Joseph's forehead creased with lines of vexation as he tried to explain, "You see, I have urgent matters to tend to in Lorraine, and I really can't spare the time to take you to see the coal mines."
Clementine shook his hand as she pleaded, pouting, "Please, take me with you—"
"But..."
The little girl suddenly stepped back, pointing to her delicate, tender neck, and said with a grievance, "I listened to you and gave up 'Star's Wish'. That was my absolute favorite necklace! Don't you think you should compensate me a little for that? Please—"
Joseph couldn't help but let out a long sigh to the heavens.
A few days ago, when he saw 'Star's Wish' around the young girl's neck and asked about it out of curiosity, he found out that his frivolous mother had spent nearly 700,000 livres on it, adding to his cousin's 560,000 livres for a necklace that turned out to be a total scam.