Chapter Title: Shopping at Bottega Di Vecchio
The "Bonaparte's Four-Horse Carriage" was no ordinary carriage. Whenever this four-horse carriage appeared on Bella Stella Street, all the shops' daily sales records would be broken. In other words, the blue carriage was a signal.
_I intend to spend a lot of money today, so take good care of me._
"Um… Do you think Cesare will come to our shop?" Amelie, a new employee, asked quietly beside the nervous Lisa.
"Of course. This is a jewelry store operated by the Stellone Trading Company." Lisa answered firmly. "Bottega Di Vecchio," the shop she managed, was owned by the Stellone Trading Company, operated by the Bonaparte family. Naturally, whenever Cesare visited Bella Stella Street, he always stopped by here first.
"I never thought I would see the famous blue four-horse carriage in real life…"
"Me neither. But don't show it. Got it?"
"Yes." Amelie nodded and spoke again.
"Does Cesare have a new lady he's seeing? I haven't seen anything in the papers…"
"That's true. It's been quiet lately, hasn't it?"
"The most recent one was Miss Eolie, right?"
"No, it was Miss Gioia, wasn't it?" Another employee interjected from the side.
"It wasn't Miss Gioia. Cesare got slapped by her in front of the opera house."
"Oh, right… Then it must be Miss Eolie."
"As far as I remember, it was Miss Maeve. There was an article about them walking together in San Claudio Garden."
"That's it!"
"Then it must be Miss Maeve today? Wow, no one has ever ridden in that carriage." At that moment, a shadow fell over the shop's glass door. It was the blue four-horse carriage drawn by four black horses.
"Everyone to your positions!" As soon as Lisa whispered sharply, the employees quickly straightened up and closed their mouths.
_Is it Miss Maeve? Or has it changed again? Whoever it is, coming in the four-horse carriage means they will be seeing each other for a while._ Lisa smiled and looked at the glass door. Cesare entered the shop, escorting a woman.
_Huh?_ Lisa was at a loss for words. She had never seen a woman whose beauty didn't pale next to Cesare's. Wavy green hair like waves, a slender, long neck like a deer's, a delicate face with a slight glow, and sweet, arrogant amber eyes. She wore a blue Panama cloth dress that reached her ankles and silk shoes adorned with yellow mabe pearls. It was undoubtedly a dignified outfit. Yet, somehow, she had an air that stimulated people's imaginations in a peculiar way. Lisa immediately realized that this woman was the type to drive men crazy.
_Who on earth is she?_ The surroundings were quiet, seemingly astonished by the woman's beauty. Realizing the shop had become too quiet, Lisa greeted them brightly.
"Welcome to 'Bottega Di Vecchio!'" Cesare approached Lisa with the unfamiliar lady. The always handsome man smiled broadly, showing off his sharp features.
"Goddess's blessing. How have you been, Lisa?"
"Goddess's blessing. It's been a while, Cesare." Cesare responded with a light smile instead of words.
_Ugh._ The tips of Lisa's ears turned slightly red. Cesare never used cheap lines like "You've gotten prettier" or "Have you changed your hairstyle?" making him a true player.
"This is my sister, Adelaide Bonaparte." The man who captivated people in an instant introduced the woman standing beside him smoothly.
_Sister?_ Knowing Cesare had no sister, Lisa's eyes widened. The woman finally spoke.
"Goddess's blessing. I'm Adelaide Bonaparte." Her voice was as outstanding as her beauty. Lisa immediately smiled warmly at her.
"Goddess's blessing. Nice to meet you, Miss Adelaide. I'm Lisa Zanotti, the manager of 'Bottega Di Vecchio.'"
"Nice to meet you." Adelaide nodded slightly. Her face didn't exactly resemble Cesare's, but they had a similar aura, especially in their reserved demeanor.
_Whether she's really his sister or he's disguising a lover as his sister, she must be a noble._ Otherwise, it would be hard to explain her graceful demeanor. Even her gaze carried the polite coldness typical of high society.
"In the future, she'll come even without me, so take good care of her."
"Of course. She is a precious guest!"
"Take your time looking around, Adelaide." At Cesare's words, Adelaide gently lowered her gaze and looked inside the glass display case. Despite the intense brilliance of the highest-quality jewels lined up, she didn't seem particularly impressed.
"Everything is so beautiful, it's hard to choose." Even her voice sounded calm, as if she were accustomed to seeing such things.
_If she is really the daughter of Lord Rowan and Lady Catarina, that makes sense._ Somehow, Lisa began to trust the claim that she was Cesare's sister a bit more.
"Hmm." Cesare smiled with an affectionate look.
"You should have the basics. Lisa?"
"Yes, Cesare." She had been waiting for this.
"Please wait a moment. We have just received some very artistic pieces from the Firino workshop! They are so special that we haven't displayed them outside." Lisa quickly clapped her hands twice, and the employees promptly moved inside. Even though Fornatie was accustomed to customers coming to the shop to purchase goods, the most precious items were always kept separately. After a while, the employees returned, each carrying a jewelry box, and laid them out in front of Cesare and Adelaide.
"These are the most precious items currently available at 'Bottega Di Vecchio.' You won't find anything like them anywhere in Fornatie." Lisa began opening the blue velvet-covered boxes one by one.
_Click._
"A 15-carat diamond ring. Colorless, flawless, and of the highest grade in craftsmanship."
_Click._
"A 9-carat cushion-cut ruby pendant from Mogok. It has a vivid pigeon blood color and exceptional clarity."
_Click._
"A 10-carat old mine no-oil emerald ring. It's of top quality among beryl stones with a beautiful velvet texture."
_Click._
"A 12-carat royal blue sapphire clasp from Kashmir. It has an old-world charm with rose cut down and is adorned with nine colored gemstones." Lisa observed Adelaide's reaction as she opened the boxes. These were "Bottega Di Vecchio's" trump cards, priced beyond the reach of average families.
_How about that!_ However…
"…" Adelaide remained expressionless. She seemed slightly surprised, but it was more like _You have some decent items after all._ At that moment, Cesare picked up a ring and asked.
"Unprocessed, right?"
"Who would dare present processed stones to you?" Lisa quickly replied, and Cesare looked at Adelaide.
"It seems my sister isn't impressed. Well, my mother's jewelry box had quite a few like these." Cesare voiced what Lisa had only been thinking. Adelaide blinked awkwardly.
"That's not it, brother."
"Let's just buy all of these." _Clink. Clink. Clink._ The blessing of gold coins echoed in Lisa's ears. Items worth 1.5 billion gold were sold in thirty seconds.
"Show us more."
"Yes!" Lisa responded energetically and moved quickly. Cesare was the head of the Stellone Trading Company. Technically, all the items in "Bottega Di Vecchio" belonged to him. But whenever he came with a lady, he always paid as "Cesare Bonaparte" personally. In other words…
_It's a festival! Bonus time!_ Lisa placed the valuable jewels on the shelf with a big smile. That didn't mean she was desperate to sell everything. Lisa still closely observed Adelaide.
_A neat, androgynous face. Without distinct features, larger stones would suit her. Bright or dull colors wouldn't work—high saturation or strong hues would be better._ The selected jewels began to be placed on the shelf.