Located on the frontier of the Arclesia Empire was a small, quiet territory. It lacked any notable tourist attractions, and while the residents put a fair amount of effort into growing fruit, their harvest was usually only enough to supply nearby cities—hardly enough to be considered a local specialty.
Marie returned to this impoverished barony, a place of few people and even less tax revenue, after attending the tea party. Since the territory lacked a teleportation gate, she had traveled by carriage from the nearest city that had one. By the time she arrived, it was well into the night.
The Rich Baron House employed only a skeleton crew of servants, so naturally, no one was there to welcome her home. Marie offered a word of thanks to the driver, stepped down from the carriage, and headed into the mansion.
As she stepped through the front door, she ran into her elder sister.
"Oh, Marie. Welcome back."
"I'm back, Sister. Thank you for lending me your dress today."
"Think nothing of it. Though, was it all right? It’s the best I have, but I worried it would look shabby at a Marquis’s tea party."
"The other ladies' gowns were certainly magnificent, but since it’s common knowledge that the Rich family is poor, I don't think it caused any problems."
While the heir to the Baron house was the eldest son, the eldest daughter was more active in social circles than Marie and owned a few pieces that at least met the minimum standards for a noblewoman. Marie had borrowed one of those for the occasion.
"Was it really that amazing?"
"It truly was. It might have been even more luxurious than our brother's wedding. As expected, I was the lowest-ranking lady there, so I was quite nervous. In terms of simple status, the Third Daughter of the Viola Viscount House was also there, but their wealth is on a completely different level. Honestly, I still wonder why I was even invited. I’ve only ever exchanged a single greeting with Marquis Daughter Elis... I was actually impressed she remembered me at all."
"Hmm... I’ve only greeted Lady Elis once or twice myself, so I'm in the same boat. Even if we are in the same faction, she’s someone far above our station. But it certainly is strange that you, the fourth daughter, were the one invited. Hmm... You don't have a fiancé, so maybe they thought you'd be a good candidate for a mistress?"
"If those were the criteria, they definitely wouldn't have picked me. There are plenty of other beautiful noblewomen out there. I mean, I try to keep up appearances, but the daughters of the high-ranking nobility really do have a different aura about them."
Marie gave a bitter smile at her sister's joke. She was certainly cute, but if asked if she was a rare beauty, there were countless others who surpassed her. She knew she was "above average" at best and was certain her invitation hadn't been based on her looks.
"Well, high-ranking nobles have deep insights that we could never hope to predict, so there's no use dwelling on it. In any case, Father and Mother are waiting to hear everything, so come to the dining hall once you've changed."
"I understand. There is so much to report... Some things are at a level I can't judge on my own, so I wanted to consult with them as soon as possible."
"...Was it really that incredible?"
"...I feel like I'm still dreaming."
After answering her sister with an indescribable expression, Marie went to her room. She called for a servant to help her out of the borrowed dress. Since it was the most expensive garment in the house, she carefully handed it over to be stored.
"Ah, also, please prepare to send some Riples that I have the authority to mobilize. Let’s start with one wooden box. If possible, please make sure they are of the highest quality."
"As you wish."
Before she could forget, she gave instructions to prepare the Riples she had promised to Kaito. She worried that a whole wooden box might be excessive, but Kaito had a high-capacity Magic Box. Besides, she figured it was better to give too much than too little.
It was a choice that was, in one sense, a brilliant stroke—but in another, it was a recipe for disaster.
It was certainly true that more was better than not enough, and the gesture would show her generosity. The Rich barony's Riples were unknown outside their immediate region, but their quality was exceptional. Had they been entered into a proper Riple Competition, they undoubtedly would have fared well.
Marie had no idea what was about to happen.
She never could have dreamed that Kaito would take such a liking to the fruit that he would end up "sharing it with his acquaintances" simply because he had so many.
Serious-senpai: "She's really charging up a massive amount. If those all detonate at once, her stomach might not leave a trace behind—that's the level of flags she's firmly established."