Yejoo took her first love away, Chapter 47
I had made the decision in a hurry and hadn't told him yet.
"Didn't I never say I would participate in the competition myself?"
Originally, I was supposed to be a spectator at the hunting competition and attend the grand ball held afterward as his partner.
"It just turned out that way."
"I'll have to hear this story properly later."
For some reason, his voice sounded pouty.
I signaled the flustered madam to continue the announcement.
"Then, let's look at the hunting outfit."
Despite the madam's worry that we might not like it, Aster and I were both satisfied.
The design, which emphasized details, was perfect for us who didn't like overly flashy things.
After ordering a few changes to suit our personal tastes, we left the store.
"Next, let's go to the jewelry shop..."
"The jewels are fine. More than that, there's a place I really want to go with Aster."
I took the lead and walked toward the store I wanted to go to.
The street, which would usually be crowded due to the sunny weather, was empty.
It even gave me a slight chill, reminiscent of a scene from a zombie movie I had seen in my previous life.
I wanted to say something, but I couldn't bring myself to speak when I saw Aster's face.
He had the expression of a cat wagging its tail, waiting for praise after bringing a mouse.
'I have to praise him for the mouse.'
Next time, I should invite him to the mansion and use the method of calling people.
We soon arrived at our destination.
Aster looked surprised when he saw the store sign.
"Did you really think we'd come to a gun shop on our first official date?"
"Since the hunting festival is coming up, didn't you expect this?"
I smiled and pulled him inside.
The gun shop, which I had never visited before, had a cool air mixed with a unique smell of gunpowder.
It was a different kind of eerie from what I had felt on the street.
The owner, who had been sitting in a chair with his feet up on the counter, jumped up when he saw us.
The owner's eyes were shaking badly.
He rubbed his eyes several times, as if to confirm that the people in front of him were real.
I pretended not to notice and asked the owner.
"We're going to attend the hunting festival. Could you recommend a good gun?"
The owner led us to one side.
Rifles were neatly lined up on the wall.
"W-Who will be using it?"
Aster politely raised both hands to point at me. The owner nodded awkwardly, still smiling.
He carefully touched the barrel of a gun and fell into thought.
He took out a dark-colored gun.
The gun, made of dark red wood and silver-gray metal, looked ordinary.
Seeing our lack of enthusiasm, he quickly looked at us and began to enthusiastically describe the gun.
"It may look simple and unimpressive, but the maker is very famous in this field. Not many guns are made, and it's also lightweight thanks to the use of magic stones."
Listening to the owner's high praise, I thought it might be a pretty good gun.
Aster interjected as he listened.
The owner led us to a practice range set up at the back.
"When the disc flies into the air, aim and shoot at it."
I was a bit nervous about being able to try it out.
It was the first time since I had used a gun for a semester as a general course at the academy.
As I was about to take the gun and go to the position, Aster stopped me.
"Karina, can I try it first?"
He skillfully loaded it and took aim. As soon as the signal was given, the disc flew into the air.
Bang! The disc shattered into pieces.
After hitting all the discs, he put down the gun and took a deep breath.
"How is it, Your Majesty?"
For some reason, the owner, who looked quite confident, asked Aster for his opinion.
He seemed even more shocked because he had boasted that it was the best item.
"It's a good gun, but it's hard to recommend it to a lady."
The owner's face stiffened instantly.
He seemed even more shocked because he had boasted that it was the best item.
"Ah, I didn't mean the item is bad. It's just that the recoil is too strong for a lady to use easily."
In his eagerness to recommend a good item, he had forgotten the basics.
Recommending items suitable for the customer's level is the basic of business.
"I think it would be better to recommend a basic model to a lady. The fact that many people choose it means it's easy to use."
"I will keep that in mind."
The owner blushed and bowed.
He then recommended a few safe options.
I tried a few of them and chose one that was well-balanced.
"I'm glad I could choose something I like."
After finishing the payment, Aster went outside for a moment to receive a report.
While checking the items inside, I called the owner.
"Could you also package the gun you showed me earlier?"
"Don't worry, I'm not going to use it."
The owner nodded, realizing who I was going to give it to.
He took out a lacquered black wooden box and carefully placed the gun inside, saying:
"Your Majesty is a very skilled marksman. I've been selling guns here for over ten years, but I've never seen anyone shoot as well as Your Majesty."
Although it wasn't a compliment to me, I felt strangely good.
Thanks to his talkative nature, he managed to finish the packaging before Aster returned.
I handed the gift, which included the packaged gun and a small box, to a servant and went outside.
We had stayed at the gun shop longer than expected, and the sunset was already setting in.
We got back into the carriage and headed for the mansion.
It was a bit disappointing that we didn't have time to have tea alone.
I wanted to give him the gift in a beautiful place, but it couldn't be helped.
I handed him the box containing the gun I had just packaged and another small box.
"The big one is my gift, and the other is a personal favor."
Aster just blinked at my words.
He stared at the long box for a moment before opening it.
"I didn't expect to receive this from a lady."
"I thought it would be perfect for Aster when I saw it earlier."
He touched the barrel and smiled.
"I'll use it well. Now, I'm even more curious about your personal favor."
At my words, Aster opened the other box.
Inside were flowers of different colors: purple, blue, and white.
In the center was a perfume bottle with intricate gold patterns on the glass.
"Is this the perfume launched in your name?"
"Yes. This is a limited edition."
At the bottom of the perfume bottle, the number 1 was engraved, indicating it was the first one made.
Aster examined it from all angles and tilted his head.
"Why is this a personal favor?"
"I wanted Your Majesty to be the first person to use it."
Aster looked quite surprised at my words.
Perfume was generally considered a woman's exclusive item.
So, asking a man to use it could be a bit burdensome.
"I've never thought about using it, and I'm not sure if it suits me."
However, he seemed more concerned about whether it suited him rather than the fact that a man was using perfume.
Relieved by his more flexible thinking than expected, I added:
"Your Majesty has a neutral charm, so it will definitely suit you. I take my business seriously, so I wouldn't ask you to use something that doesn't suit you."
Aster nodded at my words.
"I'll use your personal favor well."
His smile, with his eyes twinkling, was almost too seductive.
I stared at his face, which was bathed in the sunset, and then snapped back to reality.
His gentle treatment made me feel as if we were a real couple, which was disorienting.
The carriage had already arrived at the mansion.
I hadn't realized it until now, but I felt a wave of regret as we were about to part.
"There's not enough time."
We got out of the carriage and faced each other.
The servants tactfully turned their backs and looked elsewhere.
"I wish we had more time to spend together."
Aster's words were filled with regret.
He raised his large hand and tucked my hair, which was flying in the wind, behind my ear.
The part where his hand touched me felt warm.
"Go inside. The sun will set soon."
Embarrassed, I hurriedly sent him off.
His eyes were filled with regret as he left, but I pretended not to notice.
For some reason, I felt a tickling sensation near my heart.