Rise of The Abandoned Husband Chapter 31 - 31 - Unmasking the Pretender's Present

Julian Hawthorne rubbed his hand, trying to mask his discomfort as he stumbled back a step. The pressure Liam had applied lingered, a throbbing reminder that this "nobody" wasn't as powerless as he appeared. I suppressed a smile, enjoying the sight of Julian's carefully constructed facade cracking.

"Before I go," I said, reaching into my pocket, "I wanted to give Isabelle sothing."

I pulled out the small wooden box containing the Hydrating Pill I had crafted earlier. It was simple, unadorned—nothing like the gaudy displays Julian seed to favor.

"What is that?" Julian scoffed, recovering so of his composure. "A trinket from a street vendor?"

Isabelle accepted my gift with a genuine smile. "Thank you, Liam."

Julian's face twisted with contempt. "Wait," he said, snapping his fingers at one of his assistants. "I nearly forgot. I brought you a gift as well, Isabelle."

The assistant stepped forward with the ornate package, wrapped in shimring paper with gold trim. Julian took it and presented it to Isabelle with a flourish.

"This," he announced grandly, "is a hundred-year-old wild ginseng from the Eastern Mountains. It cost more than most people earn in a year." He shot a smug glance. "It's incredibly rare and has extraordinary dicinal properties."

Isabelle accepted the package with polite thanks, though I noticed her enthusiasm didn't match the one she'd shown for my simple box.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Julian pressed, his eyes fixed on her face, hungry for her reaction. "I had it specially procured by the finest herb hunters in the region."

"Of course," Isabelle said diplomatically. She carefully unwrapped the package, revealing an intricately carved jade box. Inside, nestled on red silk, lay what appeared to be a ginseng root.

I leaned forward despite myself. If this truly was a hundred-year wild ginseng, it would be a remarkable specin. Such roots were indeed rare and valuable, particularly for certain dicinal applications.

Julian bead with satisfaction. "I see even your... friend... appreciates the value of my gift."

Isabelle glanced at . "Liam is quite knowledgeable about dicinal herbs. Perhaps he could verify its quality?"

Julian's smile faltered. "I hardly think that's necessary. My supplier is beyond reproach." Thischapterwasfirstseenon*.

"I don't mind," I said, stepping closer. "May I?"

Before Julian could object further, Isabelle handed the box. I examined the root carefully, noting its color, texture, and the arrangent of its offshoots. I even detected its faint aroma, which told volus about its true nature.

Sothing wasn't right.

"Well?" Julian prompted, impatience evident in his tone. "Are you impressed yet?"

I looked up slowly, eting his gaze. "This isn't a hundred-year wild ginseng."

The room fell silent. Julian's face froze in a peculiar expression sowhere between shock and outrage.

"What did you say?" he finally managed.

"This," I said, holding up the root, "is common cultivated ginseng. It's maybe five years old, if that. You can tell by the uniform shape and these markings here—see these small indentations? Those are from machine harvesting. Wild ginseng grows irregularly and has natural blemishes."

Julian's face reddened. "That's absurd! I paid fifteen thousand for that!"

"Then you were cheated," I replied simply, placing the root back in its box. "This is worth perhaps fifty dollars. It's essentially a fancy radish."

Isabelle's eyes widened slightly, and I caught the ghost of a smile on her lips before she composed her expression.

Julian snatched the box from my hands. "What would you know about it? You're nobody! So street herbalist playing at dicine!"

I felt heat rise in my chest—not from embarrassnt but from righteous anger. "I know enough to recognize when soone is either being fooled or trying to fool others."

"How dare you!" Julian spluttered. His assistants exchanged worried glances behind him.

"Julian," Isabelle intervened, her voice calm but firm, "perhaps your supplier made a mistake."

"There was no mistake," I said, unable to let this go. The thought of soone trying to impress Isabelle with fake gifts—especially dicinal ones that could potentially harm her if used incorrectly—ignited sothing protective in . "Either your supplier deliberately cheated you, or you knew exactly what this was when you presented it."

Julian's confident deanor crumbled completely. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he looked between and Isabelle. "I... the supplier assured ..."

"You didn't even check it yourself before giving it to Isabelle?" I pressed. "Or did you knowingly try to pass off cheap ginseng as sothing valuable?"

"Liam," Isabelle said softly, but there was no rebuke in her tone—only curiosity to see how this would unfold.

"I'm simply pointing out facts," I continued, looking Julian straight in the eye. "This root isn't what you claid it to be. So which is it? Were you deceived, or are you the deceiver?"

Julian's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. His assistants had backed away, clearly wanting to distance themselves from the unfolding disaster.

"My family has dealt with this supplier for generations," he finally managed, though his voice lacked conviction. "There must be so mistake."

"Perhaps," I conceded, though I didn't believe it for a second. "But it speaks volus that you couldn't tell the difference yourself before presenting it as a precious gift."

I turned to Isabelle. "The Hydrating Pill I brought you is specifically formulated for your constitution. I noticed you tend to suffer from internal dryness—it manifests in subtle ways most wouldn't catch. This pill will help regulate your body's moisture balance for at least three months."

Isabelle's surprise was evident. "How did you know? I've never ntioned that to anyone outside my family physicians."

"I observe," I said simply. I didn't add that I'd been studying her closely since we t, cataloging every detail about her health and wellbeing almost unconsciously. It would have sounded strange, perhaps even obsessive, though my intentions were purely dicinal.

Julian had recovered enough to attempt salvaging his reputation. "Anyone can make vague health claims," he scoffed. "But Isabelle has the finest doctors in Veridia City. She hardly needs amateur redies."

I smiled thinly. "My gift doesn't co with false claims or inflated prices. It's simply sothing I made to help with a specific condition I observed."

Sothing shifted in Isabelle's expression—appreciation, perhaps even admiration. She opened the small wooden box and examined the glistening blue pill inside.

"Thank you, Liam. This is actually incredibly thoughtful."

Julian looked between us, his face growing increasingly distressed as he realized he was losing ground. "Isabelle, surely you're not going to take so unknown concoction from—"

"From a friend who has demonstrated remarkable dical knowledge?" she finished for him. "I think I will, actually."

She turned to . "Liam, would you mind explaining to Julian exactly how you knew his ginseng was fake? I find your expertise fascinating."

It was a masterful move on her part—forcing Julian to stand there and listen as I thodically educated him on the very thing he had tried to use to impress her. I could see his humiliation mounting with each detail I provided about authentic wild ginseng versus cultivated varieties.

By the ti I finished my impromptu lesson, Julian's complexion had turned an alarming shade of red. His assistants were practically cowering by the door, clearly wishing to be anywhere else.

I fixed Julian with a hard stare, my patience with his arrogance finally exhausted. "If you were cheated, that ans you're blind. If you did it on purpose, then you're deceiving Miss Taylor!"

Julian's face went from red to white in an instant. Sweat poured down his temples as he stood trapped between these two equally damning options—either he was a fool or a fraud. And from the panic in his eyes, I suspected he knew exactly which one was true.