IBVC 15

Chapter 15

The first thing she did was close the lid of the jewelry box containing the ruby accessories.
Rubies, for Eloise—who was clearly a summer cool tone?

“Rubies weren’t right, were they? I guess my greed was too obvious.”
“Meow.”

After that, while chatting one-sidedly with Lady Christie, I reduced the jewelry one by one.
Once the tacky pieces and over-designed ones were taken out, only seven remained on the table.

“You truly have an excellent eye! As expected from a cat of the Monclair Ducal family!”
“Meow.”

“What about this parure?” Lady Christie presented an emerald jewelry set—necklace, ring, earrings, and bracelet. The deep green brought to mind someone’s eyes.

That damn crown prince.

Clack!

The thought of him made anger flare, and before I knew it, I slammed the jewelry box shut. Lady Christie, looking dejected, muttered that it had been one of her proudest pieces. Instead, I flicked my gaze toward the sapphire set beside it.

“Meow.”

“Of course! That’s the one I wanted to recommend as well! Though the bracelet is missing, this parure, with twenty-three sapphires and dozens of diamonds, is the pride of our store!”

The sight of thumb-sized sapphires surrounded by sparkling diamonds was enough to entrance even a cat.
That deep, ocean-like blue reminded me of Marcel.

For Eloise, sapphires suited her far better than emeralds.

“Meow~.”
“Then I’ll have this one wrapped up.”

After picking my favorite, I lingered near the remaining jewels, hesitant. A soft pink diamond would suit her too. Or perhaps a simple but large diamond to catch everyone’s eye. What would be best?

“Meoww.”
“Which one will you choose next?”

I alternated my gaze between Eloise and the jewels, troubled. Every single one suited her so well that I didn’t want to give up on any of them. The sapphire was the most beautiful, of course, but still…

As Eloise watched my banter with Lady Christie, she set down her teacup.

“Lady Christie. I’ll purchase all the rest.”
“Yes, my lady!”

The sapphire set alone must cost a fortune, yet she didn’t even ask the price and bought everything. This wasn’t because Lady Christie was a shrewd merchant—Eloise was simply a VVVIP. Truly, the class of a great mage’s family was on another level.

“And, the same design can be made into a necklace for Lizette as well, yes?”
“Of course! I’ll prepare it in teal emeralds first, so you can wear it at the imperial tea party.”
“No, sapphire would be better. Lizette seems to like it most.”

Lady Christie smiled meaningfully.
If she wore teal emeralds, she could have crushed the crown prince’s pride flat. What a shame.
Yet she chose sapphire because I liked it… To think the original “villainess” would do such a thing.

“Thanks to Lizette, the Monclair fortune will be safe.”
“Meow?”

Not understanding her meaning, I tilted my head. Lady Christie placed more cookies before me with a gentle smile.

“Normally, the young lady wouldn’t even think about choosing—she’d just buy them all.”
“Meow.”

I stared wide-eyed at Eloise, but she calmly sipped her tea.

“Oh, by the way, my lady. Did you hear that Madame August is making capes exclusively for cats?”
“Is that so? Still, I’m touched by Lady Christie’s friendship.”
“You know I’m not just saying that because she’s my friend.”

Flustered after trying to advertise her friend’s shop as well and being brushed off, Lady Christie scratched her cheek.

“It’s been a while since I saw Madame August. Stopping by for tea should be fine.”
“Thank you.”

After finishing the extravagant shopping spree, we stepped outside. The last jewelry box was being loaded into the carriage. Sophie, checking the purchase list, hurried over, worried.

“My lady, were none to your liking? You took longer than usual, so I was hopeful.”
“Lizette chose today.”
“Miss Lizette did?”
“Meow.”

Nestled in Eloise’s arms, I let out a satisfied mewl. Sophie’s face blossomed into a warm smile.

“I’m glad you had a pleasant time. Will you be returning to the manor now?”
“No. Let’s head to August’s boutique.”
“Yes!”

Sophie was so happy that Eloise was finally enjoying a stroll in town again that she couldn’t stop smiling. My tail swayed cheerfully as well.

Until now, I had only seen the palace and the manor, so watching the romantic fantasy world outside the window was fascinating. It was like something out of a webtoon or drama.

Before long, we stepped down from the carriage, where a warm-looking woman greeted us.

“Welcome, my lady!”
“It’s been a while, Madame August.”
“Please, come inside.”

Following her in, I found the shop filled with colorful fabrics and beautifully designed dresses. Eloise didn’t look at the displayed dresses but turned instead toward a shelf lined with white lace.

“My lady, shall I bring tea?”
“I’ve already had some at Lady Christie’s.”
“Then I must show you this first!”

Madame August pulled out a tiny lace cape from the bottom drawer of the shelf.
Sky-blue lace, decorated with delicate flowers and vines—yet barely the size of two hands put together. Clearly not for Eloise.

“I didn’t know you kept a cat, my lady. I hope this pleases you.”
“I’m only looking after it for now.”
“I see. Would you like to try it on?”
“Yes.”

She approached me as I lay in Eloise’s arms. With careful hands, she draped the soft lace around my neck. It was so light I barely felt it.

“How angelic you look! Let me fetch a mirror.”

A white cat gazed back at me. I had grown quite a bit since first arriving at the palace. The lace cape blended with my fur, making it look like I was wearing a dress.

“It suits you so well—it seems made just for you.”
“Lizette seems to like it too.”
“Meow!”

Seeing both our positive reactions, Madame August eagerly spread out more laces across the shelf.

“There are plenty more that would suit Miss Cat perfectly.”
“Hmm…”

Eloise furrowed her brow again. At this rate, every single piece of lace might end up around my neck. I quickly batted at the one I liked most.

“Ah, so Lizette prefers this one.”
“My, she can even express her preferences! How clever.”

Subtly, Madame August placed more lace in front of my paw. I pressed down on a few more I liked.

“Make them with what Lizette chose.”
“Yes! I also have fabrics that pair beautifully with lace—would you like to see?”
“If possible, I’d like them to match Lizette’s style.”

This time she spread out fabrics, and Eloise placed me among them.

“Go ahead, pick what you like.”

It seemed Eloise had grown fond of watching me “choose.” Carefully, I picked several that would suit her well. Once again, Eloise bought them all.

“I’ll send everything to House Monclair on the appointed date.”
“Good.”

“Oh, and if you’re planning a playroom for Miss Lizette, I could recommend a skilled craftsman.”
“I’ll think about it.”

With that, Eloise left the boutique.
It had been a rewarding shopping trip. Shopping with someone else’s money was always the most fun.

After paying, Sophie’s face glowed with joy.

“With these, you’ll shine not only at the imperial tea party but also at next month’s banquet!”

Next month’s banquet? Not even a year away? The extravagance of nobles, really. Then again, the Monclair family was overflowing with wealth.

Snug in Eloise’s arms, my tail swished happily.

For the first time in my nine lives, I returned from such a long outing—only to find the Duchess waiting at the manor gates.

“We’re back.”