Chapter 25
Before the news of Alferen’s broken engagement could spread.
An unexpected heavyweight visitor arrived at Digri’s atelier.
It was none other than Alferen Ainluk, the wing of the Barnard Empire and master of the Magic Tower.
“You were looking for me,” Alferen said.
Even Digri, who had dealt with so many luminaries over the years, rarely saw high-ranking nobles come in person to commission custom work.
They usually sent underlings, after all.
“I’ve heard you’re the finest jeweler in all of Barnard,” Alferen continued.
“You flatter me. Do you have a particular gem or design in mind for the piece?”
At his question, Alferen nodded toward the aide who had accompanied him.
Eden set down the box he was carrying.
“This is…”
“A pink diamond, mined six years ago from a quarry under the Ainluk domain.”
“Gasp!”
Digri swallowed hard, his face flushing as he pried open the box.
The diamond, tinged with a deep red hue, shimmered with iridescent colors depending on the angle of the light.
Having laid eyes on a pink diamond of such staggering size, Digri felt the long-dormant fire of a master craftsman surge within him once more.
“Wh-what do you plan to make with it?”
“A ring.”
“An-anything else?”
He couldn’t possibly mean to make just the ring and call it done, could he?
As Digri’s anxious gaze followed Alferen’s lips, the mage replied.
“You can craft whatever other accessories you like to match the ring. But I’d appreciate it if you could prioritize the ring and get it done quickly.”
The reason for entrusting such a precious gem to a jeweler was obvious enough.
Digri stole a glance at Alferen.
Silver hair, like moonlight melted down and poured over his forehead, swayed gently.
Beneath it, eyes of cold blue glass gleamed with a piercing, crystalline intelligence.
A face where delicate refinement and sharp-edged masculinity coexisted in perfect harmony.
And on top of that, a promising figure renowned as a genius mage.
Too good to waste on a marriage to Princess Nanael…
The memory of that wastrel who had trashed his atelier just a few weeks ago soured his expression involuntarily.
The maid caught up in that mess had ended up quitting.
He’d recommended a decent new shop for her, but the girl simply didn’t have the mental fortitude to last long in this line of work.
Digri closed the box and asked, “Is this for a proposal ring, by chance?”
“…Something like that.”
The sight of the burly man blushing was breathtaking in its beauty.
He’d heard it was a political betrothal, but judging from the duke’s expression, it wasn’t as if he felt absolutely nothing for her.
The duke must have awfully low standards.
It was a pity, truly, but Digri had no business meddling in the affairs of nobles.
“Understood. I’ll craft a proposal ring as dazzling and fitting for Princess Nanael as—”
He was just about to pull out the contract when—
“No. It’s for her.”
Alferen drew forth a pendant he kept tucked close to his chest.
Inside the pendant was the portrait of a lovely young woman with soft, fluffy pink hair like cherry blossoms in bloom.
This woman…
Her debut as a debutante, wearing Digri’s diamond necklace, had sent his sales skyrocketing tenfold.
And that very necklace was the one Princess Nanael had coveted—the root cause of the recent rampage.
Ah, so that’s how it is.
A whirlwind of images flashed through Digri’s mind: three entangled souls swept up in a tangle of passion and jealousy.
It seemed there was more to Princess Nanael’s outburst than met the eye.
How absurd. A princess who already had multiple lovers, jealous over her own fiancé.
I nearly wasted a diamond on the wrong muse.
With practiced ease, Digri presented the contract and explained the order date and crafting timeline.
Alferen listened intently and signed the document, at which point Digri made his bold promise.
“Leave it to me. I’ll create accessories that suit the duchess perfectly.”
After leaving the atelier and boarding the carriage.
Eden stole a cautious glance at the tower master.
To keep the portrait of Duchess Peris inside that pendant he always carries so close to his heart…
He’d seen that pendant ever since Alferen became tower master.
Its somewhat crude design looked like something cheap from a souvenir shop.
He’d always wondered why a man of such wealth would cherish such a trifle.
It must have been a gift from the duchess herself.
Recalling their earlier in-depth conversation with Digri about Rodellia Peris’s tastes only led to one conclusion.
Having arrived at this rational deduction, Eden smiled with a knowing glint.
From the looks of it, his superior had been quietly pining for Duchess Peris for quite some time.
A fine man like our tower master doesn’t exist anywhere else in the empire… So why hasn’t he confessed yet?
From the way the duchess had behaved during her last visit to the tower, it didn’t seem like she was entirely indifferent to him.
Well, matters of the heart never split as cleanly as a palm read, after all.
Even our tower master strikes out sometimes. How utterly fascinating.
No wonder the botched potion experiment from last time hadn’t earned him a severe scolding.
That day, the duchess had clung to the tower master’s side, lavishing him with affection—it had been more a reward than a punishment.
“Heh heh heh.”
So our tower master has a naughty side after all.
Sensing a sudden wave of mischievous energy, Alferen turned to Eden.
“What is it?”
Grinning ear to ear, Eden made his grand declaration.
“I’m always rooting for you, Tower Master. If you ever need my help, just say the word.”
The day of the Genus Club’s regular gathering.
With all the members assembled in one place for the first time in ages, the conversation naturally turned to Alferen’s broken engagement.
“While we were off on our trip, turns out our team’s resident straight-arrow went and did something absolutely wild?”
Golden hair in lavish waves, skin bronzed by the sun.
The man with crimson eyes sparkling like he was dying of curiosity was Aslan Chester, eldest son of the Chester dukedom.
His twin sister, Julia Chester, chimed in in agreement.
“Tell me about it. I thought he obeyed his father without question, no matter what. Guess something changed his mind in the meantime?”
The mole beside her lips stood out with every word she spoke.
It was the only difference between the identical twins: whether or not they had that mark.
The Chester twins might look the same on the outside, but their personalities were polar opposites.
They’d traveled together, yet only Aslan had come back tanned to a crisp—the result of their wildly different vacation styles.
Alferen glanced at the twins and gave a half-hearted reply.
“I just let it slide because it was too much hassle.”
That sparked Aslan’s playful side, and he grinned slyly, mimicking Alferen’s words in a mocking lilt.
“‘I just let it shlide becaush it wash too mush hasshle’~ God, you always have to act so cool and aloof.”
“Well, at least you came to your senses eventually. To celebrate going solo, want me to introduce you to someone nice?”
Julia, the belle of high society with her golden connections, was all too eager to play matchmaker when Adrian cut in first.
“I already offered, and he shot me down. Guess this guy really is a eunuch after all.”
“Who knows? Could be the opposite.”
Julia smirked, her gaze flicking between Adrian and Alferen.
A chill ran down Adrian’s spine as he edged away from Alferen and asked, “You’re not… I mean, no way, right?”
“Want me to kill you?”
Alferen’s fierce glare had Adrian throwing up his hands in a placating laugh.
“Hey, hey, if you kill me, who’re you gonna hang out with then? That’s cold.”
“Were we ever friends?”
“Ouch, that actually hurts.”
Adrian slumped his shoulders dramatically, but Alferen had already looked away.
As they traded their usual trivial banter.
Julia turned to Adrian.
“What happened with roping in your little brother?”
“Ah, looks like I’ll have to give up on that this year. He’s already joined another club.”
Alferen, who had been listless and disengaged up to now, suddenly jumped into the conversation.
“Another club?”
“Something like Manua or Majia, I think. I looked into it—turns out they’re in financial straits, so membership’s way down this year. Delly’ll probably drop out soon enough, so I’ll try again then.”
“Delly was interested in magic?”
Julia fixed a knowing stare on Alferen, who had grown unusually chatty.
