Lord Theodore's Favorite Ritual
Chapter 79: Paying With Gold Crits.

Chapter 79: Paying With Gold Crits.

Opulence jewellery shop.

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.

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In Critic-Ishire the hierarchical list of noble titles starts from the emperor, the royal family, then the duke and his duchess, before the marquis/marchioness, the viscount/viscountess and then there’s the baron/baroness before the knight or a dame.

In this jewellery shop the assailant who had felt she was stern and powerful enough to bully a viscountess was only a mayor’s wife but her confidence and pompousness made her oppress Cesita and Lydia couldn’t stand that.

No woman should terrorize another woman.

The structure of councils and positions varied in Critic-Ishire, there was the alderman, the mayor, and then the magistrate.

"Wait, how about we make her pay for this jewellery if she thinks so highly of herself?"

The bully had asked. Confident that Lydia wouldn’t be able to pay for the jewellery that she had picked.

Lydia turned with a small smile on her face, she approached them and Cesita followed right behind her, her step smaller and timid.

"Who are you?" Lydia asked the oppressor.

"I am the mayor’s wife" she replied cheekyly, her name was Stella but she didn’t feel the need to tell Lydia she only aspired to oppress.

Lydia almost rolled her eyes but the attire doesn’t remove the etiquette she knows a lady should retain.

"I am not a petty person but I shall pay for the jewellery you were unable to pay for, Lady Mayor’s wife" Lydia retorted with a practised warm smile.

Stella, the mayor’s wife scoffed feeling insulted. "I am able to pay I just wanted to-"

"Shhh" Lydia shushed her.

"I am trying to pay for jewellery here" she pointed out.

"Let us just leave, please" Cesita whispered into Lydia’s ear.

Her hands reached to hold Lydia’s arm but Lydia was fighting.

"If I pay for this jewellery you shall owe the viscountess an apology" she said to Stella.

At this point Abigail simply watched, she liked gathering information so she could spread it later despite not being paid like the muckraker is.

"You will not be able to pay for the necklace, you peasant" Stella snickered.

With a raised brow Lydia asked. "Are you agreeing to apologize?"

Stella narrowed her eyes, trying to look sensible but she was an empty barrel. "Okay, if you pay for the jewellery I shall apologize for nothing to Cesita" she agreed.

Lydia nodded with a smirk.

"How much is it?" her question is directed to the shop owner.

The woman raised her nose before she said it. "Fifty silver crits"

"A hundred silver crits is equivalent to one gold coin," Lydia said out loud.

Stella frowned. "Whatever are you talking about?"

The shop owner stood eager, she had never collected a gold coin before.

Lydia brought out a satchel pulled out a gold coin and offered it to the sorry staff. "Here is your pay, I would ask you to keep the change but it still wouldn’t be enough to buy you some manners" she said to both of them.

"Here’s your change my lady"

"And the jewellery? Oh"

Lydia walked up to Stella who stood astounded with her mouth agape. She took the jewellery out of her slacked fingers.

Lydia didn’t bother to look at the piece before walking towards the staff. "A hammer please"

"Yes" he bowed before he scurried away

Abigail became curious so she asked. "What are you doing?"

Lydia blatantly ignored her as she faced the mayor’s wife. "Apologize to the viscountess of Critic Arley" she ordered.

Stella reddened immediately. "I... why" she was trying to refuse.

"Do it Lady Stella you made a deal" Abigail said righteously.

Stella frowned before she turned to the surprised Cesita. "I’m sorry for nothing Cesita" she said in a rush.

Lydia scoffed, both her palms in from of her. "No. She is the viscountess" she pointed out.

"What do you want?" Stella wailed.

"Apologies properly, lady mayor’s wife" Lydia reproached.

"Lady Cesita I am sorry for the way I acted to your presence" Stella finally apologized and she felt as embarrassed as a naked lady in a tavern.

Lydia nodded. "Cesita does not forgive you but that will do," she said waving her off.

"I forgive her" Cesita mumbled.

Lydia pouted.

"What?" Stella shrieked, surprised at the kindness.

Cesita shrugged innocently. "We do not hold a grudge in Izinghale, I forgive you" she clarified, her green eyes bright and warm.

"Great" Lydia whispered and then there was a presence behind her she turned and saw the staff rushing towards her. "Thank you" she mumbled as she took the hammer from the man.

Within a blink of an eye, the lowborn dressed lady bent down, dropped the fifty silver crits jewellery that she had just purchased and smashed it with a hammer.

From the pendant, the chain and everything it could ever be.

A sharp cry met her as she stood up, dusting her palm and her dress.

"How could you!" Stella yelled.

Lydia raised an eyebrow as she asked. "It is my necklace, no?"

"You outlandish lowborn woman you dared to destroy my product!" the shop owner screeched her face red and angry.

"That was a piece of jewellery I had intended to buy" Stella added dramatically.

Lydia couldn’t resist it, she rolled her eyes before reporting. "You gave it to me to pay for remember?"

"I think we should leave" Cesita muttered to Lydia.

Lydia pouted "But I am yet to purchase any jewellery" she whined.

"You shall purchase nothing here, leave!" the shop owner raved pointing at the door.

Lydia gave the shop a once over before she nodded. This place doesn’t deserve her crits.

"You are right I should be putting my crits into other shops" Lydia sassed steadied her shawl and met Abigail’s eye.

"Let us go," she said to Cesita as they turned and started to strut away.

"Wait!" Abigail alerted.

The two noble ladies turned to hear Abigail point out. "Where did she get those gold crits from?"

Stella’s eyes widened as she took the bone, anything to bully. "Yes. Where did you get those gold crits from? Only the royalties should own them, who did you steal it from?"

She asked Lydia as though she had suddenly become a lady who fights for justice.

"Call security, we have a thief" the shop owner announced, her face giving way to a smirk.

The sound of hasty feet reaching them.

Right as two awkwardly dressed security details appeared to seize Lydia Conan stepped into the shop.

"Sir Conan!" Abigail squealed as she started to rearrange her hair.

Conan is a well-known knight, he is hungered for by every single lady without outrageous desires and he is a charmer who only speaks the nicest words to the ladies.

"We need to leave Lady Theodore"

Lydia turned to the voice and it was indeed Conan.

He hadn’t come along, she was surprised he had suddenly showed up.

Where was Theodore?

"What happened?" she asked back quickly, her eyes wide.

"Come along please" Conan repeated patiently.

He had reached the couple’s location a few moments before Theodore had kissed Lydia as though his life depended on it and then left her to enter the shop.

He had stood outside watching until he saw security rushing in and he knew he needed to step in and get the lady out of there, else the Lord would have his head if anything happened to her.

"Yes please arrest her, she was spending gold crits that she had stolen" Abigail screeched.

But she was wrong.

Conan narrowed his eyes at the accuser. "Stolen? From who?" he asked.

Abigail shrugged. "I do not know just arrest her, she is a liar," she said pointing at the unbothered Lydia.

Conan shook his head, his gaze darkened before he stepped forward.

"Forgive my imprudence, this is Lady Theodore Lydia of Critic Arley" he announced respectfully.

Cesita’s eyes widened in surprise.

Lydia smirked as Conan growled. "Bow!"

The three ladies stood pale and aghast, their mouths fell open while they contemplated different reactions.

They had heard about the lady being timid and spoke words slow and few as though it was counted.

This woman had retorted every word spoken, she had defended the viscountess, purchased an expensive piece of jewellery and then smashed it to pieces without remorse, she is as ruthless as her husband. Dressed in rags the lady of Critic Arley had completely fooled everyone of her presence.

Abigail could not believe her eyes, the moment Lydia had met her eyes earlier she had felt a familiar chill run down her spine. The lady was a force to be reckoned with.

The bully, Stella felt insulted, she detested being discomfited, she would bully whoever gave her leeway and Lydia was going to be that person.

The lady of Critic Arley was supposed to be fragile and a fool.

She was supposed to be ugly and a witch.

"What proof do you have that she is Lord Theodore’s wife?"

Stella asked scornfully, she hated to be embarrassed while Lydia loved to shine.