After the demonstration session ended, everyone got busy doing their own thing. But Saphy, she was being held against her will. She was trapped in front of a dressing table by her mother and a group of maids. The reason is to play dress-up.
Some time ago, after demonstrating her power, she was ready to go out immediately. But she was caught by her mother. She demanded that Saphy look like a proper Nobel Lady before going out. It's about keeping her Aristocratic dignity and protecting the face of House Astley. Otherwise, even if her father agrees to let her venture out, her mother will not. And she will also stay near her constantly to monitor her and prevent Saphy from sneaking away. Saphy tried to play the victim card by saying,
"Mom, are you treating me like a prisoner?"
"Yes."
A simple answer by Lisa crippled any hope of getting out of this situation. So now she is sitting in front of a mirror motionless. Her expression said that she was suffering from great injustice. They made her heir. Applied various types of makeup and made her change into at least 20 types of outfits. After this session of torture,
There sat, in front of the mirror, was young girl who was the vision of innocence. The dress she wore was like the pale, milky color of a peeled peach. A shade that spoke of the innocence of spring. This was almost too pure for this ancient castle of stone and bricks, a reminder of sunlight and simple things. The gown was a confection of layered fabrics, giving the skirt a voluminous, cloud-like quality. The bodice was simple and elegant, while the skirt was adorned with fine, delicate ruffles that cascaded down to the hem.
On the contrary, her hair was to color of fresh snow. Untouched by anything unholy, as if moonlight is flowing through. They tied up as half lace braids. A garland of fresh, blooming flowers—pale roses and small white blossoms—was woven into her golden hair and around her shoulders, creating a living crown and a floral capelet that perfectly complemented her youthful charm.
Everyone, including Saphy's mother, was charmed by her ethereal beauty.
"Saphy, I changed my mind. I don't think you should go out."
Lisa said with a trembling voice. Saphy frowned. She had to endure all those hours of torture just to hear this? So, she said in an angry tone,
"What happened this time?"
"You are simply too beautiful."
Saphy: (ー_ー゛)
"You shouldn't go out like this."
With that, Lisa removed all the makeup, changed her dress to a normal one, and tied her hair into twin ponytails. Lisa knew what she was doing was unreasonable, but she had to do it.
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In front of the castle, there was already a carriage ready. The carriage was big enough to fit six to eight people. It had an intricate design all around it, and two sturdy, horned horses were in front. On both sides of the carriage, the Astley family crest was curved with gold and silver. Their family crest was a deer drinking from a river, which was flowing through a Mountain and Forest.
Saphy was held in her mother's arms, and her brother and some maids were beside her. Charlie was given the coachman and the soldiers some instructions. Soon, Charles approached them with five knights following behind him.
"Saphy, they will be responsible for your protection."
"Good morning, miss, please take care of us."
The one who spoke was the brown hair Knight, Ramond. Following closely behind him were Luke, Surgery, Pata, and a female knight named Rista. They wore light armor around their chest. The results of the area were empty. Their overall outfit was leaning more towards fashion than protection. Don't let it fool you; the whole rationale outfit was enchanted with various types of protective magic. So, their safety was guaranteed. Following closely behind were six soldiers. They were full-body plate armor. Only the helmet was missing. Both soldiers and knights had the Ashley family insignia on the right side of the chest. With some words of caution from Lisa, the entourage left the castle gate.
The main estate of the Astleys is located in a port city called Edelgard. It was located on the south side of the kingdom and bordered the Ashen Bey, which was on the southern side of the Emerald Continent, bordering the Emerald Sea. This was one of the biggest and most prosperous port cities on the continent. The Ashtys have been ruling this city for more than six decades. This territory is considered a treasure land. Because not only does it border a sea, but also on the northern side dive miles away from the city, is a massive freshwater lake. That gives this land fertile soil. This provides a bountiful harvest even during drought. This city is also a major import and export hub for the city. But despite all those advantages, the kingdom imposes a small amount of tax. And the reason behind it was that the founder of the Ashty family saved the life of the first king multiple times. That's why is territory receives the kingdom's favor.
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While Saphy's entourage traveled through the city, the coachman asked where they would like to go.
"To the market."
Saphy said it with excitement.
With that, they headed towards the central marketplace.
After half an hour of travel, the carriage arrived at the entrance of the market. One of the Knights jumped off his horse and opened the carriage door. The first one to come out was Maya. Then came out the female knight. When Saphy was about to jump out with excitement, she was caught by the female knight and held in her arms. This was one of the conditions set by her parents. Since she was still a child, she was not allowed to travel on foot. Even though she felt embarrassed, as a grown man inside and being held like a child, she didn't protect. Her current body was that of a small child. It's easy for her to get lost. So, both Maya and Rista would take turns holding her. When she got out of the carriage, a salty wind hit her face. When she looked around, she saw the hustle and bustle of the market. Various types of stores were next to each other with almost no gap in between. They made every bit of space count. Saphy looked at this festive atmosphere with stars in her eyes. She got really to start her shopping spree.