Chapter 11

“….so, you’ll strengthen patrols around the hill area?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Ensuring safety in the capital is our responsibility as guards,” one of the guards replied proudly.

Feeling grateful for their dedication, I smiled and said, “Thank you.”

As they left with smiles on their faces, I turned my attention to Sion, trying to conceal my trembling.

“Sion, do you happen to know anything?” I inquired.

‘Surely not, right?’

I needed to ask Sion directly. After all, a loud noise was heard, and shortly after, the injured Sion was found near my house. There were too many suspicious aspects to consider it a mere coincidence.

“What are you talking about?”

“There…there was a murder case near the hill where I live.”

“Really? Isn’t it dangerous, then? …But don’t worry, I’m here.”

As expected. Sion’s innocent expression showed no signs of hiding anything. I scolded myself for briefly suspecting him.

‘What was I thinking?’

I took Sion’s hand, trying to calm myself.

“….Nevermind. Let’s go buy some clothes then.”

Nervously, Sion trailed behind me, scanning his surroundings.

I chuckled at his behavior, feeling foolish for suspecting him even for a moment.

The detection of magic meant there might be a mage. But the possibility of Sion being a mage was nearly nonexistent.

In the Sestronia Empire, mages were rare and mostly resided in the Magic Towers. If Sion was a mage…

‘He wouldn’t have been held as a slave.’

So, it meant my suspicion was misplaced. I dismissed those thoughts and took Sion to the clothing store.

⋆ ★ ⋆

As we entered the clothing store, I let out a heavy sigh, like I had aged by ten years. The gazes of every onlooker made us the center of attention.

‘Is it because of the discrimination?’

Despite the initial unease, the staff treated Sion kindly, offering recommendations and even gifting him clothes free of charge.

‘Well, he is undeniably handsome,’ I thought, watching passing nobles steal glances at Sion’s tall, well-built figure clad in a well-fitted shirt.

Nonetheless, thanks to Sion, we saved money, and that left me content.

Anyway, our venture into the city continued as we looked for job opportunities and strolled around.

“What’s that, Mistress?” Occasionally, Sion would address me as ‘sister’, since I felt uncomfortable using ‘mistress’ in public. Of course, he wouldn’t do so when there were others around.

“That… I believe it’s the preparations for the upcoming Founding Day celebration.”

“Founding Day… you mean the national holiday?”

“Yes, it’s a grand festival held in the capital every year. I thought it would be nice for you to experience it.”

I wanted to participate in the Founding Day celebration. Even Rosette Cernia wanted to go, and it was beautifully depicted in the original novel.

‘It was a momentous occasion.’

In the original story, the Founding Day held profound significance. It was during a chapter where the male lead, who had realized his love for the female lead, would confess to her, culminating in the affirmation of their feelings for each other!

‘The divine power engulfing the capital is spectacular. According to the novel, the divine ceremony marks the end of the festival, with priests adorning the grand finale with their divine power.’

The Founding Day commemorated not only the banishment of the era of the Great Demon but also paid tribute to the founding emperor and the god Moreus. It was a celebration where priests emblazoned the climax with their divine power, like stars raining from the night sky.

‘It was magnificently described in the original novel.’

I yearned to witness the majestic sight of divine power cascading like stars with my very own eyes. Moreover, there would be various captivating sights to see and delectable food to indulge in!

“If you’re going, I’ll follow, of course.”

“Great. Let’s do that then.”

I smiled brightly and answered. I didn’t know when we would part ways, so I wanted to show Sion as much as possible.

It was just the last trace of my conscience guiding me, that’s all.

With that in mind, we enjoyed sightseeing for a while before preparing to head home. Then, suddenly, a thought crossed my mind, and I exclaimed, “Oh, that’s right! I think I need to stop by the bookstore. There’s a book I’ve been eager to buy.”

Come to think of it, the after-story of the novel I was avidly reading was scheduled to be released today. In this world, there were authors who wrote novels, and for someone like me, who has enjoyed reading romance novels as a hobby since my past life, it was a stroke of luck.

I couldn’t afford to miss the opportunity, as I didn’t know when I’d be back in the city.

“A book?”

“Yes, there’s a fascinating and informative book I want to get. Sion, I think you might find it interesting too. It’s quite profound.”

It was indeed profound. One could experience human love indirectly through it. I forced a fake cough to hide my guilty conscience and averted my gaze.

“Anyway, I’ll be back. Wait for me in the square.”

“I will do so, Mistress. Please take care.”

With excitement and anticipation, I embraced my fluttering heart and went to the bookstore, glancing back to check if Sion was following me.