Chapter 2 – What Remains the Same and What Doesn’t (7)

“Hmm…”

As he infused magic into the hairpin, Lagu’s narrow eyes squinted even more, as if assessing something. After a moment of pursing his lips, he spoke.

“The magic engraved here is quite minimal. Well, it is a hairpin, and if it were denser, it would give you a headache.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“Well… the magical formula inscribed doesn’t seem to pose any danger. Even if it were dangerous, there’s so little magic here that it wouldn’t have any effect, so don’t worry. If a lot of magic were packed into such a low-grade mana stone, you’d feel an ‘Ah! It hurts!’ the moment you put it on your head. This is clearly made from low-quality gemstones.”

So is it dangerous or not? 

Only after recognizing the bewildered gazes of his clients did the chattering Lagu smile.

“Oh, it’s just enough to add a little sparkling halo above your head, so use it when you want to get noticed.”

Like the apostles. He gestured a circle above his head as he babbled.

‘So it’s dangerous in another sense…’

I should have read the description before buying it. I shouldn’t have impulsively bought it just because it caught my eye.

Leaving Allegio, Chloe held the pendant Lagu had purified up to the sunlight. A teardrop-shaped diamond with a gold ring at the top. Yes, after removing the contaminated part, it was indeed a diamond.

“It’s really amazing. It was cloudy when I first saw it.”

“Exactly. I didn’t expect it to turn out like this either.”

Though Lagu hadn’t completely cleansed it, to the n*ked eye, it appeared to be a clean diamond, so Chloe decided to head to the Artisan District without stopping by the temple.

‘Gem appraisals are done by sight anyway. If it’s not okay, I’ll visit the temple later.’

Since the Artisan District, with its cluster of workshops, had narrow streets that made it inconvenient to enter with a carriage, Chloe and Mirabelle got off at the entrance and decided to walk around to find a suitable jeweler.

“Should we ask Marco?”

Mirabelle promptly mentioned the name of the most familiar person to her in this district.

“To recommend a shop where we can sell what we bought from him?”

“How would Marco know what we’re selling?”

“Still… And somehow, it’s a bit awkward for me to be selling something.”

“Ah, true. As you wish, Miss.”

Mirabelle replied playfully. Even as a joke, it was concerning that a noble lady was going around trying to sell jewelry. Especially one from the Lacroix family.

“Indeed, these workshops are all run by people who take great pride in their work.”

Since the shops were run by artisans who had been in business for generations, Mirabelle thought there wouldn’t be any untrustworthy places, so she shrugged lightly and set off energetically.

But that was short-lived.

‘Maybe I should have done some research beforehand…’

After wandering around for about 15 minutes without any sense of direction, that thought naturally occurred to her.

Mirabelle, for her part, was doing her best.

“That shop is big. Should we go there?”

“There might be too many eyes.”

“Um… then that shop?”

“If it’s too small, it feels a bit… And doesn’t it look kind of shady?”

“Then how about there?”

“That one doesn’t seem to have been open for long. Somehow it doesn’t inspire confidence…”

“……”

Though Mirabelle started grumbling, Chloe, who kept rejecting her suggestions, was just as troubled.

Until now, for Chloe, business transactions meant going to places recommended by word of mouth in high society or welcoming those who came to her home.

‘Maybe I should have just asked Marco.’

At that moment, Chloe noticed a familiar back. That neatly trimmed black tousled hair, the moderately tall and slender back that seemed like Demetrian’s but wasn’t…

‘The uniformed man!’

It was the man she had embarrassed at the festival market last week.

“Rabi, that man over there. The one I mentioned last week…”

The guy who wore a uniform and deceived the ladies. 

At Chloe’s quick explanation, Mirabelle’s eyes sparkled. 

Oh, that crafty fellow?

Mirabelle, who had been sulking after being scolded by Baroness Noisette and the security team, had listened to Chloe’s story about another incident that day to cheer herself up, regretting missing a good show. The performance with the clown mask was spectacular, and now she was curious about what other antics he had pulled.

That day, Mirabelle made a firm resolution. Even if the seniors had her back, she would never leave Loi’s side.

Mirabelle’s eyes gleamed as she watched the back of the man’s head.

Chloe, curious about what he looked like, followed him with her eyes. It was curiosity about what lay beneath the half-mask.

Familiar with the geography of the area, he walked briskly without looking around. Chloe and Mirabelle, without a word, quickened their pace to follow him.

And then, coincidentally, he entered a jewelry store.

Though it looked a bit old, it was wider than the place Chloe had said looked shady, and since the uniform man, who seemed to know the area well, entered without hesitation, it felt like a “local-approved” shop. Chloe and Mirabelle exchanged glances and followed him into the jewelry store.

“…So, could you take it?”

“I told you, I don’t deal in stolen goods.”

“I’m telling you, it’s not stolen. I really got it as a gift, you know?”

The shop, which seemed to be run by the owner alone, was slightly larger inside than it appeared from the outside.

The man, who seemed familiar with the gray-haired owner who looked like he had aged with the shop, was speaking in a completely different voice from the one he used when pretending to be pitiful and asking for a bite. If she only heard the voice, she wouldn’t recognize it as the same person.

Looking around the shop, it seemed well-stocked. While it didn’t follow the latest trends in high society, it sold reasonably plausible jewelry and seemed to buy gold and gemstones.

“Feel free to browse around.”

Glancing at them and responding casually, it seemed the owner was accustomed to visits from nobles. What luck.

“But how did you come by such a thing? Let me see…”

The shopkeeper put on a monocle and examined the earring the man handed over.

“Eh… this… never heard of it?”

“Exactly. It’s probably from some provincial noble, so we’ll never see them again.”

You’ll buy it, right? 

The man’s pleading voice caught Chloe’s attention, and it seemed he was selling the jewelry he had taken from the young ladies during the festival.

The shopkeeper was examining a single earring, but on the counter were various trinkets like thread bracelets, brooches, and pinky rings, which seemed to have been placed there by the man.

‘I thought he ran away, but he managed to get quite a haul. Or maybe he already…’

Feeling a sense of triumph from that day once more, Chloe signaled to Mirabelle and approached the man.

Was it a chance to make up for not seeing it firsthand? 

Mirabelle watched with keen interest.

“Excuse me, aren’t you an academy cadet…? Last week at the festival, wearing a half-mask…”

The man quickly turned around. The startled, frozen expression on his face confirmed that he was indeed the same person as the uniform man. However, unlike the noble demeanor he had when wearing the mask, his eyes were slightly… disproportionate, perhaps not quite in harmony…

Maybe that’s why he wore the half-mask. He was someone who had a clear understanding of himself.

‘Demi, I’m sorry. Even if it was just the back view, I can’t believe I confused you with someone like this.’

While Chloe silently apologized to Demetrian, the man also scanned Chloe’s face and attire.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Why? I remember clearly.”

“There’s no way. I never spoke to someone as high-ranking as you…”

The man, who had been stammering, suddenly seemed to realize something and gasped.

“Ho, ho, by any chance, that academy…”

“You recognize me?”

“It’s cashmere from Maleca… And that pattern of wool silk is only sold at Andrea’s atelier.”

The man choked out the words as if he were being strangled. Seeing him stammer and only say what came to mind, he seemed more childlike than when he was putting on a ridiculous act.

‘But Andrea’s atelier?’

It was indeed the name of the atelier frequented by her and her mother.

“How many people would wear Andrea’s clothes to a festival market?”

Now that she thought about it, the robe she wore that day was Maleca cashmere. Both the dress she wore now and the one she wore that day were tailored at Andrea’s.

Andrea was the oldest boutique on Angela Avenue, known for only dealing with families they had been doing business with for a long time. It was said they only took orders from prestigious families. While Lacroix might not be as wealthy as other noble families, you can’t ignore Lacroix in Gotiue.

‘No wonder he only targeted lower noble young ladies… Did he have such a keen eye?’

Chloe, her eyes gleaming, subtly asked.

“Have you already sold the silk handkerchief?”

“Ah, no, well.” 

The man stammered as if he were about to faint, then quickly shouted to the shopkeeper. 

“I’ll come back next time!”

And with that, he dashed out of the shop in an instant. His hasty retreat let in the chilly early spring breeze.

He wasn’t as brazen as I thought. 

Chloe shrugged towards Mirabelle. Mirabelle felt like Chloe’s performance was about to unfold but left unfinished, so she smacked her lips.

‘I wonder what she did to make Sir Dee occasionally smirk.’

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, that rascal, again…”

Clicking his tongue at the scene, the shopkeeper turned his gaze to the young ladies.

“What are you here to sell, ladies…?”

“How did you know we came to sell something?”

“Is there anything in my shop that would catch the eye of young ladies?”

“Well, noble ladies do like to experiment a bit.”

Even though she was a noble lady herself, Mirabelle said that. The shopkeeper seemed to like her response and laughed heartily.

‘Her cheekiness is something to be acknowledged.’

Having grown up as the nursemaid’s daughter and mingling with the security team agents since childhood, Mirabelle was at ease with men of all ranks. Seeing this, Chloe felt a renewed sense of guilt for Mirabelle, who had to suppress all her nature while serving as her maid in the Shevik Royal Palace.

“I happened to come across a diamond, and I’d like to verify if it’s genuine.”

“Let’s see…”

Unlike earlier when he was bickering with the man about appraisals, the shopkeeper promptly put on his monocle and began examining the pendant Chloe handed over.

Chloe and Mirabelle held their breath, watching his every subtle movement with keen attention.