Outside in a garden flourishing of flowers, tiny birds rested on high branches.
They chirruped harmoniously, with their singing suffused in the morning's warm atmosphere. Their small feathers shuffled back and forth, bathing in the sunlight's rays. Showing off their affectionate and benevolent voices, the birds were all attempting to pique the interest of a "certain someone".
Unfortunately, that "certain someone" only treated them as background noise.
"Young Master, would you like to see today's schedule?" A plain white door swung open, and out came a teenage girl. Her cute features made her look akin to the birds outside. She was dressed in an extravagant black and white maid outfit, with her locks of pure white hair tied into a flower bun.
Willow, the maidservant, held a slip of paper in her hands.
She stared brightly at the young teenage boy standing in front of the balcony.
The latter had his entire body slumped over the balcony's fence, watching mesmerizingly at what the garden outside had to offer. In the spur of the moment, he finally snapped out from his trance.
Looking backwards, he met the eyes of his anticipating maidservant.
"Young Master!" Willow chirped like the birds.
The person standing before her was not much older than her. However, what made them different by miles away was his identity. He was Lucilline Rubius, the third son of Duke Rubius.
Lucilline's face was unblemished and pale, which made Willow reminisce about the pure moonlight dancing upon reflections of water. The young teenage boy was a nobleman. How his long black hair contrasts against his skin like night to day, how his golden pupils shine like jewels downright plucked from the treasury, how his slender figure moves past the ravishing winds...
Those features made people want to kneel before and serve him. At least, that was how Willow felt.
"You are beautiful today, Young Master." Willow naively exclaimed.
Indeed, Lucilline was more beautiful than others. If a maiden's beauty was as large as a body of water, then this nobleman's beauty was as large as the entire Pacific Ocean.
Instead of being shy or flushing in embarrassment, Lucilline's eyebrows perked up at her words. "Was I not yesterday?"
It seemed like this nobleman knew that he was beautiful as well.
Willow just smiled at the shamelessness. "Of course, Young Master. You are beautiful every single day." She did not back down. "I just find it necessary for you to know."
Lucilline was propping up his tender white cheek in one hand. His eyes held a hint of amusement. "Hmm... can't blame me. It is just inheritance doing its job."
Willow smiled. "You are just as shameless as yesterday."
Lucilline proudly nodded. "I'm glad that you find this necessary to say as well."
He pushed himself away from the balcony fence, which barely moved from his light weight. Properly facing Willow face-to-face, Lucilline gestured simply. "Getting back on topic, what did you call me for?"
Willow flinched. She quickly thrusted out the slip of paper she held.
"Here is your schedule, Young Master."
Lucilline received the slip of paper. He eyed the paper, reading the contents written down before throwing it back into his sole maidservant's hands. Nonchalant, he walked inside his bedroom from the balcony, shutting the door behind. The frantic chirps of the birds outside weren't to be heard anymore.
"Father requested for me to pick up a product. He will have a new item in his jewelry collection." Lucilline hummed. He leaned against a beige wall, crossing his arms across his chest.
"Is it another finished product of the store?" Willow questioned.
"Yes." Lucilline answered readily. "Father ordered for one of those expensive quartz earrings. They sell at a price of eighty silver ingots."
Willow's jaw had dropped wide open. "Eighty silver ingots? Has Duke Rubius gone crazy?"
"It just proves how obsessed he is with his collections." Lucilline was frank. He doesn't even let off his father when finding a person to complain about. "We'll leave right away. I don't want to waste time laundering around." His face doesn't change when remarking such straightforward words.
Duke Rubius, his father, was one of the three Grand Dukes in Lydia Kingdom. He was an important figure, for he serves the higher ups. If he were to get into any sort of accident, the public would feel endangered.
"Would Young Master like me to prepare the ingots?" Willow's face would scrunch up whenever she remembered just how expensive those earrings cost.
"Yes." Lucilline spoke. He moved towards the closet, slipping a swallowtail coat down from the hangar. A strange light brewed in his golden pair of eyes. Dressed in the black and white swallowtail coat, Lucilline suddenly gained an appearance of superiority.
It made it difficult for Willow to joke around him. She could barely suppress the respect struck in her every bone and marrow.
"I will be waiting outside the manor." Willow quickly admitted to a familiar tactic, running out from the bedroom. The door closed.
Lucilline's eyebrows raised before lowering again. He retained an indifferent expression across his peerless face, his golden pupils swept to look at the corner of his room. In one corner was a small wooden table. It sat lonely, its four edges scrutinized of cheap quality. However, what sat on it was of utmost high caliber.
On top of the table was a vase. Historical patterns were painted across the surface, making it appear utterly precious. Laying inside the vase was a red spider lily.
The flower had dainty crimson red petals, which seemed to extend outwards for recognition.
Lucilline stared blankly at the red spider lily. He quickly saluted, his back ramrod straight and professional. Strung across his wrist, a bracelet of a copper bell rung twice before settling down.
*****
"This is the jewelry store." Willow declared.
Lucilline stopped before a high-rise cobblestone building, with its sign written of the words "Daring's Jewels". The glass pane double doors were scrubbed clean, enough to become entirely transparent. The entire building gave off a strange radiance that seemed to demand only wealthy people could enter.
A frown played on Lucilline's face. His father really had no restraints when picking stores.
"Let's enter." Shrugging off the complaints in his heart, Lucilline stepped forwards. Willow had pushed open the doors for him, so the latter walked in nonchalantly.
Looking around, the store contained several displays of jewelry.
There were rubbed shine necklaces, pendants, bracelets, earrings, and etc. The entire store was basically a displayer of jewelry. At the back was the counter, lead by an extravagant red carpet. Scrutinizing the entire setting, Lucilline's eyebrows twitched from dissatisfaction. Did any of the store's customers ever complain that the building was too sparkly!?! How did his father even end up learning about this place?
"Welcome!" Behind the counter, an old man bellowed. His hair was withering down to a colour of grey, signifying of his old age. A moustache had grown below his nose.
The old man had a name tag. It read the name "David Daring".
"I would like to purchase the newly produced quartz earrings." Lucilline didn't show modesty, and immediately presented his case.
"Of course." David croaked. He crouched below the counter, fishing for something. When he came back up, the old man held a jewelry box in one wrinkled hand. Placing the small polished box on the countertop, he opened it. Inside, padded by layers and layers of silky fabric, there laid a pair of glistening quartz earrings.
At that moment, Lucilline understood why his father wanted this product.
It was truly one of a kind. Those quartz earrings could outshine anyone's lovestruck heart.
"The price will be eighty silver ingots." David muffled a cough.
Black lines fell across Lucilline's darkened face. But still! Eighty silver ingots were still too much! That was the same price as buying ten carriages! No matter how extravagant that pair of quartz earrings were, it will never cost something as expensive as eighty silver ingots!
His maidservant, Willow, seemed to understand his thoughts.
She held a fist underneath her chin, then gestured to the shopkeeper. "Sir, I would like to speak frank with you. Don't you think eighty silver ingots are too much? That is enough for my Young Master to purchase so many more... important items."
On the other side of the counter, David's face flushed a bright red at the insult. "This Young Lady, you have no idea just how much work is put into those earrings! Take it or leave it!"
"Now now," Lucilline played the role as the pacifier. He said with a gentle tone, "How good do you think those earrings would look on me?"
David snapped out from his anger. He looked at the earrings, then back at Lucilline. Finally, the thought struck him. Lucilline was a noble! He was the third son of Duke Rubius, a man with a much higher standing in society than this ol' shopkeeper! If David would say "no", then he'd be insulting the entire noble bloodline! Besides...
Examining the well-chiselled face of Lucilline, the ol' shopkeeper couldn't help but think that those quartz earrings were especially made for him.
"You'd look good. Absolutely good." David piped up.
Lucilline nodded. "Why, thank you for the compliment, sir. I'm sure that you're saying those words out from the bottom of your heart."
He leaned on the counter lazily. "I also think these quartz earrings would look good on me. If I'd purchase these and wear them... wouldn't I be influencing more nobles to purchase from your store? It would greatly help your business, and you'd earn more money. There would be no need to keep the price at eighty silver ingots, would there?"
As his words carried on, David began to imagine more and more scenarios... There was the vision of everyone eyeing enviously at Lucilline, the centre of the crowd. They would bite their nails and plead for the brand of those earrings...
Then, after begrudgingly telling them the store "Daring's Jewels", those nobles would listen to Lucilline's words and scramble over to his store! They'd buy so much, there would be no more products left in stock!
More customers meant more money!
David could already envision his happy ending.
"Understood!" He happily exclaimed. "I'll lower the price to fifteen silver ingots."
"Deal." A mischievous look played on Lucilline's face. Unfortunately for the shopkeeper, he was so blinded by the thought of money that he didn't notice.
Behind her Young Master, Willow took out a box of silver ingots.
Even though she'd been ordered to bring eighty silver ingots at the beginning, Willow had a hunch that her Young Master's bargaining tricks would play in. Therefore, she compromised to her instincts and brought exactly fifteen silver ingots. It seemed like her wavelength with her Young Master was precise.
"Thank you for your purchase!" David gladly took the box of silver ingots.
In return, Lucilline took the box of quartz earrings. He spoke with an indifferent expression. "Then, we'll be leaving now. I hope you have a good business."
David waved goodbye happily.
Walking out from the jewelry store, Lucilline's lips curved upwards. What David was unaware of was that those quartz earrings will forever be buried in Duke Rubius' collection, never to be seen out in society ever again.
"Do you think we did the right thing?" Lucilline asked. He looked forward with a straight face. By his side, Willow readily answered, "That old man set the price too high originally! Eighty silver ingots!?! You only see that kind of price in auctions."
Lucilline knew what Willow would say. He nodded. "I'm glad someone thinks the same way as I do."