Chapter 45
45. A Letter Like a Report
Excessive. And self-righteous.
“Just like my father.”
Margo clicked her tongue and muttered, watching the merchants flood in.
Olivia, too, stared blankly at the procession with a flustered expression. Yes, the word ‘procession’ was fitting for the situation.
Methone had disappeared after saying, ‘It will be early autumn when you arrive in Herot. You can choose the clothes to wear on the ship and immediately after arriving in Herot.’
“What on earth is this…”
The merchants laid out so many items that they filled one entire wall of the large reception room and still weren’t enough.
Margo shook her head as if she were fed up, then stopped a noblewoman who seemed to be the head of the merchant procession.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes, Princess.”
“Do you know what the King ordered you to bring?”
“I was told to show you all the clothes and necessary items and help you choose.”
“Was it entrusted entirely to you?”
The noblewoman momentarily hesitated, unable to grasp her intention, but soon smiled and nodded.
“Yes, that’s right.”
Margo looked at her with a somewhat displeased expression, then gently tapped Olivia’s shoulder.
“Olivia, I have something to do, so I’ll go first. Take your time choosing.”
“Professor!”
At Olivia’s urgent call, Margo turned to look at her.
“How much am I supposed to choose?”
At that, Margo turned to the noblewoman waiting on the side and asked again.
“Did the King pay in advance, or did he say he would pay later?”
Then, the noblewoman bowed politely and replied softly.
“He paid the minimum amount in advance and said to bill him for any excess.”
Margo raised her eyebrows at Olivia as if to say, ‘Does that answer your question?’ Then she added,
“Make sure to at least meet the prepaid amount. It doesn’t matter if you exceed it somewhat.”
Olivia nodded readily at her words. It seemed to be the proper etiquette.
As Margo left the room, the noblewoman led Olivia to the sofa with a sociable smile.
“Come this way.”
Then, she handed her various catalogs and smiled sweetly enough to melt.
“Oh my, there’s a reason why King Noah fell for you. My goodness, you’re truly beautiful.”
That’s not it, though.
Olivia retorted inwardly. The whispering compliments tickled her stomach.
The noblewoman elegantly opened a catalog with a deep purple cover and showed it to Olivia.
“Since you have to travel by ship, items that are too bulky will only be a burden. Small and sparkling items are more valuable to own than bulky ones.”
The catalog she opened was filled with dazzling jewels.
“Your skin is so fair and translucent that colored gemstones would also suit you very well. But above all, diamonds are the best. Would you like to see the 10-carat diamond that was recently acquired?”
The noblewoman pushed Olivia, intending to make a good profit from this opportunity.
It seemed that the King of Herot was infatuated with her beauty. The noblewoman scanned Olivia’s old clothes, which looked at least a few years old, from top to bottom and exclaimed inwardly.
Today, I must completely distract this innocent young lady. Clothes can be chosen last, right?
However, Olivia, who had been listening silently to the explanation with a clear face, quietly pushed the catalog away and opened her mouth calmly.
“How much is the prepaid amount that the King paid?”
“……”
The noblewoman was momentarily speechless.
Nobles do not explicitly ask about money, considering their reputation. If they nitpick over money, they are likely to be called vulgar.
But Olivia was not yet royalty or nobility. Furthermore, she had no intention of spending money mindlessly in this place and sending a huge bill to King Noah.
“Oh dear. Don’t worry about the amount. These are items that the King sent with all his love, aren’t they?”
The noblewoman quickly managed her expression and handed the catalog back.
But Olivia repeated the same words with her usual clear face.
“Please tell me how much the prepaid amount is.”
“……”
“If you don’t remember, please check and let me know.”
“……”
The noblewoman smiled awkwardly and blinked rapidly.
This isn’t how it’s supposed to go…
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Noah enjoyed his leisure all day after Olivia left.
Tired of the piercing Pulder sunlight, he changed the room to face north, then slept in. When he woke up, he stretched his long body languidly on the bed, read some books, and looked through the Pulder newspaper.
It was around the time when the relentlessly sunny sunlight was finally setting in the west that Methone returned.
Noah, who was wearing a gown and drinking strong black tea, glanced at him.
“Welcome back, Your Majesty. But you haven’t been smoking since you came to Pulder, have you?”
“Enough, get to the point.”
“Yes! The letter has been sent. It should arrive in ten days at the earliest, two weeks at the latest. Also, I’ve looked into the ship departures.”
Methone placed a piece of paper with ship information in front of Noah.
“Please check it and choose, and I will make a reservation immediately.”
Noah put down the glass he was holding and picked up the paper he offered. He wanted to return tomorrow if he could.
“How long do you think it will take for Olivia to be ready?”
“I will ask her exactly tomorrow and report back, but for now, they said it would take two days for the clothes you ordered today to be completed.”
Noah raised his eyebrows and sighed.
“I don’t want to exceed five days. Even though we can use the direct route now, we still have to be on the ship for at least two weeks.”
“Yes, I understand. Ah, and…”
Methone took out another envelope from his pocket and handed it over.
“This is a letter from Miss Liberty.”
Noah tore open the envelope without hesitation and added insincerely.
“If there are any additional charges, pay them on your own.”
“There are no additional charges.”
“Really? I guess she matched it perfectly.”
When he unfolded the neatly folded letter, the neat handwriting, just like its owner, caught his eye first.
But the content itself was short, and a part of a catalog was attached to the back of the letter.
“What is this?”
Frowning, he flipped through the catalog, and there were marks everywhere. Noah quickly read the letter she wrote, leaving the catalog aside.
“……”
In her neat handwriting, she asked if the clothes she had chosen were appropriate, and whether there was anything to add or remove.
Noah narrowed his eyes and quickly flipped through the catalog again.
She had chosen skirts and blouses of her usual design, as well as a seasonal jacket, and she had also chosen a simple dress that felt more elegant than flashy.
In addition, she had checked a pair of beige low-heeled shoes, a pair of high-heeled shoes that matched the dress, and a pair of pearl earrings.
“Did you only send boutique merchants today?”
“Yes. Did I?”
“My aunt probably had a schedule.”
“That’s probably… Ah!”
Methone also exclaimed as if he had just realized it.
“She must have chosen them alone…”
With a merchant next to her trying to extract as much as possible.
In the case of a noble who has become an adult, it is not a big deal to choose such things alone. This is because they have been watching their mothers choose things throughout their childhood, and they receive the teachings of a chaperone just before their debut. If not, they are taught by a tutor.
For Noah, common sense was the common sense of aristocratic society. So, he inadvertently overlooked it.
He coldly scanned the catalog that Olivia had marked again.
She chose well, just what she needed.
In particular, choosing a dress that was not excessive without anyone’s help, and choosing a blouse and skirt of her usual design, were things to nod at.
Just because she received a King’s proposal doesn’t mean she has become royalty.
And that was something she shouldn’t forget even after she became royalty. In other words, it is difficult to act as if she were born into royalty.
In addition, it was a situation where she could have received an astronomical excess amount, but she matched the price exquisitely.
As if she had asked the price and bought it according to the price.
“Methone. Go to the boutique now and silence them. Buying a suitable necklace and a pair of earrings will be enough. A clean diamond without any decorations.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“And find a noblewoman from Herot. I don’t expect royal etiquette, but at least someone who can teach the etiquette of a noblewoman.”
“I understand. Then, to Miss Liberty…”
“Tell her she chose well. There’s nothing more to add or subtract.”
“…Me?”
At that, Noah looked at Methone with a dumbfounded expression. But this time, Methone also looked back at the King as if he were dumbfounded.
“No, the letter came, didn’t it?”
“Is this a letter? It’s a report.”
“……”
“You deliver it.”
“…Yes.”
Methone, who replied a beat late, bowed and turned around. Noah, who was displeased with his attitude, added sarcastically.
“If I hear any ridiculous words like my proposal was like a creditor or something.”
“She didn’t even open her mouth, Your Majesty.”
Methone muttered inwardly with a pout.
I just said what I saw, why is he so resentful?
