The guests in the audience stands were already finished getting their snacks. When the dinner started, they slowly began dispersing, leaving only a few on the stands.
As I and the girls were also enjoying the food, Yu Na approached me from behind and whispered.
“President, it seems like the Minister of Finance wants to have an audience with you. Shall I schedule it for tomorrow?”
“Finance?”
If I recall correctly, the Minister of Finance should be Millinda Quartz. I wonder what she wants.
“Alright. Schedule it for the first thing in the morning.”
“…”
After hearing my words, Yu Na scanned the faces of everyone on the table before turning back to me with a serious expression and posing a single question.
“Are you sure I should schedule it for the morning?”
Just from her gestures, I could guess what she was thinking of… And unfortunately, I guess I wouldn’t be able to dodge this bullet again this time.
“Schedule it for the afternoon, right after lunch.”
Well, better safe than sorry.
Agreeing with my correction, Yu Na left the table and went toward the VIP tables. Seeing her back fade from within the sea of people there, I heaved a sigh.
I turned to look at everyone with me, seeing the joy in their faces as they chatted with their neighboring seats. However, I also noticed one who felt like she was pushing herself.
“Princess Hazel, what’s wrong? Does the food not fit your tastes?”
“Presi-, uhm… Will…”
Although she was sitting beside me, I almost couldn’t catch her voice. I leaned in closer to hear her clearly.
“Yes. What’s the matter?”
She seemed hesitant for a while, her gaze going down to her hands. When she caught sight of the ring on her hand, she seemingly found the courage within her and raised her head, facing me.
“Representing the Cleaver Kingdom, I give you our thanks. Not only were you willing to continue with the deal despite not gaining anything from it, but you were even kind enough to give me such a precious ring as proof of engagement.”
“Precious?”
I used common garnet on her ring’s gem, though. It’s not precious at all. Well, it is precious, but at least not as precious as diamonds or others. However, it seems like the “precious” thing she meant wasn’t the gem alone.
“Such a beautifully crafted ring… This must’ve cost you a fortune to procure. I doubt even our current treasury could handle buying this.”
“…?”
Well, their finances did take a plunge for the repairs and revitalization of their citizens who survived, so I guess their budget wasn’t looking that great. Still, I think it would be enough to buy these rings in the thousands.
“I’m just saying this, but that ring cost me less than 10,000 Credits, you know?”
I made them from their raw materials, after all, including the gem faceting and all that. It was the first time I did that, but I do recall how it was done in my previous life. It was the most common round cut, though, so it wasn’t anything worth praising.
“That can’t be!” .𝒎
Princess Hazel raised her voice, not willing to believe my words.
“Look at this gem! It shines at every angle I look at it! This must’ve taken the craftsman months to perfect!”
Well, no… It took me an hour to finish it from its geode state to this. Still, for some reason, I’m getting similar vibes from her to those of the audience from before.
“Wait, don’t tell me…”
I talked to Ember through the Mental Scape, and after a short exchange, I facepalmed.
‘Looks like gem processing isn’t as advanced as I thought. Brilliant Cuts are a rarity and reach prices over a billion Credits, depending on the gem used…’
After I earned this information, I could roughly guess why Millinda wanted to have an audience with me now.
‘She must be planning to ask where I got these gems and is planning to popularize it.’
After that, understanding now why Princess Hazel was feeling thankful for the ring, I gently reassured her that these little accessories weren’t bought but were made using my own hands. Although she couldn’t believe it, when I showed her how I processed a small ruby into a fine round cut using a custom tool I asked Ember to make, she finally believed me.
—
The next day, noon.
I just sat on my desk’s seat, tired as hell. Why? Well, the girls got overexcited by the engagement rings and decided to sleep with me that night. Yep, just sleeping. However, I was once again turned into their pillow.
Oh, for the record, Princess Hazel wasn’t included. I’m not excluding her or something, but more like she was still a child, unable to stay up too late, and ended up falling asleep a few hours earlier than us.
Anyway, due to that and the fact that the girls overslept, my entire body was now sore.
*Knock!* *Knock!* *Knock!*
And as if having eyes inside the room, Yu Na’s distinct knock echoed from the door.
“President Will, Millinda is already waiting for you in the audience hall. Please come as soon as possible.”
She didn’t bother to open the door and just relayed the message before walking away. Am I hated by her or something?
Anyway, after fixing my posture, I went out of the office and toward the audience hall. As soon as I sat on the tall throne, which still wasn’t removed for aesthetic purposes, Millinda came in from the door and walked forward before bowing down respectfully.
“President, please pardon me for being rude, but could I ask you about—”
“The gems on the rings, right?”
“…!”
She looked surprised after I finished her words for her.
“T-That’s right. Such a technology, if we could harness it on a wider scale, could support the kingdom financially!”
She stood up, her enthusiasm radiating from her face like the rays of the sun. But then a merchant-like smile appeared on her face as she continued her words.
“As long as we can keep the monopoly of the technology behind it, that is.”
I sighed. It was rare for me to guess anyone’s intentions to the T, so it’s somewhat creeping me out.
“Anyway, you want to see the craftsman who made the gems, right?”
“Yes, please!”
I stood up, walked before her, and extended my hand forward in a handshake.
“Hello, I’m Will, the one who made those sparkly gems you’re drooling for.”
“…?”
Millinda tilted her head, completely confused.
This content is taken from 𝘳𝑎.𝒸ℴ