Chapter 37: Do you want to buy apples?

Hearing this, and noticing that Danila still had something to say, she could only sit properly once again.

“Going out always requires money.”

Danila said as she took a money pouch out of the suitcase she had brought along. “Please take this, Lady Finihiya.”

“N-no…”

Seeing the money pouch Danila handed over, she hastily raised both hands, waving them in front of her chest. “This is your money; I can’t accept it.”

“This isn’t mine. It belongs to Lady Finihiya herself.”

“…Mine?”

Because of the confusion in that statement, Finihiya raised her index finger, pointed at herself, and asked blankly.

“Yes, Darlian-sama gives you a certain amount of money every month. I’m temporarily keeping it for you. You can withdraw from me anytime you need it.”

“…Why?”

“Because Lady Finihiya sometimes needs to buy things privately.”

“Um, thank you…”

Hearing that it was Darlian-sama’s “pocket money,” a heavy burden in her heart instantly lifted.

The money pouch she took from Danila’s hands was quite heavy.

It made sense—this civilized era had no lightweight paper money. Only primitive and cumbersome coins were in circulation.

After confirming that Danila had nothing more to say, and with the help of the coachman, she got down from the carriage and stood on the bustling sidewalk.

“Please be careful on the road.”

“Uh-hmm.”

Listening to Danila’s warning, she raised a small hand to wave slightly in front of her chest, then watched the carriage gradually disappear into the distance.

Hmm?

After the carriage vanished at the end of the road, Finihiya suddenly tilted her head with a puzzled expression.

“…How do I get back later?”

That small doubt only troubled her for a moment before she tossed it out of her mind.

As a resident of the original modern era, calling a carriage back was a trivial matter she could manage.

After all, no matter what, she was a mature and capable adult.

The warm and moist sea breeze gently caressed the noisy street.

Following the flow of the crowd, Finihiya took quick, light steps forward, her beautiful eyes gleaming with curiosity from beneath the shadow of her hood as she took in her surroundings.

Perhaps due to the mingling of multiple races, or maybe because management here was relatively lax, demon citizens passing by wore all sorts of clothing.

Some even had long swords at their waists or carried huge axes slung across their backs, looking every bit like mercenaries.

The wind blowing toward her rustled her cloak, and Finihiya couldn’t help but raise both hands to press down the hood that was about to be lifted.

Walking slowly along the bustling street, an inexplicable excitement grew in her heart.

She hadn’t strolled alone through the streets for a very long time.

The last time was eight years ago, a rather distant memory.

Back then, she had just become the Saintess and, due to the daily learning of complex etiquette and being confined inside the sanctuary, she secretly snuck out to the Saint Capital Fafniya streets without Doloff’s knowledge—the Pope who was in the capital.

After wandering a bit in the district, she was discovered by passing clergy who were horrified.

When the Church Knights dragged her back, she was severely reprimanded by Doloff.

Doloff wasn’t exactly forbidding her to leave the sanctuary, but believed it was too dangerous to go out without knights accompanying her for protection.

After being scolded by Doloff’s stern face, she hadn’t dared to go out alone since.

Even when she did go out, many knights would be with her, so walking alone now on unfamiliar streets felt quite novel and thrilling.

It was as if she had shed the long-standing shackles on her shoulders, giving her a sense of ease and freedom.

Just as her thoughts wandered, a sharp and terrified female voice suddenly came from afar.

“Ah—”

Following the voice, she saw a young boy stumble and fall in the middle of the road, with a speeding carriage rushing straight toward him.

Stopping a carriage at such a short distance was nearly impossible.

Just as the carriage was about to run over the fragile boy, a soldier clad in armor suddenly dashed onto the road, swiftly scooping up the boy and throwing himself to the side.

The speeding carriage thundered past.

The beastman coachman immediately stopped the carriage, then quickly turned his head and shouted loudly, “Are you all right?!”

The armored soldier lying by the roadside raised his right hand, waving to signal, “I’m fine.”

“Good to hear that.”

After this brief interruption, the crowd of demon citizens standing on the sidewalk surged forward again.

Finihiya stood still and watched a while longer, then pulled her gaze away, ready to follow the crowd and move on.

“Hey, little lady, want an apple?”

Attracted by the rough male voice beside her, she tilted her head and looked over.

She saw the owner of an apple stall staring straight at her.

The owner was a rather rugged half-beastman, his large copper-colored eyes fixed on her.

Hmm?

Following the owner’s gaze, Finihiya glanced left and right, confirming that no one else was beside her, then raised a finger to point at herself.

“That’s right, you. So, want to buy some apples?”

Hearing this, she lowered her eyes and stared at the brightly colored red apples on the stall.

From the wooden frame of the stall came the continuous scent of ripe apples.

Gazing at the scene before her, a strange sense of déjà vu welled up from within, causing Finihiya to tilt her head in puzzlement.

“What’s wrong, little lady?”

Hearing the owner ask for the third time, she snapped out of her thoughts and gently shook her head.

“Not for now.”

“Oh! Miss, sorry, sorry, your cloak covers your body, I couldn’t tell for a moment.”

After exchanging a few brief words with the apple stall owner, she stepped forward and resumed walking.

While thinking over that strange feeling of familiarity, she suddenly stopped and shifted her gaze toward a dim alley beside her.

Perhaps due to the lack of sunlight over the years, the alley smelled damp and humid, mixed with a faint sweet and sour scent, like ripe fruit starting to rot.

Staring at this peculiar sight, Finihiya’s cherry-red lips uttered a strange mumble.

“If I walked in here, would three people appear, saying, ‘If you don’t want to suffer, hand over all your valuables,’ and then come toward me?”

Thinking of this, Finihiya covered her mouth and let out a light chuckle at her own amusing thought.

Just as she amused herself in this way, the joyful smile on her cheeks suddenly froze, and she tilted her head to look back.

Watching the bustling crowd for a moment, she withdrew her gaze with puzzlement, then once again stepped forward on the cobblestone street.