The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“Oh my, I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time with consultation. After talking about it, I don’t think I should sell this watch.”

“It’s okay, Customer. It wasn’t consultation, it was an interesting conversation.”

“Thank you for understanding. It brought back memories of how I felt when I first bought it. I’ll come back next time with something else.”

“Please come again next time!”

I waved my hand with a smile until the end.

Saying it was an interesting conversation was partly a customer management comment, but it was also sincere.

Even ordinary-looking items all have their own stories.

When you listen to their stories, you see not just the items but the customers too.

Seeing excitement in an elderly lady’s eyes, passion in a tired office worker’s eyes, and glimpsing innocence in the eyes of an adult worn down by life’s hardships – it’s truly special.

‘That’s one of the reasons pawnshop work is enjoyable. Does Grandfather feel the same way as me?’

Looking at the clock, it was already closing time. I was thinking I should start preparing to clean up when I turned around.

Ding—

The bell rang very softly. Whoever it was seemed to have opened the door very carefully.

“Welcome…”

I hesitated as I was about to greet the customer.

“…in.”

‘Oh my, what a surprise.’

Someone wearing a pitch-black robe was standing there alone.

Not only that, but they were swaying in place.

Sway, sway. They looked like the grim reaper. I gulped.

‘Could it be that they came to catch me because my regression goes against the natural order?’

Well, if there are people who regress, there could be grim reapers too.

Should I pray? Would they spare me if I pray? Or should I run away? Can only I see that thing?

All sorts of thoughts flashed through my mind.

“Is, is this… a pawnshop?”

The tension completely dissolved.

The voice that leaked out from under the robe belonged to a woman who sounded like she was crawling into herself.

It’s a good thing I didn’t say something ridiculous like ‘Excuse me, sorry, but could you come back in a few decades?’

I skillfully put on a business smile and put on gloves.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“If I… give you something, can you look at it?”

“Of course. What did you bring? Please place it on the velvet here.”

I was smiling, but I was surprised for the second time when I saw what the woman took out.

‘My goodness.’

It was a locket-type pendant made to hold something inside.

Of course, the pendant itself wasn’t surprising. The problem was what it was made of.

The pendant the woman took out was entirely made of a single emerald.

An emerald had been cut and processed to make an openable pendant.

‘Wow, how much could this possibly be worth…’

Moreover, it was a sacred object imbued with holy power.

I couldn’t even imagine how much effort went into making it.

As I naturally became reverent, I noticed that the woman’s hand sticking out between the robe was trembling slightly.

‘Ah, so the reason she was swaying so frighteningly earlier? Could she have been trembling?’

The first thing that came to mind was the possibility of stolen goods. What if she was trembling because she was afraid of being caught with a stolen item?

I had to check as part of procedure. I asked carefully.

“Customer, do you happen to have a certificate of authenticity or warranty? I need it for appraisal.”

“…I don’t have… anything like that.”

“Then what about a purchase receipt or auction record?”

“…I don’t really know. All I have is this jewel. …Won’t this alone work?”

Suddenly, I remembered what that crazy guy had said.

“I heard you have a discerning eye. You can immediately tell whether something is stolen goods or not just by looking at it, right?”

Without a warranty or receipt, I should have refused by common sense.

But somehow, I wanted to hear the woman’s story.

‘Of course I can’t tell from the item alone. But I get a feeling about people. Whether they have ulterior motives or not.’

Moreover, the woman asked if I could ‘look at’ the valuable item. She wasn’t trying to sell it off immediately.

I placed a warm cup of tea in front of the woman who was hanging her head low.

“Then what kind of connection do you have with this jewel?”

“Huh, huh…?”

“You seem to know the value of this jewel without me having to tell you. It looks very special.”

“…It looks that way. Yes. It’s special. Really special.”

The woman holding the teacup murmured softly.

On her right ring finger was a softly glowing blue ring.

“It’s a pendant my mother left me. I was so happy when I received it. Not because it was beautiful, but because it was a gift from my mother. That’s what made me happy.”

Why would she come to a pawnshop with something so precious?

Looking at how the jewel was made, she seems to be from quite an influential family. Did something happen to the house? Like bankruptcy and needing money?

As I was thinking, tears mixed into the woman’s voice.

“But… they’re trying to take this away.”

“What?! Who?”

“My uncle… said that someone like me doesn’t deserve to have something like this, that he doesn’t know why his dead sister gave it to me… So he said he would take it back. It’ll be stolen from me soon.”

This crazy bastard.

I barely held back the curse that was about to slip out.

The woman sniffled.

“So I came here. You can entrust valuables to a pawnshop, right?”

Strictly speaking, entrusting items to a pawnshop isn’t storage but setting up collateral.

I felt sorry for the woman’s situation, but she seemed to be misunderstanding something, so I was about to explain when—

“I know that this jewel could be sold if I can’t repay the money within the promised deadline. But I won’t repay the money.”

“Pardon? No, but if you know that, why would you bring this precious and valuable thing…”

“As long as it’s not my uncle.”

The woman suddenly grabbed my hand.

“As long as it doesn’t fall into my uncle’s hands. I… if I keep it, since I have no power, it will definitely be taken away.”

I could feel her trembling through our clasped hands. It was fear.

“So if you… meet someone who suits this jewel, if someone appears who will cherish this jewel more than me… please sell it to them.”

I caught a glimpse of tear-soaked green eyes under the robe’s hood.

“It’s an expensive jewel, isn’t it? If someone can afford to buy this, they must be someone with a lot of money and power. …That person will be able to protect this jewel from my uncle. They won’t foolishly let it be taken away like me. Please, so…”

Listening to the story, I let out a deep sigh.

Thanks to that, the woman whose words were cut off looked at me expectantly, or perhaps nervously.

Eventually, my mouth opened.

“Excuse me, Customer. What on earth are you talking about right now?”

I let go of the woman’s hand.

“I won’t deal with this.”

The woman’s hand dropped with a thud.

Even though her entire body was covered by the pitch-black robe, I could tell.

The woman was in despair.

“Then, what should I… do now…”

Tears dripped down from between the robe.

I shook my head, rubbed my face dry, and said.

“Customer, how could I sell something so precious?”

I pushed tissues toward the woman.

The woman, bewildered as she clutched the tissue, slowly understood what I meant.

“Then….”

“I don’t know what feelings your mother had when she left you this jewelry. I also don’t know why your uncle, that damn bas… no, that damn bastard covets your belongings. But one thing is certain.”

I carefully shone light on the hinge part of the pendant.

It was the most delicate and most vulnerable part.

I handed her the loupe so she could see clearly and said.

“Emeralds are fragile gemstones. Even the slightest impact leaves marks immediately. It would be even more noticeable in a hinge area like this. But look.”

The pendant was pristine.

There wasn’t a single flaw.

“You want me to sell it when someone who would cherish it more appears? There’s no one who would cherish this gemstone more than you, Customer. So I can’t sell it to anyone.”

“Ah….”

“I may look like a pushover, but I’m not a fool. I don’t just eagerly buy up items that have no one to sell them to.”

I deliberately put on a playful tone.

I smiled gently at the woman who lowered the loupe and stared at me blankly.

“So please protect it, Customer. Just as you have until now, please cherish it in the future too.”

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