Notice: In the previous chapter, regarding the gemstones prepared by Rui Feng, I have edited the description from a 68-carat pink diamond to small red diamonds. There are no changes to the story.
The diamonds were temporarily placed in a jewelry store and were to be given to a jewelry craftsman later.
After that, we chatted for a while. The two close friends meet at work, but due to the presence of other nobles and royals, they can hardly have a casual conversation.
There were topics exclusive to high-ranking nobles, but more than half were about daily life and funny stories from their student days.
"Listen, Marie, Cyrus still can't get over his bedwetting habit."
"Why are you spreading baseless lies in front of the person himself? If you're going to talk, Rui Feng, you used to sleep naked and overslept, then rushed to school as you were."
"That was on purpose. After being kicked out, I walked out of the dorm without hesitation and ate shish kebabs at the market."
"You were confined to the reflection room for the whole next day. You never learn."
Their conversation was so enjoyable that I could have listened to it all day. I was laughing the whole time. ——Or so I thought, but then Cyrus suddenly frowned.
"Marie, are you tired? We've been out for quite a while. Let's head back to the castle."
"…I'm fine."
I said that, but apparently, I really did look tired. Cyrus took my hand and said goodbye to Rui Feng.
However, Rui Feng followed us as well.
"I have a carriage parked at the back entrance. It can get through the market, so I'll take you to the drop-off point."
We accepted his offer and waited for the carriage to come around — and when it finally appeared, I nearly collapsed.
"Sorry for the wait, get in."
The carriage Rui Feng Sandalquia Dilts brought around was a massive four-wheeled carriage. It was covered in black steel with spikes and looked incredibly heavy and sturdy. The driver and even the four horses were inexplicably armored, and the carriage bore the emblem of the Dilts Kingdom's army and knights.
"Is this… the kingdom's knight carriage!?"
"Well, I am the commander of the knights. I don't have anything else."
Rui Feng said this nonchalantly. Passersby stopped to look, whispering, "What's that huge thing?" and "It's scary, is there going to be a war again?" No one dared to come close.
Ah… "It can get through the market" meant this… I was foolish to imagine a small two-wheeled carriage.
Rui Feng led us into the carriage and sat on the driver's seat. He lounged with his legs crossed next to the armed driver. When Cyrus asked if he wasn't going to come inside, Rui Feng replied that the view was better from there. What a free-spirited person.
We sat on the wide bench seats that could fit about eight people, facing each other.
"Well, it's fine. With Rui Feng around, Marie must be on edge."
"No… that's not true."
I shook my head. It was just to show my goodwill towards Rui Feng, but Cyrus frowned.
"Are you more nervous when it's just the two of us?"
"Th-that's not it. I'm fine, I'm sorry…"
I couldn't say that it wasn't true, but I couldn't express it well and just apologized. Cyrus seemed to take it as an affirmation and moved closer to the window, putting more distance between us.
"Your way of speaking has also reverted."
He said this in a sad voice.
The driver's call was heard, and the carriage started moving. Since it was a market with pedestrians, the speed was extremely slow. In the comfortable vibration, I looked down. I couldn't raise my face… but I couldn't let it be like this. I had to talk properly, so I forced out my voice.
"Um… thank you for the gemstones earlier."
"…Ah."
Cyrus nodded brusquely.
"They are very precious and expensive, aren't they…"
"Yeah. But you don't need to worry. It was also a purchase for myself."
He said this quickly.
"I've always liked jewelry and had a business interest. Besides, as Rui Feng said, the royal family can't flaunt luxury now. But for merchants, it's the best advertisement to show that we are making a lot of money, have vast assets, and that joining our company will be profitable."
"Ah… I see. That's how it is."
"It wasn't just for you. So—"
"But I was very happy."
Cyrus stopped talking abruptly.
I looked up. He was still staring at me, frozen. I decided to tell him again properly.
"I was very happy. The value of the gem is so great that I haven't fully grasped it yet… I haven't fully accepted it. But I was very happy to hear that you had been looking for a stone the same color as my hair for a long time."
"Ah… yeah, sure."
This time, he looked down. He covered his mouth with his large hand and murmured.
"Yeah, I bought it because I wanted you to be happy…"
"…Thank you."
The carriage slowly moved through the market, retracing the path we had walked with Cyrus all day.
After watching the scenery outside the window for a while, Cyrus spoke to me.
"I should be the one to thank you. You must have been tired from being dragged around all day, and you had to deal with a troublesome friend."
"It was fun."
"R-really? Truly? You're not forcing it?"
"Yes. Shopping was fun, the food was delicious, and I would like to meet Rui Feng again."
"That's good to hear."
The carriage jolted violently. It seemed to have hit a stone. I quickly grabbed the window frame to steady myself. Cyrus in the opposite seat did the same.
He cleared his throat and sat back down. The carriage resumed its smooth journey.
"…Thank you. Not just today, but I always receive wonderful gifts and have a lot of fun with you, Cyrus."
He shook his head vigorously and then nodded.
"If you enjoyed it, I received more than I gave."
"I always thought that you said that out of consideration for me. So every time you said it, I became even more nervous. But now…"
"Now?"
"…I… empathize."
I lowered my head. Not to look down, but to open the pouch at my waist. I took out a piece of fabric that I had folded and put in with the various items I bought today.
It was about as long as my height and narrow in width. It was a pure white silk fabric with gold thread embroidery, a delicate design of a dragon, clearly a decorative fabric for men.
I lowered my head and offered it to Cyrus.
"What is this?"
"It's a gift for you, from me. I bought it at a store selling clothes from various countries while you were changing."
"Wh-what!?"
He let out a loud voice, making me shudder all over. I hunched even more, raising my hands high as if offering to a deity.
"Um, I'm sorry! I know you are a man with a keen sense of fashion! The clothes that would make you happy are too expensive for me to buy, and I don't have the sense to choose accessories, but I thought this could be used with anything, and it was very cheap because it was a scrap of fabric!"
"Ah, oh, um…"
"I made sure it was made in Ipsandros, so the quality is good, and I thought it would suit you. And Cyrus, you usually tie your hair, but sometimes you use ribbons and other small items, don't you? If you play with different items every day, even one cheap and not quite to your taste wouldn't be a bother, I thought… that…"
My voice trailed off mid-sentence. It seemed I had forgotten to breathe. After taking a deep breath, I looked up.
I pleaded with him, who was staring blankly at my hands.
"Could you please accept it…?"
As soon as I said it, I shuddered at the audacity of my request.
After all, I had received something worth millions of times more than this hairpin. Could I even offer this as a thank you and be forgiven? My hands trembled as I thought about it. Still, I didn't pull back.
Because what made me happy wasn't the rarity and value of the gem. It was that Cyrus had thought about me, searched for it, and wanted to make me happy. That was what made me happiest.
I had a lot of fun today. Wearing commoner's clothes, walking on the ground in flat shoes, and visiting not-so-luxurious stores made this the most enjoyable day since I came to Granado Castle.
It was surely because Cyrus was by my side. I could feel that he was enjoying himself too, through the hand we held… so.
… I have a feeling he will be happy with this gift.
Despite this belief, my hands continued to tremble. Cyrus gently picked up the decorative fabric.
He spread it out in his hands and looked at it closely. Then he bit it with his lips, ran his fingers through his black hair, gathered it at the nape of his neck, and wrapped it with the fabric.
The golden-threaded dragon lay on his shoulder. Cyrus narrowed his eyes and looked at it.
"Does it suit me?"
He didn't ask if it suited him. I smiled and nodded.
"It looks great. Very nice."
Cyrus chuckled. I laughed too.
"Actually, I also bought this."
I reached into the pouch again and this time took out a small leather bag. I turned it upside down and let the gemstones fall into my palm. My hands were no longer trembling.
Cyrus tried to pick them up with his fingertips, but they were too small. He looked down at my hand and said,
"Emeralds, huh?"
"Ah, you're right. I knew the color and name, but I wasn't sure until I saw the real thing."
"They are relatively abundant, but naturally beautiful enough for jewelry is rare. These are probably fragments from the processing stage."
"Yes, so they are cheap… but…"
I picked up one of the grains and placed it near the edge of the fabric used to tie my hair.
"If I sew this on with silk thread, it will sparkle every time it moves, won't it… What do you think?"
"Did you buy this for me too!?"
I hurriedly shook my head.
"N-no, I did, but not just for you. I bought three, so I can use one on each side and have one left over for myself."
"Is that so… Marie, you like emeralds?"
"No, just because they reminded me of your eyes."
As I said this, he slid off the seat. What happened? The carriage didn't seem to be shaking.
"…You saw the emeralds and thought they looked like my eyes, so you wanted them…"
Cyrus, who was getting up, looked up at me. …Yeah, his eyes