“I’m back, Mother.”

“I’ve already heard everything about what you did at the party.”

“…”

‘Here comes another round of criticism,’ Eliana thought, but Matilda merely pressed her lips tightly together and stared at her with an unusual look in her eyes, a gaze that was almost chilling.

“I’ll be telling your father everything you did today. Go to your room.”

Something about being told to go to her room made Eliana feel uneasy, but she headed to her room nonetheless.

“Why are you letting her go just like that, Mother? You should give her a good scolding!”

“There’s no need to waste energy. I have other plans.”

Matilda responded to Paul as she glared at Eliana’s retreating figure.

‘You don’t have much time left in this house, Eliana.’

***

During the morning tea time after breakfast, the newspaper the maid had brought lay on the table. A large article covered the story of four people dancing together at yesterday’s party, describing in detail how the two couples had taken the stage.

Eliana had expected the paper to be filled with stories about Cedric publicly flaunting his affair with Rachel, but that wasn’t all. Surprisingly, there was quite a bit written about Eliana as well.

-To everyone’s surprise, the title of the party’s best dress went to Eliana Leiberte’s blue gown.-

‘Huh…? My dress?’

It was unexpected. She remembered how everyone had stared at her with shock, apparently even paying close attention to her dress. It was indeed a beautiful dress, one she had carefully chosen.

‘But I didn’t expect it to be picked as the best dress.’

Being named the best dress at the party was a significant event, even making it into the newspapers. For lesser-known noble ladies, this recognition could boost their social standing. Everyone wanted to be named the wearer of the best dress.

And now, Eliana had been chosen over all the other extravagant outfits. She was used to being the subject of scorn, so this outcome took her by surprise.

‘Hmm, even bad attention is still attention.’

Winning the best dress award usually caused a massive increase in sales for the store that sold it. As a result, not only that store but others would start asking her to wear their clothes.

‘Will that happen to me too?’

Given the unique circumstances of the previous night, it was hard to predict. But if such offers did come her way, she saw no reason to decline.

She flipped to the next page, which was still filled with news about the party.

– Rachel Slonian, chosen by His Highness the Crown Prince. When will she be summoned to the palace? –

Below that article was detailed information about Rachel and her family.

– Though she has never been a candidate for Crown Princess, she is renowned in high society for her beauty. She is known for her kind personality and excellent character, and has a good reputation. –

‘Excellent character, my foot.’

Eliana quickly turned the page, not wanting to read a single word more. The next article that caught her eye was about Empress Heather’s necklace.

‘Ah, this is it.’

Eliana’s blue eyes sharpened. The news she had been waiting for had finally come out. The article reported that Empress Heather was so fond of the ruby necklace she received as a gift from the Kingdom of Tempton that she had worn it for three consecutive days. Given the vast number of jewels she owned, wearing the same piece for three days in a row signified how much she liked it.

Some might think it insignificant that the Empress had worn a necklace, but in Moira, it was a big deal. The jewelry she chose to wear always saw a dramatic increase in value, as she would never wear anything less than the very best.

“Mila.”

Eliana called for her maid.

“Would you like more tea, My Lady?”

“No. I’m done with tea.”

“Shall I bring more cookies, then?”

“I’m going out, so prepare the carriage.”

* * *

Eliana went straight to town with Mila. She had a clear purpose but wasn’t in a rush.

She stopped by the bookstore and bought a couple of books she fancied. After that, she purchased a few items from various shops before heading to Sadie’s jewelry store.

As she glanced at the jewelry displayed in the window outside, the door suddenly burst open.

“Lady Leiberte!”

Sadie called out to Eliana with a delighted expression.

“If you open the door like that, it might not survive the day.”

“I apologize if I startled you, my lady. I was just so excited. I was planning to visit your estate soon.”

“Why would you visit my estate?” Eliana feigned ignorance, masking her curiosity.

“Please, come inside first. I have something important to discuss with you.”

“What is it?” 

“I’ll explain once you’re seated.”

“Fine then.” 

Eliana followed him inside. Sadie guided her to the VIP section, offering her the most comfortable seat while closely watching her expression.

“So, what is it you need to say?”

“Do you remember the gemstone you purchased last time? The Azilend ruby?”

“Yes, what about it?”

“Well… its value has skyrocketed—more than five times over!” Sadie whispered as if revealing a state secret.

“Really?” Eliana responded, feigning indifference.

“Did you not see the news?” Sadie asked, barely containing his excitement.

“You mean the article about the Empress’s ruby necklace?”

“Yes! That’s exactly it!”

“I did see it this morning. The necklace looked exquisite. The rubies were dazzling,” Eliana replied nonchalantly.

“Exactly! Ever since Her Majesty wore it, the demand for Azilend rubies has soared. But these rubies aren’t easy to come by, and the quantity available in Moira is very limited. And yet, you, Lady Leiberte, already own one of those rare gemstones, as if you knew this surge in popularity was coming.” Sadie’s voice grew increasingly eager, as though desperate to get to the main point.

“How did you manage to predict it so precisely? Even with all my years in the business, I didn’t see this coming.” He genuinely sounded both impressed and frustrated.

‘Because I know the future, obviously,’ Eliana thought to herself, smiling inwardly.

“It’s good news that the value of the ruby I bought has increased.”

“It’s more than just good news!”

“And?”

“Sell it to me, Lady Leiberte! I’ll pay you a generous price—six times what you originally paid for it!” Sadie’s eyes gleamed, his tone almost pleading.

“You want me to sell the ruby?” 

“Yes!”

‘Six times the value? That’s far too low,’ Eliana thought. If that was the offer, she wouldn’t have bothered buying the gemstone in the first place. Besides, Sadie wasn’t giving her the full picture.

‘The ruby is worth far more than that.’

“You say the value has increased by five times?” Eliana asked.

“Yes, five times what you paid for it. But I’m offering you six times as much! That’s quite a generous offer.”

Sadie was confident that Eliana wouldn’t refuse.

‘Merchants always try to lowball offers, but this is ridiculous,’ Eliana mused, tilting her head slightly in thought. Sadie’s eyes followed the movement anxiously, awaiting her decision. She didn’t take long to answer.

“I think I’ll keep it, Sadie.”

“…!”

“I bought it to keep, after all. And since Azilend rubies are so hard to come by, I have all the more reason to hold onto it.”

“Wh-what?” Sadie stammered.

“I don’t really feel like selling it. I appreciate the offer, but I’m not interested.”

Eliana’s refusal was firm. Sadie quickly tried to come up with another tactic.

“Lady Eliana, if you just hold onto it, the value could drop at any time.”

“I’m not worried.”

“Wait! I’ll give you eight times—no, ten times the original price! Ten times! That’s a considerable sum, more than enough for a solid investment!” 

Considering the considerable inheritance left to her by her aunt, ten times the amount would indeed be a significant fortune.

“Hm.” 

Eliana pretended to think it over again.

Sadie’s eyes were locked on her, full of anticipation.

“No, I’m still going to keep it.”

“Oh…” 

Sadie’s frustration grew more apparent.

It seemed that trying to negotiate with a noble lady who wasn’t desperate for money was far more difficult than dealing with typical merchants. After all, the Leiberte family was incredibly wealthy, so Eliana had no reason to sell.

Despite telling her that the value of the ruby could drop, Sadie knew very well that the price was unlikely to fall anytime soon. If anything, Azilend rubies were going to become even harder to obtain in the future.

Eliana showed signs of getting up from her seat.

“Lady Leiberte,” Sadie called out, making one last attempt. 

“Twelve times. How about that? I’ll give you twelve times the original price.”

Now, this was an offer worth seriously considering.

“Hm.” Eliana rested her chin on her hand, staring at him. Sadie gulped, eagerly awaiting her response.

“Make it fifteen times, and we have a deal. I won’t sell it for anything less.”

Fifteen times the amount she originally paid—a huge sum, yet Eliana casually made the offer. Sadie, with his business acumen, knew this was still a profitable deal. The value of Azilend rubies had surged and would likely remain high. He hesitated for a moment, but the decision was clear.

“Very well, my lady. Let’s do it,” he agreed, sealing the deal.