Chapter 28 - Preparing and Tidying Up

28: Preparing and Tidying Up
The King gave his farewell greetings and left the ball. Prince Fernand gave the closing greetings and the ball ended.
The colourful dresses were like colour waves as everyone left the venue. I was also one of them as I left.
On the return carriage, my older sisters seemed very happy that they were able to make contact with their intended gentlemen. Even if I was watching them, they looked very pleasant as they talked while they blushed and acted embarrassed.
Even my older brother, while clumsy, tried hard to make contact with a lady. His body gave off the smell of perfume when I got closer. It seemed they got quite close.
It could be said that the King’s plan was accomplished greatly at my House.
If I had stayed in the Thousand House forever, I might meet my brother-in-laws and sister-in-law in the near future.
Everyone seemed as if they were thinking about themselves and talked with me a little,
I’m glad I was able to experience this once in a lifetime ball,

The food the royal chefs cooked was delicious, wasn’t it?
and
You probably won’t be able to meet a large number of nobles like this anymore, would you?

I was really glad that I wasn’t honest when they asked me questions like
Who did you talk to?
and
Who did you interact with?
If Roberto-sama’s name was dragged up I wonder how they would question me…
When I got home, I was surprised that father and Furore-sama came out to greet us.
Seeing them embrace my sisters and try to calm them down made me feel as if they are family, and I felt alienated. But my feelings went back to normal when I remembered that,
I would be out of here in 3 days.

I returned to my room, undid my hair and changed my dress.
I took off my gloves and remembered reality when I saw my roughish hands.
I returned to my normal appearance and realised that the dreamlike ball had finished. My elevated feelings disappeared and a sense of loss arose.
I shook my head so that my heart wouldn’t be filled with that feeling. I diligently removed the organdie I sewed onto the dress.
◊♦◊♦◊♦◊
The day after the ball, my father called me into his office early in the morning.
He was doing a final confirmation about me ‘becoming a commoner’. Of course my answer was,
Yes.

Then, he explained how I would be brought out of the estate and about payment for my temporary living cost.

Prepare to leave the estate in 3 days.


Mm, I want to buy a pair of street clothes, would I be allowed to go into town?


Oh, you can use the carriage. You can take 20,000 G (gold) with you to cover the costs. You need things other than street clothes, don’t you? I’ll tell the grand chamberlain, so you can take it before you go.


Thank you very much.

I bowed deeply. I wonder how many times I will talk to my father like this… 
Such thought crossed my mind.
I checked all my belongings in my room.
I only have left-over dresses for dances. No one wore dresses that flare out at the hem except for nobles. I don’t need corsets either. It would be weird if I wear maid-like dresses as street clothes.
I’ll bring lingerie and my embroidered stoles. I also want to bring the milk tea coloured dress.

I have to buy a big bag.

Would it be possible for me to bring accessories, like the brooch that my sisters gave me?

Afterwards, I want to bring my handicraft materials and sewing box. I also need a sketchbook.

I also want to bring my mother’s clothes as a memento.

I’ll have to go to the gardener’s shack.

I want to clean the place that I’ve been using up until now.

There are so many things I have to do.
I received the money from the grand chamberlain and I, wearing the maid-like clothes, went to the shopping district just a little far from the estate in a carriage.
I got off the carriage, confirmed when I would be picked up and walked onto the streets alone.
I have no escort.
I was used to talking with the people in the city by buying things at the market. So it’ll work out somehow.
This was the first time I’ve ever been to this shopping district. It was useful to search a little about the Royal Capital in the library. Many shops sold clothes, accessories, shoes and other things.
I ignored the shops that displayed the latest fashion.
My first purpose was a second hand clothes shop.
I chose a shop with lots of traffic and entered. I got a simple faded red tunic dress and blue tight pants. For my shoes, I chose a flat brown pair of flats. The cold wind still blew, so I also bought a light mint coat. I received money after all.
Next, the lingerie shop.
I certainly wanted to avoid using a second hand lingerie shop. I usually received high quality fabric lingerie at the estate, so I bought some simple cotton ones. It was difficult to care for such luxurious and fluttery lingerie.
Next was the bag shop.
I chose 2 cheap and big bags. The big bags only came in black. It was a bit rugged for me to have, but there was nothing I could do about it. These were for both my hands, now I needed to pick a shoulder bag. I bought a light brown one with lots of pockets so that it could also be used for shopping.
I packed up the bags I bought and went home.
I went to the kitchen and helped the chefs for as long as I could.
This was the only thing I could do to repay all the people at the kitchen.
I cleaned up the gardener’s cabin. My heart squeezed at the thought of not being able to come here anymore.
There weren’t many things here, but my mother’s memento, her shawl was here. I asked the elder gardener couple to get rid of all the other household items in here. It would probably turn into money somehow. It was a shame that this was the only way I could repay them.
Lastly, I went to the gardener cabin shed. I moved the water jug that had accumulated a lot of water and removed a board from the floor.
There was a small flower vase under the board. Inside was some cash. It was the money that mother and I had done our best to save. I’m glad, no one has stolen it. 
I transferred it into my wallet. I’ll make good use of it at my new place.

◊♦◊♦◊♦◊
The days passed by in the blink of an eye.
I woke up in a good mood. Today is my birthday. It is the day when I’m no longer a noble.
Yesterday I cleaned every nook and cranny of the room I’ve been using for so many years. I wiped the floors and washed the faded curtains. Let’s overlook washing the sheets I used last night.
I look around the room again. I brush my hands gently across the desk, chair and window frames.
I change into a maid-like outfit.
Then I take a big deep breath and head to help with breakfast.