Thanks to the consistent care I had given the estate while living at the duchy, the house was spotless and ready for immediate occupancy. With a sense of nostalgia, I stepped inside.
“Welcome, my lady,” greeted the butler and maid I had hired through interviews while still at the Graham estate.
“Nice to see you. I’m counting on you,” I responded briefly and headed straight to my room.
“Could you go to the Reflen Auction House and check the schedule for the next auction? Also, verify what items will be up for bid.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“And if you find that a Tieria flower is among the auction items, let me know immediately. Also, check for mana stones; I plan to participate in the auction if any are available.”
“Understood.”
The butler bowed and left to carry out my instructions. The first thing I needed to do after leaving the Graham estate was to find the Tieria flower.
I had been diagnosed with Trintz disease, a condition where the mana within the body loses its vitality, causing the body to gradually stiffen. I discovered I had this illness just six months ago. It was a morning like any other, but my body wouldn’t respond properly, and I fell down the stairs—my first symptom.
The Tieria flower was essential for treating this disease. It only bloomed under the moonlight, and consuming it would reactivate the body’s mana. Hunters occasionally found this rare flower, which was the main ingredient in the cure for Trintz disease.
However, patients with Trintz disease weren’t the only ones who sought the Tieria flower. It was also highly coveted by those who practiced magic and swordsmanship, as it greatly enhanced their abilities. Thus, many were desperate to obtain it.
In the six months since I had been diagnosed, the Tieria flower had appeared at auction only once. The competition was fierce, and the price was so high that I had to give up. Even as the Duchess of Graham, I couldn’t afford the auction price because my allowance was insufficient.
Disappointed, I had asked Ains to increase my allowance, but he refused without even listening to my reasons. That was the main reason I decided to divorce him.
But now, with the substantial alimony I received, I had enough financial power to purchase the Tieria flower if it appeared at auction again.
…The key question was whether the Tieria flower would appear at auction again.
Still, it wasn’t a completely hopeless situation. Even if I couldn’t find the Tieria flower for a long time, I could temporarily use mana stones. Fortunately, I had already secured enough mana stones to use for a while.
* * *
“Welcome, Viscountess Marves. We are pleased to have you at the Reflen Auction House.”
After verifying my identity card and auction invitation, the staff at the entrance greeted me politely.
“Do you need a mask?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Then please follow me inside.”
I followed his lead into the auction house. The Reflen Auction House was one of the top three auction houses in the imperial capital, Grante.
I had visited a few times before to purchase mana stones. Today, I was here for the same reason. This time, the auction featured one top-grade mana stone and twelve high-grade ones.
Low and mid-grade mana stones could be purchased directly from the magic tower without going through an auction. However, high-grade and above were rare and produced by only a few people, with very limited distribution, making auctions necessary.
“Your seat is number 137. Would you like some wine or tea?”
“Please bring me some Cheff tea and madeleines.”
“Right away, my lady.”
The auction seats were private spaces with partitions on both sides, accessible only through a door. However, the seats were arranged in a circular layout around the stage, so it wasn’t entirely impossible to see others.
I sat down in the plush, comfortable chair. On the table were a bell for participating in the auction, a number pad for entering bids, and a pamphlet listing the items up for auction.
Just as I reached for the pamphlet, there was a knock on the door.
“Viscountess Marves, your tea is ready.”
“Come in.”
The staff entered, placed the tea and snacks on the table, and then left. I lifted the teacup and inhaled the bitter aroma of Cheff tea, which helped clear my mind.
After taking a sip, I set the cup down and looked around. On the stage, a singer was performing to entertain the waiting audience, and a famous orchestra was playing instruments on one side.
The enchanting music brought a brief smile to my face before I turned my attention back to the room. As expected of a renowned auction house, the seats were filling up with people. Some wore elaborate masks to conceal their identities.
I had thought there was no need for a mask, but that was a mistake. Despite pretending otherwise, I could feel the curious glances directed at me.
I knew why they were looking.
Just a week ago, I had divorced Ains Graham, and rumors had spread about me.
“A woman who gave up everything—wealth, power, and honor.”
“Why did she get divorced? Was it the Duke’s fault or Viscountess Marves’?”
For gossipers, there was no better story.
But they couldn’t openly mock Ains Graham, a young, capable man who owned one of the two largest trading companies in the empire and was the only Duke in the country.
They chose to mock me, Cecilia Marves, a young woman with nothing but her youth, rather than the powerful Duke Graham. It was safer that way.
I didn’t need to go out of my way to hear the rumors circulating in the auction house or salons; I could easily imagine what they were saying. Fortunately, since everyone was in their private spaces, they couldn’t openly gossip about me.
If I had known people would be so blatantly staring at me, I would have requested a mask… but it was too late for regrets. Besides, I didn’t feel the need to hide. After all, divorcing Ains wasn’t a crime.
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t bothered by the gossip, but I resolved not to let it affect me. Despite the piercing stares, I calmly leaned back in my chair and took another sip of tea.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting. Welcome to the Reflen Auction House. I am Chapman Garnick, your auctioneer for today.”
Thankfully, the auction started soon, drawing everyone’s attention to the stage. Some people continued to steal glances at me, but I ignored them. I half-listened to the auctioneer’s instructions while picking up the pamphlet listing the auction items.
The items were typical: a set of sapphire accessories crafted by a famous jeweler, intricately designed porcelain from the East, and so on. I knew the Tieria flower wasn’t among the auction items this time, but I couldn’t help feeling disappointed.
When would that flower appear at auction again? It was possible that someone might sell it to the magic tower before it ever made it to auction. I had mentioned it to an employee of the Graham trading company, but now that I am divorced, it was unrealistic to expect them to secure the flower for me.
I couldn’t go searching for the flower myself either. The Tieria flower bloomed in dangerous, rocky cliffs under the moonlight. It was impossible for me to find it on my own. So, all I could do was wait for it to appear at an auction.
“Let’s begin the auction! The first item is a painting by Dial Truger, ‘Rainy Night Street.'”
Lost in thought, I barely noticed the auction starting. Others were bidding on items that caught their interest, but I was waiting for the mana stones.
After eight items, the mana stones finally came up.
“The ninth item is a set of twelve high-grade mana stones, starting at 10 gold.”
The starting bid was low, but I knew it would rise quickly. The average price for a single high-grade mana stone was around 20 gold. With twelve stones, the fair price would be about 240 gold. I planned to join the bidding when it reached around 200 gold.
“Customer 83 has bid 229 gold. Any other bids?”
The price quickly rose to 229 gold. I entered 240 gold on the number pad.
“Customer 137 has bid 240 gold. Any other bids?”
It was the exact fair price. Even if I paid a bit more, it wouldn’t be a loss. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone else bid higher.
“Customer 204 has bid 260 gold. Any other bids?”
Now, only serious buyers would continue bidding. I entered 280 gold.
As soon as the auctioneer called out 280 gold, customer 204 raised it by another 20 gold. This back-and-forth continued until the price exceeded 380 gold.
“Any bids over 380 gold? If not, the item will go to customer 204. Counting down from five.”
380 gold was much higher than the average price.
“Four.”
It wasn’t worth it unless someone was desperate.
“Three.”
I placed my hand on the number pad, ready to enter a bid before time ran out. Curious about who wanted the mana stones so badly, I glanced at seat 204.
“Two.”
And then I froze.
“One.”
In seat 204 was Ains.
