“Gururururururururururururu……”
Having finished my daily collection of Hydra Poison Glands in the basement of the Baumgarten Residence in the Royal Capital, I came to the room where cursed items were stored like a mountain.
As expected, gathering this many cursed items is quite a sight. A faint miasma even hangs in the air.
“Well then, shall I begin?”
I picked up a cursed knife that was lying around. I intended to start dispelling the curses from these items.
It’s because my Gift, which I thought had hit its limit, evolved into Great Sage. I can nurture my Gift again. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of power I’ll gain from it.
As I silently worked on dispelling the curses from the items, I found a ring. Of course, it was a cursed ring.
“Come to think of it, this country doesn’t have the custom of engagement rings or wedding rings, does it?”
That’s right. This country has no custom of exchanging rings during engagement or marriage. It was the same in the game, but the custom of giving rings would be born after the protagonist eventually gave a ring to the heroine he “conquered.”
I can’t let my guard down yet, but if things continue like this, Reinhardt will probably conquer Bianca. The protagonist gives the heroine a ring before the final battle with the Evil God.
After that, the custom of giving wedding rings is born to honor the hero who saved the world.
I’ll probably end up giving wedding rings to Cornelia and the others too.
“But if I do that, it would be a pity for Dora and Clau to not have wedding rings… Well, there’s no need to wait for the protagonist’s event, I suppose. I’ll give Dora a ring soon, and I’ll give Clau a ring when she gets married too.”
Falling behind on trends is unforgivable for high-ranking nobles, after all. In that case, I might as well get on board from the start.
I looked at the ring in my hand.
It was a cheap-looking silver make. I can’t possibly give this. Or rather, as expected, unless it’s something extremely exquisite, it’s proper etiquette to give a new one.
“But I don’t know any shops that sell women’s accessories, do I? Well, if I ask Benno, there shouldn’t be a problem. However, if I summon him to the house, Dora will find out I’m giving her a ring. I guess I’ll go to the shop myself.”
It seems nobles usually summon merchants to their homes, but this time I want to give it as a surprise.
“But if I give Dora a ring, Ria and Lily will probably want one too, huh? Should I give them stuffed animals? Or would accessories other than rings be better?”
I know Cornelia’s and Lily’s food preferences, but I have no idea about their preferences in accessories. That said, always giving stuffed animals is also getting repetitive.
“Accessories other than rings… I’ll go with necklaces. When I saw them in dresses before, their necklines looked a little bare.”
I hope everyone likes them…
“Strike while the iron is hot. Klaus!”
“Yes, Master.”
“Call Benno for me. I want to see him this afternoon.”
“Understood.”
Until Benno arrives, I guess I’ll work on dispelling curses from items.
I dispelled the curse on the ring in my hand in an instant and reached for the next item.
◇
In the time I hadn’t seen Benno, he had fully launched a poultry farm and succeeded in stably supplying eggs. Then, using the wealth gained from Mayonnaise as a foundation, he even managed to secure a supply route for pepper.
And what he started selling were Tartar Sauce and egg sauce for sandwiches. Their rich and luxurious taste was well-received by nobles and wealthy individuals, and apparently, both are selling like hotcakes.
And yet, he’s still managed to maintain his monopoly on the Mayonnaise recipe; Benno is quite shrewd. Thanks to that, the ten percent of profits paid to me is also steadily increasing. Perhaps Benno feels indebted to me, as he sometimes sends me various things besides money.
Well, it’s probably his way of saying, “Please don’t leak the Mayonnaise recipe to anyone else.”
I asked Benno, who had quickly become a top-class merchant even in the Royal Capital, for recommendations on accessory shops. I actually went to a store, and while listening to the shop assistant, I chose gifts for Cassandra, Cornelia, and Lily.
“Dora, I have something to talk to you about.”
“What is it?”
“Not here… Shall we go to the bedroom?”
Upon returning to the residence, I called Cassandra to our bedroom.
“What is it, Dee? Don’t tell me, you couldn’t hold back again…?”
“That’s not it. Today, I have something I want you to accept, Dora.”
“Something you want me to accept?”
I took out a small, velvet-adorned box.
“I want you to accept this.”
“Oh my! A ring! But why a ring, all of a sudden?”
“Ah… Well, it’s been quite some time, but I heard about an old custom where people exchange rings when they marry. So…”
“And that’s why you’re giving me a ring… I’m so happy!”
“Whoa there.”
It’s rare for Cassandra to hug me like this. Was she that happy?
“However, if it’s an exchange, then I must also give one to you, Dee.”
“No, it’s fine. I just wanted to give it to you, Dora, as a pledge of my love.”
“Ufufu. No, I shall give you one as well. A pledge of my love for you, Dee.”
By the way…
“Oh? The ring is too loose.”
“Ah…”
Actually, I was in a bind when the shop assistant asked me for my wife’s ring size. I asked for an average size, but it seems it was too big for Cassandra. Cassandra’s hands are long but slender.
“Should I get it resized…?”
“Yes, let’s. At that time, I shall also give you your ring, Dee.”