Reniel looked at Ianathas as if wondering if that was possible. Ianathas sighed and said:

“Why do you ask?”

“I was curious if it’s possible to see each other through dreams.”

“It is possible. However, if one side doesn’t dream, you won’t be able to see each other.”

Ianathas knew about those earrings. The jewels were ones that Ianathas had procured and Felix had passed on to the jeweler.

Originally, the ruby set in the earrings was something Felix had asked for out of boredom.

‘Ianathas, bring me the ‘Dream Garden’ of the Charlonte Marquis family.’

‘That ruby must be a family heirloom.’

‘Is that why it’s difficult?’

‘If you give me time…’

Ianathas wanted the Dream Garden to gain leverage over Marquis Charlonte. But when he actually brought it, Felix found it quite boring.

‘I’ll just sell this to a jeweler.’

‘You’re not keeping it as a trophy?’

‘It’s trivial.’

Felix said that and then passed it on to the merchant group under his command.

And Ianathas thought this method was the most humiliating way to torment the Charlonte Marquis family.

“That’s correct. Master Ianathas is exactly right.”

The jewelry store clerk said with a smile.

Every time he saw Reniel’s beauty, he couldn’t help but smile, but he had to maintain his composure due to Ianathas glaring at him whenever he smiled.

However, seeing Reniel’s extraordinary beauty, he thought his reaction might be normal.

How could one not be captivated by that smiling face?

The clerk thought this as he treated Reniel very kindly.

“I want to see it up close.”

“Of course.”

Soon, the clerk took out the displayed jewelry, put it in a small box, and opened the case to show it.

“Wow.”

Reniel couldn’t help but open her mouth in admiration.

Unaware of others’ gazes, she didn’t realize that all twenty employees in the store were glancing at her.

“How about sapphires?”

In the midst of this, the sapphire section clerk approached and spoke to her.

“Weren’t you taught that one-on-one customer service is basic?”

When Ianathas briefly rebuked him, the sapphire section clerk bowed his head, said “I’m sorry,” and quickly retreated.

“I think I prefer rubies. Thank you for your suggestion.”

Reniel said this and smiled at the retreating sapphire management clerk.

“But these ruby earrings… They seem too expensive for me to buy.”

“Can we see the waiting list for this?”

As Reniel deflated, disappointed and intimidated in advance, Ianathas said this. The clerk brought nearby documents and checked while saying:

“Ah, yes. There are quite a few people on the waiting list.”

Ianathas said he wanted to see the waiting list himself. The clerk then handed the documents directly to him.

“Pfft.”

He laughed as he looked at the waiting list.

「Waiting List

1. Bitan Charlonte

2. Cyrus Charlonte

3. Latines Charlonte

4. Aventa Charlonte

……」

He couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that the waiting list was entirely composed of members of the Charlonte Marquis family.

“Come to think of it, Deputy Chamberlain Reniel was recently promoted, right?”

“Yes?”

“When promoted, your master often gives gifts, doesn’t he?”

“Ah, yes. My brother received a brooch. It has a gold frame with a ruby set in it.”

Ianathas remembered that brooch his master had procured.

“That probably wasn’t a ruby.”

It was one of only two red diamonds in the world. To set such a large and expensive thing in a mere servant’s brooch.

Ianathas recalled how he had gasped when he first learned this fact, yet he sighed.

He was reminded once again that she shouldn’t be killed right away.

It was clear that his lord didn’t spare any expense when it came to her, regardless of other matters.

Of course, it was true that the Le Pelique ducal family was wealthy, but his lord wasn’t someone who spent money recklessly.

“What? Then…”

“Never mind that, looking at this waiting list, this seems quite cheap.”

“…Pardon? Ah, yes, that’s right!”

The clerk was flustered but thought there must be something to Ianathas’s behavior and answered like that.

Soon, the clerk nodded and said:

“I’ll bring the top manager.”

“Alright.”

The clerk walked briskly upstairs to bring the top manager.

Not long after, a tall, robust woman with red hair approached them.

“Oh my, isn’t it the fickle Ianathas?”

Ianathas disliked the top manager of this place. She was someone who had served his lord from around the same time as him.

“And who is this beautiful person?”

“Ah, I’m…”

“Ianathas is quite a dirty man. He’s a trivial and cheap fellow who changes women daily. Run away, miss.”

The top manager said this in a very seductive voice. Reniel was taken aback by her words but reflexively smiled brightly.

“Don’t worry, I’m not in that kind of relationship with him. I came here because I wanted to see these earrings. By the way, what might the price range be?”

When Reniel asked politely, the top manager met her eyes and smiled.

“Miss, do you have a lover?”

“What? No. Um, about the price…”

“I don’t have a lover either. If you’re free later, how about dinner…”

“Just tell us the price.”

The real reason Ianathas and the jewelry store’s top manager didn’t get along was that they had similar tastes in women.

“My, aren’t you impatient. Is this why you’re still wandering women’s beds without a lover?”

Ianathas wanted to retort but didn’t. When Reniel looked at him curiously, he sighed.

“I don’t wander their beds. They come to me.”

“…I don’t see the difference.”

Reniel replied in confusion.

Ianathas sighed and thought he should change the subject. The longer the idle talk went on, the more disadvantageous it would be for him.

“About this. It seems my lord left it here for some purpose, so I’d appreciate if you could sell it at a discounted employee price.”

At Ianathas’s words, the top manager smiled at her again.

“So you’re Deputy Chamberlain Reniel’s younger sister?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

The top manager saw Ianathas’s cold eyes and was about to tease but then stopped and said:

“Alright.”

She said this and wrote down the price. At about one-tenth of the original selling price.

As Ianathas had said, it was just displayed to torment Marquis Charlonte.

Selling it at an absurdly low price would be insulting, in line with her master’s intentions.

“This is the price.”

Reniel was surprised to see the written price.

“It’s expensive… But I think I can afford this much.”

Reniel wrote the amount on the blank check she had brought without hesitation. Then she signed it and handed it to the employee.

“Since your brother is associated with the Le Pelique ducal family, we’ll cover the taxes and other additional costs. Please remember this is a benefit only for first-time purchases.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

And so Reniel purchased the earrings.

And hidden in the shopping bag containing the earring box was the top manager’s phone number and a brief note.

It contained a request for a date.

She hadn’t thought that Reniel would give the shopping bag along with the gift to the person she was giving it to.

“Let’s go now.”

“Yes, Master Ianathas.”

Reniel, who had thriftily packaged the earrings, bowed her head and greeted the top manager.

****

“Thank you so much for today, Master Ianathas. Thanks to you, I was able to get the earrings at a reasonable price.”

Reniel and Ianathas were riding in a carriage together.

She had already changed back into men’s attire and was holding two shopping bags.

One contained the clothes and shoes she had worn as a woman, and the other held the earrings for Felix.

“It’s nothing.”

Ianathas felt a little relieved when she returned to her male appearance.

When she was a woman, he unknowingly followed her words, but when she was a man, it wasn’t so difficult to refuse.

“To my lord…”

He continued, looking at Reniel.

“Please be someone he can rely on. If you’re grateful.”

“…Yes.”

Reniel hesitated a little but answered like that.

If Ianathas’s heart hadn’t been so complicated, he would have found her hesitation strange.

However, he was so confused by his own feelings that he had no room to notice such things.

He couldn’t understand why asking her to take care of his lord was such an emotionally draining task.

Even while doing this, he hoped she would die by his lord’s hand.

That way, Felix would find stability.

But on the other hand, he was caught in a stalemate, wondering if Felix’s unstable life might find some stability just by them relying on each other.

And so they returned to the Le Pelique ducal residence.

****

“You’re back quite quickly.”

Reniel got out of the carriage, and Felix was waiting for her in front of the main building.

“Master!”

Surprised that she had made him wait for her, she ran to him in fear.

“Why are you outside!”

Ianathas was satisfied with her terrified appearance.

However, his satisfaction didn’t last long.

“Ah…!”

“Let’s go to the room.”

Because Felix had picked her up in his arms.

“Ah. Before that, Master! I bought a gift for you!”

She immediately handed him the small shopping bag.

With the note the jewelry store’s top manager had left for a date request still inside.