Chapter 28: Playing in the Royal Capital (2)

Noah is excitedly determined to buy a dress.

They decide to visit Madame Francil’s shop, a fashion designer currently in vogue in the royal capital.

Fiene recalls that Muge had been begging her father for a dress from that store.

Her father, who is very fond of Muge, was unusually reluctant to buy it, saying it was too expensive.

Noah and Fiene alight from the carriage. Fiene feels intimidated by the grand and imposing appearance of the shop. However, Noah confidently walks inside.

Immediately, a female clerk approaches Noah.

“Pick out a few dresses that would suit her.”

Fiene is surprised by Noah’s words.

“No, one dress is enough!”

Presumably, all of them are expected to be outrageously expensive.

Guided by the clerk, Fiene looks around. Meanwhile, Noah, following the clerk’s suggestion, sits on a sofa, sipping tea, and waiting.

The clerk recommends various dresses to Fiene, who is completely clueless about the prices and is troubled. She had intended to buy the cheapest one.

Feeling lost, Noah, who had been waiting on the sofa, comes over to Fiene. It seems he has grown impatient with Fiene’s indecision.

“Fiene, can’t you decide?”

“Well, they’re all lovely…”

More importantly, she can’t decide because she doesn’t know the prices. She was worried about accidentally choosing the most expensive dress in the store.

“Then let me choose for you.”

This works out well for Fiene. If he buys it, considering his own financial situation, she doesn’t have to worry.

“What shall it be?”

The clerk stands next to Noah, rubbing her hands.

“Oh, anything suits Fiene. Just give me everything from there to there,” Noah says, elegantly moving his right index finger from the left to the right inside the store.

“What?”

Fiene is astonished.

“Thank you so much!”

Hearing the delighted voice of the clerk, Fiene comes back to her senses.

“No, you can’t! Noah-sama, that’s absolutely not allowed!”

Fiene hurriedly interjects.

In the end, Fiene and Noah reached a resolution through discussion. The decision was to buy half of the dresses that Noa had pointed out.

“I’ve said it many times, but I’m rich. I can buy as many as you want.” Noah complained a lot, but Fiene shook her head vigorously.

(Considering my limited remaining time, I won’t be able to wear them all, even if I change daily.)

Afterward, the two decided to go to a cafe.

Entering a cafe for the first time, Fiene felt a bit nervous. It was a stylish place with an open terrace.

“Wow, what a wonderful place. And the sweet smell of pastries,” Fiene remarked. The interior was bustling with female customers and couples.

“There are plenty of sweets you like. Don’t hesitate to order as much as you want,” Noah suggested. Fiene felt relieved, thinking that spending too much money might not be the case in a cafe.

“Thank you, but one is enough,” Fiene replied. She was a light eater, and eating too much would ruin her appetite for dinner.

Opening the menu, they found various types of tarts, such as pear, apple, strawberry, berry, and lemon. With so many options, Fiene felt overwhelmed.

In the end, they decided to ask the staff for recommendations.

“Fiene, have you decided?”

“Yes, since there are so many options, I thought of asking for the recommended tart from the staff.”

As if on cue, the waiter arrived to take their order. Fiene promptly asked for the recommended pear tart, which was said to be the most popular.

Before long, tea and the tart were brought to them.

However, for some reason, all varieties of tarts were brought to the table, filling it up.

“Um, I ordered the pear tart,” Fiene hastily said to the waiter.

“The customer here has ordered all the tarts,” the waiter replied.

“What? Noah-sama?” Fiene exclaimed, surprised.

“Don’t worry. Whatever is left, I’ll give as a souvenir to the servants,” Noah assured, making Fiene breathe a sigh of relief.

“In that case, I’ll have the pear tart,” Fiene said.

“Don’t always think about the future, Fiene,” Noah said with a serious expression. “It’s you I’m talking about. You’re probably worried that if you eat too much, you won’t be able to have dinner, and you’ll feel sorry for the chef. Today, it’s okay to enjoy plenty of cake. After all, it’s your first time at a cafe. Enjoy the moment.”

Fiene had an epiphany. He was right. She didn’t have much time left.

“Yes, you’re right. In that case, I’ll see how much I can eat!”

In the end, Fiene’s challenge ended with three tarts.

“Is this a joke? You could only eat three of these tiny ones? Seriously?” Noah, who hadn’t eaten any, teased.

These tarts in the shop might look small and cute, but each had a layer of cream under the fruits, making each one substantial.

“Yes, if I eat more… It was delicious,” Fiene said, finishing her tea as she felt satisfied.

They had the remaining tarts packed at the shop. The two then got back on the carriage.

Perhaps due to eating too many tarts, Fiene felt a slight dizziness after just a short ride on the carriage.

Noa then handed Fiene a small brown bottle.

“Try drinking this; it should help with indigestion and motion sickness. You’re an experimental subject, so let me know how you feel after finishing it.”

Even though she felt like nothing else could go down her throat, if it was part of her role as an experimental subject, she couldn’t refuse. The bottle was small enough to fit in her palm, so she managed to drink it all in one go.

Then, the discomfort quickly subsided, replaced by a refreshing sensation that cleared her nose. The dizziness and indigestion disappeared instantly.

“Oh, I feel fine. Noah-sama, that medicine is amazing. It works really well,” Fiene exclaimed.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Noah-sama, you call me an experimental subject, but is this medicine actually very expensive?” Fiene asked, causing Noah to subtly avert his gaze.

“No problem. I can make the medicine,” he replied, evidently caught off guard by the accurate guess.

“Was it indeed an expensive medicine? Did I just take it for overeating tarts?” Fiene’s face was slightly pale.

“By the way, we haven’t been to the jewelry store yet,” Noah conspicuously changed the subject.

“Noah-sama, you’ve done enough shopping already!” Fiene hurriedly stopped him.

“However, Fiene, you’ve never been to a jewelry store, right?”

“Well, no, I haven’t.” Fiene nodded honestly. Originally, Fiene did not own any jewelry, a rarity for a noble’s daughter.

“Then let today be a day of new experiences for you,” Noah declared, informing the coachman to head to the best jewelry store in the capital.

The coachman seemed oblivious or unwilling to listen, and Fiene gave up on convincing him.

“Noah-sama, thank you. I’m looking forward to it, but please don’t point from ‘here to there’ again, okay?” Fiene firmly set a boundary. That was too stressful for her heart.

“Hahaha, as if I would do that. It’s a jewelry store,” he laughed merrily, an unusual sight for him.

“That’s right, hehehe.” Fiene breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Noah’s response.