Chapter 868: Magical Bracelets (2)
The arrival of Rowena dressed in her elegant dress paired with her manner of speaking, and simply the way she carried herself across the crowded street spoke volumes of how the people perceived her.
All of them saw her in a good and positive light. While there have been many con men, tricksters, and other individuals who attempted to pilfer and steal coins and riches from the hands of rich and even poor individuals through deceit and lies… Here was the genuine article.
Rowena was truly a princess.
It didn"t change, no matter how much time had pa.s.sed and whatever adventures Julian and Rowena found themselves in. Her nature and upbringing were resilient through and through. It seemed King Draco"s desire for her to achieve perfection was helpful.
Ingrained within herself, despite how much she wished to erase it.
This time, it wasn"t only Rowena"s ethereal beauty that carried her and convinced the others in the crowd that she was a wealthy lady that saw and was interested in the magical bracelet, her demeanor was befitting of a n.o.ble station.
While some others might attempt to fool others, it was still true that Rowena was a princess and it convinced the rest that there were possibly magical bracelets displayed on them. Those who still didn"t believe were also silenced.
"Would you wish to try it on, Madam?" Julian asked as he gently plucked one of the invisible and magical bracelets from the booth.
"Why certainly." Rowena smiled and offered her wrist out.
Julian pretended to put it on her wrist and smiled appreciatively. "It looks so beautiful on your wrist and it fits perfectly, don"t you think?"
"My, I"ve never felt such a light bracelet before." Rowena giggled. Her eyes sparkled in mischief and excitement as she met Julian"s gaze and gave him a small smirk.
The others didn"t notice the knowing looks exchanged between the two as most of them were simply in a state of awe and disbelief. Did this beautiful young woman really see the bracelet? Everyone held their breaths and was not sure what to say.
None of them could see any bracelet on the booth and on her wrist. Yet, she looked so impressed by this young man"s product. Slowly, the audience was starting to doubt their own intelligence. Perhaps... they were not smart enough to see a magical item?
Julian resisted the urge to chuckle back at Rowena"s words.
He knew that she was being too cheeky when she mentioned how "light" the bracelet was.
When they wanted a bit more excitement, Rowena sometimes dropped hints and fleeting phrases that may have clued in a much smarter individual to the reality of their performance, and it was up to Julian to give back a proper response.
Luckily, Julian was fast on his feet and the knowledge he gleaned from Rowena who told him about books on magic she read before also helped him put a believable answer.
"The magical bracelet is naturally enchanted so you won"t feel burdened by its weight, your grace. As you can see and feel, it"s lighter than any feather. But do not be afraid of its strength, its material is also very strong and does not erode in water or pa.s.sage of time," Julian said.
"I see! That"s wonderful, indeed." Rowena looked at her bracelet in awe and then turned to a random stranger in the crowd. She found a person and gave them a sweet smile. "Do you not agree that the bracelet matches my complexion? I love how the rubies compliment my eyes."
"Y-yes. It really does!" the person blurted out. He didn"t want to be seen as an idiot and say he couldn"t see the bracelet. And the man"s reaction soon spread like wildfire among the crowds who made agreements about the bracelet"s beauty. &nbs
p;
"See? Only smart people can see this magic bracelet. Those who don"t... well, let"s just say they need to learn some more and become smarter," Julian said with a smile and effectively sealed the deal.
A lot more people murmured and loudly said that they all saw the bracelet around Rowena"s wrist.
"Ah, yes, it"s really quite exquisite isn"t it?" A woman whispered to her friend with a proud smile. "The rubies are really beautiful."
Her friend nodded and said, "Of course, anybody who says otherwise is nothing more but a buffoon. I can clearly see the bracelet all the way from here. I can"t believe n.o.body else saw it at first."
An older man nodded to himself. "A fine bracelet for a fine lady, that"s for sure."
"Can you really see it?" a boy asked, confused.
"Don"t you see how the jewels are all s.h.i.+ning?" A young gentleman pointed out.
"They"re like rainbow quartz and caught my eye." His friend said.
"You"re mistaken, they"re diamonds and topaz from what I see."
Rowena"s expression became flat for a moment as she glanced at her empty wrist.
She couldn"t believe how quickly people ended up folding and changing their minds to blend in with the crowd and not be seen as stupid.
It was almost a pity that there was no brave person who called them out, but it showed how easy people changed sides if it suited them.
"Ahem." Rowena cleared her throat and smiled at Julian. "Now, how much for this lovely bracelet?"
"Hmmm, I suppose for today, I can give you a deal," Julian said thoughtfully. "I was afraid that these people did not see the bracelet, but you"ve helped them realize their mistakes. I"ll give you a special discount at the price of ten silver coins."
"Ten silver coins?" Rowena"s eyes widened and placed a hand on her chest. "That"s a terrible steal! I"m afraid that they"re worth more than that, and I certainly wouldn"t want to pay for only that much. Please do not sell yourself short at all."
"What do you think is the appropriate price for it?" Julian asked.
"Let"s see. Since they"re precious magical artifacts and they"re not from the human realm, surely ten gold coins is a fair price," Rowena smiled and procured a small pouch of money. She counted out the coins and paid them to Julian. "Here you go."
"Gosh... my lady, you are truly someone who understands the value of magical items," Julian incessantly praised Rowena. "It shows that you know its worth. Not only does it suit you well, it also sets you apart from the rest. I wish you all best."
"Why, thank you," Rowena smiled. "I was only telling the truth. Don"t sell yourself short. These are such beautiful bracelets, worthy of princesses and queens. Not many can afford it. So, I wish you success in finding people who are smart enough to understand the value."
People around them were so impressed by their exchange and were now sold at the idea that the invisible bracelets were truly magical items. Soon, the news of a merchant selling magical bracelets in the market reached the wealthiest people in town and they came to buy.
Julian and Rowena intentionally sold the "bracelets" at a very expensive price because they"ve come to an agreement that those who could afford to spend that much amount of money wouldn"t exactly be at a loss when they realized that they"ve been tricked.
Those who couldn"t afford the magical bracelet"s supposed price but pretended to see the bracelet would realize their foolishness, but at least won"t suffer as much due to them not purchasing the fake bracelets.
Once Rowena finished the purchase of her brac
elet, those who could afford them suddenly drew closer to buy. Julian threw one last look at Rowena before she disappeared from the crowd and left him to it.
It was one of their most successful tricks.
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From Missrealitybites:
So, Rowena grew up to be a con woman, together with Julian XD
By the way, I was in a small island the past week and couldn"t publish regularly. I will go home tomorrow and will resume daily publis.h.i.+ng again for my books. Thank you for your patience.