Chapter 3: Before the Wedding ② ~The Gemstone Mine~
As Aria approached the Harte Mine, she divided the army into several units and deployed them.
The bandits apparently formed groups of around ten to twenty people, but once found, they were no match for the soldiers of the borderlands.
“There is no need for restraint.
Go and wreak as much havoc as you like.
Their lives do not matter, but make sure you crush them completely.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
If people like that weren’t completely cleaned up, even letting a single one escape would result in them swarming back again.
Those who had once fallen rarely returned to their former selves.
If they could not return, then sending them to a world that was not this one was, in Aria’s view, one form of mercy.
By sending them off, the criminals would commit no further sins, no more victims would be created, public order would be preserved, and the people could live in peace.
It was nothing but benefits all around.
Moreover, these bandits appeared to have carefully planned their actions, repeatedly committing crimes by slipping through gaps in security.
The reason she did not care whether they lived or died was to prevent soldiers from suffering unnecessary injuries by insisting on capturing them alive.
Inside the tent that had become the temporary headquarters, Aria studied a map.
“Post a lookout on the western road, just in case.
If that country truly has no connection to the bandits, then fine.
Handle this as nothing more than a bandit group.
If they are involved, secure evidence.”
It seemed the neighboring country to the west was somehow involved behind the scenes.
There were reports that the bandits’ speech carried a western accent.
Although they currently maintained a reasonably friendly relationship, the two nations had clashed countless times in the past.
The other side desperately wanted the Harte Mine, one of the world’s foremost gemstone mines, and had launched wars over it many times before.
“No need to worry, my lady.
We’ll find them quickly.
If it takes too long, we’ll put them through retraining once we’re back.”
Hang in there, subordinates.
If you don’t find them quickly, you’ll die after we return.
At the commander’s remark about retraining, the remaining officers began silently cheering them on in their hearts.
They knew the pain of retraining all too well, having gone through it themselves.
Once was more than enough to make anyone desperate to work hard and never go through it again.
In fact, from the army’s perspective, retraining might not be such a bad thing.
“I see.
Then I need not go myself?”
“Yes.
Please spend the time choosing souvenirs for your husband and son.”
“Understood.
Then I leave it to you.”
“Leave it to us.”
Leaving the confident commander in charge, Aria headed toward the mine itself, the original purpose of her visit.
The Harte Mine was a gemstone mine that produced countless jewels.
Its defining feature was the sheer variety of gemstones it yielded.
Rather than just one type, many kinds of gemstones were mined daily.
Their quality was high, and large stones were often found, earning it the nickname of the Border Marquis family’s jewel box.
“How are things lately?”
“No problems.
Neither quantity nor quality has declined.”
At the mansion near the excavation site where gemstones were stored, Aria listened to the mine supervisor’s report and read through the documents.
Neither output nor quality had fallen, and aside from the bandit issue, there seemed to be no problems.
“I heard you were married, Lady Aria.
Congratulations.”
“Fufu, thank you.”
Despite the sudden marriage, the information had already spread throughout the borderlands.
The mine supervisor had initially thought it was a false report, but as more information came in, he accepted it as true.
On top of that, acquaintances in the domain capital had shared details about Aria’s spouse, making it clear that her husband truly existed.
“I was surprised to hear you had also taken in an adopted child.”
“Yes.
He is that woman’s son, but also my cousin’s child.
He bears the clan’s distinctive blue-violet eyes, so there is no doubt.”
“I see.”
“Chronos is a lovely child.
He is so straightforward that it is hard to believe he is her son.
His features resemble my cousin as well, so frankly, I can’t see any of her traits.
Thanks to that, the people in the castle have accepted him.”
Chronos had carried the handicap of being that woman’s child, but his strong resemblance to the Border Marquis bloodline and his unspoiled nature despite hardship led the castle staff to accept him as a good child, regardless of his mother.
They treated him with the understanding that he was the next generation chosen by Aria.
“What kind of person is your spouse?”
“Edel possesses many things that I do not.
At times, I wonder if he truly is the same species as me.”
Talent in playing instruments.
Talent in singing clearly without missing a note, from high to low.
Talent in composing music.
She had listened several times, and every piece showcased abilities Aria did not have.
Living within the realities of politics and the military, she simply lacked artistic talent.
“I decided to marry him the day we met, and even now, I believe it was the best decision I could have made.”
She had married Edel before truly knowing anything about each other.
The husband her self-proclaimed sister had likely chosen as a caretaker for the child and a source of money was a man who lived by instinct, with a modest personality.
At times, he spoke startlingly straightforward words that cut directly to the essence of things.
“We have lived together for two months now, and I am constantly thrown off by Edel’s honest, unembellished words.
To those who speak in deliberately vague, twisted phrases that can be taken any way, Edel’s yes-or-no questions must be terrifying.”
Aria laughed softly, clearly amused, and the mine supervisor smiled in satisfaction.
The supervisor had served since Aria’s grandfather’s time and was deeply trusted.
When Aria’s problematic father, his lover, and their daughter tried to take control of the mine, he had protected it by every means possible.
That was why Aria continued to entrust this vital mine to him.
Having known Aria since childhood, when she accompanied her grandfather here, he viewed her like a granddaughter.
Knowing the hardships she had endured, he felt grateful to her husband for drawing out a smile he had rarely seen before.
“Could you select some gemstones for Edel and Chronos?”
“What kind of stones would you like?”
“Hmm… Edel will be wearing a wedding dress at the ceremony.”
“Please pardon me, Lady Aria.
Did you say your husband will be wearing a wedding dress?”
Wondering if he had misheard, he received an unbothered confirmation of “That’s right.”
Since Aria usually wore military uniforms and had never once worn a dress, he found himself oddly convinced.
If Aria did not object, then surely her husband must have features that suited a wedding dress.
If he were to meet a man who did not suit one at all, he would feel terribly apologetic.
“Rest assured.
Even coming from a woman, I believe Edel will suit it perfectly.
The wedding dress will be made to complement my white military uniform.
I would like gemstones for that, as well as some for everyday use.”
Good.
It seemed her husband truly did suit a wedding dress.
In that case, rather than small stones meant to decorate men’s clothing, gemstones befitting a Border Marquis bride would be appropriate.
Given that he was male and likely had broader shoulders, slightly larger stones for a necklace might be suitable.
“As standard choices, diamonds and sapphires would be ideal.
And these would also be for everyday use?”
“Yes.
It seems Edel no longer has any blood relatives.
When I said I wished to wear the white military uniform my grandmother gave me, he looked envious.
I want this to be my first gift to him as family.”
A gift filled with a family’s feelings.
That was something Edel had never known.
Aria, despite her father, had grandparents and relatives who cherished her, along with many heirlooms passed down by her ancestors.
But Edel had wandered since childhood, his mother having died early, leaving him without family keepsakes.
So Aria decided that from now on, she would prepare such things for him.
“I see.
Then, Lady Aria, would you like to try a Jewel Jewel?”
“Oh, a Jewel Jewel.
That’s rare.”
“Yes.
It was found only recently, and our appraisers believe multiple gemstones lie within.”
A Jewel Jewel was a gemstone in which another gem had been trapped within quartz or amethyst for some reason.
Because they were so rarely found, they were called phantom gems or gems of fortune, and Jewel Jewels themselves fetched high prices.
Since the quartz or amethyst was cloudy rather than clear, only the silhouette of the gemstone inside could be seen, making it a gamble whether to sell it as-is or split it open.
In the past, some had contained diamonds, while others held stones with no gem value at all.
“What do you say, Lady Aria?
Would you like to try?”
“Very well.
It sounds interesting.”
It was a rare opportunity.
Extracting the gemstones for her husband and son with her own hands sounded fitting.
The timing of a Jewel Jewel being found to coincide with her inspection felt like fate.
“Please, this way.”
The room Aria was led to was where craftsmen polished and shaped gemstones.
On one corner of a table sat a cloudy white quartz pillar.
About thirty centimeters in diameter and forty centimeters tall, a faint shadow could be seen inside.
That must be the gemstones.
“It’s an impressive piece.”
“Yes.
If sold as-is, it would fetch a high price.
Lady Aria, please.”
The supervisor handed Aria the tools used to split gemstones.
A craftsman carefully examined the quartz pillar’s surface.
“Lady Aria, here.
Strike here.”
“Understood.”
Aria placed the chisel at the indicated point and brought the hammer down.
With a sharp crack, the quartz pillar split, shattering beautifully.
From within, several gemstones rolled out.
“This was a winning draw.”
What emerged were gemstones of various sizes and types.
All were clear, vividly colored, and beautiful.
“Oh, this is rare.
Violet sapphire.”
Among the many blue gemstones were two small violet sapphires.
“Such a beautiful color.
Can these be made into earrings?
Something suitable for everyday wear.”
Both Aria and Edel wore earrings.
Edel, unusually for a man, wore them because earrings would fall off during vigorous performances when he played female roles, so he switched to piercings out of convenience.
He wore them daily simply to keep the holes from closing and seemed to have no special attachment, but from now on, he would wear these.
These violet sapphires resembled Aria’s eye color.
Her eyes were slightly bluer, but these stones could still be said to carry her color.
“For me, make earrings from this stone as well.
These will be for everyday use.”
The stones chosen for Aria were blue topaz.
The color of Edel’s eyes.
“Shall we then prepare a necklace and earrings for the wedding using these sapphires?”
“Yes.
And make a pendant for Chronos from this sapphire.
Make it so it can also be used as a brooch.”
Chronos’s sapphire was smaller than the wedding set, but still perfectly suited for the son of a Border Marquis family.
Since he did not have pierced ears, a pendant he could wear daily was ideal.
What mattered was that it was a gift from his mother.
“Understood.
We will have the craftsmen at the foothill work on it at once.”
“I’m counting on you.”
There were many jewel designers and craftsmen in the town below the mountain.
For the empress and her family, they would surely work day and night to complete it.
“Earrings in each other’s eye colors, huh…
Has my way of thinking become rather maidenly?”
“There is nothing wrong with that.
Perhaps thanks to you, exchanging gemstones in each other’s eye colors will become fashionable.”
Just as the mine supervisor said, from that point on, gifting gemstones matching one another’s eye colors spread throughout the borderlands and eventually became firmly established.