18. No one you need to impress? What about me?

“A change of mind, my foot.”

She was just annoyed, that’s all.

‘Besides, what does it have to do with you?’

“You’re the one who once said my hair looked like a carrot.”

As a grudge she’d held for about fifteen years bubbled back to the surface, Evelyn stuck out her lower lip and muttered in a disgruntled tone.

Still, Rashid’s behavior during childhood, though rough, had been easy to understand.

‘He’s actually harder to read now that he’s an adult.’

There were times Evelyn found Rashid’s actions impossible to interpret.

To figure out the meaning behind his offhanded remarks, she had to rack her brain for quite some time.

At least the sulky, bratty boy from back then had been kind of cute.

“Haah…”

Evelyn let out a quiet sigh and shook her head.

“Let’s just get to work.”

Stretching her arms high, she looked at the towering stack of documents in front of her.

***

Arzen Street, a back alley infamous throughout the capital.

A woman whose face was veiled in pitch-black appeared at a dimly lit tavern located deep in that alley.

Waiting for her was a middle-aged man with a mustache.

The client handed the mustached man a sealed envelope containing documents.

“This is the promissory note I mentioned in advance. The amount is ten thousand gold, and the collateral is the Berge barony’s estate.”

“Oh?”

“You’re free to use it however you see fit, but don’t forget my request.”

“Understood, miss.”

The mustached man replied politely to the client.

A strong scent of roses emanated from her, wafting through the air.

Thunk.

Next, an old leather pouch dropped onto the table.

“That’s your upfront payment. If the job’s successful, I’ll pay you twice that amount.”

“Well now, if you’re putting it like that, I’ll truly give it my all.”

With a sly smile, the mustached man bowed his head.

“I’ll make sure Lady Evelyn Berge and Duke Egenhart both get a taste of bitter defeat.”

At the man’s pledge, a cold-blooded smile appeared on the face hidden behind the veil.

***

“The rubies mined from Eastern Mine No. 2 have become wildly popular among noble ladies recently.”

The manager of a jewelry shop inside the department store beamed with satisfaction as he took a necklace from the display case.

Indeed, the necklace—strung with red rubies—was dazzling enough to instantly capture anyone’s attention.

“It’s truly beautiful.”

Evelyn expressed her admiration honestly.

She had seen the prototype brought by the designer before, but now that it was displayed in the shop, it looked even more brilliant and elegant.

“A necklace using rubies of this size and consistency in color is exceedingly rare in my professional experience. Thanks to that, our ruby necklaces have become this season’s trendiest item.”

“That’s great to hear.”

“By the way, since you’re here, there’s a request I’d like to make.”

“…?”

“Many customers are placing orders, but we’re facing supply issues due to a lack of raw rubies. Even if we double the cost, would it be possible to increase the supply?”

“Hmmm.”

Evelyn let out a hum.

All the gemstones distributed by the Bris Company were mined from lands owned by the Egenhart ducal family.

The vast wealth of the Egenhart House originated from there.

‘This isn’t just a silver spoon—this is a whole mine spoon. Inheriting a ruby mine, seriously…’

Even the Eastern No. 2 Mine alone still held enough rubies to mine for several more decades.

But the problem was…

“The rubies in Mine No. 2 are buried very deep, so they’re hard to excavate. We can only barely extract them by using magic, so the output is limited.”

“Oh dear…”

“And those who can use that kind of magic are mostly affiliated with the Imperial Court, so we can’t frequently hire them.”

Magic, in this world, was a power possessed by only the rarest individuals.

This story world had already progressed to the point where trains ran, electric lights were used, and even cars existed.

“So then, suddenly increasing the mining volume must be quite difficult.”

“Of course. Bris Company does have someone with one of the strongest magical powers in the Empire, but…”

The ancestor of Rashid Egenhart, Duke of Egenhart, was a dragon.

Naturally, he possessed the strongest magical power in this world.

As Evelyn’s gaze settled on his face, Rashid narrowed his eyes.

“Lady Evelyn, don’t tell me… you’re treating me like a drill?”

“Of course not, ahaha…”

Faced with Rashid’s cynical response, Evelyn quickly backed off in her mind.

‘Come to think of it, I’ve almost never seen Rashid actually use magic.’

Despite being the person with the greatest magical power in the world, Rashid rarely, if ever, demonstrated magic use.

‘What an expensive man, honestly.’

While Evelyn secretly clicked her tongue, Rashid stood before the display case with his usual cold expression.

“Even if there’s demand, there’s no need to match it completely. You should know better than anyone that rare goods only increase in value the scarcer they are.”

At Rashid’s remark, the manager let out a groan.

“Ah… You’re right, Your Grace. I must’ve gotten a little greedy. I’ll halt preorders for the time being.”

Rashid said nothing in reply and simply gave a quiet nod.

“But aside from this design, even the ones with small rubies set in the pendant are selling very well.”

The manager shifted the mood and took out a small pendant from the display case.

“This design is relatively affordable, so it’s popular among young ladies who don’t have much allowance.”

“See? Lord Rashid, I was right, wasn’t I?”

Evelyn turned her head and addressed Rashid, who was silently standing beside her.

“It’s not always about selling expensive and flashy jewelry. Casual items can be just as popular.”

The jewelry distributed by the Bris Company consisted of top-grade pieces, certified by experts as first-class quality.

Naturally, once crafted into jewelry, the price would rise accordingly. However, Evelyn—who in her past life had lived in the modern world as Han Woori—knew well that there was still plenty of demand for slightly lower-grade jewelry over high-end pieces.

‘Jewelry that one can buy by saving a monthly salary can be a source of joy in life.’

That’s why she deliberately suggested releasing a line of affordable jewelry. And the resulting pendant turned out to be a huge hit.

“I commend your business insight.”

Rashid, who had initially been unsupportive of budget jewelry, spoke in a detached tone with narrowed eyes. Regardless of what he said, Evelyn leaned close to the display case and admired the sparkle of the pendant she had helped bring to life.

‘Come to think of it, Jemina’s birthday is coming up.’

Though the price was a bit steep, maybe she could give one as a graduation gift from the academy?

“Lady Evelyn, if you’re interested in the pendant, I can offer it at the employee discount.”

“Oh! Really? Thank you so much.”

Evelyn’s face lit up, and seeing that, Rashid’s lips slightly loosened.

“What’s gotten into you, wanting to buy jewelry all of a sudden?”

Evelyn, who always dressed plainly, rarely showed interest in accessories—so Rashid couldn’t help but be curious.

“My younger sister’s birthday is coming up. I thought I’d get her a gift.”

“Not for yourself?”

At Rashid’s question, Evelyn shrugged.

“Of course not. The only thing on my schedule is going to work—why would I waste something that nice? There’s no one I need to impress anyway.”

At her calm response, Rashid’s face contorted.

“No one you need to impress? What about me?”

“We’ve known each other for fifteen years. Is there really any need for that kind of effort now?”

“……”

“Manager, could you show me the pendant displayed on the right? That one’s discounted too, isn’t it?”

Evelyn pointed with her fingertip to the transparent display case. Though Rashid’s lips twisted tightly at her casual demeanor, Evelyn failed to notice.

***

“By the way, Lady Evelyn.”

“…Yes?”

As they left the jewelry store, Rashid turned to Evelyn with a question.

“How are preparations for the imperial ball coming along?”

“Oh, I haven’t started yet because work’s been so busy.”

He had gone out of his way to introduce her to a tailor, but she hadn’t even paid a visit. Frankly, she had little interest in such things, and this week, she’d been buried in work.

“Why not use this opportunity to take more interest in fashion?”

Rashid made a half-teasing remark, and Evelyn quickly retorted.

“Fashion’s only a concern when you have the money for it.”

Grumbling, Evelyn’s eyes drifted to the shoes Rashid was wearing.

‘I wonder how much those cost?’

She tried to make a rough guess.

Duke Rashid Egenhart was a fashionista. His clothes, shoes, and accessories were all the finest quality. The top artisans in the capital made items exclusively for him.

‘Not only are they expensive—they suit him perfectly.’

Trousers that hugged his long legs, a vest and jacket that fitted snugly across his torso. A pristine white linen shirt. And on his left hand, a ring engraved with the Egenhart family crest.

His outfit, accessories—everything, without exception—was flawless. Like a sculpted masterpiece, Evelyn found herself admiring her employer’s appearance in spite of herself.

‘If only he’d fix that personality of his, he’d be perfect.’

“…I’m looking forward to it.”

At Rashid’s soft murmur, Evelyn looked up, and Rashid gave a meaningless little cough.

“It’s the first time you’ll be attending the ball as my partner, after all. So I’m looking forward to it.”

“Lord Rashid, what do you mean by that?”

Evelyn blinked in surprise, but Rashid suddenly stopped walking and turned his head sharply.

“I need to meet with a department store executive. Go ahead and look around the shops.”

With those curt words, Rashid turned and walked toward the office area.

“What on earth has gotten into him?”

Evelyn let out a small sigh as she wandered through the rows of women’s fashion boutiques. Rashid wasn’t exactly an ideal employer by most standards, but he had never once made disparaging comments about her background, appearance, or situation.

‘He knows I have no interest in fashion or social gatherings… so why now…?’

Muttering to herself, Evelyn suddenly came to a realization.

“Is he afraid I’ll look plain next to him at the ball?”