Chapter 63
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Chapter 63
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Extravagant Bids
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Follow me all the way here? I let out an incredulous chuckle, and Isna crossed her legs, clad in her tattered robe.
A glimpse of her pristine white leg peeked out from beneath the hem of the robe.
"Fun?"
A red glint flickered momentarily in the eye slits of the Death God's mask shrouded in darkness.
"400... 400 million cel! Any more bids?!"
It had started at 1 million and climbed to 400 million.
The booklet stated that for general-grade items excluding VIPs, bids were limited to the cash you currently held.
In other words, you couldn't make an overbid like that unless you had 400 million cel right then and there.
No, did she have over 400 million in cash ready to commit?
I stared at her in disbelief, and she wiggled her crossed leg.
"500 million cel."
After some deliberation, the opponent raised it, and a sneer escaped Isna's lips.
"Yeah, wanna test the waters more?"
"1 billion cel."
Her actions were utterly ruthless.
1 billion cel was an amount even wealthy folks couldn't handle lightly.
Yet she bid it without batting an eye, as if she had even more firepower to unleash.
"1 billion cel! Sold!! Sold for 1 billion cel!!!"
I stared blankly at Isna amid the excited auctioneer's cry, and she slyly lifted her mask to flash me a mischievous grin.
"You need that one, right? The guy you were competing with is a big name from Black Friday auctions. Folks like that don't bid openly often."
"No, you're burning 1 billion cel on a single item?"
It wasn't like Queen's Twilight, something expected to draw bids from nations or organizations.
Just some relic compass with unknown powers.
Does it even make sense to drop 1 billion on that?
Then again, considering House Mielephon's wealth, maybe not so surprising.
"Right? Such a shame."
"But..."
"But if it's for Young Master, that's different, no? You're my fiancé. The man I'm marrying."
"..."
Is this for real?
A chill crept over me. This woman showed no aversion whatsoever to the idea of marrying me.
No, it felt like she was deliberately blocking off one of my escape routes.
"No, I mean..."
"Eh, I've heard. Fake engagement and all. But that's not the case anymore, right? You caused a scene, and now it's public knowledge. What can you do?"
Your mess, isn't it?
Her expression was hidden behind the mask.
But the aura emanating from beyond it had completely shifted.
I'd called her a crazy bitch over and over, but right now, she didn't feel like one. There was an eerie sense of familiarity.
It was like looking at Duke Catsi.
Which one was the real her? I was too inept with people to tell.
"Mother has an uncanny eye for people."
"Lady Isna."
"If you ask if I like Young Master, I wouldn't know. But since we're engaged, this much investment is nothing."
"I'll repay the money the moment we leave the auction house."
"Pfft, forget it. No money talk between family. This is pocket change for me, so don't worry, my future husband."
Not family yet, you witch.
The intimidating air she'd exuded vanished in an instant, replaced once more by the crazy bitch.
Already, I could picture Melissa rolling on the floor, clutching her stomach in laughter. My stomach started to churn.
Come to think of it, Isna hadn't shown much interest in my relationship with Luna.
She'd chased after Luna in surprise at her appearance, but that was it.
Even knowing our healer-patient dynamic was off, she hadn't pressed the issue.
Yeah, well, what place did love have in the marriage she knew?
Political marriages without love often allowed for lovers on the side, after all.
Maybe she just didn't care.
She'd won the ancient compass Luna wanted, but to claim it, the auction had to end first.
About an hour later, the VIP items finally appeared, and the pieces we'd skipped started coming up one by one.
The narration was sparse, but the jewels captivated at a glance, sparking bids from everyone.
"Oh... that's pretty. Should I buy one? Nah, I'd get scolded."
Even Isna was tempted.
The items I'd consigned were two besides Queen's Twilight.
VIP items commanded sums incomparable to earlier lots.
Jewels with no special powers but irresistible allure drew massive bids, trading in the tens of billions.
Their value was staggering even without grand tales. Luna's wealth honestly shocked me.
I'd figured tens of millions cel would be plenty without going VIP.
And then, the moment of truth: Queen's Twilight appeared.
I witnessed pure madness.
A piece with a perfect backstory. A jewel lost 200 years ago, the talk of the continent.
If it were just a bauble, no fuss, but...
"This Queen's Twilight alone grants the wearer freedom from ailments and eternal health!"
Yes, humanity's greatest desire?
Immortality. High nobles, royals, emperors—all drawn to it naturally.
Beyond vanity, the sheer effects made eyes glaze over.
Starting bid: a mere 1 billion cel.
1 billion for immortality? What mad rich fool would pass?
Pointless number, of course.
The bids skyrocketed, shattering my expectations, breaking 50 billion in a single minute.
No surprise. The original painting alone fetched 2 billion.
But the ascent was steeper than imagined. I couldn't help twitching.
"200 billion? Are they insane?"
"Oh, that's under expectations."
"What?"
Isna Mielephon snickered.
"Just possessing it ensures health and halts aging. Proven effects, perfect story."
"..."
"Know the estimated value? 520 billion."
"52... 520 bill...?"
"And rumors say it's blessed by the Archangel."
I'd spread the rumor, but it spread that far?
"With Archangel blessing publicly verified, no wonder the frenzy."
Holy Kingdom!
Yeah, a priceless treasure there.
As I spaced out, she crossed her arms in her Death God's robe.
"Once groups jump in, 1-2 trillion becomes pocket change. Family intel predicts..."
"2 trillion!!! 2 trillion cel! Any more?!"
Watching the spittle-flying auctioneer, my mind went blank.
Melissa said 50 billion would be great.
This was dozens of times that.
"Plenty chasing it, of course."
But Black Friday had handled countless treasures with almost no incidents.
Either way, jaw-dropping.
"Whoever consigned that is jumping straight to continental wealth rankings. Ugh, jealous. That's real money rain."
Even mighty House Mielephon found 2 trillion burdensome, it seemed.
Made sense unless top 13 by wealth.
The frenzy peaked past 2 trillion, then stalled.
Thus, Queen's Twilight sold for the astronomical sum of 2 trillion cel, far beyond our wildest guesses.
It didn't feel real.
2 trillion cel.
Trillions were otherworldly figures from my past life; here, only superpowers could touch them.
House Cascadia? No different.
Nobles were rich, but not on that scale.
Of course, 2 trillion in cash wouldn't hit my hands at once.
Impossible to carry anyway.
Instead, they'd use bills from House Lavren, continent's top bankers, to transfer the wealth.
"No worries on trust. We'll remit every cel minus fees, full effort. Anonymity assured too."
Now I got it.
Who ran Black Friday.
A minor kingdom origin, but one of 13 great houses.
Continent's premier bank: House Lavren.
That explained it.
"But risks from sudden wealth exposure? Beyond our control, please note."
So, if I flaunted and got caught, their bad.
Not their problem anyway, so I nodded vaguely.
Received the Lavren House VVIP plaque.
"We have immediate assets available. How shall we proceed?"
"Transfer them."
"Yes. 800 billion cel from auction profits, direct now. Remainder via Lavren Bank later... but such sums can't be claimed all at once."
"How long?"
"Until next month."
"That works."
800 billion alone could transform House Cascadia.
I stuffed the received funds entirely into my portable subspace.
Collected proceeds from other jewels too.
Auction house happy with fees alone.
Isna, unaware I was the seller, chattered curiously about who snagged Queen's Twilight and how.
"Lady, can't you take that off now?"
"Such a lech. I don't mind. But save that talk for after marriage?"
This woman.
As I reached to forcibly remove her mask, Luna swiftly grabbed my arm to stop me.
"Don't play games with the crazy bitch."
"Argh, seriously!"
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