After waking up, I surveyed the surroundings in the coach. The area was piled up with all kinds of goods. It seemed as though I was imprisoned along with the other merchandises in the carriage.

Salt, dried meat, dried fish, porcelain, some kind of mineral, fruits, vegetables, rice, gla.s.s bottles, cloth, et cetera; the place was filled to the brim with things I have never seen before. The travelling merchant that appears at Garigari village at fixed intervals didn’t deal with that many goods. I mean, there are even gla.s.s bottles here.

The merchant that visits Garigari village would usually be trading salt, vegetables, fish and cloth only. Despite the limited selection, the villagers are always looking forward to the visit by the travelling merchant. They would trade Garigari village’s specialty, rice and beans for salt and vegetables while exchanging straw-made products for cash. And then, with the iron coins saved up from the sale, they would purchase cloth-made goods.

Humph. Watching as far as I can from the inside of the coach, I could see a person that seems more highly ranked than the usual travelling merchant that visits the village. I’m certain that the person that purchased me was called Claude-san or something, and despite being young, he was quite a capable person.

However, my body was free and I wasn’t tied up by a rope ……. Claude-san appears to be seated at the coachman seat and there wasn’t another single soul in the carriage. Just me and the goods alone. …… I can make my escape anytime?

I wonder what would happen to me from now on. Now that I have been purchased, I wonder what job I would have to do. Or maybe, I would be resold again.

The current me is something like a slave. Based on what I know from my previous life, a slave is someone  forced to work under considerably harsh manual labour …… A girl might have to be a prost.i.tute; I don’t have a good feeling about this.

…… Shall I run away?

As I was thinking,  I heard a conversation beyond the cloth (TN: acting as the door between the carriage and coachman seat).

「Smith, is it about time to have our meals? Although I must say, the portable food isn’t really enjoyable. I’m pretty sick of it already.」

「Well, well. There’s just a little more before we reach our estate. ……Claude-sama, has the clay doll-like person at the back made any sound?」

「Clay doll like…… Stop joking, I forked out 3 silver coins for that you know! Aa, if she continues to stay like that, I would really be making a big loss! I even went all the way to the countryside to bring her here ……!」

Eh, the clay doll refers to me? That’s completely rude. While contemplating on their conversation, I glared in their direction.

With a light rustle, the cloth that divides the coachman seat and the carriage was turned over by Claude-san as he looked in this direction.

In a flash, our eyes met.

Or more like, he was a.s.sessing me to a great extent.

At any rate, Claude-san’s eye colour was yellow-green shade, a rather rare kind of colour…… I suppose? The residents of Garigari village had brownish eye colours. Mine was a bright, light brown too.

Somehow, he removed his gaze on me for a moment, had another sudden inclination to watch me and looked straight at me again.

I don’t like it. Staring at me like that, could it be love at first sight? Or maybe he was a lolicon or something.

「…… Here, want to eat this?」

While staring, he suddenly held out something that looked like bread. Is he feeding a zoo animal?

「…… I’ll g,gladly take it」

I couldn’t fight my stomach, so I timidly accepted it.

As I did so, Claude-san face turned to that of wonder, and shouted with an abrupt, strange voice.

「She, She talked – – – – !!」

The horses were frightened, and made “Hi, hiin” cries, causing the coach to sway violently.

The man that was acting as the coachman, soothed the confused horses with “Whoa, whoa!”.

I too had been alarmed at Claude-san’s shrieking, and instinctively dropped the bread I was given. The bread landed on the floor with a reverberating thud. While thinking “What is this loudness, it must have been a rock-hard bread”, I started preparing myself for the eccentric lolicon, Claude-san’s, next movement.