“Yes, the twelve high-grade mana stones go to customer 204 for 380 gold.”
The auctioneer’s voice echoed, but I was too stunned to process anything beyond the fact that Ains was here.
Why was Ains here? Sure, it wasn’t strange for him to attend an auction. Reflen Auction House is one of the most prestigious in Grante, and he could be here for any number of reasons. But why was he bidding on high-grade mana stones?
Ains Graham’s trading company has connections with the Mage Tower. If he needed high-grade mana stones, he could simply negotiate with them. While it’s rare for the Mage Tower to distribute such valuable stones, it’s not unheard of. Given their longstanding relationship with Graham Trading, the Mage Tower would likely oblige.
Before our divorce, I’d visited the Mage Tower a few times to procure mana stones for my health. As Ains’s wife and the Duchess of Graham, Master Cesare of the Mage Tower had made special arrangements for me. But that was because of my status as Ains’s wife. Now, as Viscountess Marves, I no longer had that privilege. That’s why I came to the auction, knowing mana stones were up for bid.
But seeing Ains here, winning the high-grade mana stones, felt incredibly out of place considering his connections with the Mage Tower.
Could he be buying the mana stones because of me? It was just a suspicion, and I had no way of knowing the truth. I sat back down and looked at the next auction item.
“The tenth item is similar to the previous one: top-grade mana stones. The starting bid is 100 gold.”
The auction began again. Since I missed out on the high-grade mana stones, acquiring the top-grade ones became my priority. I still had some mana stones left from when I left the Graham estate, but it was always wise to stock up, especially with top-grade ones.
“Customer 137 has bid 890 gold. Any other bids?”
The price climbed to 890 gold. I prayed no one else would bid.
“Any other bids at 890 gold? If not, the item will go to customer 137. Counting down from five, four…”
The countdown felt excruciatingly long. I anxiously wished for it to end.
As the auctioneer was about to say “one,” it happened.
“Customer 204 has bid 900 gold. Any other bids?”
Ains again. I placed my hand on the number pad, entering 910 gold.
“Customer 137 has bid 910 gold.”
As the auctioneer confirmed my bid, Ains raised it again.
“Customer 204 has bid 1,000 gold.”
I was certain now. Ains was deliberately outbidding me. Continuing would be futile; I couldn’t outbid him. My funds consisted of the alimony from Ains, a million gold, and the 130,000 gold I had saved before the divorce. I had many expenses ahead—managing the Marves estate, medical treatments, and most importantly, purchasing the Tieria flower, which could cost up to 300,000 gold.
I needed to save as much as possible, not knowing when the Tieria flower would appear at auction. For Ains, this was likely pocket change, a trivial amount for someone running a business. He was likely bidding just to thwart me.
Realizing it was best to let this one go, I withdrew my hand from the number pad.
“The top-grade mana stones also go to customer 204.”
The auctioneer’s voice finalized the sale. I sat back, feeling a mix of frustration and helplessness, and covered my face with my hands. Why was Ains doing this?
Though it was late, I had granted him the divorce he wanted. Despite claiming he was unhappy with our marriage, he had gained control of the Graham trading company and the duke title at a young age because of it. He had ambitions, and my grandfather recognized them, offering him the title and company on the condition of our marriage. It wasn’t a one-sided marriage; he had benefited too.
So why was he doing this now?
My head felt hot while my fingertips turned cold. Taking a deep breath, I decided to confront him directly. I rose from my seat and approached a nearby staff member.
“Shall I call for your carriage?”
“No, actually… Could you take me to seat 204?”
“Of course.”
Following the staff, I wondered what I would say to Ains. Frustration and confusion swirled in my mind.
We soon arrived at seat 204. The staff stepped aside, indicating I could call if I needed anything. I raised my hand and knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
His familiar voice came from the other side. Swallowing hard, I turned the doorknob and entered.
Ains was sitting there, calmly sipping wine.
“I expected you’d come,” Ains said, turning his chair to face me. His smirk was more irritating than ever.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked.
“The mana stones?” he replied.
“Yes. As a Duke, you could easily get them from the Mage Tower.”
Ains took a sip of his wine before setting the glass down beside him.
“I was just curious about what you planned to buy with all that alimony you took.”
Just as I had suspected. His curiosity had driven me to this point of despair. The realization made my throat tighten with bitterness.
“Why do you care now, after the divorce? If you were going to show interest, you should have done it sooner.”
“I wasn’t particularly interested, but it seems I made you misunderstand. For that, I apologize.”
Ains folded his arms and looked up at me. I had so much to say, but I stood there, speechless, as if rooted to the spot. Seeing my silence, he shrugged and unfolded his arms.
“Well, I did bid out of curiosity… but I don’t need the mana stones. You can have them. I’ll cover the cost. Just let the staff know.”
His condescending offer made my blood boil. I wanted to refuse out of pride, but I needed those mana stones desperately. The doctor had said that even after treatment with the Tieria flower, I would need to use mana stones consistently for one to two years.
I clenched my fists tightly, my hands trembling with humiliation.
“Don’t go back on your word later.”
“I won’t. I have no use for them anyway.”
His casual tone made it unbearable to stay any longer. I turned and left seat 204. I needed to find a staff member to collect the mana stones, as Ains had said.
Just as I sighed and was about to walk away, I heard the door open behind me.
“Cecilia.”
It was Ains’s voice. I turned slowly, wondering what he wanted now. He looked at me with a slight frown, as if something was bothering him.
“What now? Do you have more business with me, Your Grace? Or did you change your mind right after promising not to?”
Ains tilted his head and crossed his arms.
“I’m not calling you back to claim ownership of the mana stones.”
“Then what?”
“I don’t understand.”
Ains began walking towards me slowly.
