Chapter 55
“……?”
He still didn’t look at her, silently listening only to the words of his master.
At first, Autumn thought he wasn’t speaking to her at all because he was staring so far ahead.
But no matter how she thought about it, there was no one else he could be talking to.
“Were you talking to me just now?”
Even if Herson ordered him to, Autumn never thought he would ever personally give a gift because of his personality.
At that moment, Autumn noticed Randel’s ears, slightly flushed.
‘So he is embarrassed after all.’
“If it’s not you, who else would I tell?”
The item he chose was obviously the most expensive-looking pair of ruby earrings in the store, adorned with elaborate craftsmanship.
He muttered absentmindedly,
“I thought you might like it if I gave it to you.”
“No, if you’re going to give me a gift, just give it. If not, don’t. Why ask?”
Autumn, suddenly embarrassed, muttered under her breath.
But then she thought,
‘So he’s planning to buy something similar to what he gave Kate and give it to me?’
“…And that question… are you asking if I like it?”
Autumn deliberately spoke exaggeratedly, giving him a slightly sulky look.
“Yes, I like it. I’ve never been picky about gemstones.”
“Oh, of course! Are there even women in this world who refuse gemstones?”
The shop assistant, who had been listening from behind, joined in.
“Exactly. In this situation, the gentleman should buy it first and then casually present it as if he just happened to pick it up.”
But he still said something unexpected.
“…I mean, will you like me for giving it?”
“Huh?”
Everyone in the store was left speechless.
Their faces showed disbelief, thinking, ‘Did that really just come out of that big guy?’
But Randel seemed completely unaware of what he had just said.
He turned the earrings handed by the store owner in his large hands, examining them from every angle.
The large gemstones that once seemed so big now looked tiny and even cute in his hands.
“Uhh-huh, just perfect.”
The first to recover from the shock was the shop owner.
He quickly gestured to his employee, subtly signaling them to act accordingly.
“Ahaha—looks like we have a new customer! Welcome!”
Autumn’s face flushed red under the bonnet at everyone’s reactions.
“Then… I’ll just take this one.”
However, Autumn grabbed Randel’s clothing and whispered softly.
“For your information, I can’t wear this right now. It’s too flashy.”
Technically, she could wear it if she wanted to.
After all, Rosalinne Kiss’s concept was never to care about what others thought.
‘…But somehow, the way Kate wore it bothers me a little.’
Autumn pointed at her outfit, which she had deliberately darkened.
Only then did Randel seem to realize that she was currently a widow.
“Oh.”
He had picked it simply because it looked good.
That was Randel’s thought he couldn’t voice aloud.
“I’ll look at some other pieces too.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Autumn let go of the large ruby earrings. Though her shoulders drooped slightly, the shop owner began enthusiastically introducing other items.
Autumn carefully scanned the jewelry in the store.
“Now, regarding a necklace crafted with emeralds and sapphires…”
But what caught her eye wasn’t that—it was a simple pair of pearl earrings, the kind she had seen once even in the countryside.
‘How much would something like this cost?’
Autumn picked up the pearl earrings, which the shop owner didn’t even bother to explain.
“…….”
The bracelets and necklaces that Rosalinne had received as gifts were still piled in a corner of the Bethes warehouse.
Occasionally, traveling merchants from the capital would bring such pretty, sparkling items to Autumn’s village.
When Autumn saw something beautiful, she wanted it and wanted to adorn herself, but she always saved her money to buy another script or to use on her next trip to the capital.
Autumn chuckled quietly.
‘If that was the case, I could’ve bought at least one back then.’
Looking back, spending all her money that way, it wasn’t surprising she had little sense of fashion or jewelry.
Still lingering on that old regret, Autumn kept hovering near the pearl earrings.
Randel, noticing her gaze, picked them up and asked her directly.
“Wouldn’t it be fine to try these on now?”
The shop assistant glanced at both Autumn and Randel.
“Oh—of course. You were planning to give these to your significant other immediately.”
Judging from the lack of a ring on her fourth finger, he assumed they weren’t married yet.
“It’s best to start with something light as a gift.”
Autumn was flustered at the assumption that she was his girlfriend.
“I’m not… a girlfriend.”
“Right. A couple, then.”
But Randel interrupted her.
He linked arms with her, reminding her of her plan to appear as a loving couple in public today.
“Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, I’ll accept it properly.”
“Since you’re not wearing any jewelry now, I’ll help you put it on.”
“No, I’ll do it myself. Where’s the mirror?”
She didn’t want the shop assistant to see her face.
Autumn tried the earrings on by herself.
Meanwhile, Randel told the shop owner,
“Just give that one as well.”
“You mean the ruby earrings?”
“Shh.”
“Excellent choice, sir!”
The shop owner, smiling like nothing had happened, wrapped the earrings beautifully.
The packaged earrings soon disappeared into Randel’s arms.
“All done.”
Just then, Autumn came out of the fitting room.
“Hmm, usually I wouldn’t do this, but since it’s sold here, I’m making an exception.”
—jingle
After paying, they continued walking along the street.
“It suits you very well.”
“You won’t see it much, though.”
“I can see it.”
They talked about trivial things, like the shops they passed.
“Hmm—I like those flowers.”
“Roses?”
“No, those damn roses. Ever since I came to the capital, I keep getting roses as gifts and got tired of them.”
“Then, which flowers… do you like?”
“Orange gerberas.”
Autumn quickly pointed to the most flamboyant orange flowers in the shop.
“They were my late mother’s favorite.”
“Oh, sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, my father said it. He said her eyes looked just like these flowers.”
The women of the Rosewood family usually had similar eyes and hair color.
Though she couldn’t remember clearly, Autumn assumed she would have a similar aura.
She buried her face in a bouquet, inhaling its scent.
Despite their large, flamboyant appearance, the flowers’ fragrance was subtle and pleasantly lingered around her.
“It almost feels like my mother is here whenever I see them, since they’re so common around.”
“…You really resemble her.”
Randel said this.
‘Oops, that was a mistake.’
Autumn’s actual aunt, Mrs. Bennett, Rosalinne’s late mother, had soft brown eyes, unlike her own mother.
But Randel brought the flowers close to her face and teasingly remarked alternately,
“Your mother must have been quite beautiful as well.”
“…I won’t fall for that anymore.”
She had learned to shrug off such small jokes.
“Who knows how many others have said the same thing?”
These simple conversations, bringing them closer, continued.
Yet the more Autumn shared such ordinary stories, the more Randel felt something was off.
“This can’t be….”
“What do you mean?”
He was astonished by the unexpected revelations he had learned today.
