New World, New Life: I Became A Bigshot In The Ancient World
Chapter 138: DOROTHY’S HOME

Chapter 138: DOROTHY’S HOME

"Here is the report, Princess." Owen handed Aristia a thick stack of papers. He had prepared it before she had returned to the capital.

"... You’re really my capable assistant." She shook her head with a sigh.

Owen just shrugged and took the praise.

Aristia read through the report seriously. Everything was good, except for one thing.

She leaned back against her desk and pointed at the section of the report. "The worker was hit by a noblewoman?"

Owen nodded, "Yes. Report says that the noblewoman was being unreasonable and said that she ordered for a fruit cake but got a chocolate cake instead, but when I asked around, I found out she had ordered for chocolate cake. I took care of the matter."

Aristia nodded and rubbed her forehead, "Those noble ladies want to start trouble, huh? Do they think my workers are their servants? " She scowled before looking back at Owen. "You didn’t give her a warning right?"

"I... did not." Owen replied, looking a bit conflicted.

Aristia sighed. Aristocrats were troublesome, especially the nobility. If he had given the noblewoman a warning or asked her to leave, it would have created trouble for the restaurant and the worker.

And she also wasn’t present at the time. Owen was still a child after all. She couldn’t expect him to know what to do in a situation like that. That was why she was training him.

He hadn’t written to her about it when she was in the North. Even if he had, she wouldn’t have been able to do anything at the time.

But that didn’t mean she would let anyone harm her workers at will. She had always treated those who worked for her right and made sure they didn’t encounter any oppression or grievances.

But those aristocrats could make it a regular occurrence.

"So," she closed the report. "How did you take care of it?"

"I compensated the worker and she was given an apology for experiencing such a thing while working for us." Owen revealed.

"I see. You did well." She stood up and stretched her limbs. She had been reading the report for quite some time. "You didn’t reveal your face, did you?"

"I didn’t. I acted through Dahlia." Owen shook his head.

A knock sounded on the door and Adeline entered the room. She was holding an envelope.

"Princess, there’s a letter for you from Miss Dahlia."

"Dahlia? Give it to me."

Adeline handed her the envelope. Aristia cut it open with the letter opener on the table and read it.

"It says that Dorothy is sick and cannot come to the restaurant. Dahlia is asking for leave on behalf of Dorothy." She explained the contents of the letter to Owen.

Then she took out a plain sheet of paper and started to write.

"Deliver this letter to Dahlia. Tell her not to worry about Dorothy." She handed the letter to Owen.

Aristia then turned to Adeline, "Help me get ready, Linny. We’ll pay Dorothy a visit with our other identity." She meant as commoners.

"Yes, princess." Adeline entered her wardrobe to prepare suitable clothes.

Owen bowed and left to deliver the letter.

After getting dressed, Aristia and Adeline left for Dahlia and Dorothy’s home. It was conveniently written in the letter.

Aristia was allowed to leave the mansion at will most of the time since she became a successful businesswoman. Her parents knew she was responsible and didn’t ask much questions.

"We’ll stop by the market to purchase some herbs for Dorothy. Help me find a suitable doct— physician." Aristia informed Adeline.

"Yes, princess is really kind." Adeline smiled happily. She was happy that Aristia had really changed for the better even though she didn’t know what had prompted that change. it seemed that was just a phase in the princess’ life that she had outgrown.

They stopped by the marketplace and purchased some herbs and also found a physician. Together, they went to Dahlia’s and Dorothy’s house by carriage.

They arrived some minutes later. It wasn’t too far from the sister’s old restaurant. It was just a street away from Mister Bailey’s bookstore.

"You can return, Lucas. We will return when we’re done." Aristia said. Lucas exchanged subtle eye contact with Adeline away from Aristia’s view, nodded and rode the carriage away from them.

Aristia turned to look at the building. It was a decent house. Children were playing around and in front of the house. The house wasn’t at all what Aristia had expected for a building that housed two adult women and quite a number of children. It was quite small when you added that factor.

The children stopped playing when they noticed the visitors, but seeing that Aristia was a little girl led by an old man and a teenager, some of them watched curiously while some went inside the house.

One of the children approached them. He looked to be around seven years old. He had a curious look on his face as he asked, "Hello, beautiful girl, are you a new child that is going to live here?"

He looked at the old man and teenager with her and thought that they had probably brought her here.

Aristia shook her head. It seemed that people usually brought children that they found to the Kendall sisters since they took care of children.

Aristia shook her head, "We’re here to see Dorothy. I heard she’s sick."

"Oh, you know Dorot—" the boy was cut off before he could finish his sentence.

"Hey! Aren’t you that girl I saw with Dahlia and Dorothy in their old restaurant?" Someone ran over.

Aristia stared at the face seriously, then she remembered. "You’re Leilani?"

"Aris? It is you. You want to see Dorothy? Come inside, she has been sick for some time now." Leilani held her hand before she could even open her mouth and pulled her inside the house.

Inside, Aristia saw some of the older children moving about.

They walked further into the house, receiving curious stares from children they passed who were curious about Aristia’s identity. They assumed she was Leilani’s friend.

A few steps behind Aristia and Leilani, Adeline and the old physician followed slowly.

"This is Dorothy’s room." Leilani showed Aristia a door that was half closed. "You can go inside." She whispered.

"Thank you, Leilani." Aristia replied and stood in front of the door.

She knocked once, then opened the door. Dorothy was lying on the bed with a cloth on her forehead.

There were up to three older children in the small room— a girl and two boys. By older children, she meant that they were older than the ones playing outside. They looked to be around thirteen years old to fifteen years old.

"Who is this, Leila?" One of the children asked when the door was opened only to see Leilani and an unfamiliar girl.

"This is Aris, she’s here to see Dorothy." Leilani replied.

On hearing the name, Dorothy sat up on bed. "Miss Aris is here?"

"Hello Dorothy, how do you feel?" Aristia approached the bed under the curious gazes of the children in the room.

Dorothy called this little girl ’Miss Aris’? Who was this girl?

"You didn’t have to come, Miss Aris." Dorothy smiled weakly.

"Well, I’m already here." She pointed at the old physician standing at the side. "The physician will conduct an examination."

"You really didn’t need to do this." Dorothy shook her head, but still let the physician do his work. She smiled at Adeline, "Miss Adeline, how do you do?"

Adeline nodded with a smile, "Hello, Miss Dorothy. I’m doing well."

The children just watched silently. They were a bit confused. It hadn’t even occurred to them to call a physician.

Before Dahlia and Dorothy started working in the new restaurant, they were struggling to provide some things.

But after they became manager and assistant manager, the sisters’ salaries combined made it become easier to afford many of those things, but it still didn’t occur to them to call a physician. And it was a little girl who looked like a five or six year old that did.

Everyone waited for the physician.

The man packed his tools and faced them. "She has a cold and a fever. I will prescribe some herbs that will help with that." The physician wrote them down and handed it to Adeline since she was the one to find him.

Adeline paid him the consultation fees and then he left.

"Miss Aris, we have most of the herbs he listed down." Adeline told Aristia.

"That’s good then, you can give it to one of them to take care of." Aristia was referring to the children in the room. The girl came forward and collected the bag containing the herbs.

"You’re really too kind, Miss Aris." Dorothy bowed in gratitude.

"Thank you for purchasing herbs for Dorothy and calling a physician for her." The girl thanked her, bowing too.

They weren’t aware of her identity, but Dorothy treated this little girl with respect. The little girl had also helped them by helping Dorothy.

"It’s nothing, Dorothy is my... friend." Aristia smiled.

After spending some time in the room with Dorothy, Aristia and Adeline left the room.

"We’ll be leaving now, Dorothy. Make sure to get enough rest and take your medications." Aristia said.

"Thank you, Miss Aris. Have a safe return." Dorothy was feeling happy. The princess was really too considerate. She was always so kind to them.

Aristia left the room only to be met with the boy she had seen in the sisters’ restaurant once.

"You brought medications for Dorothy? Thank you." He was leaning against the wall opposite Dorothy’s room. It looked like he had been eavesdropping on the conversation going on inside.

"You’re Leilani’s brother, right?" Aristia asked to make sure. They looked so alike.

"Yes, I’m Leif." He nodded.

The name created a spark in Aristia’s mind for some reason, and she was a bit disoriented.