The Villain is Being Suspiciously Kind

ace.

“The young lady will never be able to afford it, so why don’t you act moderately and mind your own business.”
“Are you the owner of the jewelry shop here?”
“Right.
I took it over some time ago.”
“Then you should be very familiar with this.”

Citrina pulled out the pouch she was holding in her arms.
The man’s face turned sly.
Citrina grinned and took something out of her pouch.
Gemma was caught between her fingertips and revealed the gemstones.

-I’m done! You can show them!

’

In Citrina’s eyes, who could communicate with Gemma, they looked like ordinary topaz gemstones.
But they must look different to the man’s eye.
They would look like the blue diamonds that made love come true.

“I’ll give you one jewel.
That’s because each craftworker usually deals with one jewel.”
“That’s an interesting suggestion, so come closer, young lady.”
“No, you come.”
Citrina stared him down.

If he was going to speak informally, then she would as well.
[T.L.
Note: The man has been using banmal, or informal speech used with family and friends.
It’s disrespectful to use it with someone you just met.]
The man raised his hand with a displeased face, then turned around, looked about, and paused.
It only took an instant for the man’s face to fill with greed when he looked at the topaz.
The man strode towards her, threatening Citrina.
Coming closer to Citrina, he pretended to be disinterested and hid his greedy expression.

“How do I know that’s a real gem?”

Citrina walked towards him one step at a time.
She could feel the boy’s gaze.
The boy was watching her as he lay on his knees.
And there was the attention of the people around them.

-Gemma, put illusions on the stones to cover everyone’s eyes.

Gemma could be heard wriggling around.
Citrina spoke calmly.

“Wouldn’t you know best?”

Citrina held up a rough gemstone.
They were ordinary gemstones.
But the man’s face was filled with wonder when he saw it.
That’s because the blue diamond was overlayed on the rough stone in his eyes.

‘To him, it will look like a perfectly cut, beautifully clear gem.’

’

To be exact, it would look like a delicately cut, multi-faceted gemstone.
Citrina calmly held up the gemstone so that everyone could see.

This man treated the craftworkers as he wished and did not pay them a proper wage.
So even the gods would turn a blind eye to Citrina’s slightly underhanded dealings.
“I didn’t know a bug like this was worth this much.”
Greedy eyes swept up and down the boy.
She could see the numbers running through his brain.

“Well, it’s good that I’m not in the business of losing money.”
The man hastily stretched out his hand.
Citrina quickly pulled her hand back.
It was a close call.

“Sheesh, is there anything else to do?”
“Transfer ownership of the slave right now..”
Citrina was unmoved by his ferocity.

“Ah, that’s right.”
The man nodded his head impatiently.

Slave transfers were not complicated.
If the slave had magic, you released the restraints; and if they had none, you simply handed over the contract.
It was like trading goods.

The boy whose face was covered in tears and cowered on his knees had weak magic.
Therefore, he only had to put a bead in the gap in the restraint bound to his wrist.
Only then did the restraint come off.

“Listen carefully.”
The man spoke as if he was chewing and took a small bead from his pocket without hesitation.

“You no longer belong to me, Feinmann.
You belong to this woman.
So get out of my sight.”
“…Yes, yes?”
“Feinmann?”

At this man’s words, Feinmann’s words, both were surprised.