* * *

…It’s kind of cute.

Sylvian’s eyes sparkled as he gazed at the neatly arranged shoes inside the shop window.

Zeroth was wearing simple black shoes with a long nose and no embellishments.

In contrast, Sylvian wore light brown derby-style shoes, but the ones on display had a rounded toe and a slightly higher heel—adorable, really.

They would make his legs look longer with the outfit he had tailored this time.

“Are you interested in those?”

Seeing Sylvian staring at the shoes, Zeroth glanced at the shoe store.

It seemed to be a reputable place—after all, low-quality shops couldn’t make it into this district.

If it was something Sylvian liked, he had no problem buying it for him.

Especially since he planned to have him crying all night—it was only fair to indulge him a little beforehand.

“It’s fine. I’m just looking.”

“You can go in if you want to try them on.”

“No, it’s okay.”

Despite his words trailing off, his gaze remained fixed on the shoes.

Of all things, he had to be drawn to those.

The rounded toe was just as cute as Sylvian’s plump backside.

“Come on.”

With no room for argument, Zeroth had already pushed open the shop door.

Left with no choice, Sylvian scurried in after him.

A hushed gasp spread among the onlookers who had been secretly watching the couple.

“My goodness, isn’t that Duke Graham?”

“I heard he didn’t even invite guests to his wedding… That must be his wife, then.”

As soon as they stepped into the store, murmurs erupted among the nobles loitering nearby, their curiosity piqued by the Duke’s piercing gaze.

“Who would’ve thought he could smile like that?”

“Hmph, Duke Graham has always been kind to omegas. It’s no surprise!”

“Oh dear, Lady, one would think you’ve held the Duke’s hand yourself with the way you’re talking.”

At that, another young lady scoffed.

As a dominant alpha, Duke Graham had never been known to entertain any omega.

Rumors even speculated that he was either obsessively reserved or outright detested them.

But seeing him now, completely enamored with his spouse, those theories quickly crumbled.

“They said it was a rushed marriage… Maybe he wanted to wed his lover before the Imperial Court arranged another omega for him?”

“Or maybe they got caught in a scandal.”

The nobles gossiped amongst themselves, unable to tear their eyes away from the Duke’s gentle actions through the window.

“By the way, does anyone know which family the Duke’s wife belongs to?”

“A male omega… Hmm. The only one that comes to mind is the youngest from the Holt Count’s family.”

At that, the conversation momentarily halted. His delicate features and gentle eyes seemed familiar, but no one could say for certain.

“If the Duke himself has come out to the square, perhaps he’ll start appearing in high society as well?”

“If he were a commoner, they wouldn’t have been able to register their marriage. He must be a noble omega in hiding.”

The aristocrats whispered among themselves, reluctant to leave their spot in front of the shoe store.

Jingle.

“Welcome—oh, my heavens!”

“Bring out the shoes displayed outside.”

The moment Zeroth entered, the store owner nearly had a heart attack mid-greeting.

That ash-gray hair… There was only one noble it could belong to.

The Empire’s pride.

The hero of war.

Zeroth Graham.

It was said that everything he wore was custom-made by the finest artisans and delivered straight to the Duke’s estate.

Yet here he was.

In a shop.

In his shop.

“Are you not conducting business?”

“N-No! Of course, my lord! Who will be trying them on? What size do they need?”

Snapping back to reality at the Duke’s sharp tone, the shopkeeper quickly turned to Sylvian, who looked slightly overwhelmed.

“I’ll need to check your foot size.”

…Was this the same store his mother always bought his clothes from?

Well, with industrial advancements, they probably had ready-made shoes by now, just like in the modern world.

Sylvian glanced at the neatly displayed shoes lining the walls.

“You liked the ones in the window?”

The shopkeeper’s voice was practically trembling with excitement, and Sylvian nodded hesitantly.

Was it that big of a deal that Zeroth came here himself?

Before their marriage, he had only heard about the Duke as the hero who led the monster subjugation efforts.

To him, those stories had never felt personal.

Tucking himself behind Zeroth’s broad frame, he remained unimpressed.

“I’ll bring them right away. Please wait a moment!”

The store owner’s face practically glowed as he hurried off.

If word got out that the Duke and his spouse had shopped here, nobles would flock to the store.

Duke Graham was even more striking in person than in the newspapers.

And his wife… was just as breathtaking.

It seemed fitting that a hero like him had found the perfect match.

“Here they are. You can choose from several colors—brown, black, white…”

Peeking out from behind Zeroth, Sylvian inspected the shoes the shopkeeper had brought over.

“Try them on.”

At Zeroth’s gentle encouragement, Sylvian hesitated, looking up for permission.

“Go ahead.”

A hand ruffled his hair, giving him the courage to step forward.

Carefully, he slid his foot into the shoes the shopkeeper held open.

Not bad.

The quality wasn’t as high as the ones back at the Duke’s estate, but still decent.

Taking a few tentative steps, Sylvian examined himself in the mirror.

The black shoes matched his current outfit perfectly.

Damn.

If he had been born with this face in the real world, he could’ve been an idol and made a fortune.

Instead, he was stuck in this book, getting tossed around from one place to another.

“Do you like them?”

“Yeah.”

Nodding, Sylvian stepped out of the shoes.

“That was… nice.”

Then, he tugged on Zeroth’s sleeve—an unspoken signal that after buying over twenty outfits today, shoes were out of the question.

“I’ll take these in black and dark brown. Anything else suitable for my wife?”

“I’ll bring a few more options right away!”

As Sylvian shrank back again, Zeroth smoothly pulled him closer, wrapping an arm around his waist.

“My dear, anything you try on, you must buy.”

“Th-Then I’ll just go home!”

Sylvian’s eyes widened in horror as Zeroth chuckled, clearly amused.

Of course, no store could force a noble into buying something, but tricking Sylvian—who was new to these things—was far too easy.

“You can just browse.”

The way Sylvian anxiously shuffled his feet, worried he’d chosen something too expensive, was downright adorable.

“Since I’m going all out today, you’ll behave beautifully for me tonight, won’t you?”

Swoosh.

The moment Sylvian understood what he meant, the tips of his ears turned crimson.

Softly, Zeroth ran his fingers over the heated skin.

Chuu.

“If something looks good, you should try it on.”

“Ah—!”

Perfect.

Startled by the sudden kiss, Sylvian covered his mouth.

Spending someone else’s money like this…!

Well, technically, he could afford it himself, but considering his real-world savings were now utterly useless, he might as well enjoy what was right in front of him.

“You understand, right?”

Zeroth smirked, entwining their fingers.

Flex.

Today was definitely a flex day.

The Nertian Viscount’s estate? Zeroth would handle that.

It had always been an obstacle to him anyway.

If they caused trouble later, it would be a hassle.

Heh.

Feigning shyness, Sylvian let his eyes dart around.

There was a jewelry store nearby, wasn’t there?

Yeah, he’d be raiding that next.

Bracing himself, Sylvian resolved to drain at least half of the Duke’s treasury today.

* * *