Lyra walked into the room hall with anger as she had to cancel the meeting as her boyfriend had forced her to arrive as soon as possible. There are some things that are definitive in a relation. People like Benjamin was patriarchal and the fact that he was the stronger one in the relation in all manner, did not help her calm down.
So she approached him and asked, "Why did you call me here?" Seeing the various amount of dresses arranged, she asked, "Do you want me to buy a dress for some higher level client."
Benjamin shook his head and said, "I want you to buy you a wedding dress. Choose the style and design that you like."
She was angry but she did not speak out as speaking out did not have a meaning and she too could feel that his actions were different from usual. His speeding up the marriage should have some meaning if he has to force her to skip the meeting. So she nodded. Benjamin smiled at her and said, "The budget is 1 million coins."
She was excited as she came near him and asked in a hushed voice, "Why should we waste that much money. I just need a dress worth 1000 coins. We can spend the rest of the money in buying a five room independent house. We can also buy the driving rights to level 3 prohibited areas."
He looked at her and said, "Do not need to worry. I will get a bigger house and you will get enough rights and the right to drive vehicles in level 3 prohibited areas would not be anything in front of it."
She asked in doubt, "Are you planning to buy the gravity flying suit. That is indeed better than the EM suit."
He said to her, "Just buy the dress Lyra. The marriage is scheduled for day after tomorrow. You have to get the dress as fast as possible. As for the bride-price, I will be giving you 10 million and certain gifts. The marriage will be announced on the network in an official manner.'
She asked, "where did you get that much money. Did you invent a new algorithm? Is that why you want to get married to me sooner as you will get promoted?"
He looked at her and shook his head and said, "I dd not invent a new algorithm but I will indeed get promoted and earn a lot more. So it would be better if we get married. We already had this conversation."
She put up her hands in annoyance and said, "Sure, sure. But just hearing such words from you and having to spend a million in buying my dress is not the same. We could even buy a spacecraft for that money."
He said, "I have already arranged the honeymoon trip."
She stopped speaking and walked over to the waiter and she kept going through the projections of the wedding dresses. She asked, "Would you prefer the fiery red or the deep blue color."
He said, "I prefer the gold color."
Gold represented money from the early days and it was the best metal that could conduct and be strengthened by using aura and could be even used to inscribe words using intent into it. So when a person things about money, he things about gold. At least that is what the orthodox human who have learnt as per the main framework of education of the federation would think as that was what was taught as per history and that was how their cognition was built up.
She hearing the words asking her to choose a gold coloured dress, looked at him and asked, "Do you really want to choose a gold coloured dress? Gold is only used in ceremonies and rituals."
He sighed and said, "Marriage is a ritual. Also get it gold plated and buy some gold ornaments rather than rubies and emeralds. I do not want my wife to be in cheap ornaments.."
She nodded. She could not understand what had happened to her boyfriend, but If her boyfriend wanted to spend money on her, she will accept it gracefully. So she spent the whole day choosing the wedding dress as she also had to choose the gold ornaments that matched the dress.
That night was spent wildly by both of them in the bed as she was excited for having received items that were too much costly.