Les Bijoux () is a Korean manhwa, written by Jo Eun-ha and illustrated by Park Sang-sun. It was originally published in Korea by Daiwon C.I. and was then translated into an English edition and distributed in the United States by Tokyopop.
Story Les Bijoux takes place in a fantasy world where the ruling class, the Habits, brutally oppress the commoners, the Spars. A strange child is born to a dwarf and a hunchback. The child has the ability to transform from male to female—when female, she is called Lazuli; when male, he is called Lapis. When a cruel Habit lord named Diamond murders Lapis Lazuli's family, s/he vows revenge and decides to overthrow the tyrannical overlords.
Characters Main Lapis Lazuli The main character, a being who can switch gender, born to a Spar (slave) couple of a dwarf and a hunchback woman in Neige Mine. Given the complete name of "Lapis Lazuli," "Lapis" refers to the time when the protagonist is male and "Lazuli" when female. From the time s/he was born, Lapis has to deal with his/her unique physical traits, which includes dark, dusky skin. Though his/her family is poor, Lapis Lazuli nevertheless is blessed with two loving parents. Lapis first meets the Habit Diamond as a teenager, arousing the noble's ire when he kills one of Diamond's sled dogs in order to save a child. However, this is not their first meeting, as a much younger "Lazuli" had saved an equally younger Diamond years before. Over a misunderstanding, Lapis's parents are killed by Diamond. In revenge, Lapis hunts down Diamond and gouges out his eye, before fleeing Neige Mine. Eventually, Lapis learns of his destiny, which is to liberate the twelve mine states with the help of mystical guardians and human comrades. Lapis is a fundamentally just character, though he is reluctant at first to accept his responsibilities. Eventually, s/he comes to realize what must be done to truly free his people and at what cost. Even as hates Diamond for killing his parents and acknowledges that the Habit is one of the greatest dangers to his quest, Lapis comes to accept that his female half, Lazuli, loves Diamond, and by default, he loves Diamond as well.
Lapis's Guardians and Allies Panther Panther (Lazuli calls him Butterfly) is one of the twelve guardians, depicted as a lean, beautiful man with long black hair, a hieroglyph on his forehead, and an exotic wardrobe. Lapis first encounters Panther as a Panther while swimming in Soleil. He seems to have a somewhat familiar relationship with Carnelian but how far the familiarity goes is never explained. He later accompanies Lapis on his journey and acts as Lapis's primary companion and advisor. Panther takes his duties as a guardian very seriously, and soon comes to love Lapis deeply. Later it is revealed that he is one of the first humans, cursed with immortality for corruption. He has some degree of precognition, as he is able to predict (but unable to stop) Lazuli from being raped by Diamond, though this can be seen as another part of his curse. He is seriously wounded by one of Diamond's conjurations but he commits suicide on Tourmaline's blade to give Lapis his power, leading to an elaborate set of armor for Lapis and panther's head decorations on Tourmaline's.
Onyx Another one of the twelve guardians, Onyx is an attractive and powerful young woman with dusky skin and light hair and also with a hieroglyph on her forehead. She is often dressed in rather skimpy clothing, suggestive of her home in the desert. The guardian of an ancient shrine, she has gone somewhat insane from centuries of isolation and thus, attempts to kill Lapis when he enters the shrine. Fortunately, Lapis's special abilities stop her just in time and stuns her. He tells her that he doesn't wish to harm her, though this has little effect on her temper. Later, however, she rescues him when he is lost in the desert in her animal form: a horse. In time, she comes to be a loyal ally and respects him highly. Like Panther, she is one of the first, cursed humans. It is revealed that she is in love with Panther, though he does not reciprocate her feelings, except in the form of a last, chaste kiss before he dies. She and her sister Equus are the only two of the original, cursed humans to survive.
Korbo One of the twelve guardians as well, a young man with short black hair and a brand on his forehead and the ability to turn into a crow. His eyes are always closed while he smiles. He tells Lapis who murdered his parents, sending him on his murderous quest to find Diamond, after offering him a gem to swallow, which becomes Lapis's first guardian, Peridot. He later aids Chalcedony with the gift of a magical crystal ball. Later, he helps Lapis and his companions escape Sable mine and comes to act as a guide and dispenser of odd advice. Despite his perpetual smile, he is a trickster and something of a wild card, more well-known than the other guardians through the alias of "Black Wizard." When he does open his eyes, his expression instantly becomes serious. Once one of the first humans, along with Panther and Onyx, he was cursed for his corruption. He only smiles with his eyes closed because "he doesn't want the ugliness of the world to spoil his happiness." He allows himself to be killed by Lapis to release his power, which manifests as a pair of enormous feathered wings on Lapis's back.
Silica A blind healer Lapis meets in Sable mine after being rescued in the desert. She is something of a leader for the Spars in the capital city, being practical and compassionate as well as possessing powers of healing and divination. When the habit Pyrope raises water taxes and conscripts all the young men in the city, she goes as the representative of the people to beg for mercy from the taxation and the conscription. Pyrope, noticing her beauty, makes a deal with her: no more water taxes and conscription of only half the young men in return for her permanent servitude in his palace. During that time, she comes to fall in love with Pyrope, even though he infuriates her with his lewdness and violence. It comes to the point where she saves him after he takes a poisoned arrow for her, and he comes to realize that he cares deeply for her. The two finally consummate their love, though it is revealed that Silica, with her ability of foresight, knew that she was destined to love him, though she tried her very best not to fall in love with him. When Diamond infiltrates the city, she and Pyrope escape the palace, only to face a contingent of Diamond's guard, who take Silica hostage. Unable to risk her, Pyrope becomes seriously injured before killing all the guards. Seeing Pyrope slowly dying, Silica tries to heal him, only to realize that she lost her healing ability because she is pregnant with Pyrope's child. In the meantime, Lapis comes to rescue her, even as Diamond comes charging in. Pyrope stays behind to guard their escape and is killed by Diamond. At his death, Silica faints, lost in grief. It is not explicitly told what happens to her during the years Lapis travels through the mines but it is implied she is in contact with the growing group, though settled down somewhere for the sake of her and Pyrope's son. She does come back to help harden Lapis's resolve with a chilling prophecy given in a trance state. After the wars in the Twelve Mines, she remains as a healer, delivering Carnelian's and Lothesite's child. It is only at that child's christening she finally names her son, naming him Lapis. "Silica" is a possible reference to silicon.
Shary One of Lapis's twelve guardians, a little girl with long curly hair. She originally was from Volcano Mine but came to Sable after her parents were killed by Habits. It is implied she has the gift of foresight as well and the ability to heal, which comes in handy after Lapis saves her from a Neige soldier during the invasion of Sable. She is later lured to Emerald's castle and becomes an object of fascination for Shell, who saves her from Emerald and hides her away. Shary is a possible corruption of "sari."
Tourmaline A legendary, somewhat sentient blade allegedly created by the Creator of the world as he cried upon seeing humans corrupted. Lapis has to choose the right blade in a treasure trove of weaponry at a desert shrine guarded by onyx and found it after some effort .
Habits Diamond The first and main villain of the story. He loves Lazuli without being aware that she is also Lapis. The ruler of Neige mine, Diamond commands instant obedience from his subjects and his Jujus (Concubines). As for his personality, Diamond is exactly like his name. He's cold, hard, and unyielding in all directions, with the power and ambition to wear down anything. Brilliant and ambitious, he seeks to do what no other Habit has done before: take over all twelve mines. Despite his cold demeanor and ambition, he harbors a pain-filled, torturous past. The illegitimate son of the King of Neige, he became heir to the throne when his father makes him crown prince in order to please Diamond's mother, a favored concubine. The Queen, along with her three legitimate children, cannot stand for this and poisons the King and buries Diamond's mother alive in a violent coup. Diamond escapes and with a young Lazuli's help, evades the Queen's assassins and takes refuge at a monastery. The abbot, noting Diamond's beauty, rapes the boy, saying it is the price for safety. From then on, a traumatized and furious Diamond dreams of becoming so strong, "nothing will get in my way again!" An undetermined number of years later, Ivory of Glace encounters a much older Diamond in a forest and falls instantly in love with him, giving him the means necessary to first kill the abbot and take back his rightful kingdom. Ironically, Diamond chooses to execute his stepmother and half-brothers the same way they killed his mother: burying them alive. Diamond is a brilliant and cruel man, and though he loves Lazuli beyond measure, he is obsessed with her and is prone to fits of jealousy and possessiveness. He kills Lapis's parents in a fit of rage over a misunderstanding about Lazuli, leading Lapis to get revenge by gouging out one of his eyes, an indignity Diamond promises to revisit, not realizing that Lapis and Lazuli are the same person. In his obsession, Diamond is prone to violent turns in mood, often reflective of his horrifying past. For example, in Emerald's castle, he ends up raping Lazuli and later, when she refuses to be touched by him, he breaks down in front of her, showing his true, childlike personality. Diamond dies as Emerald Castle is destroyed. After his death, Carnelian remarks that Diamond had his purpose in creating a new a better world: his campaign of conquering all the mines destroyed the Habit class and uprooted the cruel and unjust system to allow for a new society where all were equal.
Carnelian A red haired Habit, joins up with Lapis around the same time Panther does; the two are implied to have a previous acquaintance and possible friendship. Exiled from Soleil by his brother Chalcedony, Carnelian returns in time to encounter Lapis. He's a very quick thinker and a well-rounded fighter despite his flippant attitude and effeminate beauty. It is revealed that he once loved one of his brother's concubines but his brother killed her and used her death as an excuse to banish Carnelian from Soleil, lest he take over the throne. He cares for Lapis deeply, though the latter doesn't reciprocate those feelings. Diamond "kills" him while invading Soleil but Carnelian later returns, albeit with scars from the experience.
Chalcedony