I Would Rather Be a Rogue [BL]
Chapter 65: Money, Money, Money...

Chapter 65: Money, Money, Money...

Early summer in Silverfall was still rather chilly, although on most days sunny. The warm rays tingled the skin, while the cool breeze gently ruffled hair and clothes, as Felix and Brielle strolled through the town’s center. With only around a month and a half left before his due date, it was about time to get all the shopping for his pup done, and the mermaid offered to help.

At least the house was ready to welcome the pup. While the furniture was still old and in need of some repairs, and the backyard was messy, the house was otherwise acceptable, all the mold and dirt scrubbed off clean, and sharp corners and power sockets babyproofed. Felix even repainted some of the walls and installed new linoleum flooring with the help of Eden and one of his friends.

"Should we check here first?" Brielle asked, pointing out at the shop they were passing by, Little Joys.

Felix glanced at the window display, and nodded his head. "Sure."

It wasn’t like they had many options to check, anyway. There were only two stores specifically tailored for babies, and a few more shops that carried baby clothes. Silverfall was a small town, after all. With only around 150 babies being born per year, it was impossible for baby businesses to boom. Especially since some of the parents preferred to shop in the city or online, where they had more options to choose from, while others opted for buying second-hand.

...And not long after he and Brielle entered the first store, Felix started to seriously consider whether it wouldn’t be better to buy used stuff as well. Everything was just so expensive! Even the simplest strollers were rather pricey, not to mention any decent prams!

Felix listened to the shop assistant narrate to him about all the features of the different prams, nodding his head with a nervous smile plastered over his face, as his brain was getting all fuzzy. He wanted only the best things for his daughter, but should he really be spending so much money?

He could afford it, technically. He had the money. However, if he were to splurge on baby things, then his emergency fund would decrease. He could just resell it later and get some of his money back, yes, but what if his pup were to get severely ill before then? Would Felix still have enough money for the treatment?

But using second-hand things for his pup... Back at the pack, it was perfectly normal. The pack had several cribs, prams, strollers, basins, and all the other accessories that every new mother could use, but it was WITHIN THE PACK, so it was fine. It wasn’t the same as buying from a stranger, whom Felix didn’t know if he could trust.

Still, the costs...

"You don’t have to decide today if you’re not sure what you want," Brielle whispered to him, noticing his conflicted expression. "We can just come back another day to pick it up."

Felix pulled his eyes away from the row of prams. "You’re sure?"

"Yeah, I don’t mind. I’m not that busy of a person that I can’t afford to do a friend a little favor."

Felix pressed his lips, hesitating for a while longer, before eventually nodding his head. "Thanks, that would be great. I’d still want to buy some other stuff today, if that’s okay?"

After all, even if he were to decide to get things like a pram or a crib second-hand, some of the things still had to be bought new. Toilettes, nappies, towels, blankets, and clothes, or at least some of them... Since they were already out in town, Felix wanted to get as much of the shopping as possible done, so as not to leave it for the last moment. Who knew how would he feel as the weeks went on? He was already getting tired quicker and quicker, and his back was also frequently sore...

"Sure thing," Brielle agreed. "Should we take a look at the clothes, then?"

"Mn." Felix nodded, before turning back to the shop assistant. "Thank you so much for your help, but I would like to give it some more thought first."

"Of course. Would you like any advice on the clothes?"

"I’d like to take a look around on my own for now, thank you."

"Of course. Please let me know if you have any questions." The shop assistant smiled widely, and returned to her spot behind the counter, taking out her phone.

Although the shop wasn’t too big, the clothing section was fairly large. It was divided into several sections, going from the ’newborn’ to ’2-3’ years old... Felix’s head spun once again when he thought about how quickly his pup was going to grow, forcing him to constantly buy new clothes... Perhaps he should have stuck to knitting? Or learned how to sew instead? Now that he thought about it, it would probably be more useful (and cheaper) than pottery...

There was no use in complaining now, so he just let out a quiet sigh, and moved on to look through the clothes. At least they were more reasonably priced than prams. Just a few sleep suits and bodysuits should be enough for the start, and no warmer clothes were necessary, since the pup was going to be born in the middle of the summer. Maybe just one piece for a cooler, windy weather, and that should be more than enough.

"Ah, Lex, look what I’ve found!" Brielle called out all of a sudden, pulling out a one-piece suit from one of the racks. "Wouldn’t that be perfect for your pup?"

"Hmm? Which one?" Felix let go of the bodysuit he was currently looking at and turned around to check out the piece the mermaid proposed. It was an orange suit with a hood, a bit larger, from the 3-6 month section... But it looked oddly familiar.

Felix’s eyes widened in realization. ’Wait... Isn’t that the fox onesie from the crystal ball?’