Episode 51. Riley Auction (1)
“Did you think it was right?”
Lord Rond asked displeasedly, his thick arms crossed.
Lord Rond and I were at the Riley Auction House. Her Highness the Princess was at the palace.
We were hiding our appearances with cloaks, but among the nobles and their agents at the auction house, there were also cloaks and masked people, which suited the atmosphere.
It seems that they were reluctant to reveal their identities because of the large sums of money involved.
“You’ll find out soon, right?”
Lord Rond groaned in discomfort at my indifferent answer.
I suddenly looked back at him. Why was such a large and distracting man so anxious?
“There’s no danger in here. If something like that happens, just leave me alone.”
At that, Lord Rond's eyes widened in disbelief.
“Do you think I’m doing this because I don’t want to escort the maid? I’m asking if I can help Her Highness Milliora in this way.”
Sir Rond was truly worried about Her Highness Milliora. What did he find so attractive about his master, who didn’t even pay attention to him?
I wondered if I should even try to appease this bear-like man, but I spoke to him affectionately.
“Sir. I wish Her Highness Milliora could be more at ease. I’m doing my best to make that happen, and I will continue to do so.”
“...”
Sir Rond didn’t say much. It seemed he had decided to watch me for now.
I wanted to go to the tea table to get something to eat, but two members of Her Highness’ tea party were chatting there, so I pulled my hood up and went to the bidding booth.
Soon, the music to signal the start of the auction began, and the bidders took their seats.
The auctioneer said.
“Before today’s auction, we will start with a special charity auction. The item is the ring box of Her Highness Princess Miliora, the Little Sun of the Empire. I will bid individually on twenty genuine gemstone rings that have the body temperature of the royal family. All proceeds will be donated.”
The auctioneer banged his wooden mallet.
“Then, the first one, the rose-shaped garnet ring, starts at ten thousand gold. I will bid five hundred gold each. Ten thousand gold, number 61! Do you have ten thousand five hundred gold? Number 37...”
I headed to reporter Targan, who was guarded by the auction house security guards behind the bidding booth.
The Riley auction was originally closed to the public. However, I persuaded the organizer that the royal family’s participation would be a big topic of conversation among the nobles, and was allowed to cover only the special auction.
The condition was that the reporter would leave the auction house as soon as the special auction was over.
“I will personally handle the donation and inform you, so you have to write a good article?”
“Charity and relief are always popular topics.”
I smiled brightly at the reporter and returned to my seat.
The auctioneer shouted.
“The third item in Her Highness’s favorite ring box is a top-quality emerald ring. It also starts at ten thousand gold and goes for five hundred gold each. Ten thousand gold, number 12...”
That was the ring that I stole. I had been beaten up so much because of that, so it felt strange to see that item up for auction right in front of my eyes.
Several people raised the number plates at the same time.
The auctioneer quickly began.
“Number 37, eighteen thousand five hundred gold, number 17, twelve thousand gold, Number 37, who missed out on the garnet ring, are you trying again? Number 17, nineteen thousand gold one, nineteen thousand gold two, nineteen thousand gold three. The emerald ring has been sold to Number 17 for nineteen thousand gold. Next is...”
***
The one who held up the number 17 plate and paid for the emerald ring was Locard Kydel. He, too, was hiding behind his clock.
He returned to the bidding table and looked at Lorisha’s back from afar.
After the theft of the Princess’s ring was reported, disposing of all the rings could easily be seen as venting anger at the criticism.
However, if the money were used for charity, it would be possible to change the Princess’s bad impression.
There was no better place to do this than the Riley Auction.
Lorisha had finally started working as a maid.
Locard smiled and walked away so as not to be noticed by her.
As he sat down at the bidding table, Grayon, who was also wearing a cloak and sitting next to him, became irritated.
“What are you going to do with Milliora’s ring?”
“It’s my ring now. It’s pretty.”
“I can’t read your head.”
Grayon snatched his license plate away.
“When is that going to come out, ‘Red Tears’?”
“It’s the first item in this auction. Wouldn’t it be better for me to bid?”
“It’s my money.”
Locard shrugged and crossed his arms.
Grayon said, watching the popular ring auction.
“Shouldn’t the most expensive one be sent last?”
“There aren’t many people who can buy that jewel anyway. But the rest of us will probably think, ‘This amount is nothing compared to that?’”
Grayon looked back at Locard, thinking that it was truly a strange and clever logic. Locard always seemed to understand the world he would own but could not fully understand.
“What about the rest of the preparations?”
“The ships and troops will be ready in two days. But if we miss the ‘red tears’ today, it’s useless.”
“It’s just a pretty stone, so what’s the big deal?”
Locard smiled.
People’s perceptions were interesting. A stone that happened to have a red tint was valued enough to buy a territory, and a person who seemed to shine on its own was considered inferior to a stone because it was an invisible fact.
But his master ignored the jewels and the shining ones. Even if he owned the empire in the future, nothing would satisfy his thirst.
Maybe that was what he had to do. To take care of his master so that he wouldn’t become corrupted by his thirst. And to keep him in check.
This was the kind of knowledge that you could never learn at the academy.
***
The Princess’s ring was sold out.
Originally, nobles coveted items that had the royal family’s touch, and for the nobles gathered here, a few tens of thousands of gold was just a warm-up.
I got up from my seat when the music that signaled the break began.
“I’ll go and get the money.”
As I was leaving the bidding booth, someone suddenly stood in front of me. The sunlight in front of me was almost completely blocked.
‘Should I have brought Lord Rond?’
I looked up in surprise, and the man lifted his hood slightly to show me.
“Ka...!”
Why are you coming out of here?
Prince Kydel pressed his fingertips against my lips and said.
“You’re the one who arranged this auction for Her Highness Milliora.”
“That... I’m her maid, so it’s natural, right?”
But Prince Kydel spoke without his usual smile.
“Don’t work too hard.”
“...What are you talking about?”
“I’m worried about you.”
He spoke with such sincerity. It was so serious that it was scary.
I got angry.
“Are you threatening me right now? Like me...?”
“Are you trying to call me an illegitimate child? Please leave that out when you talk to me from now on.”
I felt like I’d been hit with a hammer. However, I had to continue the conversation before I could figure out what this inexplicable feeling was.
“We participated in the competition together, so telling me not to work hard sounds inappropriate.”
“I know what you’re misunderstanding. But that’s not what I meant. If you’re truly worried about Her Highness, you should draw the line. But I doubt you can do that right now.”
It was something I couldn’t help but misunderstand, even though he told me not to.
I snapped.
“Who set that line?”
“Lady Loire.”
“Do you know how I’ve survived as an illegitimate child until now?”
“...”
“I showed you that trampling on me won’t do any good.”
“I’m telling you not to be trampled on right now.”
“Just listening to your words, I can clearly see how much Your Highness is being ignored. But if I’m going to be ignored anyway, I’ll try my best and be ignored. That way I can sleep better at night.”
“...”
Prince Kydel’s eyebrows furrowed strangely. But somehow, a faint smile seemed to creep into his frown.
“You’ll always do your best like a racehorse, won’t you?”
I couldn’t tell whether his words were compliments or mockery. So I pursed my lips.
“I think I’ll be watching you. It’ll be very interesting.”
He said that in a very relaxed voice and left.
I couldn’t help but say nothing, but watching him leave made me feel so annoyed that I couldn’t stand it.
‘Why are you like that? Did you eat something wrong? You’re going to watch me, you’re the only one with eyes, I have eyes too!’
But now was not the time to run to him and argue.
I received the ring money in a dazed state, then returned to the bidding booth and sat down.
“Let’s go now, Lord Rond.”
Sir Rond looked at me sullenly when I told him to go, but didn’t show any sign of getting up.
I wanted to swear for the first time in a while, but I stopped because I didn’t want to mention Prince Kydel in front of Lord Rond.
In the end, I got up, groaning, and muttered weakly.
“We have to visit about thirty orphanages. We’re busy. Lord Rond.”
The music stopped, and the auctioneer announced the start of the main auction. It was the red diamond that the Tea Party ladies had been making a fuss about.
While everyone went back to their seats, we quietly left the Riley Auction House.
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