Inside the auction house, which was constantly shaking due to the effects of intermittent earthquakes, a few VIP rooms were specially designed for important guests who wanted to observe the auction items in advance.
Outside one of these rooms, the clear architecture drew attention, with a narrow hallway leading to the room at the opposite end, flanked by seating areas for guards stationed on either side.
Their presence was mostly to cater to any special security needs the VIPs might require.
Today, although it was uncertain, there was a strong possibility that a VIP was in that room.
rumble rumble
With the building shaking intermittently, the sound waves reverberated as if colossal objects were colliding nearby—hardly the relaxing environment one would expect for a VIP.
Two individuals, who didn't fit the typical guard profile, were seated—a woman who sat composedly, her hands folded and legs elegantly crossed.
Her eyes were closed, and she wore a hint of black lipstick, with her black dress draped gracefully across the bench.
Beside her stood a petite woman with a tomboyish style, visibly annoyed as she glared at her sister.
"Are you for real? Do you even consider yourself a woman, Aecilia?!" Billie exclaimed, her mouth twitching with frustration.
She directed her incredulous gaze toward her sister, who seemed to exude no trace of femininity—certainly not someone who would condone her man being with another woman right in front of her.
"....shut up," Aecilia responded, maintaining her composure as her mind raced through the events of the last fifteen minutes.
The sequence of events had left her bewildered: from Aria's drifting into unconsciousness to the Marquess arriving to assist her with the urgent need to evacuate, all while night crawlers intervened to help the heads of the William and Diego families escape.
He himself had chosen to assist Aria.
So far, everything had seemed plausible, even acceptable.
However, the situation took a confusing turn when, instead of following the night crawlers to safety, Marquess had asked Aecilia if there were any rooms available for comfort.
She ended up guiding him to this VIP room, where he requested an aphrodisiac and insisted that she not disturb him for sometime.
He then entered the room, carrying the unconscious Aria.
Now, as Aecilia sat there, having provided him with the aphrodisiac, she found herself in a dilemma, grappling with why the Marquess would take such a risk just to sleep with a woman instead of prioritizing safety and exiting this collapsing building.
"What?! He asked you for an aphrodisiac?! And you actually gave it to him!" Billie cried out, aghast.
She couldn't fathom how her sister could be so naïve as to allow her man to sleep with another woman, let alone facilitate it.
"Here, take this," Aecilia replied, well aware Billie was right to be concerned.
A sense of doubt festered in her mind, as she considered whether all her previous thoughts—wondering if Marquess had other intentions—were misguided.
She had convinced herself it wouldn't escalate to this point, but given her need for a moment of solitude, she handed Billie an item that Marquess had given her.
"A p-pen?!" Billie exclaimed, staring incredulously at the pen emblazoned with 'Elite Academy.'
Aecilia felt her mouth twitch in disbelief, acutely aware that they were discussing a matter of grave importance while her cousin chose to indulge in trivial nonsense instead of addressing the serious situation at hand.
But if someone else were to do it, it would naturally take longer—more than five minutes, in fact.
This prompted her to seriously question the nature of Avendial's character.
But before she could press further, Avendial interrupted.
"Instead of wasting your time here, shouldn't you go help Leo and deal with that creature?" he said, frustration creeping into his voice.
He could see that Billie was wasting valuable time—time that could be spent helping the others rather than indulging in unnecessary arguments.
It was crucial for her to understand the importance of action over mere speculation.
Naturally, he had his priorities set from two perspectives.
The first stemmed from his past life, where his initial focus had been on securing Aria Williams and then Margaret Grafia.
However, in his present life, he had come to recognize other valuable elements that were not permanent, much like Billie herself.
Seeing her greed and her evident attachment to an otherworldly strength he had encountered in several individuals throughout his journey, he decided to assist her.
Still, he made it clear that her value was eclipsed by that of Aria.
Thus, he concluded that those he prioritized most would come first.
Even in this new life, he had placed Aecilia at the top of his hierarchy.
There was no reason to let Billie spout nonsense and jeopardize his entire plan, prompting him to firmly clarify matters with her.
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"Huh? Defeat that guy? How? With this nuclear weapon you gave me?" Billie gripped the pen tightly in her hand, shooting a determined gaze at the man who seemed to dismiss the challenge of defeating an Empyreal known for his physical prowess.
Billie struggled to conceive of anyone capable of overcoming an Empyreal—especially one renowned for his raw power—except for her sister, Aecilia Sertsul.
Yet here was a man instructing her to confront someone whose punches could rattle the entire building, even though they were aimed at Leo.
"Just make sure to introduce the tip of that pen into his bloodstream," Avendial said as he arrived beside Aecilia.
He instructed her to securely lock the door before both of them strode past Billie, making their way toward the hallway exit.
He had locked Aria inside the room, where she was subtly influenced by a diluted aphrodisiac, guiding her emotions in a specific direction.
Avendial had just briefed Billie on how to defeat the formidable opponent.
"Huh? What?" Billie stood bewildered, clearly wanting to argue further with Avendial, but he had already exited the hall, and her sister followed closely behind as if she were his shadow.
Billie glanced between the direction where they had vanished and the pen, which she noticed bore a red mark, almost like a smear of blood.
Confused, she instinctively clicked back the pen to hide its tip, calming herself as she looked toward the locked door.
Without another thought, she sprinted in the direction of the exit, her mind racing with a single thought: 'Hope this works, or I will be dead!'