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Chapter 25
For a moment, I stood there, lost in thought, but eventually, I concluded that this was an opportunity. If I used it cleverly, it could cause an even bigger stir.
I wandered around the temple to see if anyone else was spreading similar rumors, and as expected, faint whispers of the same story were circulating.
First, I headed to Bay’s office to share it with her. Perhaps anticipating my arrival, Bay stood as I entered and greeted me.
“You’re here? You came after hearing the rumors, didn’t you?”
Bay was already aware of the rumors. She handed me a drink and sat across from me. I took a sip and asked,
“This is the rumor spread by the Ezeid Trading Company, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. Truly a dirty tactic, isn’t it?”
“Well, it probably works, so they keep using it.”
“Quite a few have fallen for that kind of rumor. It’s one of the more effective methods. Alexandrite is a new gemstone, yes, but most gemstones are controlled by the Ezeid Trading Company. When it’s the same kind of gem, they claim it’s lower quality than what they sell, so people naturally lose interest.”
But Alexandrite didn’t fall into that category. It was a gem that no one else had, with no proper substitute. The Ezeid Trading Company had probably just spread a rumor calling it a magically created fake.
Since no one had actually seen it, they didn’t realize how ridiculous that lie was. I calmly told Bay,
“I think we should just leave the rumor alone. Once people see Alexandrite, they’ll be naturally captivated, and such fake rumors will vanish as if they never existed.”
Bay rested her chin on her hand and smiled.
“But what if they still doubt it?”
“I’ll have the temple and an appraiser create certificates of authenticity to accompany the gemstones.”
I had planned this from the start. No matter how beautiful the gem, it was unfamiliar, and doubts could easily arise—especially with these rumors circulating.
“Actually, it’s better this way. We’ll clearly show them with two certificates. Everyone will see that our company only releases trustworthy gemstones.”
The autumn festival was approaching, and we planned to send the gemstones along with the certificates to the Empress and the Princess. Then, no matter what rumors circulated, they would know the gems were real.
They’d wear the beautiful pieces without hesitation and appear proudly.
Based on the rumors and Bay’s information, the Princess and Empress had discerning eyes; they would immediately recognize Alexandrite’s value.
“The Empress and Princess won’t refuse such gems over a mere rumor.”
If that were the case, the Princess would have already been wary of the bizarre rumors surrounding her.
“Exactly. We just need to do what we planned.”
Bay already understood everything without me having to say it. She knew I asked questions to guide myself to the conclusion.
This is how you learn.
I felt I’d grown another step today!
Smiling faintly, Bay handed me a cookie.
“Do you know I sometimes want to get inside your head, Coco?”
“My head?”
“I don’t know what you imagine, but sometimes you look so happy… I want to share that feeling.”
“Just… a little self-praise…”
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I scratched my cheek. Bay sighed and asked seriously,
“Why are you so cute?”
I pretended not to notice. Bay stood and pulled something from her desk drawer, handing it to me.
“Here’s a business card and a logo sample. Is this the image you imagined?”
I took the card. It was slightly larger than the ones I was used to.
“I wish it were small enough to fit in one hand… hmm.”
I took scissors from the pencil holder and cut the card to the perfect size.
“Make it this size, and the logo doesn’t need any further edits. Go ahead and emboss it in gold.”
“I’ll do that.”
“And is there a shop we could rent for about two weeks? I’ll need a place to sell the rest of the Alexandrite after the auction.”
I planned to auction only the largest, most vibrant pieces. After the auction, announcing a two-week limited sale at a physical shop would make everyone rush to buy them.
“Two weeks? Not permanently?”
“The permanent shop comes only after the final plan succeeds. The location is already set, and if the second gemstone brings enough profit, I’ll proceed with the last and second plans simultaneously.”
The schedule could change, but for now, that was the plan.
“Then how about our building? People already know we partnered with Asura, so it should be fine.”
That worked for me. Since the contact was already through Bay, it would be more efficient. I just hoped my actions wouldn’t damage Asura’s reputation.
“Then please take care of it. We should also start looking for an auction hall soon.”
Before sending the business cards and Alexandrite to the royal family, there was preparation to be done. At the very least, I wanted to book the auction hall and include the date and location with the gems. That way, the Empress and Princess would naturally spread the word.
With the shop arranged, the next tasks were the auction hall, auctioneer, display cases, and storage boxes… so many things to do.
Seeing me overwhelmed, Bay slid a document across.
“What’s this?”
“It’s the short-term lease for the auction hall we’ll use.”
“…Huh?”
I hadn’t decided yet!
Bay happily explained,
“This is a gift Venus prepared when she heard you were holding an auction. Everything is being prepared step by step on their side. I’ll check all the gemstones and obtain certificates of authenticity.”
“Even though I say it every day, I really ap…”
“You made both me and Venus act, Coco, so be confident.”
“Alright, I’ll take a peek.”
“Perfect!”
The office filled with laughter. This greatly reduced my workload. All I had to do was wait for the results: the autumn festival, the auction, and everyone’s reactions.
…Hopefully, it will go well.
As the autumn festival approached, the streets were already bustling. Preparations had started early due to the festival’s scale.
Everyone was busy looking for a partner to attend with, just like what happened in front of me.
“Headwin, if it’s alright, would you like to come see the autumn festival with me?”
Why did I always run into that guy in situations like this?
Since the first meeting, it seemed like fate kept bringing us together, like a story beginning.
‘I guess I really am someone who gets involved with the main characters in novels.’
Or maybe it was just coincidence.
I often ran into Headwin at the temple because I had frequent business there.
“I’ll be praying to the deity from morning until late at night that day.”
I hadn’t even set a specific date yet.
He impressed me with a perfect defensive line. Despite his words, his kind and charming expression made the other party happy instead of upset.
“That’s right? You’ll be busy then? I understand!”
The influence of a face was striking to witness.
It wasn’t just Headwin. Everywhere, nobles were asking partners to join them at the autumn festival.
After that woman left, a young male seminarian stood in front of Headwin.
Wasn’t he the one who fought Headwin before?
Though the fight had felt one-sided.
“Headwin, will you…”
“Busy that day.”
“I haven’t even said when yet…”
“I hope you understand my desperate wish not to go with a classmate.”
With a smile that could send a thousand emoticons, Headwin shut him down.
The man named Cash slumped his shoulders in disappointment rather than shock.
What had happened since that day to make a man who once despised Headwin cling to him like this…?
Was he turning into a charismatic male lead?
Then my eyes met Headwin’s, and I naturally turned my gaze around to look like I was observing the surroundings.
The festival atmosphere felt far from me. I never left the mansion on festival days.
The temple was freer that day, and crowded. My adoptive parents watched me closely during seasonal festivals to make sure I didn’t escape.
That’s how I realized the festival was approaching—by observing the bustling people. Even after it ended, I overheard noble girls chatting about it, as if the day’s events lingered.
Lost in thought, a neat seminarian blocked my path.
“Ah, ah, hello, Coco!”
“Yes, hello.”
I tried to politely pass, but the flustered seminarian stopped me again. His face was bright red—maybe from the heat.
“H-H-Huh…”
“Huh?”
Swallowing audibly, the seminarian shouted, eyes tightly shut,
“W-would you… like to come see the festival with me?!”
Heads turned for a moment, then quickly looked away once they realized the usual situation—including Headwin.
“I’m sorry, I can’t leave the mansion on festival day.”
If I went out, I’d get scolded.
I left the tearful seminarian behind and walked past.
My adoptive parents always went out to enjoy royal parties.
‘Honestly, it’s better not to go.’
I wasn’t completely alone anyway. Oried had been with me for eight years, so I wasn’t lonely. Also, it felt a bit guilty to enjoy this fun alone.
I looked at Oried and asked,
“What should we do to play this time?”
[Play hit-the-adoptive-parents game!]
“There’s no such game.”
Seeing Oried becoming more ferocious, I seriously wondered what the problem could be.
