Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: The Peridot Necklace
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Mei took Lucillea to the bathroom and washed her face.
The touch was gentle as Mei dried her face with a warm towel that smelled of sunshine.
Then, she stood Lucillea in front of the vanity and showed her the dresses she'd brought.
"How about this dress?"
Mei asked, fluttering a light pink dress at Lucillea's reflection in the mirror, before holding up a blue one.
"Or this one? No, wait, this one would look so good on you too, Lady Lucillea..."
*Goodness, everything looks perfect on her!*
Mei fussed excitedly, pulling out several dresses at once.
Lucillea's gaze in the mirror shifted to the mobile dress rack Mei had wheeled in.
*'Surely... those aren't all my dresses, are they?'*
It wasn't just dresses. There were hair ornaments and matching shoes for each dress, as well as a box full of accessories.
*'Every single one looks so expensive...'*
She felt confused, wondering if she'd been brought to the grand duke's residence as a chosen member of the Elite Corps or as his own daughter.
Just then, Mei held out a light green dress.
"Oh, Lady Lucillea! How about this one?!"
Mei gushed that it seemed to be the most fitting one she'd seen yet.
"Oh..."
For the first time, Lucillea's eyes sparkled.
"I like it. I love light green."
"Oh, really?!"
Lucillea nodded, looking at Mei's joyful smile.
"Yes! A clear, bright light green, just like your eyes, Mei. This dress is the exact color I love. That's why I like it so much!"
"..."
Mei paused for a brief moment. But it was so fleeting that Lucillea didn't notice.
As if nothing had happened, Mei smiled brightly.
"So our Lady Lucillea likes light green?! Like my eyes! I'm truly honored."
She then put the dress down and presented a box brimming with accessories.
"Now, which necklace would you like?"
"Do I have to pick a necklace too?"
"Of course! The necklace you choose now is one you'll have to wear continuously while living here, so please choose carefully."
"Does choosing a necklace have a special meaning?"
Mei nodded.
"Yes! That's right, Lady Lucillea. To be precise, you're choosing the gem set in the necklace. Gemstones are vessels that can contain magic. The gem in the necklace you choose today will be personally enchanted with a protection spell by Sir Noa Radebian, the greatest magician in the Grand Duchy."
"Wow..."
Lucillea murmured in awe.
Noa Radebian.
Mei explained that Noa was a magician who had voluntarily become a vassal of the Grand Duchy and taught magic to the children chosen for the Elite Corps.
Not only did they provide support, but they even gave protection magic.
*'This is the power of the Grand Duchy...!'*
Mei once again held out the jewelry box to Lucillea, who was astonished by the scale of the Grand Duchy's support for the chosen children.
"Here, please choose."
"Umm..."
Lucillea slowly scanned the inside of the jewelry box.
Necklaces set with all sorts of gems were lined up in rows—diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and more.
Even at a glance, the gems looked expensive, but among them were a few pieces that appeared quite old.
*'She said it's a necklace I have to wear all the time.'*
*In that case, wouldn't the biggest, most expensive-looking, and prettiest one be the best?!*
Just as she was thinking that and rummaging through the box...
a single necklace caught her eye.
*'W-Wow...!'*
Lucillea's eyes lit up.
At the end of a thin gold chain hung a pendant the size of a small coin, which seemed to be modeled after the World Tree.
The trunk and branches were crafted from gold, shining brilliantly, and the verdant leaves dangling from the branch tips were adorned with light green gems.
Although it showed more signs of age compared to the other pieces, the moment she saw it, no other necklace could hold her attention.
"T-This one..."
"..."
As Lucillea pointed to the necklace as if mesmerized, Mei's eyebrows twitched once.
"Are you sure you want to choose this necklace?"
Lucillea nodded quickly.
"Yes! This one!"
Mei took the necklace from the box and fastened it around Lucillea's neck.
"You're the first person to choose this necklace, Lady Lucillea."
The first...
Lucillea looked at the necklace hanging around her neck in the mirror.
The necklace resembled nature itself.
The gems representing the leaves, in particular, looked as if the greenery of early summer had been carved from light and forged into the shape of a jewel.
As she gazed at the gems, enraptured, Mei spoke.
"The light green gems on that necklace are natural peridots. Time has faded their luster a bit, but they were once so popular they were called the sun's gift. Have you heard of them?"
Lucillea shook her head.
"No, this is the first I'm hearing of it."
Mei adjusted Lucillea's necklace and hair as she told her a story.
"A long, long time ago, there was a notoriously... no, a prodigiously powerful spirit summoner."
*A spirit summoner...?*
Lucillea tilted her head.
*'Were there spirit summoners in this novel?!'*
She knew about magicians and sword masters who wielded aura, but she couldn't recall reading anything about spirit summoners in the original story.
Mei's story continued.
"That spirit summoner decorated their magic wand with peridots, and for a while after that, they became quite popular among magicians and other spirit summoners."
Hearing this, Lucillea tilted her head and asked.
"If it's such an amazing gem, why has no one else chosen it until now?"
"That's probably because..."
*Probably?*
The smile gracing Mei's curved eyes deepened.
"It was waiting to meet you, Lady Lucillea, wasn't it?"
"..."
*Waiting to meet me...*
She knew Mei was just saying it to be nice, but it was nice to hear.
The corners of her mouth twitched despite herself.
*'Look at this brilliant color.'*
Just as Mei said, it had a faded look from the passage of time, but that made her like it even more.
Instead of its original sparkle, it held a quiet resonance that could only be felt through the years it had weathered.
It was called the sun's gift, and indeed, its color was mystical, as if it had gathered and condensed all of nature's life force.
As Lucillea gazed at the necklace with a dreamy expression, an unreadable smile touched Mei's lips.
"Please cherish it."
In response, Lucillea gently toyed with the necklace at her neck with her fingertips.
"Yes! It's so beautiful. I'll take good care of it."
"The necklace will be happy to hear that."
***
After she was all dressed up, Lucillea asked Mei if she could look around the grand duke's residence.
As if she had been waiting for the question, Mei scurried over and replied excitedly.
"Oh, of course you can. Sir Irevan said a short walk would be fine!"
Mei moved swiftly and brought an overcoat for Lucillea to wear.
Even the coat Mei brought was luxurious.
"This coat is made from the fur of a fox hunted by His Highness the Grand Duke and the Young Lord. The silver fur is beautiful, and it's also significantly warmer than the fur of other animals."
"..."
At this point, it felt meaningless to even ask why they were giving her such a precious item.
She was already decked out from head to toe in valuable things.
*'This is the level of support the Grand Duchy provides...'*
Lucillea simply said, "I see, thank you," and silently let Mei dress her.
Just then, Cookie, who had filled his belly with fruit, fluttered over and landed on the crown of Lucillea's head.
He seemed to be cleaning the juice off his beak, but traces of red fruit juice still remained.
Cookie opened his stained beak.
*Ooh!*
[Lucy! Is this what you meant by the taste of a life turned around?! The taste of a life turned around!! I think I finally get it now! You look like a perfect nouveau riche right now!]
*'Nouveau... riche...? Not a noble lady?'*
[Oh, come on, Lucy.]
*Phht,* Cookie snorted and said.
[Look in the mirror. You're a little... much to be called a noble lady.]
'...'
Wearing the coat, Lucy looked at her reflection. She was certainly adorned with precious, sparkling things, but something about it felt awkward.
*'Like a little kid who stole her mom's clothes, maybe.'*
[Still!]
Cookie bobbed his head and continued.
[You look way better than when you were living in that crappy village! I can feel how happy you are!]
'...'
A small smile spread across Lucillea's face at Cookie's words.
*'Thanks, Cookie. Looking at your beak, you seem really happy right now too.'*
*Phht,* Cookie laughed, bobbing his head in agreement.
[Since we're both happy, our lives have turned around! Totally turned around! It's a success!]
It was a bit too early to call it a success, but Lucillea just smiled.
*'Right, this is just the beginning.'*
Although she still looked like a country girl playing dress-up as a noble, and the weight of the dress on her shoulders and the skirt catching at her feet felt strange...
*'Since I've decided to live in the grand duke's residence, I have no choice but to get used to these extravagant things...'*
*Still, I can't forget to be grateful,* Lucillea thought to herself.
Just then, Mei took Lucillea's hand and said.
"The Descartes' residence has a very beautiful indoor garden. I'll show it to you today."
With Cookie perched on her head, Lucillea followed Mei.
The air in the hallway changed the moment they left the room.
It felt cooler, heavier.
Mei effortlessly lifted Lucillea into her arms and started down the stairs.
A startled Lucillea wrapped her arms around Mei's neck.
"I can walk!"
Mei grinned.
"Of course, you can. I know you can walk, Lady Lucillea. But Sir Irevan said not to overexert yourself. In the grand duke's residence, besides His Highness the Grand Duke, Sir Irevan's word is law, you know?"
"Oh... I see."
Lucillea had no choice but to let herself be carried quietly down the stairs.
It was surprising, but also kind of fun and more comfortable than she'd expected.
But then.
*'Wow... my room was on the fifth floor?'*
She didn't realize her room was on the fifth floor until they reached the first.
*'It's a good thing Mei carried me, or I would have used up all my energy just coming down.'*
Her head already spun at the thought of going up and down those stairs in the future.
Just as they passed through the annex's main entrance, Mei set Lucillea down and exclaimed.
"Ah! Lady Lucillea, your scarf!"
"I'm fine. Thanks to this fur coat, I'm not cold at all—"
"You are not fine at all! Right now, you're like a soap bubble that might pop at the slightest breeze!"
"Huh...?"
"A scarf won't be enough. I need to bring earmuffs and a fur hat too! Wait just a moment! I'll be right back!"
*Goodness! How could I forget something so important!* Mei chided herself and quickly turned around.
"M-Mei!"
Lucillea called out to her urgently, but Mei had already disappeared back inside the annex.
Lucillea stared quietly at the entrance Mei had gone through.
*'I'm really, really fine, though...'*
She had passed out from the gate's side effects, but after a long sleep, she felt much more refreshed.
She was fine without Mei fussing over her like this...
She felt like she was being a burden.
*'Sigh.'*
Letting out a small sigh, Lucillea leaned against a pillar in the outer corridor.
It was then.
"Hey, beggar. Stop right there."
*Huh?* A voice suddenly called out from nearby.