Chapter 17

“What? Intelligent?”

“She proudly told me to do my job properly. I’m sure of that.”

“Prince. How did you suddenly come to such a conclusion?”

Isn’t he being too self-conscious?

Miguel swallowed the words that reached his throat.

“The fact that Princess Deborah, who had been ordering the servants to bring her desserts, came to the store in person, it means she had something to say to me. She sent me a signal because the requests aren’t progressing well.”

“Didn’t she thoughtlessly destroy everything because she was upset while fighting with the young ladies?”

Miguel immediately refuted.

“Actually, she isn’t the type to be swayed by emotions. She was intelligent and cynical.”

“If you look back at Princess Deborah’s past deeds and reputation, she is an impulsive person. Where there is smoke, there is fire. People don’t change that easily.”

“Sooner or later, we will find out who is right. And what she did to Cookie.”

Isidor’s emerald eyes sparkled while he gently soothed his pet, which was growling in dissatisfaction.

***

The winning of the pink diamond by Seymour, and not Montez, has long been consumed as a big gossip in the social world.

Because it was a shocking outcome that no one expected.

Most of the aristocrats, who thought Duke Seymour cold-heartedly treated Princess Deborah because he considered her a disgrace to the family, were astonished.

The fact that he gave her a piece of jewelry with an astronomical price means that Duke Seymour’s affection for his only daughter remains to some extent.

It was obvious that Princess Deborah, who behaved condescendingly, was bound to become even more high-spirited, which was a negative thing for the most part.

In addition, the aristocrats who secretly wanted Philap Montez to win the pink diamond could not hide their disappointment and laughter towards him.

“How could he fail to predict the winning bid? He was so confident; he was too optimistic.”

“Even if he is the Montez heir, in the face of Duke Seymour’s wealth and intelligence he is just like a lizard in front of a dragon.”

There is no way Philap wasn’t aware of how the social world reacted.

He was pretending to be dignified because he would only get laughed at if he got angry, but, as Mia’s birthday approached, the anger he had been suppressing eventually exploded, like a volcano.

“You couldn’t even get that pink jewel and you make me look funny? You’re useless!”

Philap, angry, violently kicked the charred man’s face with his foot.

The burned man was already foaming and losing consciousness, but Philap did not stop kicking.

There were rumors in the whole Empire that he was aiming for the jewel, but he failed to win the bid. The more he thought about it, the more ashamed he was of himself.

What was worse, the owner of the jewel was the woman he hated the most, Deborah Seymour.

“This useless thing!”

Philap, who made the servant more dead than alive with glazed over eyes, walked out of the dungeon with a spirit emitting red flames.

The servant waiting at the entrance immediately flopped down and, with a handkerchief, wiped clean Philap’s messy boots.

As if nothing had happened, Philap looked at the pocket watch and asked the servant, who tidied up his disheveled appearance.

“Did Lady Mia arrive at the mansion?”

“Not yet.”

The servant bowed with a sorry face.

“Why?”

“There are many patients who need to be taken care of today.”

“Ah, she’s doing that even on her birthday?”

Thinking, ‘That’s just like Mia Vinoche.’, Philap clicked his tongue.

Like the incarnation of a saint, she shows her divine power even to the lowly.

The people who were healed by Mia seemed to be talking about her everywhere, praising her as the light coming from the goddess.

‘I like the fact that she’s not mundane.’

If he had such a high purity divine power, he wouldn’t have a hard time.

The fact that power and money could not sway her made her quite attractive to Philap.

To the point that even if she delayed his summons, he would gladly turn a blind eye.

***

“Mr. Philap. Thank you for inviting me.”

As the dinner prepared by the mansion’s chef was cooling down, Mia appeared and gave a polite greeting.

It was obvious that she had been working. Her pink hair was messy and there was a light hint of fatigue on her face.

“It is me who thanks you for accepting my invitation. Rest a little on your birthday. If you push yourself too hard, your body won’t handle it.”

Mia’s round eyes opened wide at Philap’s kind words.

“Ahah, so…”

“Why are you so surprised?”

“Actually, I forgot that today is my birthday.”

Fiddling with her fingers, she smiled shyly and bit her lips.

“It’s because I don’t usually celebrate it.”

“Is there anyone who celebrates it for you?”

Despite his somewhat straightforward question, she didn’t show any discomfort.

“This year, Mr. Philap remembered me. I am happy. It’s like I received an unexpected gift.”

“You talk beautifully.”

As he liked her answer, Philap smiled with satisfaction.

Then, a rumbling sound came from Mia’s stomach.

Philap laughed loudly as he looked at her ears and cheeks, which had turned red.

“First, let’s eat. You seem to be hungry.”

At Philap’s gesture, heated food appeared on the table.

Looking at Mia, who was eating the soup little by little, as if she were adorable, he suddenly began to speak.

“The academy permit was issued.”

Even though she was at a late age and came from a fallen family, Mia was able to join the academy thanks to the letter of recommendation from the Montez family.

“Thank you so much. It’s been my life’s wish to study there.”

Philap acted arrogantly as he looked at Mia thanking him over and over again.

“You didn’t think this was the end, right?”

Acting conceited, he gave her a diamond necklace as a gift.

Since the item he was aiming for was stolen by Duke Seymour, he had no choice but to hurriedly buy a diamond necklace crafted by the capital’s most famous craftsman.

As Mia saw the huge diamond, she immediately showed disapproval.

“It’s really enough that you wrote the academy recommendation. A gift like this is too undeserving and burdensome.”

“Please accept my sincerity in getting it. You said you haven’t had a proper birthday.”

“But something like this…”

“You saved my life, so let me repay you. Please. Lady Mia.”

“I have received so much already. It’s alright, really.”

Their scuffle lasted for a long time, and Philap had no choice but to back off for Mia to eat.

‘I really can’t stop you.’

Philap couldn’t hide his frustration even though he was moved by the purity of her heart.

‘Damn it, I should have gotten that pink diamond. It’s a jewel that suits Lady Mia much better than Deborah Seymour.’

It was a pink jewel the same color as Mia’s hair, and it was a good gift to pretend it was nothing since she was so out of fashion that she didn’t know about the existence of pink diamonds.

Later, when Mia found out that the jewel was a jaw-droppingly expensive item, she would be moved; but all his plans fell through because of Deborah Seymour.

‘I really hate everything about her.’

When he imagined Deborah wearing that bloody thing proudly, walking around the social world, it made him lose his appetite.

***

After meeting Philap, Mia, who had returned to the mansion that remained on the outskirts of the Yones district, sat down on her bed and looked out the window.

‘I’m tired.’

Whenever the wind blows, the window frames that don’t fit the junctions make a loud noise and rattled.

The garden outside the window was as gloomy as a grave with overgrown weeds. The sight clearly showed that the Vinoche family had fallen terribly.

A servant came in, but Mia still had her gaze fixed outside the window.

“Are you looking at something?”

A middle-aged woman asked.

The woman introduced herself as Madame Ophelia and told Mia to address her comfortably.

“I’m looking at that.”

At the woman’s question, Mia pointed her finger at a single flower that bloomed on a dry branch at the wrong time.

“It will freeze to death tonight.”

The woman, who muttered halfheartedly, handed Mia a large jewelry box.

“A servant from the Montez family just came to me and handed me Miss Mia’s gift.”

As Mia opened the jewelry box, the woman hung the gorgeous necklace with a diamond around her slender, deer-like neck.

“How is it?”

When Mia asked timidly, she clicked her tongue softly.

A delicately crafted diamond necklace on top of the shabby, out of fashion dress; it was embarrassingly out of place.

Like the flower that bloomed beautifully on the dry branch over there.

“For a necklace like this, you need to wear a proper dress. Philap Montez is not as sensitive as the rumors say.”

The woman spoke with a cold face.

“If you wear something like this with a shabby dress, you will only get laughed at by the nobles.”

“…”

“If it was that pink diamond, it might have been a different story, but…”

Even without fancy clothes, it would have matched Mia’s pink hair.

“Society would have noticed you. That’s too bad.”

The woman spoke coldly and left the room.

As she fiddled with her fluffy pink hair with her fingers, Mia reached out to the academy admission permit, which she left on her bedside.

[Congratulations on your admission.]

A strange glow flashed in her eyes and disappeared.