Chapter 6: Discrimination

Everyone screamed in shock and panic when the blade swiftly neared the young man who closed his eyes and opened his arms.

However, the blade met a yellow barrier around Jerome, suddenly breaking it in half.

All the people in the shop were silent, their heart almost stopping at the thought of witnessing a murder.

The young man who was also a bit nervous opened his eyes and kept his composed smile, "No harm done and still looked stunning, don't you think?"

Jerome kept a charming smile, or at least he tried to. He doesn't know if it was effective but it seemed like it was.

"If you have any inquiries and want to avail, please talk to the manager and if you want to discuss things which are more personal. My office is open." The young man smiled and went inside his office with Liao.

As soon as they left, everyone started to avail and started to look at the displayed jewelries.

There are hair accessories, brooches, earrings, necklaces and even rings.

They were well-kept in the glass shelves as they needed to sign a magic paper first as receipt and as proof that they are the one who availed the item. This avoids theft and also kept the consumer's identity in the log.

"I could hear them rushing to avail." Liao giggled as he sat down on the couch in front of Jerome's desk.

The raven haired boy looked around, getting familiar with his office.

"How would you know it would work, my lord? The jewelry..." The Eastern man asked while the younger was skimming through a book on a shelf.

"Oh that... I didn't, I just trusted the gem to work." Jerome looked at the pale man. He was already pale but he looked like he saw a ghost.

"I almost killed you!"

The young man chuckled, "You wouldn't..." Of course he was scared at that moment, but somehow, his rose gem necklace made him felt safe and protected.

Though he's not sure if it really was the necklace or the brooch. He was just sure that he was protected. He sometimes cursed himself for not knowing how magic feels but maybe it was because of his knowledge of the other world that he still find magic weird and unexplainable.

"I trust you Liao... maybe that's why." He faced the older who stared at him before smiling with a sigh.

"Such trust will kill you someday, my lord."

"Maybe..."

For just a few months, Jerome's jewelry store garnered attention from nobles and commoners combined. He doesn't discriminated after all, maybe that's why he was being placed in a bad light by some of those who are envious of him.

'I wouldn't want to go to that kind of shop if even commoners buy there.'

'I wouldn't want to be seen in a cheap shop like that.'

'I bet his performance at his grand opening was fake.'

Even with such gossips that he heard from some nobles in front of the shop whenever he passes by, Jerome ignored them and continues his day. He's still at a starting point, he wants his shop to be seen first.

He knew that nobles are far more important as consumers than commoners since they are the ones who have the money however, commoners also need protection from the magical gems which are rarely obtained.

'I need to talk to Liao about it soon.' He thought when one day, Jerome was on his way to his shop when there was a commotion happening nearby.

"Get away from me! You filthy commoner!" The young man frowned at what he heard and saw that it was coming from a woman—presumably a noble—kicking an old man.

Jerome remembered who the woman was, Rohesia Osboorne. In the novel, she wasn't mentioned but based on his studies of the noble people while he was growing up and while he was working in the tavern. He heard that she is an admirer of Rowan and values her fame and image very much.

The woman has ginger-colored curly hair that is above shoulders long and has pale skin and freckles.

"I recognize you... you're the butler of that declined Bertros family of thieves. I wouldn't be surprised if their own servant has the same sticky fingers as they are!" Rohesia exclaimed

Jerome recalled that news, it was said that the Bertros family stole a jewelry from the royal treasury but all of it has no evidence at all. However, nobles ate those rumors up like it was a fact and had the family thrown out of the Kingdom.

The black haired man sighed and approached the commotion, "I-I apologize... I didn't mean to—"

"Don't even try to talk back you—"

Before the woman could even slap the old man with her fan, Jerome just stood beside him, smiling.

"I believe dirtying your fan wouldn't be worth the trouble, my lady." He told her, she was quite flustered that she retreated a little.

"A-Are you defending him?" She asked, hiding her fluster with annoyance.

The old man looked up to his savior, "Oh... far from it." Jerome kept his smile, hand on his chest as he slightly bowed his head.

"I was just afraid that your image as an elegant and graceful lady would be tarnished if other nobles were to see you like this."

The young man's words made the woman look around in anxiety, realizing that she was causing a commotion in public.

"From what I heard, Prince Rowan sometimes roam around the discreets of the city... I wonder if he's currently around." What Rohesia heard made her panic.

"O-Oh! That's quite right... thank you. I'll be on my way." She changed the tone of her voice and soften it, smiling awkwardly while covering her mouth with her fan as she left.

"Thank you, my lord..." The old man kept his head bowed, still on the ground while kneeling.

Jerome looked at him for a while before answering, "It is nothing... I just hate to see a commotion around my shop." He said and prompted to leave but then, the old man held his leg.

"Please, my lord! Let me serve you!" The young man was quite baffled by this.

"Actually, I'm not even a lord, I am with no noble status." He told him before urging him to stand, "Please stand up..."

The old man shook his head and begged, "I beg of you... Even if you're with no noble status... let me serve you!"

Jerome sighed before looking around. People are looking at them as he became the center of attention.

"Let's calm down and talk privately." He told the old man who felt hopeful with that, he nodded and stood up, following the young man to the Rosen Gems.

"Please serve us some tea and biscuits." Jerome told an attendant of his shop, courtesy of Liao of course.

Speaking of the man, he became busy with the mine since the start of Jerome's blooming business, hence why he wasn't around in the past few days.

Once they arrived at Jerome's office, he gestured the old man to sit down who shook his head. He kept it low and he stood there holding himself as if one small notion would cause an uproar.

"I'm afraid to dirty your couch, Sire..."

"I insist or I won't even hear what you have to say." Jerome sat down across and because of the threat, the old man sat down.

"You are the former butler of the vanished Bertros family, correct? If the rumors serves to be right, why would I take you as a servant?" The black haired man leaned back, crossing his arms.

He do know that he can't just trust anyone here, even if he has some knowledge about the future, that was only about Rowan. His own story here as Jerome Wright was not even written anywhere. He's on his own.

"Yes, I am the butler of the vanished Bertros family, Henry Birmingham..." The old man answered, keeping his head low.

Even when an attendant came to serve them tea, he just muttered a 'thank you'.

"I... I cannot defend what my former masters did. I also do not know if it was all true. However, you defended me despite all the stigma in my former family... for that I want to serve you."

"Like I said, I didn't do it for you."

"I apologize if it may sound rude and if I am putting words in your mouth, but I can tell that you are kind... nobles and even commoners don't even bat an eye for my sake... both are afraid to put their trust on an alleged thief all because I was associated with the said suspects."

Jerome kept quiet and observed the old man, he was thinking about it. Henry seemed genuine with his words, and the young man felt pitiful since the latter was receiving all this hate when he had nothing to do with it.

"I heard you were loyal... I can tell. You never bad mouthed your former masters, only stating the truth." The black haired man stood up and took a contract for servants in his drawer, writing some details before giving it to Henry.

"I'll accept your service. This is the contract, if you were to steal... I have the right to chop your hands off." Jerome stated as what he wrote in the contract. It wasn't because he don't trust the man that he won't steal but rather it was a test if he don't need to go to such extremities.

"Are you willing to accept?" It was a question whether he could trust the old man or not. Only a guilty man is scared of consequences after all.

Henry took the contract without hesitation and signed, he then stood up and bowed, "At your service, Sire."