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Chapter 2414: Spreading Aftermath
This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl
When I entered the shop together with Marie-san, I was immediately struck by how spacious it was, truly fitting for a high-class establishment. Unlike the clothing stores Id been to several times before in the Symphonia Kingdom, this one seemed to specialize exclusively in womens attire. There wasnt a single piece of mens clothing in sight; the staff and other customers were almost entirely women as well. The few men I did spot were clearly there accompanying women, just like me.
At a glance, it looked like each group of customers was personally attended by a staff member who guided them around the store, giving off an unmistakable air of a boutique for nobles. Soon, a neatly dressed female clerk, looking sharp in what resembled a tailored suit, approached us and bowed politely.
[Thank you for visiting.]
[Id like to buy some clothes for her]
[Certainly. May I ask about your budget?]
[Lets see errr]
Ah, I see, so thats how it usually works You tell them how much youre willing to spend, and then they guide you to the section with clothes in that price range, assisting you with your selection
Now then, how much should I say? After all that confident talk earlier about being familiar with such things and insisting on buying Marie-san a gift, its hard to turn around now and ask How much should we spend on your clothes?. Besides, if I did ask, shed probably get all modest and suggest something way cheaper than what would actually be appropriate.
And just a glance to the side showed Marie-san looking completely intimidated by the luxurious atmosphere of the store, so much so that even if I asked her, she probably wouldnt be able to respond properly. Clearly, this was something I needed to decide on myself.
As for how much noble clothing usually costs, thankfully, I had some reference from past experience.
Before the Six Kings Festival, I went shopping for clothes with Lilia-san, and the outfit she bought then wasnt as flashy as formal wear or a party gown, but still carried a definite sense of elegance and refinement. I figured it would be similar to what Marie-san would want this time.
Back then, Id given Lilia-san a set of clothes as a gift, so I remembered how much it cost.
But Im not stupid. Lilia-san is the head of a Duchy, while Marie-san is a Barons daughter. If I used Lilia-sans outfit as a reference, Id likely end up with something far more expensive than Marie-san would ever expect.
Fortunately, by coincidence, Sieg-san was also at that same store back then and Id bought her an outfit as well, so I knew how much that one cost too.
Sieg-san, while making a decent living, was still a commoner, whereas Marie-san is a noble. Therefore, clothes for her should naturally be of a higher price range than the ones Sieg-san bought back then.
In other words, the price range suitable for Marie-san would be one higher than the clothes bought for Sieg-san, yet lower than those bought for Lilia-san.
Well, the only issue is that the price gap between those two is huge. Lilia-sans outfit was 90,000R about nine million yen, while Sieg-sans was 15,000R around one and a half million yen. With such a big range, figuring out the right balance was tricky.
At first glance, youd think splitting the difference at around 50,000R would work nicely but from experience, that kind of middle-ground choice usually backfires. So instead, I figured itd be better to err on the lower side, closer to Sieg-sans price range.
Id watch both the clerks and Marie-sans reactions, and use my Sympathy Magic too and if it seemed off, I could always adjust the number.
[Not including accessories, about three gold coins for just the clothes, please.]
[ ! ? ! ? ]
[Certainly. Right this way please.]
When I told them my estimated price, five gold coins, or 50,000 Rthen reduced it by nearly half to three gold coins, or 30,000 R the clerk didnt show any particular reaction and simply bowed. Marie-san looked momentarily surprised, but her expression quickly returned to normal, and the emotions conveyed through Sympathy Magic also seemed to have calmed down, so its probably fine, right?
Judging from her reaction, maybe two gold coins wouldve been just right but oh well. At least, I didnt sense any feelings of thats wrong but I cant correct him or that kind of reserved hesitation from her, so while it might have been a bit higher than what shed expected, it was likely still within a range she could accept.
[Mustve misheard that three silver coins I mustve misheard]
Completely convinced Id named a reasonable amount, I failed to catch Marie-sans faint mutterings quietly trying to convince herself otherwise.
Serious-senpai : [Oh ho, this time, for once, it seems Kaito actually made a well-thought-out, reasonable decision instead of his usual impulsive ones, he carefully calculated the amount based on solid reasoning but something about this feels off. What went wrong here, Commentator ???-san?]
? ? ? : [He picked the wrong examples to reference. What Kaito-san should have used as a reference here was the price from when he went with his two kouhais to buy clothes for Seigi-sans wedding. If hed gone with that, things wouldve been fine After all, the time he went shopping with Lilia-san was during the first ever Six Kings Festival, when Lilia, as a Duchess, had been personally invited by all five of the Six Kings to attend the final days grand banquet. She was buying clothes befitting that level of attention, so those were even more expensive than your standard party dresses to begin with.]
Serious-senpai : [Hohouu]
? ? ? : [And while using Sieg-sans clothes as a reference wasnt a bad idea, Kaito-san completely forgot one crucial detail: the outfit he bought for Sieg-san back then was the one Sieg-san herself saw the price of and said Thats way too expensive, I cant accept that. In other words, it far exceeded what Sieg-san had actually expected to spend.]
Serious-senpai : [So, its bad huh?]
? ? ? : [For reference, the amount Baron Ritch gave Marie, telling her Its okay to use all of this, was five silver coins.]
Serious-senpai : [Oh]
