I Was Caught up in a Hero Summoning, but That World Is at Peace - Chapter 2416: Spreading Aftermath ⑰
Marie tried on several outfits, but the one that felt the best to her was the one with a soft texture and a calm design. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that it seemed like the safest choice.
On the other hand, the fact that the design didn’t have any features that clearly looked expensive might mean that the material itself was of high quality, something only those with an eye for it would recognize.
(……Kaito-sama doesn’t seem interested in asking about the price at all…… Is this how shopping at luxury stores usually goes? Well, he did mention the budget amount at the start, so I suppose he already knows it’s within that range. Maybe it’s just my lack of experience that makes me unsure about these things.)
For Marie, this was her first time shopping in a luxury store, and she was completely feeling her way through it. Seeing Kaito talking with the clerk in a fairly relaxed manner, she convinced herself that this must be normal.
For the moment, she decided to try on once more the clothing with the calm design she liked best so far. Just as the discussion began to move toward purchasing that outfit, the clerk opened her mouth to speak.
[Of course, even as it is, I believe this outfit already highlights the young lady’s beauty perfectly. However, since the overall design is on the modest side, adding a decorative piece as a focal point would enhance the balance even more. I would recommend a brooch, for example, what do you think?]
[Ah, right, accessories would definitely be nice too. Could you prepare a few options that might go well with this?]
Regarding that exchange as well, Marie assumed that was simply how things went…… buying clothes together with accessories as a set. Now that the outfit had been chosen, moving on to accessories seemed like a natural next step.
[Certainly. May I ask if there is an upper limit to your budget for the accessories?]
[Ah, errr…… not really.]In this case, it was just Kaito lacking in experience. Unlike with the clothes, he didn’t have any past example to reference, so he decided to simply leave it up to the clerk’s judgment.
Besides, since accessories were separate from clothing, he reasoned that noble-grade accessories would naturally be expensive, and that it would be appropriate for them to be so. Thus, he didn’t set any upper limit.
(No limit!? N- No, Kaito-sama!? I- If you say that, won’t they bring out something ridiculously expensive…… A- Although, maybe they’ll pick something that suits the outfit’s style and stay in the same price range?)
Although she was surprised when Kaito declared there was no upper limit, Marie, inexperienced as she was, convinced herself “that must simply be how things worked”, and waited, somewhat optimistically.
……At least, until the clerk returned carrying something that, even to Marie’s untrained eyes, was clearly going to be outrageously priced.
[……As expected, since the overall design of the outfit is calm, a brighter, more brilliant accessory would make for a nice contrast. This here is a brooch set with a large Crimson Ruby. When worn at the chest, it tightens the overall impression beautifully……]
Seeing the ruby brooch resting on an obviously luxurious display stand, Marie felt the blood drain from her face.
(……That gem is far too big!? It’s nearly half the size of my palm!? A- And did she say Crimson Ruby!? If I remember correctly, Elder Sister has a Crimson Ruby necklace…… It’s her most expensive piece of jewelry. But the ruby on my sister’s necklace was small! The ruby on this brooch looks like a completely different species altogether……!)
When it came to the clothes, Marie had managed to stay somewhat optimistic. Her lack of knowledge meant she couldn’t properly gauge their value, so she’d forced herself to believe it was within her imagined price range.
But when it came to an accessory featuring a clearly enormous gemstone, it was a different story. Even to Marie’s eyes, this was obviously expensive…… far more so than the dress itself.
[If you’re going to wear it, it should go around here.]
[……That looks nice. Indeed, with that touch of red there, her overall image feels much sharper and more balanced.]
While Marie stood frozen in disbelief, the clerk had already attached the brooch. Seeing it, Kaito smiled in approval, clearly pleased with the result.
Noticing that expression and sensing that he was leaning toward buying it, Marie panicked internally, unable to figure out what she should do.
(Kaito-sama! Please ask the price!!! The words “How much is this?” are very important!!! When shopping, confirming the price is…… it’s…… ehhhh…… he’s not asking at all…… I- Is this normal!? Do true members of the upper class, unlike poor nobles like us, simply not bother asking about prices when they shop!?)
Marie wanted him to ask the price, or rather, she hoped that once he heard it, Kaito might decide not to buy it. But, as mentioned before, this was her first time shopping in a high-end store…… and seeing how smoothly the deal seemed to be proceeding, she didn’t have the courage to interrupt.
She began to wonder if, for truly wealthy people, this level of jewelry wasn’t even worth checking the price of.
In reality, Kaito was in a position where he had more wealth than he could possibly use. But more than that…… a brooch with a Crimson Ruby was genuinely a trivial expense to him.
In fact, he was familiar with gemstones far more valuable than that, and had even used an Astral Ruby, a gem rarer than the Crimson Ruby itself, as material for a custom-made accessory he’d gifted to Sieglinde. At this point, checking the price of such an item was truly unnecessary for him.
For Marie though, this was an entirely unknown world, and she could only watch silently as the discussion smoothly moved towards a conclusion she could no longer stop.
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [……The reason Kaito probably isn’t reacting to the large gem is that, for him, the standard for an “expensive gemstone” is something like Sela’s Midnight Diamond (the kind that costs dozens of white gold coins even uncut).]
? ? ? : [And next chapter, we’ll see the beginnings of Marie’s transformation into a Charge-Type Stomachache Warrior……]
Serious-senpai : [You’re still sending out pursuing attacks?]
