The Regressed Princess - Chapter 61

Chapter 61: The Puppeteer; Her Highness is Very Familiar With This Place.

Andra racked her brains to answer, finally seeing the little Princess break into a smile. She let out a silent sigh of relief, her own lips curving upward in response to Eleanor’s adorable expression.

Jingle~ The carriage soon came to a halt.

Andra was the first to hop down. She pulled four copper coins from her purse to pay the fare, then naturally stepped in front of the slave, personally opening her arms to lift the little Princess down.

Rustle.

As she held Eleanor, a rare surge of elation welled up in her heart: So soft, Eleanor… is so soft. Andra didn’t dare to overtly sniff her, but her cheeks flushed nonetheless amidst the steaming fragrance. The exquisite and lovely Princess in her arms reminded her of a rag doll.

Rag dolls were very popular in Nolanna. Even common children would gather old linen scraps, find a way to wrap them into a ball, and use stones or dye to mark eyes, introducing the result to their playmates as “their child.”

Hetuya didn’t really have a culture for this; children’s toys were mostly cattle and sheep bones, bows and arrows, puppies, or for the more luxurious ponies and calves. However, a peace-treaty princess who married Aguño had brought many dolls with her.

These weren’t round balls of scrap linen, but artworks meticulously woven by craftsmen using fine cloth infused with herbal powders and plant fibers. The Queen’s dolls were reach-the-peak beautiful; they were painted and dressed by masters… even their eyes were replaced with rubies and sapphires, and their hems were adorned with pearls and gem fragments.

Andra had naturally felt a bit of interest in such pretty dolls. However, that beautiful Queen later became despondent because her maternal clan was lost in a blizzard and the tribal leadership changed. She even began to give Aguño the cold shoulder. Rumors gradually spread through the court that the Princess had a new lover. Later, these were replaced by a more dangerous rumor sorcery. Eventually, that beautiful Queen vanished in flames along with her dolls…

“Andra? Andra~” The little Princess, held with her feet off the ground, pinched Andra’s cheek in dissatisfaction.

“Oh right, Lily, we’re here. Let’s go in and take a look.”

Andra quickly snapped back to reality, contentedly carrying Eleanor inside. Her little Princess didn’t need to worry about such things; she would protect her forever.

“Hey, put me down first…”

Eleanor tapped her shoulder somewhat helplessly, but eventually sighed. Amidst Andra’s laughter, she lowered her head, her long hair masking her inscrutable gaze.

A vigorous young girl passed through the gates of the marketplace.

Her not-yet-fully-grown body didn’t stand out much. Her golden-red hair was indeed brilliant, but compared to the carefully selected “prime goods” on display, it was merely average. However, her face was so strikingly handsome that it stung the eyes of anyone looking directly at her, like the sun.

Everyone who noticed the girl couldn’t help but steal a glance at her perfectly contoured features, drawn by an inexplicable gravity. But after a moment, they would notice she was holding a girl of peerless beauty… no, not a girl, just a child? Upon realizing the child’s age, people would ignore the deeper emotions within those clear eyes and gradually forget the charisma that transcended her years.

“Come, follow me.”

After entering, Eleanor struggled her way back to the ground. The two decently dressed girls merged into the bustling crowd as easily as two drops of water. Andra tightened her grip on the little Princess’s hand, looking around with a hint of nervousness; fortunately, there seemed to be no suspicious people, let alone assassins with murderous intent.

She instinctively stepped forward to lead the way, but Eleanor naturally walked toward a specific corner of the market.

Her Highness was very familiar with this place.

Watching Eleanor’s brisk silhouette, Andra quickened her pace. The little Princess was like a honey-drunk butterfly, landing here for a moment, then there. She didn’t focus on the most common goods in the market, but first paid attention to the bits and pieces of jewelry in the corners. Of course, gold and silver jewelry were sold here, but neither the price nor the quality offered any “value for money.”

Andra watched the Princess pick up a heavy gold chain and couldn’t help but shake her head inwardly: that gold, thick as a dog’s leash, was unsuitable for the Princess regardless of the price.

“I want this, this, and this.”

The little Princess didn’t hear Andra’s inner thoughts. With a light tap of her finger, she quickly bought set after set of accessories, enough to wear from head to toe, every piece being very heavy pure gold. Andra wanted to intervene, but seeing the little Princess’s shining eyes, she swallowed her words of protest.

Forget it, maybe the little Princess just likes this style? The King of Nolanna surely wouldn’t grant her such accessories; let her buy her fill here.

More and more jewelry piled up on the slave. Fortunately, the weight was nothing to this royal guard; she followed steadily by the Princess’s side. If her eyeballs weren’t moving, she wouldn’t look much like a living person.

Eleanor bought many, many things, only nodding when the jewelry boxes stacked above the guard’s head. Suddenly, she turned and headed in another direction. Following a flagstone path into a narrow alley, she quickly led them away from the display area and the noisy crowds, brushing past servants and arriving at the shantytown where the slaves lived.

Here, wooden cages were placed side by side. Some were outside tents, some inside. Servants roamed outside the cages, holding wooden buckets, ladles, and various tools. Andra’s gaze swept quickly over everyone, specifically their weapons. Fortunately, aside from two strong guards with leather whips at their waists, the others had heavy iron balls and stones locked to their ankles; they were unlikely to cause any trouble.

Trot, trot.

During the few seconds Andra spent observing the slaves, the little Princess was walking toward a tent. Noticing suspicious stains on the ground, Andra immediately pressed the Princess’s shoulder and pulled her back into the alley.

“Lily, it’s too dirty here. It will soil your shoes.”

Eleanor turned back. She looked at Andra’s indifferent expression and asked softly: “What do you think of this place?”

Was the Princess asking about this filthy spot? Or the Nolanna marketplace in general?

“The capital’s marketplace is naturally excellent,” Andra replied after a moment’s thought. “However, there are perhaps too many slaves here, so the merchants only put effort into the display area. The environment inside isn’t as clean as the marketplace in the capital’s commercial district.”

Truly Andra.

Eleanor pursed her lips. Even regarding things she was completely uninterested in, Andra could instinctively avoid saying anything the listener didn’t want to hear. She didn’t insist on running into the tent, but instead stood on her tiptoes and waited in silence with Andra.

She waited until Manju and Thorns caught up. Then, in the alley, she said to Thorns: “There is a scholar named Hudora in that tent. She wrote a book that I like very much. Go buy her… buy everyone in that tent.”

“Yes.” Thorns didn’t ask a single question and ran off immediately.

Andra, however, was pensive: Was the Princess here specifically for this person today?

Manju stepped between the Princess and the Knight. Eleanor had orders for her as well. She said: “There is a very tall warrior in the iron cage in the middle of the display area. Wait there by the cage. When Scar-eye Donny talks to her, go over and say you want to buy her. It’s fine if it’s expensive. If Scar-eye refuses to sell, tell her you plan to present this giant to the Royal Family.”

“Understood, Highness.”

Manju nodded but didn’t leave immediately. she said worriedly: “There are too few people by your side.”

Eleanor gave a light laugh: “It’s fine. Andra and my guard are both here.”

Manju hesitated: that was exactly why she was worried. The palace dead-soldier was certainly loyal, but what about this Andra person? However, she didn’t want to disobey the Princess’s command, and as a neighboring royal daughter, Andra had no reason to harm the little Princess. So Manju hesitated for a moment, then finally left the alley, looking back every few steps, leaving only the two girls and a silent silhouette.

After Manju left, Eleanor also walked outward along this path. Andra followed quickly, saying: “Highness, shall we look at other goods?”

Eleanor walked a few more steps, then suddenly stopped at a fork in the road. She pointed to a dark alley and said in an ethereal voice: “Actually, if a few people were arranged here, they could hurt us.”

How is that possible?

Andra’s playful gaze swept across the alley, then suddenly sharpened. A dangerous intuition stung her nerves and vanished just as quickly. There was clearly no one there… but her instinct agreed with the Princess’s words. Her expression turned solemn, and she nodded: “You’re right. Let’s return early.”

“No, the time hasn’t come yet.”

The Princess passed through the alley, leading Andra to the area at the edge of the market where horses were sold. Goods here weren’t limited to humans; livestock like cattle and horses were separated from the human slaves by only a wall. The difference between the two was that slave owners didn’t use cages for cattle and horses, but tied the tamed animals to wooden posts to wait for buyers.

The little Princess walked to the stable and turned her face: “Help me pick some horses. I want three.”

Andra’s gaze swept over the silent guard: Three? So the slave is included? Horses were expensive, and good horses even more so. But as a Princess, Eleanor could fully afford three decent horses. Even if her pocket money ran out, Eva would help reimburse her.

She withdrew her gaze and began to select seriously. As a Hetuyan, a royal daughter raised in the Hetuyan court, Andra naturally knew horses well. She knew that truly peerless horses basically never appeared in a market like this; they were kept as special gifts and tributes.

Though she might see some hidden “bottom-of-the-trunk” stock in secret if she talked more with the wealthy merchants, she didn’t do so. The little Princess simply wanted to ride a horse on a whim; she didn’t necessarily want to buy a truly legendary steed.

So she picked while haggling fiercely with the nearby merchants, and in a short time, she selected three horses with high cost-performance. The Princess’s chestnut horse was beautiful. The bay she chose for herself had a slightly uneven coat, but the trunk and hooves showed strong horsepower. The last piebald horse was for the slave; the color was a mess, but the physique was sturdy enough that it shouldn’t be left too far behind by the other two.

The little Princess stared at the three horses for a moment, then finally nodded, having Andra take the prepared gold coins from her bag.

“Fallen Leaf, put everything we bought on the horses.”

Andra froze for a second, quickly realizing Eleanor was calling the slave’s name. The slave has a name? No… she remembers the slave’s name?

“Yes, Highness.” Fallen Leaf didn’t hesitate to bundle the jewelry boxes with rope and pile them onto the piebald horse.

Then, the Princess patted the beautiful chestnut horse and said to Fallen Leaf: “Here, you ride this one.”

This time, Fallen Leaf hesitated for a second, but her body moved immediately upon receiving the command, and she mounted the horse briskly.

“Highness…” Andra couldn’t help but frown, but she saw Eleanor smile.

The little Princess affectionately reached out her hand to her, saying softly: “I don’t know how to ride. Teach me.” Her eyes were curved, and she weakly opened her arms waiting to be lifted.

Andra’s shoulders twitched, and she lifted the little Princess onto the last bay horse in one go. Eleanor sat steadily on the horse, the warmth of Andra’s body slowly rising behind her back.

The little Princess pulled out a small riding whip that came with the purchase and pointed randomly into the distance.

“Alright. Now let’s go see the Legion.”

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