SOTBW - 189

The jeweler silently observed the elegant woman in the green dress. Her face seemed familiar, but he couldn’t quite place who she was.

The woman wore an obviously expensive pearl hairband and emerald earrings, and her refined appearance suggested she was from a prominent noble family. However, there weren’t many notable families in Noctis Fortress. Moreover, ladies from such households rarely visited shops in person—they usually summoned jewelers to their homes.

The jeweler scratched his head with the measuring tool he used for sizing gemstones and tilted his head in thought. Occasionally, customers intentionally dressed well to negotiate lower prices, so perhaps she was one of those types.

The woman examined the displayed jewelry with great care. The jeweler wanted to ask if she had found anything she liked, but the man staring intently through the window made him uncomfortable, so he hadn’t said a word yet.

With a slightly sulky expression, the jeweler glanced at the man outside. The man was practically glued to the window, his breath fogging the glass as he kept a constant watch over the woman.

Not long ago, this couple had an odd argument right outside the jewelry shop.

“I’ll go in alone and come back out.”

“What?”

“There’s something I want to buy quietly. I’ll be quick. It won’t take long. I don’t like making you wait outside for too long either.”

“What are you buying that you’re leaving me out here?”

“That’s… something I can’t tell you yet.”

“Yet? So you’ll tell me later?”

“Maybe.”

“That’s a vague answer.”

“I already said I can’t tell you right now!”

“What if you get scammed while you’re in there alone?”

“I’m not a child.”

“This is a place where even full-grown adults get scammed.”

“Are you implying I’ll definitely get scammed?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“It sure sounded like it to me.”

“…Fine. I’ll wait outside.”

Although the man had failed to dissuade the woman, he still seemed uneasy. He pressed himself against the window, vigilantly scrutinizing the inside of the shop.

The jeweler kept tilting his head in puzzlement as he replaced the kettle on the stove. Both the man and the woman looked strangely familiar, but he couldn’t recall who they were.

Especially the man. He had an extraordinarily beautiful face, a sturdy build, and most notably, very unique eyes—a deep emerald green. Come to think of it, wasn’t there a famous knight commander with striking emerald-green eyes?

Just as the name hovered at the edge of his memory, the woman finally turned to the jeweler, having made her selection. The jeweler offered her a warm drink and adjusted his glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.

“Have you chosen?”

“Yes, this… this dagger.”

The woman shyly pointed to a silver-plated dagger. Its tip was slightly curved, and it was lavishly adorned with gemstones.

The jeweler carefully retrieved the dagger from the display case. It was an ornate piece, with jewels decorating the hilt, guard, and even the scabbard.

“Would you like to take a closer look?”

The woman politely asked the jeweler, who readily handed her the dagger wrapped in a white handkerchief.

She skillfully unsheathed the dagger, inspecting the curve of the blade and its sharply honed edge. A satisfied smile spread across her face. From the way she examined it, she clearly knew a thing or two about swords.

The jeweler sat down on his chair and watched the woman. The way she balanced the dagger on her palm and assessed the thickness of the blade was far from ordinary.

He felt like he should know who this woman was, but he couldn’t quite place her. Frustrated, he slightly furrowed his brow and glanced toward the window. The man was no longer watching the woman but now had his eyes fixed on the jeweler. The intensity in the man’s gaze made the jeweler flinch.

With frosty emerald-green eyes, the man seemed to be silently warning, “If you try to cheat my woman, I’ll kill you.” That menacing glare finally jogged the jeweler’s memory. He vaguely recalled a name—definitely someone from the Romsoa Knights…

“Master, I’ve decided on this one. It’s a beautifully crafted dagger.”

Just as the jeweler was about to recall the man’s name, the woman called out to him in an excited tone. Startled, the jeweler looked up at her.

“You’re buying that?”

Realizing his mind had wandered, the jeweler apologized and stood up from his chair. The woman nodded and carefully placed the dagger back on the display counter.

“But could you replace the gemstones embedded here with something else?”

“Gemstones? Sapphires would suit it best… What would you like to replace them with?”

“This.”

The woman opened her embroidery bag and pulled out a fist-sized gemstone. The jeweler, who had pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose, absentmindedly took the large stone and then jumped in shock.

“...Isn’t this the Eye of Serith? It seems too big for decoration, doesn’t it?”

Hastily donning gloves, the jeweler carefully examined the Eye of Serith. The woman then pulled out a certificate from the Romsoa Knights along with a paper bearing the signature of the commander. After verifying the authenticity of the signature, the jeweler’s expression briefly shifted into something unreadable.

The man outside the window also appeared to be from the Romsoa Knights. Though the jeweler couldn’t quite remember his name, he was certain of it. Could this woman be the man’s wife? It wasn’t uncommon for wives of knights to come in selling Eyes of Serith.

The jeweler placed the Eye of Serith on a piece of velvet cloth that had been folded so many times it had become soft. To think she had carried such a valuable item loosely in her bag without even wrapping it...

Taking off his glasses, the jeweler shook his head. However, the woman didn’t seem particularly interested in the Eye of Serith. Her attention remained solely on the dagger, and with an excited voice, she said:

“I’d like to have that cut into smaller pieces and used as decorations for this dagger.”

“Eh?”

The jeweler was horrified.

“You want to cut something this valuable? No, if you sold an Eye of Serith this size, you could live comfortably for half a year! Are you in your right mind?”

The jeweler scolded her as if lecturing a sheltered noblewoman. Startled by the sudden rise in his voice, the woman’s eyes widened in surprise.

The sound must have carried outside, because the man standing ghost-like by the window suddenly changed his expression. Without blinking, he glared at the jeweler with an intensity that suggested he might storm in and slit his throat at any moment.

Flustered, the jeweler alternated his gaze between the woman and the man. The woman, however, looked completely oblivious to what she had done wrong. Speaking slowly, as if teaching arithmetic to a granddaughter just starting to learn numbers, the jeweler explained:

“Madam, the value of an Eye of Serith is extraordinary. If we were to sell one this size to nobles, we could easily get at least eight thousand lirangs.”

“Ah...”

“And if we were to process it into jewelry or use it as a decorative piece, how much do you think it would fetch? While there’s no fixed price for an Eye of Serith, I’d estimate at least fifteen thousand lirangs.”

“That’s an incredible amount.”

The woman’s admiration carried a hint of bewilderment, as if she couldn’t fathom why such a rock would be worth so much. The jeweler desperately tried to convey the worth of the Eye of Serith to her.

“Just look at its transparency. It sparkles this vivid red, yet you can see right through it, and there’s not a trace of cloudiness. This is an exceptional piece. But to cut it? That’s... utter madness. No, it’s downright foolish.”

“But I really want to embed it into this dagger.”

“Madam...”

The jeweler sighed deeply.

The woman smiled gently and carefully held out the dagger she had chosen to the jeweler.

“I heard that in Bastronia, there’s a custom of gifting someone you love with a gemstone that matches the color of your eyes.”

The jeweler finally took notice of the woman’s eyes. They were a reddish hue with a slight black tint. He pointed toward the window with a tilt of his chin.

“Is this a gift for your husband?”

At the mention of “husband,” the woman turned around, puzzled. Upon seeing the man standing near the window, her face lit up like a child’s.

“He’s not my husband, but my lover… Yes, I want to give it to him. Is there any way you can help? I have to leave for a distant place soon, and I want to leave behind something meaningful as a keepsake.”

Though the man outside couldn’t possibly hear their conversation, the woman whispered softly, as if trying to keep her departure a secret.

Seeing the deep sorrow in her eyes, the jeweler clicked his tongue in discomfort. Though he didn’t know the full story, the sadness dripping from her gaze made him uneasy.

“Do you specifically want to use the Eye of Serith to decorate the dagger? Or is it because the Eye of Serith is red, like your eyes?”

The jeweler asked in a resigned tone, ready to reluctantly comply if she insisted on cutting the Eye of Serith to decorate the dagger.

“I brought it because it resembles the color of my eyes. But do you happen to have other gemstones?”

“Oh dear! You should’ve said so earlier! What about rubies? Rubies!”

With a sigh of relief, the jeweler fetched a box filled with rubies from inside the shop. The woman beamed at the sparkling red gems.

After putting his glasses back on, the jeweler carefully selected rubies that were particularly clear and free of impurities. The woman shielded the display counter with her body, making sure the man outside wouldn’t see the gift she was preparing, and began picking out gems to embed in the dagger.

The rubies seemed to please her greatly, as her expression brightened even more.

“I’ll take these rubies. I’d like to pay now. How much will it be?”

“The Eye of Serith you brought…”

“I’d like to sell it.”

“In that case, let’s weigh it first. We can deduct the cost of the dagger and rubies afterward.”

The jeweler grinned as he placed the Eye of Serith on the scale. It was quite heavy, likely due to its solid core. After a brief moment of thought, he tapped the display counter and declared confidently:

“As I mentioned earlier, eight thousand lirangs. Exactly eight thousand for the Eye of Serith. The dagger costs one hundred seventy lirangs, and fourteen rubies come to six hundred lirangs. Since you mentioned you have circumstances, I’ll give you a discount.”

The jeweler announced the price and then subtly glanced at the man outside. The man was reading every word by observing the jeweler’s lips.

When customers who didn’t understand gem values came in, the jeweler usually tried to make a larger profit by lowballing prices. However, the man outside didn’t seem ordinary, and the woman appeared to be from a well-to-do family. From years of experience in the trade, he knew it was best not to deceive people like them.

But the woman’s expression dimmed slightly. Believing he had quoted a fair price, the jeweler felt a bit flustered.

“Is something unsatisfactory?”

Nervously, the jeweler studied her reaction. After a brief silence, the woman leaned in and whispered hesitantly:

“Is that all the dagger and rubies are worth?”

Her disappointment was evident, as if she had expected them to be more expensive.

The jeweler was taken aback by her unexpected response.

“These rubies are quite small, so no, they’re not worth much more. Would you prefer something pricier? Shall I show you diamonds instead? They’re considerably more expensive...”

“Are there red diamonds?”

“Yes, indeed. They’re far more costly than rubies, though. Luckily, I happen to have a few purchased for jewelry-making purposes.”

“How much would it cost if I switched to diamonds?”

“Including the dagger, it would be twelve hundred lirangs.”

Without responding, the woman looked down at the diamonds the jeweler had brought out. Her dissatisfaction with the price was clear. Perhaps he should have sold her the rubies at a higher price after all. In his twenty years of running the jewelry shop, he had never encountered a customer so eager to spend more money.

Desperate to close the deal, the jeweler arranged the dagger and the red diamonds side by side and spoke in a soft, persuasive voice:

“Miss, I don’t know how much you intended to spend on a gift, but twelve hundred lirangs is by no means a cheap price. When it comes to a farewell gift, the meaning behind it matters more than the cost. I’ll make sure the diamonds match the color of your eyes as closely as possible. How does that sound?”

After some hesitation, the woman finally nodded her small head in agreement. The jeweler, relieved inwardly, quickly processed the payment and then replaced the sapphire decorations with diamonds right before her eyes.

The woman watched the jeweler’s meticulous work and then glanced toward the window. When their eyes met, the man outside gave a faint smile.

Hoping to finish quickly for the man waiting out in the cold, the jeweler hurried through the gem replacement. The red diamonds embedded in the dagger sparkled as clearly as the woman’s eyes. The beautifully reborn dagger was carefully placed into a wooden box lined with thick black velvet.

After skillfully wrapping the gift box, the jeweler saw the woman off.

As soon as the woman stepped out holding the box, the man rushed to the entrance to wait for her.

“Please take care, both of you. If there are any scratches or defects on the dagger, feel free to visit anytime.”

Pleased with the successful transaction, the jeweler escorted them all the way to the door. The woman linked arms with the man and said cheerfully:

“I’m sorry for making you wait so long, Maximón.”

“I’m fine. So, did you manage to buy what you wanted?”

Despite having waited outside in the cold, the man’s voice was incredibly tender. Watching the couple walk away, the jeweler smiled warmly and returned to his shop.

Now that he thought about it, the woman had called the man “Maximón.”

If it was Maximón, then surely he must be from the Romsoa Knights…

“Nah, can’t be. Rumor has it he’s completely cold-hearted.”

Yet the man’s gaze toward the woman was filled not only with kindness but also deep affection. Chuckling softly, the jeweler shook his head, dismissing the idea that the man could possibly be Maximón. He then busied himself organizing the display counter.