"Oh my, if it isn’t Master Shu and Lady Rio?"

The one who called out to us was a female merchant I’d seen somewhere before.

Yesterday, things felt awkward for some reason after that, so we left the Mimina Trading Company early. Since the sun was already setting, we decided to return to the inn.

And today, we were visiting the Rashiyu Trading Company when—

"Um, if I’m not mistaken, your name is Fleur, right?"

Rio, looking a bit unsure, confirmed her guess, which turned out to be correct.

"I’m so glad you remembered!"

Now I remembered. She was the merchant who bought monsters from us in the trade city of Zain. I believe she offered the highest price back then.

"What brings you to the Merchant Nation?"

When I asked, she must have thought it would take a while to explain, as she guided us to the sofa seating inside the shop.

The Rashiyu Trading Company was located in a building that exuded the atmosphere of a long-established business. While it retained the charm of traditional architecture, modern design elements, such as display shelves for merchandise, had also been incorporated. This balance of old and new gave a sense of their progressive mindset.

"Actually, after that encounter, the headquarters of my trading company recalled me for support."

"Support?"

"Yes. There was a report that other trading companies were encroaching on our business territory."

"I see, that sounds tough."

Rio seemed to grasp the situation, but it just confirmed that Fleur was a skilled merchant. I, however, was clueless.

"So, I would be very grateful if you could favor the Rashiyu Trading Company. If you have monsters you’ve hunted, we’ll be happy to buy them again. And if you have any product ideas, rest assured that we’ll treat you fairly."

Her soft chuckle and smile left an impression of a determined merchant with a grudge against the competing company.

Well, good luck with that.

"Haha, we’ll be sure to reach out if something comes up."

"Please do. If there’s anything you need, I’ll gladly show you a selection of products. Do you require anything at the moment?"

"Oh, in that case..."

I glanced at Rio, who furrowed her brows, seemingly lost in thought.

Taking this opportunity, I decided I wanted to hold a wedding ceremony with Rio in this city. It had been left unresolved for too long, and it had been nagging at me. Most importantly—

Name: Yuzuki Rio

The name "Yuzuki Rio" appeared when I appraised her. I had heard that nobles with family names often had their full names changed after marriage, so I was wondering if it would change to "Mizumoto Rio."

Yes, Mizumoto Rio. I like the sound of that.

"Could you introduce us to a dressmaker?"

"Of course. What kind of dressmaker are you looking for?"

"A high-end shop, please. I’d like to order a dress for Rio."

"Huh?"

"Oh my!"

Rio stared blankly, while Fleur clasped her hands over her mouth in astonishment.

"A dress for... me?"

Still not fully understanding, Rio looked at me as I tried to keep my composure and spoke slowly. My face felt warm, but I told myself it was just my imagination.

"Well, you know, now that we’ve left that awful kingdom, I thought it would be nice to have a proper wedding ceremony here with you."

In this world where life can be fleeting, postponing things out of embarrassment could lead to irreversible regrets. I learned that lesson the hard way in that kingdom.

"Shu...!"

Rio, overwhelmed with emotion, gazed at me with tear-filled eyes.

"How wonderful! I’ll introduce you to the best dressmaker in this city!"

"Haha, thank you so much."

"Shall we head to the dressmaker right after this?"

"Oh, sure. Let’s take a look around here first, and then we’ll head over."

"Understood. I’ll prepare a letter of introduction, so please feel free to browse the store while you wait."

"Thank you."

Fleur excused herself and disappeared into the back of the store.

"Alright, let’s take a look around while Fleur prepares the letter."

"Okay. Hehe..."

Rio shyly smiled and fidgeted with excitement.

We wandered around the shop for a while, picking up some daily necessities, before receiving the letter of introduction. Then, we headed straight for the dressmaker.

Back in the Arclight Kingdom, when we tried to order wedding outfits at a dress shop, the guards had interfered. But this time, we arrived at the shop without any interruptions. It was absolutely delightful.

After presenting the letter, Rio began choosing her dress.

"Come on, Shu, get your measurements taken too. Let’s order yours as well."

"Mine too?"

"Of course!"

That day, we spent a lot of time picking out Rio’s dress and my formal wear. Although colored dresses were popular in this world, Rio seemed to have always dreamed of a wedding dress, as she chose a pure white gown.

"How do I look?"

Rio, wearing a ready-made dress, called out to me.

How was I supposed to answer that? Rio always looked cute to me, but—

"You look... incredibly beautiful."

That was all I could manage to say.