She felt there was no need to hide this matter from Darlian, and besides, Darlian would find out sooner or later.
“I’ll go too.”
“…I’m not going there for fun.”
“That’s fine.”
The young coachman opened the carriage door once more.
After Darlian entered, she went straight to sit beside Finihiya.
Just as she was about to signal the coachman to continue forward, a gentle voice suddenly sounded from nearby—Danila’s.
“Lady Darlian!” Danila first gave Darlian a polite bow, then turned her head to look at Finihiya. “Lady Finihiya, I suddenly remembered there’s something important I need to handle first.”
“Hmm?”
“And since Lady Darlian is here as well, I’ll leave accompanying Lady Finihiya to the Belgrade Association to you, Lady Darlian.” While speaking, Danila stepped down from the carriage on her own. “May you both have a pleasant day, Lady Darlian, Lady Finihiya.”
“Mm.”
“Please take care on the road.”
Watching Danila raise her hand in a farewell wave, Finihiya had no choice but to lift her own small hand and wave lightly in front of her chest.
To be honest, it didn’t really matter to her whether Danira or Darlian went with her; after all, having one more person along was always a comfort.
The carriage rolled forward once more along the stone-paved road.
A moist, earthy fragrance mixed with grass drifted in from somewhere.
Perhaps it was from the Vineyard that stretched along the edge of the estate, a little farther away.
This vast estate was located on the outskirts of Yabadevi City.
Whether by design to preserve the natural environment around the estate, or simply because urbanization had not yet reached this far, the surroundings remained untouched.
Between the estate and the bustling, lively city center lay a transition of villages and open fields.
Since she rarely left the Western House, Finihiya naturally paid more attention to the scenery before her, which was both unfamiliar and faintly familiar.
A warm, moisture-laden breeze swept across the primeval fields. The scent of damp earth filled the air, and green leaves and grass swayed with a rustle in the wind.
As Finihiya tilted her head and gazed out at the slowly receding scenery through the window, she suddenly felt the large ribbon at the back of her formal dress being gently tugged by someone.
Puzzled, she furrowed her brows slightly and turned around.
Before the ribbon could be completely untied, she reached out her small hand and grabbed one side of it, then stared straight at the culprit—Darlian.
“Why are you pulling my ribbon?”
Darlian averted her gaze for a long while before answering with a faint, awkwardly embarrassed expression.
“Uh… I don’t really know, I just wanted to see what would happen if I undid it.”
Finihiya obviously didn’t accept such an explanation and shot Darlian a glare, then began to tidy up her ribbon while saying in a slightly exasperated tone,
“Do you have any idea how long it took me to tie this ribbon?”
“You tied this all by yourself?” A trace of surprise flickered in Darlian’s eyes. “You really are impressive.”
The endless village path ahead gradually changed into a road paved with gravel. The scenery on both sides shifted from wild fields and villages to the square buildings of the city.
“By the way, Finihiya, why are you going to the Belgrade Association?”
Darlian rested her left hand on the window frame, propping up her face with one hand as the bright sunlight shone directly onto her delicate features.
“I want to sell something.”
“Sell something?” Darlian raised an eyebrow, apparently puzzled. “If you need money, can’t you just tell me? Why bother selling things?”
“I…” Finihiya parted her lips, momentarily at a loss for how to respond, and in the end could only shake her head slightly. “It’s not like that.”
“Then what is it?”
This subtle situation left her truly unsure how to reply to Darlian.
If asked whether she needed money, then she certainly did, but it wasn’t out of any personal special need.
Perhaps seeing that Finihiya was silent, Darlian changed the subject herself.
“So, what is it you want to sell, Finihiya?”
“A recipe.”
This answer clearly sparked a flicker of keen interest on Darlian’s face.
“What kind of recipe? Can I see it?”
“Mm… I suppose you can.”
Finihiya agreed to Darlian’s request with barely any hesitation. She opened the suitcase by her feet and took out a sheet of paper that had been folded twice from one of its compartments.
Just before handing it to Darlian, Finihiya didn’t forget to remind her seriously,
“You mustn’t tell anyone else after you’ve seen it.”
Darlian accepted the paper and shot Finihiya a helpless, speechless look, then unfolded it as she spoke.
“Do I look like someone who’d go blabbing about it?”
“This Secret Medicine Recipe—what’s it for?”
“It can make a person’s hair clean.”
“Is that so.” Darlian didn’t show much of a reaction to Finihiya’s words. “How much are you planning to sell it for to the Belgrade Association?”
“Hmm—” Finihiya tilted her head, making a sound as cute as a kitten, then lifted her lips into a gentle smile. “I want a share of the net profit from this product.”
That statement undoubtedly brought a hint of surprise to Darlian’s usually calm expression.
At once, Darlian leaned over, lifted her right hand to brush aside Finihiya’s bangs, and tried to press her own forehead to hers.
“Let me check if the Saintess has a fever.”
With both hands braced between them, Finihiya struggled to push away the mischievous Darlian.
“I’m serious.”
“I’m only worried because you are serious.” Darlian let her shoulders drop helplessly. “How could those profit-chasing merchants ever agree to such an outrageous demand?”
“Unless your Secret Medicine Recipe is truly exceptional.”
Finihiya straightened her slightly disheveled clothes, then sat up properly once more.
“I’d rather not make any absolute claims.”
“You seem pretty confident.”
“It’s just… okay, I guess…”
Perhaps seeing that Finihiya didn’t want to say much more on this topic, Darlian smoothly steered the conversation elsewhere.
“Then if your Secret Medicine really earns as much as you think, what do you want to buy with all that money?” Here, she paused and raised one eyebrow slightly. “Are you going to spend it on endless piles of books for your own interests?”
“Of course not.”
Finihiya’s voice was very soft, and carried a hint of embarrassment.
“Then is it for the children in the slums?”
Darlian’s seemingly casual words made a flicker of surprise and astonishment surface in Finihiya’s eyes. She lifted her head and looked straight at Darlian.
…How did you know?