ATPL 45

“For a city like Reims to be considered big? Are there even places here that deal in these kinds of jewels? Places that buy and sell them?”

Why would she ask something like that?

She had been just about to ask her that very question—but then her next words stopped her cold.

“I’m curious if there are any wealthy people around. If you find out anything useful, I’ll give you this.”

She pushed toward her a pair of jeweled earrings, each no bigger than a fingernail. They were the cheapest in the set.

Even so, they were far beyond anything I could afford. There wasn’t even time to feel bitter about it.

The next morning, as soon as the sun rose, she raced out of the villa. By noon, she’d returned with every bit of information a young lady might want to know about Reims.

After running such errands for a week, the earrings were finally mine. She’d tossed them at like a handout.

“The information was useless, really… but you’re the only one around here I can order about.”

“Oh, my lady, please—order me around as much as you like!”

She was terribly stingy after that first time. Not just with Judy—she was stingy with her own dresses too.

She used to bring fifteen dresses for a single week’s vacation. Now, she got by on just seven for the whole season. Not that she ever repeated the same dress.

Then came Cesar Rezaie.

She seduced that beautiful magician and started wearing a new dress every day, using his money, of course.

It wasn’t her business. The magician’s purse opened for Judy, too, since she looked like her maid.

But still, the girl started doing things that weren’t like her at all.

After acting like she was obsessed with money, she turned around and spent her days frolicking with the magician.

It was nothing like before, when she always acted so prim and elegant—like a princess.

The magician, with his otherworldly looks, like he could survive on dew and flower petals, was completely smitten. He doted on her constantly.

Judy thought that these high-born folks were truly beyond understanding.

Still, Judy served her faithfully. The gold coins that came her way were nothing to sneeze at.

“You’ll never get far trying to make easy money. And where would you even wear clothes that fancy?”

Mr. Baldwin had been shocked when he found the dress I’d bought and stashed in the ceiling, hidden from Mom.

He knew following the young lady meant good money—but seemed to think it presumptuous for her to dream of wearing fine things.

“I’ll wear it someday!”

“I know you’re young, but don’t go thinking you’re the same as the young lady. And when was the last time you showed up at the general store?”

“I’m not doing that kind of work anymore.”

“Judy!”

“What’s the point of slaving over other people’s houses like some idiot?”

‘Mom and Dad are such fools.’

She kept following the young lady and the magician, pocketing whatever came her way. Even the magician’s generous gold coins began to feel like pocket change.

And then she saw it—the jewel box.

“My lady, I’ve brought what you desired!”

The magician beamed as he presented it, a box so luxurious it practically shimmered.

The moment Judy saw it, she thought she’d gone blind. It was pentagonal, made of some pale metal that gleamed with a bluish-white light.

Is that silver, or what?

That was the day Judy first learned that something called platinum existed in the world.

That wasn’t all. The metal surface was decorated with classical grapevine patterns in relief. Each piece had been individually carved by craftsmen.

And every grape was made of deep blue jewels.

“Here, you can open it with this key.”

And that key… it was shaped like a cornflower, the kind that grew all over the hills.

Who knew something so common could look so beautiful?

But of course—it was made of sparkling gemstones, dozens of petals in dazzling clarity.

The young lady only glanced at it.

“Yes. It’s pretty.”

“This box can’t be opened without this key.”

“So there’s only one?”

“Yes. And it can’t be duplicated. The mechanism is too complex.”

The young lady turned the key with a bored expression, and the lid clicked open.

When it did, Judy almost went blind again. There were so many jewels packed tightly inside!

“Are you sure you got the right ones?”

“I swear it. On my soul’s master.”

“That would be me.”

When she frowned and glared at the magician, he looked as though he’d die from joy.

She locked the box without ceremony and placed it inside the most secure safe in the villa. Then she pulled out the key and tucked it into her bodice.

That day, Judy made a decision.

To steal that jewelry box.

And then run far, far away.

Even at a glance, it was enough wealth to live comfortably for a lifetime. The young lady had the key made into a necklace and wore it around her neck.

Sometimes when tightening the young lady’s dress strings, Judy wanted to snatch that necklace chain and run!

But she wouldn’t make it more than a few steps before being caught. So she decided to wait for when the young lady forgot about it, or when she took the key off her body.

But she left Reims before the season ended. With the key.

Judy knew the jewelry box was still in the safe. The young lady had mockingly told her so on the day she left the mansion.

“Hey. If that goes missing, you’re the first suspect.”

“My lady! How could you say that…?”

“Because you’re the only one who knows it’s in there.”

Even the Baldwins didn’t know the code to that safe. If the Fleur family came, they’d find the box, but they wouldn’t be able to open it.

Because only she had the key.

So Judy waited for her next chance. It was only natural. As long as the jewelry box was here, the young lady would return.

She even left the magician behind in Reims.

“My lady, I can’t live without you… Please, take me with you.”

“Wait.”

“But…”

“I said, wait. How dare you talk back?”

She shouted, but everyone knew it was exactly what the magician wanted.

With an enraptured look, he fell to his knees and clung to her skirts.

“I’ll wait… but won’t you grant your humble slave one request?”

Eventually, she signed the engagement papers with an annoyed sigh, with Judy as the witness

Judy’s conscience grew even lighter. Though she had no conscience to speak of since she first planned to steal the jewelry box, what of it?

Besides, now that she was engaged to a wealthy magician, the young lady would live luxuriously even without the jewelry box. Judy’s theft would be like stealing a handful of sand from the desert.

But then… six months passed. And she didn’t return. Judy grew anxious.

The magician had showered me with coins but only while she was around.

The occasional letters that arrived contained no crumbs for Judy.

Having grown wasteful from the magician’s gold coins, Judy had long since spent all that money in the six months.

If she had saved it, it would have been enough for a dowry!

But instead, she wasted it, wandering Reims, staying in inns, drinking, gambling, buying clothes she didn’t need. And she fell into debt.

When the money ran out, all of Judy’s so-called friends vanished.

Finally, she had no choice but to return to her small house next to the Fleur family villa.

Mr. Baldwin didn’t scold her.

“It’s only natural when we’ve kept a young thing like you cooped up in these mountains. At least you’ve had your fun.”

Judy ignored those words and took the dresses she had bought back to sell them in downtown Reims.

The shopkeeper who’d sold me one for a gold coin now offered a few coppers.

“You swindler!”

“What’s with you, girl? You should have taken better care of them! You’re the real swindler, bringing in clothes covered in dust and moths! Tch, I was going to give you something for the lace, considering Mr. Baldwin…”

The boutique owner spat at Judy.

“You’re worthless now. Don’t ever show your face here again.”

“I don’t want to work in a dump like this anyway!”

The jewelry box was still in the safe. Judy desperately waited for the young lady. If she could just get that key…

And finally, the young lady came. With two men of dazzling appearance whom she had brought from somewhere.