BXBX NOVEL Chapter 15 – Auction (3)
Chapter 15 – Auction (3)
Sip.
I sat down and enjoyed the prepared wine.
— 120,000 Rupees! Any more bids?
120,000 Rupees.
Not too little, not too much, just the right amount.
Exactly what I had anticipated.
“Diana.”
“You called?”
The ring will be auctioned off for 120,000 Rupees.
There shouldn’t be anyone crazy enough to raise the price from there.
“Get ready.”
“Understood.”
She brushed off the dust from her clothes.
The gemstone must have been auctioned off already; there was no other business left here.
Just as I was about to get up from my seat…
— 220,000 Rupees! 220,000 Rupees bid!
“Insane.”
There was someone crazy enough to raise the price here.
“220,000?!”
The bidding price doubled in the blink of an eye.
No matter how finely crafted the gemstone was, this was way too much.
The one raising the price was someone sitting in the VIP section.
Although covered in a robe and not clearly visible, judging by the fabric of the robe and the unobscured physique, it was undoubtedly a noble lady.
A smile crept onto my lips.
Is this what they call inherited wealth?
I don’t know which family’s fool she is, but that blind fortune will undoubtedly find its way into my pocket.
And then…
— 250,000 Rupees!!
Someone else raised the bid by another 50,000 Rupees, and the auction resumed.
The astonished auctioneer’s gaze fell upon a certain lady.
“Oh.”
The one raising the price was none other than Luna Winfred, Kyle’s sister.
I blinked in surprise at the unexpected revelation.
Could it be that she participated in the auction solely for that ring?
But why? What significance does that ring hold for Luna?
At that moment, another burst of cheers erupted, as if to awaken me from my thoughts.
— 300,000!! 300,000 Rupees bid!!
An unidentified noble lady wearing a robe.
She added fuel to the dying embers once more.
‘Who on earth is she?’
To bet such a sum on a ring with nothing but a piece of a gem?
By now, it couldn’t simply be dismissed as mere ignorance of the world.
As such thoughts dawned on me, I couldn’t just stand by idly and watch.
“…”
The lady who raised the price seemed to be in conversation with a man presumed to be an association official.
At that moment, the robe enveloping the lady momentarily lost its form and slipped off.
“…Isabel?”
Damn it, why is she acting like that over there?
Most of all, where on earth did she get 300,000 Rupees from?
I sighed, pressing my temples.
Instinctive stress began to intensify rapidly.
— 300,000 Rupees!! Sold for the highest amount today!!
Ding—
With the cheerful sound of the auctioneer’s gavel, I quietly earned 300,000 Rupees.
I watched Isabel intently.
Having successfully won the bid, Isabel immediately began to fill out a document.
“Diana.”
“Yes.”
Diana’s sensory perception is extremely sensitive.
Even in the original game, Diana’s senses were portrayed to have surpassed their limits.
Detecting poison in food by tasting it.
Eavesdropping on conversations from afar.
Sensing subtle movements to avoid danger.
Of her countless achievements, more than 50% were largely attributed to her sensitive senses.
Among them, Diana’s vision had literally reached the level of superhuman.
“Do you see that woman in the robe over there? Can you roughly see what’s written on the document she’s working on?”
“I’ll give it a try.”
Diana’s eyebrows twitched.
For a brief moment, she glanced at Isabel with narrowed eyes.
Then, Diana’s tightly closed lips parted cautiously.
“Loan… Collateral setup…?”
“What?!”
After completing the paperwork, Isabel put on the ring she received on the spot.
A somewhat twisted smile appeared on her face.
“Unbelievable.”
It’s mind-boggling, really.
****
“This way, customer!”
Once the auction ended, the employee waiting approached me directly.
Collecting the sale proceeds and the fact that someone was looking for me were the reasons.
I followed him to the meeting room with Diana.
How far did we walk down the corridor with dim lighting?
Just as the lights adorned the dead-end corridor came into view, the guiding employee abruptly stopped.
“We’ve arrived.”
Creak—
As the door handle turned, the colorful lights contrasting with the somber atmosphere of the corridor pierced my eyes.
Deep within the building, the meeting room was surrounded by beige-toned wallpaper and red velvet curtains.
“Please, have a seat over here.”
Two crimson leather sofas faced each other across a long wooden table.
And there.
“You again? Little brother.”
Luna, with a sly smile, sat on the sofa with her legs crossed.
She muttered coolly as she glanced at the employee who had guided me.
“There are too many eyes, isn’t that right?”
“…Excuse me. Have a pleasant time.”
Creak—
With hurried steps, the employee left.
Finally, I regained my composure and furrowed my brows.
“What’s your intention?”
“Oh? Intention? What are you talking about? Let’s sit down first, shall we?”
I sat down with a crumpled face.
“Don’t make it so obvious that you’re reluctant. You’re going to get hurt.”
Talking about getting hurt…
I couldn’t help but let out a twisted laugh.
“If you don’t have any business, could you leave?”
I snapped at her.
Luna shrugged nonchalantly and got straight to the point.
“The engagement annulment.”
“…”
“I heard you still haven’t done it? It seems like persuading your fiance has already gone downhill.”
Luna gently pushed a document towards me.
It was a loan contract written in Isabel’s handwriting.
“Your fiance, she’s quite reckless, isn’t she? No, wait. Is this just plain stupidity? Taking out such a large loan for a mere ring. Anyway, kids these days are frightening, aren’t they?”
I could roughly understand Luna’s intentions.
The sudden participation in the auction, the raising of bids for a simple ring, and summoning me here as soon as the auction ended.
It must be to create a more solid pretext for my engagement annulment.
Of course, 300,000 Rupees is not a burdensome amount from the perspective of Count Yustia.
However, Isabel’s position within the family might be slightly shaken.
“To come to the auction house at this ambitious hour and sell the family name for a loan. Especially to that vile Auction Association.”
“…”
“It’s pretty good, right? As a pretext for the annulment.”
If you threaten the Count with this, you’ll get a free pass for the annulment.
The hidden meaning in Luna’s words was clear.
“Persuasion? I guarantee it won’t work, no matter how many times you try. That bitch has completely lost her mind.”
Luna was right.
Rather than persuading Isabel, who had sunk 300,000 Rupees to retrieve just one ring, it would be easier to threaten the Count.
“How is it?”
I’ll help with the annulment.
A twisted laugh burst out at Luna’s attitude, as if she were speaking those words.
“Luna Winfred.”
“Speak.”
“I don’t understand. Why are you helping with the annulment?”
“It’s simple. If you break off your engagement, Kyle, won’t you be tied to the Duke’s family?”
“Why? To isolate me in the Duke’s estate and continue your childish schemes as usual?”
Luna’s face twisted messily at my sarcasm.
As if she had heard something she never wanted to hear.
She managed to speak with a frustrated expression.
“…It’s a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?”
“At that time, I was also young, and there were reasons why I had no choice but to do what I did. Of course, I also made mistakes, but your origin, Kyle…”
A bitter laugh burst out.
Excuses, justifications, and blame.
That was all there was to the reasons that ruined Kyle’s life.
“Ha.”
Luna Winfred is not a villain.
She is a main character chosen by the world, and even a heroine candidate.
— I saw it. Kyle, he was wandering the corridor with the safe key in the early morning.
— Who’s your sister? Listen carefully. You seem to be mistaken about being a part of the Duke’s family, but you’re no different than a lowly servant.
— Are you really hungry? Why didn’t you touch the meal I prepared for?
The mistakes she made in her past are simply glorified as the mistake of an immature young girl.
At some point, the wounds she inflicted on Kyle are brushed aside as if they never happened.
Yeah.
That’s right…
“That’s convenient.”
“…What?”
“When you framed me with unfounded accusations, made a fool of me in front of knights under the pretext of training, or even when you threw rotten food at me and told me to eat it.”
“…”
“Because I was young. Because there were reasons for it.”
“That… ”
“And, because he is a bastard son.”
Luna’s mouth closed as if she were lying.
I looked at her with a cold, piercing gaze.
“But now what? Helping me? You?”
“…”
“Can you just be honest? You need someone to vent your frustration on. You need a trash can to dump your pent-up emotions on.”
It was harder to be patient today than usual.
I couldn’t manage my expression well, thinking about the stress I had experienced with Luna in the previous run.
That’s when it happened.
“…Fine, I admit it.”
Veins appeared on Luna’s temple.
“I messed up.”
She admitted her mistakes as if swallowing bitter pills.
But why?
I didn’t feel happy, frustrated, sad, or angry at all.
I responded firmly.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Damn system.
What a waste of time.
“I don’t need you to explain everything in detail.”
“…Kyle Winfred.”
“I told you last time. I don’t resent you.”
Cold mercy rippled through.
Soon, it engulfed Luna in front of me.
She poured out her emotions, and I endured.
When that simple proposition was violated, her face collapsed miserably.
The more I talked, the more I felt like my intelligence was decreasing.
I grabbed the documents on the table and got up from my seat.
I turned my back on her without any hesitation.
Later, I threw an irritated remark towards Luna, whose body was trembling.
“Little brother, what a load of bullshit.”
Bang—!
The door to the meeting room slammed shut loudly.