Chapter 143: The Gem Auction
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 143: The Gem Auction
The Empress was determined to install the Third Prince as the new heir, challenging the Crown Princess, the Emperor's official successor.
Currently, the power of the Empire was split between these two figures.
Their tug-of-war extended even to the annual scramble to claim the "Finale" at the gem auction.
Two years ago, the Empress had secured the Finale, but last year, the Crown Princess had snatched it away while the Empress was off-guard. Consequently, the Empress had been in a foul mood throughout the entire ballroom season.
"This year, we shall purchase the jewel in our Valentin’s name," the Empress said, a faint smile playing on her lips as she thought of her son, the Third Prince. "I hear the Crown Princess is entering the auction under the Prince Consort's name."
After the Crown Princess claimed the Finale last year, the Empress had spread rumors that the heir was obsessed with nothing but jewels and luxury. To avoid such criticism this year, it seemed the Crown Princess intended to create a picture of her husband, the Prince Consort, winning the Finale to present to his wife.
At the Empress's words, the Marquis looked up sharply.
If it’s Valentin...
"Then do you intend to give the Finale to Ladriel?" he asked, his face brightening. "Indeed, it would certainly cause a stir if the Third Prince were to propose with it this time."
The Third Prince winning the Finale and proposing to Ladriel—that would certainly bring immense prestige to the family.
"Don't be ridiculous!" the Empress snapped, looking utterly exasperated. "The Finale will be presented by Valentin to his beloved mother."
The Marquis’s face stiffened. If that was the case, Valentin should be the one paying for it; why had he been summoned?
As if sensing the Marquis's thoughts, the Empress gave a subtle nod, and a maid placed an envelope in front of him.
"I will give you 50,000 Danir. Ensure you win the bid, no matter what."
50,000 Danir? That was an amount barely sufficient to buy the main accessories shown before the Finale, let alone the Finale itself.
The Marquis was about to protest.
"In exchange, if Valentin receives the spotlight through the Finale, we shall discuss the engagement after autumn," the Empress murmured as if granting a great favor, looking down at her nails.
He knew he was being played, yet did he have a choice? No matter how much he agonized over it, the Marquis had no other alternative. Ultimately, he forced a smile, his cheeks twitching awkwardly.
"I shall follow Your Majesty's command."
*
The day of the Blenheim gem auction arrived.
Countless nobles and representatives flocked to the auction house in Eonveld, a territory adjacent to the Grand Duchy of Blenheim.
Pierremont, who was in charge of conducting the auction for the Lumit Trading Company, skillfully identified the positions of the key attendees.
Blenheim’s auctions were conducted anonymously using numbers. However, since faces weren't hidden, someone of Pierremont’s experience could recognize most families even without names. Because viewing Blenheim’s auction items was a rare opportunity in itself, most nobles attended in person every year.
Though members of the Imperial family and high-ranking nobles usually sent proxies...
That’s strange. What’s happening this year?
The Crown Princess’s side had sent the Prince Consort’s younger brother, and the Empress’s side had sent the young lord of the Frais family himself. Furthermore, even Vice Minister Delon of the Kingdom of Rondoris and his wife had arrived.
It seems the competition for the Finale will be fiercer than ever.
Number 3 for the Crown Princess, Number 41 for the Empress, and Number 57 for Rondoris. Pierremont told himself to be extra careful not to mix them up when calling the numbers.
And as for Number 101...
Why on earth did they join?
Number 101 was a late addition, included only because of a request that came from Blenheim after the registration period had closed.
Are they here to monitor whether the auction is being conducted properly?
Praying that his livelihood remained secure, Pierremont began the auction in a state of high tension.
"Of all things... now he's making us go shopping..."
Enolius, sitting in the top row and looking down at the auction stage, grumbled under his breath. "I really need to renegotiate my contract or something."
Sitting beside him, Perel nervously toyed with the paddle labeled '101.' He supposed he should be grateful the mage had come along...
— "Go and win the bid for the Finale."
Perel had merely blinked in confusion at his lord's sudden command.
— "Uh... so, you're saying we should buy back the jewel we put up for auction ourselves?"
— "Bring back anything else as well. Anything that would suit the Grand Duchess."
Of course, there was nothing that wouldn't suit Annette. The Grand Duke had muttered to himself.
You do realize the gem mines belong to us, right? If Her Highness needs jewels, we can just tell the merchant guild in advance to set aside the good ones. It would take time, but we could even process them to suit Her Highness's taste. Besides, the Finale isn't something you can win that easily.
Perel had intended to offer a rational response but bit his tongue, reading the room. When his lord had that obsessive look in his eyes, no argument would work. Instead, Perel offered an opinion the Grand Duke couldn't ignore.
— "But I don't know anything about gems or jewelry..."
When Perel expressed doubt about whether Her Highness would like the jewels he chose, the Grand Duke seemed to concede the point.
— "Should I perhaps ask one of the maids to accompany me?"
He was about to ask if Cecilia might be a better choice, even if she wasn't particularly knowledgeable about such things, when the Grand Duke spoke.
— "Take the mage."
— "Pardon?"
— "Annette said the mage has a good eye."
As a result, the Grand Duke’s aide and the mage were now sitting side-by-side in the auction house.
Would the grumbling mage actually be of any help in choosing the items? While Perel was swallowing his anxiety, the first item was brought out.
"The first item is a diamond bracelet. It features small but high-purity pink diamonds, crafted by Carlusso, a master with ten years of experience at Nobledem."
"Buy that," the mage beside him said abruptly.
"What? But we don't even know what's coming next..."
"Did the Grand Duke set a budget?"
"No, he didn't."
"Then buy it. He'll say anything bought for Her Highness is fine anyway."
"It is pretty, but... aren't the stones a bit small?"
"Her Highness has pale, slender wrists, so smaller pieces will actually suit her better."
"Is that so?"
"It would be perfect with a pink dress. She’ll look like a summer rose."
Perel, who was easily swayed, immediately imagined the Grand Duchess gracefully waving a hand adorned with the bracelet in a rose garden. He thrust the paddle into the air.
"Number 101, sold! Congratulations!"
It was the same for the next item.
"Let's buy that one," Enolius said, pointing to a tiara set with a massive emerald.
"Isn't the stone too large? Her Highness has a delicate neck; a heavy tiara might be difficult for her."
"I can just cast weight-reduction magic on it."
The mage spoke firmly, adding that he couldn't stand to see some other noblewoman wearing such a large emerald in front of Her Highness.
"I suppose you're right."
"Number 101, sold!"
"That necklace. The ruby in the center is so vibrant; don't you think it would suit Her Highness?"
"It's good. Let's buy it."
"Sold!"
As Number 101 claimed one item after another, the murmurs among the nobles grew louder.
"Who on earth is Number 101?"
"I've never seen that face before. Is the one on the right in those flashy clothes... a foreign noble?"
Most people kept their vague guesses to themselves, but a few high-ranking nobles recognized Perel.
The one on the left is the Grand Duke of Blenheim’s aide.
Ferdin, sitting in the central section, also remembered the aide's face from a previous encounter. He didn't know why the Grand Duke's side was participating in the auction, but it would be problematic if they were aiming for the Finale as well.
— "The Empress has commanded that you must win the Finale. Go there yourself and take responsibility for bringing it back."
— "Why must we get involved in the fight between the Crown Princess and the Empress? The Frais family hasn't been promised anything."
— "How can you say that? Your sister will be the future Empress! Stop talking back and do as you're told!"
The Empress would likely delay the marriage and test them until she had bled the Frais family dry. Ferdin couldn't understand why his father was so subservient to her.
That side seems anxious as well.
Ferdin looked back at the man sitting a row below him. The Prince Consort’s brother was nervously gulping down champagne as if his throat were parched.
300,000 Danir. That was the budget the Marquis had allowed him to use. Honestly, it wasn't a staggering amount for the Marquisate, but it felt like a waste of money to invest based solely on the Empress's word.
— "Once Ladriel becomes the next Empress, she will inherit the Finale anyway."
His father had said that, but... well. The moment she married, Ladriel would become a member of the Imperial family. It meant she would no longer be a member of the Frais family. Just as it had been with Annette.
"Thank you for waiting. At last, we introduce the final masterpiece, this year's Finale: 'Celestial Starlight'!"
While Ferdin was briefly thinking of Annette, the Finale was revealed alongside auctioneer Pierremont’s grand gesture.
Everyone who saw the Finale let out a collective gasp of admiration.
'Celestial Starlight' was a headpiece designed to drape elegantly over the hair. Exquisitely crafted gems were set along a line stretching from the top of the ear to the center of the back of the head, with a large, round sapphire seated at its heart. Below it, small diamonds hung from delicately interwoven gold threads, shimmering softly. It looked as if light were flowing downward like the Milky Way.
"The sapphire is a flawless raw stone of the highest purity mined in the last ten years; it is a top-tier gem so transparent you can read text through it. The more than one hundred diamonds set on the gold threads are all of uniform size. This is a masterpiece created by five of Nobledem’s greatest masters working together."
It was truly a legendary piece, even among past Finales.
No sooner had the auctioneer finished his explanation than the bidding paddles began to rise in rapid succession.