Chapter 90

“Clothes?”

 

At my question, the boy nodded his head vigorously.

 

“To make clothes, you need fabric or sewing materials first, right?”

 

“I see…. Then, do you sell fabric at this shop?”

 

“We do sell fabric, but…”

 

“Really? Truly? I want to buy that fabric! Please show me what kind of cloth it is!”

 

“You want to see it?”

 

Showing it wasn’t difficult, but the fabric I had brought this time was silk engraved with a Damask pattern. It was woven from dyed yarn, giving the patterned areas a different texture; it was a textile that required extremely delicate craftsmanship and was quite expensive.

 

“Yes! Please show me!”

 

Looking at the boy’s beaming smile, I showed him a swatch of fabric cut to the size of a palm.

 

“It’s so beautiful! My brother is going to love it…!”

 

With a smile brighter than anyone else in the world, the boy fumbled through his pockets and thrust out his fist. Reflexively, I held out my hand, and thirty copper coins were dropped onto my palm.

 

“It’s my entire fortune! Give me enough for a dress! Enough to make a dress.”

 

I understood his heart for his brother, but a dress would require at least five yards of fabric. This amount of money wasn’t even enough for the small sample swatch I had cut.

 

“The money is a bit short…”

 

“Oh…….”

 

Seeing the boy’s face fall—looking as pitiful as a puppy that had been wagging its tail only to drop it in disappointment—my heart ached.

 

“Then… what kind of cloth can I buy with this money…?”

 

With thirty copper coins, he could buy about four yards of canvas, but that wasn’t suitable for making a dress.

 

“I’d like to speak with your brother.”

 

I didn’t want to leave the child disappointed.

 

“No! My brother doesn’t know I came here to buy fabric….”

 

“Then where is your brother now?”

 

“He went to work. To the workshop….”

 

The boy looked up at me with tearful eyes.

 

“Actually…. There’s an outfit competition for the dress Her Highness the Princess will wear to the ball for her birthday…. My brother’s dream is to be a fashion designer.”

 

Transparent tears welled up in the corners of the boy’s eyes.

 

“But our house is poor…. My brother makes really beautiful clothes. But he doesn’t have money to buy fabric…. He said if he wins, there’s a huge prize….”

 

A tear rolled down his cheek. Wiping it away with his sleeve, he continued his disjointed story.

 

“…So, I didn’t know what was needed to make clothes…. And this is all the money I have….”

 

It takes great courage for a child to ask a stranger for a favor for the sake of their family. My heart was so stung by the sight of a dream collapsing in the face of money that I could no longer pretend not to notice. I knelt down and wiped the corners of the boy’s reddened eyes.

 

“I’ll give you the fabric. So, stop crying, little one.”

 

“……B-but you said the money isn’t enough…….”

 

“I wasn’t going to say this….”

 

I hurriedly looked around and beckoned the child closer. I whispered into his small ear, very softly, like a secret that must never be told to anyone.

 

“Believe it or not, I’m the vice-master of this merchant guild. Just for you, I’ll accept only thirty copper coins.”

 

“Really…?”

 

“Of course. So, stop crying. Okay?”

 

Nodding his head with all his might, the boy sniffled and handed me the coins.

 

“Payment received, customer. Please wait a moment.”

 

I could hear him letting out a giddy little laugh. I put the pocket money into the register. I wasn’t running this business for charity, but it was hard to ignore someone in need.

 

“How much will be enough?”

 

Spreading out the fabric, I picked up the silver shears. Five yards would be enough for a dress, but since I’d already made up my mind, I decided to go big. I measured out double the amount, folded it neatly, and wrapped it in packaging.

 

“Little one, here is the fabric.”

 

The boy, who had been sitting on the steps in front of the guild kicking his feet, looked back at me.

 

“Thank you!”

 

“It might be a bit heavy.”

 

“I’m strong!”

 

Clutching the fabric with both hands, the boy bowed deeply.

 

“With such beautiful fabric, my brother will definitely be able to win! Really!”

 

“I hope so.”

 

“I will surely repay this kindness!”

 

“It’s alright. If it helps you, that’s enough for me.”

 

I waved at the boy as he scurried down the stairs. After confirming his silhouette had disappeared, I slumped into a chair in the shop.

 

The shop was empty, and today’s sales were in the red, but it was a day where my heart felt warm.

 

***

 

“I’m home.”

 

Jonas dragged his heavy legs into the house. Usually, his only relative, his younger brother Cyad, would have run out to greet him. But today, it was unusually quiet.

 

Seeing that the candles were out as if no one was home, he reasonably suspected Cyad had gotten into some kind of trouble.

 

“Is my brother Cyad Teneger still out playing?”

 

In a small house with only a kitchen and one room, there were only a few places to hide. Jonas lit the candles one by one with a match, brightening the interior. No one was in the kitchen. Jonas slowly headed toward the bedroom, talking to himself.

 

“I’m so tired today. I should go to bed early.”

 

As he approached the door and listened, he heard a loud thud. Since it was pitch black, Cyad must have bumped into something.

 

Creak—

 

He threw open the door to find Cyad struggling with a large package in both hands.

 

“Found my brother!”

 

“Eh… Eh!”

 

Thump—

 

Cyad’s eyes darted around, and he hugged the light brown package he had dropped on the floor, shouting: “Again, again! Come back in again, Brother!”

 

“Wasn’t that it just now…?”

 

At Cyad’s insistent nodding, Jonas let out a short sigh and closed the door. Perhaps because of the festival, Cyad had been very excited lately.

 

‘Coming back in is easy enough.’

 

For the sake of his only source of energy, he could do this a hundred times.

 

Ahem.

 

Jonas cleared his throat, opened the door, and shouted loudly:

 

“Where could my brother be? Is he here?”

 

“Ta-da!”

 

“What is this?”

 

Though he had caught a glimpse of it earlier and wasn’t entirely surprised, Jonas widened his eyes as much as possible and began to act shocked. His brother, fifteen years his junior, hopped like a rabbit as he followed him to the table.

 

“Open it!”

 

Chuckling at Cyad’s urging, Jonas peeled back a layer of the packaging on the table. His eyes went wide at the sight of the contents. It was the exact same fabric worn by the imperial diplomats who had come as envoys to the Pearching Kingdom.

 

‘Is this Baimery Merchant Guild fabric?’

 

Depending on the angle, the color shifted from blue to deep purple. The engraved Damask pattern was delicately woven using thin threads, and a subtle golden glow shimmered depending on the light.

 

‘This is even higher quality.’

 

He had fallen in love with it at first sight and looked for a way to obtain the same fabric, but he had given up on the dream after hearing it could only be found in the Empire and was extremely expensive.

 

That meant the Baimery Merchant Guild had visited the Pearching Kingdom. He blinked slowly at the unbelievable item.

 

“I bought it for you, Brother!”

 

Goosebumps rose as he heard his brother’s words. This was fabric that clearly required gold coins to purchase.

 

‘No way.’

 

Overwhelmed by anxiety, Jonas grabbed Cyad’s shoulders and interrogated him.

 

“Did you steal this? Tell me the truth!”

 

Hiccup—

 

“I bought it…!”

 

“That makes no sense. Where would you get the money to buy something like this!”

 

Cyad’s eyes welled up, and soon he burst into loud, sobbing wails.

 

“It—it’s true! I bought it for thirty copper coins! Why! Why don’t you believe me! I bought it for you, to make clothes! To enter the competition!”

 

“It’s impossible. How could you buy this?”

 

Seeing Cyad crying so sorrowfully, Jonas’s heart sank.

 

“…Brother, you’re mean! Why won’t you believe me! The lady at the shop said she was giving me a special discount just for me!”

 

“Don’t cry, I’m sorry. I was just so surprised, that’s all.”

 

“*Sniff*… then. Are you going to make the outfit with this…?”

 

Jonas shook his head and looked into Cyad’s eyes.

 

“You know too, Cyad. This fabric cannot be bought with the thirty copper coins you paid.”

 

Though he was a playful child full of tricks, he was quicker and smarter than anyone.

 

“Then… do we have to go give it back…?”

 

At Cyad’s question, Jonas couldn’t bring himself to speak.

 

“Wouldn’t it be better if we won and repaid the lady at the shop…?”

 

Normally, he would have flatly refused Cyad’s suggestion. But seeing such beautiful fabric, the dream he had hidden deep in a dark corner of his heart flared up.

 

There were only a few days left until the Princess’s ball outfit competition. In his head, the scissors were already cutting along the dress design, and the stitching had begun. His heart raced at the mere imagination of it.

 

If selected as the Princess’s ball gown, the grand prize was twenty gold coins.

 

‘With that money, I can pay her back for the fabric….’

 

He told himself he shouldn’t, that he shouldn’t ruin the fabric, but by the time he snapped back to reality, Jonas had already touched the shears to the cloth.