The duchess looked regal and her posture made her tower over me…or so I felt.
Truthfully speaking, she only had a few inches on me naturally and the rest were compensated for with her high-heeled shoes.
I immediately wanted to thank her for her help, but I did not want to come off as too strong either. So I gave her a respectful bow before I worded my thanks.
"Your help was greatly appreciated. Truthfully speaking, I was a little worried about how I should approach a noble lady as a commoner and not get into trouble."
The Duchess's expression turned just a little sour as she looked to the side. I could not make out what expression she had, but I decided to turn the conversation away from the present one to something new.
"For now, please come in. We should sit down and talk about what brought you here today."
I told the duchess and she nodded. She was sitting on my sofa for the second time and it might have been because it was quite bright outside, but the sofa suddenly looked shabby in front of her.
Before I could feel any worse about myself, I decided to head to the kitchen and bring out some snacks for the duchess to enjoy.
The tea I took out was also the luxurious blend kept hidden behind my other jars and the tea turned a bright red.
I had accidentally found this jar when I had been cleaning and I had been waiting for an opportunity to try it out.
Piling up the tea and other snacks I found around my kitchen, I quickly went out to meet the duchess once more.
"This tea is…"
She asked, taking the cup I offered her and checking out the deep and rich color. She sounded almost impressed and I tried to hold back my excitement.
"It's a special blend I acquired from a friend. It's said to help with fatigue. Please, try it out."
I insisted as I took the first sip to show that it was alright.
A cool and refreshing taste hit my tongue and I quite enjoyed the flavor. From the corner of my eyes, I saw the duchess's eyes widen as well once she took a sip before she put the cup down and masked her expression.
"Looks like the shopkeeper is an avid collector of special products. You also look like you are fond of herbs and such. Then, I am sure my offer will please you a lot."
The duchess told me and I had to stop myself from immediately asking her what she meant. I was afraid I would sound far too eager and suspicious if I were to open my mouth now.
"There is going to be a special herb market by my people and there would be many…exotic goods there as well. As my benefactor, I would like to ask you to come with me to the market as my guest."
I stopped thinking weird thoughts at the duchess's offer and actually thought about her offer.
It was not a bad offer. Rather, it came at a little too perfect of a time. I did need to go out and get some herbs for the jaundice medicine I promised Officer Henry.
And if I went with the duchess, the chances of getting ripped off and being sold low-quality material were way less.
No matter how I saw it, it was a win-win situation for me.
"Alright, I will come with you. When do you want me to leave?...ah before that, I need to make some arrangements. Just give me some time."
I told the duchess as I suddenly remembered an important detail that kept me from leaving.
The young puppy in my drawer was too young to take along. It had started to eat on its own from the small bowl (and far too quickly at that), but I still did not feel comfortable leaving it alone.
What I wanted to do was pack it in a small box and take it with me in a bag I could carry around. I had the perfect sack for it as well.
The only problem? It cost 30 faith points on the store.
'Usually, I won't even think about it. But I am responsible for the young life. And also, I suddenly gained a bunch of points as well. So this should be alright.'
The duchess looked taken aback by my sudden firmness, but she nodded while looking at my eyes.
"That….should be fine by me. I do have something to do, so I will come back in an hour. Please, take care of yourself until then."
The duchess told me before she left my shop. I sighed in relief before I bought the special pet carrier bag made specifically for young puppies.
When it arrived, it looked exactly like I saw in the picture. But something about it made me think that the bag I had did not belong to my world.
There was this…unsettling feeling I had when I took a look at it.
But that did not matter to me since I needed to check out the bag anyway. I pried it open and looked inside.
It was really comfortable and I was able to line the puppy up nicely along with a separate compartment for supplies.
The enclosed space made it impossible to see what was inside the container and the blankets I put inside would make sure the puppy would be safe for the time being.
Once I had everything, I waited for the duchess to come and pick me up. It did not take long and one of the most beautiful carriages I had ever seen stopped in front of my shop.
An elegant hand came out of the carriage and extended itself toward me and I looked around, only to see that most people had stopped to gasp at what was happening and they seemed to be pointing toward me with a shocked expression.
I had no time to pay attention to them because the duchess's guard coughed to remind me that I needed to get moving and I finally accepted that hand.
I watched as the young guard glared at me as I got in the carriage with my bag and the door closed behind me to no longer show the hostile person glaring at me.
"Please forgive my guards. They are all good kids. They just…get a little too overprotective when it comes to me."
The duchess told me and I felt my heart skip a beat when she suddenly spoke up. I had not expected her to notice what just happened.
"Ah, it's fine. I don't mind the looks I get from your guards. As long as they don't bother me, there is no need for us to clash with each other."
I told the duchess and she had a look of understanding on her face.
"I see. Still, my offer of help still stands. Please avail when you feel like you need to."
The duchess told me and I nodded. I was in no position to deny her wanting to help me. Not when I was in a world where status mattered.
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If you're reading, please drop PS for me today and tomorrow. I'll do an extra chapter this Sunday if I get some Power Stones.