The Marquis Who's Wicked (Higher Court II)

XXIV. Visiting Molftus Market

After Ian was leaving for the Stone Tower, Emily was finishing her morning meal before she felt like she needed to go out to explore the capital without any interference from Ian or anyone else. Okay, maybe except for Becca because she's her best friend and Emily was dying to meet her again. But of course, the Duchess of Belikov was busy by the time that Emily got her missive. Becca said that she was trying to manage the household and have some importance that needed to be addressed to the servants. Hence, Emily sent a missive to her husband at the Stone Tower, knowing that he would freak out if Emily didn't say a word if she went out.

Not that Ian would be mad or anything, it's just something courteous of her to do so, Emily mused as she was fitting her bonnet to her head, securing the ribbon underneath her chin as she took the gloves from the butler. She nodded at him. "I will be back before sunup. I'm sure the marquis would not be worried by my absence by then since he's busy with the Higher Court. But if he wants to know where I'm going, then tell him that I will be going to the modiste. He understands," Emily said before taking the offered hand of the footman to get inside the carriage before the coachman was whipping the horses to go to the capital's biggest trading posts, Molftus Market.

Emily had been dying to get there after that outing with Becca the other week since she was trying to explore the whole market. But of course, at the time, she was accompanied by Becca and her gut was telling her that her husband was wrong, so Emily decided to cut the journey short for her worries overcame her eagerness to spend some of Ian's fortune on gowns and hats. Not that I am not doing it right now. I will definitely be taking the advantage of this outing, Emily mused, smiling as she was pushing the drapes away from the window of the carriage as her eyes were greeted with people walking past by her carriage and the aroma of exotic spices filled her nostrils. Emily closed her eyes and sniffed them deeply.

"Ah... That's amazing. I wonder if they would have that near the modiste," Emily said as she was looking around the market. Colorful vendors with loud voices were booming across the market as the coachman was parking the carriage that carried the insignia of Kain, the silver griffin, which was parked by the stables so that the horses can rest there. The footman stepped down and opened the door as Emily gathered her skirts and got off. She was gripping her reticule, adjusting her bonnet before she nodded at the staff.

"I will not be going long. You are free to roam the market as well. I will be back here before the sun is up," she said as Emily stepped forward, entering the crowd that was crowding the market as the vendors and sellers were trying to get their customers' attention to buy their produce. Emily was smiling at some of the vendors before she went to the familiar tent that she knew Lady Ivashkov was setting up in the market. The seamstress was talking with someone before Emily was clearing her throat to announce her presence.

Lady Ivashkov turned and beamed at her before she was walking to close the distance between them as she hugged Emily into her arms. "Oh, my lady! I haven't been seeing you around since your wedding gown fitting. How are you, my dear? Happy with your husband?" the seamstress asked before the man that she was talking to before chuckled softly.

"Alvina, I think that's a private question that we don't have any rights to ask Her Ladyship," the man said before he bowed slightly to Emily. "I apologize for my wife's rudeness, my lady. Alvina was not... known to have the right manner in the polite company," the seamstress' husband said before Lady Ivashkov turned to look at him, smirking wickedly at Lord Ivashkov.

"Is that so, my lord? Then I'm afraid you cannot stay here then since I am not a great company in the polite society, as you said, my lord," the seamstress said before Lord Ivashkov was arching his eyebrow before he went out of the tent, bowing slightly at Emily as he ventured out to explore the market on his own. Emily turned to look at Lady Ivashkov, Alvina was her given name, as she was shaking her head as her husband was out of their view.