In the end, after I managed to persuade Mrs. Farris to take me with her, we set off for the city together.
Kaisen, the second largest city in the Empire of Berria, was about an hour’s ride from the Regwerd estate. The journey turned out to be surprisingly pleasant and flew by completely unnoticed. We chatted leisurely about various little things, occasionally glancing out the carriage windows at the passing fields, sparse villages, and woodlands shrouded in the light haze of the cool morning.
And when the city walls of Kaisen finally appeared ahead, I could not help but feel a surge of excitement.
Kaisen was rightly called the second capital of the empire, second only to Kronos. Unlike the actual capital, which I had already visited, this was my first time here.
And, to be honest, the city fully lived up to my expectations.
Wide streets, multi-story stone buildings, bustling market stalls, expensive carriages, an endless flow of people — Kaisen was almost equal to the capital in both scale and wealth. Everything here seemed lively, noisy, and truly majestic.
And so, to be honest, aside from the main reason for the trip, I simply wanted very much to see this city with my own eyes.
After the carriage stopped and we got out, Mrs. Farris immediately addressed me with noticeable concern:
"Miss Rider, as I said before... I have no interesting plans today. Just ordinary household errands. I am afraid you will be quite bored following me around shops and stores..."
"No, no, it is quite all right!" I quickly objected. "I really wanted to take a walk around the city. And keeping you company is not a burden at all. Truly!"
The old woman smiled awkwardly.
"Oh... well... all right then."
In the end, Mrs. Farris gave in and allowed me to accompany her, although at first, she clearly felt a bit constrained in my company.
As promised, there was nothing particularly interesting in her plans for the day — just the most ordinary household chores.
First, we went to the post office — a small but cozy building with a wooden sign, outside which, as luck would have it, there was always a crowd. Mrs. Farris picked up letters that had arrived from her hometown and then sent a few of her own. However, due to the huge queue, we ended up spending nearly two hours there.
After that, it was time for the market.
The old woman needed to buy groceries, household items, and a bunch of other things for the estate, so for the next few hours, we leisurely wandered through the noisy rows of merchants.
And, to be honest... I even enjoyed it.
There was a constant hum of voices around us, sellers vying to praise their wares, the smell of fresh bread here, spices, roasted meat, or fruit there. All of this created a surprisingly lively atmosphere that made the time fly by completely unnoticed.
By the time we finally finished all our errands, Mrs. Farris looked noticeably tired.
"Miss Rider," she said, stopping to catch her breath, "I really feel bad... You have spent so much time following me, and you even helped carry the bags. You must be terribly tired."
"No, not at all!" I immediately objected.
"You... truly are not tired at all?" she asked doubtfully.
"Not in the slightest!" I declared cheerfully. "I am still full of energy!"
In truth, this was a slight exaggeration.
We had been on our feet for several hours straight, and I was now carrying two heavy bags of purchases. My fingers were beginning to ache unpleasantly, but I tried my best not to show it. The last thing I wanted was for an elderly woman to have to carry everything herself.
Nevertheless, my enthusiasm clearly surprised Mrs. Farris. She looked at me for a long moment, then slightly shook her head with an almost indulgent smile.
"Is that so..." she murmured. "Well, youth is youth. At your age, you really do feel like you can move mountains."
By this time, we were already walking across the city’s central square, returning from the market. The day was gradually turning to evening, the sun beginning to sink lower, painting the streets in warm golden hues.
It was then that Mrs. Farris first mentioned returning:
"We had better hurry and catch a carriage before there are too many people."
However, before we headed to the carriage stand, I unexpectedly asked:
"Mrs. Farris... are you hungry?"
"...Huh?" The old woman blinked in surprise.
"We have been on our feet for half a day," I explained. "Perhaps before returning, we could rest a little and have a bite to eat?"
The woman thought for a moment.
She glanced around the square, then looked at the bags in her hands, at the gradually darkening sky... and finally turned her gaze back to me.
It seemed the idea of a short break struck her as quite reasonable.
"All right," she nodded with a slight, tired smile. "I suppose resting a bit really would not hurt."
Having received her agreement, I noticeably brightened.
In the end, we stopped at a small café near the square — a cozy place with a pleasant smell of pastries and fresh coffee. The prices there were quite reasonable, and the food looked homey and appetizing.
We settled at a table by the window. I had always liked watching the street, and Mrs. Farris, it seemed, did not mind either.
After a short deliberation, the old woman ordered herself an apple pie and a cup of black coffee.
I, with little hesitation, chose lemon cake along with a large mug of hot cocoa with marshmallows.
When the waiter brought our order and then placed the bill on the table, I was the first to reach for my wallet and decisively handed over the money.
Mrs. Farris’s eyes widened in surprise; she had clearly not expected such a gesture from me.
"Oh, Miss Rider, really, you should not have!" she fussed, immediately waving her hands. "I am perfectly capable of paying for myself!"
"It is quite all right," I objected. "Consider this my thanks for today’s walk around the city."
The old woman was noticeably flustered. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and such sincere confusion flickered in her gaze that I could not help but smile. She tried to object further, but realizing she would not convince me, she finally gave in.
"Well... if you insist..." she murmured, putting her wallet back into her bag. "Thank you very much, Miss Rider. That is very kind of you."
I simply smiled warmly in return. For me, there was truly nothing special about it. In my past life, I had always been taught that caring for one’s elders was completely natural. And besides, although my healer’s salary in the Regwerd house was rather modest, I could certainly afford to treat an elderly woman to coffee and dessert in a small café.
For a while, we ate in silence.
I kept trying to think of how to carefully steer the conversation toward what really interested me, but I could not bring myself to do it. I did not want to ruin the calm, almost warm atmosphere that had quietly developed between us over the course of the day. But I could not remain silent forever either.
However, before I could muster my courage, Mrs. Farris unexpectedly spoke first.
"Miss Rider..." she said, setting down her half-finished cup of coffee. "Thank you. I cannot remember the last time I spent such a pleasant day."
These words made me feel wonderfully warm inside. It was clear she was speaking quite sincerely.
"It was a wonderful day for me too," I answered honestly. "I had never been to Kaisen before, so thanks to you, I now at least have some orientation in the city. Thank you for taking me with you, Mrs. Farris."
"Oh, not at all..." The old woman again looked away in embarrassment.
And just at that moment, sensing that a suitable opportunity had finally arisen, I cautiously asked:
"Do you... often go for walks around the city with Lady Irene?"
"...What?" The woman raised her eyebrows in surprise.
For one brief moment, her face darkened. I noticed how her shoulders tensed and how her gaze dimmed.
"Before... yes," she finally answered after a pause, and her voice became noticeably quieter. "We used to go out into the city quite often together. I would take the young lady to the park, to confectioneries, to fairs... She loved watching street performers. But lately..." the old woman hesitated, "all of that has almost stopped. Now, apart from the academy, Lady Irene hardly goes out anywhere."
As soon as the conversation turned to her charge, Mrs. Farris noticeably darkened. She lowered her gaze and began slowly stirring her already cold coffee, although it was obvious — her thoughts were now very far away.
And it was then that I realized: there would not be a better moment.
"Mrs. Farris..." I began cautiously. "Could you tell me a little more about Lady Irene?"
"...Why do you want to know?" Wariness immediately flickered in her gaze.
"Nothing in particular," I hastened to answer as sincerely as possible. "I simply... truly worry about the lady. As you said yourself that evening, she is a good child. And it seems to me that she is going through a difficult time right now. So I want to understand what is happening. Not as an outsider, but as someone who also cares about this family."
Mrs. Farris looked at me intently.
She was clearly hesitating — I could see it in how her fingers tightened around her cup. But then something in her gaze softened.
Perhaps it was the relaxed atmosphere that had developed between us over the course of the day. Or perhaps it was that I had ceased to be a complete stranger to her. Either way, she was clearly not as adamant as before.
Finally, the old woman sighed heavily.
"Very well..." she said. "I will tell you."
She paused a little longer, gathering her thoughts, and then continued — slowly, as if each word cost her effort:
"Lady Irene is indeed having problems at the academy. And they are connected... with her family. With what happened to Her Grace."
I involuntarily pressed my lips together.
Of course. I had already guessed where this was going.
It was about Kayla. About the tragedy that had in an instant destroyed the reputation of the Regwerd family — one of the most respected and influential families in the empire. About the act after which the name Regwerd was no longer spoken with admiration, but more often with contempt or pity.
And, it seemed, Irene was having to pay for this alongside her sister.
Thus, Mrs. Farris was now trying to hint gently that Irene was suffering from poor treatment at the academy because of this. Or... perhaps things were even worse than I had initially assumed.