into Riverton from abroad passed through this port city, so transactions were brisk.

After looking around several jewelry shops, Maylily chose the quietest one and went inside.

“Is this necklace really yours, miss?”

The shop owner, who’d been holding the sapphire pendant up to the clear sunlight streaming through the window, lowered his magnifying glass and asked.

For an ordinary commoner to bring in something they might never see even once in their lifetime and try to sell it was enough to raise suspicion of theft. Maylily calmly recited the false explanation she’d prepared.

“Strictly speaking, the lady I serve asked me to sell it on her behalf.”

“She entrusted a necklace like this to a mere maid? What’s your mistress’s name?”

“I can’t casually reveal my mistress’s personal information. If you don’t trust my word, please return the necklace. I’ll look elsewhere.”

Maylily conveyed her intention clearly in a quiet, composed voice. At that confident attitude, the owner’s suspicion softened, and he resumed the appraisal.

After a long while, the price he quoted was absurdly low, even to Maylily, who knew nothing about jewelry. Following what Michele had taught her, she pressed her lips together and firmly shook her head. The owner sighed with a displeased expression and, after a brief consideration, raised the price slightly, but Maylily’s reaction remained the same.

Thus, the bargaining went back and forth several times.

Before long, the necklace’s price had jumped to ten times the initial offer. Even then, Maylily continued to shake her head, as if she’d lost the ability to speak.

“Good grief, you’re relentless for such a young miss. I’ll add another 500 grand, so let’s settle it. You won’t find anyone else who’ll appraise it higher, even if you go around elsewhere.”

The final amount the owner offered was roughly in line with what Michele had predicted.

No way… could it really be this much?

Struggling not to show her shock at a sum equivalent to several years’ wages for a chorus member, Maylily slowly nodded.

“Alright. I think my mistress will be very satisfied as well. Thank you.”

“Whoever your employer is, they’ve trained their maid very thoroughly.”

The owner, clicking his tongue, counted out the money and handed it over. After checking the amount in the thick bundle of bills, Maylily tucked it into the inner pocket she’d sewn into her coat herself and stepped back out onto the street.

The tension she’d been forcing down flowed out on a long sigh. Maylily asked a passerby where the stagecoach stop was and started walking again.

Now it was truly time to head for Cartia.

***

It was an ordinary day no different from yesterday, except that the sun was overly blazing.

All morning, Giovanna Sergio cleaned the guest rooms that the passengers who’d checked out for departure had been staying in, and Carlo Sergio pruned the orange trees in the backyard.

After completing their respective tasks, the two of them warmly served the lodgers who’d returned to the inn for lunch. Only after a couple of hours did the dining room, which had been noisy enough to feel like it might burst, become quiet. The couple sat facing each other at an empty table, eating a late lunch.

Clink, clink.

A clear bell sound flowed in through the open door. It seemed a new guest had arrived at the counter.

[I’ll go out. You finish eating.]

Carlo, who’d hurriedly wolfed down the last of his potato soup, wiped his mouth with his sleeve and stood up.

[Welcome.]

At the hearty greeting he called out as he left the dining room, the guest standing in front of the counter turned toward him.

[Hello. My name is Maylily Aile.]

She looked like an inexperienced young woman, maybe twenty. Her cheeks were flushed with the midday heat, and she carried a bag bigger than her torso.

Judging by her accent and appearance, she seemed to be from Riverton. A young foreign woman. In this remote village, it was an uncommon visitor.

[That’s a pretty name. Did you come to Bredova alone?]

Carlo stepped behind the counter and asked with a friendly smile.

[Yes.]

[How many nights will you be staying?]

[Ah, well… I came here on Michele’s recommendation.]

At the name that came out of the woman’s mouth, Carlo’s eyes widened.

[Michele? Michele Baratti?]

Michele was his sister’s only son. Ten years ago, his sister, who’d lost her husband, came down to Bredova and lived while running the inn together with Carlo and his wife, until she passed away three years ago.

Michele, who’d been working as a singer in the capital, Cereno, came to hold a funeral for his mother. He seemed like he’d settle here after growing attached to the inn work, but then he abruptly said he’d carve out a new life and left for Riverton.

And ever since then, there hadn’t been a single letter. Carlo was hearing news of his nephew from a woman he’d never seen before. Should he be happy that the boy was alive and hadn’t died?

[Yes, that’s right. Here, will you read this? It’s a letter Michele wrote to Mr. Sergio.]

Carlo took the letter she handed him with a small smile, his face dazed, and unfolded it. His brown eyes slowly scanned from the top, then, when they reached a certain passage, grew as wide as an oil lamp.

[W-wait here for a moment.]

Seeing him fluster as if something huge had happened, the woman blinked her big eyes and tilted her head. Even as he ran into the dining room in a hurry, Carlo thought she was doll-like pretty.

[Honey! Giovanna! L-look at this.]

[What is it now?]

Giovanna, who’d come out after bringing the empty dishes into the kitchen, asked indifferently as she wiped her hands on her white apron. Carlo shoved the letter toward her and tapped a passage with his fingertip.

[…She’s carrying my child, so please take good care of her. She’s a shy woman, so pretend you don’t know she’s pregnant. If the two of you make her uncomfortable, she might run away to somewhere else. As soon as I wrap things up here, I’ll come to Bredova….]

As Giovanna, muttering, read the letter, she slapped her forehead hard with her palm at exactly the part where Carlo’s eyes had grown as wide as an oil lamp.

[Good grief, that brat. He’s been fooling around with women like that and he finally made trouble. See, I told you to warn him, didn’t I?]

[Yeah, of course I warned him. He said he was sure about contraception….]

Giovanna, who’d been looking at Carlo scratching his head and tilting it in a pathetic way, asked in a voice lowered as far as she could.

[So where is this woman right now?]

[At the counter.]

Carlo lowered his voice as well.

[You left a pregnant woman standing out there? Bring her in here, hurry.]

[Why, what are you going to do?]

[What do you mean, what am I going to do? She’s carrying our nephew’s child, so we’ve got to take her in as family.]

At Giovanna’s bold decision, Carlo broke into a huge grin.

[Ah, alright! I’ll bring her right in.]

Maylily, following Carlo, came into the dining room with hesitant steps and sat at the table. While Carlo carried her bag to a room, Giovanna reheated potato soup and set it out with bread.

[You must’ve been really hungry, coming all the way here without even eating lunch. Go on, eat.]

Giovanna placed the food in front of Maylily, who was looking around the interior with curious eyes, then took a seat across from her.

[Thank you. I’ll eat well.]

When Maylily took the first spoonful and put it into her mouth, Carlo came back too and sat down beside Giovanna.

[If you came from Riverton, it must’ve taken a really long time. How long did it take?]

[Four days.]

[What, four days? With that body- th….]

Giovanna jabbed Carlo’s side hard with her elbow as he raised his voice and made a fuss. Ah, ah, realizing his mistake, Carlo cleared his throat awkwardly.

[Th, that is… you must’ve suffered a lot with such a delicate body.]

[No. I came slowly, so it was alright.]

[We can talk about the details later. Eat first.]

[Yes, thank you.]

When Maylily, holding the spoon again, smiled shyly, it felt like the sun had risen inside the dining room.

And she ate so deliciously, too. With lips that looked prim and delicate like a city young lady, she diligently ate the unremarkable country food, and it was truly a pleasant sight.

That Michele brat, he’s got a knack for it. How did he manage to charm such a pretty, gentle young lady?

Resting her chin on the table, Giovanna examined Maylily this way and that, swallowing admiration again and again. Skin as white as jade that you rarely see in Bredova, and even her small, neat features. She’s like a fairy.

And since Michele isn’t lacking in looks either, how pretty will the baby be?

Carlo seemed to be thinking the same thing. Honey was practically dripping from his eyes as he looked at Maylily.