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Chapter 19
“That one?”
Saint stared at me with an expression that said he couldn’t quite believe what he had just heard.
When I nodded without hesitation, he asked again, face still unreadable.
“Why?”
I had heard that this jewel had been the centerpiece when the treaty with the barbarians was signed.
If I were to claim it for myself, it might very well jeopardize that accord.
And if the alliance with the barbarians failed, then I would never have to meet them. That would eliminate at least one cause of my death.
Of course, this was not a reason I could share with anyone.
I had no desire to be dismissed as insane.
“Do I need a reason to want it?”
My tone was sharper than I intended, but Saint only chuckled, as if long accustomed to my temper.
“I asked a foolish question.”
He wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t press further. Instead, he raised his paddle.
“100,000 gold.”
Moments earlier, the bid had stood at fifty thousand. In one breath, Saint had doubled the price.
[“We have 100,000 gold! A worthy price for a worthy relic. Any higher bids?”]
“Who would pay that much for a rock?”
“Ruining the whole auction with foolish bids…”
“Throwing money away like that—ridiculous.”
Grumbling spread among the crowd, but Saint only smiled, satisfied.
“110,000.”
At that, his smile froze.
“What?”
A new bidder had spoken—a man cloaked in robes, seated quietly at the farthest corner. His face was hidden, suspiciously so.
“120,000.”
Saint’s jaw tightened. He was not the type to show weakness before me. His voice rang out immediately.
“130,000.”
“140,000.”
“150,000.”
The duel had begun, and the price climbed higher and higher. Even the spectators who had scoffed earlier now leaned forward in astonishment.
“Are they insane?”
“For a worthless stone?”
Still the duel continued.
“200,000.”
“500,000!”
Saint’s roar silenced the room.
[“500,000!!! Going once, twice, SOLD! To His Grace for half a million gold! Thank you, and on to our next item—”]
Saint leaned back, red-faced but triumphant, taking a slow sip of wine.
“Pathetic fools. Couldn’t even keep up.”
He turned to me with a smile.
“Thank you, Alex. You’ve cheered me considerably.”
I rewarded him with an empty smile of my own.
“I should be the one thanking you. Without you, how could I possibly have obtained it?”
Saint preened at the compliment.
“For Elisha’s sake, half a million is nothing.”
The mood that had soured during the bidding now lifted instantly. He settled back to enjoy the rest of the auction, content.
As for me, I was in no mood to linger. I had already secured what I wanted.
“Alex, when can I collect the item?”
“Before we leave, just pay and claim it.”
“I’d like to rest now.”
“Go ahead. I’ll follow later.”
“I’ll collect it myself.”
“Very well.”
He scribbled his name across a blank check and handed it to me. The sum—500,000 gold—was scrawled plainly across the paper.
“Show that to the staff. It’s the rule here—you must pay in person to claim your prize.”
I slipped the check into my hand and left the VIP lounge.
“May I assist you, miss?”
A waiting attendant guided me into a small reception room, where I completed the payment and finally received the box.
The case was heavy, ornate. I opened it just enough to glimpse the jewel inside—rough, unrefined, and as ugly as I remembered.
“The Heart of the Barbarian.”
A crude name, yet strangely fitting. I shut the lid, prepared to return—only to find someone standing behind me.
The man in robes.
He wore a mask, concealing his face, but his stance was deliberate. He had followed me here.
I moved aside, intending to pass him, but he blocked my path.
“Why did you purchase that?”
His voice was distorted, as though disguised.
“That jewel does not suit you.”
When I gave no reply, he continued,
“Name your price. I’ll pay whatever it takes. Just hand it over.”
Blatant theft in the middle of an underground auction.
I arched a brow.
“But you don’t have that kind of money… do you, Leandros?”
“…What did you just say?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t recognize you?”
Leandros faltered, caught off guard.
“Or perhaps—you failed to recognize me?”
“No. I knew at once.”
He scrambled to correct himself, looking almost guilty under my gaze.
I knew because I had lived it once before.
In another life, I’d overheard him whisper to a confidant:
“I’ve searched for the Heart of the Barbarian for years. When I finally found it at auction, I couldn’t afford it. But the seller made an offer—if I knelt before him, he would hand it over.”
“And you did?” the friend had asked in shock.
Leandros had laughed, utterly unashamed.
“Of course. Thanks to that humiliation, I forged the treaty. What’s my pride compared to peace?”
I had despised him then. Despised that he could throw away his dignity so cheaply—for a stone unworthy of the name “jewel.”
I had sworn to punish the seller in his stead, but before I could act, the barbarians had killed me.
And now, fate placed the jewel in my hand.
Before I could lose myself in old fury, Leandros’s voice broke through, tentative.
“Did I offend you?”
“…What?”
“Your expression. It looked as though you were angry.”
His voice grew smaller, almost sheepish. I shook my head, unwilling to answer.
He straightened, desperate to recover.
“Grace, did you purchase that jewel because of me?”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because it isn’t your taste. You prefer things rare, dazzling, extravagant. This… isn’t you.”
His confidence wavered as he glanced at my plainer attire of late.
“You’re not someone who wastes effort on what doesn’t matter. But you do for the people who do matter. You saw me once try to claim it, didn’t you?”
He had struck the truth. I gave a small nod.
“And in that life… I failed.”
“Exactly.”
“Ha… how shameful.”
He laughed, but it was hollow, embarrassed.
For the first time, Leandros looked ashamed of himself.
And for some reason, I hated it.
