Chapter 30

『DraGaku』 was highly popular, and as a result, a wide variety of official merchandise was sold.

From clear files and card holders featuring in-game images to posters and calendars with newly drawn illustrations. Even straps and earrings that used the colors and motifs of each character, though not the illustrations themselves, were produced. The range of items spanned from those that were clearly official game merchandise to designs that were more subtle and stylish, making them appealing to a broad audience.

Among these, the bracelet stood out for its appealing design and was very popular.

Most notably, the freedom to choose one's favorite color combination from the decorative beads representing the characters and the protagonist was a fresh and exciting feature that fueled both bulk purchases and popularity.

Some chose only the color of a specific character.

Others alternated the protagonist's golden color with their favorite character's color, and some even created a so-called reverse harem bracelet by selecting all the colors and surrounding the golden bead.

Even in a game aimed at young women, some enjoyed it from a different perspective, combining the colors of the characters they wanted to pursue. Those who were generous with their support for the game bought a bracelet in every color and proudly wore them on their wrists.

Because of its stylish design, the bracelet could be worn daily, and the ability to choose combinations made it extremely popular.

Mary's past self must have bought one too. Although she couldn't remember the color combination, even if she tried to recall it now, it wouldn't have any meaning or interest.

"But this merchandise didn't have Mary's color, did it?"

Holding the bracelet that Alicia had just slipped onto her wrist, Mary tilted her head in confusion.

This bracelet was one of the most successful official items, and decorative beads representing the colors of characters from the fan disk and sequels were also sold, following the main story of ‘DraGaku’. The range even expanded to include event-exclusive designs and collaborations, and it was uncertain if anyone had managed to collect all the colors.

However, the color representing Mary, silver, was never released. It was only natural, considering that Mary, who was depicted as disliked not only by the characters in the game but also by the players, would have no one buying her merchandise.

In fact, the official side later admitted in a fan book that it was a shame they had assigned silver to Mary. Indeed, the silver bead shining in her palm was beautiful and harmonized well with other colors, and assigning this color to an unpopular character was arguably the biggest mistake by the official team.

Thinking this far, Mary suddenly turned her gaze to another color that harmonized well with silver.

A reddish-brown, no, a rust color, that neither dominated nor was dominated by silver, but rather complemented each other perfectly...

"Hmm?"

Mary tilted her head, then turned to look at Addy, who was standing next to her.

She confirmed his hair color, then looked at the bracelet again. Still unsure, she alternated her gaze between the two, furrowed her brow, and did this three times before finally holding up the bracelet and nodding as if she had understood.

"This is my color and Addy's color."

"…Did you really need to go through all that to realize it?"

"It's hard to notice when you're too close. But why mine and yours?"

At Mary's genuinely puzzled words, Addy cleared his throat dramatically.

From Mary's perspective, Alicia had specifically said "matching" when she gave her the bracelet. Therefore, the colors should have been gold and silver, representing Alicia and Mary.

Indeed, when the bracelets were first released, combinations like "childhood friend colors" and "classmate colors" based on the relationships between the characters were popular.

For Mary, who aimed to bring about the downfall of the Albert family, this could have been a heart-wrenching combination, but if, by some small chance, it represented a kind of "friendship" between Mary and Alicia, the colors representing the two of them would be the most natural choice.

Yet, the color next to hers was not Alicia's gold but the rust color representing Addy.

This made even Mary frown and look up at Addy. "Hey, what does this mean?"

Unfortunately, Mary's mind was so preoccupied with the bracelet that she didn't notice Addy's slight shoulder shake or the hint of hope in his expression.

"This must mean... that kid is a poor commoner, right!"

"…What!?"

"Because if she chose the combination of mine and Addy's colors, it means she didn't have enough money to buy yours. So she could only afford this one combination!"

Mary puffed out her chest triumphantly, and Addy let out a heavy sigh. He was so taken aback by the turn of events that he almost dropped the box he was carrying.

"…I have no expectations of you anymore."

"Disappointed! Wait, what's so disappointing about our conversation!?"

"Everything! Everything!"

"Everything!? I don't understand, explain it to me!"

"That's impossible!"

In a half-hearted fit, Addy declared, "That's the end of this conversation!" and started walking away as if to escape.

Mary, still confused, threw a barrage of question marks and hurriedly chased after her servant, who was leaving her behind.

She didn't put the bracelet back on her wrist but shoved it into her pocket.

"…You're not going to wear it?"

"Mary Albert can't wear such cheap trinkets. It would tarnish the Albert family's name."

"…So you don't want it. Are you going to throw it away?"

"Mary Albert can't neglect a gift from a commoner. It would damage the Albert family's reputation."

"Hmm…"

Addy's lips curled up in a playful smile at Mary's contradictory statements.

Mary glared at him as if to reprimand him, her expression a mix of scolding and pouting, uncharacteristic of a lady of the Albert family.

Addy couldn't help but chuckle, "You're still the same as always."

"What do you mean? If you have something to say, say it."

"No, nothing. For now, it might be best to keep it in your pocket."

Mary, still confused by Addy's words, furrowed her brow but touched the bracelet through the fabric of her pocket.

The small sound of the beads clinking together made Mary's mouth twist uncomfortably.

A strange, unfamiliar feeling of embarrassment and discomfort welled up inside her, making it hard for her to think clearly. She felt a vague sense of happiness, which only made her more frustrated with herself.

She couldn't find the right words to express her muddled feelings, and Addy, who usually understood her, was just smiling playfully today. There was no one else she could talk to.

Well, any lady would be happy to listen to the concerns of a lady of the Albert family. Even the young ladies who usually burned with jealousy would listen sympathetically for the sake of the family.

After all, Mary was a lady of the Albert family, and many would jump at the chance to become close to her or have a conversation. If they could help her and create a debt to the Albert family, they would offer the most suitable and Mary-approved advice.

If they knew a lady of the Albert family was struggling with an unknown feeling, even renowned scholars might take action.

But for some reason, this didn't seem to be the kind of issue that would attract such attention.

It wasn't a matter of a lady of the Albert family but something else entirely. Not knowing what to do, Mary's frustration only grew, and she puffed out her cheeks and shook the empty box Addy was holding.

"Hey, stop it, that's dangerous!"

"It's not dangerous, I'm shaking it because I'm angry! Besides, your calm expression is annoying me right now!"

"What a temper… but compared to you, I am calm!!"

"Just take it out on me!"

As Mary angrily shook the box even harder, the top shifted significantly. The box, being empty, was easily affected by her movements, and Addy quickly tried to stop her.

Her amusement at his flustered reaction provided some relief, but her heart still felt heavy, and Mary sighed deeply.

"It's because I missed the chance to ask about a good katsu curry shop. It must be that."

This was a rather poor conclusion for a lady of the Albert family, but considering that this was the first time Mary Albert was confused by a new friend, it was understandable.

Addy, the only one who knew the situation and the source of her inner turmoil, chuckled and teased her, "Eating some delicious katsu curry will make you feel better."