Chapter 30 of 100

Chapter 30

9 min read2,141 words

If the surprise at seeing the ring was "unconcealed surprise," then perhaps the surprise now on Princess Isabella's face could be described as "failed concealment of surprise."

Princess Isabella momentarily showed a look of "oh no" before quickly returning to her usual gentle expression.

"I apologize. Still, I was quite surprised. What on earth is this?"

While keeping her eyes on the marble rolling on the silver tray, Princess Isabella said in a tone that feigned surprise. This "surprise" was contrived, not the raw emotion of genuine surprise she had shown when first seeing the marble.

Seeing Isabella's unexpectedly strong reaction, Aura, inwardly puzzled, hid her feelings behind a smile and responded.

"Surprised, were you? This is also something the groom brought. It's not crystal or diamond, but apparently something called glass. It's much more fragile and easier to break compared to crystal."

At the word "fragile," Princess Isabella, who had been about to touch the marble, suddenly stopped her hand.

Aura smiled slightly and added,

"Of course, by 'fragile,' I mean it will break if dropped from a height onto a hard surface. It won't get scratched just by holding it in your hand, and if the floor is carpeted, it won't break even if dropped."

Isabella nodded and asked,

"Is that so? May I pick it up, then?"

"Yes, take a good look."

With Aura's permission, Princess Isabella gently picked up the marble with three fingers, held it up to the sunlight like the ring earlier, and let out a sigh of relief.

"It's wonderful..."

"Let me ask you frankly, Princess Isabella. If you were to appraise this, how much would you value it?"

With some apparent intention, Aura asked straightforwardly. Isabella returned her gaze to the front, cleared her throat as if to cover up, and then asked in return,

"Does Your Majesty mean to sell this gemstone?"

With a serious expression, Isabella made Aura laugh lightly in response.

"No, it originally belongs to the groom, so I can't just sell it all. However, since it's something that doesn't exist in this world, I have permission to sell a few to determine its value."

Saying this, she shook her head.

An item that is neither a precious gem, a necessity, nor of military value has an uncertain value. Especially, glass marbles are something that have never existed in this world. Even if Aura and Zenjiro subjectively believe "this has value," it can't be properly valued until it's put out and generally evaluated.

Thinking about it, the idea of putting a few out to establish their value isn't so far-fetched. Choosing Princess Isabella as the person to seek an opinion from isn't a bad choice.

However, Princess Isabella, with a serious expression, said something that made Aura doubt her ears.

"Yes, if I were to buy this gemstone, I would pay 30 gold coins."

30 gold coins.

Caught off guard by the unexpected amount, Aura almost lost her composure but managed to keep it and asked,

"Are you serious?"

"..."

After a moment of silence, Princess Isabella shrugged as if conceding and answered,

"Fine. Then, 50 gold coins. I don't think anyone would value it higher."

As if the conversation had shifted from a hypothetical to a real negotiation, Princess Isabella proposed an additional 20 gold coins.

This time, Aura couldn't completely hide her surprise.

When 30 gold coins for a single marble already seemed excessive, and she had asked, "Are you serious?" it was understandable to be surprised by the additional offer. Perhaps Isabella had misunderstood Aura's question, "Are you serious?" as "Do you intend to buy it at such a low price?"

Thinking this, Aura looked at Princess Isabella with a probing gaze. Princess Isabella, with her plump, refined face, smiled gently and looked back.

Seeing that smile, Aura was certain.

(No, that's not it. It's unlikely that Princess Isabella would misinterpret such an obvious hint. So, this price increase must be intentional. What could be the reason for valuing a single gemstone so extravagantly?)

50 gold coins is an extraordinary amount.

To put it in perspective, a riding lizard can be bought for 1 gold coin, and a trained combat lizard for 2 to 3 gold coins. A medium-sized noble's mansion without land typically sells for between 50 and 100 gold coins. Even if it's a rare and beautiful item, 50 gold coins for a single gemstone is exorbitant.

Of course, there are precious gems that can fetch such prices, and even more expensive ones. However, in Aura's estimation, this marble doesn't have that much value.

Something is off.

Feeling this, Aura reached into another pouch and took out a few beads, placing them on the silver tray.

"Then, what about these? I think they're quite interesting as well."

Red, blue, green. The clear, colorful beads were certainly eye-catching, but Isabella's reaction was within a normal range.

"Oh, these are lovely too. They're well-matched and have small holes in the center. They could be used in various interesting ways."

Her praise and the entranced look in her eyes seemed genuine, but there was no sign of the shock she had shown at the marble.

"Beautiful, aren't they? And interesting. If you thread them, they could make a nice necklace. How much do you think these are worth?"

"Well, they look beautiful, but considering their size... perhaps 10 silver coins each?"

Resting her chin in her hand, the price Isabella suggested wasn't far off from what Aura had expected.

For reference, 1 gold coin is roughly equivalent to 100 silver coins. A day laborer in the capital earns about 3 to 5 silver coins a day.

A single marble for 50 gold coins is equivalent to 5,000 silver coins. A single bead for 10 silver coins.

In other words, Isabella valued the marble at 500 times the value of a bead. By weight, that difference might make sense, but to Aura, the marble's valuation seemed excessive.

The more the bead's value matched expectations, the more the marble's valuation stood out as abnormal.

(Still, such an obvious valuation suggests she has no intention of hiding. Perhaps I should test her a bit.)

"I see. Thank you for your input. As a token of appreciation, I'll gift one to you. Choose the one you like."

Saying this, Aura deliberately lifted the pouch containing the marbles and gently poured its contents onto the silver tray. Dozens of marbles rolled around on the tray.

"Oh!"

Covering her mouth, Isabella exclaimed in surprise. Watching her reaction closely, Aura smiled and said,

"Go ahead, no need to be shy. Take a good look and choose the one you like."

On the silver tray, there were standard marbles with colored glass inside, marbles with frosted glass surfaces, marbles with beautiful marble patterns, and even marbles with simple continent maps resembling globes. The tray was filled with items that could easily be called "gemstones."

"..."

Realizing that Aura was watching her, Isabella shrugged and picked up a marble from the tray.

"Then, I'll take this one, if you don't mind."

The marble Isabella chose was almost completely clear and colorless.

"And the remaining gemstones?"

"I understand. It all depends on the groom's wishes, but if he decides to sell, I'll be sure to contact you first."

"Thank you."

Aura's words seemed to satisfy Isabella, who smiled and bowed politely.

Then, Isabella looked at the sunlight streaming through the window and said as if just thinking of it,

"Oh, I'm so rude, we've been talking for so long. Your Majesty, if I may, may I visit your husband? I believe I can be of some help."

"Of course, you're more than welcome. There's no one in this continent who would refuse a visit from the Gilbert Patriarch. I'll have you escorted to the harem as soon as preparations are ready. In the meantime, please rest in the adjacent room."

"Understood. I'll take my leave then."

With a final smile, Isabella stood up gracefully, bowed slightly, and retreated to the adjacent room.

---

"..."