Cain threw his checkbook at Jane, telling her to shed her provincial look, but he didn’t give her a chance to use it.

“Hello, miss. I’ve brought some outfit samples. I’m the designer Hermès.”

Hermès, like a professional, immediately took Jane’s measurements and then selected several designs to place on the table.

“With your slim waist and long limbs, anything would suit you well, but I’ve chosen designs considering your skin tone. Your straight shoulders and collarbone are your assets, so it would be good to emphasize them.”

As a renowned designer in the Emblem Kingdom, he had no hesitation in expressing his opinions.

“What do you think, miss?”

Jane carefully examined the designs. They were all vivid in color, which felt overwhelming. Unlike other young ladies attending their debut, Jane didn’t want to stand out.

She literally just wanted to have the feeling of ‘having attended a debut’, but wearing a flashy and intense dress seemed to make that impossible.

Just having a debut at 25 years old would already be an issue.

Moreover, there was another point of interest. She was the lady of the fallen Whitney family.

So she would receive very blatant and explicit attention.

“I’ll go with the purple dress.”

“Understood.”

Hermès had secretly hoped Jane would choose the red dress, but he respected her choice without suggesting it twice.

“I’ll see you again at the dress fitting.”

As he left, a jewelry expert entered as if passing a baton. There wasn’t even a moment’s break.

“May the goddess’s luck be with you. Hello, miss. I’m Luke Pearl. I’ve been dealing in jewelry with the Hastings family for a long time.”

He seemed to know Mary well too, as they exchanged glances.

Luke was more sociable than Hermès.

“Your face is so small and beautiful that all the jewelry I’ve brought feels embarrassed.”

He was good at flattery too. Jane returned an awkward smile at the compliment she hadn’t heard in a long time.

If Mrs. Themis had been present, paddles would have flown.

A noble lady should be surrounded by men praising her, and should know how to casually return those praises.

Whew, Jane straightened her posture with the mindset of practicing.

“Your jewels will surely make me shine. Will you show them to me?”

“Of course!”

That should suffice. Pleased with Jane’s response, Luke’s shoulders bounced as he laid out the boxes.

“This emerald is the exact same color as your eyes. It’s a special piece imported from abroad. You probably haven’t seen such a large, high-purity emerald before.”

Indeed, it was a necklace and earring set worthy of Luke’s confidence. The emerald, surrounded by diamonds, emitted a brilliant light.

“Next, we have rubies. It’s a jewelry set that everyone tends to have one of. But our shop’s ruby set is special.”

Luke kept talking. He continued to open boxes. Amber, diamonds, and even pearls.

Even the large table wasn’t enough, so he pulled over an auxiliary table, but eventually, the jewelry boxes took up even the sofa.

The jewels shimmered beautifully under the light.

“That’s enough, Luke. It’s sufficient.”

Jane stopped Luke as he was about to take out another box.

“I still have more to show you.”

Luke’s eyes sparkled, but Jane firmly said, “Stop.” Then Jane carefully examined the jewelry boxes.

Luke had reason to be confident. The condition of the jewels, the cutting – they were items that wouldn’t be lacking anywhere.

That’s why they were too much for Jane. After looking around, Jane reached for the ruby set with the smallest stones.

What she picked was the cheapest jewelry set among what Luke had brought today.

Luke gave a regretful look, but Jane didn’t notice as she was focused on the rubies.

“I’ll take this one.”

Jane said brightly.

“Let’s do one more set, miss.”

Luke held a diamond set in one hand and an emerald set in the other.

“Perhaps you don’t like my items?”

“How could that be? I like them all. That’s why it was so difficult to choose.”

Despite saying that, she had picked a set without a moment’s hesitation.

However, sincerity could be felt in Jane’s smile. So Luke organized the jewelry boxes with lingering hands.

He signaled outside, and Luke’s assistants came to take the boxes away. Finally, Luke also bowed and left.

Following that, one shoe designer and three accessory merchants visited.

Meanwhile, boxes were neatly stacked in one corner of Jane’s room.

Even though she had chosen minimal items, there were quite a few boxes.

They were items that made her feel good just by looking at them, but to Jane, they were nothing more or less than debt.

She kept incurring debt to him.

Despite sitting and enjoying pleasant shopping, Jane’s heart grew heavy.

* * *

“She chose one purple dress.”

While Jane was meeting with Luke, Cain was receiving a report from Hermès. Luke was also scheduled to stop by his office to report afterward.

“Purple? What’s the design?”

Hermès presented the dress design Jane had chosen. Cain examined the dress design with a serious face.

Hermès’s whole body tensed up. He who had never been nervous meeting any noble lady before. That’s how confident he was in his designs.

But standing before Cain, he strangely felt nervous. It felt like he had gone back in time and was standing before his master.

That was because of the rumors about Cain’s aesthetic sense.

This was what a designer friend who had already made a name for himself told Hermès when he had just opened his own atelier under his name.

He had forgotten about it since then. He thought he wouldn’t have a chance to be evaluated by Cain because he only made women’s clothes.

How surprised he was when he received a letter stamped with the Hastings family crest yesterday.

And now, how nervous he was to be evaluated by ‘the’ Cain.

Cain probably wouldn’t know.

Cain’s silence lengthened. Hermès felt like his mouth was drying up. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he asked first.

“Is the design not to your liking?”

“It’s excellent.”

It was praise without unnecessary words, but Hermès’s heart sank. It was because of the terribly indifferent tone.

He hadn’t moved Cain’s heart.

Hermès was disappointed. But it wasn’t over. Cain gave him a chance to make up for it.

“But are there no other designs?”

“There are.”

Hermès handed over the designs that Jane had rejected. There were four in total.

This time, Cain, who had been looking at them laid out on the table, immediately picked one.

It was a design that covered the neckline and collarbone completely but was form-fitting, showing the body’s entire silhouette.

It was a design that Hermès had recommended because Jane’s figure was so good, but most young ladies disliked this outfit.

Because even a slightly protruding belly would show.

“This one would be good.”

“It’s red, is that alright?”

“Is there a problem with red?”

“The young lady didn’t want to stand out.”

That’s how it seemed to Hermès. Cain looked at Hermès for a moment, then picked two more designs.

“Bring all the dresses I just chose.”

The purple dress that Jane had chosen was eliminated. Hermès was about to suggest that he prepare the dress he had chosen, but he closed his mouth.

He was just a designer. He works for the person who pays. He was acutely aware that Cain was paying for his dresses.

“I’ll prepare them right away and bring them.”

Hermès left. And not long after, Luke entered.

“She bought one ruby set.”

“That’s all?”

Cain’s brow furrowed as soon as he heard Luke’s report.

“The price?”

After hearing Luke’s explanation, Cain let out a sarcastic laugh. Even women who spread false rumors about spending a night with him demanded much more expensive gifts. But Jane.

‘Is she modest, or just stingy?’

Whatever it was, it didn’t suit the Hastings family. Did Jane misunderstand Cain’s instruction to shed her provincial look as just going through the motions?

He meant for her to prepare everything like a Hastings person.

“Bring the jewels you showed Jane.”

Luke excitedly opened the boxes, and Cain indifferently pointed at the boxes.

One diamond set, one emerald set, one pearl set.

“Leave them in Jane’s room.”

“Yes, understood!”

It was similar afterward. For shoes, gloves, bags, the perfume she would use, and the shawl she would wear lightly, Cain made additional purchases of at least three to as many as five items.

The faces of the merchants, which had shown disappointment when leaving Jane’s room, now bloomed with flowers.

* * *

“What is all this?”

Jane was shocked to see the boxes being delivered to her room one after another.

“These are items for you to use, miss.”

Even with the servant’s answer, Jane’s eyes still showed a puzzled look.

“Where did these items come from?”

“You purchased them.”

“I never bought these. Did the merchants leave them behind? If so, please call them back immediately. If they’ve already left, send everything back to their shops.”

“That would be difficult, miss.”

“Why would it be difficult?”

The servant rolled his eyes, not knowing how to answer.

He had received orders from Nathan to move these boxes to Jane’s room.

As he was just a porter, it was beyond his authority to take the gifts back to Cain’s office or to call for the guests.

“Tell me. Why are these items here?”

Jane’s voice was gentle. The servant thought he should at least relay what Nathan had told him. However, he didn’t need to answer.

“I sent them.”

Cain had come to see Jane.

“Good job. You may go now.”

At Cain’s order, the servant’s face brightened. The servant pushed the last gift box into Jane’s room and quickly disappeared.

After seeing the servant disappear around the corridor corner, Jane looked up at Cain.

“All these items, from you?”

“Yes.”

Jane’s eyes widened.