“Hm?”
Seeing the puzzled look on his younger sister's face, Ante let out a faint chuckle.
“Our Lina came to see her big brother first. That's a pretty big deal.”
Leaning casually against his desk, he whispered,
“I'm happy.”
A lazy smile spread across his face.
The sunlight streaming through the window made his silver hair shimmer beautifully.
His golden eyes, perfectly complemented by his fair skin, were more than enough to capture anyone's attention.
Watching the warm smile in his eyes—warmer even than the sunlight filling the room—Angelina was once again reminded of just how incredibly handsome her brother was.
It wasn't easy to look at the same face every day and still think, He's so handsome.
Yet Ante's appearance was simply that extraordinary.
“Someone hearing you would think I never come to see you.”
Feeling guilty that something so trivial could make him smile so brightly, Angelina grumbled.
But after saying it, she realized she couldn't even remember the last time she'd actually come looking for him.
There had never been a reason to. They had dinner together three or four times a week without fail, and Ante often dropped by her room whenever he had time.
They saw each other frequently.
Still, she realized it had been a long time since she had personally come to visit him.
Embarrassed, Angelina let out an awkward cough.
As though he knew exactly what she was thinking, Ante kept his gentle smile and asked kindly,
“So then, Lina. What brought you here?”
He even reached out and gently held her hand.
“Ah... it's nothing serious...”
Remembering why she had come, the embarrassment melted away.
A lovely smile bloomed on her face.
It was the pure smile of capitalism—a smile that appeared naturally at the thought of spending money.
Seeing such an innocent smile from his younger sister for the first time in ages, Ante's eyes widened.
Then Angelina spoke in an equally cheerful voice.
“Can you give me some spending money?”
Coming from Angelina—who had almost never asked for anything while growing up—it was hard to believe those words had actually left her mouth.
And she wasn't finished.
Cheerfully, she added,
“A lot.”
The confusion in Ante's eyes was quickly replaced with delight and pride.
Angelina tapped the front of her chest with a satisfied smile.
The blank check tucked inside her clothes felt more reassuring than a hundred knights.
Honestly, my brother really is generous.
The moment she'd asked for spending money, he hadn't even questioned her reason.
Instead, he had simply taken out an entire book of blank checks and handed it to her.
"This is just so our Lina can enjoy the feeling of spending money. Wherever you go, whatever you buy, just have them send the bill to the Marquis's estate."
It was only then that Angelina realized that, as the daughter of a marquis, she didn't actually need to carry cash whenever she spent money.
Whenever she needed anything, merchants were always invited to the estate for private shopping, so she'd never known otherwise.
So this is what it feels like to be rich.
She was a member of the enormously wealthy House Flobert, yet she'd never once thought about enjoying that privilege.
I always assumed I'd have plenty of time to enjoy it later.
If she hadn't learned she was terminally ill, she probably would have continued living with that same mindset.
Now then...
Angelina slowly looked around.
She had come to the center of the city to fulfill the first item on her bucket list.
The Marquis's territory was a lively place.
While it wasn't as large as the imperial capital, it was still a sizeable city.
A massive harbor occupied one side of the city, making it obvious at a glance that trade was its primary source of wealth.
Ships brought not only merchandise but also people from distant lands, along with their cultures and art.
With such a wide variety of goods changing hands, it was the perfect place to spend money recklessly.
“Hmm.”
After wandering around for quite some time, however, Angelina realized one very important thing.
...So how exactly do you waste money?
Just as people who eat meat often know how to enjoy it best...
Angelina, who had never spent more money than necessary in her entire life, had absolutely no idea how to splurge.
Should I cash this blank check into coins and throw them around?
No... that wasn't splurging.
That was just plain wasteful.
Then should I simply buy everything that catches my eye?
The problem was...
Nothing caught her eye.
Angelina had been born with very little attachment to worldly desires.
To spend money recklessly, she'd first have to want lots of things.
But she didn't.
Besides, anything she actually needed was already provided by the Marquis's household.
Standing in the middle of the plaza, staring at the coins glittering inside the Wishing Fountain, she pondered for a long time before finally deciding to ask for help.
“Laura.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Laura, who had quietly followed Angelina all over the city without asking where they were going, answered calmly.
“Is there anything you want?”
“Nothing in particular.”
“...I see.”
She had forgotten.
Laura was just as detached from material possessions as she was.
Since Laura was no help whatsoever, Angelina turned to the guard standing beside her.
“Hallie. If you suddenly came into a large fortune, what would you want?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Hallie's round eyes grew even wider.
“A large fortune? Something I'd want?”
Having only served Angelina for a few months, Hallie fell into deep thought.
Since this was the first thing her mistress had ever asked of her, she wanted to answer properly.
“I think... I'd like to buy expensive clothes and jewelry that I've never been able to afford.”
She answered honestly.
“With my current salary, I can already pay my rent and save money, so I'd probably want to indulge in luxuries I've never experienced!”
As Hallie said this enthusiastically, Angelina noticed the slightly frayed cuff of her sleeve.
“That's a good idea.”
Nodding to herself, Angelina started walking.
Her destination was none other than one of the city's most popular clothing stores.
“Would a place like this be enough?”
“This shop is very popular among commoners like us, but... wouldn't it be a little beneath you, Miss?”
Because Ante insisted that everything Angelina owned had to be of the highest quality, all of her clothes had always been custom-made by famous designers.
As far as Hallie was concerned, ready-made clothing simply didn't suit her mistress.
Ignoring her concern, Angelina wore an expression that suggested this shop was exactly what she had in mind.
She called over a clerk.
“What are your newest arrivals?”
“Everything hanging on this rack is from our latest collection.”
The shop owner had immediately sensed that the newly arrived customer was wealthy and greeted her with the brightest business smile imaginable.
“Is that all?”
“Yes. These dresses are this season's newest designs, and the shoes are displayed just below them. We also have these matching handbags and scarves.”
The owner's beaming smile pleased Angelina immensely.
Casually, she said,
“I'll take all of them. And if there are matching accessories, include those too.”
“Oh my!”
She had known the customer was wealthy...
But she hadn't expected someone this decisive.
“Certainly! And what sizes should I prepare for the dresses and shoes?”
The owner barely managed to contain her excitement.
Angelina turned toward Hallie, whose eyes were still wide with shock.
“Hallie, what's your size?”
“M-My size?”
“Yes. Your dress and shoe sizes.”
“M-Miss... d-don't tell me... you're buying these for me?”
“I am.”
Angelina answered as though there were nothing surprising about it before turning back to the shop owner.
“Use her measurements.”
“Of course!”
“M-Miss?!”
Leaving the flustered Hallie behind, Angelina addressed Laura, who was standing a step farther back.
“Laura. You pick something too.”
“I'm fine.”
“I can't buy something only for Hallie.”
“I don't enjoy wearing dresses.”
“True. I don't think I've ever seen you in one.”
Laura always wore trousers.
They were hidden beneath her maid's apron, but Angelina knew because she'd often thought Laura had remarkably nice legs.
“Then buy some trousers instead. Don't they sell pants here?”
“Of course we do!”
“It's really unnecessary, Miss. I don't need more clothes.”
Seeing Laura's expression as she politely refused, Angelina let out a small sigh.
“Ah.”
“I just assumed clothes would be what you'd want.”
That was shortsighted of me.
“Then tell me, Laura. If you suddenly had a large fortune, what would you want?”
Clicking her tongue at her own assumptions, Angelina asked.
Laura pondered for a moment before replying,
“If I don't answer, are you just going to buy me something random?”
“Yep. You know me well.”
Having served Angelina for many years, Laura understood her personality perfectly.
“Then if you don't want me wasting money on pointless things, tell me. What should I buy you?”
Ironically, Angelina completely failed to realize that spending money on pointless things was the very definition of reckless splurging.
“A knife would be nice.”
“A knife? A kitchen knife? Or a sword?”
“A dagger.”
She added,
“The one I use has become far too worn out.”
“Hm.”
Angelina looked at Laura curiously.
A dagger?
