CH 52

It was quite troubling that the second prince was the one who visited the auction house at this time of day.

The second prince was the number one person I didn’t want to meet.

‘This guy still thinks I’m interested in him…….’

It was a lie that was intentionally told to get evidence of Hector Arold, an aide to the Duke of Persia. There was no way she’d be interested in a womanizer and a drunkard.

Even if his face was decent enough, his behavior was not. Rubbish for the bin!

[What? Why?]

Greed wondered if something was wrong based on the look on my face.

‘Nothing,’ I replied, staring straight ahead.

Looking at the back of his head, I struggled to suppress my nervousness.

It’s dark in the auction house anyway, and he won’t be looking back, so it shouldn’t matter.

All right, I’ll just use my powers as soon as the next item comes up for auction.

Just then a new item came up for bidding. The auctioneer removed the cloth covering the item and introduced it.

“This is an antique ring found on the shores of Torripes three years ago. Many of the smaller gems have been lost, but the diamond in the center is worth reworking. The starting price is 500 lalit!”

It was such an insignificant-looking ring that I was skeptical about using the power of sin that I could only use once a week, but I had no choice.

‘Yes, do it. Use the ability!’

And that was the moment I decided to use the power.

To my surprise, words began to float over the antique ring that was up for auction. I could see the value, and the information appeared in letters.

Stunned, I quickly read the words. The duration of the ability was only three seconds.

[Treasure from the shipwrecked Pezzle, sunk 1,000 years ago on the seabed of Torripes. Given by King Neskil I to his lover, the Countess of Sutton…….]

I couldn’t read the inscription because three seconds had passed. But it was enough.

My jaw dropped.

‘A-awesome.’

It was the first time I’d ever used the ability, and the jackpot had been won in one fell swoop…….

I quickly picked up the paddle I’d thrown on the floor.

“503 lalit.”

“505 lalit.”

“510 lalit.”

Meanwhile, the bidding had risen by an ant’s eye. Apparently, no one saw the ring for what it was worth.

At best, the intention was to melt down the gold, remove the diamond in the center and rework it.

If no one knew the ring’s value, I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by.

‘That ring is mine.’

I lifted the paddle and held it up. It was the great shout that signaled the start of a full-blown auction.

“520 lalit!”

“520 lalit.”

To my surprise, there was someone else bidding the same amount at the same time as me.

“……?”

And the voice came from the front.

…… right in front of me.

The overlapping voices piqued the interest of the person sitting in front of me, and he turned his head quickly.

I was clearly hooded, but somehow, he recognized me and called out to me with a big smile.

“Lady!”

Ugh! The second prince! Why did he turn around?

I was in despair.

***

A few hours before going to the auction house.

The second prince, Beltran, yawned and propped his legs up on his desk.

His philosophy tutor, who was giving him a private lesson, flinched and backed away. He was bored out of his mind with the daily dense lessons.

He had no idea what his tutor was talking about, and it was just plain annoying to watch him ramble on and on.

Part of him wanted to ditch the class and go get drunk at the newest club in town, but he couldn’t because he feared his mother, the Empress Salvatrice.

“Belt. You must become emperor, no matter what. I will set you up to be.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Then please behave yourself. Lest you fall out of favor with the emperor.”

“…….”

“Answer me.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Ever since Beltran’s childhood, Empress Salvatrice had been obsessed with making him emperor.

From the moment he opened his eyes in the morning until the moment he closed them at night, he had to live under her watchful eye. His jaw clenched; his breath caught in his throat.

At first, he dutifully attended classes as the Empress wished, but unfortunately, Beltran was not bright enough to live up to his mother’s expectations.

The gap between him and his elder brother, the First Prince, grew wider and wider.

The empress flogged him, and the emperor looked at him coldly.

Meanwhile, Beltran’s sense of entitlement grew, for he was nowhere near as powerful as the First Prince Adenmir.

As the days passed, Empress Salvatrice’s obsession intensified.

And at some point, Beltran began to lose it.

‘No matter how hard I try, I can never catch up with you.’

He realized it too late.

But it didn’t matter, because even if he wasn’t competent, his mother would still make him emperor.

His brother’s personal abilities were superior, but Adenmir’s family power was no match to that of Empress Salvatrice.

So, Beltran behaved somewhat inconsistently, going out in moderation and going to class. Empress Salvatrice overlooked it.

‘When I become Emperor, I’ll be able to do as I please, and I won’t need these boring classes.’

So, let’s just put up with it until I’m emperor.

But Beltran was not a patient man, and he read the newspaper delivered by his servant in class.

His behavior in class was very poor, but the teacher said nothing. No matter how distinguished a professor from the academy was, he didn’t dare to point out his attitude to the imperial family.

Regardless of what his teacher said in front of him, Beltran closed his mouth and flipped through the newspaper.

There was an interesting article on the second page. Dorothea Angellus had been humiliated at a meeting.

Dorothea was a particular favorite of the empress, and she often attended banquets as his partner.

She was a bit of a nuisance with her demands, but she was still not a bad companion to have around.

‘It’s a shame, because she was quite a sight to behold.’

Beltran clicked his tongue. Now who should he choose as his partner?

A face popped into his head at that moment.

Elodie Perdia.

The illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Perdia and fiancée of the First Prince Adenmir. And he was told by the viscount he had planted in Perdia–

‘You like me, don’t you?’

The corner of his mouth lifted.

Even if he didn’t, he’d heard something last night from one of the empress’s servants.

It was information that Elodie Perdia had sent a letter of a breakup to the first prince. If that’s true, the breakup would happen soon.

‘I’m sure the reason for the breakup is because of me…….’

Elodie must have fallen in love with another man and asked his brother to break off the engagement.

‘I am such a sinful man.’

Beltran was willing to take Elodie as his fiancée.

‘Taking my brother’s woman?’

A strange pleasure washed over Beltran.

He thought Elodie had a ferocious personality, but when he spoke to her at the last banquet, she proved to be quite docile and polite.

‘If I could tame her, she’d be perfect for a partner.’

She was an angel in appearance. Plus, she could borrow the power of House Persia, which was a plus.

While Beltran was lost in his delusions about Elodie, the philosophy lesson came to an end.

Under the watchful eye of the Second Prince, the philosophy tutor spoke cautiously.

“This concludes our lesson for today, Your Highness.”

“‘Ah, yes.”

Beltran replied dryly and strode out of the room. His aide, waiting outside the door, hurried after him.

“Where are you going, Your Majesty? It’s time for riding lessons.”

“Don’t you think we should just get on the horse? Never mind, we’ll ride out of the palace.”

“But what if the Empress knows…….”

“Can’t we just make sure she doesn’t know?”

“What? But–”

“As long as you keep your mouth shut.”

Beltran was smiling, but his eyes were cold. They seemed to say, ‘What’s the matter?’

Overwhelmed by the murderous glare, the aide scrambled for an escort, but couldn’t hold him back any longer.

Instead of going to a bar or club, Beltran went to an auction house.

It was his hobby to go to auctions and take pleasure in buying something that someone else wanted to have for a huge amount of money.  

How pleasant it is to have something that someone else can’t have. 

There he was, in a somewhat bored mood, sitting in an auction house.

He was fiddling with his paddle, head tilted at an angle, when nothing in particular came up that he wanted.

‘Hmm?’

He found something he liked.

An insignificant ring, the kind you wouldn’t notice if you fell off the road.

‘Is it to my mother’s taste?’

The Empress had a hobby of collecting antiques, and he was going to offer it as a gift if he was accused of skipping class today.

Beltran raised his paddle.

“520!”

“520 lalit.”

Coincidentally, someone else was bidding at the same time. Turning his head, Beltran saw a familiar face.

It was Elodie Perdia.

Beltran had a reputation for being a lecherous man, so he could recognise a woman’s face no matter how dark it was. 

“Lady!”

He had been thinking of Elodie all this time. Beltran greeted her warmly.

She was seated nearby, accompanied by an escort, but he paid no attention to him, focusing solely on Elodie.

“……!”

Elodie blushed and averted her gaze. She looked adorably shy.

The same item, at the same price, in the same auction house, at the same time.

‘Is this fate?’

Beltran was beginning to think so.

***

‘Is this a nightmare?’

I furrowed my brow slightly as I watched Beltran’s flushed face. I couldn’t even show my displeasure openly.

“I never thought I’d meet the Lady here.”

“Ah, indeed.”

“Is there anything you are looking for? If the lady wishes, she can win the bid instead. Any amount will do.”

“No, thank you.”

“Haha, it’s not a problem. Between you and me.”

I didn’t want to talk, but Beltran kept talking.

In the midst of the frenzy, the auctioneer called out.

“525 lalit. 525 lalit! Any more bids?”

‘Oh no, my ring!’

A treasure from the shipwrecked Pezzle, sunk on the seabed of Torripes 1,000 years ago!

I had to take the ring, even though he was the Second Prince. If I didn’t win the ring because of him, I would die of injustice.

“Lady, do not–”

“Please be quiet.”

“……What, what?”

I interrupted the talking Beltran sharply, raising my paddle with a quick movement.

“540 lalit!”

“540 lalit, 540 lalit! The highest bid is 540 lalit. Anyone else want to bid?”

“…….”

“You’ve won the auction for 540 lalit!”

‘Aaah!’

I clenched my fists in disbelief that I had just been successful in bidding on a thousand-year-old treasure for a mere 540 lalit.

‘Greed, you’re the best. Black Flame Dragon, you’re the best!’

[Cough, embarrassing.]

One step closer to independence!

While I was in the midst of rejoicing in my newfound abilities–

“La…… dy?”

I turned my head at the voice from earlier and saw Beltran looking at me with a somewhat bewildered expression.

As soon as my eyes locked with Beltran’s, the smile vanished from my face.

‘How do I deal with this man?’

I suddenly felt bad…….