Chapter 144: New Accessories
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 144: New Accessories
After the auction concluded, Ferdin stepped out of the hall with a stoic expression.
The Prince Consort’s brother, who happened to be passing by, shot him a sharp glance before walking away with a heavy, somber face.
He must be worried about what to tell the Crown Princess.
Ferdin stood outside, waiting for his carriage.
“I thought I was going to die of nerves, truly.”
A moment later, the Grand Duke’s aide emerged from the entrance.
“Why were you nervous? Once His Grace gave the order, it was only natural that we would win the bid for the Finale.”
“There wasn’t just one or two people aiming for that Finale, you know.”
The sound of the two men bickering reached Ferdin’s ears.
Despite the efforts of both the Crown Princess and the Empress, the Finale had been claimed by Blenheim.
Is he planning to give the Finale to Annette as a gift?
Knowing full well that a face-to-face encounter wouldn't lead to any pleasant conversation, Ferdin nonetheless found his feet moving toward Perel.
As he approached, the aide’s expression stiffened, just as expected.
“……It has been a while.”
“You remember me?”
“Are you not the Young Lord of the Frais family?”
Even after receiving Perel’s awkward greeting, Ferdin hesitated, his lips twitching as he struggled to find the right words.
“Do you perhaps have something to say to me?” the aide asked in a clipped tone.
“Annette…… that is, how is my sister doing?”
“……The Grand Duchess of Blenheim is doing exceedingly well.”
Perel placed a deliberate emphasis on the title Blenheim. His tone clearly questioned why an outsider was worrying about the mistress of their household.
Ferdin recalled Raphael’s words from a few days ago.
— “Everyone said Sister is incredibly smart and cool.”
It seemed the news that Annette was doing well in the North wasn't a lie, fortunately.
“If you have a message for Her Highness the Consort, I shall deliver it on your behalf.”
When Ferdin continued to linger without leaving, Perel showed clear signs of wanting to end the conversation.
……Come to think of it, Annette’s Sacrament Day is approaching.
In the Empire, a Sacrament ceremony is held within a year of a child’s birth to receive the Goddess’s blessing. While a birthday was a day for everyone to celebrate, the Sacrament Day was more of an anniversary kept among close family.
I never even knew when Annette’s Sacrament Day was…….
He had only discovered it recently while organizing the accounts to eliminate Annette’s budget.
— “Why is there an extra 10 Danir allocated to this month?”
— “Ah, that would be because Lady Annette’s Sacrament Day falls in that month.”
Even so, to add a mere 10 Danir for a Sacrament Day.
No, perhaps the Marchioness was being compassionate in her own way by adding even those 10 Danir.
Looking at the records, it seemed Raphael was the only one in the Marquis’s household who had ever bought Annette a gift. Ironically, the only two people who had ever looked after Annette’s Sacrament Day were the two who shared no blood with her.
“Please tell Annette I wish her a happy Sacrament Day.”
“You can rest assured and—pardon?”
The aide’s voice rose slightly in surprise.
“Ah, yes. I shall deliver the message.”
Judging by his reaction, it seemed the aide hadn't known either…… but now that he’d been informed, perhaps Annette would be celebrated at the Grand Duke’s Castle.
Ferdin turned away quietly without adding another word.
*
“What is all this?”
Loik moistened his dry lips as he stood before Annette, holding a mountain of boxes.
“It’s nothing much. I felt I haven't been attentive enough lately……”
As Annette sat down on the bed, he carefully placed the jewelry boxes beside her.
“I just prepared a few accessories for you to wear comfortably.”
“All of these are accessories?”
Her eyes widened as he slid the largest box—the one containing the Finale—closer to her.
“This box is huge.”
“Try opening it.”
I hope she likes it.
Loik wiped his sweaty palms on his shirt, his nerves getting the better of him.
The moment Annette opened the box, her fair face was bathed in a brilliant, shimmering light.
“Th-this is……”
Annette blinked as if dazzled and looked back at him.
Inside the box, a magnificent hair ornament was nestled, engraved with the words ‘Celestial Starlight.’
However, Annette looked more bewildered than happy.
“Do you…… not like it?”
At his question, Annette stammered, “It—it’s not a matter of liking it or not. Just how much did this cost?”
“It wasn't…… that expensive.”
“Loik, look me in the eye and say that.”
“It’s true. I just picked out a few things that came up at the gem auction.”
Loik quietly swallowed the fact that he had won this year’s Finale for 500,000 Danir. He had a feeling that if he confessed the truth now, Annette would tell him to return it immediately.
“A gem auction?”
Annette’s eyes rounded as if she were hearing about it for the first time.
The Blenheim Gem Auction was actually more famous in the Capital than anywhere else. Surprisingly, the Grand Duchess seemed to know nothing about it.
Loik explained the jewel mines and the auction to her, while also making excuses for the ‘expensive-looking’ gift.
“Out of the ten jewel mines in the Empire, five belong to Blenheim. Furthermore, even if you combined the other five, they wouldn't equal the output of Blenheim’s smallest mine.”
In fact, the jewel mines were only a tiny fraction of the various income streams the Blenheim family earned each year.
“It’s really not that grand of a gift, so please don't feel burdened.”
Just as Loik was starting to fret that she might reject it, Annette smiled softly.
“Thank you, Loik.”
“It’s so precious that I won't be able to wear it often, but I’ll treasure it dearly.”
Did she like it?
No.
Loik was uncannily perceptive of his wife’s slightly different reactions.
Of course, her face is as kind and lovely as ever, but…….
When Annette was truly happy, her eyes would curve into perfect crescents.
Is it not to her taste?
Only then did it occur to Loik that the Finale might be a burdensome gift. Come to think of it, the reason the Empress or the Crown Princess coveted the Finale was to show off at balls.
But there are no balls or banquets here.
Moreover, rather than a gift to be ‘treasured,’ Loik wanted to give her something she liked enough to wear every day.
As he pondered, his eyes fell on the smallest jewelry box. He snatched it up hurriedly.
“I think you could wear this one casually……”
As he carefully took out a bracelet set with small pink diamonds, a slight flush of delight returned to Annette’s face.
“Would you like to try it on?”
The bracelet fastened with a soft click around her slender, white wrist.
“How is it?”
“……It’s so beautiful.”
Her small lips parted in admiration.
“I think I could wear this every day.”
Relief washed over him as he finally saw her eyes curve into those sweet crescents.
Gaining confidence, Loik took a ruby necklace from the second smallest box.
“I think this would suit you well, too.”
While she hesitated, Loik quickly and gently draped the chain around her fair neck. The vivid red ruby stood out sharply against her pale skin.
“This is pretty, too,” Annette murmured softly, peering into a small mirror. Her cheeks were slightly flushed; she seemed to quite like the necklace.
“What about this?”
Loik held up a tiara that a mage had enchanted with weight-reduction magic.
“You could wear it when you go to the shopping district or the theater……”
Annette’s eyes went wide.
“……You want me to wear this outside?”
“Or you could just wear it when you go for a walk with me.”
Annette giggled, saying he was quite the joker.
But Loik wasn't laughing at all. Annette, with the tiara perched on her head, was so beautiful it left him speechless.
Just one more, just one more…….
Eventually, after putting on hairpins, a brooch, and even earrings, a weary Annette flopped down onto the bed.
As her lovely eyes blinked up at him, she tugged on Loik’s sleeve, and he had no choice but to lie down beside her.
With the tiara tilted slightly on her head, Annette met his gaze and whispered softly, “I love them all.”
Even though he had heard those words more than ten times in the last few minutes, the corners of his mouth twitched upward uncontrollably. It was the first time he felt his wealth was actually useful.
Watching her cherry-red lips move slightly, his Adam’s apple bobbed slowly.
Just as Loik was naturally leaning his face toward hers, Annette suddenly cupped both his cheeks.
“About that gem auction. I bet a lot of nobles go, right?”
“……I suppose so,” Loik murmured, his face still held in her hands.
“And you held that in Eonveld?”
“Do you…… perhaps want to attend?” Loik asked, feeling a bit flustered.
He hadn't thought it through. He should have asked if she wanted to go from the beginning. Annette might have wanted to choose the items herself……
I was too obsessed with the idea of a surprise gift.
— “She’ll be so moved when she finds out it’s a surprise gift you prepared, Captain! She’ll probably love it!”
He had taken Leon’s advice from when they first called the boutique far too much to heart.
“Why don't you hold the auction in Blenheim?” Annette asked, her eyebrows arching unexpectedly. “If it were held in the North, it would promote the shopping district and help with tourism.”
“There is no Gate that leads directly to Blenheim, so the nobles would likely find it inconvenient.”
“Then that’s even better. The nobles would be the ones stepping up to demand the Gate be opened.”
Annette pouted her lips.
Nobles usually used Gates when traveling to distant regions. However, Blenheim’s Gate was currently closed.
That was also the Marquis of Frais’s doing.
The pretext was to prevent enemy spies from crossing into the Capital through Blenheim, but in reality, it was to thoroughly isolate the Grand Duchy.
Loik, however, hadn't had much of a grievance with that. The seclusion of the Grand Duke’s Castle had been a somewhat intentional choice.
The fact that one cannot go to the Capital from here means the Capital cannot easily interfere here, either.
But since our Grand Duchess always felt so sorry about the North being isolated……
Did Annette know? That the reason Loik had started trying to expand Blenheim’s trade in the first place was because of her.
I wanted her to enjoy at least as much in the North as she did in the Capital.
It was something he started because he wanted to create a better environment for her……
But instead, thanks to Annette, Blenheim is enjoying more prosperity than ever before.
So, a few jewels could never fully repay that debt.
In the meantime, Annette had grown tired and fallen silent. Loik carefully removed the tiara, which had become slightly tangled in her golden hair.
As he gently stroked her hair a few times, sleep clouded her sparkling blue eyes.
“I’m sleepy,” Annette mumbled.
Her murmuring lips were a cruel temptation, but Loik simply let out a soft chuckle and pressed a short kiss to her smooth forehead.
“Sleep well.”
Her fluttering eyelids finally closed.