My spirits were dampened slightly by that amount.
I guess you could say my reason suddenly returned.
I would rather donate money to the temple separately.
In Korean terms, it’s like spending 100 million won on a collar for a dog you don’t even raise.
I lost my motivation and tossed the paddle down.
"No? What's wrong?"
"I think it would be better if we just donated 1,000 gold to a charity separately."
Carcel's brow furrowed for a moment when he saw me looking dejected.
He soon let out a low laugh, "Ha."
With a laugh mixed with some cynicism, he lifted the paddle I had put down.
Then Carcel finally called out the numbers.
“2,000 gold.”
Startled by the amount, I quickly turned my head toward him.
"Carcel, still, that amount is a bit...!"
"Do not worry, as I am aware of Baron Belmont's assets. 2,000 is not even a day's worth of our estate's income."
I had a rough idea, but the scale was much more enormous than I had imagined.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
"In the case of the Baron Belmont family, they contribute about 50,000 gold annually to the estate, including investments and business profits. However, since our estate's annual revenue is easily 1.4 million gold, the Baron will be the first to go bankrupt."
Even in the midst of this, Carcel spoke calmly to me, as if a calculator were running in his head.
"Asha, don't worry. I'll finish this as quickly as possible."
"Carcel? What I'm worried about isn't whether I'll be able to win that necklace right now...!"
I'm worried about spending more than this amount on just a single necklace!
Carcel, who had called out loudly, laughed with a look of genuine amusement.
Princess Safiya also seemed to be stopping him from beside him, looking surprised.
However, the Baron raised his paddle again and shouted.
“3,000”
Carcel also did not lose.
“5,000 gold”
“Ca, Carcel!”
"Asha, don't worry, I'll pay for it out of my own pocket."
In that moment, his gaze sharpened like a bird of prey spotting its target.
It seemed to have turned into a battle of pride.
Noction burst into hearty laughter at the heating atmosphere.
"If Young Master Louis Charlesmontuan Blois had heard this price during his lifetime, he might have been so shocked he walked away on his own two feet. Now. Would you like to settle this for 5,000?"
Baron Belmont also shook his head upon hearing Noction's words, which seemed to say that he should stop now.
At the sight of him laughing as if dumbfounded, I grabbed Carcel's wrist tightly.
"That's enough, you don't have to buy it."
A smile spread across Carcel's lips as he saw me flinch at the amount.
"Don't worry. 5,000 gold is nothing compared to the amount we donate annually anyway."
"Ah. I know, but I think this is enough."
I’ve never seen anyone donate 500 million won at once in my life.
Carcel's intensity finally subsided at the sight of my face turning deathly white.
"Understood. I will do as Asha wishes."
"If Baron Belmont asks for a larger amount, we're done."
Carcel nodded obediently.
However, Baron Belmont also seemed to have the same thought.
At Princess Safiya's dissuasion, he stared at me blatantly as if he had finally lost and raised both hands.
Then he dropped the paddle.
"Yes! The Marquis of Rivandel has won the bid for 5,000 gold!"
That is how the dog collar came into our hands.
The subsequent auction proceeded smoothly without any issues.
***
After dinner, we moved to another room.
If the banquet hall earlier seemed intended to encourage the tables to get close to each other, this place was different.
It was a place where people could stand around tables filled with finger foods and drinks, move around freely, and interact.
And naturally, today I was introduced to various people, led by Carcel's hand.
Most of them were prominent figures in high society, and I, too, had heard their names at least once.
Finally, having moved to where Count Tabes was, I was able to exchange greetings with him.
"We met recently. It's been a while."
Count Tabes smiled faintly and acknowledged him.
"Yes, you were the Marchioness de Rivandel. I was very impressed with today's auction."
“I’m embarrassed.”
"It seemed like the Marquis cherished the Marchioness and participated in the auction on her behalf, which was nice to see."
Carcel seemed to already know that he had demanded a large sum of money because of me.
I took out what I had studied about Count Tabes beforehand.
"Come to think of it, you were a professor in the Department of National Policy, weren't you? I heard you've moved to an honorary position now."
"Yes. I once trained excellent disciples and sent them out into the world, but as I grow old, I find it overwhelming just to serve His Majesty the Emperor."
"I heard that the Grand Duchess was also a disciple."
Count Tabes also glanced at them and readily nodded.
"Yes, Ideline was a very bright child among my students. To be honest, it would have been nice if she had married into a decent family and succeeded me as a professor, just as she had wanted."
"Human fate is truly ironic."
I also agreed.
Upon hearing that, Carcel opened his mouth.
"How is His Imperial Majesty doing?"
As he served the Emperor in the closest proximity, Count Tabes immediately gave an answer.
"His insomnia has largely disappeared, and as a result, his health has certainly improved. It seems he wants to spend more time with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince these days."
"That's really a relief. It seems the magic stone Mr. Isar created is definitely helping."
“Yes, thank you very much.”
Count Tabes seemed to know that I supplied the raw materials used in magic stone.
An awkward silence fell for a moment, so I hurriedly brought up the topic.
"Ah. But my friend wanted to enroll in the academy."
"Is that so? Which department are you applying for?"
"Interestingly, it is the Department of State Policy where Count Tabes was a professor."
I recalled the conversation I had with Amira while eating earlier.
- So, what does Ami want to learn in the Department of National Policy Studies?
- Imperial policy.
According to her, she said that just like in the original story, the glory of the Silk Road of the past is gradually fading away, right?
'They say that valuable and precious resources are exchanged via teleportation, while cheap but essential resources are exchanged via sea routes.'
It was something that happened because the cost of teleporting was high.
As a result, the influence of the Silk Road diminished, and the Kingdom of Cerberus, which had earned large profits from intermediate trade, was also in decline.
And Amira, knowing this, wanted to find a way to survive in a changing world.
- I am royalty, so I may not go hungry, but my duty is to ensure the people live without worry.
- It's cool that you even thought that way, Amira.
- It’s not cool. The world is already changing. If you can’t keep up, you’ll die.
Then Amira spoke to me seriously.
- The merchants aren't carrying gold anymore. They say they trade on promissory notes stamped with the Empire's seal.
The Empire was wise.
Conquest wars like those of the past only provoke suspicion from neighboring countries.
The world's wars were now shifting from territory to trust.
The Empire was already translating the trust of neighboring countries in itself into the value of an economic system.
'No matter which country we trade with now, there won't be a single one that doesn't pass through the name of the Empire.'
Wanting to figure out a way to survive in that situation, Amira was preparing for the Imperial language and the entrance exam every day.
That was admirable yet bothersome, so I asked Count Tabes.
"Since she is a foreigner, she is not yet fluent in the Imperial language, but she wants to learn the Empire's advanced system and apply it to her own country."
Count Tabes seemed quite impressed by those words.
"She is someone who adapts to change."
"But it looks like she is worried because the entrance exam is difficult."
"I will ask my teaching assistant to send me some books that would be good to read before the entrance exam. Who is it?"
I said awkwardly, as if things were really turning into something serious.
"Actually, she is Princess Amira of the Kingdom of Cerberus."
"I didn't know she was interested in that kind of thing. She's such a woman of few words."
The Count continued speaking, though surprised.
"If she has to take the entrance exam in the fall, it would be best to start preparing diligently now. I will also recommend a good teacher."
"If that happens, isn't that a bribe?"
Thinking I shouldn't have said it, I asked the question, not knowing what to do, and Count Tabes laughed heartily.
"In any case, all other students preparing for the entrance exam are making this level of preparation as well. Furthermore, since this is a special admissions track for international students, there will be no change in the number of admitted students, so it will not disadvantage other applicants."
“Then I’m glad.”
"Anyway, there are many foreign royalty who come to the Academy for cultural exchange and enroll to study every year, so it is not a special treatment."
Count Tabes, who had been reassuring me by saying that, waved his hand.
Others approached him and greeted him.
"I will be out for a moment."
Saying that, Count Tabes left our side to talk with them.
I let out a sigh of relief. Then Carcel asked me.
“How was it?”
"He just seemed like a kind person. And above all, he has the aura of a true scholar."
It was the professor himself.
And while I was talking to Carcel for a moment, someone suddenly spoke to me from the side.
"May I join the conversation?"
The owner of the voice asking that was Priest Noction.
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