The following day, I went to the auction to purchase art again.
‘I can’t take a day off if I want to have a beautiful independent life.’
One good news is that 1,000 francs arrived as my monthly salary. My pockets were so full that I felt secure.
Dwayne looked puzzled at me, who seemed to be in high spirits.
Today’s auction was hosted by Count Rosento, who auctioned off some of the artworks he had been collecting due to their financial status dwindling thanks to their troublemaker son.
I have a feeling there would be more to take here than in a charity auction.
“This time-honored candlestick, created 300 years ago by the great artist Duke Raymond, is a kind of ornament rather than a candlestick and was documented to be used in the exorcism of Empress Urias, who was under attack by the devil. This valuable work of art is…”
[Monde, the God of Art, points at the lead candlestick]
I immediately prepared myself.
The auction has begun.
“100 francs!”
“200 francs!”
“Are there any more than 200 francs? 200, 200, 200 francs is a successful bid!”
Disguised as a wealthy and lazy country noble lady, I won several bids.
They said they had been collecting them since Count Rosento’s grandfather, but they seemed to have given away things they could dispose of on their own.
Garnet* necklace, Monde statue, the 54th saint’s portrait, and lead candlesticks…
(T/N: A ‘garnet’ is a hard, transparent, dark red colored mineral that is often used as gemstones and abrasives.)
Among them, the design of the Garnet necklace was good enough that it can be used now compared to its age. As I stood holding the object beautifully, Dwayne came closer and helped me.
“Are you going to sell them at the top again today?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t think you’re short of salary though…”
My monthly salary of 1,000 francs couldn’t have been short of living expenses for a commoner’s family for a year. If only not for the stupid Ariel offering Annie 650 francs.
“There exists a deep significance that only God knows.”
I said to Dwayne with a cool smile. It was a sign that there was no need for any further information.
The quick-witted Dwayne hurriedly bowed his head.
“I apologize.”
I soon set foot out of the Count’s mansion. Then, in a regular carriage without the crest of the temple, I headed for the main street where Lloyd’s Top was located.
It was fun to sit in the carriage and watch people’s dynamic lives. I will live a normal life as soon as I get out of the temple one day. It would be an average life with little happiness.
After a while, the carriage stopped in an alley near the Top and I got out of the carriage and headed to the building with Dwayne.
I went up the stairs that I climbed last time to sell things and found a purchasing appraiser. But I could see that there was someone who came earlier than me, and there was a little scuffle.
“It’s a valuable item, but it’s hard to exchange it with Cronia. I prefer to give you money…”
“I know it’s in possession of Lloyd’s Top. My superior needs it, so what are you going to do if you anger them?”
“Cronia is an illegal object. Lloyd doesn’t deal with illegal things.”
“Let me meet the young lord.”
It was a woman wearing a black robe with a precious-looking necklace on her hand.
With Monde’s blessing, I could tell it was a platinum necklace that seemed worth more than 1,000 francs.
But… Cronia?
I think I saw it in a book, but I can’t remember it.
“The young lord is busy. It’s appropriate to conduct a formal inquiry first before you meet.”
“He knows who I am! Ha, really. You’ll regret this later!”
“W-who are you?”
When asked by the relentless appraiser, the woman turned around and cursed repeatedly.
“…will not leave Lloyd alone.”
I couldn’t understand it well because the first words were blurred, but I recognized the woman’s face when she turned around.
The last time I went to the palace to give a congratulatory message, she was the maid who was close to Rosé, the queen.
It wasn’t a striking face, but she was a woman I remembered because she resembled my aunt in my past life.
“If it’s Cronia, it would be drugs.”
Dwayne murmured after she completely went out.
All I remember is the word ‘Cronia’ from the book.
Cronia was a type of herbal medicine that had a strong drug-like substance.
It was used as a painkiller, but it was often abused as a drug; it was not handled anywhere other than the temple, and it was a special item that was managed by drawing lists from the temple.
One of the characteristics is that it makes the pulse unsteady and sometimes it creates tachycardia or rapid heartbeat; in some cases, even slows down the pulse so much that one might be mistaken as dead.
‘But why did the Queen’s maid…’
“I don’t know what kind of noble lady she is, but she’s in a terrible family.”
Dwayne clicked his tongue. He seemed unaware that she’s an imperial maid.
I had many things in mind for a while, but I came to sell anyway, so I approached the appraiser.
Dwayne lined up four things in front of the appraiser, and as I was about to open my mouth.
“Good job, Ron.”
The door behind the appraiser opened and a man suddenly walked in.
I heard his low voice again,
“I hate interfering in family fights.”
The tall, black-haired, dark-eyed man paused when he saw me and moved his eyebrows.
“Oh.”
There was no way I couldn’t remember this guy. It was a man I knew, and he must have recognized me as well.
When I hesitated about what to do, I could see him raising the corners of his mouth.
“This.”
I was reflected on the surface of his dark blue eyes.
I stood and stared straight at him, resisting the urge to turn around.
“Why did the Saintess come to my company?”
Cass Lloyd’s dangerous low-pitched voice flowed into my ears.
The appraiser was taken aback by his words and stared at me.
I knew he was the boss of Lloyd’s Top, but I didn’t expect to cross paths with him like this.
This place, where I do not officially visit with the priests and priestesses, but only appraise and purchase goods at best, was not a place where he, the official successor and the young lord of Lloyd’s Top, should be.
It was an unexpected situation, but I kept an expressionless face and told him,
“I’m here to sell some items.”
At my words, he strode with a smile.
“The Saintess herself?”
He approached me and turned to Dwayne.
Knowing his face, Dwayne stood silently. And then the dark-skinned appraiser who was sitting said,
“It’s true, she sold one last time. I never expected her to be the Saintess.”
Cass stared directly at me at the appraiser’s words.
I could sense the curiosity in his blue eyes.
“I just came out to get some fresh air. They are of no use to me, but I’m selling them because they may be needed for others.”
I tried to answer casually.
Cass, who slightly raised the corners of his mouth, lifted the Garnet necklace with his index and middle finger among the items on the appraiser’s desk.
The dark red necklace slid around his hand.
“Are these the items in your possession?”
I nodded at his words.
“That’s right.”
The world was replete with valuables. There was nothing unusual about a saint having these things.
If they were collected by the Count’s grandfather, they would be unknown to the world.
In addition, if it spreads that the saint buys things at an auction and sells them at the top, something more tiring than I can imagine might happen.
“These are my things.”
After staring at the Garnet necklace for a long time with a deep smile at my words, he turned to me.
“Then I’d like to buy this personally.”
He seemed to like the Garnet necklace.
With a relaxed voice, he turned from the necklace to my eyes. I blinked in surprise at what he said soon after,
“10,000 francs, what do you say?”
“……?”
I hope I didn’t just hear it wrong.
I asked with a surprised look,
“10,000 francs?”
That was close to my annual salary for one year.
‘Are you saying this Garnet necklace is worth that much?’
10,000 francs is the cost of living for a non-poor commoner’s family for 10 years.
But my admiration was severed by the appraiser,
“It’s about 600 francs at most, isn’t that too much?”
That’s right. Still, 600 francs is a profit of 350 francs since I bought it for 250 francs.
But Cass, standing in front of me with the Garnet necklace, opened his mouth again,
“Yes, 10,000 francs. That’s how much I’m offering for the necklace.”