Chapter 56
“…I am not someone named Amugae.”
The man wearing the yangban mask avoided my gaze.
Right, it was true that he wasn't Amugae. The name Amugae itself was probably an alias to begin with.
“Then you are not the Amugae I know.”
“That’s right!”
“Then it seems an unidentified intruder is trying to kidnap the model… Heter, Ruby.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll try not to splatter too much blood!”
The two drew a sword and a dagger and stepped forward.
“I apologize. I am Amugae.”
“What are you talking about? Your name is….”
“Please be quiet for a moment, Your Highness.”
***
In the center of the waiting room, Amugae knelt demurely.
“Lady Eunha is the Crown Princess of Garam, a kingdom on the Eastern Continent. In other words… she’s the Crown Prince’s wife.”
“The Crown Prince’s wife?”
“In our terms, that means an imperial prince’s consort.”
“What?!”
Having understood what the title Crown Princess meant, Egmund was left speechless.
Of course, his reaction was entirely understandable.
Heter, Ruby, and I were also unable to hide our astonishment.
I had thought Eunha seemed to have been raised in considerable luxury ever since I saw her bickering with Amugae, but I never imagined she was a crown princess.
“But how could someone of such status have come all the way to another country to become a model?”
“That is precisely what I have been trying to say!”
After vigorously nodding at my words, Amugae stood up and shouted while looking at Eunha.
“I never told you to stand.”
“…Yes. However.”
Amugae knelt again, but continued looking at Eunha.
“If the Crown Prince hears that you came to a foreign land intending to become a model, he’ll collapse clutching the back of his neck.”
“But the Crown Prince supported my becoming a model.”
“What?!”
The moment Amugae heard that the Crown Prince had helped her, he stood up again.
“Damn it, I wondered why no one noticed Your Highness slipping out of the palace. So that madman was behind it!”
“Oh? Did you just insult my husband? That is lèse-majesté!”
“We are normally responsible for stopping the royal family’s mad schemes, so this much is fine.”
“Grrr!”
“….”
What were these people even doing here?
“First, kneel down again….”
I turned my head toward Eunha.
“Should I call you Your Highness?”
“Since you aren’t from Garam, you may simply call me Lady Eunha.”
“Yes, Lady Eunha. Why did you want to become a model?”
“I read Rudyard Boutique’s newsletter.”
“Newsletter?”
When I looked at Egmund, he explained.
“It is a book featuring clothes made by our boutique. A photograph of Lady Fortune will also be included this time.”
“I see.”
There had been fashion-model magazines in my previous life too, so I understood what sort of publication it was.
Well, she was a young woman before she was a crown princess.
Wanting to become a model featured in a book was not strange, either.
However, one question occurred to me.
“What were you going to do if Egmund had rejected Lady Eunha?”
“Rejected…? I suppose that could certainly have happened.”
‘You’re only realizing that now?’
Had she been indulged ever since childhood?
Seeing Eunha, who seemed to have her head in the clouds, I could understand why Amugae had tried so hard to take her away.
“And you, Amugae, secretly infiltrated the capital to take Lady Eunha back after she suddenly disappeared?”
“If it became known that Your Highness had come to a foreign country, there would be a great commotion.”
“I see.”
Now I finally understood why Amugae had suddenly disappeared from the carriage.
“Since that is the case, Egmund, please give up on using Her Highness as a model.”
“Why should you be the one to decide that?!”
“That’s right.”
When Eunha shouted at Amugae, Egmund nodded, affirming what she had said.
“When I saw Lady Eunha, who said she wanted to become a model, in front of my boutique after I returned from the North with Lady Fortune, I felt as though I were dreaming.”
‘Why is he acting like that again?’
Egmund began speaking in the same nauseating tone he had used when praising me before.
“If Lady Fortune is a goddess of the West, then Lady Eunha is a goddess of the East. Calling her one would be an understatement.”
“Ugh….”
Just as I had done before, Eunha looked at Egmund in disgust.
“When a goddess comes to me in person, I cannot treat her carelessly. I did everything in my power to attend to Lady Eunha.”
“As the one serving Her Highness, I am grateful for that. But what does it have to do with refusing?”
“In short, it means I spent an enormous amount on Lady Eunha.”
“So it comes down to money.”
Amugae scoffed and pulled the money pouch he had shown us from his sleeve.
“How much did it cost? I will pay it in Her Highness’s stead.”
“Understood. In that case, I will bring the receipts.”
Egmund soon returned to the waiting room carrying a hefty bundle of papers.
“Th-that?”
Amugae asked in a flustered voice, pointing at the bundle of papers.
“Didn’t I say I would bring the receipts?”
“Are you saying all of that is receipts?”
“Yes.”
Even though he was wearing a mask, it was obvious that Amugae was flustered.
“C-could I take a look myself, at least?”
“Of course.”
After receiving the bundle of receipts, Amugae skimmed the first few pages, then turned to the very last page to check the total.
“…How could Her Highness have spent 700 gold in only a few days?!”
“What?!”
I was even more shocked now than when I had heard that Eunha was a crown princess.
“It’s been about a week since Lady Eunha arrived.”
“700 gold in one week?”
That meant she had spent 100 gold a day.
“…Are you trying to play a joke on me?”
Perhaps he thought Egmund was trying to swindle him, because Amugae began exuding a murderous aura.
Ordinarily, I would have ordered Heter to subdue Amugae as he radiated killing intent, but this time, I could fully understand the reaction.
If I were in the same situation, I would have reacted that way too.
“If I were trying to play a joke, I wouldn’t have brought the receipts.”
Egmund, however, was utterly unperturbed.
“Can’t something like this be forged?!”
“…I really did spend it all, so stop.”
“Your Highness?”
Eunha, who had been examining some of the receipts she had taken from Amugae’s hands, spoke.
“But didn’t you say so yourself at first, Mr. Egmund? That you wouldn’t charge me any money for this.”
“That was on the condition that you model my clothes.”
“Tch….”
Unable to argue with Egmund any further, Amugae trembled as he clutched the receipts.
“If you can pay the full amount, I will give up on having Lady Eunha become my model.”
“If I pay this much now and give you the rest after I return to my country….”
“Do you think that will do?”
“….”
Amugae quietly put the money pouch back into his sleeve.
“Ugh….”
Then Eunha approached the groaning, distressed Amugae and patted him on the shoulder.
“Just give up. You can return and tell the Crown Prince that he gave his permission, can’t you?”
“Do you know who I’m doing this for?!”
“Kieeeek?!”
Perhaps the last thread of his reason had snapped, because Amugae grabbed Eunha by the temples with both hands and lifted her up.
“W-What are you doing to the Crown Princess?!”
“I’m only scolding you because extravagance is the shortcut to ruin! Reflect on your actions with humility!”
“M-My head!”
In my previous life, that had been called sightseeing in Seoul, but what would they call it here?
A brief question crossed my mind, and before long, Amugae set her back down.
“Sigh… It’s my fault for failing to notice Your Highness sneaking out.”
Amugae muttered in a voice filled with remorse, then bowed his head to Egmund.
“Please take good care of Her Highness.”
“Yes, I will make certain the shoot is completed without any problems.”
So it seemed he was allowing Eunha to become a model after all.
“Then, is it our turn now?”
“…Pardon?”
I approached Amugae, who had just bowed to Egmund.
“When we entered the capital, I was truly shocked. I never imagined that the person who asked me not to be so heartless and to help him would stab me in the back.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Amugae seem to remember that he had wronged us.
“And then, when we met again, you immediately pretended not to know me.”
“…Even if I had ten mouths, I would have nothing to say.”
Amugae stood up, then knelt before me again.
“To repay my kindness like this… I’m asking because I don’t know, but is this how people on the Eastern Continent repay favors?”
“….”
Seeing Amugae hang his head like a scolded dog, it seemed the groundwork had been sufficiently laid.
Now it was time to get to the main point.
“So, there is something I would like to ask of you.”
“If it is a favor, I will grant you anything!”
Perhaps he thought he could be forgiven, because Amugae took the bait immediately.
“Anything?”
“…?”
He raised his head with a creak and met my bright smile.
“Did you just say anything yourself?”
“…Could I take that back?”
Amugae seemed to sense that something was wrong and tried to back out now, but—
“As if.”
Not a chance.
‘As it happens, I needed someone who could help with the hot springs.’
Sir Gold will probably be delighted.