You’re My Flame

Chapter 9

“Hmm…” The jeweler meticulously examined the ring. He turned it over, holding it tightly and checking for scratches on the silver or if the gemstone had lost its luster. Hoping to find even a single flaw, his scrutiny was intense.

Since childhood, Chersinia had been interested in gemstones and developed a keen eye for quality. Even among the cheap accessories sold at street stalls, she always found the best quality pieces. Not only that, but she was careful, and she kept her cherished belongings spotless. She knew the ring she brought in wouldn’t have a single scratch.

Amused, she watched the jeweler trying to find a flaw so he could offer a lower price. She wondered how he would try to justify low-balling her.

The jeweler finally cleared his throat and shook his head as if dissatisfied. He still held the ring in his clenched fist.

Why is he holding it so tightly? For some reason, it bothered her immensely.

I won’t be fooled, though. With her eye for quality, she wouldn’t fall for any trickery. “How much are you offering?” she asked.

“Well, it has a scratch, so I can’t give you much.”

Chersinia scoffed at his absurd claim and raised an eyebrow. “A scratch? Where?”

The ring had been perfectly maintained, its gem still flawless and shining bright in the delicate setting. It should fetch at least twenty thousand shillings. She wondered how low he was going to try to go with this nonsense.

“Look here. See this tiny scratch?” The man pointed adamantly to the ring in his tightly clenched hand, as if his words would change anything. At the spot he indicated with his fingernail, there was a thin, sharp scratch on the band.

Chersinia had never seen the mark before. It hadn’t been there when she took the ring out of the vanity. Moreover, it looked deliberate, like it had been made with a blade. It wasn’t something that would have happened through everyday wear.

“See? This isn’t even worth ten thousand shillings.” The jeweler seemed smug, acting as if he were trustworthy. His shoulders rose as his nose tilted toward the sky.

You want to play this game? His dishonesty too brazen to ignore, she grabbed the man’s clenched fist and twisted his arm back.

“Ow! What are you doing?” the jeweler cried out in pain.

She smiled leisurely. “What have you been keeping in your fist this whole time?”

“Let go this instant!” he shouted angrily, his eyes wide with panic.

How dare he try to cheat me out of my money. Does he think me a pushover? Chersinia gathered heat in the hand holding the man, then transferred the concentrated heat into his hand.

“Argh! Hot, hot!” The jeweler flapped his arm in pain, but even then, he didn’t unclench his fist.

He was definitely hiding something. From the start, he’d kept his fist tightly clenched while inspecting the ring. But as Chersinia watched him closely, she noticed him trying to discreetly lift something hidden under his fingers. It all happened too quickly for her to see clearly, but that must have been his trick. The next time he showed her the ring, it was scratched.

He was a pro at this. He had the nerve to claim her ring was flawed, hoping to drive down the price.

Annoyed, she tightened her grip further. “Hot? What’s so hot?” said, smiling with feigned cluelessness.

“Ah, it burns!” Unable to withstand it any longer, the jeweler’s hand shook as he finally opened his fist.

Clink.

A small razor blade fell onto the glass display case.

“Eek!” Pale with panic, the jeweler tried to snatch up the fallen blade.

“Not so fast.” Chersinia brusquely threw his hand aside and quickly grabbed the blade herself. It was a tiny thing, less than a centimeter long. Its edge was sharp and honed, and it looked to be specially crafted to scratch jewelry.

“What could this be?” She smiled at the jeweler, but not out of friendliness.

The man cradled his hand, glaring at her with bloodshot eyes. A bright red mark stood out on his wrist where her grip had burned him. He would undoubtedly assume she was just incredibly strong and never guess her hand could burn. He would never have seen or heard of anything like her power before.

“That? I use it to cut packing strings!” he shouted. His anger just made his guilt all the more obvious.

So that’s how you want to play it? Chersinia glanced down at the jewelry on display, searching for the most expensive-looking piece. A ring set with a large diamond caught her eye. It was just what she needed. She quickly reached into the case and grabbed the ring.

“What are you doing?! Give that back! Do you know how much that’s worth?” The jeweler gasped and lunged at her.

Yep, definitely valuable. Admiring her own sharp eye, Chersinia spun out of the jeweler’s reach. Without a moment of hesitation, she took the razor blade and scratched the sparkling diamond ring. The fine band now had a scratch identical to the one he had indicated on her own ring.

“What the—?!” The jeweler stood with his jaw agape. His face was drained of color.

“That scratch looks just like the one on mine.”

“Do you know how expensive that ring is?!” the man bellowed so loudly that the store rang with his voice.

“Goodness, my ears almost fell off,” Chersinia said, nonchalantly picking at her ear.

The jeweler shook violently, clearly insulted. His pale face was now turning purple with rage. “This is worth much more than your fake! How do you intend to pay for it?!”

Maybe I was too kind. All he did was look down on her, not knowing his place.

Chersinia slammed her hand down on the display case with a force strong enough to shake it with a loud crash, though controlled enough to avoid breaking the glass. The carefully arranged accessories now laid in a jumbled mess.

“It’s you who owes me compensation,” she stated.

“Wh-what?” The jeweler tore his gaze away from the scattered accessories and glared at her as if laser beams would shoot from his eyes.

“It appears this is how you’ve been doing business, but it won’t work on me. I have the evidence right here. You won’t mind if word gets out, right?”

The jeweler was rendered speechless.

“If you pay me the right price for my ring, I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything today,” Chersinia continued.

“That ring you brought in isn’t even worth thirteen thousand shillings!”

He was still trying to undercut her, even now. She had planned to leave with twenty thousand shillings, but now, that seemed a little low.

“Fifty thousand shillings,” she said.

“What?”

She emphasized each syllable, “Five, zero. Fif-ty thou-sand.” The ring was really only worth about twenty thousand, but after all this trouble and emotional distress, she had to demand more.

The man let out a short, incredulous groan.

“Not going to give it to me? Then I’ll tell all my friends about your tactics. And trust me, I’m stronger than I look.”

At the mere mention of her strength, the jeweler shuddered. Fear had crept into his eyes, which wasn’t surprising, given the marks still visible on his wrist. “F-forty thousand shillings.”

“Fifty thousand.”

“Forty-five, no more!”

His attempt to act like he was doing her a favor made her smirk. “Fifty.”

Seething with frustration, the jeweler clenched his fist and screamed, “Fine! Fine!” He turned around and yanked open the drawer under the display case. It was a safe, stuffed full of banknotes.

Chersinia narrowed her eyes in disdain as she watched him. Even without her intervention, he would have inevitably landed himself in some serious trouble with his deceitful ways.

Nevertheless, she wasn’t a vigilante out to right every wrong. She just needed to take her money and leave. It was a priority to avoid unnecessary hassle—she was aiming for a peaceful life, not sainthood.

The jeweler grudgingly handed her fifty thousand shillings, reminding her of a grumpy toad with his exaggerated scowl.

“Should’ve done that sooner.” She grabbed the bills, but he hesitated, unable to let go. They began a tug-of-war, the tension nearly tearing the money apart.

Chersinia silently raised her free hand, prepared to leave another mark on his wrist if need be.

“Ah!” He recoiled in fright and released the money. He was still terrified from her first touch, even though she’d yet to lay a finger on him again.

Smiling victoriously, Chersinia pocketed the fifty thousand shillings. “I’m confiscating this,” she said, also taking the razor blade. She did, however, leave the diamond ring on top of the display case.

As she left the pawnshop, she gave the jeweler a cheerful smile. The man just gritted his teeth in frustration.