Everyone's attention suddenly focused on Sophia.

Faced with various expressions, Sophia repeated again: "If it breaks, I'll be responsible for the compensation."

Hearing Sophia say this, the shop owner's face alternated between green and white.

To be honest, even if Sophia was willing to compensate, the owner wouldn't dare to actually ask the princess for money.

His face was full of reluctance. After struggling for a long time, he finally had to reluctantly agree: "Alright..."

"Isn't the authentication device worth more than that gemstone?"

Charlotte found it hard to believe. "Sophia, are you sure you want to vouch for this person?"

Celitia also hadn't expected Sophia to say such a thing. The look in her eyes as she gazed at her inevitably showed some surprise.

"It-it's because of you all! One says it's real, one says it's fake. I can only try to intervene and give you a chance to prove it!"

Sophia quickly found a reason for her actions, sounding increasingly justified.

"Besides, don't think I'll really pay for you. This is just a loan, considered a debt to me. When the time comes, you'll have to serve as my lady-in-waiting for at least thirty years to pay it off!"

Listening to Sophia's words, Celitia couldn't help but slightly curl the corner of her lip, finding it somewhat amusing.

It was clearly a good opportunity to bestow favor, yet Sophia had to make it sound as if they owed each other nothing.

If it were the queen she had raised, with Flora's hundreds of schemes, she would create favors even where there were none, to help her win people's hearts.

Should this be considered good or bad...

At least Celitia didn't dislike it.

Thinking of this, the very faint smile at the corner of Celitia's lips took on a hint of complexity.

Sophia immediately caught that fleeting smile, and already somewhat guilty, she approached angry embarrassment: "What are you smiling at?"

"Nothing," clearing away the excess expressions on her face, Celitia replied flatly. "I just wanted to say, Your Highness need not worry for me."

"Who's worrying about you?" Sophia widened her eyes.

"Fine, let me phrase it differently," Celitia shrugged. "Your Highness's plan to keep me by your side as a lady-in-waiting probably won't happen."

"What?" Sophia immediately forgot what she had just said. "A woman like you, completely lacking in manners and outrageously presumptuous—even if you paid me, I wouldn't want you!"

Ignoring Sophia's fierce rebuttal, Celitia calmly stepped into the jewelry store.

The group's earlier dispute had already attracted a batch of onlookers. By now, more and more spectators had gathered.

The crowd blocked the surroundings so tightly that not even water could flow through. Everyone stretched their necks to look inside, discussing incessantly.

"Huh? Huh huh? Lily, are you really going? If something goes wrong, you'll have to be that princess's slave for thirty years?!"

Shanie hugged Celitia's arm, extremely reluctant, her expression suggesting she very much wanted to drag her away and flee immediately.

"Why don't I carry you away now? Don't worry, even my teacher praises my physical strength. I run especially fast and can break through the crowd with you without any problem!"

Hearing this, Charlotte sneered:

"If you want to give up, do it early. Bow your head properly and apologize to me. I've always been magnanimous; I can forgive you."

"Is that so? Then let's make a bet."

Celitia's expression remained unchanged, still composed. "If you win, I will naturally apologize to you; if I win, then it will be your turn to apologize to us."

"Why should I apologize to you?" Charlotte was taken aback, very defiant. "Even if I'm wrong, I should apologize to Sophia, it has nothing to do with you!"

"Not to me," Celitia said coldly. "To Shanie—earlier, you maliciously slandered Shanie, saying she would come to steal at night, didn't you?"

"Huh? It was for me?" Shanie was instantly moved to tears. "Um, Lily, I don't really mind, after all, I never planned to do such a thing!"

"But I mind."

Celitia raised her eyes, giving Charlotte a faint glance, her voice clear and ethereal, yet containing a hint of provocation. "Well, do you dare to accept this bet?"

"Fine, I accept!" Charlotte blurted out. "If you lose, I want you to kneel and apologize to me in front of everyone!"

Celitia laughed lightly: "No problem."

Why is she so confident? Could she really have some trick I don't know about?

The question flashed through Charlotte's mind, but she couldn't calm down to think carefully. That trace of confusion and unease was quickly covered by her full rage.

The owner opened the tightly locked door at the back of the store and led the four into a closed small room, pointing to a wooden box placed on the central workbench, his tone full of reluctance.

"This is our store's authentication device, made by the kingdom's renowned authentication master, Meilan. I pulled quite a few strings to buy it."

Looking at the magical patterns flowing incessantly on the wooden box, a hint of nostalgia appeared in Celitia's eyes.

Few people now knew that before becoming famous across the continent for sword skills and magic, Celitia had actually started as an alchemist and authenticator, earning her first pot of gold.

Whether alchemy or authentication, they had always been Celitia's hobbies.

But unfortunately, these couldn't help her achieve class mobility, so she gradually set them aside.

Later, with countless matters demanding Celitia's attention and keeping her busy, she had even less time to waste on these.

Thinking about it now, back then she had been so eager to succeed that she could abandon even the things she liked, but in the end, what had she really gained?

"What's wrong with you?"

Sophia keenly noticed Celitia's distraction, inevitably feeling a trace of nervousness.

Even though when they parted at the hospital, Sophia had been angry enough to want to imprison her, when Celitia returned just now to tell her the gemstone was fake, Sophia had instinctively chosen to believe her.

Celitia seemed to inexplicably emit a calm, steady quality that made people involuntarily trust her.

Hopefully, she wouldn't betray her trust...

Otherwise, if she really damaged the device, paying for it would be a minor issue; her reputation would certainly suffer.

Awakening from her daze, Celitia's gaze refocused on the exquisite wooden box.

"Master Meilan's work... I've long wanted to see it."

Walking to the table, Celitia extended her hand, under the increasingly nervous gaze of the owner, and gently opened the wooden box.

The magic crystal constructing the formula was activated, magic power surged, weaving an extremely delicate and small magic array in the center of the wooden box.

"Well then, excuse me, I need some time to study and adjust the formula. Everyone can leave first to attend to their own affairs."

Subtly expressing her desire for solitude, Celitia pulled out a chair, sat at the wooden table, and devoted herself to studying the item in her hands.