Chapter 5 - Discovery at the New House
When she went down to the first floor of the Merchant Guild, Marcella was already waiting.
He was with two men from the Courier Guild.
All three of them were wearing bright green armbands from the Courier Guild. This color apparently symbolizes "delivering goods quickly and lightly, like the wind."
"Did you finish the paperwork, Dahlia-chan?"
"Yes, it's all done, so we can go right away."
"Alright, let's start the moving-out then."
They immediately moved to what was supposed to be the new house with a large carriage.
However, the carriage was being pulled by a gray sleipnir.
A sleipnir had much more strength than regular horses, so it was apparently used frequently by the Courier Guild.
It was about 1.5 times the size of a regular horse, but its surprisingly gentle face and black eyes made it look cute.
The carriage reached the new house in just a few minutes.
Tobias had prioritized the location of the new house being close to both the Merchant Guild and his family business, the Orlando & Co. This was important for transporting goods and holding meetings.
But that no longer mattered to her.
There was no one in the new house.
Dahlia felt a small sense of relief as she checked the furniture and belongings.
"The boxes in the hallway and the ones in the workshop are the ones you helped transport last time. They haven't been unpacked, so just transport them as they are."
Until last week, Tobias had been working in Dahlia's workshop at her old house.
For this new place, Tobias had replaced much of the equipment with new ones, but Dahlia preferred the familiar ones, so she had brought her old stuff. They were still packed, so they could just be taken back as they were.
"As for the furniture, the closet and the dresser belong to you, right?"
"Yes, nothing is inside them yet."
The closet and dresser were mementos from her mother.
She didn't even know her mother’s face though, so she felt a stronger attachment to them as cherished items of her father.
Both pieces of furniture were placed in the room that was supposed to be Dahlia’s.
"Got it. We'll transport the packed ones as they are. Cover the closet and dresser with two layers of cloth."
Following Marcella's instructions, the Courier Guild men started preparing the cloth.
"Is there anything else you want to move?"
"The bed in the bedroom is one I bought, but since there's a bed in the tower... what should I do?"
"Either dismantle it and move it, or sell it. Or you could have Tobias buy it."
As they spoke, they headed to the bedroom.
Dahlia recalled that Tobias had wanted a larger double bed, which had been rather expensive.
The lamp on the bedside table was a new magical tool with brightness adjustment, which she had ordered out of half interest due to her work.
She intended to check how it was made as she entered the bedroom.
"...!"
When she stepped inside, there was no time to check the bedside table, and she quickly closed the door.
The ivory-toned bedding was completely disheveled, with pillows scattered across the floor.
"What's wrong, Dahlia-chan?"
"Uh, it's just..."
Dahlia answered vaguely as Marcella stood behind her.
"Was someone here?"
"No, no one’s here now."
"...Sorry, but could I take a look inside? There might have been a thief or someone hiding."
"Ah, yes."
Dahlia jumped away from the door.
She hadn't considered the possibility of a thief, but she had heard that new houses were often targeted. It was important to be cautious and check.
"Um, is it okay if I don't go inside?"
"Yeah, I'll check it. This is the type of room with a washstand and toilet next to the bedroom, right?"
"Yes..."
Marcella, familiar with various house layouts through the Courier Guild, seemed to have guessed the arrangement without needing an explanation.
After listening carefully, he entered the room cautiously, holding a metal rod.
"...Tobias... that fucking idiot... go and die..."
A low, threatening voice leaked from the door, but Dahlia chose to pretend she hadn’t heard it.
"...It wasn't a thief. Just a little rat or two."
It seemed Tobias had been excluded not only from Marcella's circle of friends but also from being counted as a person altogether.
"Sorry! Marcella-san, could I talk to you for a moment?"
"Sure, I'll be right there."
A man who had been working in another room called for Marcella.
Since it seemed to be about something within the Courier Guild, Dahlia idly looked at the boxes stacked in the hallway.
The number of baggage was fewer than expected. Dahlia had left off-season clothes and books at her old house, planning to bring them once the new house was settled. It turned out to be the right choice.
"Hey, Dahlia-chan, can I talk to you for a second?"
Marcella, who had appeared in the hallway, looked unusually gloomy. His amber eyes were shadowed.
"What's wrong?"
"Well, this is really awkward to say, but... there's women's clothing hanging in the closet."
"...That was fast."
"Sorry, but could you check? That's definitely not your stuff, right?"
"Yes, definitely not."
A pale yellow puff-sleeved dress, a multicolored floral scarf, and a pink gown with lots of lace.
Dahlia could tell immediately by the size, before even looking at the design, that it wasn’t hers.
She didn’t even own anything in that style.
"Also, apparently, that was in the dresser."
Marcella pointed to the table.
On it was a pink makeup pouch, a white handkerchief, and a silver pendant. The flat, round pendant had an unfamiliar family crest engraved on it.
Dahlia furrowed her brows as she looked at it.
"This is probably from a noble family. At least a viscount."
"Not from a baron?"
"I've heard most barons don't usually have crests. If it's a weapon granted for the slaying of a large monster, it would be engraved with it."
Not directly touching it, Dahlia used the edge of the handkerchief to flip the pendant over.
Though old and faded, the family name was clearly engraved.
"Tallini... Yes, this belongs to his partner."
The woman Tobias had mentioned was Emilia Tallini.
There were also commoners with the “Tallini” name, so she hadn't expected her to be a noble.
"Uh, that crest, it might be from the Tallini Viscountcy. They govern a town four stops down the southern highway from the royal capital. My grandmother was from there."
Everyone else gave subtle, uncomfortable looks as one person spoke.
It seemed that the woman Tobias had brought to this house was at least related to the Viscount Tallini, and she may have left the pendant behind to indicate her connection.
"Should we go catch Tobias?"
"No. The owner of the pendant is currently at the Orland & Co. This is already a done deal. I don't intend to contact them."
"Got it. But, although it might take a bit, it’s safer to have a notary public come in and verify the items you’ll be taking. If nobles are involved, it's better to be cautious. I'll also prepare an inventory for the items we initially transported."
"Thank you. I'll make sure to request one."
It would be an extra expense, but avoiding trouble was more important.
"Should we call a notary public from the Courier Guild, or would you prefer one from the Merchant Guild?"
"Sorry, if there's someone available from the Merchant Guild, could you call them? If possible, please ask for Dominic Kämpfer-san."
"Understood. I'll go fetch him right away."
One of the men ran off to summon a carriage.
"Sorry for the trouble, everyone..."
"Whether you're lovers or married, when you break up, furniture and belongings often cause a lot of disputes. It’s not uncommon to call in a notary public. It’s no trouble for us."
"That's right. Rossetti-san, please don't worry about it."
She tried to show a composed expression to the men who were clearly being considerate of her.
As though seeing through it, Marcella spoke up.
"If you'd like, Dahlia-chan, we can cover the cost of the notary public and charge it to Tobias."
"No, I'll pay for it. It would be a hassle if he complains."
"Then I'll cover it as a 'celebration for not becoming that moron's wife.'"
"Just the thought is enough for me. Anyway, once I'm settled back at the tower, please come with Irma and have dinner with me. This time, I'll drink properly."
"Yeah, we'll definitely come. I'll bring some good alcohol."
When Dahlia was with Tobias, she only limited herself to one glass.
Tobias didn't like her drinking.
He’d said, "It's unseemly for a woman to get red-faced from drinking," and before she knew it, she had stopped drinking.
Tobias himself, however, had once gotten too drunk, gotten sick, and had to be carried home by Marcella.
Now, she would be able to drink without hesitation. Maybe the three of them could go to a tavern together in the future.
As they chatted casually, Dominic, the notary public, arrived with the man from earlier.
"Sorry for troubling you again, Dominic-san."
"No, no. I told you to always feel free to ask for my help. Don’t worry about it."
With a gentle smile, Dominic listened as Dahlia explained everything about the move; the furniture, the belongings, and the items that didn’t belong to her.
Though she had explained matter-of-factly, she could see sympathy deepening in the eyes of the men around her.
Dominic, without changing his expression, quickly checked the furniture and belongings, and in no time at all, he had prepared the documents.
"How much is it? I'll pay right now."
"No, I had a little extra time earlier, so three silver coins for the paperwork will be fine."
"Thank you."
Dahlia handed Dominic the silver coins and then made preparations to move again. The sunlight outside had waned, and it was already nearing evening.
This moving carriage had a section at the back for cargo and seats where a few people could sit. After loading the belongings, everyone sat in the rear and set off.
As the time of day grew busier with carriages and people, it took longer than when they first arrived. Still, it only took about 10 minutes to reach the Merchant Guild.
"I need to return the house key via the front desk, so I’ll go do that quickly."
"Should I drop it off for you?"
"You must be tired, both of you. I'll take care of the key."
Just as Dahlia was about to get out in front of the Merchant Guild, Dominic stopped her.
"No, there's no need for you to go that far, Dominic-san..."
"If you go now, you might get caught by people who are far too curious."
Indeed, she could already imagine the familiar faces in the guild asking endless questions the moment she walked in.
Given how exhausted she felt right now, she really didn’t want to deal with that.
"...I'm sorry, please take care of it for me."
"Of course, I’ll hold onto it for you."
Dominic took the key, bowed his head slightly, and then looked directly into Dahlia’s eyes.
"Miss Dahlia, I know it may seem inappropriate to say this, but I believe this was a good opportunity and a wise choice. I sincerely wish you good fortune in everything that comes."
"...Thank you."
Dahlia could only reply with a word of thanks, her gaze following his back as he left.
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