The Villainess Builds a Department Store - Chapter 79

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Villainess Establishes a Department Store

Chapter 79

“So how far did you go out?”

“As long as we stay within Pearl Gallery, anywhere should be fine. Is there somewhere you want to go?”

“Hmm….”

I fell into thought for a moment. Somewhere I wanted to go in Pearl Gallery, not really?

This was a place I had visited so often in my previous life that I was sick of it. Now that the shops had somewhat established themselves, there weren’t any new or particularly interesting stores.

…No, wait. There is one.

“What about you? Bastian, as someone who lives in Pearl Gallery, isn’t there somewhere you’d like to go as a customer rather than a resident?”

“As a customer?”

It seemed like something he had never even thought about, as Bastian just blinked his eyes. Then after pondering for a while, he finally spoke.

“I’d like to visit the bookstore.”

“The bookstore, that’s good.”

We headed to the bookstore that Antoine always frequented.

The weather had already passed winter and moved into spring. Among spring days, it was warm weather gradually approaching summer. The interior of the passage, where the entire street was like a giant glass greenhouse, could be called early summer.

Perhaps because of this, Bastian was sweating more than usual today. Just as I was about to take out my handkerchief, unable to watch any longer, Bastian pulled out his handkerchief first and wiped his forehead.

But that handkerchief looked familiar somehow.

“Are you going to use only that for your entire life?”

“Yeah. I’m using it roughly with the hope that it’ll quickly wear out and tear so I can throw it away.”

It was the handkerchief that Bastian, the street boy, had taken from me.

The embroidery had already frayed, it was wrinkled beyond what ironing could fix, and with threads sticking out everywhere, it was closer to a rag than a handkerchief, yet Bastian carefully folded it and stuffed it into his pocket.

“I’ll just buy you a new one.”

“…No need. Why waste money.”

I knew he’d say that. Since it was the reaction I expected, I just shrugged once and let it pass.

But then Bastian said something completely unexpected.

“Buy me a book instead.”

“A book?”

This guy who could buy any book he needed with his own salary?

An uneasy feeling suddenly occurred to me.

“Don’t tell me you’re still getting money extorted by those so-called parents?”

“That’s not it. It’s just… thinking about it, I’ve never received a book from someone as a gift.”

It was a reason I had never thought of. At the same time, it made sense, so I just nodded with an “Ah.”

“What kind of book would you like to receive?”

“Anything. You can just pick something randomly.”

“…What if I gift you an erotic book?”

“Cr-cr-crazy?”

Bastian shrieked and covered my mouth, then frantically looked around. It was just a joke.

“You’re like a little kid! Are you really a baron’s daughter?”

“I’ll be thirteen after my birthday, and thirteen isn’t exactly a little kid anymore, is it?”

“How can you say that now…!”

Bastian covered his face with his hands. That guy, so innocent.

Since Antoine frequented this place, the bookstore owner immediately recognized me and lifted his hat in greeting.

“Today you’re out with a fine gentleman? To be able to date such a beautiful young lady, the gentleman should thank God.”

“Did you hear that? Let’s stop by to pray on our way.”

“No way. That person has never answered even one of my prayers.”

His flat rejection and the joke he added didn’t sound entirely like a joke, making my heart ache.

What kind of book would be good for such a cynical child? I began slowly walking through the bookshelves, choosing a book.

“Do you like those?”

Bastian was, as expected, unable to leave the adventure and travel book section.

“Do you want to travel?”

“Someday I’ll take a ship.”

“A ship?”

“Yeah. A ship going to the Eastern Lands.”

Bastian’s long, straight fingers swept along the bookshelf and pointed to a travel journal about the Eastern Lands.

“Isn’t it amazing? Stories that are like myths or legends to us are someone else’s daily life. Conversely, from their perspective, our daily life must feel the same way to them, right?”

Bastian’s eyes were sparkling. I couldn’t take my eyes off his eyes that shone like a dreaming boy and nodded in agreement.

“Then I’ll buy this for you.”

I reached for the book Bastian had pointed to. Or rather, I tried to reach for it.

Just as I was about to pull out the book, Bastian grabbed the spine first. Thanks to that, my palm landed not on the cold, smooth book spine, but on Bastian’s rough, lukewarm hand.

I had thought he had grown much taller than me, but seeing our hands side by side like this, no, overlapped, Bastian’s fingers were more than half a joint larger than mine. Even so, his fingers were straight and long, giving me the feeling that thick rings would suit him well.

…This isn’t the time to be thinking such things. I hastily pulled my hand away.

“H-how much is the book? I’ll go pay at the counter first.”

“Huh? Oh…”

Without even listening to the book’s price, I fled from that spot.

What was that? What just happened?

My palm was burning as if I had struck an innocent stone.

* * *

‘This is driving me crazy.’

Instead of heading to the counter, Bastian hid in the shadow of the bookshelf and sat down on the spot. Then he buried his head between his knees.

It was that symptom again.

Strange Adelaide, incomprehensible Adelaide.

No, what was really becoming strange and incomprehensible was himself. Why were his knees shaking over something as trivial as overlapping hands!

‘Her hands… were small…’

Adelaide’s height seemed about the same now as when they first met. A precious young lady from a noble family couldn’t have grown up malnourished, so what was she doing not growing when others were growing?

When he closed his eyes, he kept thinking of those lotus petal-like hands that had landed on his hand.

Soft, warm, and white hands without a single scar.

How did his hands compare? Bastian stared blankly at his hand covered with scratches and callused scars, then desperately pulled his sleeve down to try to hide his hand.

Such hands belonged on velvet cushions. Not these ugly hands.

But he hadn’t disliked it at all. That was the bigger problem.

When he finally came out with the book, Adelaide was waiting for him. When Bastian offered his arm for escort, those small white hands grasped his arm. Like a white bird landing, he couldn’t feel any weight at all.

“Besides the book… isn’t there anything else you need?”

“Well then…”

Bastian desperately racked his brain. The things he had always planned to buy with his salary, which usually formed a long list, now nothing came to mind.

“Should we… walk around?”

What an idiot! Bastian bit his tongue internally. He who usually talked about flat-soled shoes from the Eastern Lands and complained about noblewomen’s high heels and aching feet, yet suggested a walk at a time like this!

Adelaide’s shoes that he glimpsed were shoes with shiny decorations and ribbons like girls her age wore. Even if the heels weren’t as high as those of noblewomen or ladies, they looked uncomfortable for long walks.

Still, Adelaide didn’t complain once.

Finally, unable to bear it, Bastian was the first to suggest.

“Sh-should we sit down for a moment?”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————