Chapter 08
The red diamond ring sparkled even brighter under the chandelier.
The moment I saw it, my eyes lit up.
“Please wrap that one too.”
Without hesitation, I chose the red diamond ring.
I planned to give it as a gift to my sister.
‘A ring like this is more than enough for me.’
Oh, of course I didn’t forget to buy cufflinks for my father as well.
‘Now I should buy clothes too.’
Next, I called the designer I had been supporting and raising, and ordered three or four outfits.
And not just clothes—I bought jewelry and shoes from the people who came afterward.
Before I knew it, shopping bags were piled around me.
Someone might say I’m too greedy or materialistic, but I didn’t care.
I’ve always been a person full of desire and greed.
“Here, this is your gift, Sister.”
After a while, I took a shopping bag and went to my sister’s room, handing her one of the gifts.
“For me?”
“Yes, it’s yours. Hurry and take it, my hand is getting tired.”
I gently placed the small box with the ring onto her hand.
“Well then, I’m going to give Father his gift now. Gifts are better when they’re a surprise, right?”
The reason I bought gifts for my family, which I normally didn’t do, was simple—
Until now, I had only received gifts from them.
‘And this is also one of the ways to improve our relationship.’
To improve the relationship between my father and sister, it was best to start with something small—Like exchanging gifts.
“Since I’ve received such a nice gift, I should give something back, right? Maybe I should give our family some gifts too?”
Thankfully, my sister reacted just the way I hoped.
“Yes. And I’m sure Father will be happy too.”
This was the first step in my project to bring my father and sister closer.
***
That day, Father was very happy after receiving my gift.
So happy that he wore the cufflinks I gave him for three days straight without missing a day.
“Hmm! Ahem!”
He even cleared his throat loudly to catch attention so he could casually show them off to others.
And there was someone else who liked their gift—My sister, Vivian.
“Since Nini gave it to me, I’ll only wear it on very special days. That way it lasts longer.”
On the first day she received it,
She wore the red diamond ring just for that day, and then put it back in its box safely.
“When is a ‘special day’?”
“When I meet important guests or close friends.”
She said she would meet a friend soon together with her fiancé, and planned to show it off then.
‘Good. I’m glad they both like their gifts.’
It had been five days since I saw both of them happy with what I gave them.
It felt rewarding and satisfying.
I wanted to give them even more gifts.
Right then—
“Young Lady, did you hear the news?”
“What news?”
As if interrupting my thoughts, Selly put snacks down on the table and spoke.
“I heard the master and the eldest young lady exchanged gifts earlier.”
The maid who cleaned my sister’s room had seen it. My sister proudly said it was a gift from Father.
“The master probably gave her an early birthday gift, since her birthday is coming soon. And I heard the eldest young lady gave him something to celebrate the success of the work he has been doing.”
Knowing their personalities, it made perfect sense.
“Your family seems to get along so well. It’s nice to see.”
At Selly’s compliment, my shoulders rose on their own.
‘It seems the first step was a success.’
Whatever the reasons behind it, this meant the first step in improving Father and my sister’s relationship had gone well.
I felt relieved.
“And here is your tea and the morning newspaper.”
Seeing what Selly brought made me feel pleased.
She had been with me for a long time, and now she did everything perfectly without being told.
I took a sip of tea and opened the newspaper.
‘I should read even the small articles that aren’t in the weekly magazines.’
Reading the news—not just gossip—was one of my little joys.
‘Good, nothing big happened last night.’
Once I woke up and discovered a landslide had happened overnight.
Thankfully, today’s news was peaceful.
As I read the plain articles, different thoughts filled my mind.
One of them was—
‘Wait, if I’m going to get married, I’ll need a dowry.’
Of course, since my family relationships were good now, getting a dowry wouldn’t be a problem.
I WAS the marquis’s second daughter, after all.
But even if I trusted my family, another thought came to mind—
‘It’s not good to depend on them too much.’
Since I was young, everyone had treated me like a fragile child—A precious daughter to be protected. I knew that very well.
But depending on them forever wasn’t right.
‘Maybe one day… I might have to be independent.’
Someday, especially when the original story begins, the direction of my life will be decided.
‘I should prepare for that, even if it’s something small.’
Almost as if the newspaper responded to my thoughts—My eyes landed on a small article at the bottom.
‘……?’
Someone was selling their mine at a very cheap price.
Probably because they thought it was useless.
Normally, I wouldn’t care about a notice like this. But this time was different.
‘Could it be…?’
In the photo, behind the bald man, gold coins were falling like raindrops!
Just like when I met Etienne at the exhibition—I saw golden light pouring from him.
‘This is a good sign.’
Seeing gold meant the person would bring me fortune.
It was definite.
‘There must be something valuable in that mine.’
Since my ability had been proven through marrying Etienne, I felt confident using it again.
“Selly, come here.”
“Yes, Young Lady.”
I called Selly, who had been standing quietly at a distance.
“I have something for you to do.”
I planned to contact the man through Selly and buy the mine.
***
I had been in a very good mood lately.
The reason was simple.
First — I bought the mine at the best price with minimal spending.
“Young Lady really has an eye for things!”
The man who sold it praised me endlessly.
Of course he would—A useless mine finally got sold.
“But don’t come asking to return it later. I’m sick and tired of that mine.”
Whatever his reasons were, I planned to hold onto this mine tightly—Just waiting for something valuable to be discovered.
“Those new shoes look great on you, Young Lady.”
“Right? I like them too.”
The second reason was the new things I bought.
It had been a while since I bought something new, And it naturally lifted my mood.
New shoes.
New accessories.
New items decorating my room made me feel good.
The new clothes I ordered were for official events, so I decided not to wear them today.
Instead, I chose my favorite outfit from the ones I already had.
And lastly—
The final reason my heart was fluttering today was this:
‘I really wanted to see this. Perfect timing.’
This afternoon, I planned to watch the opera I reserved earlier.
I dressed up as beautifully as I could—So everyone who passed by would be mesmerized.
“And here is the opera glass you requested.”
I took it from Selly.
My seat was in a private box on the left side of the second floor.
To see the stage clearly, opera glasses were essential.
‘Nice. Not bad at all.’
I held up the opera glasses and looked around the room.
It had been three months since I last used them, but they worked well.
“Since we shouldn’t delay any longer, shall we head out now?”
Selly handed me the portable scroll used for transportation.
She was right—
Even with the scroll, it was better to leave early.
I tore the scroll in half with both hands.
The surrounding scenery shifted immediately.
In an instant, I moved from my familiar room
To the grand and dazzling opera house.
‘Wow, so many people.’
Even though it was late afternoon, the place was crowded.
Everyone must be here for the same performance.
‘I should go to my seat first.’
I took out the ticket Selly had prepared and planned to head to the second floor.
But then—
“Look over there!”
Someone shouted, and the murmuring crowd grew louder.
I naturally assumed they were looking at me—
But when I turned around—
‘……?’
They weren’t looking at me.
Everyone was staring in the opposite direction.
I blinked, slightly embarrassed, and turned my head to see who it was.
At the end of my gaze stood a man with sandy-colored hair and a beautiful, refined face.
