MLIIWTFL Chapter 139

 

 

 

“I’m sorry for causing a commotion, Lord Sharon. Everyone is just overly protective of me…”

 

“It’s alright. It just means they care about you a lot.”

 

In truth, watching the scene unfold was rather absurd, but there was no need to be completely honest about it. So, Lenard chose to respond tactfully.

 

“Shall we begin our consultation now? What brings you here today?”

 

“Well… can you keep everything we discuss here a secret?”

 

“A secret? Even from the Duke, Sir Averil, and Sir Achilles?”

 

“Yes…”

 

Ariette hesitated, glancing towards the private room before cautiously nodding.

 

Her fingers fidgeted nervously, and the mix of shyness and anxiety on her face made her resemble a small, timid animal.

 

“When you visited the mansion last time, you handled the situation between my father and brothers quite well, didn’t you?”

 

“They just had a small disagreement over which chain to gift you. That kind of thing is quite common.”

 

“That may be true, but usually, when they argue like that, they end up buying everything. Even though it’s too much to wear all at once, no matter how many times I tell them it’s excessive, they never listen…”

 

Ariette seemed genuinely troubled as she spoke, but the fleeting shadow in her blue eyes quickly disappeared, replaced by a sparkle.

 

“But when you spoke, both my father and my brothers only bought the items you recommended! And you even guessed exactly what I had in mind!”

 

“Understanding a customer’s desires is one of the most important skills for a merchant.”

 

“But other merchants never do that!”

 

Ariette tilted her head in confusion, and Lenard had to press his lips together to suppress a chuckle.

 

‘That’s because those merchants weren’t looking at you, but at the Duke.’

 

It was well-known that the Duke’s family would clear out dressmakers and jewelers every season just for their youngest daughter, who never even attended social gatherings.

 

There was even a rumor that Lady Averil’s dressing room was larger than Princess Judith’s.

 

And the one paying for all these gifts wasn’t the recipient—Ariette—but the head of the family, the Duke.

 

So, to maximize their sales while also ensuring the Duke’s satisfaction, the merchants simply catered to his preferences.

 

But telling someone like Ariette this directly wouldn’t be the best approach.

 

“In that case, I suppose I was just lucky. And since that luck has brought you here again today, I should be grateful for that fortunate day once more.”

 

“Luck? No, it wasn’t just luck! The jewelry chain guidebook you sent separately was so considerate. I was truly impressed by how much your store values its customers. I honestly feel like I only want to buy jewelry from Sharon Jewelry from now on.”

 

“That’s just basic service for our customers. I’m glad it was helpful.”

 

As the atmosphere warmed, Ariette finally seemed to relax, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

 

Lenard thought to himself how difficult it was to get to the main point and tried to predict what Ariette was about to say.

 

‘She already bought the jewelry chain, so she’s probably not here to buy another one. Is she looking to order a necklace or earrings instead? If she’s debuting this fall, placing a custom order in advance wouldn’t be unusual.’

 

However, the words that came out of Ariette’s mouth were entirely unexpected.

 

“Um… do you think I could afford to buy something like cufflinks with my own money?”

 

“…That would depend on the price, but I’d need to know your budget and how many pieces you’re looking to buy.”

 

Lenard automatically responded, replaying her words in his mind.

 

He paused briefly but managed not to ask again out of surprise.

 

‘Cufflinks? Not debutante jewelry for social events?’

 

When she booked today’s appointment, Lenard had assumed she was coming to order jewelry for her debut.

 

After all, Ariette hadn’t attended any etiquette classes, meaning this fall was her only chance to make her debut.

 

But Ariette, looking completely serious, stated her budget, the quantity, and her intended purpose.

 

“My budget is 25 gold. I want to buy three cufflinks—for my father and my brothers.”

 

“25 gold… for three cufflinks?”

 

The unexpectedly small budget made Lenard pause in thought, 25 gold wasn’t even a quarter of the yearly allowance debutantes usually received.

 

While it wasn’t impossible to find cufflinks within that price range, they wouldn’t be of a quality suitable for a Duke and his sons.

 

Why was her budget so limited?

 

“…Are you trying to buy gifts with money you earned yourself?”

 

“H-How did you know?!”

 

“Based on the amount. As far as I know, a new administrative official’s monthly salary is a little over 20 gold. Since it hasn’t been long, you’ve probably only received your first paycheck.”

 

“That’s right! You’re amazing, Lord Sharon!”

 

Ariette’s eyes sparkled as if she were looking at a magician. It wasn’t even a difficult guess, yet her reaction was incredibly dramatic.

 

“I’m saving up my salary, just as you said, to buy them a gift. But I want to keep it a secret until I give it to them. I want to surprise them!”

 

“For the Young Lady to prepare such a surprise… I’m sure the Duke and your brothers will be very happy.”

 

That part, at least, was genuine.

 

Lenard’s younger siblings—whether it was Letticia or Lenoa—had never once bought him a gift with their first earnings.

 

Of course, Lenard had never bought them gifts with his first paycheck either, so he couldn’t really expect anything from them.

 

Still, he found the thought of preparing a present just to surprise one’s older brother to be quite endearing.

 

However, despite how admirable the sentiment was, Lenard had no choice but to bring up reality.

 

“Do you want the gifts to be fitting for the Duke and your brothers’ status?”

 

“If possible, yes.”

 

“Then… your current budget won’t be enough.”

 

“What?!”

 

Ariette’s round, blue eyes widened in shock.

 

Lenard tried his best to soften his tone as he explained why.

 

“The price range for cufflinks varies greatly. The cheaper ones, without gemstones, can cost less than a single gold coin. But the expensive ones start at around ten gold coins each.”

 

“If it’s 10 gold per piece, then I’ll need 30 gold total…”

 

“Yes. And since these are for the Duke’s family, the price would be even higher. For example, the cufflinks the Duke is currently wearing—as far as I know, they cost over 400 gold per pair.”

 

“Four hundred… gold…”

 

Ariette muttered in shock, her voice filled with disbelief.

 

Lenard suddenly had a bad feeling about this.

 

“Young Lady, have you never been told the prices of the things you buy?”

 

He had asked, expecting her to deny it, but the response he received was shocking.

 

“W-Well, I know the prices of things like handkerchiefs and books… But for dresses and jewelry, my brothers always said I didn’t need to worry about it. I know they’re expensive, but I’ve never heard the exact prices…”

 

Hearing Ariette’s hesitant words, Lenard was so stunned that he couldn’t even speak for a moment.

 

Even if nobles didn’t always ask about prices, they were usually taught a general sense of the cost of things like dresses or necklaces.

 

Especially noblewomen—they were strictly educated on financial matters by their mothers or tutors.

 

Even if they never worked, they still needed to understand the cost of living to manage a household.

 

‘…Are they planning to keep her at home forever and take care of her for life?’

 

Clicking his tongue in his mind, Lenard examined Ariette’s expression. She was clearly struggling with unexpected embarrassment and discomfort.

 

‘She really was planning to buy something within her own budget… This is going to be tricky.’

 

If a young noble child didn’t understand money, he could simply provide the item and send the bill to their family.

 

But Ariette was far too old for that.

 

And considering her personality, if Lenard gave her a discount or secretly sent the bill to the Duke, she would probably be upset and disappointed.

 

Letting a customer leave Sharon Jewelry with such a negative experience was unacceptable.

 

‘Well, I guess I have no choice… I’ll have to figure something out within her budget.’

 

Running through a mental list of affordable products, Lenard softened his smile even more to ease Ariette’s mood and redirected her attention to him.

 

“Do you specifically want to give them cufflinks?”

 

“Huh? Oh… Not necessarily. It’s just that cufflinks were the only men’s jewelry I could think of.”

 

“In that case, would you be open to other suggestions? There’s a type of accessory that young women often give to their family members.”

 

Lenard opened a catalog on his desk and turned to the page featuring men’s accessories.

 

He pointed to the section on tie pins—one of the more affordable options.