The Strongest Man’s Fake Wife Wants to Live Chapter 36

With the interests within the market already so tightly intertwined, and the world of gemstones having barely changed over the past several hundred years, it was by no means easy for something new to break into it.

If one started without any distinguishing feature, it was all too easy to be swallowed up by the other merchant guilds specializing in gemstones.

As though she had read the duke’s thoughts, Pesha smiled faintly and opened her mouth.

“What kind of gemstone does this look like to you?”

The duke let out a brief hum before answering.

“It’s blue, so…… a sapphire?”

“No. This is aquamarine.”

Pesha picked up one of the gemstones and explained.

“It’s much cheaper than sapphire. But I don’t think its beauty is inferior in the slightest.”

“Yes, it is beautiful.”

The duke examined the gemstones in the box more closely.

“The thing these gemstones have in common is that they’re all beryl. This one is aquamarine, the yellow one is heliodor, and the pink one is called morganite.”

“I see. But these are very unfamiliar gemstones.”

“And green beryl is called emerald.”

“Emerald? You mean the emerald I know?”

“Yes. The emerald that has been passed down through your ducal family for generations.”

When Pesha mentioned the Emerald of the Abyss, Duke Pontroy showed a hint of surprise.

“Then you’re saying all of these are emeralds that are simply different in color?”

“Yes. They’re only different in color.”

The duke looked into the box again.

The colors subtly change depending on the light, the smooth cuts.

They certainly had a different charm from the gemstones he was accustomed to seeing.

But soon, he continued with an ambiguous expression.

“I understand what you mean. But the gemstone market is quite conservative. It will never be easy to introduce a new gemstone into high society.”

Pesha nodded.

“I know that very well. I’m not planning to simply start selling them indiscriminately, either. I just wanted to tell you that even the same product can have a completely different value depending on how it’s sold.”

The duke tapped his fingers lightly against the table as though deep in thought.

“The method of selling it…….”

“To sell something new, it’s far more powerful to show people its value first than to desperately try to sell it. What I want to do isn’t persuade people. I want to stimulate their desires.”

The duke’s gaze fixed on Pesha.

His eyes changed from simple interest to certainty, and from certainty to the firm weight of someone who had made a decision.

After a brief silence, he quietly pulled the bell rope beside his seat. The clear sound of the bell rang through the quiet atmosphere of the reception room.

A moment later, when a servant opened the door and entered, the duke spoke.

“Send someone to Lady Bellucci. Tell her I’ll be visiting this afternoon.”

At that, Pesha asked,

“Lady Bellucci……?”

Duke Pontroy nodded.

“I thought it would be better for you to be introduced to her personally.”

He continued explaining, his gaze drifting into the distance as though recalling the past.

“She was the wife of the late Marquis Bellucci, who died several years ago. Before her marriage, she was a foreign princess. She was once active in the overseas trade alliance I belonged to, and these days, she is quietly the leading figure in the capital’s social circles.”

Just from that explanation, Pesha could tell what a major figure she was.

“Since we were young, she has always stood at the very top of high society. When it comes to understanding people’s psychology, the flow of trends, and especially luxuries such as gemstones, her eye is far sharper than mine.”

It was surely unusual for him to bring an outsider into a business matter that he ought to approach with caution.

That alone showed just how much he trusted Lady Bellucci.

“In my opinion, when it comes to judging the potential of this item, I think her eye will be more accurate than my instincts. So let’s go see her together.”

If she had extensive knowledge of gemstones and connections throughout high society, there was no reason not to meet her.

Moreover, if Pesha wanted to turn the business into a reality, she needed a partner who could share the same sense of scale and perspective.

If Lady Bellucci was such a person, there was all the more reason to meet her.

 

***

 

At Duke Pontroy’s suggestion, Pesha had lunch with him, and when afternoon came, she headed to Lady Bellucci’s residence together with the duke.

The magnificent stone mansion located in the northeastern highlands was quiet yet imposing, and the garden was embroidered with flowers in full bloom, as though they had forgotten the season.

As soon as the servant who opened the door heard the guests’ names, he respectfully opened the way for them.

Soon, Pesha entered the antique reception room and came face-to-face with a woman who was stepping into the room.

“It’s been a long time, Duke Pontroy.”

“You are as elegant as ever, Lady Bellucci.”

Lady Bellucci was a sharp-looking woman with a slender nose and narrow eyes.

With a single gesture, she dismissed the servant and stared intently at Pesha.

It seemed she was waiting for Pesha to greet her first, so just as Pesha was about to offer her greeting, Duke Pontroy began the introduction.

“This is Countess Namoi. She is the developer of the Seedroka potion that has recently become the talk of the capital.”

At those words, the lady’s eyes widened slightly.

“She’s the one who created that potion?”

She spoke in surprise while subtly observing Pesha.

“I know very well that you, Pontroy, have suffered from your leg for many years. So when I heard that the pain had been eliminated in an instant, I became very curious about the person who made that medicine.”

Pesha carefully lowered her head in greeting.

“Thank you for the compliment, Lady Bellucci. It’s truly a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine. Although our territory isn’t particularly close to the Abyss, we’ve still had plenty of trouble from the damage that occurs from time to time. I heard that thanks to that potion, even my injured knights were able to receive treatment much more easily.”

As the atmosphere softened, Pesha’s gaze settled on the necklace around the lady’s neck.

The intricately crafted, deep and vivid ruby was clearly an expensive piece at a glance.

As they exchanged introductions and learned a little about each other, Pesha waited for the right moment before naturally bringing up the necklace.

“By the way, the necklace you’re wearing now has such a beautiful-quality ruby. You certainly have an excellent eye for choosing gemstones.”

At that, Lady Bellucci seemed momentarily flustered and paused before giving a faint smile.

“Actually, this ruby was passed down to me by my mother. She made such a fuss about how precious it was that I wear it, but it isn’t really to my taste. Rubies are a little…… intense for me.”

She awkwardly ran her fingers along the necklace at her neckline, and she did not seem particularly fond of the ruby necklace she was wearing.

Perhaps this was an opportunity.

Pesha gestured to the maid standing beside her and had her bring over the silver jewelry box.

“You don’t like rubies? Then what do you think of something like this?”

When she opened the lid, a pink gemstone with a soft, lovely glow came into view.

The moment she saw the gemstone, Lady Bellucci let out a small gasp.

“Oh my, it’s beautiful. Is this a ruby as well?”

“No. This is a gemstone called morganite. It’s produced in abundance in our County of Namoi.”

“It’s soft and clear…… It really has the color of spring sunlight. May I touch it?”

“Of course.”

Lady Bellucci carefully lifted the gemstone and held it up to the light.

“It’s truly beautiful. How have I never known about something like this?”

“It’s produced steadily, but it’s never exported outside the territory, and more importantly, most of it is discarded.”

“Oh my. But it’s so beautiful. Why?”

“Because it isn’t a precious gemstone that people want.”