Kays Translations

Chapter 276: Hidden Power

The weather was a little warmer today, making it perfect for an outing. As the day wore on, more and more people filled the main street.

After lunch, we would finally visit one of the day's main destinations: the jewellery shop. Should we go there first or save it for last? Since I wanted Lady Fabienne to take her time choosing, going there first seemed best.

"Lady Fabienne, after we finish our meal, I was thinking of visiting the jewellery shop. Is there anywhere else you would like to go first?"

"N-no, I am happy to follow your plan, Lord Julius."

Lady Fabienne blushed faintly and lowered her gaze. Receiving jewellery must be something special for a young lady. I could not afford to disappoint her, so I needed to watch her reactions carefully.

After finishing dessert and resting for a while, we headed to the jewellery shop.

Sister-in-law Daniela had recommended the shop. It was a famous establishment from the royal capital that had recently opened a branch in the territorial capital. Apparently, everyone in the royal capital knew its name. Naturally, I had never heard of it.

Beyond the brand-new metal door, a glittering world awaited.

The shop was not especially large, but the many mirrors lining its walls made it feel spacious. Looking around, Lady Fabienne and I appeared to be the only children there.

I felt slightly out of place, but a gentleman needed courage. I put on my calmest expression.

"This is my first visit, but I have heard that it is a famous shop in the royal capital."

"As expected of Lady Fabienne. You already knew about it."

I pretended that I had known as well. Brother Alex had warned me that appearing completely uninterested in jewellery would leave a poor impression, so I had to be careful.

"If you see something you like, please don’t hesitate to let me know."

"Yes, I understand."

Her answer was rather reserved. Noticing her hesitation, I glanced at the prices. Were they expensive? I rarely paid attention to jewellery, so I could not tell. I only knew that most pieces cost more than the magic tools sold nearby.

We browsed necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets and hair ornaments. The adult customers watched us with amused expressions.

Maybe they thought we were just browsing? But I’m serious about buying something.

As we talked and examined the display cases, Lady Fabienne stopped before the rings. I followed her gaze and found a matched pair engraved with unfamiliar characters.

She wants matching rings for the two of us? Understood.

"May we see that pair of rings?"

"Huh? Y-yes, of course."

Lady Fabienne looked flustered, perhaps because she had not expected me to notice. The sight stirred my protective instincts, and I asked the clerk to bring out the rings.

The two gold rings rested on dark-blue velvet. A shallow groove ran around the centre of each band, filled with an unfamiliar inscription.

"What an unusual pattern."

"The inscriptions reproduce characters discovered in ancient ruins. Each ring is engraved by one of our artisans, so they cannot be mass-produced."

The clerk subtly emphasised their rarity. Their price was moderate because neither ring contained a gemstone.

The ancient characters did not appear to have any special effect. If they had, the clerk would surely have mentioned it.

As I examined the rings, an idea struck me. If I added tracking and communication functions, they would be invaluable if Lady Fabienne were ever in danger. Constantly knowing her location might make me seem possessive, but her safety mattered more than appearances.

The existing ancient script provided the perfect excuse. If the functions were ever discovered, I could blame everything on the mysterious characters. Lady Fabienne already liked the rings, which made the plan even better.

"Shall we try them on?"

"Yes, let’s."

The bands were not completely closed, allowing their size to be adjusted. That was probably one reason Lady Fabienne had chosen them.

She must have wanted rings that would still fit as our fingers grew. These would not become useless in a few years.

We slipped the rings onto each other's ring fingers and held up our hands.

"Yes, they look very nice."

"Hehe. We match."

She looked delighted, just as she had when I gave her the matching necklace. I had to buy them. They were reasonably priced, not too ostentatious, and could be improved with a few additional functions. Perfect.

"I will buy this pair – one for each of us."

"Is that really okay?"

Lady Fabienne's face lit up. That was exactly the expression I had hoped to see. I gave her my warmest smile and answered in what I hoped was a composed, gentlemanly voice.

"Of course."

"Thank you very much for your purchase!"

The clerk looked thoroughly pleased. I signalled Nero to handle the payment. The rings now belonged to us, but I still needed to add their hidden functions. Taking Lady Fabienne's ring from her without explanation would be difficult, so I needed another approach.

Careful not to attract attention, I used the existing inscription to add tracking and communication functions to the ring on my finger. It glowed faintly, but no one appeared to notice.

"Lady Fabienne, um… would you mind exchanging rings with me? That way, well…"

"O-of course!"

Blushing, Lady Fabienne held out her ring. Silently apologising for using her feelings as part of my plan, I slipped the enchanted ring onto her finger.

Mission accomplished. I only needed to add the same functions to the ring now in my hand.

Nero returned after completing the payment, and we left the shop.

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