Chapter 58: Suspiciously... (3)

༺ Suspiciously... (3) ༻

To prepare for Count Casseus’s party, Marie and I headed to one of the shopping districts in the city.

There, I noticed an interesting street name.

“Marie Street?”

“Uht...! I, it’s nothing important!”

The name of the shopping district was Marie Street. What in the world was this?

“Can you explain what this means?”

“Ugh... Like, when I was born, dad built this place to celebrate my birth.”

“...”

It seemed that the Duke really cherished Marie.

“All the stores here look very expensive though.”

Marie Street was like a fashion street that was filled with all sorts of branded clothing stores and jewelry shops.

“Montijo? Ghesquiere? Oh damn...”

Even though it was a fantasy world, there were branded stores that were on the same level as famous places on Earth. After living in this world for 3 years, I reached a point where I could somewhat recognize a few of those names.

“Senior. Are we going to shop here?”

“Nn. Why, is there a problem?”

“Uhh...”

Unlike Marie who was born as the daughter of the super potato farm, I was a salaryman who just became a Grade 1 Knight. I had yet to even receive my first support fund so there was no way I could afford these expensive items.

“Sorry but... I don’t have enough money...”

“Ahht...!”

Marie blocked her mouth as if she wasn’t expecting to hear such a thing. What she then said was very unexpected as well.

“Why would you consider using your money Korin?”

“Sorry?”

“Of course I’m going to be buying it for you!”

“Like, that’s a bit...”

I had my pride as a man and couldn’t afford to receive something so expensive.

– Grip!

That was when Marie tightly grabbed onto my hand and said with a bright smile.

“I really wanted to buy you clothes! Can you please let me buy you presents just for today?”

“...”

Her eyes were very clear.

“Okay sure. Well, then can I please ask you to buy me a couple of clothes?”

“Really?”

She seemed extremely glad to hear my words. Everything was fine as long as she was happy with it herself.

“Then I will give you everything we buy today as a present!”

Wait, did I hear something wrong? Did she say everything instead of one?

“Let’s go there first! I really wanted to be the one to get you your first tuxedo!”

Pulling my hand, Marie hurried me forward. Her following words that today was too short to go looking around all the places was a bit puzzling though.

Well... it’s not like we would be buying that many clothes right?

What I should have known, was that ‘looking around’ was definitely not the only thing we were doing.

****

“One for daytime and one for nighttime please.”

“What kind of style would you like?”

“Three buttons – obsidian would be good. Ones that are carved in the southern style.”

Isabelle Eastwood Dress Shop.

I almost lost myself after seeing how dozens of gold coins for a single suit was the bare minimum.

“Please make sure you show his neck line! Because Korin has a beautiful neck and collarbones!”

“Oh my, as expected of Lady Marie. You have amazing eyes for this.”

“Right! Also, Korin has muscles and wide shoulders so a roped shoulder fit would be nice.”

“We will also make sure his trousers are so perfect that he can even squat with them on.”

“Won’t the design be a bit plain though? I think adding a birdseye jacquard or a herringbone pattern would add flavor to the suit.”

“In that case, we will add a faint pattern arrangement that makes it seem seamless at a distance, but with a hint of herringbone pattern when nearby. If you add this handkerchief and this tie on top of that...”

Holy moly. What in the world were they talking about? Was this the same Marie as the one who was boiling potatoes every morning to give to her peers?

“As expected of Isabelle Eastwood! I can trust you with this.”

“It is an honor, Lady Marie. We will send them to the mansion in time before the party.”

Under the devoted care of the workers, I left the store while carefully holding onto the container of handkerchief that they gave as a souvenir. Even though it was just a souvenir, I was shocked upon hearing that this cost 3 gold coins and that was why I was being exceptionally careful with this.

“Aren’t we... using too much money?”

“Nn? Did we use that much?”

“Wait. Looking back, I don’t think we even paid for them though...”

“They’ll send the bill home so don’t worry!”

“Is that okay?”

“Korin.”

Marie suddenly called my name with a serious look on her face.

“Yes, Senior?”

“My name is all the credit they need.”

“Haa...!”

She was dazzling. I would love to become someone like her who can say things like that!

“Hah~.” I said after a sigh though. “Aren’t you teasing me too much?”

“Ah, you figured it out!”

“Of course I would when you are smirking all the time while waiting for my reaction.”

“Hehe. Because Korin was always the one teasing me! When would I get to tease you if not now?”

“Well. If this is how you tease... then I’d welcome it any time.”

We used a white gold coin for a single suit. I was somewhat expecting that to happen after seeing her spend dozens of gold coins for a necklace and boots but... it was still shocking nonetheless.

By the way, we also bought a ridiculous number of casual branded clothes before going for the tailored suit. Those only cost 3~4 gold coins each so they didn’t make me as uncomfortable as this suit, which was a plus.

......The fact that I unknowingly thought to myself that they ‘only’ cost 3~4 gold coins after buying a bunch of shirts that were worth thousands of dollars was the frightening result of today’s shopping.

“Anyway, this is everything right?”

“What do you mean, Korin?”

“Just letting you know, I was promoted to Grade 1 Mage 20 years ago.”

“...Is that so, sir?”

“I was 20 years faster than you.”

“I see... Congratulations.”

“Ehem.”

Congratulations on doing that before I was even born.

“So, what kind of work do your parents do?”

It was strange that he was suddenly asking about my family, but I answered his question by going through the memories of Korin Lork.

“My parents run a restaurant.”

“Hmm~. Do you have siblings?”

“I have a younger sister.”

“I see. A normal household.”

“Quite normal, yes.”

It was a normal family that you could see anywhere on both Earth and here.

“Now, listen carefully. Mr. Korin Lork. This question is the most important one of all.” Duke Marde gazed at me with a serene and serious look on his face when saying that..

He was the ruler of the South – the emperor of the Potato Empire that was running the omega enormous agricultural business of the Dunareff. I got to see a portion of their wealth today.

What question was this man – who could move the entire southern region with one word – going to ask me!?

If this was still a game, this would be the turning point of an important scenario quest.

“Are you a virgin?”

“.........Sorry?”

“Come on dear! Why would you ask something like that?”

Duchess Elencia slapped him by the shoulder and the Duke explained himself while throwing glances at her face.

“Of course the son-in-law of the Dunareff family must be a pure virgin...!”

“Dad?!”

Oh... So he is misunderstanding our relationship, huh?

“Anyway, Mr. Korin Lork! Marie took everything after me; she’s very clever and is very kind at heart.”

“I see.”

I don’t think she took after your personality though?

“I am not trying to brag or anything, but Marie was able to use magic ever since she was 7. She’s a prodigy among prodigies.”

Aren’t you bragging at this point?

“She is the apple of my eye, and my precious daughter that I raised with everything I had...!”

“Ah... I see. Well...”

Duke Marde glared at me with a bloody gaze. I could sense his wariness in his eyes.

“So I will never give you my daughter!”

“Dad?!”

“Dear?!”

As expected, he suddenly started rambling on. He was as unstoppable as a bulldozer.

“Mari said, ‘I’ll marry daddy when I grow up!’ I will never give her to you...!”

“Daddddd!!!”

Marie shouted while looking at Duke Marde with an appalled look on her face.

“What are you saying! To someone you’re seeing for the first time!!!”

With a deeply flushed face, Marie pushed him and hit him by the shoulder. Even though he was double her size, Marie was the one overpowering him.

“Ahkk..! Ugh! Ahkkk...! W, wait! Mari, it hurts! W, why are you so...! You take all these bad things from your mom...!”

“Please just stop talking, dad!”

It was pitiful seeing him be dragged out like that by Marie. Now that I thought about it, there was probably no-one in this family that could resist Marie’s power.

Now that Marie dragged Duke Marde out of the dining room, Duchess Elencia and I were the only ones left behind inside the room.

“Sorry for the mess, Mr. Korin.”

“Haha, I am jealous of the open atmosphere here.”

“A bit too open, I might say.”

The duchess wearing an amicable smile on her face looked at me with an elegant gaze before suddenly standing up from her seat.

“Duchess?”

Then, she deeply lowered her head.

“Thank you very much for helping Marie.”

“...Please don’t lower your head like that. It makes me feel uncomfortable.”

“Does it?”

“And I was just doing it because I could.”

“...”

“Plus, more than anything... Senior Marie is someone who has the right to be more happy.”

It was better for good people to have better end to their story. In fact, that was the natural thing.

“Huhu...”

In response, the Duchess returned a refreshing smile that was similar to Marie’s before covering her mouth.

“I was worried that she was way too blinded when I saw her letter but... Ah, and I do welcome you, Mr. Korin. Unlike my husband, I am not the type to bind my daughter too much.”

“...I see?”

About what? And what’s with this letter from Marie?

– Ahhhk! No you cannot, Mari! Your daddy will not allow this!

– Please stop!

– Y, you can hold hands! But you can’t do anything more than that!

– S, s, stop saying weird things like that! I hate you, dad! You idiot!

– Ha, aahkkkkk...! Marieeee...!

Ehew. It was an illness at this point.

Were all fathers like that after having a daughter?

Soon, Duke Marde came back and gave both an apology and a word of gratitude, but he still couldn’t give up until the very end.

“You may hold your hands but that is it...! That virginity of yours! You better keep that until the end of your life...!!”

– Slap!

The best cure for the rampaging husband was a slap to the back from his wife.

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