47. Blimund Art Auction

Johannes’s expression suddenly grew serious and hardened.

It had been 20 years since his mother and Cecilia were kidnapped after their carriage was attacked by unknown assailants.

In the chaos of that situation, he had been lucky to survive, trapped inside the overturned carriage.

By the time the Marquess’s soldiers arrived to rescue them, his mother and Cecilia had already disappeared along with the attackers.

If they had gone into hiding and wandered around for about a year before coming to Rugbeljet after their disappearance 20 years ago…

The timeline roughly matched.

If Roselia was indeed hiding her true identity and had dyed her hair to avoid recognition…

Then, it would make sense that her hair wasn’t naturally black.

As more pieces of information fell into place, Johannes’s heart began to race uncontrollably.

“Roselia’s mother?”

Seeing his superior’s sudden urgency, Lognan replied tersely, though somewhat puzzled.

“She passed away 18 years ago.”

Johannes’s expression froze for a moment.

The feeling of his heart, which had been pounding wildly, suddenly sinking, made Johannes let out a hollow laugh as he ran a hand over his face.

“I see…”

Is it too late…?

His mother had always been ill. While she had been receiving care with medicine at the Marquess’s estate, if she hadn’t had access to the medication, her condition likely worsened.

Why didn’t she return to the Marquess’s estate if she was alive?

Perhaps… were they still being pursued even in those circumstances?

Did she need to hide her identity to protect Cecilia, necessitating a false identity?

There was nothing he could be certain of.

Unless he could go back in time and meet his mother…

Perhaps even Roselia’s identity was just a hopeful conjecture he had pieced together.

But one thing was clear.

He couldn’t just stand by and do nothing, especially if she might be Cecilia.

With a hardened expression, Johannes regained his composure and looked at Lognan.

“Who was behind the attack on her?”

“We couldn’t find any definitive information. However…”

Lognan trailed off as he pulled something out of his inner pocket and handed it to Johannes.

“We found this on the leader of the attackers.”

What Lognan handed over was a badge engraved with a black rose and a snake.

Unlike the usual badges that bore a family’s crest or the emblem of an organization and were worn proudly on the chest, this one was small, about the size of a fingernail, and discreet.

It looked like a subtle mark, meant to help those who didn’t want to reveal their presence recognize each other.

“Do you recognize the emblem?”

“It’s not the emblem of any noble family.”

Given that they were well-versed in the emblems of Rugbeljet’s noble families, they immediately knew that the badge wasn’t from any noble family.

“Of course, they wouldn’t be doing shady business under the emblem of their family,” Johannes remarked, his gaze darkening.

“Perhaps… if anyone would know about this badge, it might be the Duke of Valtazar, who runs a moneylending operation targeting noble families.”

Publicly, the Valtazar Ducal House appeared to invest in public facilities like schools, libraries, and hospitals, but Johannes knew they extended their influence into the shadows, lending money to nobles. Their reach even extended to the royal family and foreign countries.

Given this, it was highly likely that the Duke had information about Rugbeljet’s underground organizations.

With this thought, Johannes murmured in a low voice.

“I need to meet with the Duke of Valtazar.”

* * *

Klaus and Johannes sat silently across from each other in Klaus’s private reception room.

Unlike the bright and welcoming reception room that Claucet frequently used, this room had a lower lighting level and exuded a heavier, more serious atmosphere.

“I thought you might be busy, but you accepted my request more quickly than I expected,” Johannes began, breaking the silence. Klaus responded curtly.

“I just happened to have some free time.”

Klaus’s demeanor was cold and stern, while Johannes radiated a calm and dignified presence. Despite his relaxed appearance, Johannes’s gaze was sharp and unwavering, enough to dominate Klaus’s imposing aura. It felt like standing before a mighty tree.

‘Now I understand why he’s called the pillar of Raphelios,’ Klaus thought, briefly recalling Roselia, who had unexpectedly climbed into his carriage, causing his brow to furrow slightly.

“That day… was Roselia… unharmed?” Klaus asked, his voice tense. Johannes slowly scrutinized Klaus’s expression.

The man who held Roselia bound by debt.

A cold-hearted individual who would use people as tools for his own gain.

It was no wonder Johannes was displeased to see Roselia, who might be his sister, entangled with such a man. Moreover, Roselia seemed to be avoiding him, making Klaus even less appealing in Johannes’s eyes.

“She returned home safely, so there’s no need to worry.”

Johannes replied, his voice unintentionally sharp. Klaus stiffened and spoke rigidly.

“I must apologize once more for what happened that day.”

“…”

In truth, Johannes had nearly forgotten about Klaus’s actions that day. But he hadn’t expected such a formal apology, causing Johannes’s expression to harden.

Misinterpreting Johannes’s silence, Klaus furrowed his brow and continued speaking, trying to maintain his composure.

“I didn’t know you had such a relationship with Roselia, and I acted rudely.”

Johannes raised an eyebrow.

Such a relationship? Had Roselia told Klaus something about them?

“I heard you two have been lovers for a long time.”

Johannes nearly spilled his tea at that moment. Had Roselia lied to Klaus, claiming he was her lover?

Why?

Though puzzled, Johannes decided to go along with it, thinking she must have her reasons.

“Ah, yes…”

Johannes wasn’t sure what Roselia was up to, but rather than feeling displeased or troubled, he found himself curious about her true intentions. If she really was Cecilia…

Perhaps she instinctively felt something towards him, even if she couldn’t remember his face or any memories, given how young she had been…

Recalling the small and precious Cecilia, Johannes couldn’t help but smile warmly.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other. But I’ve been eagerly awaiting the day we’d meet again.”

Though Johannes was speaking about Cecilia, Klaus seemed to interpret his words differently, furrowing his brow unconsciously.

“But why did you want to see me?” Klaus’s cold tone brought Johannes back to the matter at hand. He carefully pulled something from his pocket and placed it on the table.

It was the badge with the black rose and snake emblem that Lognan had given him.

“We found this badge on one of the assailants who ambushed Roselia. Do you recognize this emblem?”

Klaus picked up the badge and examined the emblem closely.

“It’s not a noble family’s crest.”

Klaus looked at Johannes seriously.

“The fact that they didn’t engrave a name suggests it’s likely a secretive organization.”

“Could you investigate this? As a foreigner, my ability to investigate is limited.”

Even though Johannes was the Marquess of Euciliod, known as the pillar of Raphelios, his influence in a foreign country was inevitably less than in his homeland. Moreover, Klaus would be better suited to investigating local matters.

“I was already looking into it. I’ll take care of this,” Klaus replied, placing the badge in his inner pocket while maintaining a cold expression. His actions seemed to draw a line, indicating that he was the one who could help Roselia in this matter.

Johannes, amused by Klaus’s unexpectedly endearing attitude, smiled calmly, unaffected by the Duke’s demeanor.

* * *

“Antonio, get ready to leave!”

Claucet appeared in high spirits, all dressed up, as Roselia, dressed as a servant, asked curiously.

“What’s going on?”

“We’ve been invited to the Blimund Count’s ball.”

Seeing Claucet so excited, Roselia, who wasn’t in the mood to attend a party, hesitated.

“Can’t you go alone?”

Claucet, hearing Roselia’s weary voice, playfully wagged her finger with a mock stern expression.

“This isn’t just any party. The ball is just a formality; the real event is the art auction.”

Claucet smiled meaningfully.

“Who knows? A hidden masterpiece might be up for auction.”

“Let’s go,” Roselia said, quickly grabbing her bag and heading for the door. Claucet followed, smirking as if she had expected this reaction.

The auction at the Blimund Count’s ball was more of a charity event, so most of the pieces were by unknown artists and weren’t particularly valuable.

Just as Roselia was growing bored, not seeing any of the artworks she remembered, one piece caught her eye as it was brought to the auction block.

It was a landscape painting of women enjoying a picnic. At the time, it was considered the work of an unknown artist, but later it would be revealed as the final masterpiece of a famous painter, fetching thousands of Berangs.

Though her memory was hazy, Roselia recognized the heart-shaped tree that had been emphasized in the original story. She quickly tapped Claucet’s arm and whispered to her.

“Yes. Hopefully, this piece will find a good owner. The bidding starts at 1 Berang,” the auctioneer announced.

Before the auctioneer could finish, Claucet, who had been briefed by Roselia, raised her hand boldly.

“10 Berangs!”

“Oh, a bold bid of 10 Berangs!”

A red-haired woman sitting in the back, her mouth partially covered by a fan, quietly raised her hand.

“15 Berangs.”

Roselia and Claucet both turned to look at the woman.

Even with her face partially hidden by the fan, Roselia recognized her. She was the same woman who had once visited Klaus, her ample chest on display.

Claucet, not one to back down, quickly raised her hand and shouted.

“30 Berangs!”

“35 Berangs.”

“60 Berangs!”

As the bidding turned into a competition between the two, the red-haired woman, Viscountess Clemence, glared at Claucet with displeasure.

It seemed that a servant beside her, likely an Il Domestico, was whispering advice into her ear.

Then, Viscountess Clemence’s expression twisted as she scrutinized the servant.

Wait, isn’t that the servant who was said to be Roselia’s brother?