The Alchemists

"Now... I've done it right, right?" London asked her with a beaming face.

L looked at the ring in her ring finger then looked at London alternately.

"This... must be very expensive," she said, confused. "How much did you spend on it?"

"I just wanted to give you my best..." London said quietly. He suddenly felt uneasy. L's tone didn't seem as happy as he had hoped. "Why? You don't like it?"

"How much?" L asked again in an urgent tone.

"Uhm... it costed a month my salary..." London finally told. The diamond was worth a month's salary as the boss of Schneider Group, or one million euros, but he would let L think what he meant was his salary as an assistant to the HR manager, which was only a few thousand euros.

L shook her head, and her face seemed disappointed.

"I can't believe you still don't understand until now..." She took the ring from her finger and handed it back to London's hand.

Now it was London's turn to be shocked and unable to control his reaction.

"I don't get it." He didn't want to accept the ring and tried to put it back on her finger, but L firmly refused.

"You already have a child. How long do you want to live as if you are single and have no dependents? Why do you still spend money on useless things? Are diamond rings edible?

Don't you know that there are a lot of fake diamonds in the market? Diamonds are only expensive because of their rarity, when in fact, they aren't rare. Diamond businesses take many diamonds from conflict mines in Africa, which took many lives.

You must have heard about blood diamonds, right? Those businesses hid most of their diamonds so that they remain scarce in the market and will stay expensive!"

London was stunned by L's scolding. He knew all of that, but he didn't think L knew either, and it turned out that she hated diamonds because they took so many victims.

"This isn't a blood diamond from conflict areas..." That was all he could say to defend himself.

"That's not the point," L grunted impatiently. "I don't like diamonds. Diamonds are overrated even though it has no real value. Did you know on the planet Neptune, the rain was diamond? It's just carbon hardened, nothing special. I'm really disappointed you chose to spend your first salary on something as useless as this."

London could only swallow.

"So... does this mean..." He tried to deny this fact, but L's eyes that looked at him with disappointment gave him her answer. "You won't accept my proposal?"

L didn't reply. She only took a deep breath. After a while, London Schneider finally heard his most-hated sentence. "I'm sorry."

"I no longer know how to do it. It seems like I've done nothing right," he complained. "Why is it so hard to please you?"

"I'm honored because you bother doing all this. I want to accept it... but I can't. It's too much, and I'm disappointed that you spent your money on something as unnecessary as this diamond ring. Why don't you think about the future and save your money for Lily's needs?" L shook her head in disappointment. "I understand that you received a discount at the restaurant, even for this air balloon... but don't tell me you also got a discount for the ring? That is impossible."

London bit his lip. He didn't understand L's thoughts. He never knew any woman who would refuse a beautiful diamond ring. L was truly one of a kind!

Why can't she be like other women who'll cheer with joy when given expensive things? Didn't L herself claim to be a materialistic woman? Why is nothing that I do considered right in her eyes? London felt cornered.

"L... I really didn't get a discount for the ring..." In the end, London took a deep breath and put the ring in L's palm. "But I also didn't spend my money on this ring. What I've spent for you all this time… was still nothing. I can give you far more expensive things... In fact, whatever you want in life, you name it, I can to give them to you."

L looked at London with narrowed eyes. She didn't know the direction of this man's conversation.

"I don't understand..."

"L, Honey... I'm sorry. I can't hold it in any longer." London looked at L deeply. "My name is actually London Schneider. I own the building where we had dinner, and so many other properties, as well as various companies under the Schneider Group... and many more. I love you.

I've loved you for a long time now. I love you because you're unique and so much fun. I love you because you make my life so colorful. I love you because you're the mother of my child. I love you for various reasons that I can't say one by one because they're so many...

I just want to marry you and raise Lily together with you. I no longer know how to declare my love properly, because I proposed to you three times, and they all ended up in chaos... If the latter fails too, I'll become traumatized and no longer know how I can go home and meet Lily to give her this bad news that her mother again refused to marry her father..."

"What did you just say?" L frowned and tried to listen carefully as if her brain wasn't working properly. "I don't understand. I think I have misheard you."

"No, Honey... you didn't mishear me."

L's body suddenly went limp, and she staggered. London quickly hugged her so she wouldn't fall.

London hurriedly ordered the staff members to lower their hot air balloon and immediately carried L down as soon as they landed.

"Call the doctor!" he exclaimed while taking L out of the Blue Sky Restaurant accompanied by confused gazes of the restaurant guests. L was unconscious after London revealed his identity because she was shocked.

The man became overwhelmed with guilt. He repeatedly cursed himself for having selfishly told a secret that, from the beginning, he knew could cause L to be shaken just because his proposal was rejected yet again.

"To what floor, Sir?" the manager asked respectfully.

"The top floor. I want to go to the penthouse," he said quickly.

"Right away, Sir."

During the trip to the penthouse, London's c.h.e.s.t was filled with anxiety. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if anything happened to L because of his actions.

Oh God... how could I face Lily if L gets in trouble because of me... he thought anxiously.

He laid L on his bed and immediately waited for the doctor who had been called earlier. Not even ten minutes later, a doctor in his 40's had come and examined L's condition thoroughly.

"How is her condition, Doctor?" London anxiously asked.

"Madam was too shocked. I'll give her a sedative so she won't be too restless when she regains consciousness later." Doctor Schaffer gave the intended drug to London then excused himself. London could only sit on the edge of the bed while holding L's hand worriedly.

He immediately called the nurses and told them that he and L wouldn't go home tonight because L had fallen ill and told them to look after Lily and report everything to him.