The Duke's Daughter's Third Life

Chapter 45

Today, Aeliana was walking around the town in the Dukedom's borders. Claud had invited her out as there was a new store opening.

"I heard it's a new kind of store that sells different things in one store."

That was what Claud had informed her before they left for town.

'Sounds like a Daiso store to me.'

"Brother do you know where the store is?" she questioned.

She had been following Claud for almost fifteen minutes and yet they still did not arrive at their destination. Claud turned to her and sheepishly smiled. That was enough to answer her question.

She lightly kicked Claud before looking up at the two guards who followed her whenever she left the house.

"Chris, do you know where is the store?"

Chris shook his head but smiled as he spoke, "My apologies young miss but I don't know where it is however I can ask around."

She nodded, "Thank you Chris."

"Anything for our young miss," Chris chuckled and left for a bit before coming back with the directions to the store.

"If it weren't for Chris we would have been walking around even longer," Aeliana muttered, shooting a glance at her brother who simply winked and stuck his tongue out to the side.

With Chris knowing the directions, he safely brought her and Claud to the newly opened store that was located close to the edge of the town. The store wasn't bustling with customers however it seemed to be quite full of items on the various shelves inside.

"Hmm definitely looks like a daiso store..."

Claud turned to her with a puzzled look, "What did you say Aeliana?"

"Ah nothing! Let's go inside and take a look!"

Upon walking inside, Aeliana exhaled, slipping out a "Woah". The shop felt like something her first life would have! The long shelves with different variety of goods ranging from basic necessities to random items could be seen as an odd thing.

Not much to her surprise, Claud seemed baffled by the various products the store held.

"It's kinda weird how this store can sell socks and snacks all in one place," he commented, glancing around.

"I think it's a good thing," she answered back, taking her time and looking around.

'Hm I wonder if I can invest in this store when I'm a bit older.' she pondered to herself.

She knew this kind of store would soon become a big hit. One store with almost everything you need for necessities, and with it being almost the same price range, a lot of people would love it.

"Brother, I'm going to see this side." she spoke, pointing at a specific aisle and headed over there with Miles, her other guard, trailing behind her.

The aisle she wanted to look around was filled with a bunch of kitchenware. In her first life, she had a small hobby of window shopping things meant for kitchen use or diningware. Her eyes fell on the row of mugs that had different types of designs on them. Albeit, it isn't a big variety, something about it drew her in.

She reached and grabbed hold of a mug that had flower designs decorated around it. Admiring it a bit more before she took another mug into her hand, this time the design was a bunch of polka dots in the shade of indigo. Aeliana let out a small snort, seeing the simplistic design of the mugs.

'I don't really like polka dots. Maybe I'll get flowers.'

She was thinking to herself before she felt a long stare at her from behind. Glancing back, she saw Miles staring at her. She followed his stare, it was on the mug with polka dots around it.

"Do you like it?" Aeliana asked, lifting up the mug.

He paused before nodding, "It's unusual."

Aeliana nearly laughed at his description of it and nodded.

"It's a design you don't really see anywhere."

"That's right."

Aeliana smiled at Miles despite the short answers she received before taking the mugs and heading to the counter, paying for both of them.

She walked over to Miles and handed him the mug, happily saying; "Miles, here!"

He blinked before slowly reaching out and taking the polka-dot mug from her. "..Thank you, my lady."

She hummed in reply before she felt a tap on her shoulder. Chris pouted and pointed at himself as he said; "What about me, young miss?"

"How come he got a mug but not me!?" Claud gasped, popping beside Chris.

"..."

In the end, they returned to the aisle and got another two mugs; one had a duck design while the other had a polka-dot design in the colour of yellow. Afterwards, the four of them left the store and headed inside a cafe.

Claud was staring at his sister as she stuffed her face with desserts. He kept staring until he commented; "Recently, you have been preferring sour types of desserts."

She licked her thumb that had cream and absent-mindedly nodded; "I guess so."

Aeliana had always preferred sour over sweet but because of her age, everyone only handed her sweet desserts. She still liked them but if she had a choice she would rather eat a sour cherry pie instead of a chocolate fudge pie.

"Do you want this brother?"

He smiled and shook his head as he pushed the plate over to her, "You can have it. You seem to enjoy it very much."

"Heh thank you~"

Claud chuckled and raised his hand, gaining the waiter's attention, "Excuse me, I would like to order more of this. Please pack them up."

"Mmf, mhmffm youfm brofher." Aeliana tried to thank him.

Claud laughed at how silly she sounded with her mouth and cheeks full of cake. He leaned against his arm, face pressing on his palm as he switched topics.

"I heard Madam has been bringing her son in order to improve your dancing skills but judging from your expression, it doesn't seem too great."

Aeliana swallowed her food and sighed exasperatedly. "The lessons are fine but that boy is so hard to handle."

"Eh~? Do further explain on that."

She took a sip of her juice and replied; "The first time I met him, he was already disliking me— I mean it isn't uncommon but when I told him it was fine that he didn't like me, he got mad! It's not my fault Madam apparently likes me a lot."

"...You know you didn't need to point out that part in the first half.."

"Well, it's true and whose fault is that?" her words struck him through his guilty conscience and heart.

"A..anyways!! What did you exactly say to him when he told you that?"

"I simply told him it isn't my problem that he doesn't like me."

"....I see."

"Oh this part is my favourite, so when he said he didn't understand why his mother liked me so much I called him a mama's boy and he got so mad he stormed off! What could he do? After all, Madam likes me a lot according to him, haha!"

Claud wanted to say something about her...actions but seeing her laugh so joyfully, he held back his tongue and just lightly laughed with her. He wondered at the back of his head when he had become so soft for this sister of his.

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Author's note: Sorry it's a late chapter this week! And to those who are on Patreon I will double update the early access chapters next week ><!

Thank you for reading and see you next week Saturday ❤️