The auction continued with or without , and soon enough, Lady Hue was back just as she said she would be. It actually made wonder why she was looking after like this. She hadn’t given the Fox Lady even half as much attention. Was it really just because I was a Sovereign?
She sat next to and at that sa mont, two servants in clean outfits that wouldn’t have looked out of place behind a bar counter ca forward with a tray of wine and cups. They set it down gently before us and bowed their heads.
Lady Hue gestured to the wine.
"Lord Cade, make do with this in the anti. I’ve registered your items and they will be announced, so you can sit back and enjoy."
She looked at intently.
"Around how much are you hoping to make from this sale?"
I thought about it for a mont. ’People here are paying hundreds of gold crowns for absurd things. Might as well aim high.’
"Hm, let’s say around one hundred thousand gold crowns."
She smiled at that but said nothing. The smile didn’t reach her eyes. After a mont, her tone shifted to sothing more careful.
"Can I ask you a question, Lord Cade?"
I turned to her halfway.
"Sure..."
Her tone had an edge to it that put slightly on guard.
"Which kind of life have you led before now?"
I said nothing at first. The question was as difficult as it was easy to answer. I didn’t want Lady Hue knowing about my past as a criminal being chased across the country of Aetheris, but at the sa ti, that didn’t even hold a candle to explaining that I was a random student attending school in another world entirely.
She must have read my face because the next mont she said:
"There are indeed things you can’t share with people. It’s okay if you don’t want to."
I smiled, though the smile felt thin even on my own face.
"Yeah... my past is sothing I hope I can run away from." I let that sit for a beat, then shifted. "Although, if you’re willing to do sothing for , I can consider telling you. No, actually, I’ll do more than that."
I turned to her and took her hand. She flinched, just slightly.
"I’ll be in your favor. Anything at all. Should you need one ti, I will move all my resources to make sure your wishes are fulfilled."
Lady Hue’s eyes widened.
"Lord Cade, that is a very dangerous offer."
She was quiet for a mont, and then her brows furrowed as the other half of it settled in.
"But that’s only because what you want to ask of is equally dangerous, isn’t it?"
I released her hand and leaned back without answering.
She went quiet. The auction was still going on around us, bids rising and falling, the host’s voice cutting through the hall, but the air between the two of us was sothing else entirely.
Then she fixed her eyes on with a frown.
"Please go ahead with your request."
I sighed and spoke evenly.
"The representative that was sent by the Eternal Light Church. Can I et them?"
The frown on Lady Hue’s face turned sharp imdiately.
"Lord Cade, you know that’s—"
She stopped. She had seen whatever was on my face, and whatever it was made her eyes dilate. I couldn’t see my own expression, but I could feel it. Sothing in my jaw had tightened and I hadn’t told it to.
"You asked about my past," I said. "It’s been a living hell because of them. I would really, really love to send them a thank you ssage."
I held her gaze without blinking.
"So... are you going to agree?"
Lady Hue’s expression turned dark. She was running the numbers. If she told , anything could happen, and she wasn’t foolish enough to ask what I planned to do with the information because she already had a rough guess.
At the sa ti, the idea of losing the chance to have a Sovereign indebted to her was clearly eating at her from the other side.
I gave her a small smile.
"Whatever it is you’re estimating my value to be, trust , it’s ten tis that. You have nothing to lose in this trade."
She was still conflicted.
"This is betrayal, Lord Cade. My father would scour the heavens and earth to find whoever leaked this, and don’t forget, there are still two more Sovereigns. You can’t contend against that."
I chuckled.
"Lady Hue, have faith in . What is two Sovereigns? I can take care of six."
She looked at with doubt in her eyes. She didn’t believe , that much was clear. But she also didn’t look willing to let this opportunity walk away.
Eventually, she sighed. Then she leaned closer and whispered into my ear.
My jaw clenched. Sothing cold and sharp settled behind my eyes the instant I heard the na.
And at that sa mont, I heard a familiar description from the host’s mouth.
"Oh good gods! Never have I ever held sothing this clean and glorious! Rumors say this carcass was harvested by a Sovereign who decided scavenging was the only job that could satisfy him. He literally sits down and strips body parts off beasts while they’re trying to kill him! This is not your average scavenger’s work, ladies and gentlen. This is the Leviathan Eel Spine segnt! Could be fashioned into highly effective armor plating or even swords! Starting from—"
"One million!"
"Number nineteen, one million! Anyone willing to go against that?"
"Two million!"
"Number three, two million!"
"Five million!"
"Number nineteen does not want to let this one go! Five million, who’s going against it?"
"Twenty million."
"TWENTY MILLION from a first-ti bidder! Number fifty-two! Do we have anyone going against that? Anyone want this item more? Going once... and it’s gone! Number fifty-two has won the bid for twenty million gold crowns!"
My eyes went wide.
’...I asked for a hundred thousand.’
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