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...and I regretted that decision as soon as I arrived at the plaza.
"Oh my, isn't that His Highness, Grand Duke Dellua?"
"And next to him... that's Duchess Farnese."
Even if some people didn't know my face, no one was unaware of the face of Idriss, the former prince.
Because of that, I drew people's attention wherever I went.
Of course, I was prepared for this kind of situation wherever I went since I proposed a contract relationship to him...
'I can't concentrate!'
The following gazes and whispering voices were distracting me from concentrating on looking at the clothing stores.
"That store's design isn't bad, but it doesn't seem to suit popular tastes. This store doesn't seem to keep up with the trends at all..."
...The very source of this situation, as if used to it, was focused on his task (?)
I looked up at him with a strange sense of annoyance and embarrassment, and Idriss, noticing my gaze, looked at me.
"What's the meaning of that look? It makes my heart flutter when you look at me like that."
I sighed, letting the now-familiar, frivolous joke go in one ear and out the other.
'I can't just send back someone who came along to help with good intentions.'
Idriss seemed to have other things to do anyway, so I was about to suggest we head back when it happened.
"Daddy!"
I heard a child's terrified scream from nearby.
Looking toward the sound...
I saw three men surrounding a crying girl, about six or seven years old, and a man who seemed to be her father.
He was groaning on the ground as if he had been beaten by the three men, holding onto a signboard from the store.
"Ha, geez. Hey, this makes it look like we hit you. Who told you to take the signboard's place?"
The men shouted as if making excuses, feeling the gathering gazes of people around them.
"Ah, it's not like we hit an innocent person, this guy ripped us off! And we weren't even going to hit him, he came and took the hit himself!"
"It's not ripping you off, I said if you gave me a little more time, I would definitely pay you back!"
"We need that money right now, if you don't pay it back, how is that different from ripping us off?"
I frowned as I watched the collectors and the man arguing.
Idriss, too, seemed to feel the same, muttering in a cold tone.
"Typical loan shark tactics."
They lend generously when they're lending, and then suddenly demand payment earlier than the agreed-upon schedule.
"It's pitiful, but we can't help him. Let's go back."
Idriss added, leading me by the hand.
But I stood my ground.
'Idriss is right.'
Helping that man just because he's pitiful won't change anything.
Even if I help him this time, that man will still be struggling with poverty and borrowing money.
Unless the loan shark system itself is changed, there will be countless people like that, and there will continue to be.
But...
"Hey, wait a minute."
Even if nothing changes when I step in, and it keeps repeating.
'My actions aren't completely meaningless, right?'
To someone, especially to that terrified child and that man who wants to protect his daughter, right now.
Not a grand salvation that will change the world, but this fleeting intervention will be desperate.
"...Letitia?"
I left Idriss, who was calling me, behind and stepped between the collectors and the man.
"Who are you guys with?"
The collectors were obviously displeased by my discordant interruption, but they answered readily.
"We're from the Rumada Merchant Guild, Lady. Is there a problem?"
Rumada Merchant Guild.
I frowned at the name that came from their mouths.
The Rumada Merchant Guild was run by Grand Duke Zahir, Deon.
Deon Zahir was the second prince and Idriss's brother, and a man I personally had ill feelings toward.
'He even flirted with me when I was married.'
Anyway, hearing that name, I understood.
Why they could openly harass a person on the main street in broad daylight, even if he was a debtor.
They were acting out because they had a reliable backing.
So they were warning me not to interfere in the Grand Duke's affairs.
'But this is even better.'
If their backer is the Grand Duke, it will be easier to resolve the situation.
I gave a crooked smile and asked the man sitting next to me.
"So, how much do you owe?"
The man stared at me with a bewildered expression for a moment before answering.
"500,000 gold...is the amount."
"500,000 gold... that's definitely not a small amount."
At my words, the man hung his head, and the collectors became elated, thinking their side had grown.
"But."
I continued with a twisted smile.
"I don't think the affluent Grand Duke Zahir would be ruined because he doesn't have that money."
500,000 gold is a little more than the annual income of a well-off commoner couple.
Of course, it's a large sum, but it's pocket change to Deon, who runs a huge merchant guild.
"Surely the Zahir family's finances haven't become so difficult that I don't know about it, right?"
As I pretended to be overly concerned, the collectors hesitated.
'There are many ears listening, so I can't drop Deon's prestige here.'
Just as I was about to add fuel to the fire with a triumphant smile, Idriss, who was watching, intervened.
"Oh dear, if I had known my brother's finances were so difficult, I would have helped him. Surely my only brother wouldn't turn a blind eye to his troubled brother."
"T-That's not it...!"
The collectors began to panic as they watched the people around them murmuring about the Zahir family's finances.
I didn't miss the opportunity and drove in the final nail.
"Hmm, if that's not it... you wouldn't be unreasonably trying to raise the interest rate even though it's not the payment date, would you?"
The collectors, as if hit in the bullseye, just opened their mouths and couldn't say anything.
After a while.
"S-Since there seems to be a situation, we'll let it slide this week. You must have it ready by next week!"
The collectors, glancing around, shouted a villainous exit line and quickly disappeared.
I snorted and watched their retreating figures, then suddenly met Idriss's eyes.
He smiled wryly with a sigh at me, who had intervened in this matter without giving him a chance to stop me.
'Who can stop you?'
His eyes seemed to say that.
Anyway, just as I was about to give a smile to my partner who had shown perfect teamwork.
"Daddy! Waaaaa!"
"I'm sorry, Aria. Daddy's sorry..."
The child, who had been too afraid to approach her father, ran over and hugged him tightly.
'Aria, huh...'
At the same time that the name from a forgotten memory came to mind.
'It's a relief that I didn't give that child more painful memories.'
Thinking that, I helped the man pick up the fallen signboard.
Then, the name of the store written on the signboard caught my attention.
[Aria's Starlight Dress]
As I alternated between looking at the name of the store and the clothes hanging inside, I heard the man's voice.
"If you're okay with it, I'd like to treat you both to a cup of tea. Do you have a moment?"
When I turned to ask Idriss's opinion, he shrugged once as if to answer.
We entered the store with the man.
The man went upstairs to prepare tea, leaving only Aria and us on the first floor.
The child was hiding under the stairs leading to the second floor, peeking at us.
She seemed to be shy to approach first, but wanted to greet us.
I noticed that and was about to speak when Idriss beat me to it.
"Hello, little lady. What's your name?"
Idriss seemed surprisingly skilled at handling children.
'Ah, is it because of His Highness the Crown Prince?'
I was convinced when I remembered the little Crown Prince running to his uncle when I went to the Imperial Palace last time.
The child hesitated for a moment at Idriss's question and answered quietly.
"...Aria."
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