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“This is Theo, the eldest son of Duke Christopher Valentine.”
Prince George reiterated that he held the title of the second prince of Saturion, yet there was a noticeable hint of sadness. How many times have you introduced yourself?
“I think we need to hear about what you’re talking about first.”
Theo, who arrived at the scene like a chivalrous knight, successfully resolved the situation. My mother got me and Louise up and then left us with Madame Lisbon while she escorted the guests to their seats.
“Take care of the children.”
“Yes, Duchess.”
When I punched him in the side, Louise, who was considering escaping, had his mouth wide open and was thinking about running away.
“What are you going to do right now?”
“How can you do this?”
The large door of the drawing room was closed. To be kicked out without a chance to protest anything. No way.
“Miss, there are jewellers here.”
“… I will go downstairs.”
The jewellery and dresses were delivered punctually. I can’t believe I received a package at such a crucial moment in my life. I had no other option but to go down to the first floor.
“Hello, miss.”
Perhaps because it was a rare item, the jewellery store owner came to visit in person. Madame Lisbon’s eyes widened with astonishment as it had been quite some time since such large jewellery had made its way into our humble abode, where a constant flow of various items come and go.
“There are guests at home right now, so Madame Lisbon will look after them instead of Mother.”
“Please forgive us for not recognising the precious lady of Valentine.”
Hmm. I think they’ve already known it since we first entered the store. Madame Lisbon was shocked when she looked at the writing on the box that had just been delivered.
“No way, this is Aston Martin!”
“What?”
It seems like a name I’ve heard before somewhere. Surprised, Madame Lisbon asked the store owner.
“Is this from Aston Martin?”
“It’s an honour that you know who I am. It’s late to introduce myself. I am Annabelle Martin, the owner of the Aston Martin Workshop.”
Madame Lisbon didn’t know what to do when she saw the prince, even though she wasn’t surprised to see him. She grabbed my hand and then asked me a question.
“Miss, where did you get this item?”
“It was prepared by His Highness the Crown Prince.”
I am preparing for my upcoming debutante ball. It’s a good excuse, but I guess it’s a bit excessive.
“Oh, my word. Holy crap! How can it be so precious? I won’t say anything here, but please come in.”
I don’t know why, but when everyone heard the name “Aston Martin,” they all seemed very shocked. For the first time in my life, I witnessed Madame Lisbon showing kindness to a merchant who had come to the mansion.
“Ciel! You took my emergency fund!”
At that moment, my brother Louise, who had lost all his emergency funds and was penniless, came to catch me.
“Is it wrong that you left me there where everyone could see me?”
“What the hell!”
I asked Louise if I was angry because I wasn’t sure.
“Louise. Do you know who Aston Martin is?”
“You idiot. You don’t even know that?”
It turns out that Aston Martin was a renowned jeweller who became famous throughout the continent a few decades ago.
His craftsmanship is truly exceptional, to the point where stones radiate brilliance under his touch, and his jewels are said to be worth hundreds or thousands of times the normal price.
“The problem is that they choose the customers.”
“Really?”
As the number of people who wanted his jewellery grew, Aston Martin stopped making jewellery for everyone and only made it for the people he liked.
Princess Charlotte, also known as Princess Royal, was not an exception either. People say that Aston Martin was known for his statement that only deserving individuals were worthy of owning the exquisite jewels he crafted, and then one day he just disappeared.
“So, all of these are birthday presents for our Miss Ciel?”
I am amazed by the exceptional customer service provided by the Aston Martin workshop, which also happens to directly deliver a wide range of exquisite jewels. If everyone knew about this, wouldn’t there be a higher honour than this?
“Before handing over the jewels, I wanted to meet Miss Ciel.”
Based on Madame Lisbon’s reaction, it looks like the valuable thing is truly valuable.
“If you like it, please accept it.”
The store owner called out, and one by one, servants entered the room, each carrying a stunning box.
I didn’t realise it when I was in the store, but the colour made it clear that it was a different gem when I saw it under the bright chandelier.
They mentioned being selective about their customers, but perhaps that was simply because they emphasised that they were not selling to just anyone, which made me feel better.
“It’s so pretty that I don’t know if I can really get something like this.”
“Certainly. Because you saw the worth of our things, not just the price.”
It took some time to understand what was being said. I just didn’t think anything of it, but it seems the store owner really liked the way I looked in the mirror.
“When Aston Martin became famous, people all over the world were only interested in how much our jewels cost, not how much they were worth.”
Sell your jewellery to someone who truly appreciates the value of the piece, regardless of the amount of money. It is said that this was the teaching of Aston Martin, the renowned craftsman who has since passed away.
“I just said it looked beautiful because it did. It makes me feel embarrassed to say that.”
“If you only deal with people who give you a lot of money without even seeing the product, you don’t realise how precious a person like you is.”
I felt like I finally understood what she meant. Unlike my family, who just look at something and don’t really care who made it as long as it looks pretty, there are many people in the world who first consider how famous someone made it.
I even heard that some nobles wouldn’t talk to people who weren’t wearing clothes from high-end designers. Thanks to this, there were quite a few nobles who had to go into debt to buy dresses.
“I think I kind of understand what you’re saying.”
“We are also people who make things with love. I hope you understand that a parent would prefer to give their child to someone who will provide love and care, rather than to someone who intends to sell the child for a significant sum of money.”
It is said that he is not a wealthy businessman, but that he truly feels like sending his child off.
Actually, I would be extremely upset if I witnessed my beloved child being sold as stolen property or taken by thieves.
“I will cherish it. Thank you.”
“We hope that you will consider using our services again in the future.”
If you use it a lot, you’ll end up losing money. The owner, surrounded by a towering stack of jewellery boxes, warmly greeted us before disappearing as quickly as smoke.
“Madame Lisbon, I’m here to deliver my dress from the Glam Rose dressing room.”
“What is this…….”
It’s all up to Madame Lisbon to check the flood of gifts, like a constant delivery box.
Madame, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I somehow gave you a lot of work, but I left all the confirmation of the dress to you and sneaked back into the drawing room.
* * *
Lucky for me, no one would mind if I hid. Prince George, who was sitting alone on the long sofa, eagerly told his story to Theo and Clara, who were sitting across from him.
“Lady Clara is truly an excellent resource. It is embarrassing to admit, but our Saturion medical skills are still far behind the Empire’s.”
“I see.”
I quietly approached Alex because I was afraid that if I sat next to my mum, she would ask me to leave again. The good news is that His Highness has found me and offered me a place next to him.
“Ciel?”
“It’s fine, Duchess.”
My mother, feeling dismayed frowned at me. I thought I was going to get scolded for being a pamper, but I’m glad Alex said it was fine.
I’m glad we’ve become quite close. I sat down next to Alex and softly whispered in his ear.
“Your Highness, what happened?”
“Yeah. That is his purpose.”
There wasn’t much to talk about while I was away. George, the second prince of Saturion, was the same age as Theo, who was also 22 years old.
Even though his oldest brother is expected to take the throne, it is said that Prince George went to the empire on purpose to find a bride who would help the kingdom. This is a way to manage the family as a whole.
“I knew it from the moment I met Lady Clara. If a person like her were to come to our kingdom, she would undoubtedly play a significant role.”
“Your Highness George.”
“You may be surprised by my sudden marriage proposal, but my feelings are sincere. I hope you will consider it well.
I must say, I am quite surprised. It’s said to be a sudden proposal, but listening to it, he is quite polite, and the other side is also quite serious, so they can’t refuse it carelessly.
Mom glanced at Theo, who was clearly in trouble. As everyone was in distress, Prince George displayed a bright smile, revealing his white teeth, and playfully winked in my direction.
“I’ve heard lots of things about your sister.”
Prince George cast a meaningful smile in the direction of both Alex and me. Why are you feigning happiness when you’re actually not feeling happy? Even though he seemed to be a kind guy, I couldn’t stand being around him for some reason.
It seems like he loves his kingdom a lot, and he thinks highly of Clara’s talent. The position of princess seems like an opportunity, but why don’t I like him so much? Alex acted as a middleman on my behalf while I was being gloomy.
“Since Lord Valentine is still away, I think it would be best to call it a day and go back to the palace.”
“Please understand that I am being rude to you on our first meeting.”
First, Alex chose to take that troublesome prince to the imperial palace.
My original plan was to show off the gift to my mom and take Alex out to a nice dinner, but then a surprise guest showed up and ruined everything.
When I got to the bottom of the stairs, the foyer had a row of boxes that hadn’t been moved yet.
“What is all of this?”
“Mom. It is a gift from His Highness.”
“Oh my goodness. How can something be so precious…”
It seems that Aston’s jewellery is a luxury item that even my mother is familiar with. Theo guided the guests, and my mother happily thanked His Highness the Crown Prince for the precious gift.
“I couldn’t even say greet properly because I was in a hurry.”
“Next time, let’s have dinner together. Okay?”
Mom gave me a dirty look when I suddenly got in the way again.
“That is a kind and thoughtful thing to say. You should go in first because I’ll come back to visit the place the next time I’m in.”
Just then, one of the maids opened the box and took out a tiara. Alex called the maid and picked up the tiara and placed it on my head.
“It suits you well.”
“Really?”
It’s great, but the reason behind my smile right now isn’t something to be happy about. If you continue acting like this, there is a chance that my sister will actually end up getting married.
I was getting antsy, and I tried to telepathically persuade him not to leave, at least with my eyes.
Fortunately, Alex seemed to understand what I meant and smiled happily.
“I’ll stop by one more time at night.”
Phew. That’s a load off my chest. Firstly, there is a great deal of work that has to be done in order to get ready for this difficult proposal; hence, we have agreed to talk once more at a later time in order to avoid the supervision of adults.
“Your Highness, I’ll see you later.”
“You too. Let’s get some rest for now. Your complexion is not good.”
As I bid farewell, a sense of confusion washed over me. Even if you tell me to rest, I don’t feel like resting.
If things kept going like this, my sister might get married in a faraway country, but Theo’s strangely quiet behaviour earlier was really bothering me.