The transaction moved forward while Marie was still in a daze, eventually concluding with the purchase of both the dress and the brooch. Since Kaito never once asked for the price during the exchange, Marie watched the clerk at the counter with rapt, nervous attention.
Kaito produced a single Platinum Coin and set it on the tray. At the sight of it, a cold sweat broke out across Marie’s back.
(A-A Platinum Coin... No, wait, stay calm. Maybe... maybe he just didn't have any smaller change on him...)
Seeing him pay with a Platinum Coin made it almost certain that Kaito’s original budget had indeed been three Gold Coins, rather than the three Silver Coins she had been desperately praying for.
At the same time, however, this meant she could estimate the cost of that massive Crimson Ruby Brooch based on the change he received.
Before long, the clerk presented the tray back to Kaito with two Gold Coins.
(Two Gold Coins in change... Which means this brooch cost... f-f-f... five Gold Coins... I see... Oh, thank goodness. Since I’m just the fourth daughter of a Baron with no ties to the social circle, I won't have to worry about people sneering at a low-ranking noble wearing such presumptuous clothes. So really... wait, no, this wasn't even a party dress. It was just an outfit... and the outfit cost Gold Coins... Huh?)
When subjected to extreme psychological stress—specifically the kind that manifests as agonizing Stomach Pain—different people reacted in different ways. For instance, while Lilia had recently become able to endure it through sheer habit, she used to lose consciousness whenever such a situation occurred.
Eris used her pride as a noble and her inherent mental power to endure with all her might, maintaining a smile on the surface even as she screamed inside.
Cornelia would either postpone the realization, try to endure like Eris, or use various other methods to lessen the mental burden—though if it became too much, she would briefly let go of her consciousness.
And compared to those three, Marie—who lacked their experience and mental strength—took a specific course of action against the massive Stomach Pain assailing her.
(Ah... I see... This is a dream!)
It was a Reality Escape.
(Oh dear, it's obviously a dream, isn't it? There's no way that I, the fourth daughter of a poor Baron house, would be gifted such luxury clothing and accessories. Well, I suppose I’ve always longed to be like the daughters of high-ranking nobles, dressed in expensive clothes and looking all radiant... My longing must have manifested as this strange dream. Yes, a dream. This is definitely a dream...)
This wasn’t a temporary measure like Cornelia’s; it was a desperate, full-speed sprint away from reality.
Of course, this was ultimately just a Reality Escape. No matter how far she ran, reality would chase her down, and eventually, it would catch up, striking her with the accumulated burden as a massive wave of Stomach Pain.
However, she intended to run with all her might until she was caught. That was the choice Marie Rich had unconsciously made.
(If this is a dream... and it's a situation I've secretly longed for, it would be a waste not to simply enjoy it.)
This realization simultaneously brought about a change in her psyche.
"Kaito-sama, thank you again and again. For the fourth daughter of a Baron like myself, possessing such high-end attire would normally be impossible... But, to be honest, I’ve always had a bit of a longing to wear luxury clothes and beautiful accessories. Although I’m taking full advantage of your kindness, I’m so happy to see that dream become a reality."
To be clear, it wasn't that Marie's mind had snapped from the mental burden. Rather, by turning away from the reality that threatened to overwhelm her, she had entered a state that could be described as a form of Super-optimistic Thinking.
Driven by an unconscious survival instinct, she was now automatically filtering her thoughts—shutting out anything that might lead to Stomach Pain if she dwelled on it. She had achieved a state of Invincibility Mode, rendering her temporarily immune to mental stress.
By thoroughly excluding any factors that could cause stress, only her joy at obtaining the luxurious attire she’d dreamed of and her happiness at receiving gifts from Kaito came to the surface. She expressed her heartfelt gratitude with pure, unburdened sincerity.
And this... in a sense, created the worst possible synergy.
For example, when Kaito had gone out with Cornelia previously, she eventually reached her limit and found it difficult to keep up appearances. At that point, Kaito was able to sense her distress through his Sympathy Magic and transition into a supportive role to look after her.
However, the current Marie had automatically shut out all negative emotions, leaving only her joy and excitement visible through her Super-optimistic Thinking.
Kaito possessed Sympathy Magic and could read the emotions carried by another person's magic power... but he couldn't peer into the depths of their soul.
In other words, there was no way for him to realize that Marie was in a state of Reality Escape. It was a natural conclusion for him to look at Marie and decide that she was truly delighted.
And it is only human nature to feel happy when receiving such pure gratitude.
"Marie-san, if you'd like, how about one more outfit? It's always good to have a spare."
"That is a very tempting offer, but would it not be a burden to you, Kaito-sama?"
"It's no problem at all. I honestly have more money than I know what to do with..."
"I'm truly sorry for doing nothing but taking advantage of you... but if you say so, Kaito-sama... Actually, there was one other outfit among those I tried on that caught my eye..."
Faced with Kaito’s sudden proposal, Marie—who was fully convinced it was a dream and believed it would be a waste not to enjoy herself—readily accepted Kaito’s kindness after a brief exchange.
But one could not forget that she was merely running from the truth. Eventually, she would have to face the music... the reality would catch up, and she would wake from her dream.
At that time, all the debts she unconsciously pushed aside would come crashing down as Stomach Pain. Yet, the current Marie had no inkling of that, merely offering a happy smile in response to Kaito’s consideration.
Serious-senpai: "Hey, you idiot! Wait, Marie! Stop!! She escaped from reality, but now she’s sprinting at full speed toward her own doom! So a Charge Type... is that it? Once the burden exceeds a certain level, they transition into a 'Fully Automatic Postponement State' known as Invincibility Mode, only to receive all that accumulated Stomach Pain at once later...?"