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Chapter 10
“Hic! 2 billion gold?”
“Ha… if you think about the Guardian’s prophecy, it’s not a value we can ignore.”
“You fool! That’s not all! Isn’t it saying no one should dare covet it!”
Leiden continued to observe the situation calmly, no matter who whispered to whom or how.
Vivianne stood frozen on the central stage, staring this way with a bewildered expression.
She looked completely dazed. Watching her like that gave him a strange sense of victory.
Seeing that small, sharp face turn deathly pale filled him with an odd sense of amusement. What was this unfamiliar feeling?
Why do you look like that? Is it so despairing to fall into my hands?
He admitted it. It was childish. But he didn’t want to stop.
When Count Yanin raised his placard, something cold in his chest screamed. His fingers, tapping lightly, unknowingly tightened. Then when Aaron raised his placard, his heart raced in a different way. In that instant, the surge of human emotion was impossible to define, but it was certainly impulsive.
I’m just being childish. No matter the price, I’ll throw it away lightly and take the Guardian’s blessing.
Vivianne did not look away. She seemed to remember his command—that if she averted her gaze, she would be killed. Thinking that her pale pink eyes contained only him brought him a surge of pleasure.
“Y-Your Majesty…”
Leiden glanced between the drunken, swaying Count Yanin and Aaron’s shadowed face, then let out a quiet scoff.
“Do you think this is exploitation using rank and authority?”
“Of course not.”
Leiden looked at Aaron, who answered without the slightest hesitation.
The man had been acting strangely all day.
A longtime friend, comrade from the battlefield, and his most trusted subordinate.
Yet today, Leiden could not understand him. It left a faintly unpleasant feeling. Aaron’s reddened nape and his habit of moistening his lips whenever anxious irritated him.
Only then, as if struck on the head, did he realize.
So it was you, Aaron, who put Vivianne Rette up for auction.
Leiden could not grasp why Aaron would go so far as to do something like this. Or rather, a suspicion like “could it be…” spread in his mind like clouds.
No way.
It couldn’t be. And yet—why was Aaron’s neck so flushed?
“The Knight Commander’s claim is interesting. A prophecy bestowed directly by the Guardian Nasira. What sweeter and more beautiful blessing could there be? Surviving and flowing into Valder is also the will of God. Commander Aaron, yes—you wish to give that woman’s blessing to those who have lost strength and hope, do you not?”
“That is entirely correct.”
“You overlooked one thing.”
Leiden’s aura turned overwhelmingly oppressive. He stole everyone’s attention effortlessly.
“Aaron, have you not seen it on the battlefield? What happens when you throw a piece of bread to the hungry? At first, it may seem like salvation—but soon it becomes poison that drives them to devour one another. And in the end, does that bread remain intact? Doesn’t it get trampled in the mud, losing all value?”
“……”
“A blessing is not meant to be placed where misfortune exists. A blessing does its true role only when it can be seen but not touched, heard but not whispered directly into the ear.”
From here, it was quite the spectacle. Vivianne’s constantly changing expressions were clearly visible even from a distance. Compared to the dazed Yanin and the expressionless Aaron, she was far more entertaining.
“Therefore, I intend to place the ‘Undying Star of Rette’ under Valder’s private ownership—in other words, as imperial private property.”
“……A wise decision, Your Majesty.”
“You don’t look like you agree.”
“Your Majesty!”
“Just joking. I’m joking.”
Leiden laughed, looking at Aaron.
“Ah, right. You said there would be cash bidding on-site? So will I. I’ll acquire priority on equal terms. Of course, I’ll clarify it is my personal wealth, not the state treasury. For the glory of Valder, I suppose I can afford that much. Clerk! Stop dawdling and start the countdown.”
“Y-Yes, Your Majesty!”
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
No one spoke until the countdown ended. Only the Empress Dowager beside him moved her lips slightly, but even she did not speak in the end.
“The ‘Undying Star of Rette’ has been sold into the hands of His Imperial Majesty of the Great Valder Empire!”
The auctioneer shouted with a trembling voice and struck the staff three times on the ground: thud, thud.
Leiden quietly turned his gaze to Vivianne. Her shoulders trembled as she caught her breath. A hot vortex seemed to swirl inside his chest. Just looking at her made his blood feel as if it were being pulled toward her.
But he concealed his expression with practiced ease.
Instead, he turned to Count Yanin, who was still unsteady and bewildered.
The count’s back broke into cold sweat as Leiden lifted one corner of his mouth like a predator spotting prey. Yanin kept screaming “Why!” in his mind over and over.
“Count.”
“Yes, y-yes.”
“Tell me. Aren’t you wronged?”
“N-No, Your Majesty! It is only natural that Your Majesty would take the Guardian’s blessing! I feel no injustice at all…”
“That’s not what I meant. Didn’t you say you intended to use the blessing for the empire?”
Leiden’s voice suddenly turned sharp.
“Y-Yes, of course, for the glory of Valder…”
“Then I’m asking whether you are not resentful that I took that opportunity.”
The count’s face shifted red and blue in rapid succession.
“Moreover, you raised your placard first, so you must have had great expectations. I must have trampled your loyalty in an instant, so my heart feels heavy. As such, I will give you an opportunity.”
“A-an opportunity…?”
“The donation you said you would gladly make to Valder.”
Yanin was a sly man. He quickly understood the meaning behind Leiden’s gaze. He also desperately wanted to escape the situation before his vision spun further. Standing beside Knight Commander Aaron gave him some comfort, but strictly speaking, he had been “dragged here,” while Aaron had merely stood by choice.
“Your Majesty! Yes, yes. That’s right. Let me see… was it 1 billion gold? Haha. For Valder…”
In this situation, he only needed to curry favor differently. Seeing a spark in Leiden’s gray eyes, Yanin finally thought he had succeeded and exhaled in relief.
“No. Your arithmetic is slow.”
“P-Pardon? My bid clearly was—”
“How much was the ‘Undying Star of Rette’ sold for?”
“Earlier, Your Majesty said 2 billion gold… hic!”
The count’s face turned deathly pale.
That’s an impossible amount to liquidate!
Leiden finally smiled in satisfaction.
“Good. Your memory is intact. Then donate 2 billion gold. Secretary!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“Record Count Yanin’s name and charge 2 billion gold to the ledger! This will be an excellent example. Count, I express my deep gratitude to your house.”
Yanin clasped his hands and twisted awkwardly.
“M-My, Your Majesty…”
“Today’s auction was truly a success. I shall take my leave so you may all continue enjoying yourselves. This has been one of the most satisfying events recently. Count Yanin deserves the greatest credit.”
“But, Your Majesty…”
“Do you have something to say?”
“Ah…”
The count closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again.
“The Knight Commander also intended to make a donation!”
“Oh, right.”
Leiden slowly descended from the VIP seat and stood before Yanin and Aaron.
“But, Count, as you well know, it is difficult for the Knight Commander to raise 2 billion gold. I have taken that into consideration.”
Leiden patted Yanin’s shoulder and smiled. The count’s complexion had now turned utterly ashen.
Passing by Aaron, Leiden could not resist his impulse once more. Even he could not tell whether it was punishment or something else entirely.
His low voice slipped into Aaron’s ear.
“Aaron.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“This is indeed exploitation using rank and authority.”
He had no intention of regretting his childishness again.
“No! No! No!”
Vivianne was completely devastated.
A sword hilt hung on the wall. It was familiar.
She had been brought here again.
The emperor’s room—luxurious and gloomy, filled with a suffocating scent. Within the enormous tapestry was the image of an unknown beast, as if it might leap out at any moment and devour her.
“What happens now…”
No answer came.
Since Leiden had paid such a vast sum, her ownership now belonged entirely to him.
“What am I going to become…”
“At least being private property means your head will stay attached for a while.”
“Eep!”
A beautiful man stood behind her the moment she spun around.
“At the very least, no lunatics will dare lay hands on the Emperor’s private property.”
“……”
“Ah. Except me. I am the empire, after all.”
That means you’re the one planning to touch me!
“I quite like the myths and legends of the continent’s creation. Studying them is one of the easiest ways to gain wisdom. I’ve memorized hundreds of stories. The myth of the Guardian Nasira of Rette is no different.”
As Leiden took a step forward, Vivianne stepped back. When he closed the distance again, her back touched the cold wall. The space between them remained narrow. He lifted her chin.
“Eek!”
“Yes. Is lying also a talent?”
