Marie had tried on several outfits, but the one she liked best was an understated design that felt wonderful against her skin. More accurately, it felt like the safest choice.
On the other hand, the lack of overtly flashy details likely meant the fabric itself was of exceptional quality—the kind that only someone with a discerning eye would recognize.
(...Kaito-sama hasn't even glanced at the price tags. Is this how people shop at high-end boutiques? I suppose since he mentioned a budget at the beginning, he already knows the general range. Maybe it’s just my own inexperience making me overthink this.)
This was Marie’s first foray into the world of luxury shopping, and she was essentially flying blind. Kaito, meanwhile, looked perfectly at ease while speaking to the clerk. Watching him, she convinced herself that this was simply the way the True Upper Class conducted business.
She decided to try on the understated outfit once more, and as the conversation moved toward finalizing the purchase, the clerk spoke up.
"My Lady, the dress already complements your beauty beautifully. However, as the design is quite refined, a single statement piece would really make the whole ensemble shine. Might I suggest a brooch?"
"Ah, good point," Kaito agreed. "Accessories would be a nice touch. Could you show us something suitable?"
Marie just nodded along. To her, this seemed like the standard progression: choose the dress, then choose the jewelry to match.
"Certainly," the clerk said, turning to Kaito. "Do you have a specific budget in mind for the accessories?"
"Ah, well... not really."
Kaito’s response stemmed from a lack of experience of his own. Unlike clothing, he had no personal point of reference for jewelry costs, so he figured it was best to leave it to the professional.
Moreover, he simply assumed that jewelry for the nobility was naturally expensive and treated it as a separate expense. He saw no reason to set a cap.
(No budget limit?! K-Kaito-sama! Won't that just encourage them to bring out something exorbitant? Well... wait. They're matching it to the dress, so the price range should stay somewhat reasonable, right?)
Though Kaito’s lack of hesitation startled her, Marie clung to her optimistic assumption. She waited patiently—until the clerk returned with an item that even a novice like Marie could tell was going to be astronomically expensive.
"...Given the dress's subtle design, I believe a bright, brilliant accent would be perfect. This brooch features a large Crimson Ruby. If worn at the collar, it would truly pull the entire look together."
Marie felt the color drain from her face the moment she saw the ruby brooch resting on its velvet pedestal.
(...That stone is massive! It’s half the size of my palm! And is that... a Crimson Ruby? Marie's Older Sister has a Crimson Ruby necklace that she claims is her most expensive possession... but the stone in hers is tiny! The gem in this brooch is in an entirely different league...)
She had managed to stay somewhat calm regarding the clothes. Lacking the knowledge to judge their true value, she had been able to delude herself into thinking they cost roughly what she had expected.
But a massive gemstone was another matter entirely. Even a total amateur could see it was expensive—likely far more expensive than the dress itself.
"If we were to place it here..." the clerk suggested.
"I like it," Kaito said, smiling as he watched the clerk pin the brooch. "That splash of red really does sharpen the whole image."
As Kaito nodded in approval, Marie was paralyzed by a mounting sense of panic.
(Kaito-sama! Please, ask the price! "How much is this?" is a very important phrase! Knowing the price is... it's... eeeeek! He has no intention of asking at all! Is this really how it works? Is the True Upper Class, so far removed from poor nobles like us, really the kind of people who never inquire about the cost?!)
Marie desperately wanted to know the price, primarily in the hope that Kaito would balk and decide against it. But again, this was her first time in such a store, and she didn't have the courage to interrupt a transaction that seemed to be going so smoothly.
She began to wonder if, for a man of his means, jewelry of this caliber truly didn't warrant a second thought.
In reality, Kaito was indeed sitting on a fortune that surpassed his ability to spend it. But more than that, a Crimson Ruby brooch simply didn't register as a significant expense to him.
He was familiar with countless gems far more valuable than this. He had once crafted Original Accessories using Astral Rubies—stones far rarer than Crimson Rubies—to give to Sieglinde. Compared to those, this brooch was simply something he didn't feel the need to price-check.
Left adrift in a world completely beyond her comprehension, Marie could only watch in silence as the deal was finalized.