I suppressed the anger rising within me and carefully inspected the jewelry one by one.
“This necklace has such a unique design. I’ve never seen a cut like this before.”
“As far as I know, this cut was in fashion about a year ago. It seems you didn’t notice because you weren’t interested.”
“…Then how about this bracelet? The stones are cut into teardrop shapes and arranged to resemble a flower.”
“It looks more like light than a flower.”
…Calm down, just calm down.
Ian, who had reluctantly followed me to the reception room, was shooting down every piece of jewelry I picked out.
Inwardly drawing three strokes of the Chinese character for “patience” I tried my best to butter him up.
“Just help me pick one, will you?”
The jeweler was discreetly glancing at us, pretending not to notice our exchange. He cleared his throat awkwardly, probably thinking this was a sweet conversation between a happily married couple.
All this effort to keep up appearances wasn’t for nothing.
Ignoring the jeweler’s gaze, I demonstratively squeezed Ian’s hand tightly.
“…What is this?”
“Just stay still.”
I firmly silenced Ian’s displeased tone and tightened my grip on his hand. Acting all lovey-dovey with him in front of someone made my skin crawl, but I had no choice.
Calling the jeweler wasn’t just to pick out a brooch.
If Madame Zed was my personal source of information, this jeweler, who often met with various nobles, was more like a megaphone.
In simpler terms, he was meant to spread rumors about us.
‘Make sure people know we’re getting along before the party, jeweler.’
At the moment, Ian and Eloise’s reputation was in shambles.
Ian Cloud, the cold-blooded duke who even neglected his own wife, and Eloise Cloud, who lived a ghost-like existence after marrying him.
This couldn’t continue.
At the very least, before Diana returned, I needed to turn Ian into a man who, if not the most eligible bachelor, was someone many would desire.
Only then would Diana’s reputation hold up when the two of them eventually fell in love.
‘I can’t have Ian being some jerk who treated his wife horribly, got divorced, and then started flirting with Diana.’
I didn’t care about Ian, but Diana, who would be involved with him, was my precious heroine.
For her sake, I could do this much.
The key to image restoration and social maneuvering was gossip.
After all, isn’t there research that shows people are more likely to believe things they hear from a third party than directly from the source?
Once the nobles were intrigued by the rumors the jeweler spread, attending the season party together would confirm those suspicions. That was my plan.
“How about this brooch?”
I picked up a brooch that caught my eye and showed it to Ian. It was heart-shaped, split down the middle, with a purple gemstone at the center.
“Do you like this one?”
“Out of these, yes. I think it would go well with my red dress, and it also matches your eye color.”
“Then let’s go with this one.”
‘Look at the enthusiasm.’
His response screamed that he just wanted this whole ordeal to be over. I bit back the urge to tell him to snap out of it.
“Can you look at me for a moment?”
Ignoring his indifference, I brought the brooch up to his cravat. He flinched slightly at my sudden approach but didn’t pull away any further, allowing me to do as I pleased.
“Hmm, it suits you. It looks nice.”
I alternated between glancing at the brooch and his face before nodding in satisfaction.
‘I hate to admit it, but his face does all the work.’
I waved the brooch at the jeweler, who was still watching us closely.
“We’ll take this one.”
“As expected, Your Highness has an eye for these things! This brooch is one of the finest pieces we’ve recently acquired. The heart shape symbolizes two lovers sharing half of their hearts…”
I smiled politely, letting the jeweler’s long-winded explanation go in one ear and out the other.
‘Sharing hearts, my foot.’
If it were up to me, I’d split Ian in half instead.
“Here you go.”
I handed the brooch to Ian. He stared at me blankly, clearly not understanding my intentions.
I blinked back at him and said,
“You need to pin it on me yourself.”
“Me?”
“Who else am I going to ask to do it? The jeweler?”
I brazenly handed the brooch to him and, aware of the jeweler standing nearby, leaned in and whispered sweetly into Ian’s ear, pretending to be affectionate.
“…Remember our previous conversation? Add some flattery when you pin it on.”
Ian, who was reaching for the brooch, paused. He turned his violet eyes to gaze at me silently.
“……”
His look said, ‘Are you really going to make me do this here?’
I responded with a look of my own: ‘It won’t be fun if you don’t.’
Faced with my resolute and cheerful gaze, Ian tightly closed his eyes. A rare expression of dismay crossed his face.
“……”
He reluctantly opened his eyes and, with painstaking slowness, began to pin the brooch at the center of my collar. With a soft click, the half-heart brooch was fastened to my clothing.
“How is it?”
I beamed at him, though my smile was less genuine and more urging him to respond. On the other hand, Ian remained silent for several seconds, clearly struggling to find the words.
After what felt like an eternity of awkward silence, he finally muttered, with evident reluctance
“You’re… more beautiful than the brooch.”
…Is he joking?
“Ian?”
“Yes?”
“That’s not flattery; that’s just stating the obvious.”
Of course, I’m prettier. Just look at this face.
Though I wasn’t entirely satisfied, the awkward expression on Ian’s face made me realize this was probably the best he could do.
‘Alright, you tried.’
More importantly, judging by the jeweler’s wide-eyed expression as he watched us from a few steps away, it seemed this ridiculous charade had somewhat worked.
When our eyes met, the jeweler coughed awkwardly and asked
“Ahem, shall I wrap up the other one for you?”
“No need. Just place it carefully in the case.”
“Understood. Ah, how about this option? For an additional fee, we can infuse the brooch with a scent using an artifact. It’s quite a popular method these days.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, you know the saying—lovers who are truly in love emit the same fragrance. With this pair of brooches, you’d give off a special scent when worn together.”
The jeweler smiled broadly, gauging my reaction. It was clear that the additional charge for this option would be quite profitable for him.
I smirked and nodded.
“Not a bad idea. Go ahead.”
Since I was planning to make a fuss about these matching brooches in front of the nobles, adding a special touch like this seemed fitting.
“Wonderful! In that case, while we work on that, here are the case and certificates of authenticity.”
The jeweler, beaming with joy, handed over the case and documents with a respectful bow.
“May I also have the brooch you’re wearing for a moment?”
“Oh, sure.”
I handed him the brooch I had been wearing. He placed it alongside the other half in a transparent glass box and began the process of adding the scent.
About five minutes later, when he returned the brooches, they emitted a faint floral fragrance.
I inhaled the scent, a pleased smile spreading across my face.
“Look at this, Ian.”
Ian hesitated for a moment before leaning forward slightly to catch the scent. After raising one eyebrow, he paused before finally speaking.
“…Not bad.”
“I think so, too.”
This should be enough to stir some attention.
I placed the brooches back in their case and paid the jeweler for his services.
“Mmm, the scent is nice, isn’t it?”
Feeling rather satisfied with myself, I didn’t notice Ian quietly watching me from nearby.
♧♧♧
If you want to support the translation and the translator, please buy a coffee 🐳
