I almost lost my enthusiasm, but I gently pushed him, adopting a teacher-like demeanor.
“Still, try picking one out. Even if it’s just a color that would suit the princess—there must be something.”
“…….”
“When choosing a gift, what did I tell you?”
“…You told me to choose carefully, thinking about the person receiving it.”
“Exactly.”
If you understand, then go ahead and pick one out.
I extended my hand, urging him to make a choice.
“Do I really have to choose?”
“Yes, you really do.”
Unable to resist my insistence, Ian reluctantly began to scan the pile of fabrics. He looked intently, focusing on the details, which was so serious that I had to suppress a laugh.
After a few seconds, Ian picked up a wide ribbon. It was a golden satin ribbon that shimmered when it caught the light.
“Will this do?”
“Oh, that’s not bad at all.”
I had noticed it at the shoe shop before—he had a surprising sense for these things, even if it didn’t seem like it.
Maybe it was some kind of protagonist’s buff?
If I could just polish him up, he might actually be quite helpful to Diana.
Following his lead, I scanned the cart and picked up a thinner ribbon nearby.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Without waiting for a response, I held the ribbon up to Ian’s face.
He flinched at my sudden movement.
“…What are you doing?”
“You have the same eye color as the princess.”
The ribbon I picked out had a mysterious blend of purple and blue, which appeared as a bright violet when the light hit it.
I alternated between looking at him and the ribbon for a moment before smiling broadly.
“…It’s pretty.”
Pleased with my discovery, I removed the ribbon from near Ian’s face.
“It suits you. It’s as if it was made from your eyes.”
This should suit the princess well too.
“It would be better if it were a bit wider, though….”
As I started rummaging through the fabric pile again, Ian, standing beside me, seemed to have frozen in place.
Noticing this a bit late, I looked up at him.
“…Grand D—, I mean, you?”
At my call, he blinked, as if snapping out of a daze. He cleared his throat and averted his gaze.
“…Yes, let’s go with that.”
His responses were uncharacteristically slow.
I looked at him curiously for a moment, then turned to the shopkeeper, holding out the two types of ribbons.
“Please make a decorative ribbon with this satin one. You can use lace and other materials too. I’m thinking of making a hair accessory, so make it flashy.”
The shopkeeper blinked rapidly.
“A ribbon… you say?”
He seemed unsure of my request, so I nodded.
“Yes, is that a problem?”
“No, no! That’s not it… It’s just that you’re the first to request something like this. Most people just buy the materials….”
“You don’t exactly have a lot of customers.”
My blunt comment made him cough awkwardly, turning his head as if I had hit a sore spot.
“…But how did you know? That I make ribbons, I mean.”
“The patterns are different from anything on the market, so it was obvious.”
“Ah, yes.”
“With your skill level, making a small accessory shouldn’t be difficult.”
“Ahh….”
The shopkeeper nodded, seemingly both bewildered and convinced.
“It won’t be immediate… but let’s see, I should be able to have it ready in about two hours.”
Two hours, huh.
“Then I’ll come back to pick it up. How much?”
“Well, with the two satin ribbons, the lace, other materials, and the labor cost… let’s see, about four silver coins should cover it.”
The shopkeeper extended four fingers of his rough hand.
I nudged Ian in the side with my elbow.
“Pay him, please. Just two silver coins for now as an advance.”
Ian turned to me with an incredulous look.
“…I have to pay for this too?”
“I didn’t bring my purse with me.”
When I brazenly retorted, Ian’s face went beyond astonishment to utter disbelief.
Of course, during this time, I just stood there, staring at him as if daring him to challenge me.
In the end, with no other option, Ian took out two silver coins and handed them to me.
“Here you go. I’ll pay the remaining half when we come back to pick up the ribbon. Is that alright with you?”
“Oh, of course!”
The shopkeeper’s face lit up as he confirmed the payment. He responded eagerly, bowing slightly as he observed us.
“Well then, enjoy your date. I’ll have it ready in no time.”
Satisfied, I nodded and pulled Ian along with me.
“You heard him, right? Let’s go.”
❖ ❖ ❖
Though I had eaten breakfast, walking around the bustling city all morning had made me quite hungry.
I dragged Ian to a famous crepe shop in Melan Street, and we each bought a crepe.
Contrary to my expectation that he might criticize it as commoners’ food, Ian surprisingly followed along and even stood in line.
However, after taking a bite of the sweet crepe, he grimaced, clearly not enjoying it.
“Do you really like this?”
“Isn’t it delicious? I heard this is the most popular crepe shop in the capital.”
“It’s too sweet.”
“It’s supposed to be sweet. That’s what makes it tasty.”
I took a big bite of my crepe as I looked at him.
At that moment, Ian, who was quietly watching me, suddenly reached out and touched my face.
“Yes, it does seem that way.”
As I felt the coolness of his touch near my lips, I instinctively leaned back slightly.
‘What… what was that?’
He quickly withdrew his hand after wiping the cream from my face and spoke.
“You had something on your face.”
“You could have just told me….”
“You seemed too focused on eating.”
He answered nonchalantly and then licked the cream off his finger, immediately frowning in distaste.
“It’s definitely not to my liking.”
…Huh?
“What did you just….”
Why did you eat something that was on my face?
But Ian, completely oblivious, just looked at me as if nothing was wrong.
“My lady?”
“Just now….”
Half in a daze, I pointed at him.
Finally realizing what had happened, Ian looked down at his hand and froze as he processed the situation.
“Oh.”
“…….”
“…….”
An awkward silence hung in the air.
I was the first to look away.
“Uh, right. Well, from now on, I’ll clean it myself.”
“…Yes, please do.”
‘Is he out of his mind?’
My heart was pounding as I turned my head away and took a deep breath. Ian, also feeling embarrassed, turned his head in the opposite direction.
‘What’s with this guy?’
Normally, he’s so strict, but why is he so careless about this?
“Well, uh, look, there’s a fountain over there! Let’s go check it out.”
“…Yes.”
After that, we spent time watching the fountain, which had started working as summer approached.
Before we knew it, the clock tower struck four, signaling that the two hours had passed quickly.
When we returned to the shop, the bearded shopkeeper had already finished the ribbon decoration.
“Here it is.”
The shopkeeper handed me the completed ribbon, his face brimming with pride.
It was a small, palm-sized ribbon featuring the golden ribbon Ian had chosen as the main component.
There were tiny beads attached here and there, with the purple-blue ribbon I had selected placed prominently in the center.
The addition of a uniquely patterned lace ribbon completed the look.
I smiled in satisfaction.
‘I knew it would turn out like this.’
I held up the ribbon in front of Ian’s eyes.
“What do you think? Isn’t it pretty?”
“…It’s not bad.”
Pretty is pretty—what’s with “not bad,” you fool.
I lightly tapped Ian and took the remaining two silver coins from him, handing them to the shopkeeper.
“Here’s the rest of the payment. Oh, and could you give me a business card?”
“A… business card?”
The shopkeeper looked at me in bewilderment, as if he had never heard of such a thing before.
Right, I had forgotten that this guy wasn’t familiar with such things. Of course, he wouldn’t have a business card.
“In that case, just write your name and a contact address on any piece of paper. I have an important message to deliver.”
“Uh, uh, sure. But why….”
The shopkeeper, who had been nervously questioning me, shrank back as Ian, standing beside me, gave him a chilly stare.
Hastily, he took out a piece of paper and began writing down something with a piece of charcoal.
“Will… will this do?”
After confirming his name and address, I nodded.
“Yes, this will do.”
“But what do you need it for….”
“You’ll find out soon enough. I’ll see you again.”
Instead of answering, I gave him a cheerful goodbye and turned to leave, but then I paused and lowered my voice as if giving important advice.
“And keep your stall tidy when you do business. That alone will double your customers.”
♧♧♧
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