Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
A R T I S T
After traversing a long crossroad, our horse-drawn carriage and entourage came to a halt in front of a villa, encircled by towering walls. Though dusk was nearly upon us, this place, while within the boundaries of the Kimdom, lay quite a distance from the village of Kizusa.
At last, I could breathe a sigh of relief. I hadn't managed to converse properly with the princess, solely due to the wild palpitations of my heart, which had already caused my entire body to perspire. I needed a good bath before resting, or sleep would elude me.
"Princess, we have already arrived at our destination," someone by the carriage announced with a firm yet gentle voice. I quickly alighted and arranged a separate staircase for Kim Jiwie so she could descend comfortably. Rushing to her side, I saw her carefully stepping down with the aid of a handmaiden.
My gaze fell upon her shoes, adorned with crystals. I raised my eyebrows but then thought, 'It is only natural, for she is the princess of this vast kingdom.' Yet, by my reckoning, the cost of those shoes could comfortably sustain a low-income family for a month.
One of the bodyguards gestured for me to follow them, and we did. Inside the high walls of the bungalow, the surroundings appeared to have been meticulously prepared in advance. The lime-stoned pathway led to a white, two-storied mansion, flanked by torches that had just been lit, even as two servants hurriedly opened the entrance door.
As I step into the living room of this opulent bungalow, I am immediately enveloped in a sense of grandeur and refined elegance. My eyes are drawn upwards to the glittering crystal chandeliers suspended from the high ceilings, their facets catching the light and sending shards of color dancing across the richly upholstered walls.
Every detail meticulously designed to reflect the owner's esteemed status. The room is lavishly appointed with plush, high-end furnishings in rich jewel tones - emerald green velvet sofas, sapphire blue armchairs, and ruby red ottomans.
The room is climate-controlled to a perfect temperature, the air redolent with the scent of expensive perfume or old leather bound books. Plush area rugs in sumptuous materials like Moroccan silk or Persian wool cover much of the polished hardwood floors. It is nothing less than a palace～
The perfect vintage ever—
"Leave the items there," commanded Kim Jiwie, and two servants began ascending the stairs with several of her bags, while another approached to take the pouch from me. Having never packed for a journey before, I lacked such bags, so I had wrapped all my essentials in a large white sheet.
