After about an hour, Laž’ar found himself in a shop that seemed about right. He had put the scroll away within his robes and walked with his hands behind his back, looking at various carved ornaments in different types of stone. He listened to what others in the shop spoke of, trying to determine what he could afford.
He wasn’t exactly out of money. He had made use of what his mother had kept for the medicine so far, or simply worked at the Rose Pavilion against his mother’s wishes, while he had kept the rest safely.
Not to mention, ever since his mother got ill, he had begun selling his paintings. It might not have given him much, but at the very least he knew to save it for what was necessary.
“What does the young…”
Before he could find out what he needed to know he was spoken to and he turned around.
Seeing his face, the attendant fell silent. He looked him up and down.
“…noble wish to purchase today?”
“Just something simple to wear, if you don’t mind.”
“Is the young noble looking for something specific? Gold? Silver?” The attendant looked him up and down again. “…jade?”
Laž’ar’s heart seemed to skip a beat, but he didn’t let that affect his smile.
“Do you really think my dear mother and father would let me carry enough money to buy jade ornaments? Please, do not jest so with me.”
The attendant laughed a little. “We have some other carved gems, if the young noble would be interested.”
“Please allow me to take a look,” Laž’ar replied, hoping to sound like he was giving an order under the guise of asking humbly.
He was brought around the shop to look ar different pieces of jewellery and accessories. Eventually a silver hair ornament caught his eye.
“Such marvellous handcraft,” he said, making the attendant stop.
“Ah, that’s a piece we bought in from the north.” The attendant picked it up and showed it to Laž’ar so he could better see the floral design. “It’s of eastern design, they say, and trending among the nobles of the north. I was told this design is to honour Šačaran.”
“It is a floral design.”
“Does the young noble like it? If so I might add it’s one of a kind. The master who made it, never makes a second one of any of his design.”
Laž’ar wasn’t convinced this was true, but still let out an “ooh!” to please the attendant.
He thought for a moment, then smiled. “Hold it for me. I shall consider it while you show me the rest. If nothing else is worth buying, I might add it to my collection.”
The attendant smiled widely. “Your Nobleship will wear it wonderfully, if I may say so.”
“You may.” Laž’ar turned away to look for something else. “However,” he added, throwing the attendant a glance with some slight contempt in it, “empty flattery does not buy my willingness to purchase anything. Even if you were to say I carried the dignity of an imperial heir or I wore the beauty of the deities, I would not be flattered.”
The smile the attendant had faltered somewhat during his speechlessness. However, he tried to keep this little noble happy, unaware he spoke not to a noble child, but on from one of the establishments of Emerald Silk district.
Laž’ar had looked at nearly every piece when his eyes were drawn to a jade bracelet and a pair of gold earrings. He didn’t plan on buying something too expensive, yet the sun shape of the earrings spoke to him, just like the goldfish and water lily carving.
He paused for a long time, with the attendant getting more and more restless.
He wondered if the bracelet would suit his mother, and daydreamed that Denaštür would protect her from death for a while more. The earrings he could wear with what he often wore at the Pavilion, perhaps managing to buy the admiration of some customers so that he could stay even if—
“I want those!”
Laž’ar blinked and turned to see someone a little older than himself point at what he was looking at. He looked down, knowing that he had no right to take something that someone with more money could purchase.
“Then let’s purchase them,” the servant with the young man said. Laž’ar was about to stand to the side, but before he had time…
“You have to excuse me, but this young noble was considering whether to buy these items.”
Laž’ar looked up and saw the attendant stand up for him. He wasn’t even a noble, much less someone with much money to manage, and he only went along with the attendant’s assumption, yet the man rather angered a noble than ignoring Laž’ar.
That would be unthinkable in the district he lived, where they rather threw the innocent to tigers than anger someone higher than them.
“If they were considering, then it’s their fault. We have already made a choice.”
Laž’ar smiled at them, and took a step away, motioning for them.
“Of course, if I took too long in my decision while making serious consideration of the worth, then that is my fault. I shall not cause the Lord any trouble.”
“Thank—”
“However,” Laž’ar continued, smiling warmly, “Your Nobleship frequents a certain Pavilion, no? Which beauty are you giving these two? Hm?”
“How, how would you know if I visit a Pavilion or not?!”
“How would you know if someone frequented a Pavilion, m’lord?” Laž’ar grinned, making the slightest motion towards the young lord’s wrist where one could see a silk rose on a string. “Though sometimes a guess is all it takes.”
“Slander!”
“Then I was wrong, may the young lord make these purchases.”
The young lord’s chest was heaving in shame masked as anger. “I don’t want it,” he spit out and went to look for something else.
Laž’ar gasped quietly and made the softest attempt to calm him. “Oh, but young lord…”
The attendant only barely heard it.