Unknown Intrusion

Chapter 29 Artificial Gemstone (Bonus Chapter for Alliance Leader Beast Detective 1)

"This is the boldest... most radical declaration of love I've ever received." Song Qiongyao lowered her eyes, as if talking to herself, and even though she was startled, she still used tactful language.

She looked a little melancholy.

“From a very young age, people often approached me.”

"Simply because my father was a nobleman, and I was his only daughter."

"Don't underestimate the baronial title; it's already the ultimate goal for many people in their lifetime."

"After I changed schools and deliberately hid my family background, I was still pursued because of my appearance..."

"This is so annoying!"

"However, most people would give up after a few unanswered attempts, so it's truly rare to find someone as persistent as this."

“If that’s the case—” Su Yu said thoughtfully, “Then I’ll go with you to see who this bold classmate is.”

Song Qiongyao raised her eyes and looked at Su Yu in surprise.

"You're coming with me?" she asked instinctively, as if she hadn't quite grasped the question.

"Because it looks a bit dangerous... Don't worry, I'll stay behind you and only come out if there's danger."

"You're really kind." Looking directly at Su Yu, Song Qiongyao suddenly understood and smiled, "Yes, thank you... but I think it shouldn't be as bad as you think."

There was something hidden in her smile, which seemed both veiled and subdued.

"Have you encountered this before?"

"Yes, it's very interesting. Let me show you."

She took out a beautiful piece of floral paper from her bag, tied with a red ribbon along with the letter, and tucked a withered rose inside like a bookmark.

Upon receiving it and unfolding it, a faint fragrance fills the air.

The first thing you see is the beautiful handwriting.

"Dedicated to you, my dearest."

The contents of the envelope passionately and boldly express the love of the person in question, and pose a riddle for Song Qiongyao to solve.

"Was it a puzzle game he set up?" Su Yu asked at the end.

"Ah."

Song Qiongyao appeared calm and composed, her smile exuding elegance.

She held a small box in her hand. When she opened it slightly, she found a silver ring set with a ruby, which shone with a deep red light in the sunlight.

Standing under the tree, Song Qiongyao's gaze was fixed on it, as if she were deeply attracted by the ruby.

"It's a very beautiful ring."

Su Yu followed her gaze and saw a perfectly cut ruby ​​that refracted dazzling light in the sunlight, giving people an indescribable and wonderful feeling.

Perhaps this is the allure of gemstones.

However, that alone probably wouldn't make the rich young lady so obsessed.

She stared at it for a long time, her gaze remaining fixed on the ring.

To be precise, it's on the gemstone.

"This is what we got at the end of that puzzle-solving..." The ruby ​​refracted light, exuding a mysterious aura.

"I've heard that this ring can grant my wishes... it has mysterious powers."

The elegant young girl's eyes were filled with infatuation, and her voice was ethereal and dreamlike, as if she were immersed in a dream she did not want to wake up from.

Su Yu frowned slightly.

...That doesn't sound plausible.

Moreover, he couldn't sense any aura from the ring; it was as if it were just an ordinary ring.

“Stories like these, which claim to grant wishes, rarely end up with a good ending.”

In this world, there are also stories like the wishing cup that grants wishes, but in the end, they almost never end happily.

Those who are seduced by the sweet words of evil spirits will ultimately lose their lives; those who pray for beauty will ruin even their existing appearance; those who pray for wealth will exhaust their existing riches and end up on a dead end.
Regardless of the type, there's no such thing as getting something for nothing, and the protagonist of the story often doesn't get what they want in the end.

"Maybe it's just an ordinary ring." "That's true, I don't believe those kinds of legends either." Song Qiongyao nodded slightly, but her gaze remained fixed on the ring.

You clearly believed it!

Su Yu thought for a moment, but decided not to continue.

"Actually, there has been a saying since ancient times."

"The orange stone connects to the sun, while the white stone connects to the moon."

“Gemstones grow by the energy of stars, and therefore possess different secret powers.”

"Ruby is born in July, grows, and absorbs the power of a few specific stars."

"Rubies of different colors come from different countries and have subtle differences, and they can all bring passion and love."

"However, most rubies are pale red, or even pink, so the magic of love is pink."

"A ruby ​​with the color of pigeon's blood, exuding intense vitality, is the embodiment of the phoenix, possessing the magic to turn enemies into friends."

"If worn for a long time, it can also ward off curses and misfortune."

Su Yu listened attentively and memorized all the knowledge.

Knowledge is valuable.

This may be common knowledge circulating among nobles, but perhaps it also contains some real secrets.

Su Yu had little experience with gemstones, as they were much more expensive.

Her two pale peach-colored lips continued to move up and down, quietly uttering a voice as clear as flowing spring water.

"Actually, this isn't a real gemstone." She sighed softly. "It's said to be a fake formed from melted metal that solidified."

"It's what's called a man-made gemstone."

“…They actually sent a fake; their sincerity is questionable,” Su Yu chimed in.

The doubts in my heart were dispelled.

It turned out to be a man-made gemstone; no wonder he didn't notice the mystery.

"Do not……"

Song Qiongyao shook her head slightly, her beautiful long hair swaying gently behind her slender waist.

Its beauty, like the gentle sway of a weeping willow, immediately caught Su Yu's eye.

This girl is so beautiful... even more beautiful than Qiaoqiao.

Such a comment lingered on his lips, almost slipping out.

But Su Yu kept it to himself.

"Compared to naturally formed gemstones, artificially manufactured synthetic imitations have a clearer and more flawless color, and the finished product after cutting is more beautiful."

She recounted the secrets of the gemstones as if they were her most treasured possessions.

“Aside from lacking special qualities, from a purely aesthetic point of view, man-made gemstones far surpass naturally occurring gemstones.”

"The first person to create artificial gemstones was the gem alchemist Sir Enoch, who invented the flame fusion method, followed by the hydrothermal synthesis method and the high-temperature and high-pressure method, and artificial gemstones became popular from then on."

"Therefore, the royal family granted him the title of baron and permitted its hereditary succession, which has now been passed down to his grandson!"

"That's a bit of a stretch. Even if it's a man-made gemstone, there's still a cost involved. This gift isn't exactly cheap."

"Humanity's pursuit of beauty has created this miracle, which is a truly astonishing fact."

After giving his comments, Su Yu asked another question.

"In short, you want to return the gems, right?"

"How did you know?" Song Qiongyao's eyes flickered slightly as she looked over, seemingly with a smile.

"Since there was no consent in the love letter, how can you just accept the gift?"

"That's right... I was just about to go find the person who sent the letter."

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, illuminating her slightly upturned, pretty face and casting swaying shadows.

(End of this chapter)