Watching Bate right now reminded me of my previous life.

  I also bought information from ’Caramel Avenue’.

  It was to find out about Perez.

  But because this is a secret place and only known by acquaintances, so I didn’t know much about Bate.

  What I said a little while ago, ’I know something’, was half a true.

  I really don’t know anything except that Bate runs an information store.

  The same was true of this building.

  I don’t know why he came back 10 years later and reopened the same store again.

  I only assume that this place means a lot to Bate.

  And now, I can see from Bate’s reaction, which is very shaky, that my guess was right.

  "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

  Bate seemed intent on playing dumb to the end.

  I said with a shrug.

  "You’re shyer than I thought."

  "It’s not, it……"

  Bate, who will deny, stop talking.

  He is certainly much softer than the ’Bate’ that I remember.

  Calm and shady face.

  And one thought crossed my mind.

  How much information power does Bate have now?

  Information that accumulates over time.

  Besides, ’Caramel Avenue’ is just getting settled.

  I want to test his current abilities.

  "Isn’t the monthly rent too much to run a shop?"

  In my words, Bate looked at me as if it didn’t matter.

  He still seems to be wary of me.

  Then how about this?

  “Do some serious investigation on me. And if I like the result, I’ll allow you to rent one year for free.”


  "One year……"

  Bate’s eyes shook as if he was calculating in his head.

  "What do you think? Isn’t that a pretty good offer?"

  It would be tempting.

  You can save money for a year.

  But Bate shook his head slightly.

  "Investigation. I’m just a dessert shop owner, and I said I didn’t know anything."

  Oh, that’s what you’re going to do?

  "Yes, of course."

  I got up as if I had no other business.

  "That’s too bad, it would have been an opportunity to save a lot of money for a year."

  "……Ugh"

  "If you change your mind and willing to accept my offer, I’ll see you in a week at this time."

  I just said that and left the store.

  It was obvious what Bate’s face would be after left alone.

  I giggled onto the carriage waiting outside.

  * * *

  "Tia, are you ready?"

  "Let’s go!"

  "If you keep making noise, I won’t go!"

  "Oh, okay……"

  "Huh."

  My voice quickly turns sullen when I get annoyed.

  Louryl, who was listening to the twin’s war of words, smiled softly.

  "The three of you are on good terms."

  "Louryl."

  "Yes, Lady."

  "Are you kidding me?"

  "No, I really mean it."

  "I saw Louryl’s brothers treat you well?"

  Born as the youngest of three siblings with a huge age difference, Louryl grew up with love.

  She had seen the Dillards gathered in one place, full of friendly laughter and constantly looking at the perfect family.

  Maybe that’s why Clerivan’s presence is a bigger flaw.

  I opened the door and went outside.

  The waiting twins rose from their seats with a big smile.

  "Oh, so cute!"

  "I want to bite you because you’re so cute!"

  The twins stamping their feet at me.

  "You seem cuter all of a sudden these days!"

  "Stop being pretty!"

  What’s wrong with them?

  But Louryl joined in.

  She wrapped her hands around her cheeks and shook her head and said.

  "I’m telling you, Lady, you’re so much cuter……"

  "Is that so?"

  I checked the mirror because I thought it was true. After all, Louryl said it.

  To be weird.

  There’s not much difference in my eyes.

  And the eyes of the three people looking through the mirror are very burdensome.

  "What are you doing? Aren’t you going?"

  Then, the twins started to move quickly.

  "Let’s go! Let’s go!"

  "I’m sure Tia’ll love it, too!"

  Gilliu and Mayron took the lead in hopping across the wide meadows outside Lombardy.

  Of course, I didn’t go just to look at the ground.

  "Wow, the stable is huge!"

  There was admiration for the several stables where dozens of horses lived.

  "It’s a place where the nobles in the Capital keep their horses."

  "Everyone comes, ride horses, or compete."

  Once they were 11 years old, these two always came and went here every day.

  Just looking at the vast meadows feels refreshing to my heart.

  "Tia doesn’t know how to ride a horse yet. Let’s ride together."

  Gilliu said, reaching out to me.

  "No, I drive safer than Gilliu. Ride with me."

  This time Mayron stepped in and said.

  "You drive a horse safely? Liar."

  "I’m much better than you. That’s not wrong, is it?"

  They growl again to fight.

  I looked at the two with pathetic eyes and said, holding Louryl’s hand.

  "I’m riding with Louryl."

  Louryl is also a good rider.

  No, at least it’s better than those two troublemakers.

  "Huh."

  The twins shrugged their shoulders at my decision but I ignored it.

  I won’t change it. So give up.

  My choice was right.

  Louryl was a stable and fast driver, and the experience of riding a horse together was thrilling.

  "Wow-!"

  It was good for the wind to hit the face, and it was good to run together while feeling the powerful movement of the horse.

  And the strong smell of grass from the meadow lingers in my mind more intensely than anything else.

  To the point where I want to learn how to ride a horse.

  "What do you think? It’s fun, isn’t it?"

  Mayron turned and asked me.

  "Yes, it’s good."

  "As expected! I knew Tia would like it!"

  "Shall we run one more time?"

  Gilliu said, tapping the excited horse in the neck.

  "Hmm. One more time?"

  It was fun but I don’t feel like it.

  Riding an unfamiliar horse made my back, legs, and hips stiff and sore.

  Actually this was something I was afraid of, but riding the horse turned out to be fun.

  "No."

  Louryl said firmly.

  "It’s your first time, so don’t overdo it. That’s it for today and come back next time."

  "Woah, is that so……"

  "Well, Tia can’t be sick."

  The twins nodded and quickly understood.

  "Then we’ll put the horseback in the stable."

  "Wait here for a second. Let’s go see the autumn leaves over there when we get back."

  "Yes, go ahead."

  I got off the horse and waved at the two men walking by the reins.

  "Lady, I’m in the toilet for a second……"

  Louryl whispered quietly.

  "Then I’ll go see Bailey and Blanc."

  Bailey and Blanc were mother horses and baby horses that my father bought for my eighth birthday.

  It was originally in a stable at the mansion, but as Blanc grew bigger and bigger, it was moved here not long ago.

  I was a little disappointed because I couldn’t see them often, but I think it was a good choice.

  They can run around here to the heart’s content.

  There must be Vipache too, which Perez gave me as a gift.

  I wonder if all the family members are together.

  I began to walk in search of the stables where my horses were.

  "Somewhere around here……"

  If I can’t find it, I can ask someone.

  I took it easy and looked around the stable.

  I walked from stable to stable, looking at the horses looking at me with curious eyes.

  Then, I met a cat family who was living in a stable and played for a while.

  I was walking again.

  And suddenly I realized.

  "Where am I?"

  I really went to a faraway place.

  It was still near the stable.

  But it was not clear exactly how many stables this was.

  "Well, do you guys know where we are?"

  I asked the horses that were showing their faces, but they only blinked mildly, and there was no way the answer would come.

  "Let’s go first."

  I just took a random walk to what appears to be where I first started.

  Then, just in time, a group of children coming out of the nearby stable called me.

  "There, you."

  There are five or six children who seem to have money in their families.

  Ages ranged from mine to the twins.

  Among them, the one who spoke to ne was a child who walk in front of them.

  He’s young, and he’s acting like a boss, so he’s maybe a high-ranking kid.

  "I think I’ve seen you somewhere. Who are you?"

  Okay.

  Of course, children can speak informally for the first time.

  But even so, he is too short-spoken.

  Especially, I feel bad about him looking up and down at me.

  "Who are you, then?"

  "What? Ha……"

  When I belittled him, the boy with the bangs swept as if he was dumbfounded smiled.

  "You don’t even know who I am. It’s obvious you’ve never even heard my name."

  Well, that was a reasonable deduction.

  Usually, high-ranking nobles know each other well because they play and hang out with each other since they were young.

  However, I grew up with a rather unique father for a nobleman.

  "I’m Case Angenas."2

  It’s Angenas again.

  At the same time, Angenas’s family tree spread out in my head.

  Case Angenas was the grandson of Durak Top’s owner.

  In other words, it meant that he was not the direct line of the householder, but the sideline.+

  However, it seems that Angenas prestige is high these days, as it is even used and carried around like that.

  Then I heard a familiar voice and turned around.

  "Here you are!"

  Louryl was running towards me.