[IFITAOAMV] Chapter 62

"I’d like to make one of each design."  

"Will both be gifts?" Seth asked, his tone curious.  

"No, just one."  

Seth glanced at me with a questioning look.  

"The other is for testing. I’ll need to use gem magic on it, so I want to check the effects beforehand."  

The test item was actually intended for Evelyn.  

"I see."  

"Is that possible?"  

"It shouldn’t be too difficult."  

"I’d like it to be ready before we leave for the capital."  

"Don’t worry. I’ll make sure it’s done in time."  

"Thank you. Oh, and please keep this a secret from Edwin. I want to surprise him."  

"I understand. If I need to consult you during the process, I’ll reach out."  

Seth bowed respectfully and left the room after I nodded.  

As soon as he was gone, I leaned back against the chair, relieved. I had been nervous that Seth might refuse, but everything had gone smoothly.  

In truth, I didn’t fully trust Seth to keep the secret.  

Even though I had saved Edwin’s life, Seth’s loyalty ultimately lay with him. Since I’d be using the family’s funds to create the gift, it was likely Edwin would find out.  

Still, I had asked for secrecy because I knew Edwin would be more inclined to agree if he thought it was a surprise.  

"Is everything ready for the trip to the capital?"  

The thought of meeting the protagonists from the original story already made my heart heavy.

---

"Master, are you alright? I should have been by your side," said a man with pitch-black hair and cold gray eyes, glistening like the moonlight. His pale face, paired with teary eyes, made for a bizarre sight, given his grim reaper-like appearance.  

Edwin looked down at the man with a cold gaze.  

"Huey, get off me. Unless you want to lose your hand."  

"How could you say something so terrifying? You don’t even know how worried I’ve been for you," Huey replied, pulling away with a pout, his eyebrows drooping in disappointment.  

"Didn’t you already hear all at once that I was fine?" Edwin said, exasperated, as he moved to sit at his desk. The sunlight streaming through the large windows made his golden hair shimmer even more brightly.  

"I *was* really worried. I wanted to come running immediately, but the others held me back."  

"I’m fine, as you can see."  

"Are you really okay? Really?"  

"I told you, I’m fine."  

"That’s such a relief."  

Huey collapsed onto the sofa, as if his legs had given out.

"I heard that you were in danger, and my heart sank at the news."  

Huey gently touched my chest, perhaps recalling that moment.  

"You don't have to worry anymore. Angelina is here."  

"That's right. We're so fortunate to have the lady."  

Huey smiled brightly as if he had never been worried.  

"But seriously, I still don't know where she suddenly appeared."  

"Still haven't found anything?"  

"No. We've expanded the investigation to foreign lands but haven't uncovered a single thing about the lady."  

Huey frowned, clearly displeased.  

"If even you haven't found anything, then Raven must have come up empty-handed."  

"Probably. Those people can't even reach my feet."  

"Maybe that's for the best," Edwin muttered, propping his chin in thought.  

It was better to have no trace of her rather than some half-hearted trail to conceal the fact that Angelina was truly from Jueri. 

‘'I'm curious, but there's no helping it.'  

It didn't matter if I didn't know about Angelina's past. What was important was that she was with me now.  

"So, what did you find out?"  

Huey suddenly stood up from the sofa and sat across from Edwin at the desk.  

"You asked me to investigate the rumours spreading among the grave robbers, right?"  

Edwin nodded, and Huey leaned forward.  

"There's a rumour that an ancient treasure is hidden in the Muhas Desert."  

"What's the treasure, specifically?"  

"There are various theories, but the most prominent one is that it's a gemstone."  

"A gemstone? That's a bit too generic, don't you think?"  

Most treasures were gold or jewels, so this wasn't particularly special. 

"It's not just any gemstone. They say it's in the shape of a flower and has a mysterious vitality, like a living flower."  

"How can a gemstone have vitality?"  

"That's why it's considered an ancient treasure. It was said to be revered in the ancient kingdom of Eucales."  

"That's quite specific."  

Edwin smirked.  

"Right? It's just one of many theories, but I think this gemstone is what the imperial family is after."  

Huey raised a finger, his expression serious.

"And why do you think that?"  

"Amid all the rumours and speculation that have come and gone, this one never seems to fade. Whenever it does, someone reignites it."  

Huey's insight, the ability to piece together scattered information and uncover hidden truths, was unparalleled. His guess was probably correct.  

"Not only that but whenever there was a report of seeing a flower in the desert, Raven would act. In some cases, the location was already dug up before the grave robbers even arrived."  

"A gemstone resembling a flower..."  

Edwin touched the opal necklace around his neck, pondering.  

If what they were searching for was indeed a gemstone, then it was likely connected to Jueri.