Marie was the fourth daughter of a Baronial house, and since she was not the heir to the family title, she rarely stepped into the social spotlight. While Baron Rich loved all his children equally despite their differing standings and would occasionally take her to casual parties, her position was such that interacting with true power players was beyond her wildest dreams. She was, quite simply, overwhelmingly out of her depth.
To put it bluntly, Marie’s mental capacity had been exceeded the moment she stood before the goddess Erne. Since then, she had been drifting in a surreal, dreamlike state, barely processing reality as it happened to her. Even now, her mind instinctively avoided anything too heavy, retreating into a state of desperate optimism to escape the mounting mental strain.
(I suppose this is exactly what one expects from a boutique favored by the nobility. Is that a Countess over there? I don't know the faces of the high lords and ladies well enough to be sure, but I am actually a little happy to have come here. I never thought I would set foot in a shop like this in my entire life. I must be more nervous than I thought, though. I could have sworn I heard Kaito-sama say the budget for the clothes was three Gold Coins. Hehe, how silly of me to be startled by that, even for a second. That’s the kind of money a daughter of a high-ranking noble would spend on a dress for a special anniversary; it has nothing to do with me, the fourth daughter of a Baron.)
Her sense of money was closer to that of a commoner than a noble. Since she primarily wore her older sisters' hand-me-downs, the idea of clothing costing more than a single Gold Coin was far beyond her imagination.
Consequently, she had convinced herself that the budget Kaito had announced was three Silver Coins... or rather, it was more accurate to say she was desperately averting her eyes from the truth. If she had stopped to think, she would have realized that a person who gave a teleportation magic tool as a simple thank-you for fruit would never set such a small budget.
However, no matter how much she looked away, the time to face the truth eventually arrived. As the clerk brought out the potential candidates, Marie was forced to stare reality in the face.
"This outfit here has a refined overall design, but it is decorated with a special thread called Star Drop. It is designed to sparkle beautifully as it reflects the light."
"Heh, it's beautiful."
"Y-Y-Yes... it's quite dazzling."
Kaito voiced his impressions as he looked at the clothes shimmering in the light, while Marie nodded, her eyes darting about in agitation.
(Star Drop? W-Wait a minute. I remember my older sister mentioning that... Isn't that an ultra-luxury thread where just a few meters easily exceeds the price of ordinary clothes? And they used so much of it... No, no, there’s no way. That wouldn't fit a budget of Silver Coins at all... H-Huh?)
Indeed, she was wrong. The clothes the clerk had brought were items whose value was in a different league from anything Marie had envisioned. For her, this was the kind of clothing one might browse in a magazine or admire from afar as a display piece—a class of luxury that should not have existed in a dimension within her reach.
"However, if the atmosphere is too flashy, it might not suit Marie-san's purpose?"
"Y-Y-Yes. Something a little more understated would be better..."
"In that case, how about this one? We focused on the texture of the fabric, giving the color and design a more refined finish."
"Ah, t-this is nice. The coloring is very calm..."
The next outfit the clerk showed her was a set consisting of a jacket and a long skirt with a subdued atmosphere. While it felt elegant, it lacked any over-the-top flashiness, matching Marie's preferences perfectly. But as she accepted the clothes from the clerk, she found herself shaken internally once again.
(This texture is incredible... This clearly isn't a normal material, is it? It has such a pleasant, soft feel that I want to keep touching it forever, and it's so light... Looking at it closely, the quality is unlike anything I've ever seen...)
It lacked the obvious brilliance of the previous outfit, but even a cursory touch made it clear that this item stood apart from ordinary clothing.
"If you would like, why not try it on?"
"Eh? Ah, y-yes."
Again, Marie's mental capacity had long since been exceeded. She couldn't think straight enough to offer a proper response, so she simply went with the flow and headed for the fitting room. Fortunately, the size was a perfect fit, but putting it on only reinforced her suspicion that this was an incredibly high-end product.
(It's amazing. The feel against my skin is incredible... Eh? How much does this cost? I know it's a ridiculously good piece of clothing, but I can't even begin to guess the price... No, wait, would it be rude of me to ask the price when Kaito-sama is the one buying it? Then again, it's not even decided that we're buying this one yet...)
Once she finished, she stepped out of the fitting room. Kaito greeted her with a warm smile.
"It looks very good on you. I think these understated colors suit you well, Marie-san."
"That is quite true. Such refined clothing suits the graceful beauty of a young lady perfectly."
Following Kaito's praise, the female clerk offered her own smiling compliment. Marie, however, could only manage a strained, awkward smile in return.
(Praise like I've never heard in my life... I'm not a beauty or anything, so I feel like the clothes are completely wearing me instead... No, more importantly, I need to know the price! Kaito-sama! Please! Just one word is all I need! Please ask the clerk how much this costs! I can't find any peace of mind while wearing something this expensive without knowing the total...)
Of course, her silent plea went unanswered. Kaito didn't bother asking about the price; he simply listened to the clerk's further explanation of the garment's features.
Serious-senpai: "I think Marie's sense of money is probably on par with Kaori's, but Kaito is estimating the budget way too high because he's stuck on the fact that 'she's a noble.' His lack of experience with the lower nobility has backfired... Or rather, is it just me, or does this guy exclusively hang out with the elite, like Heads of Ducal Houses, heirs of Marquis Houses, and Princes!?"
???: "It was the same with the Peerage-class demons, but it seems Kaito-san has a habit of making friends from the top down. The Hamilton Marquis House is one of the largest noble families in the Arclesia Empire, and the Sharon Count House is in the top tier of domestic wealth... In that sense, the Rich Baron House might actually be the outlier for him."