Celebrity Lady - Chapter 107

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Celebrity Lady
Episode 107
Hannah hurried forward and bowed deeply to Rubetria.
“Madam Representative, I apologize. A customer came to the wrong shop, and I asked them to leave.”
“…? Wrong shop? Didn’t you ask what they were looking to purchase when you gave them a waiting ticket?”
“Ah, it’s not that. It seems they simply weren’t aware of the price range of the products we carry here.”
“I see.”
Rubetria nodded in understanding.
“I do have money! Plenty of it…….”
The woman spoke with tears in her eyes.
“But I didn’t know this was a shop where only nobles could buy things. If I was impolite, I’m sorry.”
The woman, looking hurt, pressed her lower lip firmly shut and tried to leave. Rubetria quickly caught her arm.
“Just a moment, madam.”
Then she turned to Hannah and slowly read the name tag pinned to her uniform.
“Hannah… Gretchel…….”
Before the nervous Hannah, Rubetria spoke in an amused tone.
“You’re quite the thoughtful employee—your customer service manual is thoroughly installed.”
“Oh! You flatter me.”
Startled, Hannah patted her chest and bowed politely.
“Manager.”
Rubetria gave a subtle hand signal and swiftly turned away from Hannah.
Unlike the tactless Hannah, who was still grinning, the Manager—who looked chagrined—was shuffling his feet anxiously. He pulled Hannah along.
“Come with me, Hannah.”
“Yes, sir!”
Soon both disappeared up to the second floor.
“I am Madam Ruby, representative of Blanc de Rubis. I apologize on behalf of my employee’s rudeness. I sincerely regret what happened.”
As Rubetria approached the woman standing there awkwardly and spoke, all the staff in the shop were taken aback.
The woman as well. Flustered, she waved her hands.
“No, please. It’s been so long since I’ve been to the Capital that I didn’t know any better. As your employee said, the shop must have its image…….”
“Not at all, madam. We carry luxury goods, so most of our customers happen to be nobility, but this is not a shop exclusively for nobles.”
“Is that so?”
“I’d like to personally guide you through the shop as my apology for my employee’s discourtesy.”
“Pardon?”
The woman was bewildered, and the staff watching were even more so.
“Shall I have your bag set aside?”
“Ah, I…… Thank you.”
When Rubetria offered to take the worn handbag, a quick-thinking staff member immediately came forward and accepted it.
Soon Rubetria gently led the woman and asked.
“What item are you looking for?”
“Ah yes. The truth is, I’ve come to see my son after a very long time. I wanted to give him a gift—I heard there’s a fashionable watch available in the Capital these days.”
“A wristwatch, then.”
Rubetria approached the glass display case where four wristwatches were arranged.
“It looks like these are the four models we have in stock. If you don’t find a design you like, please also look through the catalog. We’ll contact you once new inventory arrives.”
“Oh my, this is quite beautiful.”
The woman’s eyes gleamed as she pointed to the watch on the far right.
“Shall I show you this one?”
Rubetria asked warmly, put on the silk gloves from the display, and lifted the wristwatch.
Beneath the wristwatch resting on a luxurious velvet cushion was a price tag.
▶65,000,000◀
An astronomical sum. The woman, whose eyes suddenly met Rubetria’s, stammered.
“I do have money!”
“I see.”
Rubetria smiled apologetically.
“And once again, I apologize for my employee’s behavior. But do you happen to know your son’s wrist size?”
At the question, the woman, as if she’d been waiting for it, brightened and pulled a thin strand of yarn from her bosom.
“If he hasn’t lost or gained too much weight since I last saw him, it should be about this thickness.”
Thinking of her son, the elderly woman’s face soon wore a smile.
Observing the woman, Rubetria smiled softly along with her.
“Your son will be absolutely delighted.”
“Do you think he’ll like it?”
“Certainly.”
Rubetria measured the yarn with a ruler and handed the watch to a staff member beside her.
“Adjust the watch band to size 41 for her.”
“Yes, Madam Representative.”
“Madam, would you come this way?”
“Yes?”
Rubetria led the woman to the display of ladies’ handbags.
The woman hesitated and waved her hand.
“No, I’m sorry. I only came to buy a gift for my son.”
“If something appeals to you, please do take a look. Ah, this is a new autumn arrival, and I think it would suit you wonderfully.”
“It’s… yes, it’s beautiful. Beautiful, but…….”
▶9,500,000◀
The woman glanced at the price tag and squeezed her eyes shut.
“The truth is, I’m buying even that watch with money my son sends me. I can’t possibly…….”
Rubetria took the handbag from the display and offered it to the woman.
“Please don’t worry about that. I’d like to give this to you as a gift.”
“Pardon?”
The woman, her eyes widening in surprise, blinked and then smiled, shaking her head.
“If this is because of what happened earlier, truly, it’s all right. You don’t need to apologize. I understand the position of that young woman too.”
The woman glanced around the luxurious interior of the shop.
“I only heard it was a famous place, so I didn’t know what it was like. Now that I’ve seen it in person, I understand. And why the shop’s image matters.”
“…….”
“An old woman came in shabby clothes not knowing any better—that was discourteous of me. I’ll just take what I came for and go.”
“Madam.”
Rubetria stepped closer to the woman.
“While I must take responsibility for mismanaging my staff, this gift is not given because of that oversight.”
“Yes?”
“You said you’re going to see your son after such a long time, yes?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“What a loving mother. Your son will be happy just seeing your face. Of course, he’ll be moved by a lovely gift too. But if his mother is carrying a worn handbag…… well, it would make me uncomfortable.”
“…….”
“That’s how I feel. Rather than an expensive watch on my wrist, I’d want my mother—the one who raised me with such care—to carry a beautiful bag.”
Rubetria smiled gently at the bewildered woman and offered again.
“I’m sure your son feels the same. So that he can receive his gift with joy, wouldn’t you like to carry a beautiful bag as well?”
“Oh… oh my…….”
Caught off guard by the sudden warmth in her eyes, the flustered woman covered her face with her hands.
“Your kindness is truly appreciated. But I’m too old and not beautiful. An ugly woman carrying such a bag—it wouldn’t suit me at all.”
“Oh, madam.”
Rubetria took the woman’s hands.
“There is no such thing as an unbeautiful woman. You are truly beautiful.”
“…….”
“Your youth was surely beautiful, yes, but now—even more so. The traces of the life you’ve lived shine so beautifully across your face.”
Shine so beautifully.
The woman quietly pressed her trembling hand to her chest.
Who could have ever spoken of her plain, weathered wrinkles in such sweet words?
“When I saw you smiling just now, thinking of your son, I was utterly captivated.”
“Oh…….”
“You are beautiful. Of all your days, now is the most beautiful.”
At those words, the woman finally broke into laughter, her eyes brimming with tears.
* * *
“Please take care on your way.”
The elderly customer had left the shop.
I turned around with a smile.
Sensing my displeasure, all four staff members tucked in their heads like turtles.
Sigh…….
The customer service today was an absolute disaster.
“Did the Manager perhaps instruct you to serve only noble customers?”
“No, Madam Representative. I never received any such instruction from the Manager. That’s why I gave that customer a waiting ticket.”
“I see. You did well. The fundamental business principle of Blanc de Rubis is equal treatment of all customers. We don’t discriminate based on social rank. Anyone with purchasing power is welcome to visit.”
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Yes, Madam Representative.”
“You all saw how I attended to that customer just now, yes? Learn from it, and the Manager will provide you with detailed customer service guidelines for further training.”
“Yes, Madam Representative!”
“Understood!”
Then.
Hurried footsteps came rushing down from the second floor.
It was Hannah, the staff member I’d signaled to the Manager to handle discreetly.
“Madam Representative, the Manager said something strange.”
“Something strange?”
“He suddenly said he was firing me…….”
“At least the Manager has some sense.”
“Pardon?”
“Hannah, did you want to ruin this business? Or perhaps you deliberately wanted to trash my shop’s reputation?”
“M-Madam Representative? That’s not it, I…….”
“That customer you turned away just purchased a sixty-five-million-mark wristwatch.”
“……!”
I stepped closer to the stunned Hannah and spoke.
“My shop is the Capital’s premier luxury brand.”
“Y-yes, yes. I understand…….”
“So I’d like all my employees to be worthy of that standard.”
“…….”
“An employee with the petty-minded attitude of judging people by their appearance and turning them away—I don’t—”
“…….”
“—want to employ someone like that.”
I patted Hannah’s shoulders a few times, watching her face go pale.
“You don’t need to come in tomorrow.”
I delivered the notice and left the shop.
* * *
The Imperial Palace.
A dining table shared by the Emperor, the Empress, Crown Prince Lark, and a precious “guest.”
“Is the food to your taste, Mother?”
The Emperor regarded the elderly woman—Marienne Endleton—who was like a mother to him, with unprecedented warmth and affection in his eyes.
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
“From now on, please make sure to travel with an escort of knights. It’s quite embarrassing for a son to have his mother come all the way from the North alone.”
The Emperor spoke in a deliberately stern voice, and Marienne offered an apologetic smile.
“But I wanted to see the Capital freely for once. And I did want to give you a pleasant surprise.”
“Well, it certainly was a surprise. My heart nearly stopped. I can tell how much hardship you endured making that long journey alone.”
The Empress smiled with concern.
“I’m sorry, truly sorry.”
“By the way, what on earth is in that handbag that you’re holding it so carefully?”
The Emperor had been curious about the bag Marienne had been clutching protectively in her lap since earlier.
It appeared she’d acquired it newly since arriving in the Capital…….
“It’s a gift I received while I was here. I love it so much. I love it so much.”
“Is that so?”
“Actually, I stopped by a famous shop to purchase a gift for His Majesty.”
“Blanc de Rubis?”
Recalling that Marienne had brought a wristwatch as a gift for the Emperor, Lark smiled and asked.
“That’s right. But the young lady there was so kind to me.”
“Is that so.”
The Emperor smiled as he cut his food.
“It seemed to be a shop frequented mainly by the wealthy, and yet she was so very kind to me, even though I came in looking shabby and ill-mannered…….”
As Marienne spoke, she suddenly felt tears coming and covered her cheek with her hand, biting her lip.
The Emperor, the Empress, and Lark were all surprised.
“She said that if I carried an old bag, my son’s heart would be troubled, and then she gave me this.”
“What a thoughtful employee. The items in that shop must be quite expensive to be given away so readily…….”
The Empress spoke in amazement, and Marienne laughed.
“No, she was the owner. I didn’t see her face because she was wearing a mask, but…….”
Lark, who had been listening, paused.
“Ah, Madam Ruby. I’ve seen her once before. She’s quite well-known in the Capital these days for her business acumen.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. It seems she gave my incompetent son a wonderful memory to share with you. I should make a point to express my gratitude to her later.”
Marienne added enthusiastically to the pleased Emperor.
“Do you know what that young lady said to me?”
“What?”
“She said that the life I’ve lived shines beautifully on my face. She told me that now is the most beautiful time of my life.”
Marienne’s face lit up as if she’d returned to her youth.
“How kind-hearted must she be to look at a wrinkled face and speak such beautiful words? I couldn’t help but cry.”
“My, my…… It seems you were quite moved.”
“Indeed. For the first time in a long while, I felt excitement. As if I’d returned to my youth.”
“But Mother, you are beautiful even now.”
“Ha ha…….”
Marienne laughed shyly.
“I feel like I didn’t properly thank that young lady. I’m thinking of stopping by once more before I return home.”
“Rather than that.”
The Emperor smiled warmly.
“I think it would be better to invite her to the palace. Perhaps the Crown Prince…… is acquainted with her?”
The Emperor turned and asked, and Lark flinched.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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