I had a monopoly on a quarter, and doubling it would be conscientious. Other jewelers had just tripled it.
No matter how I felt about it, the madams were grateful. If I hadn't gotten the jewelry, they wouldn't have been able to run their stores.
Oh, just one.
There was one that went out of business after the Rubina Rebellion because they didn't reach out.
'Said they were dealing with Count Essit.'
It was the same shop that made Tyriel the dress I wore at the Ruby Moon Festival.
The owner, who is close to Essit, said they were trying to undermine me after my divorce from Duval.
'You've lost your business mind.'
I tried to fix it up one day, but I was so busy I forgot.
During this incident, they made a bunch of Rubina dresses, and then they had to charge for them, and they lost customers because they were seen as dirty.
Even if they wanted to make new dresses and rebuild their image, they couldn't sell the jewelry, so they had to wait for foreign countries to import it, and they went out of business.
Before the Rubina incident, the shop was so famous that it only took reservations from high-ranking nobles.
I stopped somewhere while wandering around the boutique street with May.
The store looked pretty and I liked it. Somehow, I knew they would have a dress in my favorite design.
"Should we go in here?"
"Shall we?"
I walked inside with May, and, recognizing my face, the madame and her staff came running out, ready to roll out the red carpet.
"Little Marquis Lavirins, my goodness!"
"At your service!"
Hmm, this is what power tastes like.
We made our way to the room, surrounded by staff, who shooed away all the guests who had been looking at the dresses. They even hung a "close" sign on the door.
I was offered fabric recommendations by the madam with a salesy smile and asked May for her opinion.
"What do you think?"
"I think the navy blue one is okay, and this purple one here looks good too, they both suit the young lady's face."
May, who is very interested in fashion, rambled on.
Good, this is why I brought May here. She can take care of everything.
Next, the madame flipped through the design booklet. There were so many, it seemed like every design in the world was in front of me.
'Well, I must be the hottest young lady in the empire these days.'
Word of the crown prince's arrival in Lavirins did not spread, but the word of the emperor's reward did.
It's going to be fashionable even if I wear a girdle, and I want to be in on the action.
The madame and May enthusiastically discussed my dress.
"I think I'll make a lace of organza; it will make the dress look richer; and I'll put a dark sapphire at the hem, and embroider it with silver thread between, and then-"
"Instead of sapphires, why don't you put on desaturated rubies? The contrast in color will make it look a little more glamorous than the sapphires."
While May and the madame were still discussing this, the madame suddenly got up with a puzzled look on her face and fetched a hot pack.
When May looked at it curiously, Madame laughed awkwardly.
"Sometimes customers think it's fake jewelry. It never melts, so try it."
Ting. The hot pack has become a jewelry detector.
I hesitantly followed Madame's lead and placed the hot pack on the jewelry on my dress. Sure enough, the gemstones didn't melt.
And so, after many twists and turns, the design of the dress was finalized. I was pleased with how colorful but not overdone it was.
'After all, a dress is only as good as its splendor.'
Madame said she would finish the dress as quickly as possible and deliver it to my home.
Then, out of the blue, she offered me a necklace.
"This is to thank you for coming to our boutique."
The necklace was a heart-shaped purple diamond centered with tiny amethysts that were intricately detailed.
It looked expensive at first glance. I thought it would go well with the dress I'd gotten tailored for today.
I went to the mirror and tried it on, and sure enough, it was just for me. Flattery can make a shrimp dance.
Feeling better, I turned to the delighted madame.
"I'd also like to see some earrings and bracelets to go with it."
The madame's jaw dropped as if she thought I was just going to buy a dress, and then she shook her head in disbelief.
"Y-yes!"
The madame led me and May into a second room.
"Is there anything else you need besides earrings and bracelets, perhaps a hat, or shoes?"
"Bring it all."
I said arrogantly, fiddling with the necklace. The madame's mouth hung down to her ear in happiness.
"You go to warehouse A and get it, and you go to warehouse C!"
Madame diligently barked orders at her staff, and before I knew it, she herself was running around.
May and I watched as we ate our refreshments.
Then.
"Why the hell can't I go in?!"
Someone's shrill voice echoed down the hall.
"Something happened. I clearly saw you put up the closed sign earlier, who's here?"
I took a bite out of my cookie and glanced down the hall.
I thought I heard a woman's voice complaining somewhere, and then I heard the madame apologize.
"I apologize, Baroness Alfred. As I wrote on the door, we are unable to accept any more guests today due to circumstances. Please be gracious and forgive us."
'Baroness Alfred?'
When I heard Baroness Alfred, it meant Dana.
Leather's ex-girlfriend, the one who is currently running full steam ahead with Duval.
I listened to the argument in the hallway, an exasperated Dana shouting quite loudly.
"Situation? What situation, you have a more pressing business than my visit?!"
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"After ignoring me like this, you think my husband is going to sell you herbs? I've heard your son's illness has gotten worse!"
The hallway fell silent.
I could see the look on the madame's face.
"What should we do?"
May whined next to me. She looked at me as if she didn't know what to do.
What the hell.
I chewed on my snack in silence. I hadn't been gone long when Madame returned with heavy steps and knelt before me.
"Um, Little Marquis, don't know if you've heard, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to go to..."
"Let her in."
The color glowed from Madame's face at my unconcerned reply.
"Thank you. Thank you so much!"
She thanked me with a head-banging bow. And then she led Dana inside.
Dana walked in with a stiff neck and stopped when she saw me, but she quickly composed herself and gracefully lifted the hem of her dress.
"Good to see you again, Little Marquis."
"Who are you?"
"... I am Dana, wife of Baron Alfred. We have met before."
"Ah, Leather's ex-lover?"
Dana was taken aback by the blatant sarcasm. Pretending not to notice, I shamelessly greeted her.
"I didn't expect to see you here. I'm glad to see you. It's a coincidence that we should meet."
"What? I-"
"Madame, bring the Baroness's dresses here, too. I'm tired of waiting, and it would be nice to see them together."
Dana frowned, offended by my arbitrary behavior, but since a title is a title, she couldn't argue and kept her mouth shut. Soon after, the staff brought in several dresses.
They weren't bad, but they were significantly lower quality than the ones she'd shown me.
Dana picked out the dresses, blushing.
"This one is nice... and this one too."
I watched her pick out the dresses and interrupted her just before she made her decision.
"That's nice. Perfect for the maids."
The room fell silent, like a cold shower. Dana and the madame looked at me in confusion. I shrugged nonchalantly.
"I'll buy them all. I was going to give each of them a pair for being made little Marquis anyway. Oh, I'll give the Baroness the benefit of the doubt."
The madame's complexion brightened when I said I would buy them all.
'I suppose it doesn't matter who wears it, as long as it sells.'
Dana blushed with shame at the thought of giving the dresses she was going to buy to the maids.
But she did not dare to say anything to me and shot fiercely at the poor madame.
"What do you think of me to bring me something like this? Bring me something much better!"
Soon the staff came back with another dress.
They were more colorful and more expensive than the previous ones.
Still, it wasn't even close to my dress.
With a defiant jerk of her chin, Dana picked out a dress, and just before she tells Madame she'll buy it,
"I'll buy it all."
I interjected.
"Now that I think about it, I think we should have two dresses per person. One would be a shame."