One Day, My Dad Disappeared - Chapter 18

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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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Episode 18
When we arrived at the jewel shop Oracle ran, Aidan was just stepping down from his carriage.
“Wow… I thought the orchard was impressive enough, but this is something else.”
The jewel shop on the most valuable plot of land in Seg village was a three-story building. It was hard to believe such a large establishment existed in such a small town.
“So, did you find what you were looking for?”
“Yes, I found something suspicious about the lord and the jeweler. Did you discover anything, Prince Aidan?”
“Well, I did find something in the Wis region—”
Aidan stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth. No, if he was going to speak, he should finish. We needed to exchange what we knew before we could go in and press for answers.
“Oh my, have you come to see some fine jewelry?”
At the voice from behind, I understood why Aidan had closed his mouth.
“Haha, welcome.”
A man with oversized rings on all ten fingers broke into a wide smile, flashing gold teeth that gleamed in the light.
Though his clothes were of the finest quality, his shoulders had grown slumped from constant bowing, and his belly spilled over his belt.
“Are you the owner of this jewel shop?”
“That’s right, sir. I’m Oracle, the owner of this establishment.”
His narrow eyes swept quickly over Aidan, evidently noting the fine quality of what he wore.
“I never expected such distinguished guests to visit our humble little town. This shop may not have much to offer, but please, do come inside.”
“Well, then.”
Aidan walked in ahead as if it were the most natural thing, and I followed behind him.
The interior was so ornate that it wouldn’t have been surprising to learn money had been poured into it. I couldn’t help but wonder who in this village would actually buy such expensive-looking items.
“This rivals most shops even in the Capital.”
At Aidan’s words, Oracle wrung his hands and bowed obsequiously.
“You’re from the Capital, then? Is this a pleasure trip?”
“If I were touring, I’d have gone to Wis.”
Aidan really couldn’t just say something plainly, could he.
“Ah, I see! You’ve come to buy a ring for your lady?”
There was something sinister in his smile that made my skin crawl. Me, Aidan’s lady? In what world?
It wouldn’t have been strange if Aidan had drawn his sword and cut out that man’s tongue on the spot.
“You’ve come to the right place. Our shop carries rare jewels that you won’t find anywhere else. Many customers visit us specifically after going to Wis.”
Oracle laughed widely and quickly surveyed the display cases.
“If I may say so, I think the Blue Diamond Ring would suit this young lady wonderfully. Or perhaps a necklace with a large emerald?”
Such ostentatious items would never suit me.
Even by my own admission, I wasn’t a strikingly beautiful woman. I had no particular fashion sense, but I knew well enough that such large accessories wouldn’t look right on someone as small and plain as me.
Left to his own devices, Aidan would surely say something like, “What makes you think this woman is my lover? Your taste is appalling,” and ruin everything.
Before I could open my mouth to prevent an awkward scene that might complicate the investigation, Aidan’s hand caught my waist.
“Never mind that. Don’t you have any red jewels?”
He pulled me against his side and gently took a strand of my hair in his other hand, then kissed me.
“I’ll have to be away for a while. I’d like something red—a jewel as red as my hair—something that reminds me of you when I look at it.”
What in the world? Why was he suddenly being like this?
When I looked at him strangely, his grip on my waist tightened. His expression told me to keep quiet and pay attention. I closed my mouth.
“Ah, a red jewel, you say?”
Oracle rubbed his hands together noisily.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have any Rubies or garnets in stock at the moment.”
“You don’t?”
“No, we usually do custom work.”
“That’s a shame. I saw the most beautiful Ruby on a trip to the Laitos Kingdom recently. When I asked about it, they said it was crafted and sold here at your shop, so I made the journey specifically for it.”
The Laitos Kingdom?
I glanced at Aidan. It seemed like what he’d started to say earlier must have been about this, so I stayed quiet and smiled.
“This isn’t where you saw it?”
“Oh, so you saw it! Yes indeed, we crafted that piece here.”
He spoke with a smile.
“As you’ve seen, it’s an exceptionally valuable Ruby. Not only does it have that rare Pigeon Blood color you only find in Highest-Grade Rubies, but it’s also perfectly clear without any impurities, giving it a brilliant lustre.”
“Yes, I’ve seen my share of Rubies, but I’d never seen that Pigeon Blood color before.”
“I can tell you have a discerning eye for gemstones, sir.”
Oracle laughed so hard his mouth went dry. Clearly he’d marked Aidan as a wealthy patron.
“That Ruby comes from our lord’s mine, so there’s a waiting list, I’m afraid.”
“Our lord’s mine?”
I interjected at just the right moment.
“There’s a mine here?”
“Yes, it’s owned by our lord, and it produces only the finest quality Rubies.”
“Wow, there are so many Rubies like that? I’d love to see the mine. Is it far from here?”
“Ha, no. Of course it’s close. It’s the lord’s land, after all. But I’m afraid viewing it isn’t possible.”
“That’s a shame.”
As I expressed my disappointment, Aidan asked a question.
“What if we offered extra payment? Is it really that difficult to arrange?”
At the mention of extra coin, I saw the jeweler’s narrow eyes glimmer.
“Ahem, well, the truth is I already have a rather large backlog of orders, which means I really shouldn’t… but since you’ve come all this way in person, and you two make such a lovely couple, I suppose my resolve has weakened again.”
His resolve weakening at the sight of money, yet he spoke so smoothly.
“As it happens, I still have one Natural Ruby Rough Stone that hasn’t been cut yet. Would you like to see that instead?”
“That would be fine.”
Oracle asked us to wait a moment, then climbed the stairs to the second floor.
The moment he disappeared, Aidan withdrew his hand and began wiping it with a handkerchief.
“Remember what I mentioned earlier? There have been several incidents involving Fake Rubies surfacing abroad over the past few years.”
“Fake Rubies?”
“Not just in one or two places. The region where they’ve been discovered most frequently is that Laitos Kingdom I mentioned before.”
It did seem odd, I thought.
The Seg region shouldn’t be capable of producing highest-grade Rubies at all.
“Judging by how many cases of fraud there have been, it looks like someone is systematically manufacturing counterfeit Rubies. And I’d wager that…”
I nodded. It had to be here.
“That mineral the Fisherman claimed to have discovered is probably one of those fakes.”
“Which is why he needed to get his hands on it so quickly. When the Fisherman tried to sell it to another jeweler, he panicked that it would be exposed, so he resorted to all this.”
Just as Aidan lightly stroked his chin—
“Well, that took a while, didn’t it? Here we are.”
The crimson Ruby that Oracle produced certainly looked like a highest-grade Ruby at first glance.
“This Ruby is truly beautiful. I can absolutely see why connoisseurs would covet it.”
Oracle smiled confidently and straightened his shoulders.
“Indeed, this is a natural Highest-Grade Ruby that I personally guarantee.”
“A natural Ruby, you say…”
I turned my eyes from the counterfeit gem and spoke.
“I thought Seg was known for its fruit, but it seems Rubies are the real specialty here.”
“Ha, well, the fruit is delicious too, of course. But fruit is something anyone can buy—it’s common food. Rubies, though, and especially ones of this caliber, are not something just anyone can afford.”
He nudged my side with his elbow and continued.
“Not unless you have a capable man like your lover here, ha ha!”
He was clearly trying to flatter Aidan into buying this counterfeit immediately.
“Do you know why Seg is famous for its fruit?”
“Well, because the fruit in this area is unusually sweet and vibrant in color.”
“The reason for that is because the soil in this region has high iron content. Because iron is so abundant, the fruit here is particularly vivid and sweet compared to other nearby regions with similar weather. That’s precisely why the fruit from Seg has earned its reputation despite the other neighboring areas having comparable climate conditions.”
Oracle just laughed, clearly not understanding what I was getting at.

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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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