CHAPTER 140: CH 140: THE PRECIOUS NECKLACE - PART 2

The following morning, Kana stood in front of the mirror, sluggishly tying the ribbon of her work uniform.

Her fingers moved mechanically, but her reflection looked dull and weary, her usual liveliness absent.

Lysera leaned against the doorway, arms folded, watching her quietly for a moment before speaking.

"Kana... you don’t have to go to work today. You’re still upset. It’s okay to take a day off."

She said softly.

Kana paused mid-motion, staring at her reflection. Her lips curved into a faint, weary smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

"I’ll be fine, Lysera."

She replied, voice low but steady.

Lysera frowned, unconvinced.

"You’re not fine. I can see it."

For a moment, Kana hesitated. Then, turning away from the mirror, she faced Lysera with a small sigh.

"If I stay here, I’ll just keep thinking about the necklace. If I work... maybe it’ll distract me."

She admitted honestly.

Lysera’s brows knitted together. She clearly didn’t agree, but the determination in Kana’s voice made her falter. After a long pause, she exhaled softly and nodded.

"...Alright. But if you feel unwell, promise me you’ll come back home."

Kana nodded with a small, reassuring smile, though it didn’t ease the worry in Lysera’s eyes.

—

At the shop, Kana tried her best to focus on tending the plants, but even Penelope, with her sharp eyes, noticed her mood almost instantly.

"Tch. What’s with that face? You look like someone stole your lunch."

Penelope crossed her arms, looking unimpressed.

Kana blinked, startled by the blunt remark.

Penelope sighed and shook her head.

"Listen, if you’ve got time to mope, you’ve got time to work. Nothing in your life is so tragic that you can afford to sit around feeling sorry for yourself."

The words were sharp, but not unexpected. Kana lowered her gaze, her soft sigh barely audible as she turned back to the plants.

She’d long learned that Penelope’s idea of comfort didn’t involve gentleness, and arguing would only make her more annoyed.

She worked silently until, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Penelope receive a letter delivered by one of the assistants. Kana instinctively walked over and handed it to her.

Penelope ripped it open and skimmed through the papers inside.

"Is it something important?"

Kana asked curiously, leaning slightly closer.

Penelope glanced up briefly.

"An auction. They sent me the catalogue of items up for bidding."

She replied.

Penelope flipped through the pages, muttering to herself.

"I wonder if any of the plants here are worth putting up this year..."

But then Kana’s gaze suddenly froze. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes landed on one of the pages Penelope had flipped past.

Her necklace.

She’d recognize it anywhere—the intricate design, the subtle markings, the small gemstone embedded in the center. It was listed neatly among the high-value jewelry pieces.

"Wait! Go back. That... that necklace. Stop there."

Kana said sharply, her hand darting out to stop Penelope from flipping the page again.

Penelope blinked, slightly startled by Kana’s sudden intensity, and slowly turned the page back.

Kana stared at the picture, her chest tightening. It was hers—there was no mistaking it.

Her stolen necklace... was going to be sold at the auction.

Kana’s hand trembled slightly as she pointed at the page, her eyes fixed on the image of the delicate, intricately crafted necklace.

"Penelope... that necklace. It’s mine."

She said, her voice lower than usual but firm.

Penelope raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.

"Yours?"

"Yes. It was stolen yesterday. I... I didn’t want to make a big deal about it, but I recognize it without a doubt."

Kana nodded quickly, turning to face her fully.

Her gaze hardened as determination seeped into her voice.

"If I can just get close to it, I can prove it’s mine."

Penelope stared at her for a moment, silent, her expression unreadable. Then, with a sharp exhale, she set the catalogue down on the table and crossed her arms.

"And what exactly are you planning to do? March into an auction house, demand they hand it over, and expect them to believe you?"

Kana hesitated, her lips parting but no words coming out. She hadn’t thought that far ahead.

Penelope clicked her tongue.

"Listen to me, girl. Once something ends up in an auction—especially one like this—you can forget about getting it back without serious trouble. People pay good money for these things, and the ones behind it aren’t the type you want to mess with."

"But...It’s mine..."

Kana’s voice softened, her fingers curling slightly against her skirt.

"I know it looks precious. But it’s not worth your neck. Let it go before you get yourself tangled in something far bigger than you realize."

Penelope interrupted, her tone firm, almost motherly despite her usual bluntness.

Kana lowered her gaze to the floor, her throat tightening.

"...Alright."

She whispered after a moment, though the word tasted hollow on her tongue.

Penelope gave a curt nod, satisfied she’d settled the matter, and returned to sorting through the catalogue. But Kana’s heart was far from settled.

Even as she went back to tending the plants, her mind refused to stay still.

Every few minutes, her thoughts drifted back to the page, to the necklace’s picture, to the memory of the weight of it resting against her palm.

She tried focusing on trimming the leaves, watering the seedlings, and arranging the new sprouts, but everything blurred together, drowned beneath the restless pounding of her thoughts.

How did it end up there? Who stole it? And why did it matter so much to her?

By the time her shift ended, Kana realized she hadn’t accomplished nearly as much as she usually did.

Her hands moved out of habit, but her mind had been somewhere else entirely. Even as she left the greenhouse, walking slowly beneath the fading afternoon light, her chest felt heavy.

Penelope’s words still echoed in her ears:

"It’s not worth your neck."

Kana clenched her fists against her sides, biting her lip as her gaze drifted downward.

Maybe Penelope was right.

...But in her heart, Kana couldn’t accept it.

Her necklace wasn’t something she could simply forget.