Lady Alice’s Diary

Chapter 4: Good News

Duke Alberon, busy all day, hadn’t taken a break yet. Now he was reading a freshly delivered report.

“Hahaha… this business strategy is really innovative,” Alberon laughed heartily after finishing the report, then handed it to the man sitting beside him.

The man quickly skimmed through the report, his eyes widening in surprise.

“Alice’s idea is truly ingenious. Take the apple pies mentioned here, for example. Each pie costs one copper coin to make. Doris’ bakery sells them for three copper coins, earning two coins per pie. But Alice suggested selling two pies together for five coins. Normally, selling two pies separately would earn four coins, but with this bundle, you only earn three. At first glance, it looks like a loss—but it actually stimulates buyers’ desire to purchase. Someone who originally planned to buy one pie for three coins would happily pay five for two just to save that one coin. Later, offering a small, cheap pastry as a bonus with a more expensive one creates yet another reason for customers to choose Doris’ bakery.”

The man spoke rapidly, clearly impressed.

“So, Clifford, what do you think of Alice’s work?” Alberon asked with a smile.

“Brilliant! Alice is a business prodigy! Even seasoned businessmen like you and me would never have thought of this,” Clifford said, waving his hands excitedly.

“Thank you, Mr. Clifford. Now, let’s discuss the matter of you lending my daughter money without my permission,” Alberon said, turning serious.

It turned out Clifford was Alice’s uncle.

“Brother-in-law… Duke! This… Alice… she… ah…” Clifford stammered.

Unbeknownst to Alice, her father had been quietly monitoring Doris’ bakery, compiling detailed reports of its operations and progress. Alberon had been silently protecting her behind the scenes all along.

Early morning, after breakfast, Alice didn’t attend her usual lessons. Instead, she went to the ducal stables outside Noah City.

She was dressed in a brown leather jacket and matching pants, her small riding boots gripping a sleek black pony. Her golden hair was tied into a ponytail, revealing a slender, graceful neck.

From afar, she looked heroic, but up close, her face was full of worry. Alice sighed as she mounted the pony; her mood was far from cheerful.

Why was she so troubled? The morning had started innocently enough… Alice had sat on her bed, daydreaming after waking—a habit she couldn’t shake.

But then Donna entered her room and began a detailed lecture on the precautions girls should take during physical development.

Alice had never felt so awkward. Though she was now a girl, she had subconsciously avoided sensitive topics related to womanhood. Yet here was her mother, listing rules and advice at length, making Alice’s head spin.

After half an hour of guidance, Donna canceled Alice’s morning lessons, suggesting a ride at the stables to clear her mind.

“It must have been Bella who told Mother about my… situation,” Alice muttered.

“**… animals really have it easy—no worries,” she whispered to the pony beneath her.

With a heavy sigh, Alice thought: Too many worries need solving, or they’ll just pile up. Forget everything else for now—first, Doris’ bakery. The shop is slowly stabilizing, but there are still several competitive bakeries in Noah City. If only this world had television… I could make ads to spread its fame quickly… Ads… TV… newspapers! Wait—TV doesn’t exist here, nor the Internet, but newspapers… yes! I can make a newspaper!

“Miss, Madam said when you returned, you should take a bath first. Bella is waiting in the bathroom.”

Returning home, Butler David said this to Alice.

“Huh?” Alice looked puzzled. She had only ridden gently this morning; it wasn’t strenuous. Autumn air was cool, and she wasn’t sweaty. She didn’t dislike cleanliness—it just seemed unnecessary to bathe at this moment.

“Your Aunt Blaine and cousin Leticia visited the ducal mansion this morning.”

Almost on cue, a girl in a fiery red dress came running.

“My dear Alice! I missed you so much!” Her cousin Leticia scooped Alice into her arms, showering her with kisses.

Alice rolled her eyes helplessly.

“Cousin, I just got back from the stables. Can I bathe first?” Alice twisted and spoke, sighing silently.

So that’s why Mother asked me to bathe—guests! The newspaper idea will have to wait…

From Alice’s perspective, this world offered few amusements. She had considered making simple fireworks with gunpowder—until realizing the locals had no concept of gunpowder, and certainly no firearms.

Still, Alice invented a few simple Earth-based games. Now, she and Leticia were playing Gomoku.

“Wait, that doesn’t count! Restart!” Leticia waved her hands dramatically, having apparently lost.

“Ah…” Alice shook her head.

“This game is your invention, so of course you’re good at it. I won’t play,” Leticia pouted, scattering the pieces, then turned to Bella. “Bella, let’s play.”

“Very well. You two play; I’ll rest,” Bella replied calmly.

“Bella, you’d better surrender!” Leticia threw her long black hair back and stared at Bella, who remained unmoved.

Leticia, Alice’s seventeen-year-old cousin, inherited the Lancaster family’s striking features: black hair, violet eyes, sharp elegance. She looked like a high-ranking noblewoman, but her behavior was anything but formal.

“I’m done! I’m done!” Leticia shouted, scattering the board again. Alice realized she could never beat Bella at Gomoku.

“Enough with Gomoku. Let me tell you about the capital,” Alice said.

Alice’s aunt had married a noble in the imperial capital twenty years ago, and the city’s aristocracy was far larger and more scandalous than Noah Plains. Leticia loved gossip, and now she eagerly shared every juicy detail with Alice and Bella.

Bella occasionally replied, but Alice ignored the gossip entirely, picking up a book on art instead.

“Did you know? The daughter of Count Fox in the southern capital did something shocking!” Leticia began another story, oblivious to Alice’s disinterest.

Seeing Alice’s focused gaze, Leticia fished the book from her hands and tossed it aside.

“Cousin Alice! Not polite to ignore me!”

“Cousin, tossing my book aside—is that polite?” Alice sighed.

“You weren’t listening! That’s why I’m upset!” Leticia protested.

“I was listening. Continue—what happened to Count Fox’s daughter?” Alice stretched lazily.

“Well… she fell in love… with a woman!” Leticia exclaimed.

“A woman… with a woman?” Alice raised an eyebrow, shocked.

“Yes! Just like men and women fall in love, she loves a woman. Reliable sources say her lover is a commoner, and they’ve been seen kissing in a café corner in the capital.”

Alice glanced at Bella, who quietly met her gaze. Alice quickly looked away.

“Women can love each other… just like men and women?” she asked, eager for confirmation.

Leticia lightly tapped her shoulder, signaling affirmation. Alice pouted, walked behind her, and gave a playful squeeze.

“Ahh…!” Leticia yelped.

“Scared you? I already told you!” Alice said, sitting back down.

“Same-gender relationships are called homosexuality. Among the capital’s nobles, it’s rare but not nonexistent. Most couples are discreet; even if discovered, others pretend not to notice. Count Fox’s daughter, however, wasn’t discreet, so commoners saw and spread the news. Commoners found it novel, but the Church of Light disapproved.”

Alice’s heart felt light.

So… this world does have same-gender love after all!