Chapter 1

“The Jewel Kingdom”

“N–no… this can’t be…”

Queen Sapiros of the Jewel Kingdom, Lysos, stared at the baby in her daughter Rinon’s arms with eyes filled with dread, as if she were seeing something monstrous.

“Kill that child immediately.
That baby cannot remain in this kingdom.
You understand that, don’t you?”

“I—I can’t! She’s my child!”

The beautiful woman with ash-blond hair gazed at her mother with tearful blue eyes.

“If you can’t do it, then I will.
Hand me that child.”

“I can’t…!”

Rinon recoiled, clutching the baby tightly, refusing to hand her over to the queen.

“Even if you try to protect that child,” the queen said coldly,
“she will still be killed in this kingdom.
You cannot hide her forever.
Her very birth is an omen of misfortune.
Not only you, but that child as well—
both of you are doomed to a cruel fate.”

Rinon could only cry helplessly.

“If you throw her into that hole,” the queen continued,
“she will be swallowed by space-time itself and die without pain.”

Before them was an entrance like a cave lined with glowing aurora-colored crystals, where a sinister black void pulsed and writhed—no one knew what it connected to.

Rinon looked down at her newborn one last time and hugged her gently. Without her mother noticing, she slipped something small against the baby’s chest.

“Dear God… please, save this child.”

Whispering a prayer, Rinon let the infant be drawn into the dark space.

“An ill-omened child…
Such a thing has happened once before, long ago.
That time as well, the mother tried to hide her child, just as you did—
and nearly brought this kingdom to ruin.
This nation exists by virtue of a sacred pact.
That pact must never be broken.
I must protect this kingdom.
Now, the realm shall be at peace.”

With those words, the queen picked up another infant—one she cradled reverently, as though worshipping a holy treasure.

“This child is the true heir to our kingdom.
Prepare for the celebration feast.
Tonight, the entire nation shall rejoice!”

As the queen smiled, Rinon’s tears fell.

“I’m so sorry…”

Her tears turned into jewels as they struck the floor.

A natural gemstone jewelry shop.

It was a tiny, long-established boutique with only five employees.

The neighborhood was filled with accessory stores—some doing well, others, like this one, struggling to keep up with the changing times.

Even so, their jewelry sold decently enough, and including the president, everyone quietly worked together to handcraft the products.

“We had a lot of online orders today,” said Midori Akiyama, glancing at the screen.

Since they hadn’t hired any new employees lately, the youngest staff member, thirty-year-old Midori, handled all the product listings.

Her name was written with the kanji for jade (翠), pronounced Sui.

When she first came for her job interview, the president had grinned and said—

“This is fate! The god of gemstones himself must be telling you to join us.”

“Everyone, I’ve brewed some coffee!”

Ruri Aokawa said cheerfully, carrying a tray and setting it down on the desk.