I’m the fifth son of a count’s family, but I became the head of a duke’s house.
After leaving the dining hall, we arrived at the bustling marketplace in the royal capital.
Street vendors had set up stalls selling a variety of goods—handmade bags, jewelry, and even some suspicious-looking items that seemed suited for sorcery. The market was lively, with all sorts of shops lining the streets.
When people noticed me, they would slightly lower their heads and step aside, but I didn’t sense any fear from them. Well, I used to come here often, so they probably just recognized me.
However, due to the crowd, Kurt was sticking closely behind me, keeping a watchful eye on our surroundings.
…He’s way too close.
“Aren’t you standing a little too close?”
“No, if anything were to happen to you or Lady Leila, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself, even in death.”
…Isn’t that a bit overprotective?
I mean, I appreciate his dedication, and I can’t exactly tell him to slack off while he’s on duty, but he could at least relax a little. From an outsider’s perspective, we probably look like an overprotective older brother and his younger sibling… Well, whatever.
“Leila, is there anything that catches your eye?”
“Eh? Let me see…”
Leila glanced around before her gaze stopped at a particular stall. It was a street vendor selling various types of fabric.
Leila rarely expresses a desire for things, so this is a must-buy situation.
As we approached the stall, the merchant tensed up, clearly bewildered.
“Uh, um… I have permission to sell here, you know?”
“No, we’re just here to shop.”
I didn’t recognize the merchant, and from the way he didn’t know my face, he likely wasn’t a local trader but a traveling merchant instead.
I suppose it would be intimidating if a noble suddenly approached with knights in tow.
After I reassured him that I was just here to buy something, he visibly relaxed, though he still seemed somewhat nervous—probably because I was a noble.
“Can you tell me about your best-selling products?”
“O-Of course! I carry many types of fabric, but these two in particular are rare and highly sought after.”
Once he saw an opportunity to make a sale, his nervousness vanished, and he smoothly began his sales pitch. He picked up two fabrics from his selection.
The first was a solid orange fabric. I’d never seen such a bright, even-colored cloth before.
Noticing my interest, the merchant explained:
“This fabric is a vivid orange and quite rare. It’s highly valued because it’s dyed using the fruit of a plant that only grows in the eastern part of the kingdom. In fact, many eastern nobles and knights use it for their cloaks.”
“Huh, is that so?”
I turned to Kurt, who was standing behind me.
“Yes, it’s quite popular in the eastern regions.”
Well, Kurt is from the eastern part of the kingdom, so that confirms the merchant isn’t lying. Not that many merchants would have the guts to try and deceive a noble anyway.
Orange, huh…? I feel like it doesn’t really suit Leila’s aesthetic.
I shifted my gaze to the other fabric.
“And what about this one?”
“This is silk dyed with pigments from the north. As you can see, it has a beautiful shade of sky blue.”
True enough. I’d heard before that getting the right shade of blue could be tricky, but this one was perfectly balanced—not too light, not too dark.
“However, this is the last of our stock. What you see here is all that’s left.”
The merchant only had a piece about the size of a large handkerchief. From the way he looked, he probably wanted to sell the orange fabric more since he had more stock of it.
But if I had to choose, I felt like the sky blue one would suit Leila better.
“Leila, do you have a preference?”
She looked at the two fabrics, tilting her head in thought.
“They’re both lovely… but I’d like you to choose for me, Lord Ainzich.”
Ah, I see. This is one of those situations where she wants me to pick something and give it to her as a gift. Hmm… tough choice.
Alright. Let’s go the noble route here.
“I’ll take both.”
“Thank you very much!”
I handed over the payment and received the fabrics from the merchant.
As we turned to leave, the merchant bowed his head.
“If fate allows, I hope to do business with you again.”
I responded with a casual wave.
Not “I look forward to your return,” but “if fate allows”—definitely sounds like a traveling merchant.
After we made our way through the market and into the main square, I held out the fabrics.
“Here you go.”
I gave the sky blue fabric to Leila and the orange fabric to Kurt.
I figured the orange cloth, being from his homeland, might hold some sentimental value for him.
“My lord… Thank you.”
Kurt looked both nostalgic and happy.
Though, I did feel a little guilty. While he got a fairly large piece, Leila only got a small one.
“This was all they had left… Sorry.”
“It’s fine. I’m happy because you chose it for me, Lord Ainzich. Oh, I know…”
Leila removed the fabric she had been using as a headband and divided her hair into two sections. She tied one side with her old fabric and the other with the new sky blue one.
For the first time, Leila had twin tails.
“…How does it look?”
“…Absolutely stunning.”
Hearing my compliment, Leila blushed slightly in embarrassment.
Seriously, my wife is the best.
…Wait, hold on.
Kurt, you have long hair too, but don’t you dare try to tie it into twin tails just to get praised.
