Chapter 2 - Report to Friends
Dahlia left the house that was supposed to be her new home and started walking down the street.
In the warm weather, just a little too warm for comfort, the brick-colored streets of the royal capital were bustling with people and carriages.
This country, Ordine, was a monarchy and had a history of over 200 years.
The capital's public safety was good, to the point that women could walk through the streets alone. It was said that the capital was the safest area in the entire country.
Though it was a different world, Dahlia felt grateful for being reborn here for her second life.
If only that good fortune could extend to her marriage prospects, she thought, picking up her pace slightly. She turned to a street off the main road and entered a small beauty salon with a blue roof.
"Hello. Is now a good time?"
"Welcome, newlywed! You should stay for lunch, too."
Her friend, with tea-colored hair, seemed to have finished with her morning customers and was sweeping the hair off the floor with a broom.
"Thank you, Irma. I'm not a newlywed, but I'll take you up on the offer for lunch. By the way, is Marcella here?"
"Yeah, he's in the kitchen. I'll join you after I'm done cleaning, so go ahead and eat."
With familiar steps, she passed through the door at the back of the salon and headed toward the kitchen.
"Oh, Dahlia-chan. Do you want orange juice, or would you prefer wine?"
The person Dahlia was looking at was Marcella from the Courier Guild, who was having lunch.
This man with sand-colored hair and a sturdy build was Irma's husband and someone Dahlia was fairly close to.
She had heard he often came home for lunch, so she decided to stop by, and it seemed to be the right time.
"Thanks, Marcella-san. I'll have the orange juice, please."
Dahlia received a sandwich and orange juice and sat down across from Marcella.
Irma's sandwiches were exquisite.
Today's sandwiches were rye bread and had two types: one with cheese and ham, and the other with eggs and vegetables.
The rye bread was cut into thick slices, and the combination of cheese, smoked ham, and lettuce was perfectly balanced.
The other sandwich was made with eggs, chopped vegetables, and a generous amount of fresh mayonnaise.
Dahlia had received the recipes for both sandwiches, but she couldn't quite replicate the taste.
As she finished the first sandwich, Irma entered the kitchen.
Dahlia finished her orange juice and, after Marcella had finished his lunch, spoke up.
"Marcella-san, I know it’s a bit much since you just helped me move furniture the other day, but could you move them to the old house again? As soon as possible, please."
"Sure thing. I’ll have a few people free after 4 this afternoon. Did some of the furniture Tobias bought not fit in your new place?"
"Did the measurements not match the new house?"
Both Irma and Marcella asked at the same time, and Dahlia couldn't help but smile awkwardly.
"My engagement was cancelled."
"Ah?"
"Huh?"
The two of them reacted in unison again, and Dahlia, with the brightest smile she could muster, said...
"Tobias Orlando-san found true love, apparently."
"..."
"..."
Both of their faces froze, looking like masks.
Speaking of masks, she hadn’t seen many of those in this world. There was a winter festival in the capital, so they should make it available at the shops for children.
Now that she thought about it, the winter festival was famous for being an event where couples would go together, or one where people look for a lover, but she had never gone to one with Tobias. She’d never invited him to go either. While Dahlia was lost in this small bit of escapism, the two in front of her erupted.
"Is he stupid?! Today was supposed to be the start of your life in the new house!"
"Two years of engagement, and he does this now?! What the hell is he thinking?!"
"True love my ass! That's just plain cheating!"
"He's really the worst!"
She wanted to think that the happiness she felt at their anger on her behalf wasn't because her own character was twisted.
Over the past two years, the four of them—Dahlia, these two, and Tobias—had eaten and drunk together several times.
She had also heard stories of Marcella sharing drinks with Tobias when he was delivering goods for the Orlando & Co.
She felt regret at the idea of fracturing that relationship.
"Thank you both for being angry on my behalf. But it’s fine. The engagement was arranged by our fathers, and they've passed away now anyway."
As she said that, Dahlia suddenly found herself accepting it.
Tobias must have wanted her father’s support, the backing of a veteran magic toolmaker, through marriage.
Dahlia, though also a magic toolmaker, neither held the honorary baron's title nor matched her father's level of craftsmanship.
For him, the benefits of marrying her had significantly diminished since her father’s death.
It was understandable that his focus would shift toward his newfound love.
"Dahlia, you haven’t submitted the marriage registration yet, right?"
"Yeah. We were going to do it tomorrow, so we haven’t written or submitted it yet."
"You’re lucky, you know. Really. It’s a blessing you didn’t marry that kind of guy."
Irma nodded so vigorously, it almost seemed like you could hear the sound.
Although Dahlia thought Tobias should have mentioned the annulment sooner, she had to admit it was a relief that it happened before submitting the marriage registration.
"...That guy really made Dahlia-chan cry... I'll hike up the moving fees and charge him for every bit of it... Never drinking with him again..."
Dahlia was about to say she wasn’t crying, but Marcella’s voice grew lower, so she decided to let it go.
"Say, Dahlia... You don’t have to force yourself to be okay. If you want to cry, cry. Or, do you want to drink together? I’ll close the shop in the afternoon."
"Yeah, if you give me the keys, I’ll move everything for you. You can stay here today! It’d be weird meeting Tobias again at the new place, right?"
Irma’s reddish-brown eyes and Marcella’s amber eyes both looked at her with concern.
Seeing how the couple moved in sync, Dahlia couldn’t help but feel a bit envious.
"I’m okay. I want to get everything sorted quickly, so I'll go to the Merchant Guild today and wrap everything up."
"If there’s anything we can do to help, let us know."
"You’re always welcome to come by."
"Really, thank you, both of you."
After expressing her gratitude, Dahlia took a bite of the egg sandwich, which she thought tasted just a little more salty than usual.
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