The scene before the two after a five-minute walk was a bustling street filled with people.
Big and small shops displayed their crafted items, and passersby inspected them with intrigued expressions.
“This is… Artisan Street, right?” Leje said, noticing the scenery before her.
They were currently in the workshop district of Lagrandria, a place known for being a street for artisans and craftsmen.
“Why are we here all of a sudden? Are you planning to buy something?”
“Well… yes.”
Rudell nodded at her curious tone. What he intended to buy was a gift for Leje.
He’d already given her a small token gift for politeness, but that was just a little something. He had a real gift for her.
“Hmm… I guess it doesn’t matter.”
At his reply, Leje squinted before looking around with curious eyes.
“Isn’t it fascinating?”
“Yeah. I’ve only heard about it, but it’s my first time here.”
When you think about it, it’s natural. How often would a duchess like her come to a place like this?
High-ranking nobles like her often dealt directly with merchants and could get anything they wanted with just a word.
So, such opportunities were rare for her.
“Rudell. What’s that?”
Just then, noticing something interesting, Leje’s eyes sparkled as she asked.
“That? That’s a pottery kiln.”
At a shop not too far away, flames leaped from a large kiln, and a shirtless man continuously tossed logs into it.
The heat was so intense that even Rudell and Leje felt warm watching.
“Oh… So that’s how pottery is made? That looks really hot.”
“That’s why they have to go through such a process to make proper pottery. What seems simple at first is nothing but easy once you dive deeper.”
“Hmm… I see.”
Leje gasped in admiration at his explanation, then turned her gaze to another shop, moving her feet as though she found something interesting.
Rudell followed her, and this time she arrived at a place that seemed similar to the pottery workshop but was different.
“Is this a pottery workshop too?”
“This looks like a glass workshop.”
The difference from the pottery workshop was the large pile of sand next to the kiln and craftsmen pulling molten glass from the furnace with iron rods.
“A glass workshop? Do they make glass from this sand?”
“Exactly. They melt the tiny glass fragments in the sand and extract them to make glass.”
“Oh wow… I guess I don’t know much since I’ve just read books every day.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
Growing up in the world of nobility, it was only natural that Leje was oblivious to such things.
Seeing her eyes sparkling with curiosity at even mundane things made Rudell chuckle quietly.
After wandering around the displays of the workshop for a while, the two began to move again.
“There are so many interesting things here. I never knew such a place existed.”
“Most nobles rarely come out in person.”
“I don’t think it’s bad to come out like this every once in a while. Thanks to you, I’m discovering places like this.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
In the original story, there had been parts where she briefly revealed her true personality while interacting with various people and items here.
Rudell felt a bit worried that Leje might not like it because subtle changes from the original had already occurred, but seeing her reaction, it seemed there was no need to worry.
Thus, the two passed through the bustling streets filled with many people and ventured deeper into Artisan Street…
“We’ve arrived. Here we are.”
“What is this place?”
“You’ll find out when you go in.”
With that, Rudell smiled at Leje as they headed into the shop.
What greeted their eyes was a display filled with all sorts of knickknacks.
“Hmm… Nothing special here. What are you planning to buy?”
“It’s a secret.”
Rudell answered her question and began scanning the shop filled with displays.
“Let’s see… I’m sure it was somewhere around here…”
“If you’re searching that hard, it must be something special?”
“Could be, or maybe not.”
From a general perspective, what he was looking for didn’t seem all that special.
But in a personal sense, the value of an item is determined by its meaning and story.
In that sense, what he was seeking was special while simultaneously being nothing at all.
After wandering for a moment in search of that item…
“Ah, found it.”
“Huh? This is just a regular hairpin.”
As Rudell stopped walking, Leje remarked as such.
What was on the display was an ordinary blue hairpin, to put it simply.
“Right. And it’s what I was looking for.”
Rudell replied to her surprise and picked up the hairpin from the display.
And…
“Leje, hold still for a moment.”
“Huh? What are you trying to do…!?”
Rudell approached Leje, who had a confused expression, and gently reached out his hand.
Though flustered, Leje didn’t reject his touch, and as he fumbled with her hair for a moment, he pinned the hairpin into the side of her hair.
“Looks good on you.”
Stepping back a bit, Rudell nodded, satisfied as he looked at Leje.
The blue hairpin neither stood out too much nor faded into the background—it naturally matched her cerulean and white hair.
In the original story too, when the protagonist gifted her this hairpin, it was noted how well it suited her, and Rudell also thought the blue hairpin was perfect for her.
“W-what are you saying, you fool!”
“Excuse me, can I get one of these?”
“Yes~!! Please wait a moment!”
At his words, Leje shouted in surprise, but Rudell neatly ignored her and called over a nearby shop assistant.
Handing one silver coin to the cheerful shop assistant and calculating the change, Rudell turned to Leje.
“This is a coming-of-age gift from me. Do you like it?”
“Why are you saying this all of a sudden?! It’s not that I don’t like it, but… it’s just so sudden!”
Leje grumbled as she seemed to like the hairpin, checking her reflection in a mirror.
Just as Rudell had said, the blue hairpin suited her quite well in Leje’s own view.
“Sorry. I thought it would be dull if I told you what it was.”
“Ugh…”
As Rudell apologized while watching that scene, Leje turned her head sharply with a low groan.
“You’re lucky this time, but don’t expect it next time!”
“Yes~ yes~ as if that would happen.”
She must have been commenting on being brought here without any proper hint, but to avoid ruining the mood, Rudell just nodded suitably.
Thus, the two stepped out of the general store…
“So? Do you feel a bit better?”
“There’s nothing to feel better about; I was never really that emotional.”
“I bet.”
Did such a person really wear such a serious face?
Rudell thought but didn’t say it out loud.
Leje’s punch was strong enough to take that question back.
“Alright~ Now that we’re done here, I guess we should head back?”
The sky had turned red.
If they waited too long to go back, Alma’s disapproval would surely rain down on them.
Stretching his body lightly, Rudell started walking when suddenly…
“Hey, Rudell…”
“Yeah? What is it?”
Turning to the voice calling for him, Rudell saw Leje looking hesitant, unable to continue her words.
“Leje?”
“Th-that is, um…”
What is she trying to say that she’s hesitating so much?
With that thought, Rudell watched her.
After a short pause of about ten seconds…
“Thank you for today.”
“Huh? For what?”
“For everything today. You’ve cared for me, after all.”
“You don’t need to thank me. We’re friends, right?”
A friend is someone who helps and supports each other at any time, isn’t it?
Even if that’s not the case, Rudell had some responsibility in this situation, so there was no reason for Leje to feel thankful towards him.
“…”
“Leje?”
Seeing him reply without a moment of hesitation, did she feel something?
As Rudell looked at Leje, who stood there dazed…
“You’re truly the best friend.”
After a moment, with a soft smile, Leje reached out her hand to Rudell.
“So please escort me home?”
“Of course, my lady.”
Rudell chuckled softly at her words as he took Leje’s hand.
And so, they walked out into the bustling street together.
