Chapter 190

Chapter 6 | The Assassin Makes an Announcement Last up was the emerald. Like diamonds and sapphires, emeralds were gemstones made more beautiful with treatment. I began cutting it after performing an impregnation treatment. The process turned the stone’s color to a jade hue, which effectively complemented Tarte’s kind and gentle beauty. It was now time for the final gem. I pulled out the alexandrite I’d obtained for Mom. Alexandrite was a captivating stone with two distinct faces: It shone bluish-green under daylight and a calming red under incandescent light from candles or lamps. Most natural alexandrite was dull or didn’t change color. Some jewels possessed vivid hues, but their color was unsatisfactory before or after the transformation. Alexandrite that changed color completely and was beautiful preceding and following the modification was extremely valuable and alluring. Finding it on the market wasn’t easy, and it carried the value of a national treasure. I knew how to treat alexandrite to make both the red and the green shades distinct and lovely. This was the only process that depended entirely on magic. It was a hopeless errand to rely on science alone. An incredibly enormous and precise machine would be required to do it right. Even with the level of technology in my previous world, it had never been realized outside of theory. Here, however, magic existed, allowing me to tamper with the stone’s very composition. I chose alexandrite because it was often associated with tranquility and passion. My mom constantly wore a gentle smile, yet carried a strong will within, so I thought this fit her perfectly. It was hard work, but I got the result I wanted. “I’m done treating the gemstones. Next, I’m gonna use them and the mithril to make the necklace and rings… Which means it’s time for you two to leave,” I said. “What? I want to keep watching,” Dia complained. “I’m really interested to see how you make the jewelry,” Tarte protested. “If you see any more, it’ll spoil your presents. I want you to be excited for the final products.” I ushered them out of the room without listening to their arguments. This was where the real work began. These ultimate gemstones were nothing more than materials. Whether I enhanced the beauty of the jewels or wasted them would come down to my designs. Fortunately, I’d seen plenty of top-class accessories in this lifetime and my last. Using that knowledge as a model and relying on the sense I’d honed from years of observation, I would make each of the lovely women in my life an item more than suitable for them. A full day had passed since I made the necklace and the rings. Dia and Tarte had been restless since morning. We were currently eating dinner, and I could feel them watching me. They were dying to see the rings I’d created for them. Despite completing their gifts yesterday, I hadn’t presented them yet, having chosen a specific day to do so. I spoke up once we finished eating. “I have a present for you, Mom. I haven’t given you anything yet to celebrate your pregnancy,” I said, and brought out the necklace. The alexandrite on the necklace sparkled. Its bluish-green color changed to red when exposed to candlelight. My father’s eyebrows twitched. He knew how much this was worth. “Wow, what a beautiful necklace! …It looks really expensive, though. I appreciate the thought, but I feel guilty about you spending so much money on me,” my mother said. “It wasn’t that pricey,” I responded. “You’re lying. Even I can see that. Cian, how much would this necklace sell for?” Mom asked Dad, believing that I was lying. “Hmm… The metalwork is delicate and tasteful and was done using beautiful mithril. The alexandrite is of such high quality that not even AAA grade does it justice. It’s five carats as well. Do you remember Count Lingrandt’s mansion from the party we were invited to recently?” Cian asked. “Yes. It was luxurious, beautiful, and so big.” “This necklace would easily buy that mansion. Attaching a price to it at all is nonsensical. This isn’t an item that money can buy.” My mother’s eyes widened in amazement. She obviously hadn’t expected it to be worth quite that much. “I can’t accept this! Please return it right away. You should use that money for yourself, Lugh!” I’d expected her to say that, and I had a response ready. “It’s okay, Mom. I made it myself, so it wasn’t as expensive as it looks. The gemstone was only a AA grade. I treated it to enhance its beauty, and I did the metalwork myself,” I explained. Alexandrite was relatively costly even when it wasn’t AAA grade, but it wasn’t too bad, considering my income. “Are you telling the truth?” my mom pressed. “Yes, I am. So please accept it. I worked very hard on it for you. I’d be sad to see you reject it,” I insisted. “Oh, that’s not fair. How could I not agree after hearing that?” She was smiling despite her words. “Thank you. I’ll cherish it,” she said, and put the necklace on. It looked great on her. No one would ridicule her behind her back in high society ever again. My mom didn’t care about how others spoke of her, but I loved her, and I didn’t want anyone bad-mouthing her. I wasn’t going to say that out loud, for fear of being called a mama’s boy, though. I heard Dia’s voice in my ear. She was using mana to send her words directly to me to keep anyone else from hearing. “Wasn’t the alexandrite bigger than that?” She was right. My budget allowed me to purchase a sizable stone, and it was even larger when I completed treating it. “It was too big for a necklace, so I cut it down. A bulky gem would lack class. This size suits Mom best.” “You’re right, but I can’t believe you actually did it… I would’ve felt like I wasted money.” The prevalent belief among the nobility was that the bigger the gemstone, the better. As such, price increased exponentially with size. The notion of cutting a jewel down to make it smaller was preposterous.