"That's amazing."
"It's been a little over a week?"
"It turns out that it wasn't wrong to say that the Margus family was full of treasures."
"I wondered why Baron Malovan was so strong these days."
Arolne raised the champagne and pursed her lips. The knight next to her received the glass with lip marks on it. Noble men were buzzing like bees everywhere, but it was only annoying to her.
If you grit your teeth in a place like this, you will only be ridiculed. That's why Arolne covered the corners of her mouth and smiled like a flower in a flower garden.
'You're an old man like a fox.'
A very uncomfortable feeling overwhelmed her. Arolne made corrections to the sounds she heard from all directions, one by one, in her mind.
It was exactly a fortnight and a day, and even more than Baron Malovan was proud, Aritze Margus was also proud.
She didn't like the upright neck of Aritze Margus, which looked like it would break if she hit it. The attention of the people around Margus should have been directed at her in the first place.
Full moon and one day. There were only three balls held in it. Since it was such a rare gem, she thought that only she would be able to enjoy this attention for a month.
If she were to bring this treasure, she would bring something rarer; she felt a sense of disgust.
Arolne raised her chin and gently flicked her fan. Although they did not receive as much envy as they expected, there were still only three people who had the 'blessing of eternity' at a ball of this size.
It was fortunate that the person who found the jewel wasn't Mariette Cadilton. However, Arolne was deeply curious.
'Where did you get that?'
The air was filled with talk of "eternal blessing." Her newly tailored red satin dress drew no attention except from a few lowly admirers. Even though it had been tailored for the occasion, Mariette Cadilton's eyes lit up at Aritze. She was a young woman who had recently made her debut in society. A brilliant blonde, she welcomed the arrival of a lady who would immediately challenge Arolne.
Since the only people Aritze hung out with were older guardians, Aritze would gladly join the group if Mariette approached her.
Arolne was wary of it. But what was even more disgusting was the fact that, even with this rare jewel, she had to approach Margus first and engage in socializing.
“Mrs. Margus.”
"Miss Cadilton, huh?"
Arolne stared ahead, her red lips slightly pursed. While she hesitated, Mariette Cadilton took the initiative. It would be alright. She still had Shartus. More precisely, there was an undeniable rumor that she was the woman closest to him.
"You look very beautiful today as well. Madam, I believe your daughter, who was a debutante before, is this Young Lady."
"I'm glad you noticed. Lise, say hello to Miss Mariette Cadilton."
"Nice to meet you. My name is Aritze Margus, Miss Cadilton."
Therese Margus looked at Mariette with a look of amusement. Her sharp gaze briefly swept over Arolne Mulde's face.
The rivalry between Mariette Cadilton and Arolne Mulde was common knowledge to anyone with even a passing interest in society. Therese Margus knew why Mariette Cadilton had approached her. As expected, she was quite a clever young woman.
After obtaining the "Eternal Blessing," Therese was able to gauge the influence it would have on Aritze. Mariette Cadilton was one of the more useful of these possibilities, especially since Mariette hadn't come with a single purpose in mind.
"Aritze, you're a lively young lady, just as I've heard. I've heard so many compliments about your deep thoughts that I've been wanting to meet you. You must be a very prestigious Margus, huh?"
"That's too much praise. I've heard more from Miss Cadilton."
"Haha, it would be fun to have a tea party together. Oh. Is that the 'Blessing of Eternity' by any chance? It's a beautiful jewel, just as I hear it."
Recruiting Aritze simultaneously lowered the value of this jewel. Even as she observed this obvious intention, Therese Margus remained silent.
Therese owned a salon. But that influence didn't extend directly to Aritze. Those who had influence in society needed not only wealth but also the envy of others and the ability to influence those around them.
Charisma, a discerning eye, and a sense of fashion were also important.
Of course, not everyone can have it all. Therese wasn't a very eye-catching lady when she debuted. She didn't have outstanding looks.
However, she possessed a nature like a sleeping lion, and this was the result of a long period of hard work. Aritze, the owner of the largest salon in high society, smiled elegantly.
"What a beautiful name, isn't it? 'Eternal Blessing'."
What could a man who had achieved wealth and fame want next? Now, the only thing Margus desired was the inheritance of power.
Aritze glanced at Therese, who nodded approvingly. Aritze returned a confident smile to Mariette.
"The story was truly beautiful. The moment my mother heard it, she decided that she would definitely give me this jewel as a gift."
"I was there too, so I can't help but agree. It's been a long time since I've seen such a precious jewel."
"There were many stories to find it..."
At just the right moment, just the right amount of attention turned to them. Arolne gritted her teeth.
Sir Pana, who was escorting her from the side, hurriedly handed her champagne, but he did not even catch Arolne's eye.
No one noticed her except the bewildered and devoted followers. As if the host of a party were giving a toast, the crowd quickly gathered around Cadilton and Margus.
"The craftsman who made this jewel..."
Information, wealth, and the thirst of countless rising powers for her—all of this made Margus stand out in the public eye.
It wasn't simply a question of jewels anymore. It was a question of nobility. The vanity surrounding it drew the ears of all nobles, regardless of gender, to learn the source of this gem, which would lead the new social scene.
The rumor spread like wildfire.
Everyone knew which jewelry store was the most successful after the ball. It didn't take long for "Eternal Blessing" to become a social phenomenon.
It was exactly what Rosentine had hoped for.
***
On a moonless night, a shadow moved, rustling. It was a downtown alley, a place where no one could see.
A man leaped from the corner of a building, its bricks piled fearfully high. His gaze, staring down at the tightly shut window from beneath the awning, was ominous.
In the dimly lit room, a man, dressed entirely in black, was taking his time. The streets of the upscale shopping district, closed after sunset, were deserted, not a single mouse in sight.
This is it. I've been waiting for this moment. For days, I've been like everyone else, unable to sleep.
The man pulled back the hood over his mouth, sucking in air. The pattern of the intrusion route he'd drawn on the window was revealed.
It was a place where he had been walking around the building for several days, leaving the locks loose. It was certainly a place frequented by nobles and people of wealthy professions, so even he couldn't completely avoid the eyes of the guards constantly walking up and down the street.
The man ground his teeth with a snapping sound. What the hell was going on? If this continued, he was sure to be punished by his employer.
His employer was a very cold man. The amount of training he had received and the amount of time he had endured while hiding in such a place was not something he could end with just one failure.
'Is this really a failure?'
What scared him most now was the possibility that this might not be a simple failure.
Clearly, Shartus, the Second Prince of Kartazen, had taken the poison. Perutsa's poison would take some time to take effect, so he planned to wait leisurely. Like savoring the main course of a long-awaited banquet, he ate the last fruit with boundless anticipation.
But this took too long. It was simply too much to think that, since he was an undefeated knight, the poison would take a while to take effect.
“I fed it."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course..."
He recalled what Nort had told him. A cracking sound escaped his lips. It was clear the bastard had barked, or something had happened.
Three years, how long has it been? There's no need to be afraid. He reassured himself. After looking around, he quickly shook the glass.
As time passed, the lock came off with a small clank. It costs a lot of money to remove just this one lock. Since it would be a hassle to leave a trace, he chose a fairly expensive item, one of the kinds used by common thieves and robbers.
The fact that the target was a jeweler served as a perfect cover for the man's true intentions. He couldn't wait any longer, having already been waiting for Princess Aventua's ball, to try his next plan, when he saw an absolutely astonishing sight at the ball.
The ladies were hanging the 'Blessing of Eternity'. How heavy was the heart that had fallen in an instant?
But he was a natural shadow and an assassin, and so he could hide his expression. His usual air, his face, his friendly tone.
‘What kind of year is it?’
He couldn't figure out why that gem suddenly became so popular. It also didn't take this long.
That was the reason. He needed to know how things were going, but this damn rumor was spreading so fast that it was difficult to know its origins.
The nobles were more interested in their own vanity than in the jewel's origins. The "Eternal Blessing," initially glowing white, had been refined, and some even wore blue. It was only natural that the eyes of all the nobles were drawn to you when you appeared carrying the jewel. Now, the ordinary "Eternal Blessing" was no longer effective.
'I should have killed him beforehand.'
From the moment he approached the jeweler, he knew he could handle the "Blessing of Eternity." He knew he was proud of the skill, passed down through generations, yet he also knew that beneath that pride lay a lingering anxiety, stemming from gambling debts.
So, the job was easy. No, in the first place, who had instigated him to gamble? It was none other than himself.
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