Chapter 87
"Did you pick it up on your way?"
"Open it up and take a look."
Perez looked at me again and opened the box with a careful touch.
As soon as a little sunlight hit, hundreds of thousands of glittering jewels appeared.
"Is this... a diamond?"
It is a diamond brooch specially made for Perez.
He didn’t even touch a diamond he’d never seen before, he just looked at it.
"How? Do you like it?"
"...Glamorous."
It’s an ambiguous sentiment.
To be honest, with a little bit of sadness, I deliberately put my utmost effort into it.
"I custom-made it for you."
"I like it."2
Without thinking for half a second, he answered right away.
I think he’s a bit quick to change his posture.
"Don’t just watch it. Try to see if it suits you."
I was going to pretend to be cool.
I couldn’t win the impatience and said.
After a moment of hesitation, Perez pulled out the brooch and put it on his chest.
The jewel polished with the most colorful method of cutting by Crowly was so beautiful that I couldn’t stop looking at it despite its being so shiny that hurt my eyes.
"Wow."
In the background, Kylus let out a small exclamation.
I couldn’t agree more with that feeling.
The brooch was made only for Perez.
The same was true of high purity and large diamonds, but this was even more so in harmony with the humpstone, which was crafted in the same way.
"I knew it would look good on you."
I was proud that Perez’s beauty seemed to come to life even more.
Kylus and Caitlyn nodded vigorously as if they agreed with me.
"Thank you."
Perez curiously, unable to take his eyes off the diamond.
"But it must have been very expensive."
"Well, a little?"
A little bit no.
If you were going to pay for this brooch, it would have cost you hundreds of gold.
It’s all the more so because it’s a diamond that we can’t sell these days. After all, the ransom has jumped several times.
I shrugged and asked Perez.
"You dress up here and there. You’ll look good anywhere."
Perez nodded, fiddling with the brooch on his chest.
But he soon put the brooch back in the box.
"I’ll do it on a special day."
"Well, it’s up to the person who got the gift."
Perez seemed to be in a very good mood now, seeing a smile subtly around his mouth.
Neither did I.
It’s funny how presenting Perez made me realize I was the owner of a diamond mine.
"We’re about to get back..."
I was going to say let’s go back to Poirak Palace because I thought there was a cold wind.
"Hmm? There’s a guest."
The familiar and resonant voice of Emperor Jovanes was heard.
The Emperor was not alone.
Behind the Emperor, who entered the garden with him behind his back, was the Empress and Astana.
Perhaps the Empress, who invited Astana to spend time with the Emperor, would not hide her discomfort.
And first of all, Astana, who was looking at me, made eye contact.
Astana, now 15 years old, was completely in his adolescence.
It was also closer to what I remembered as Astana the First Prince.
"I greet Your Majesty the Emperor, the Empress, and the First Prince."
I hurried up from my seat and greeted in good manners.
"Someone did, and it was you."
Jovanes took turns looking at Perez with curious eyes.
And in the end, he talked to me in a friendly voice.
"It’s been a long time, Florentia. Was it the last time Gallahan was awarded the Order of Medal for National Foundation?"
A smiley face saying that really looks like a friendly next-door guy.
In fact, it’s hard to imagine that he’s slicker than anyone else and calculates political gains and losses.
Either it wasn’t an attitude towards Perez or an act of weighing his own interests above his children.
Anyway, Jovanes is the Emperor of this Empire.
I said with a white smile on purpose as if I was ashamed.
"You even remember that. It’s an honor, Your Majesty."
"......"
Jovanes said, opening his eyes round and then smiling.
"You speak so beautifully."
"Thank you for your compliment. Your Majesty."
Polite and cute.
But at the same time, there is no reason to be afraid, and with great determination.
Because I’m Lombardy.
I smiled softly, not avoiding the Emperor’s gaze.
Then a shadow crossed the eyes of the Emperor.
The Emperor, who had been looking at me for a while, turned his head slightly and looked at the Empress and said,
"There’s no place like this for a cup of tea. Why don’t we join them, Empress?"
That’s what the Emperor says, and the Empress has something to say.
"So it be, Your Majesty."
But at the same time, she didn’t forget to stare at Perez as if she was going to kill him.+
Additional tables and chairs were placed were Perez and I were.
Such an awkward and uncomfortable place has been set up.
Astana and Perez, who happened to sit face to face, did not even look at each other, and the Emperor drank tea alone in such an uncomfortable atmosphere.
No matter what other people do, you just have to be comfortable with yourself.
He was such a despicable emperor.
Then again, Astana and I met in eye contact.
Why does he keep looking at me like that?
It was a really uncomfortable tea time.
Oh, I can’t wait to go home.
The Emperor asked me, I regret it, I should have stayed at Poirak Palace.
"Is Gallahan all right now?"
"Yes, thankfully, the medicine worked well and recovered without any aftereffects."
"That’s a good thing."
The Empress said as she intervened in the conversation.
What a relief.
She was going to take away my father’s ready-to-wear business.
"And the Second Prince."
The Empress is called Perez.
"...Yes, Empress."
Perez replied reluctantly, with a smug smile.
"You’d better welcome guests inside the Poirak Palace as much as possible. That’s where the Second Prince lives."
In short, she meant not to wander outside, but to stay in Poirak Palace.
No, why?
So You and Astana can walk around in perfect condition?
I thought I’d stay still and drink tea, but I can’t.
I answered instead.
"It’s my fault, Empress."
With my face full of tears.
"I wanted to see the garden here, so I begged the Second Prince. Please scold me."
The Empress was embarrassed for a moment and coughed in vain.
"Well, if Lady Lombardy says so, let it slide this time."
"I heard that anyone who enters the Palace is free to enter. It’s my fault that I was wrong... I’m so sorry, Your Majesty."
I immediately turned the gaze to the Emperor.
In fact, everyone knows that this garden is freely available.
The Empress is being unreasonable.
Under these circumstances, there is a certain word that the Emperor can say.
"... It’s not that you are wrong. This garden is open to the public."
"Really? Then can I come to see here every time I come to the Palace, Your Majesty?"
The Emperor looked at the Empress and nodded slowly.
"Oh, I’m glad!"
The Emperor said there was no problem, so the Empress had nothing to say.
I smiled more innocently on purpose and said to Perez.
"I can’t believe I’m going to be able to see the garden again. I’m glad, aren’t you, Your Majesty the Second Prince?"
I kicked Perez’s foot under the table.4
"Yes, I am."
Fortunately, Perez replied appropriately.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
I kept smiling at the Emperor, leaving the Empress out of the conversation.
The Emperor stared at me like that and said in a mischievous voice.
"Well, she’s different. Florentia, why don’t you be my daughter? There will be a lot more fun to be my daughter than Gallahan’s."
I’m in the pellet business these days, in the mine.
You don’t even know how much fun I live.
It was ridiculous, but I answered deftly with a smile.
"I don’t know about my father, but you might have to fight with my grandfather. Are you going to be okay? My grandfather really fond of me!"
"What?"
Surprised by my bold reaction, the Emperor burst into a big laugh.
"Hahaha! What a witty child!"
Then, in a moment, the voice became quiet.
"Yes, I can see at a glance that you are loved by the household Lord. What a good quality diamond."
It was my head where the Emperor’s eyes were fixed.
To be exact, it was a hairpin.
A thick diamond the size of a thumbnail and a smaller diamond were embedded around it.
"These days, diamonds are so popular that it’s hard to get a small one. It’s so sweet of him to buy such a hairpin for his granddaughter."
Even so, the Emperor’s eyes did not fall off my hairpin.
It was terrible greed.
Obviously, the Emperor was bought twice the size of it when the diamond business was established.
He also secretly bought several sets of earrings and necklaces.
I know for sure because I approved directly to Clerivan.
Such a physical desire even though he was born as a Prince has given everything and became an Emperor.
He was a great man in a way.
I raised my hand and said, smoothing my hairpin.
"I’m ashamed of this, but this hairpin is not a gift from my grandfather."
"So, is it Gallahan?"
"No, I got it from my teacher, Your Majesty."
"Teacher?"
Jovanes tilted his head.
"Yes, Clerivan Pellet, who runs Pellet Company, is my teacher."
"Whoa, Clerivan Pellet?"
Jovanes was genuinely surprised as if he didn’t know.
"He’s still teaching you even after he left Lombardy?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"You must be truly a precious disciple. When I see he takes care of you even though he’s so busy!"+
"Thanks to his care, I’m watching and learning a lot."
"Yeah, that’s the best learning."
I could feel it immediately with my skin.
The Emperor’s eyes on me have changed.
But Astana, who was still without saying anything, caused an accident.
"What’s this?"
He suddenly took the brooch box in front of Perez.
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