The maids made us wear casual clothes, and Niveus changed the boys’ hair colors into black. Since having red hair is a mark of someone of imperial blood.
“Yey! Fifi and I have the same hair color now!” Ashwin is now jumping up and down in excitement as we went out.
Niveus also changed her appearance and now she’s the one carrying me.
“We all have the same hair color as the princess,” Nix stated with a blank expression.
“Why do you always ruin the fun, Nix?”
“Well, I’m just saying it.” Nix shrugged as he walked ahead of us.
I can feel the presence of various knight guards around us while we are walking through the marketplace. They are quite far from us but near enough if there is any trouble.
“Can we go to an armory?” Ashnor asked Niveus as we walked on the streets in broad daylight.
“Well, of course.”
“Can we also go to a bookstore?” This time, Nix asked Niveus.
“Why do you want to go to a bookstore?” Ashwin asked him.
“Well, I just want to,” Nix looked at me then looked away. “Well, I just want to study in advance.”
“You are being very diligent, Nix.” Ashnor smiled at him in approval.
“Why are you smiling like that at him Ashnor?” Ashwin looked at Ashnor and Nix as he pouted.
“Ashwin is such a cry baby,” Nix commented.
“I am not!”
“Yes, you are.”
“I am not!”
“Okay, okay. Let’s now continue walking.” Niveus laughed at the two of them.
“So we’ll go to an armory, a bookstore. Where would you like to go, Ashwin?” Niveus is addressing us casually now as if she’s our mother.
Ashwin started to think to himself but then he looked up at me.
“Where do you want to go, Fifi? I would like to go where you want to go.” He smiled at me brightly.
An armory is a good place and so is the bookstore. So far, I can’t think of any place I want to go.
“It seems like the princess does not know where she wants to go.” Nix looked at my expression as if reading me.
“What do one-year-olds like Niveus?” Ashwin asked Niveus.
“I guess they want toys and dresses?” Niveus looked at me, “But I’m guessing she has enough of all of those. Also, the princess is not the same as the others.”
“Maybe there’s a children’s parlor here?” Ashnor suggested.
“Hmm, I think there is one. It’s quite famous and it is owned by the daughter of Count Clifford.”
“Count Clifford? Isn’t his daughter still at the age of ten?” Nix asked.
“Yes, I believe so. She’s still ten but she was granted to open her own children’s parlor.”
She is still ten but she already has her own business, are children in this world too brilliant? Well, although I can’t really compare it to my previous life since I haven’t talked with children.
“Her business started as a project for one of her classes.”
“What do you mean?” Ashwin asked this time.
“Aren’t business classes for men?” Nix also asked.
“Well, we live in an empire where we don’t discriminate against women over men. Maybe it was an initiative of her parents to let her learn the business.”
“Well, let’s head there after going to the armory and bookstore.” Ashnor shrugged and nodded towards the armory shop.
We opened the door and the door chimes went off.
“Welcome!” An old man with a beard greeted us. He is very bulky like he’s been maintaining those muscles of his. Maybe he’s a blacksmith.
“Oh, such cute children,” He nodded at Niveus then smiled at the four of us. “What can I offer you?”
“Oh, the children just want to look at weapons. Are children allowed to go and look for weapons?”
“Yes sure, oh! I even have swords suitable for children who are still starting their swordsmanship training. Come follow me.”
The man led us further inside as the four of us kept on looking around.
There were battle axes, shields, swords, and spears everywhere. Some looked very expensive while others were just average-looking weapons.
A vitrine caught my attention. Daggers were displayed inside it, they were very pretty to look at. During my past life, daggers were my main close combat weapons. I feel more in tune when I use daggers rather than swords.
“Do you want to look over there, princess?” Niveus offered.
I nodded.
“Children, we’ll look at the daggers over there. Just continue and follow that man, don’t worry he’s not suspicious.”
How did Niveus know that that man was not considered someone suspicious?
Niveus caught me staring at her, “Oh! He’s actually very famous for his weapons. He’s the one who forged the imperial knights’ weapons and armors.”
“Oh, look at these daggers.”
I scanned the display, everything looks so beautiful and deadly. The carved designs on the daggers’ hilts are very well-made. You can truly tell that the one who forged them is very skillful and talented.
As I continued to admire the daggers there was one particular dagger that caught my attention compared to the rest of them.
The hilt has dark red scales as its design, even the blade has some writings on it, ‘All Hail the Dragons’. It’s really beautiful to look at. I wonder if I am allowed to buy this when I grow older. Would they even teach me how to fight?
I stared at it more intently until the door chimes went off and someone went inside, a boy around the age of five with red hair. I know this boy.
“Princess?”
It’s Finnian, maybe his family already arrived at the capital for my birthday banquet.
“It’s the young duke of the East. You two know each other?”
“She came with Blue one time.”
Niveus sighed and instead of having a look of disappointment, she looks like it was an expected thing for Blue to do.
“And when was this?”
Finnian shrugged and stared at me then at the daggers.
“So, what are you doing here, your grace?”
“I was bored at the mansion so I took a walk.”
“All alone?”
“Yes.”
“Did His grace not assign any personal knight for you?”
Finnian only shrugged and continued to look at me as he pulled something from his pocket.
“Here, this is for the princess.”
He handed Niveus a marshmallow.
“Thank you, your grace.”
Finnian looked at Niveus suspiciously, “By the way, who are you? Why are you carrying the princess with you?”
His aloof expression turned to an expression full of authority. Like he can order Niveus's death at any moment, or maybe he can just kill her on the spot.
“Oh, I’m sorry for introducing myself late, your grace.” Niveus bowed, “I am Niveus, Duchess Emilia’s dragon.”
Finnian returned to his aloof expression, he did not even apologize. Or maybe people with imperial blood were never taught to apologize to others?
“Hey, look! It’s Finnian!”
Ashwin emerged from the back room together with the others.
Finnian only waved at them as he scanned the vitrine where the daggers were displayed.
“Oh, this child is of the imperial bloodline. This citizen humbly greets thee, young Lord.” The man bowed to Finnian and noticed that none of us were following him.
But before he could ask anything Ashnor interrupted him, “Do you have a whip?”
“A-a whip?”
“Yes, a whip. I want to give Ria a whip.” Ashnor looked at me.
“You are going to give a whip to a baby?”
“Yes, isn’t that allowed?”
“W-well,” He looked at Niveus since he thought that Niveus is our guardian.
“It’s okay, we’ll buy the baby a whip.”
“O-okay, right this way.”
We followed him as he took us to an area where the whips are displayed.
There were whips made of metal and whips made of leather. There are even whips made for women because of their intricate designs.
“I want this one for her.” Ashnor pointed at a silver whip. The handle looks like white dragon scales, the same as the daggers and other weapons inside this shop, the whips also looked very well-made.
“O-okay, I’ll warp it up for you. Is that all, young sir?”
Ashnor looked at the rest of us as if asking if we want something else.
“I guess, that would be it.”