Chapter 133: The Strongest One

As Jay’s green eyes turned to her again, she added as if making an excuse.

“Uh, that, I mean the ring. And, the relationship between Duke Westell and Mr. Jay.”

Ugh, what a total idiot.

Gemma regretted it the moment she spoke. It would have been better to make an excuse than to be misunderstood as coveting that ring, but her clumsy speech was enough to make her speechless even if Jay saw her as a real idiot. It would have been better if she hadn’t looked at the ring so entranced in the first place, but she couldn’t help it. Gems she had indulged in enough to draw clearly in her head just by looking at drawings until they wore out were right in front of her eyes. She couldn’t not look. And the gems seen in person were incomparably more beautiful than the drawings.

“Thank you.”

Surprisingly used to such situations, Jay answered with a ceremonial smile.

At his nonchalant appearance, Gemma’s face heated up even more. Thoughts of relief and acting like an idiot crossed her mind.

“Although you said they are immature, these are certainly designs with parts that attract the heart.”

When Jay tapped the sketchbook and spoke, Gemma felt the miscellaneous thoughts in her head disappear at once. She wanted to shout for joy if she could.

“However, there is a concerning part. Even if you work at Palmer Jewelry, it won’t be often that I personally check your work. Won’t you be disappointed?”

But the words that followed immediately cooled Gemma’s wildly beating heart. Although seeming considerate, Gemma noticed a trap hidden in these words. That he wouldn’t hire her if she said she would be disappointed.

Honestly, it was disappointing. Because her reason for applying definitely included the expectation of seeing gems worked on by Jay in person. But Jay said he wouldn’t check the work ‘often.’ That contained the meaning that he would sometimes teach her about the work directly. That was a generous enough teacher.

In factories, it’s natural for workers to work for money. But in prestigious places like Palmer Jewelry, unless doing menial tasks, it was common for beginners to pay tuition fees to receive knowledge transfer. Just like becoming a mage’s apprentice requires a similar process. So what Gemma had to say was set.

“I won’t be disappointed. I will work hard.”

“Good, the interview ends here today. We will inform you of the result in writing.”

“Yes, thank you for your time.”

Did I pass or not? Anxiety rushed in, but she shouldn’t show it here. Gemma bowed politely and left the study.

Whatever the result, she finished what she had to do. The overall evaluation didn’t seem bad. As relief set in, the surroundings came into view belatedly.

Wide glass windows, curtains exuding calmness and elegance, and lighting decorations that were neat but showed fluidity were visible. It didn’t blind the eyes with splendor. Gemma recalled her home in her hometown. Unlike the declining family fortune, that place with flashy decorations hanging here and there was stuck in the style of decades ago. The latest trend was restrained decoration while showing signs of spending money, just like the Westell ducal residence she sees now. The person leading this trend was Jay.

She didn’t know if there was a calculation that people would follow what he does. However, people copied his way of decorating the mansion, the material and shape of the clothes he wears, just as they went crazy for the gems he made. These were actions coming from highly evaluating his aesthetic sense.

To confess honestly, Gemma also wanted to have a sense like his. If she didn’t have it innately, she wanted to watch and learn.

So I wish I passed.

Gemma left the mansion holding anxiety and hope simultaneously.

Jay left the study after Gemma left and spent a little more time there. Unlike Gemma who had to leave the mansion, Jay soon entered the workshop.

Although using the name of Palmer Jewelry in auctions, Jay’s work was mostly done in the workshop next to the bedroom in the mansion, not the refilled workshop in the basement of the jewelry shop. Saying he couldn’t check her work often even if Gemma Somnio passed was stating the fact as it is.

It wasn’t just Betas that the world changed. Nobles were also changing. Although still an extremely small number, there were those trying to work like Gemma Somnio. Some called Jay a revolutionary, but he didn’t think so himself.

The thoughts that came to mind crumbled the moment he placed his hand on the workshop door handle.

And when he opened the workshop door, Jay could feel the lips that had worn a ceremonial smile crumbling.

In a place close to the door, where Philius placed a table like a gatekeeper and looked at documents, he saw a small child sleeping with him.

“Finished?”

As if never asleep, Philius opened his eyes immediately and asked.

The voice was very small. To avoid waking the child.

“Finished.”

Jay also answered whispering. The sound of wheezing breath was heard from the napping child.

At this moment, Jay completely erased thoughts about the interview from his head. Even though a quite big event happened that there was an Alpha among interviewees wanting to be a jeweler, it didn’t seem like a big deal. Probably because something that would happen someday happened now. Since a world where it’s not surprising whatever Alphas or Omegas do will come someday.

But seeing the child always made him feel mysterious. He still couldn’t believe the fact that he gave birth to that child.

Jay had no choice but to be always careful with the child. It felt like he would break if touched wrong. He looked that small and fragile.

“Uung…”

When the child mumbled and twitched his eyes, Jay even stopped breathing for a moment.

Eventually opening his eyes completely, the child smiled brightly as soon as he confirmed Jay’s face.

“Father!”

It seems he woke up at once. The child flailed his arms. It was a complaint asking why he was just watching.

Unlike Jay who was still careful about everything, the child was fearless. Even now, he was taking a posture to come down from the chair that was only high for the child.

When Jay reached out his arms, the child hung on those arms without hesitation.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes.”

“And didn’t touch anything dangerous?”

“I didn’t touch any of Father’s things.”

Although not yet five years old, the child knew how to speak quite clearly.

The workshop was full of dangerous things for a child. Still, the child liked spending time here, and Jay had no choice but to allow it. Although Philius took good care of him, it was also because the child himself didn’t touch things warned as dangerous. The child always kept the word ‘no’ well.

“Good job.”

So Jay was even more careful. He had to be careful so that the word ‘no’ wouldn’t block the child’s potential.

“How much bigger do I have to be to touch Father’s things?”

The child’s eyes shone with curiosity. Lapillus, the child with the name meaning gem, had the same eyes as that name.

“When you are as big as Daddy.”

At Jay’s answer, Lapillus made a quite serious expression. Looking back at Philius, he even gauged how big he was.

Daddy and Father, Lapillus called Philius and Jay clearly distinguishing them. They didn’t teach the child to divide the titles clearly. There were times when the child called Philius and Jay with unclear pronunciation like Piri and Jei. However, at some point, presumably when he became able to read the letters in books in the study, Lapillus came to distinguish Philius and Jay with the words Daddy and Father.

Why is he Father? Jay once agonized quite seriously. He even thought if it was because the child felt more distance. It was a more serious worry because he wasn’t without guesses himself.

Saying he doesn’t know how to express love growing up under a strict and blunt father was nothing but an excuse. Beside Jay was Philius who didn’t hide his affection.

Philius was very kind to the child even without having seen what a happy family looks like. And just as strict.

Compared to other nobles who don’t discipline children themselves, he was a very excellent nurturer. Jay watching from the side, as well as Lapillus himself, could sufficiently feel that Philius cherished the child. Even when scolding Lapillus strictly.

Jay couldn’t be active like Philius. Neither in expressing affection nor in scolding faults.

That’s why he agonized over the title Father.

The simplest way to solve that worry was to ask the child directly, and Jay eventually did so.

『Because Father is the strongest among us.』

The returned answer was unexpected.

『Strong?』

『Yes, I saw it in a book. That gems are incredibly hard and don’t change easily. But Father handles such gems as he pleases. Then you are incredibly strong.』

Lapillus’s expression saying those words looked very proud. He seemed to feel satisfaction in the fact that he read a book and made a proper deduction.

Putting aside that he handling gems looks strong, he didn’t know why the person looking stronger becomes Father, but Jay decided to move on pretending to understand Lapillus’s words.

It was enough to know properly that he had been worrying needlessly.

“Does me handling gems look cool?”

“Yes, totally.”

“I’m glad Father looks cool.”

“When I grow up, I will become Father’s watch.”