Chapter 56.1
Chapter 56.1
He tried to follow Bashar, but the man vanished as quickly as he’d appeared, his business seemingly concluded. Bashar ascended the staircase, disappearing onto the upper floor. By the time she reached the stairs, he would be long gone.
How could he just leave after saying what he wanted?
With Bashar out of sight, the object in her hand felt heavier. She naturally lowered her gaze, nibbling her lip as she looked at the hand Bashar had held.
‘It’s small enough to fit in my hand, but…’
Knowing who he was, she couldn’t even begin to guess what he had given her.
Carefully, she unfurled her fingers and examined the object nestled in her palm. It was a hemispherical gem, smaller than the length of her finger joint.
“This is…”
“A Kishan gem.”
As she murmured, gazing at the transparent golden gem, the same color as Bashar’s eyes, Ricardo approached.
So it was a gem. She carefully held the hemispherical jewel, making sure not to drop it.
“It’s not easily obtainable, is it?”
“From what I understand, it’s rare even in Kishan, typically possessed only by royalty. It’s a gem you can only receive directly from a royal.”
Ricardo’s words made the gem feel even heavier. Suddenly, being given such a jewel didn’t bring her joy. It only felt burdensome. A royal gem… she couldn’t imagine what would happen if she lost it.
“Why would he give me such a rare gem…?”
She had to find Bashar, somehow. Perhaps it would be better to ask Ricardo to arrange another meeting so she could return it. She looked up.
At that moment, Ricardo spoke.
“Do you remember Prince Bashar saying you could visit him anytime?”
“…Of course.”
It had only been a few minutes ago. How could she forget? He’d said it while giving her the gem.
“He gave you the gem as a token to keep that promise.”
“A token?”
“If you show that gem, you can meet His Highness anytime.”
“…Then I mustn’t lose such an important item.”
“Even if it weren’t a gem, since His Highness gave it to you, it’s best not to lose it.”
Yes, she knows that. She had only asked to be sure.
‘Take this back to the Count’s estate…?’
Her family was already desperate for money, their eyes gleaming with avarice. If they discovered she had such a gem, it would disappear in an instant.
If only she didn’t live at the Count’s estate, this wouldn’t be so burdensome.
“Even if you lose it, Prince Bashar won’t mind too much.”
Ricardo added that she shouldn’t worry so much, likely sensing her anxious gaze fixed on the gem.
“…Thank you, Sir Div… I mean, Ricardo.”
It was something he said for her sake. She offered a strained smile.
Even if she sought out Bashar to return the gem, he probably wouldn’t take it back. He must have left without looking back because he had no intention of receiving it back.
She gripped the heavy gem tightly. She needed to figure out where to keep it safe.
“You said you had something to tell me, Div…”
She started to ask, remembering what Ricardo had said earlier. She almost called him Div again and quickly trailed off. But Ricardo had already noticed and smiled faintly.
“I asked you to call me by my name, but for now, you can call me whatever is comfortable.”
“But…”
“I didn’t ask to make you uncomfortable. And it wasn’t me, but Prince Haroon who wished to speak with you. It seems I interrupted your conversation with Prince Bashar. I apologize.”
“No, it seemed like Prince Bashar was about to end our conversation anyway.”
Bashar Kisha’s true purpose was to give her this gem, so he might have even welcomed Ricardo’s appearance. It allowed him to quickly hand over the gem and disappear.
“So, what did Prince Haroon want to…?”
“He said he would like to speak with you next time.”
As he spoke, Ricardo pulled a card-sized paper from his pocket. It was an invitation to an exhibition being held in the capital in a few days.
“Here?”
“Yes.”
He told her the date Haroon would be visiting the exhibition, adding that she could come anytime she was free.
She nodded and accepted the invitation.
“I’ve also prepared a carriage. I’ll escort you if you’re ready to return.”
“Thank you. Oh, but is Damian…?”
As she took a step to follow Ricardo, Damian’s face came to mind.
Damian, too, had seemed to have something to say to her. But she didn’t know if he would still be waiting. She had been with Bashar for longer than she’d expected.
“He said he had business and left earlier. He didn’t leave any message.”
“Thank you for letting me know, Ricardo.”
Ricardo still stiffened whenever Damian was mentioned. But she pretended not to notice and followed him as he led her to the carriage.
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