New World, New Life: I Became A Bigshot In The Ancient World
Chapter 47: A FAMILIAR STRANGER

Chapter 47: A FAMILIAR STRANGER

Soon, the final signature was inked onto parchment. The last document had been signed, stamped with the royal seal, and placed in a leather-bound folder before being handed to Wilson. Wilson officially transferred ownership of the land to Aristia. The land now belonged to Aristia Amberale.

Aristia sighed with relief.

The whole process of transferring the land had taken quite some time, but at last, it was done.

Wilson left through the large doors of the Economic and Business Affairs Bureau with Aristia before handing the folder to her.

Aristia held the folder containing the land ownership documents in her hands, staring at them with bright eyes. Her lips curled into a delighted smile and she beamed. "Thank you, Papa," she said, looking away from the papers to look up at him.

[Without him, I wouldn’t be able to get this land, at least not as a little girl.]

It was true. Without him, there was no way a six-year-old girl—princess or not—could have legally acquired land.

[At least I’m going somewhere. I’m making progress.]

Wilson patted her head with a fond smile at how enthusiastic she looked. "That’s what I’m here for. Come on."

Adeline stood waiting outside the building beside the carriage.

They walked down the short stone steps to the carriage that was parked outside the building.

As Wilson helped Aristia climb inside, he said, "I still have work to do, so I cannot join you."

Aristia nodded, understanding he had his responsibilities.

Wilson turned to Adeline, his expression sharpening slightly. "Take care of the Princess."

There was something unspoken in his tone— a warning. Aristia tilted her head, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint what exactly caused her to feel that way.

Adeline bowed deeply. "I understand, Your Highness."

"Goodbye, Papa," Aristia waved as Adeline closed the carriage door.

Wilson gave her a small wave back before turning away, as the carriage began to move away from the vicinity of the Economic and Business Affairs Bureau.

As the carriage rolled through the capital’s streets, Aristia looked out the window, watching the bustling streets.

Crowds bustled through the markets, vendors called out their wares, and the scent of freshly baked bread, roasted chestnuts, and spiced meats filled the air. Children played in the corners of streets, dodging between moving carts and carriages.

"Stop the carriage!" She ordered the coachman when they passed a lively district.

The coachman, a man in his late twenties with common brown hair and eyes, glanced back in surprise but obeyed and pulled the carriage over.

Aristia reached for a dark cloak she had prepared earlier and placed in the carriage beforehand from the seat beside her and put it on. She had chosen it carefully for this very moment and had brought it along for this exact reason. The fabric was thick and wide enough to completely conceal both her hair and her very expensive dress.

Adeline was already dressed in commoner clothes and didn’t need a disguise.

They climbed down from the carriage, ready to explore the lively streets of the capital.

Just as they stepped away from the carriage, Aristia stopped abruptly and turned around.

Because of how suddenly she stopped, Adeline nearly collided with her. Luckily, she caught herself in time and managed to regain her balance immediately.

"Remember, Linny, call me ’Aris’ while we’re outside," Aristia said, tucking a stray strand of hair beneath her hood. "I don’t want people knowing I’m the third princess."

Adeline frowned. "I can’t possibly call the princess by her name," Adeline refused outright. It was too improper.

"Ugh, fine! Then call me ’Miss’ instead." Aristia sighed. "It’s better for people to think I’m from a wealthy family than to recognize me as a princess."

Aristia provided a solution. That was the best compromise. It was better for people to think she was the miss of a wealthy household than know that she was the princess.

She wanted to have a full, unhindered experience instead of being stared at and treated carefully. If people assumed she was a wealthy merchant’s daughter, she would at least avoid excessive attention.

Adeline hesitated, looking as if she didn’t understand her logic, before sighing and relenting. "...Alright, Miss."

Satisfied, Aristia grinned and stepped into the bustling crowd and towards the stalls, Adeline following close behind.

The capital was very beautiful and vibrant, and the street was alive with movement and energy. The sound of vendors shouting their wares, children laughing, carriages passing by, and musicians playing lively tunes blended together to create a noise that was a normal occurrence in busy markets.

Stalls and houses neatly lined both sides of the road. There were wooden stalls and stone storefronts displaying fabrics, trinkets, spices, and freshly baked goods.

Bright flowers hung from the balconies of the houses and the edges of their roofs were decorated with fresh flowers.

Aristia guessed they were likely decorations left over from the recent Spring Festival held not too long ago, before she entered this world.

Aristia led Adeline through the bustling crowd, stopping to admire beautifully embroidered shawls, delicate glasswork, and stacks of colorful spices arranged in pyramids.

They wandered from one stall to another, sampling local treats, until a mouthwatering, irresistible aroma caught Aristia’s attention.

"Mmm..." She inhaled deeply. "Where’s that smell coming from?" It was a juicy, meaty smell. Her mouth watered.

Her eyes quickly scanned the area until they landed on a particular food stall across the street.

"Let’s go there," she decided, already moving.

"Yes, Princes— Miss," Adeline corrected herself just in time.

They followed the scent to a small food stall, where sizzling spicy meat skewers roasted on an open flame.

Aristia’s mouth watered even more than she thought possible at the sight. She couldn’t wait to taste it. "I want six of these, please."

The young woman running the stall smiled kindly. She looked to be in her early twenties. "That’ll be twenty four copper coins, little girl."

Adeline handed over the payment and received the freshly roasted skewers, wrapped in a large fresh, crisp green leaf.

"Thank you," Aristia said, before leaving the vicinity of the stall with Adeline.

Turning to Adeline, she collected two meat skewers from her and gestured with her head to the remaining in Adeline’s hands. "Take two for yourself."

Adeline hesitated with a startled look on her face. "I... How could I, Miss? This servant wouldn’t—"

Aristia shot her a look. Her sharp stare silenced her as Adeline shut her mouth and took out two skewers obediently, choosing wisely to obey her princess.

"Just eat," Aristia sighed. She couldn’t just eat all that herself.

Not that she couldn’t, ahem. But, it wouldn’t be kind of her if Adeline followed her wherever she went and only watched as she ate.

Reluctantly, Adeline took a bite and gasped in surprise. "Oh my, this is very delicious!"

Her words made Aristia even more eager to try it. She couldn’t help but grin as she bit into her own. The meat was tender, smoky, and perfectly spiced.

Aristia nodded enthusiastically to Adeline’s words, her mouth too full to speak.

They continued walking, enjoying their food. Adeline still held two extra skewers. She put it into a small bag they had brought earlier.

Aristia glanced back at the stall owner, an idea forming in her mind. As they walked farther away, Aristia took one last look at the stall owner, before filing away the memory for later.

They visited a few more roadside stalls, buying different street food and snacks as they enjoyed the different flavors bursting on their tongues.

"This one is good too, Young Miss." Adeline whispered to Aristia as she took another bite of the steamed bun stuffed with meat.

"Uh-huh," Aristia hummed and nodded in agreement as they left the stall.

"Where shall we go next, Young Miss?" Adeline asked, getting used to calling Aristia ’miss’ instead of ’princess’.

"Let’s just walk around," Aristia replied with a contented sigh, and they continued on their way with a slower pace, using the moment of taking a walk around the streets as an opportunity to digest the food.

They strolled through the marketplace, watching the world around them.

"Look how happy they are playing so carefreely," Aristia muttered under her breath with a smile as they passed a small square, watching as a group of kids chased each other around a narrow alleyway.

Then—

A sudden impact.

BAM!

The lively atmosphere was suddenly interrupted.

Something—or someone—slammed into Aristia with enough force to knock her off balance.

She wasn’t prepared for the impact. The force was too much for her, and the impact was strong enough that she lost her balance. Before she could regain her footing, she was already falling. She barely had time to register what happened before she hit the ground.

Both Aristia and the boy who had run into her tumbled backward onto the cobblestone street.

A bit of the market chatter halted as heads turned. Gasps rippled through the market.

"Young Miss!" Adeline’s sharp cry rang through the air. She gasped in alarm, rushing to help her up. She, too, wasn’t prepared for the collision. It was too sudden. "Young Miss, are you alright?"

A small crowd gathered, murmuring.

"What happened?"

"Are they alright?"

"Watch where you’re going, kid! Look how you bumped into that little girl."

"She looks hurt!"

"She looks to be a young miss of a wealthy family..."

Adeline fussed over Aristia, quickly dusting off her clothes and checking for injuries. "Are you hurt?"

"I-I’m sorry." The boy who had run into Aristia apologized frantically. He scrambled up, his face pale with panic. "I didn’t mean to!"

"I’m fine," Aristia assured Adeline first, before turning to the panicking boy who had collided with her, brushing dirt from her sleeves. "It’s alri—"

Aristia blinked as she got a clear look at him.

Her eyes widened.

She froze.

It was his face.

She recognized that face.

Her breath hitched, and before she even realized it, she whispered, "...Owen?!!"