Chapter: 249
If someone shows you kindness, it’s a reason to be happy.
But if that kindness comes after you’ve caused a ruckus in their territory, you’ve got to be suspicious.
You have to wonder if there are other feelings hidden beneath that seemingly kind gesture. Are they just wearing a mask while thinking something different inside?
Especially if there’s a history of similar incidents, and the reactions back then were far more aggressive.
No one who slaps you and then extends a hand can really be considered normal, right?
“Now, let’s have a sip of tea first. It’s a rare leaf I brought from the East,” Isabel said, smiling from ear to ear.
Because of her previous statement, I couldn’t help but look at Isabel with suspicion while she offered me the teacup with that grin.
No matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn’t find a reason why she would treat me kindly—unless it was because of the divine power inside me.
Ugh. This is all Gramps’ fault! His dumb comments made Isabel’s arrogant behavior look all weird in comparison.
Just look at this tea! The soft and subtle fragrance filling the room means it’s good stuff, but now I’m worried there’s something else mixed in besides tea!
Any regular poison or drug wouldn’t work on me now, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Isabel had something beyond ordinary up her sleeve.
“I don’t have much time, Count Artea…”
“I’m not leisurely enough to drink tea with a zealot and chat away!”
“Oh, is that so? What a shame. I went through all the trouble to prepare this.”
As she pushed the teacup aside, her sharp attitude came out, yet Isabel didn’t show any irritation at all. She merely wore a genuinely disappointed expression.
Definitely strange. Something feels off.
“I came here because…”
“The reason I came to this bothersome mansion is simple. There’s something far too precious for a zealot like you.”
“Ah, so that’s what you came for. I expected as much.”
Before I could finish my sentence, Isabel rummaged through her belongings.
…Did she expect I was after the tablet?
How on earth?!
When I went to buy something at the auction, I was disguised, and no one should have recognized me!
Could it be that she figured out I was the one who made a fool of myself back then?
She knows about my black history?!
“Here’s the necklace you were looking for back then.”
I was startled, but it wasn’t the tablet she handed over.
It was a necklace. It looked old and moderately flashy, like something passed down through a poor noble family.
The only unique trait? I could faintly sense a strong divinity from it.
[Necklace that contained divinity]
[This necklace held a miracle in the past but is now just like any ordinary one, having lost all its power.]
Even with my appraisal skill, the result was similar.
I didn’t know what it had been in the past, but right now the necklace was nothing more or less than an ordinary necklace.
Did she pick up on my reaction and sense something was off? Isabel raised an eyebrow.
“Isn’t this what you wanted?”
“Yes. What I desire is…”
“What I’m looking for is the tablet, not a necklace that’s too luxurious for an average woman like you.”
“Oh, I see. I apologize, Young Lady. I mistook it for something else, as you had been looking for this necklace before.”
Had the old Lucy wanted something like this?
That couldn’t be true.
I had stayed in Lucy’s room and seen her belongings. I had a rough idea of what she liked.
She loved things that would make her flaunt like a princess.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, my mind halted. It was as if I was told not to think like that.
Before long, a single feeling surged up in my mind. That feeling was nostalgia.
So faded and distant, yet still lingering there.
…This isn’t my emotion.
I don’t know anything about that necklace.
Then whose clear emotion is stuck in my heart?
There was no question about it. The only one who could leave an emotion in my heart was one person.
Lucy.
The Lucy Alrn from before I possessed her.
[Young lady, what’s wrong? ]
I snapped back to reality, hearing Gramps’ voice.
I must have been momentarily overwhelmed by a sudden wave of emotions.
‘…No, it’s nothing at all.’
It wasn’t something I could call small, but as I didn’t have the confidence to explain the situation, I answered it was nothing.
[Oh, really? Then that’s fine. ]
It was obvious he felt something was off, but Gramps didn’t pry further. Thank goodness he was a mature person.
After a long sigh inwardly, I looked at the necklace Isabel had placed on the table and wondered what could have caused the remnants of Lucy’s emotions to brush past me.
One certainty remained. A new item must be added to the deal I was about to make.
I absolutely had to get that necklace in my hands.
It wasn’t something I particularly needed, but my heart was pushing me to do so.
“Then I’ll be returning this necklace.”
As I grabbed Isabel’s wrist while she tried to take the necklace back, I gazed deeply into her eyes.
‘No…’
“No. You know what? Actually, this necklace is too extravagant for you. I think I’ll take both.”
“Both the tablet and the necklace? Each of them is quite a valuable item, you know?”
“It’s fine.”
“Ha ha! Are you worried about me? Well, that’s super nice of you, but I’ll decline. That adorable look of yours is a bit creepy.”
I pulled out an item I had prepared from my inventory.
Last evening, as I cleared a quest, Gramps had rewarded me with this as a reward.
It was like he was telling me to use it for negotiating with Isabel. A diamond imbued with the power of the gods.
“…This is…”
Unlike an ordinary gemstone, it radiated a warm, soft, and cozy light, promising beauty.
Anyone who loved embellishment would surely covet this luxury item, but for Isabel standing before me, it held even greater value.
Having an item related to the gods, how could she refuse the unblemished divinity?
My prediction was spot on. The moment Isabel’s eyes fell on the gemstone, she froze, looking like someone overwhelmed in front of a stunning masterpiece.
It didn’t take long for her to regain composure as her hands began trembling with excitement.
“Where on earth did you find something like this? If such a treasure existed, I should have heard about it by now!”
Her voice slightly strained with excitement, she couldn’t tear her gaze from the gemstone, her curiosity overshadowing politeness.
There was no way she could manage to think of proper etiquette when faced with such captivating beauty!
Seeing that scene, I was convinced that Isabel could never refuse this deal.
“So, is this enough, huh?”
“Okay, you merchant zealot. Are you still worried about me, huh?”
Only when I spoke did she lift her head, her lips quivering as she glanced from me to the gemstone before finally resting her hands on her face.
“I’ll go prepare it right away.”
*
Emerging from the Artea family mansion and heading back to the academy.
“What a really unpleasant person. I don’t want to see her again.”
The previously quiet Clumsy Fox grumbled. What she said was true; I also found Isabel to be quite off-putting.
Asking if I wouldn’t join for a meal. Or whether I wouldn’t consider receiving the support of the Artea family.
Or if we could discuss trade between the Alrn and Artea families.
The way she desperately wanted to keep our relationship ongoing was downright sickening.
“That kind of person is just one step away from committing a crime if they go slightly askew. Be careful now.”
’Are you, the same filthy pervert as Isabel, really giving this advice?!’
“Clumsy Fox, no matter how you think about it, aren’t you and her pretty similar? Oh, are you being possessive? As fellow perverts, you can’t lose out, huh? Wow, how disgusting.”
But isn’t it ironic that you’re the one saying it?
You, who followed me like a stalker just because you wanted to be around me, yet keep doing perverted things right next to me?
When I questioned her, the Clumsy Fox frowned. Apparently, she didn’t like the comparison.
“Those cold eyes are thanks, but I need to clarify your statement. The feelings I have for you are pure, while that unsettling woman desires only what you possess.”
Different? In what way? You fell for my face, while she’s after my divinity.
Ultimately, isn’t she just another pervert at the core?
There’s a deep world of perverts out there—I don’t particularly want to explore it.
As I kept listening, feeling my mood sour, I took out the necklace Isabel had given me.
What on earth is this necklace that keeps imbuing me with feelings of nostalgia and sadness?
Even though it’s my emotion, it feels like it’s not my emotion, which is incredibly strange.
I half thought that Karl, the knight of the family, might know something about this necklace and decided to ask him, but he just shook his head.
“I’m sorry. I haven’t been with the Alrn family for long.”
Hmm. If I want to figure out the story behind this necklace, I might have to ask Benedict.
…For now, I’ll just store it in my inventory. There are more urgent matters to deal with than checking on this.
The last thing I pulled out was the tablet.
From the outside, it looked so unremarkable that you could easily think about throwing it away.
[What on earth is this that got you to give up such a precious gemstone?]
Gramps let out a sigh-filled voice the moment he saw the tablet.
To him, who didn’t know the true worth of this slab, it must be difficult to comprehend that I exchanged a god-given gem for this rock.
But that’s not the case for me.
For me, this piece of junk was far more valuable than a gem that could only fill divinity in battle.
Because…
‘This is a key.’
[A key?]
‘Yes. A key to obtaining the shield I want.’
This was the trigger for getting one of the top-grade shields.
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