Chapter 382 382-Buying the Jewlery
During this ordeal, he disregarded the pleas of Rose Jewelers' security and sales staff, as well as the astonished looks from his attendants.
After Count Terni left, the guard raised his copper rod to strike Howard, saying, "Scum of the earth, get out of here! With you standing here, the noble lords won't even enter our store! Get lost!"
Nia lunged in front of Howard, attempting to shield him from the blow.
Howard felt it was about the right time and said, "What if I told you I am also a noble?"
Nia, who had thrown herself in front of him, suddenly tensed her neck in a small but sharp movement.
The guard didn't halt his swing, dismissing Howard's claim as mere drivel of a pauper.
He felt that someone in such ragged clothing uttering such words was an insult to his experience.
Seeing this, Howard, with Nia in his arms, swept the guard's legs with his left, bringing him down, and then clasped the guard's copper rod with his right wrist.
The guard, unable to withstand the force, let go, and the rod fell to the ground with a clang.
Howard said to Nia, "Let's go, today we shall see the splendor of the rose."
The two uniformed women outside, already frightened, deliberately kept their distance, not daring to block Howard and Nia's path.
Another male jewelry store salesperson, with sweat dripping down his forehead, also purposely stepped aside to clear the way.
The guard, looking at the copper rod now lying on the ground, thought it best to report the incident to the store manager.
As the glass doors of the grand entrance swung open, Howard and Nia stepped into the interior of Rose Jewelers.
The place was dazzling, not with the natural light of the sun but with the reflected glow of jewels.
Even such faint light filled the room with a brilliance that spoke volumes of the abundant collection housed within Rose Jewelers.
Having entered, Howard had no intention of beating around the bush any longer.
He addressed the staff inside, "Do you know of the Oli Kingdom?"
A woman of mature years responded with a tremble in her voice, "I do. It's the realm governed by the Habsburg family. Our Rose Jewelers has frequently fulfilled jewelry orders for the Habsburgs. You've come to the right place, sir."
The latter part of the mature woman's response was more a professional reflex than anything else.
As soon as the words left her mouth, her expression changed, realizing she might have spoken out of turn upon seeing the modest appearance of her guests.
Meanwhile, the security guard had already informed the manager of the situation through the back door of the jewelry store.
Coincidentally, a shareholder of the jewelry store was also present today, prompting both to make their way to the main hall.
A man dressed in a black and white checkered shirt under a white down jacket entered, surveying the room with an authoritative air.
"What's going on here? Why the chaos? Haven't I always told you? No matter what difficulties we face, we must not fear!"
Apart from an older, overweight shareholder, everyone in the room chorused in unison, "Yes, manager!"
Observing his staff's response, the manager felt a sense of satisfaction, believing he had earned respect in front of the shareholder, basking in a moment of pride.
Howard released Nia's hand, mindful of the proper distance between a man and a woman, especially considering his married status.
He looked directly at the manager and said, "You're the manager, right? I don't want a repeat of the earlier commotion. I'll get straight to the point. Don't worry about what I'm wearing for now. I'll tell you—I am Howard from the Oli Kingdom. Take a moment to process that. Don't strain yourself. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."
Nia couldn't help but let out a sharp "Ah?" followed by a flutter of her eyes as she looked up at the man towering above her.
She couldn't tell if he was speaking the truth, but deep down, she harbored many hopes.
This was the first time the manager had encountered such a situation, but Howard's demeanor made him think twice about dismissing the claim outright.
The news of Howard from the Oli Kingdom visiting Venice was significant, especially with his preparations for the influential voting meeting of the five major families, which had become well-known in Venice's high society.
The security guard chuckled, prompting a stern glare from the manager who rebuked him, "Shut up!"
The rest of the staff in the store remained silent, their minds racing to connect the peculiar behavior of Count Terni earlier, which made Howard's claim seem plausible.
Count Terni's domain lies within the Lombardy Kingdom.
Although not a vassal of King Edward of Lombardy, he is an independent earl, whose autonomy is widely recognized to have been granted by his son-in-law, King Howard of the Oli Kingdom.
Hence, the immediate departure of Terni, a key client of Rose Jewelers, upon seeing this individual hinted at the possibility of his being Howard.
This piece of information was relayed to the manager by the male salesperson standing at the door.
The manager glanced at the shareholder, who maintained his composed and authoritative demeanor, portly and standing aside but carrying an innate air of command within his own jewelry store.
The manager posed several questions to Howard, all of which Howard answered.
Nia found herself oscillating between wanting to keep her distance from Howard and wanting to draw nearer.
She was unfamiliar with the Oli Kingdom or Howard, but she knew this was the upper river channel, the epitome of high society within her understanding.
As the staff of Rose Jewelers, a place she never imagined she could enter, began treating the man she had found with increasing politeness and respect, it all felt increasingly surreal to her.
She felt a strange mix of unfamiliarity and admiration towards the man beside her, whose presence seemed to command respect.
Recalling the meaningful glance from her father before leaving the cabin and her mother's whisper advising her to draw closer to this man, Nia was struck with a sense of fear.
Yet, Nia was not entirely naive.
She once had a neighbor, Tracy, a girl as beautiful as she was impoverished.
Tracy was her confidante during their childhood, sharing an unbreakable bond.
However, as Tracy grew and began mingling with the denizens of the lower river channel slums, she discovered the gritty stories behind the nighttime glitz of the lower river.
From then on, Tracy became a stranger to Nia, her appearance and attire slowly diverging from Nia's.
As Nia was getting ready to head out early in her fisherman's attire, hopeful for a bountiful catch, Tracy appeared before her, adorned in the kind of jewelry and beautiful clothes typical of those from the lower river channel.
That day, Nia asked Tracy, "Are you just heading out?"
Tracy yawned and replied, "Yes, any problem with that?"
Nia, observing Tracy's attire, remarked, "Your clothes are so pretty, not like what we wear in the slums."
Tracy looked at Nia with disdain and said, "Of course, I am not like you slum dwellers. I am a swan, and you will always be an ugly duckling."
Nia did not argue much with Tracy that day.
Soon after, Tracy married a canal security officer in Venice and moved to the lower river channel.
Now, standing in the gleaming jewelry store, looking at the polished, reflective marble floor, Nia made up her mind and said to Howard, "I want pearls and a necklace too. Will you buy them for me?"
Howard looked at Nia in surprise but felt the request was not unreasonable.
Ten minutes later, the manager personally offered an apology to Howard, which Howard stopped.
"You don't need to apologize to me; rather, I should apologize to you. I dragged you into my adventurous journey and used my status to pressure you, which was wrong," Howard said.
The shareholder, unable to contain his excitement, rubbed his hands together, thinking that the visit from the King of the Oli Kingdom surely meant a significant business opportunity.
Howard then made his request known: he wanted a piece of jewelry bright enough to dazzle all of Venice, a gift for the eldest daughter of the Sheffield family.
The shareholder of the jewelry store personally shook hands with Howard, taking pride in the gesture, saying, "Your Highness, we happen to have acquired a magnificent ruby last month, weighing a full 2 carats. I believe it would befit your stature perfectly."
Howard inquired, "Is this the most valuable jewel you have here?"
The shareholder nodded, and Howard declared, "In that case, I'll take it. I haven't brought any cash with me. Draft a document, and I will sign it. Then, you can send someone to the capital to collect the payment."
Five minutes later, the accountant prepared a contract, which Howard signed.
The deal was sealed, bringing smiles of joy to the manager and a look of exhilaration to the shareholder's face.
Additionally, Howard purchased a 1-carat ruby as a gift for Nia.
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