WCMP 20

The gemstone displayed right in the center of the shop window was certainly impressive.

It was much bigger than I had imagined.

I had expected it to be only slightly larger than a fingernail at most, but the stone was about the size of my finger.

As we entered the shop and were greeted by the staff, a middle-aged man with a warm impression approached from inside.

The man with ordinary brown hair hurried over as if he were delighted to see me, stopping right in front of me and speaking familiarly.

“Isn’t this Lady Roberg? And the young gentleman beside you—would that be the young master? It’s my first time meeting you. I am Baron Miller Lennox, the owner of this jewelry shop.”

“…A pleasure to meet you. I’m Amon Roberg.”

“It is truly an honor to have such distinguished guests visit our humble store.”

“……”

“You’ve always only received items at your estate, so I suppose one must live long to see such a day. To think that my lady would visit in person. Ha ha.”

“…Yes, well. I was out for a change of pace and decided to stop by.”

Despite my lukewarm response, Miller kept smiling brightly and continued.

“A change of pace is wonderful! Since our valued customer who always patronizes our shop has graced us with her presence, I will personally assist you.”

So the accessories at home came from here.

Since Rieli had lived mostly inside the estate, I hadn’t expected anyone to recognize her….

I would have to be more careful from now on. It would be a major problem if someone who knew me saw me acting as if we were strangers.

“What kind of accessories are you looking for today?”

“I don’t need anything in particular. I’m just browsing.”

At my casual remark, Miller’s eyes—previously no bigger than buttonholes—widened to normal size.

What? Why is he so surprised? I didn’t say anything strange, did I?

“Is there a problem…?”

“O-Oh, not at all. My apologies. I was simply surprised, as I assumed you would be placing an order as usual.”

“…Why? Is there something strange about what I usually order?”

When I asked casually, Miller answered without much change in expression.

“I did not mean to imply anything strange. It’s just that whenever you made a purchase, you always bought accessories of the same type in a single order, matching a set amount….”

He scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly.

“Last month, you ordered brooches. The month before that, necklaces. So I cautiously assumed this month you might purchase bracelets or earrings. It’s the first time you’ve said you’d like to look around yourself, so I fear I made a fool of myself.”

‘…What is that? So she didn’t even look at the items and just bought them according to the amount?’

Then the reason all those accessories looked unused and brand new wasn’t because they were well cared for? Were they simply stored away after purchase?

I frowned slightly. It was truly an incomprehensible spending pattern.

Of course, Rieli might simply have had a hobby of collecting accessories.

But if that were the case, she would at least have looked at the items herself and chosen what she liked. She wouldn’t have randomly purchased a single type of accessory based solely on a set amount like this.

This felt more like…

‘Something done out of obligation—either just to spend money, or for some other purpose.’

It was unsettling. If there was a list of past purchases, I wanted to check it myself.

“By any chance, could I see a list of the items I purchased before, if you still have it?”

“Yes, of course. Please wait a moment.”

Miller bent down and rummaged around before pulling out a small notebook.

The name ‘Lady Rieli Roberg’ was written clearly inside.

“As you order so many items from our shop, my lady, we keep a separate ledger just for you.”

How much did she buy…?

Clicking my tongue inwardly, I opened to the marked page.

The most recently purchased items were listed there in a row.

I immediately spotted the entries for the topaz and ruby brooches I had gifted to Eva and Sebani.

Flipping further back, I saw that purchases had indeed been made about once a month for a fixed amount.

But no matter how closely I examined the ledger, I couldn’t guess the reason behind these purchases.

Rather than the shopping habits of a noble lady, it seemed more plausible that someone had been conducting regular transactions of a fixed sum for supply somewhere.

It felt extremely suspicious, but there was no one I could ask about it.

In the end, I returned the notebook without gaining anything and thanked him.

There was no point in worrying over something I couldn’t change—it would only give me a headache.

Acting as nonchalant as possible, I asked Miller to show me cufflinks, a pocket watch, and brooches suitable for Amon.

“Amon, we’re looking at things for you. Is there anything you like?”

“I’m fine with anything, but if you choose for me, sister, I think that would be best.”

As Amon smiled while speaking, I noticed his face looked slightly pale.

Is he tired? It’s his first outing—we must have walked around too much.

He was such a quiet child that I hadn’t noticed before, but thinking back, he seemed especially reserved whenever we entered a shop.

At Rozny’s salon, at the restaurant, and here as well.

Moreover, he didn’t interact with anyone except me. The introduction with Miller earlier had been the entirety of his conversation.

He might simply be shy since he was young….

In any case, I didn’t want to overexert him on his first outing. It would be best to look around here and then head back.

‘Still, since Amon asked me to choose for him, I should pick something nice.’

I carefully examined the items before me and selected a few I liked.

As I wondered whether there was anything else we needed, I remembered the gemstone we had seen in the display window.

“By the way, what is that gemstone displayed in the window?”

“The gemstone? Ah, among the items that arrive at our shop, those with particularly high prices are displayed while we decide on a design. Sometimes, someone who desires it will make an offer.”

“The color caught my eye. What kind of jewelry is it planned to be made into?”

“Hmm, we haven’t decided yet. It’s one of the finest pieces we’ve received this year, so we’re considering carefully. If it interests you, I can show it to you more closely.”

Surprisingly nimble, Miller quickly brought the stone over.

Placed on a black velvet cushion, the gemstone up close had the same color as Arvan’s eyes.

Even without me asking, Miller began explaining at length.

“It’s a blue sapphire. Top-grade quality, and a rare color. If you purchase it, it can be crafted into any form you desire.”

I loved it immediately.

I thought it would suit Arvan perfectly at a glance, but…

I showed the gemstone to Amon, who was looking up at me.

“Amon, what do you think? We came here because of this, didn’t we? They say it can be crafted into anything. If there’s something you want, tell me.”

“You’ve already chosen many things for me, but you haven’t selected any accessories for yourself yet. I’m fine, so I think you should choose something for yourself, sister.”

Oh my…! Even though I had been buying things only for him all this time, Amon still thought of me. My heart swelled.

“But… wasn’t this what you liked? I can buy you anything you want, so don’t feel burdened.”

“No, I’m really fine.”

As I tried to judge whether he was sincere, Miller quietly spoke.

“My lady, I believe the gemstone may be somewhat large for the young master to use. If you like it, perhaps you should use it yourself?”

“But…”

“That’s right. You’ve already chosen such nice things for me. That’s more than enough.”

With both Miller and Amon encouraging me, my resolve wavered.

Looking again, it did seem too large for a child to wear.

In truth, I had been thinking since earlier that there could be no better gift for Arvan than this.

But I had hesitated to say so because I wasn’t certain Amon didn’t want it.

Still, even after he shook his head, I found it difficult to purchase it outright.

I had no proper reason to give him such a gemstone.

‘Would it be too burdensome if I gave it to him for no reason…?’

Maybe I could buy it now and give it to him later—on his birthday or when some occasion arose.

Though it was only a short moment, I seriously weighed whether to buy it or not.

At last, I came to a decision.

‘Yes! Among nobles, gifts of this level are perfectly normal.’

Life was about timing.

When you found something you liked, you had to seize the opportunity.

Even though I didn’t even know when Arvan’s birthday was, that wasn’t what mattered right now.

“Amon, then would it be alright if I gave this to someone else?”

“Do as you wish, sister. Please don’t worry about me.”

Amon didn’t even glance at the gemstone, and only then did I feel reassured. I turned to Miller.

“Then how much would it be if I purchase the items I selected along with this gemstone?”

“Please wait a moment. Let’s see… excluding the crafting fee, the price of the gemstone alone is roughly the same as the amount you usually purchase. Adding the other items….”

I looked down at the gemstone again.

If it matched the amount I usually spent, that would have meant at least several sets of accessories. It was surprising that this single stone cost as much as all of those.

As I stared at it in surprise, Miller seemed to think I was worried about the price and added carefully,

“For blue sapphires, you may pay when the crafted piece is completed and delivered.”

“No, the payment isn’t a problem. I’ll pay in full.”

Miller nodded and scribbled something on paper before asking,

“Is there a specific accessory or design you would like it crafted into? With this size, it is often used as the centerpiece of a hair ornament—especially a tiara. Or a brooch.”

“I intend to give it to a man.”

“A man… If he handles a sword, a scabbard ornament would not be bad. However, in that case, you would need to bring the sword for proper fitting.”

I did need to retrieve the holy sword soon, so the scabbard was tempting… but I hadn’t even found that wretched sword yet.

More importantly, I would have to visit together with Arvan to bring it, which would completely expose that I was preparing a gift for him!

“He does use a sword, but it would be difficult to come together, so that won’t work. I’ll go with a brooch.”

“Oh… My lady gifting a brooch to a gentleman—he must be someone special. Well, you are of an age to have a lover or fiancé… and perhaps sensitive to trends.”

The moment the word “brooch” left my lips, Miller’s eyes took on a meaningful glint.

I hesitated at the strange nuance in his voice.

‘Does he think I’m giving it to a lover?’

I found it a little puzzling why he would suddenly assume that.