“I will start at 1,000 Kona. Number 17, 1,000 Kona! Number 28, 1,100 Kona!”
As soon as the auction for the pearl earrings started, Yossel joined the bidding with a frightening speed.
Marian couldn’t understand his actions. After all, the person who originally had the pearl earrings was Yossel, not her.
It was the day Reytan returned to the Count Travel’s household. Reytan’s young daughter, who didn’t even know noble etiquette, was amusing, but Marian was anxious because she didn’t know why her father had summoned Reytan.
Her eldest brother, Hevant, was a suspicious person who rarely showed his true emotions. She went to Emerald House to find her relatively simple-minded younger brother.
She wanted to discuss the current situation regarding Reytan’s return.
“You… that.”
Then she saw it by chance.
Yossel was pacing around the room like a dog needing to relieve itself, holding the pearl earrings that had caused a stir when they went missing from the main house.
“Oh, haha. This? It seems my children thought it was pretty and took it from our mother’s room a few days ago. Sister, could you pretend not to see this? I was just about to have a servant return it discreetly…”
“Wait a minute.”
Their mother, Priscilla, was furious about the missing pearl earrings and had ordered the culprit to be found. Even if the thief was a direct family member, Priscilla would naturally give them the *cold shoulder.
That’s right, even if they were direct blood relatives.
Marian narrowed her eyes and smiled slightly at the corners of her mouth. As the fan in her hand fluttered, she thought of a clever plan.
After all, Priscilla didn’t welcome Reytan’s return either.
And since she had already placed a maid inside Stone House, couldn’t she use this to ruin Reytan’s honor? Completely and utterly.
First, she had to use the earrings as an excuse to bring Reytan to the stage.
“I have a good plan. Would you like to hear it?”
“What plan… are you talking about?”
“If you return the earrings to the main house now, Mother will find out that the twins were the culprits. So, let’s make someone else the criminal.”
She had set the stage and gathered people—.
“70 million Kona! 71 million Kona! 72 million Kona!”
Marian squinted her eyes. Yossel was gripping the number board tightly.
His body was so tense that the veins in his neck were bulging.
Looking at him, Marian recalled Yossel’s previous actions. Although he had obediently followed her orders to hide the earrings in the maid’s house, she found it suspicious.
After all, Marian was the one who had caught the criminal and smoothly hosted the charity auction.
Yossel had never once complained about her taking credit for it.
No, he had never even mentioned the pearl earrings.
By then, the fierce bidding from the auctioneer had stopped.
“Number 17! 120 million Kona!”
The only one left holding a number board was Yosel.
The auction was won.
Only then did Yossel relax his body in the now-silent hall. He was just beginning to feel relieved.
“Ah! Number 36 has raised their number board!”
What!?
Yossel quickly turned his head. His eyes widened in shock as he confirmed the man holding the number board.
‘Why is he here!’
It wasn’t just Yossel. The entire room erupted into murmurs as soon as they saw the man’s face.
Reytan Quartz Travel.
Everyone’s attention was on him.
When the priest sitting at the same table asked Reytan if he was participating in the auction, Reytan casually replied,
“I thought it would make a nice gift for my daughter. It seems like it would suit her well.”
“…Ugh…”
What kind of seven-year-old gets one hundred million Kona earrings—.
Yossel bit his lower lip. Today, the cravat around his neck felt as if it was choking him. The valet must have tied it tighter than usual. He thought he might have to cut it off.
“Number 36 has entered the auction with 130 million Kona! Number 17?”
“…I’ll continue.”
“Yes, Number 17 is now at 140 million Kona! Number 36, 150 million Kona!”
“……”
Marian furrowed her brow as she watched Yossel continue bidding.
“200 million Kona! Will you continue?”
The proper value of the pearl earrings was one hundred million Kona.
Reytan was the kind of man who lived recklessly, doing whatever he pleased. Yossel, though simple, wasn’t foolish enough to be unable to calculate profit and loss.
He could have just let Reytan have it—why go through all this trouble?
Marian was growing more suspicious when Yossel whispered in a trembling voice, seeking her help.
“Sister, we must win the auction.”
What was he talking about now?
Yossel’s face, as he looked back at her, was pale. His next words made Marian’s face contort.
“Because… they’re counterfeit.”
***
After my Dad left Stone House to attend the charity auction, I followed Theon around the first floor, hoping to figure out the evening’s schedule. That’s when I realized a surprising opportunity awaited.
Theon was sitting on the carpet, cleaning his sword, insisting it was dangerous for me to be nearby. I lay on the sofa beside him and talked, then sat up on my knees.
“You’re going on an errand for Dad? In the evening? Isn’t that dangerous? When will you be back?”
At my words, Theon turned his head towards me. The sofa without armrests made it easy to meet his eyes.
Theon looked at me with an unreadable expression.
“Why, what is it?”
“I just wondered why it matters when I’ll return.”
Whoa. His shot was right on target.
Has he become as sharp as Dad, now that they’re spending time together? This might make things difficult in the future.
Smiling works well when I need to dodge questions, so I smiled broadly at Theon and said,
“It’s not important, I’m just curious. It’s lonely without Theon in the room across from mine. Knowing when you’ll be back would make me feel less lonely.”
“Probably when the Teacher returns. …Should I come back quickly?”
“No, what if you get hurt rushing back? Take your time. Take your time.”
Yes!
I cheered internally at my success in timing. Theon even remembered to answer my earlier question.
“The errand is just a walk, so it’s not dangerous. But calling it an errand is a secret… I’ll tell people I’m going for training instead.”
“Huh? Okay, I understand.”
Theon hesitated when he mentioned the word ‘secret.’ Had Dad told him not to say anything, and I had pressured him?
So, I didn’t ask anything further. The important thing was that while the auction was happening, both Dad and Theon would be away from Stone House.
Without them, I could act more freely.
“You want to be alone until Young Master Reytan returns?”
“Yes. I’d prefer if no one came in!”
“It’s sad, but if that’s what you wish, I will follow. Yes, I’ll make sure of it.”
After asking Aqum to check for a time when no one would be around, I used that opportunity to sneak out of Stone House and head to the auction.
And today, I was hiding in the unused second-floor balcony, watching the auction unfold on the first floor.
[Little Quartz. Look over there.]
Aqum pointed to one of the spectator seats on the second floor, on the opposite wall. Between the columns of the railing, two small golden curls appeared and disappeared.
“The twins, huh?”
***
When the auction price surpassed 400 million Kona, Yossel’s hands began to tremble. He had long exceeded the limit he intended to spend at the auction today.
On top of that, he had recently overextended himself by expanding his clothing business, so most of his available funds were tied up there. Even if he won the auction, the real problem was how to immediately raise the cash.
Yossel’s eyes darted nervously between the tables.
Reytan, sipping champagne and staring at the pearl earrings on the platform, showed no sign of lowering his number board.
His mother, Priscilla, was leisurely chatting with a noble sitting beside her.
As for his eldest brother, Hevant, he had his back turned to him, so Yossel couldn’t see his face.
Yossel’s desperate gaze finally landed on the furious Marian.
“Sister, I’m done for…”
Yossel’s number board fell limply as he gave up. Only Reytan remained.
“Oh! Number 17 has given up! 410 million! 410 million! Anyone?”
At this point, the auctioneer had no shame. Who would pay such a ridiculous amount for a pair of pearl earrings?
Most of those present thought this was just another loss for the Travel family’s unfortunate reputation, except for Marian.
“Do you think, with that wretch’s personality, he won’t take those earrings straight to an appraiser?”
Marian recalled Yossel’s pale face and the words he had just spoken. Reytan would definitely take the earrings for appraisal. And then, confident in his righteousness, he would accuse the Travel family of selling a fake, not caring at all about the damage to the family’s reputation or standing!
The rumors would spread.
The main auction item from the Travel family’s auction was a counterfeit. They sold it for 400 million! And the person responsible for hosting the auction was none other than Marian Cornelian Travel!
‘That scoundrel!’
Marian grabbed her number board. Her clenched fists trembled as she gripped it so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
“Number 4! Number 4 has shown intent to bid! We’ll restart the auction at 410 million Kona!”
The auctioneer, about to declare the sale, raised the bid again as soon as he saw Marian’s number board.
“500 million.”
“Number 36 has called 500 million!”
“…520 million.”
“Number 4 bids 520 million!”
The auction hall was filled only with the auctioneer’s calls. The amounts were unimaginable. At this point, everyone was anxiously watching, wondering who would lower their number board first—Reytan or Marian.
“600 million.”
Leaning casually against the backrest, the second son of the Count Travel family announced his bid.
“Number 4 has raised to 640 million!”
Glaring fiercely at him, the eldest daughter of the Travel family still held her number board.
“1 billion.”
Finally, Reytan raised the bid from 800 million to 1 billion.
Snap.
The connection of the fan in Marian’s hand broke under the pressure of her grip.
That insane scoundrel Reytan.
🍓 ; *intentionally ignoring or showing a lack of warmth and interest, often as a sign of disapproval or distancing.
